Exploring perceptions of inpatient hospital attire in children with cancer.

Background: Attire bolsters identity, self-expression, and comfort. Hospital gowns are known to be distressing in adults. Attitudes of children with cancer toward hospital attire remain uninvestigated and may be a modifiable factor in overall well-being.

Usefulness of Balloon Aortic Valvuloplasty in the Management of Patients With Aortic Stenosis.

We aim to evaluate the contemporary role and outcomes of balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV), based on physician intent, for the management of severe aortic stenosis. This is a prospective, 2-center study of 100 consecutive high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis who underwent BAV. Before BAV, physicians assigned intent as (1) bridge to decision (BTD); (2) therapeutic bridge to planned therapy; or (3) palliation.

Outcomes of Treatment of Nonagenarians With Severe Aortic Stenosis.

Background: Because nonagenarians with aortic stenosis (AS) often present as frail with more comorbid conditions, long-term outcomes and quality of life are important treatment considerations. The aim of this report is to describe survival and functional outcomes of nonagenarians undergoing treatment for AS by surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of all patients aged 90 years or more undergoing treatment for AS between 2007 and 2013 at two centers.

Pseudoaneurysm formation after medtronic freestyle porcine aortic bioprosthesis implantation: a word of caution.

Background: A growing literature describes aneurysmal deterioration after implantation of the stentless porcine aortic Medtronic Freestyle bioprosthesis (MFB; Medtronic Inc, Minneapolis, MN), with some suggesting inadequate tissue fixation with immune response as a cause. However, disjointed reports make the significance of these findings difficult to interpret. We address this concern by aggregating available data.