Aerococcus urinae - A potent biofilm builder in endocarditis.

The diagnosis of infective endocarditis (IE) remains a challenge. One of the rare bacterial species recently associated with biofilms and negative cultures in infective endocarditis is Aerococcus urinae. Whether the low number of reported cases might be due to lack of awareness and misidentification, mainly as streptococci, is currently being discussed.

Complex Cardiac Surgery on Patients with a Body Weight of Less Than 5 kg without Donor Blood Transfusion.

Performing safe cardiac surgery in neonates or infants whose parents are Jehovah's Witnesses is only possible in a coordinated team approach. An unconditional prerequisite is a cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) circuit with a very low priming volume to minimize hemodilution. In the past decade, we have developed a functional blood-sparing approach at our institution.

Further experience with the "no-react" bioprosthesis in patients with active infective endocarditis: 11-year single center results in 402 patients.

Objectives: We investigated early, midterm, and long-term results following valve replacement with the "No-React" bioprosthesis in patients with active infective endocarditis (AIE).Patients and Methods Between February 2000 and February 2011, a total of 402 patients (median 61 years, 17 to 91 years) received "No-React" bioprostheses due to single valve AIE in 315 (aortic valve replacement n = 158, aortic conduit n = 30, mitral valve replacement n = 116, tricuspid valve replacement n = 11) and double valve AIE in 87 cases. Prosthetic AIE was found in 105 patients (26.

Repair for active infective atrioventricular valve endocarditis: 23-year single center experience.

Objectives: We retrospectively compared early and long-term results of mitral (MV) and tricuspid valve (TV) repair in patients with isolated active infective atrioventricular valve (AV) endocarditis over a period of 23 years.

Methods: Between April 1986 and December 2009, a total of 1,409 patients with active infective endocarditis (AIE) were operated upon. Of these, 106 (7.

Molecular methods for diagnosis of infective endocarditis.

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a life-threatening disease associated with high mortality. Conventional microbiologic diagnosis is based mainly on culture-dependent methods that often fail because of previous antibiotic therapy or the involvement of fastidious or slowly growing microorganisms. In recent years, molecular techniques entered the field of routine diagnostics.

Surgical treatment for active infective prosthetic valve endocarditis: 22-year single-centre experience.

Objective: We retrospectively analysed the profile and outcome of surgically treated patients with active infective prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) over a period of 22 years.

Methods: Between May 1986 and December 2008, a total of 1313 patients with active infective endocarditis (AIE) were operated on, 349 (26.6%) of them for PVE.

Surgery for active infective mitral valve endocarditis: a 20-year, single-center experience.

Background And Aim Of The Study: A retrospective analysis was conducted of the early and long-term results of mitral valve repair (MVRep) and mitral valve replacement (MVR) in patients with isolated infective mitral valve endocarditis.

Methods: Between May 1986 and December 2007, a total of 1,163 patients with active infective endocarditis (AIE) were operated on. Of these patients, 497 showed an endocarditic involvement of the mitral valve.

Homograft aortic root replacement in native or prosthetic active infective endocarditis: twenty-year single-center experience.

Objective: We compared early and long-term results of cryopreserved homograft aortic root replacement in native valve endocarditis or prosthetic valve endocarditis associated with periannular abscess.

Methods: Between May 1986 and December 2007, 1163 patients with endocarditis were operated upon. Of these, 221 patients (n = 185 men, median age 55 years) had homograft aortic root replacement due to 99 cases of native valve endocarditis (45%) and 122 of prosthetic valve endocarditis (55%).

Levitronix CentriMag to Berlin Heart Excor: a "bridge to bridge" solution in refractory cardiogenic shock.

Levitronix CentriMag is a third generation bearingless temporary rotary pump designed for short-term mechanical support. The device, combined with Berlin Heart cannulas, was implanted in 30 patients suffering from acute cardiogenic shock with biventricular failure. Fifteen patients were successfully bridged to long-term Excor support due to lack of myocardial recovery.

Predictors of early mortality in patients with active infective native or prosthetic aortic root endocarditis undergoing homograft aortic root replacement.

Purpose: We compared early results of homograft aortic root replacement (ARR) in native (NVE) and prosthetic (PVE) aortic valve endocarditis in order to identify predictors for early mortality (<30 days).

