The Focal Induction of Reactive Oxygen Species in Rats as a Trigger of Aortic Valve Degeneration.

Background: Degenerative aortic valve disease (DAVD) is a multifactorial process. We developed an animal model to analyze the isolated, local effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on its pathophysiology.

Methods: We utilized a photodynamic reaction (PDR) as a source of ROS in the aortic valve by aiming a laser at the aortic valve for 60 min after the administration of a photosensitizer 24 h prior.

Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation with Concomitant Replacement of the Ascending Aorta.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is one of the main causes for end-stage heart failure. Until the transplantation, left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) have become an established treatment. We report a case of a 66-year-old patient with ischemic and DCM and suspected aortic ulcer formation.

Hypercalcemia-Associated Hodgkin's Lymphoma Presenting as Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus: A Case Report.

Hodgkin's lymphoma is a malignancy of the lymphatic system that can rarely present with advanced-stage features such as spinal cord involvement and hypercalcemia. We present the case of a 63-year-old Caucasian male with advanced Hodgkin's lymphoma, presenting with hypercalcemia and symptoms resembling normal pressure hydrocephalus. The patient exhibited gait impairment, altered mental status, and urinary incontinence, forming the classic triad seen in normal pressure hydrocephalus.

Myocardial inflammation is associated with impaired mitochondrial oxidative capacity in ischaemic cardiomyopathy.

Aims: Myocardial inflammation and impaired mitochondrial oxidative capacity are hallmarks of heart failure (HF) pathophysiology. The extent of myocardial inflammation in patients suffering from ischaemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) or dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and its association with mitochondrial energy metabolism are unknown. We aimed at establishing a relevant role of cardiac inflammation in the impairment of mitochondrial energy production in advanced ischaemic and non-ischaemic HF.

Targeting Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Signaling to Prevent the Progression of Aortic Valve Disease.

Background: Aortic valve disease (AVD) is associated with high mortality and morbidity. To date, there is no pharmacological therapy available to prevent AVD progression. Because valve calcification is the hallmark of AVD and S1P (sphingosine-1-phosphate) plays an important role in osteogenic signaling, we examined the role of S1P signaling in aortic stenosis disease.

Pentalogy of Cantrell Marked With Ectopia Cordis, Gastroschisis, and Cystic Hygroma in the First Trimester: A Rare Case.

Pentalogy of Cantrell is a rare congenital syndrome characterized by defects in the abdominal wall, sternum, diaphragm, and heart. A severe manifestation of this syndrome is ectopia cordis, where the heart is located partially or entirely outside the chest cavity. Gastroschisis involves a defect in the abdominal wall, where the intestines protrude outside the abdomen without a protective membrane.

Aortic and Mitral Valve Endocarditis-Simply Left-Sided Endocarditis or Different Entities Requiring Individual Consideration?-Insights from the CAMPAIGN Database.

: Aortic valve infective endocarditis (AV-IE) and mitral valve infective endocarditis (MV-IE) are often grouped together as one entity: left-sided endocarditis. However, there are significant differences between the valves in terms of anatomy, physiology, pressure, and calcification tendency. This study aimed to compare AV-IE and MV-IE in terms of patient characteristics, pathogen profiles, postoperative outcomes, and predictors of mortality.

Model for End-Stage Liver Disease Including Na, Age, and Sex Is Powerful Predictor of Survival in COVID-19 Patients on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

Aim: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is resource-intensive, is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and requires careful patient selection. This study examined whether the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score is a suitable predictor of in-hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively assessed patients with COVID-19 on ECMO at our institution from March 2020 to May 2021.

Hydrogel-coated and active clearance chest drains in cardiac surgery: real-world results of a single-center study.

Purpose: Cardiac surgery patients require chest drains for postoperative fluid drainage. Innovations in this field include chemical drain coating and manual clot extraction systems, aiming to provide reduced clotting and improved patient comfort. This study compares outcomes using hydrogel-coated, active clearance and conventional chest drains.

Pioglitazone treatment mitigates cardiovascular bioprosthetic degeneration in a chronic kidney disease model.

Aims: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases, e.g., atherosclerosis and calcific aortic valve disease, leading inevitably to valve replacement surgery.

Outcomes following heart valve surgery in patients with infective endocarditis and preoperative septic cerebral embolism: insights from the CAMPAIGN study group.

Objectives: This study aimed to analyse the impact of preoperative septic cerebral embolism on early and late postoperative outcomes in patients with infective endocarditis undergoing valve surgery.

Methods: Retrospective multicentric study based on the Clinical Multicentric Project for Analysis of Infective Endocarditis in Germany (CAMPAIGN) registry comprising patients with infective endocarditis who underwent valve surgery between 1994 and 2018 at 6 German centres. Patients were divided into 2 groups for statistical comparison according to the presence or absence of preoperative septic cerebral embolism.

