Venous-Left Atrial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Configuration Use in Right Ventricular Failure and Tricuspid Ring.

Mechanical circulatory support devices are used to support the heart in cardiogenic shock. We present a case of demonstrating the feasible use of left ventricular assistive device with reverse configuration to support severe right ventricular failure in a patient with recent tricuspid annuloplasty ring.

Cardioform Septal Occluder in the Management of Cardiac Tamponade as a Complication of LAA Closure.

Cardiac tamponade is a life-threatening complication during left atrial appendage (LAA) closure. We report a 77-year-old woman who underwent a transseptal puncture for LAA closure with the Watchman device that was complicated by tamponade. This was successfully treated with the deployment of a Cardioform 25-mm septal occluder device.

49 years of normal functioning Starr-Edwards aortic valve prosthesis.

Although it is no longer in production, the Starr-Edwards valve has successfully replaced hundreds of thousands of heart valves in the past 50 years of its use. We report on the case of a valve in the aortic position still functioning 49 years after implantation without replacement, showcasing the valve's durability.

Atrial septal defect can be easily missed in chromosome 18q deletion syndrome.

The frequency of 18q- is estimated to be approximately 1/40 000 live births and is more commonly associated with certain clinical features including short stature, intellectual disability and malformations of many major organ systems. Congenital cardiac abnormalities are present in 24-36% of cases and screening can prove difficult. A 28-year-old Caucasian female with a history of long arm chromosome 18q deletion was evaluated for persistent dyspnea and decreased activity level.

Utilizing genomic polymorphisms to personalize hepatitis C therapies.

Purpose Of Review: The need for liver transplant due to the progression of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection necessitates the consideration of antiviral treatment. Host genomic variations affect response to HCV treatment and predict the rates of adverse effects. Recently, multiple genomic polymorphisms were found to be critical in predicting treatment response as well as the rate of neuropsychiatric adverse effects in patients infected with HCV who are receiving antiviral treatments.