Methods: Between 05/1986 and 12/2007, 1,163 endocarditis patients were operated upon. Of these, 221 patients (n = 185 men, median age 55 years) underwent homograft ARR due to 99 cases of NVE (45%) and 122 of PVE (55%) aortic root endocarditis.

Aortic valve replacement with the Mitroflow pericardial bioprosthesis: durability results up to 21 years.

Objective: The study aim was to analyze the performance profile of a large series of Mitroflow pericardial valves (Sorin Group Canada Inc. Mitroflow Division) in the very long term.

Methods: Data from 1513 patients with isolated aortic valve replacement who received pericardial bioprostheses between 1986 and 2007 were analyzed.

Body mass index and outcome after ventricular assist device placement.

Background: The implantation of ventricular assist devices (VAD) is an established treatment for end-stage congestive heart failure. Extremes of body mass index (BMI) are associated with decreased survival after cardiac surgery. Many patients with congestive heart failure develop cardiac cachexia.

Surgical therapy in patients with active infective endocarditis: seven-year single centre experience in a subgroup of 255 patients treated with the Shelhigh stentless bioprosthesis.

Objective: We investigated outcomes after surgical therapy in patients with active infective endocarditis (AIE) with regard to survival in relation to surgical urgency, valve position, number of valves implanted and abscess formation. We aimed to identify independent risk factors for early mortality.

Methods And Results: Two hundred and fifty-five patients received Shelhigh bioprostheses between February 2000 and March 2007.

Unusual tumor in the left ventricular outflow tract.

We report an unusual case of a pseudocyst in the left ventricular outflow tract in a 58-year-old woman. The cyst was successfully resected by a transatrial approach.

Mitral valve repair for infective endocarditis in children.

Background: Surgery for mitral valve endocarditis in children is relatively uncommon. This study assesses its operative outcome and reoperation and long-term survival rates.

Methods: We reviewed the cases of 8 consecutive children who underwent mitral valve repair for infective endocarditis between 1989 and 2005 at our institution.

Heart valve operations in solid organ recipients: an 18-year single-center experience.

Background: We retrospectively analyzed the outcome of heart valve operations in solid organ recipients, who were referred for operation to our institution.

Methods: Over an 18-year period, 23 heart (group 1) and 16 renal (group 2) transplant recipients in New York Heart Association (NYHA) classes III and IV underwent valve operation. The mean interval from the time of transplantation to cardiac surgery was 77.

Surgical treatment of right-sided active infective endocarditis with or without involvement of the left heart: 20-year single center experience.

Objective: The aim of this paper is to review the 20-year experience of surgical treatment of right-sided infective endocarditis at our institution, and in particular to compare the outcome of isolated right-sided endocarditis to right-sided endocarditis with involvement of the left heart.

Methods: Between April 1986 and April 2006, 84 operations had to be performed in 79 patients (49 men, median age 43.5 years).

Early and mid-term results of the Shelhigh stentless bioprosthesis in patients with active infective endocarditis.

Aims: This study investigated the early and mid-term results following valve replacement with the new Shelhigh stentless bioprosthesis made entirely of biological material in patients with active infective endocarditis (AIE).

Material And Methods: Between 02/2000 and 12/2004, 164 patients (n = 122 men, mean age 59, 18-85 years) received implantation of an AIE Shelhigh stentless bioprosthesis in the aortic, mitral, tricuspid or pulmonary position. A total of 119 patients (72.

Intravascular ultrasound assessment of longitudinal plaque distribution patterns in patients with angiographically silent coronary artery disease after heart transplantation.

Aims: The purpose of this three-dimensional intracoronary ultrasound (ICUS) study was to assess longitudinal plaque distribution patterns in patients with angiographically silent coronary artery disease (CAD) after heart transplantation (HTX).

Methods And Results: Out of 334 patients without diameter stenosis >/=25% determined by coronary angiography, 321 underwent successful three-dimensional ICUS (30 MHz) of the left main coronary artery (LMCA) and all segments of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). Early plaque formation was found in 296 patients (92.

Implantation of a left ventricular assist device in situs inversus.

A 42-year-old man with situs inversus was referred to our institution because of end-stage ischemic cardiomyopathy. Cardiac arrest occurred after admission, and the patient underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation. An extracorporeal left ventricular assist device (Berlin Heart) was implanted as a bridge to transplantation.