The Predictive Role of Metabolic Volume Segmentation Compared to Semiquantitative PET Parameters in Diagnosis of LVAD Infection using [F]FDG Imaging.

Purpose: Left ventricular assisting device (LVAD) is a vital mechanical circulatory assist device for patients with end-stage heart disease, serving as either a bridge to transplantation or palliative destination therapy. Yet device infection represents a major lethal complication, warranting a multi-step, complex therapy approach including an urgent device exchange or heart transplantation. Still, timely diagnosis of site and extent of VAD-specific infection for a proper therapy planning poses challenges in regular clinical care.

Feasibility, Accuracy, and Reproducibility of Aortic Valve Sizing for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Using Virtual Reality.

Background: Detailed visualization and precise measurements of aortic valve dimensions are critical for the success of transcatheter aortic valve implantation and for the prevention of complications. Currently, multislice computed tomography is the gold standard for assessment of the aortic annulus and surrounding structures to determine the prosthesis size. New technologies such as virtual reality (VR) not only enable 3-dimensional (3D) visualization with the potential to improve understanding of anatomy and pathology but also allow measurements in 3D.

Severe Vasoplegic Shock After Heart Transplant Successfully Treated With Multimodal Therapeutic Approach.

Vasoplegia describes a constellation of low vascular resistance and normal cardiac output. Vasoplegia is common after cardiac surgery in general and in heart transplant recipients more specifically and occurs in over one-half of all heart transplant recipients with a varying degree of severity. The pathophysiology of vasoplegia is multifactorial and associated with a cascade of inflammatory mediators.

Five-year results from a prospective, single-arm European trial on decellularized allografts for aortic valve replacement-the ARISE Study and ARISE Registry Data.

Objectives: Decellularized aortic homografts (DAH) were introduced as a new option for aortic valve replacement for young patients.

Methods: A prospective, EU-funded, single-arm, multicentre study in 8 centres evaluating non-cryopreserved DAH for aortic valve replacement.

Results: A total of 144 patients (99 male) were prospectively enrolled in the ARISE Trial between October 2015 and October 2018 with a median age of 30.

Pectoral muscle mass is not a robust prognostic factor for survival after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation.

Background: Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) are an established treatment for end-stage left ventricular heart failure. Parameters are needed to identify the most appropriate patients for LVADs. This study aimed to evaluate pectoral muscle mass and density as prognostic parameters.

A successful cardiac transplant in a patient with situs inversus totalis and congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries.

A heart transplant is the gold standard therapy for patients with end-stage heart failure. In this case report, situs inversus totalis and congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries led to a unique and complex preoperative setting. Extended donor organ harvesting, donor graft rotation of 45° to the right and post-operative stenting of the superior vena cava were essential steps in the interdisciplinary management of this case.

Association between early postoperative hypoalbuminaemia and outcome after orthotopic heart transplantation.

Objectives: In patients undergoing heart transplantation (HTX), preoperative liver impairment and consecutive hypoalbuminaemia are associated with increased mortality. The role of early postoperative hypoalbuminaemia after HTX is unclear. This study investigated the association between early postoperative hypoalbuminaemia and 1-year mortality as well as 'days alive and out of hospital' (DAOH) after HTX.

Treatment of Refractory Cardiac Arrest by Controlled Reperfusion of the Whole Body: A Multicenter, Prospective Observational Study.

Survival following cardiac arrest (CA) remains poor after conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CCPR) (6-26%), and the outcomes after extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) are often inconsistent. Poor survival is a consequence of CA, low-flow states during CCPR, multi-organ injury, insufficient monitoring, and delayed treatment of the causative condition. We developed a new strategy to address these issues.

A Cadaveric Case Report of a Double Right Coronary Artery and Its Clinical Implications.

A double right coronary artery is one of the rarest variations of the coronary arterial system. This case report presents a unique variation: a right coronary and an accessory coronary artery arise from a single ostium within the right aortic sinus. The two vessels appeared externally to have a common trunk but were partitioned internally by a carina-like septum.

Evaluation of risk factors for cytomegalovirus DNAemia after end of regular prophylaxis after heart transplantation.

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections after heart transplantation (HTx) can cause cardiac allograft vasculopathy. Consequently, monitoring and prophylaxis for cytomegalovirus deoxyribonucleic acid (CMV-DNAemia) within the first weeks after HTx is recommended.

Methods: All patients who underwent HTx between September 2010 and 2021 surviving the first 90 days (n = 196) were retrospectively reviewed.