Dysplasia of the tricuspid valve leading to recurrent atrial flutter and fibrillation: a case report.

Background: Atrial flutter (AFL) is usually effectively treated by cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) ablation. If AFL recurs despite ablation, there is risk of progression to atrial fibrillation (AF) and clinicians should consider underlying structural heart diseases. This consideration becomes especially critical when right-heart-chambers are dilated.

Long-Term Results with 187 Frozen Elephant Trunk Procedures.

The frozen elephant trunk (FET) technique is an established therapeutic option in the treatment of complex aortic diseases. We report our long-term clinical outcomes after FET repair. A total of 187 consecutive patients underwent FET repair at our department between 8/2005 and 3/2023.

Taking the frozen elephant trunk technique to the next level by a stented side branch for a left subclavian artery connection: a feasibility study.

Objectives: Our goal was to develop a modified frozen elephant trunk (FET) prosthesis with a stented left subclavian artery (LSA) side branch for LSA connection and to perform preclinical testing in a human cadaver model.

Methods: We measured aortic diameters, distance between and diameters of supra-aortic vessels and the distance from the LSA offspring to the level of the left vertebral artery offspring in 70 patients. Based on these measurements, a novel FET prosthesis was developed (Cryolife/Jotec, Hechingen, Germany) featuring a stented side branch for an intrathoracic LSA connection.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in Morphologically Complex Root Aneurysms.

Performing transcatheter aortic valve implantation in the presence of aneurysmatic aortopathy is widely contraindicated but needs to be taken into account as a bailout strategy in selected patients. Deliberate preoperative assessment of measurements becomes the crucial key element in this context. After meticulous valve selection, retrograde access is obtained through the right subclavian artery additionally serving as a backup arterial cannulation site in case of conversion.

Quality-of-life in octogenarians one year after aortic valve replacement with or without coronary artery bypass surgery.

The increasing number of interventions for percutaneous aortic valve replacement (AVR) justify a renewed evaluation of one-year survival rates after open AVR with and without coronary artery bypass in octogenarians. Risk factors influencing mortality are compared, and the patients' quality-of-life (QoL) after one year is assessed. One hundred and fifty-four patients (102 females, 52 males) aged on average 82.

Aortic arch surgery using bilateral antegrade selective cerebral perfusion in combination with near-infrared spectroscopy.

Objective: Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) complements online monitoring of cerebral oxygenation during aortic arch surgery. Its addition targets at an increase of safety of a complex procedure employing bilateral antegrade cerebral perfusion (BACP) and circulatory arrest under tepid blood temperatures. We report the outcome of NIRS-guided aortic arch surgery using BACP with moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest (MHCA).

A prospective, open-label trial of 6-thioguanine in patients with ulcerative or indeterminate colitis.

Objective: 6-thioguanine (6-TG) has emerged as a promising therapeutic alternative in patients with Crohn's disease intolerant or resistant to azathioprine (AZA) and/or 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of 6-TG in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) or indeterminate colitis (IC) intolerant or resistant to AZA/6-MP.

Material And Methods: Twenty patients with an acute flare, steroid-dependent or steroid-refractory disease attending our outpatient department were included in the study.

Do high serum levels of anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies result from a leakiness of the gut barrier in Crohn's disease?

Objectives: To examine the relationship between serum levels of anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies (ASCAs) and intestinal permeability at a given time (hypothesis 1) and the probability of increased ASCA serum levels with increased intestinal permeability (hypothesis 2) in patients with Crohn's disease.

Methods: Each hypothesis was tested retrospectively with its own study population: group A for hypothesis 1 and group B for hypothesis 2. Intestinal permeability was measured by lactulose/mannitol test and ASCAs were quantified by using ELISA.