Circulatory support and stem cell therapy in the management of advanced heart failure: a concise review of available evidence.

Stem cell therapy utilizing bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMC's) is a potential strategy to treat heart failure patients with improvement in symptom profile and cardiac function. We describe a rationale for concurrent BMC and left ventricular assist device therapy in selected heart failure patients. This combination therapy has demonstrated improved myocardial perfusion and cardiac function in patients with advanced ischemic cardiomyopathy.

The Impact of Cell Therapy on Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients With Refractory Angina.

Rationale: Cell-based therapies are a novel potential treatment for refractory angina and have been found to improve markers of angina. However, the effects on mortality and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) have not been definitively investigated.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of stem cell treatment compared with optimal medical treatment for refractory angina by conducting an updated meta-analysis, looking at clinical outcomes.

Apical ballooning (takotsubo) syndrome with concurrent ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

We present the case of a 61-year-old woman admitted with chest pain and an ECG demonstrating ST-segment elevation in the lateral leads. Emergency coronary angiography demonstrated an occluded obtuse marginal branch. Percutaneous intervention was unsuccessful as the lesion could not be crossed with a wire.

Benefits of a quadripolar left ventricular lead in patients undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy with underlying myocardial scar.

We present a case of a 76-year-old man with ischemic cardiomyopathy. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated severe left ventricular (LV) impairment with possibility of scar formation. Cardiac resynchronization therapy was employed with the aid of a novel quadripolar LV lead.