[Association of biventricular resynchronizer and implantable cardioverter defibrillator].

Congestive heart failure (HF) remains a major and growing public health problem despite recent therapeutical developments. Thirty to sixty percent of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) die suddenly from cardiac arrhythmias. Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) and implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy are effective treatments for HF with a wide QRS and for ventricular arrhythmias respectively.

[Ambulatory pacemaker surgery].

The chronic cardiac stimulation is know since 1958, pacemaker implant was considered a difficult procedure that was performed through cardiovascular surgery and the patient required several in hospital days. On the grounds of new surgical techniques and development of new materials for pacemakers, as well as the rise of Ambulatory Surgery and its application in pacemaker implants, the hospital stay and consequently, costs have decreased significantly. In 1986, Zegelman reported 583 patients subjected to ambulatory pacemaker surgery without mortality.

[Mitral percutaneous valvuloplasty with Inoue balloon. Long-term results at the National Medical Center " 20 of November" ISSSTE Mexico].

Unlabelled: Balloon mitral valvuloplasty has, over the last 15 years, become an established interventional procedure for patients with pliable non-calcified mitral stenosis. In this article we describe the long-term outcome of 100 patients from our hospital (National Medical Center "20 de Noviembre" ISSSTE, Mexico City), who were treated with this procedure. Average follow-up was 38.

[Alternatives to chronic cardiac stimulation in patients with mechanical tricuspid prosthesis and atrioventricular block].

One of the complications of tricuspid valve replacement (TVR) is the complete heart block (CHB). In these patients an epicardial permanent pacemaker is frequently used but its insertion is another major operation and higher thresholds are needed. Two patients are reported, both women, with rheumatic heart disease and TVR who required a permanent pacemaker because they developed CHB.