Acute Beneficial Effects of Muscular Counterpulsation in Patients with Coronary Heart Diseases.

This prospective pilot study was designed to investigate the acute hemodynamic effects and clinical applicability of muscular counterpulsation (MCP), a one-shot procedure for biomechanical circulatory support. The study included 17 consecutive patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and impaired ejection fraction (EF ≤45%) who underwent elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Patients were divided into control (  = 7) and treatment (  = 10) groups.

Left ventricular geometry reconstruction in ischemic cardiomyopathy patients with predominantly hypokinetic left ventricle.

Objective: The effectiveness of the left ventricle (LV) geometry reconstruction (Dor procedure) as the method of surgical treatment of LV post-infarction aneurysm and large dilated myocardial scars is well established. The efficacy of LV restoration in cases of globally dilated hypofunctional LV, containing the same spherical architecture as scarred, remains questionable.

Methods: The results of LV geometry reconstruction in small population of patients with ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCMP) and predominantly hypokinetic LV are described in 14 patients of that underwent LV rebuilding into a conical architecture.