Risk scores for predicting mortality after surgical ventricular reconstruction for ischemic cardiomyopathy: results of a Japanese multicenter study.

Objectives: Surgical ventricular reconstruction has been believed to be beneficial for those with ischemic cardiomyopathy. However, the effectiveness of surgical ventricular reconstruction was not proved by a large-scale trial, and no report has clearly demonstrated the exact indications and limitations of surgical ventricular reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to elucidate predictive factors of mortality after surgical ventricular reconstruction and to develop a prognostic model by calculating risk scores.

Induction of human cardiomyocyte-like cells from fibroblasts by defined factors.

Heart disease remains a leading cause of death worldwide. Owing to the limited regenerative capacity of heart tissue, cardiac regenerative therapy has emerged as an attractive approach. Direct reprogramming of human cardiac fibroblasts (HCFs) into cardiomyocytes may hold great potential for this purpose.

Impact of left ventricular remodelling on outcomes after left ventriculoplasty for ischaemic cardiomyopathy: Japanese surgical ventricular reconstruction group experience.

Objectives: Surgical ventricular reconstruction (SVR) for patients with severe left ventricular (LV) remodelling due to ischaemic cardiomyopathy is still controversial, because the Surgical Treatment for Ischaemic Heart Failure (STICH) trial demonstrated that SVR not only has no beneficial effect on survival compared with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) alone, but also is worse for those with a larger LV. Therefore, we assessed the impact of LV remodelling on the outcomes after SVR for ischaemic cardiomyopathy in Japan, using Di Donato's LV shape classification.

Methods: From 2000 to 2010, 627 patients underwent SVR for ischaemic heart failure in 11 Japanese hospitals.

Time to revisit role of transcatheter balloon aortic valvuloplasty: a bridge-therapy to subsequent treatment case report.

Recently there has been a noticeable resurgence in the usage of percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) by the development of less invasive endovascular therapies including transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). We performed BAV in a 91-year-old man with end-stage severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS) and an impending abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) rupture who had been refused surgical treatment because of the comorbidities with stage V chronic kidney disease (CKD) and severe left ventricular dysfunction. Improvement in hemodynamics and kidney function was observed after BAV.

[Efficacy of surgical left ventricular restoration for the patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy; comparison with the surgical treatments for ischemic heart failure (STICH) trial].

The efficacy of surgical left ventricular restoration (LVR) for the patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy was denied by the surgical treatments for ischemic heart failure (STICH) trial. But the conclusion of the STICH trial is wrong and real message of the STICH trial is as follows. LVR is not effective procedure for the patients with poor left ventricular function and small left ventricular dilatation.

Double-bar application decreases postoperative pain after the Nuss procedure.

Objective: This biomechanical study aims to elucidate whether additional bar application increases postoperative pain after the Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum.

Methods: Clinical evaluation: The intensity of postoperative pain was compared between patients for whom a single-bar was used (single-bar group: n = 14) and those for whom double bars (double-bar group: n = 10) were used to correct the thoracic deformity. The evaluation was performed by referring to the frequency with which local anesthetics were self-injected in a patient-controlled anesthetic system and how many days were needed for the patients to resume ambulation.

Omentopexy enhances graft function in myocardial cell sheet transplantation.

Myocardial cell sheets (MCS) are a potentially valuable tool for tissue engineering aimed at heart regeneration. Several methods have recently been established for the fabrication of MCS. However, the lack of a sufficient blood supply has inhibited functional recovery of the MCS.

Examination of mitral valve repair with port-access method--Aiming at early and less invasive mitral valve repair--.

Objective: We reviewed the results of mitral valvuloplasty by port-access minimally invasive cardiac surgery to examine the validity of operating during an early phase.

Methods: From 1988 through March 2007, a total of 126 patients requiring mitral valvuloplasty were treated with port-access minimally invasive cardiac surgery. Their mean age was 51 +/- 13 years, and 88 were male.

Extrinsic compression of the left main coronary artery by atrial septal defect.

On rare occasions, extrinsic compression of the coronary artery can cause significant stenosis. We report a 42-year-old woman who was referred to our hospital for surgical repair of atrial septal defect. Cardiac 64-slice multi-detector computed tomography before the operation revealed the extrinsic compression of the proximal left main coronary artery by the marked dilatation of pulmonary trunk.

Aortic insufficiency and cardiac herniation associated with blunt chest trauma.

Aortic insufficiency and cardiac herniation due to pericardial rupture after blunt chest trauma are rare complications and are usually associated with high mortality. We report on a patient with simultaneous aortic insufficiency and cardiac herniation. He was involved in a falling accident, but initially presented no symptoms associated with the heart.

A case report of surgical correction for congenital mitral regurgitation with subvalvular apparatus abnormality.

We report a successful complex mitral valve plasty using port access minimally invasive cardiac surgery for congenital mitral regurgitation that presented as an abnormality of the subvalvular apparatus. A 16-year-old male patient received a diagnosis of mitral regurgitation resulting from tethering of the anterior mitral leaflet and posterior mitral leaflet caused by an abnormality in papillary muscle insertion and a hypoplastic chordae tendineae. The posterior leaflet was closely tethered to the tips of the papillary muscle with essentially no chordae tendineae.

Feasibility of mitral valve repair using the loop technique.

Purpose: The most difficult aspect of chordal replacement in a mitral valve repair using expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) sutures, is determining the appropriate length of artificial chorda and ligation of the ePTFE sutures without the knot sliding.

Patients And Methods: We adopted a loop technique reported by Mohr et al. in 12 consecutive cases from October 2005.

Changes in left ventricular volume and predictors of cardiac events after endoventricular circular patch plasty.

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify predictors of cardiac events after endoventricular circular patch plasty (Dor operation) by analyzing our experience with Dor operation.

Methods: Thirty patients with left ventricular aneurysm and/or ischemic cardiomyopathy who underwent Dor operation were included in this study. Hemodynamic and clinical results were analyzed, and the predictors of cardiac events were examined.

Experience with nifekalant hydrochloride in a patient with ischemic cardiomyopathy and severe ventricular dysfunction after dor operation.

A 52-year-old male with ischemic cardiomyopathy and severe ventricular dysfunction underwent coronary artery bypass grafting and left ventricular reconstruction (Dor operation). The patient developed acute onset of incessant ventricular tachycardia in the early postoperative period that was refractory to therapy with class I antiarrhythmic agents, and multiple attempts at electrical cardioversion were required. A combination of intravenous nifekalant hydrochloride and enteral amiodarone was elected as treatment for this recurrent incessant ventricular tachycardia.

Efficacy of endoventricular circular patch plasty: will this procedure improve the prognosis of patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy?

Objectives: We report hemodynamic and clinical results of our series of endoventricular circular patch plasty (Dor operation) and consider some advantages of this procedure for patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy.

Methods: Between 1996 and 2001, 23 consecutive patients with left ventricular aneurysm and/ or ischemic cardiomyopathy after myocardial infarction who underwent Dor operation were included in this study. Hemodynamic and clinical results of Dor operation were analyzed periodically.

Atrophic degeneration and loss of myocytes of residual left ventricular myocardium after Dor operation for ischemic cardiomyopathy associated with left ventricular remodeling.

A 32-year-old male with familial hypercholesterolemia suffered from severe left ventricular dysfunction caused by left ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction (ischemic cardiomyopathy), and endoventricular circular patch plasty (Dor operation) was performed. The patient's postoperative recovery was favorable. Postoperative left ventricular function was significantly improved and the patient was discharged from our hospital.