Left main disease progression following left branch vessel percutaneous intervention in patients who are referred for coronary artery bypass grafting.

Background And Aim Of The Study: We studied patients presenting for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with significant left main coronary artery disease (LMD) despite previously documented minimal or no LMD at percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for left-sided branch coronary artery disease.

Methods: Patients undergoing CABG for LMD with previous PCI were separated into fast or slow stenosis progression using percent change in LMD from first PCI to CABG divided by time (progression velocity). Outcomes and Kaplan-Meier survival were compared between the two groups.

Safety and efficacy of implementing a multidisciplinary heart team approach for revascularization in patients with complex coronary artery disease: an observational cohort pilot study.

Importance: Since the advent of transcatheter aortic valve replacement, the multidisciplinary heart team (MHT) approach has rapidly become the standard of care for patients undergoing the procedure. However, little is known about the potential effect of MHT on patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Objective: To determine the safety and efficacy of implementing the MHT approach for patients with complex CAD.

Cardioprotective benefits of adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium channel opener diazoxide are lost with administration after the onset of stress in mouse and human myocytes.

Background: Adenosine triphosphate-sensitive (KATP) potassium channel opener diazoxide (DZX) maintains myocyte volume and contractility during stress via an unknown mechanism when administered at the onset of stress. This study was performed to investigate the cardioprotective potential of DZX when added after the onset of the stresses of hyperkalemic cardioplegia, metabolic inhibition, and hypo-osmotic stress.

Study Design: Isolated mouse ventricular and human atrial myocytes were exposed to control Tyrode's solution (TYR) for 10 to 20 minutes, test solution for 30 minutes (hypothermic hyperkalemic cardioplegia [CPG], CPG + 100uM diazoxide [CPG+DZX], metabolic inhibition [MI], MI+DZX, mild hypo-osmotic stress [0.

Video-assisted minimally invasive mitral valve surgery: transitioning from sternotomy to mini-thoracotomy.

Minimally invasive right thoracotomy approaches to complex mitral valve surgery have emerged as safe and effective alternatives to traditional median sternotomy. Early experiences were associated with concerns over repair failures, neurological events and longer cardiopulmonary bypass times. However, several technique refinements over the last decade have led to a resurgence of minimally invasive thoracotomy/thoracoscopic mitral surgery with improved short-term outcomes and equivalent long-term durability to sternotomy.

Relationship between mitochondrial matrix volume and cellular volume in response to stress and the role of ATP-sensitive potassium channel.

Background: Cardiac myocytes demonstrate significant swelling and associated reduced contractility in response to stress that is prevented by the ATP-sensitive potassium channel opener, diazoxide (DZX) via an unknown mechanism. One proposed mechanism of cardioprotection is mitochondrial matrix swelling. To establish the relationship between mitochondrial and cellular volume during stress, this study examined the effect of DZX on mitochondrial volume.

Cardioprotective mechanism of diazoxide involves the inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase.

Background: The adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium (KATP) channel opener, diazoxide, preserves myocyte volume homeostasis and contractility during stress via an unknown mechanism. Pharmacologic overlap has been suggested between succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity and KATP channel modulators. Diazoxide may be cardioprotective due to the inhibition of SDH which may form a portion of the mitochondrial KATP channel.

Inhibition of Succinate Dehydrogenase by Diazoxide Is Independent of the ATP-Sensitive Potassium Channel Subunit Sulfonylurea Type 1 Receptor.

Background: Diazoxide maintains myocyte volume and contractility during stress via an unknown mechanism. The mechanism of action may involve an undefined (genotype unknown) mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channel and is dependent on the ATP-sensitive potassium channel subunit sulfonylurea type 1 receptor (SUR1). The ATP-sensitive potassium channel openers have been shown to inhibit succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and a gene for a portion of SDH has been found in the SUR intron.

Laser extraction of pacemaker lead traversing a patent foramen ovale and the mitral valve.

Left ventricular lead misplacement is an infrequent complication of pacemaker or defibrillator lead insertion. It most commonly occurs through defects in the interatrial septum. Although patients may remain asymptomatic, the most common clinical complication is a thromboembolic event.

Surgical experience with cardiac papillary fibroelastoma over a 15-year period.

Background: Papillary fibroelastomas are rare, benign cardiac tumors. They are predominantly asymptomatic. However, they can lead to serious complications, namely thromboembolic events.

Prevention of surgical site infections.

In the current era of pay-for-performance standards, the incidence of surgical site infections is increasingly becoming an institutional marker of quality assurance. Surgical site infections lead to increased morbidity and mortality in the surgical population and contribute to an already rising healthcare cost. As a result, the surgical community goes to great lengths to prevent this costly and occasionally lethal complication.

Cognitive function in patients with chronic granulomatous disease: a preliminary report.

Chronic granulomatous disease is an inherited immunodeficiency in which phagocytes fail to generate superoxide and its metabolites, resulting in severe recurrent infections and frequent hospitalizations. Chronic illness and frequent hospitalizations can affect growth and development as well as social and educational opportunities. Since no data have been reported on cognitive functioning in patients with this illness, the authors sought to examine cognitive function in a group of patients with chronic granulomatous disease.