Procalcitonin Dynamics After Long-Term Ventricular Assist Device Implantation.

Background: Infectious complications (IC) are one of the main causes of worsening prognosis after long-term ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. Procalcitonin (PCT) is widely used for diagnosis of a bacterial infection. The objective of this study was to assess PCT dynamics after LVAD surgery and their relationship to the infectious complications.

Comparison of Cystatin C and NGAL in Early Diagnosis of Acute Kidney Injury After Heart Transplantation.

BACKGROUND Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a risk factor for adverse hospital outcomes in recipients of a heart transplantation (HTx). Timely recognition of AKI is crucial for the initiation of proper treatment. We hypothesized that serum or urine biomarkers can predict AKI.

A pilot study of systolic dyssynchrony index by real time three-dimensional echocardiography and Doppler tissue imaging parameters predicting the hemodynamic response to biventricular pacing in the early postoperative period after cardiac surgery.

Objective: To evaluate systolic dyssynchrony index (SDI) measured by real time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) and Doppler tissue imaging (DTI) dyssynchrony parameters in predicting the hemodynamic response to biventricular (BIV) pacing in the early postoperative period after cardiac surgery. To compare right ventricular (RV) and BIV pacing using invasively measured hemodynamic values.

Methods: A prospective randomized clinical study enrolling 11 patients with ischemic heart disease, concomitant valvular heart disease, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤ 35% comparing preoperative SDI by RT3DE and DTI LV dyssynchrony parameters to hemodynamic values obtained during RV or BIV sequential (DDD) epicardial pacing in the first 72 hours after cardiac surgery.

The hemodynamic effect of right ventricle (RV), RT3DE targeted left ventricle (LV) and biventricular (BIV) pacing in the early postoperative period after cardiac surgery.

Background: Congestive heart failure negatively impacts the prognosis in patients after cardiac surgery. The aim of our study was to assess the value of targeted cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) within 72 hours after cardiac surgery in patients with mechanical dyssynchrony, who had an ejection fraction ≤ 35%, QRS ≥150 ms or between 120 and 150 ms.

Methods: A prospective randomized trial based on three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) and optimized sequential dual-chamber (DDD ) pacing in patients after cardiac surgery.

Anesthesia management of a patient with a ventricular assist device for noncardiac surgery.

Congestive heart failure represents a severe health condition with unfavourable long-term prognosis despite all the progress in pharmacological therapy of heart failure. Another therapeutic option is represented by mechanical cardiac support devices. Ventricular assist devices (VAD) constitute largest subgroup of these devices.