Recurrence of functional mitral regurgitation in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy undergoing mitral valve repair: how to predict it.

This study was aimed at identifying predictive variables for recurrence of mitral regurgitation (MR) in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) undergoing mitral valve (MV) repair. From January 1997 to December 2005, 142 patients with DCM, 105 (73.9%) ischemic and 37 (26.

Off-pump revascularization of chronically occluded left anterior descending artery through left anterior small thoracotomy: early and late angiographic and clinical follow-up.

Background: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of left anterior small thoracotomy for treatment of isolated chronic total occlusion of the left anterior descending artery.

Methods: From November 21, 1994, to December 31, 2002, 143 patients with isolated left anterior descending artery chronic occlusion underwent off-pump surgery through left anterior small thoracotomy. Safety was evaluated analyzing 30-day mortality, major adverse cardiac events, and major complications; efficacy was evaluated analyzing 6-month angiographic results and 12-month survival, freedom from cardiac death, freedom from acute myocardial infarction, either in all areas or in the grafted one, freedom from redo or percutaneous coronary intervention, freedom from target vessel revascularization, and freedom from major adverse cardiac events and from any event.