Central versus peripheral VA ECMO for cardiogenic shock: an 8-year experience of a tertiary cardiac surgery center in Greece.

Background: Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) has emerged as an effective rescue therapy in patients with cardiogenic shock refractory to standard treatment protocols, and its use has been rising worldwide in the last decade. Although experience and availability are growing, outcomes remain poor. There is need for evidence to improve clinical practice and outcomes.

Quality of life and functional capacity in patients after cardiac surgery intensive care unit.

Coronary heart disease and aortic stenosis are prevalent cardiovascular diseases worldwide, leading to morbidity and mortality. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) have therapeutic benefits, including improved postoperative quality of life (QoL) and enhanced patient functional capacity which are key indicators of cardiac surgery outcome. In this article, we review the latest studies of QoL outcomes and functional capacity in patients who underwent cardiac surgery.

Incidence, risk factors and clinical outcome of multidrug-resistant organisms after heart transplantation.

Background: Transplant recipients commonly harbor multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), as a result of frequent hospital admissions and increased exposure to antimicrobials and invasive procedures.

Aim: To investigate the impact of patient demographic and clinical characteristics on MDRO acquisition, as well as the impact of MDRO acquisition on intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital length of stay, and on ICU mortality and 1-year mortality post heart transplantation.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed 98 consecutive heart transplant patients over a ten-year period (2013-2022) in a single transplantation center.

Outcomes of delayed chest closure after congenital heart surgery in neonates.

We present the outcomes of delayed chest closure in neonates who underwent congenital heart surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass. Eighty-one consecutive neonatal patients (age ≤ 28 days) with congenital heart diseases who underwent heart operations and after surgery, chest remained open in the intensive care unit until DCC. Correction of transposition of the great arteries pathology was the most common surgical procedure (48.

Intensive Care Unit Hyperglycemia After Cardiac Surgery: Risk Factors and Clinical Outcomes.

Objectives: Patients with hyperglycemia after cardiac surgery face increased morbidity and mortality due to postoperative complications. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of postoperative hyperglycemia, the hyperglycemia risk factors, and its association with clinical outcomes in patients admitted to the cardiac surgery intensive care unit after cardiac surgery.

Design: Prospective, observational study.

Outcomes after repair of complete atrioventricular canal with a modified single-patch technique: a retrospective study.

Background: This study aimed to present the short- and midterm outcomes after complete atrioventricular canal defect (CAVC) repair using a single-patch technique.

Methods: This study included 30 children who underwent surgical correction of the CAVC using a single-patch technique.

Results: The median age of the patients was 5.

Immunogenicity of the Two mRNA SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines in a Large Cohort of Dialysis Patients.

Chronic kidney disease patients, especially those on hemodialysis, are at the highest risk of a severe course and death from COVID-19. Moreover, they appear to have suboptimal response in both cellular and humoral immunity after vaccination. The present study investigated humoral and cellular response and safety after two doses of either of the two authorized mRNA vaccines in a cohort of 310 patients on maintenance dialysis.

Acute renal failure after acute type A aortic dissection repair. Insidious postoperative complication with poor short- and long-term prognosis.

Acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) is a life-threatening aortic disease. Many systems and organs are affected by malperfusion which presents preoperatively and postoperatively. Postoperative acute renal failure after ATAAD constitutes a severe and insidious complication.

De Novo Minimal Change Disease following Vaccination with the Pfizer/BioNTech SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine in a Living Kidney Donor.

Coronavirus disease 2019 has developed as a pandemic. Immunization with the introduction of vaccines against COVID-19 seems be the only way to end this pandemic. We report on a case of a kidney donor, who developed minimal change disease (MCD) within 4 days post-vaccination with the SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine (Pfizer/BioNTech).

B-cell oligoclonal expansions in renal tissue of patients with immune-mediated glomerular disease.

B-cell clonal expansion has been sporadically described in the blood and/or renal tissue of patients with glomerulonephritides, albeit with unclear pathogenetic role. Herein, using spectratyping analysis, we observed oligoclonal intrarenal B-cell populations in 59% of glomerulonephritis patients with podocyte injury (6/7 with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, 1/3 minimal change disease, 1/3 idiopathic membranous nephropathy, 3/4 IgA nephropathy, 2/5 membranous lupus nephritis), 20% of glomerulonephritis patients without podocyte involvement (4/13 with mesangial or proliferative lupus nephritis, 0/3 idiopathic membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, 0/4 pauci-immune vasculitis) and 17% of control patients with renal cancer. In multivariate analysis, oligoclonal B-cells were associated with podocyte injury and the grade of glomerulosclerosis (both p = .

Clinical impact of repeat renal biopsies in patients with lupus nephritis: Renal biopsy is essential especially later in the course of the disease.

Objective: The clinical impact of repeat renal biopsies in patients with lupus nephritis (LN) is still debatable. The aim of this retrospective analysis was to assess whether repeat renal biopsy is a reliable tool in guiding therapeutic decisions.

Methods: Laboratory and histological parameters and therapeutic changes in 35 patients with LN and repeat renal biopsies were retrospectively analyzed.

Immunosuppressive regimens based on Cyclophospamide or Calcineurin inhibitors: Comparison of their effect in the long term outcome of Primary Membranous Nephropathy.

Introduction: Management of the Primary Membranous Nephropathy (PMN) usually involves administration of immunosuppressives. Cyclophosphamide (Cyclo) and Calcineurin Inhibitors (CNIs) are both widely used but only limited data exist to compare their efficacy in long term follow-up.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to estimate and compare long term effects of Cyclo and CNIs in patients with PMN.

Hepatitis B in renal transplant patients.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) poses a significant challenge for both dialysis patients and kidney transplant recipients despite its decreasing rates, especially in developed countries. The best preventive method is vaccination. Patients with chronic renal disease should ideally be vaccinated prior to dialysis, otherwise, reinforced vaccination practices and close antibody titer monitoring should be applied while on dialysis.