Publications by authors named "Lauren Betancourt"

Cardiac hypertrophy is associated with diastolic heart failure (DHF), a syndrome in which systolic function is preserved but cardiac filling dynamics are depressed. The molecular mechanisms underlying DHF and the potential role of altered cross-bridge cycling are poorly understood. Accordingly, chronic pressure overload was induced by surgically banding the thoracic ascending aorta (AOB) in ∼400 g female Dunkin Hartley guinea pigs (AOB); Sham-operated age-matched animals served as controls.

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Heterotaxy is a rare syndrome associated with cardiac complexity, anatomic variability and high morbidity and mortality. It is often challenging to visualize and provide an accurate diagnosis of the cardiac anatomy prior to surgery with the use of conventional imaging techniques. We report a unique case demonstrating how the use of three-dimensional (3D) cardiac printed model allowed us to better understand the anatomical complexity and plan a tailored surgical approach for successful biventricular repair in a patient with heterotaxy syndrome.

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Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) accounts for ∼50% of all patients with heart failure and frequently affects postmenopausal women. The HFpEF condition is phenotype-specific, with skeletal myopathy that is crucial for disease development and progression. However, most of the current preclinical models of HFpEF have not addressed the postmenopausal phenotype.

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Background: Opioid-related mortality has increased over the past 2 decades, leading to the recognition of a nationwide opioid epidemic and prompting physicians to reexamine their opioid prescribing practices. At our institutions, we had no protocol for prescribing opioids upon discharge after inpatient orthopaedic surgery, resulting in inconsistent and potentially excessive prescribing. Here, we report the results of the implementation of a patient-specific protocol using an opioid taper calculator to standardize opioid prescribing at discharge after inpatient orthopaedic surgery.

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