Age influences outcomes in 70-year or older patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Objective: To analyze the results of isolated on-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) in patients >70 years-old in comparison to patients <70 years-old.

Methods: Patients undergoing isolated CABG were selected for the study. The patients were grouped in G1 (age > 70 years-old) and G2 (age <70 years-old).

Adult extracorporeal life support: a failed or forgotten concept?

Background: The extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been used in the neonatal and childhood periods with excellent results. The adult experience has been modest with inferior immediate results. The intermediate survival, however, has been promising.

Medium term prognostic value of stress myocardial perfusion scintigraphy in a chest pain unit.

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic value of stress myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) applied to patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Methods: Retrospective study. Patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS) admitted into the chest pain unit (CPU) from December 2002 to April 2004, after exclusion of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and high risk unstable angina they underwent stress MPS.

Predictive value of angina to detect coronary artery disease in patients with severe aortic stenosis aged 50 years or older.

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the value of angina pectoris as a predictor of CAD (coronary artery disease) in patients with AS (aortic stenosis) during and beyond the 5th decade of life.

Methods: The study population consisted of 186 consecutive patients with AS and > or = 50 years of age, referred for surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) between June 1989 and September 2004. Routine coronary angiography was performed for all patients.

High mortality associated with precluded coronary artery bypass surgery caused by severe distal coronary artery disease.

Background: Patients with extensive coronary artery disease (CAD) have better prognosis when treated with coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG), especially when left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) is present. However, there are scanty data about the clinical course of patients not referred to CABG because of extensive and severe atherosclerotic involvement of distal coronary arteries (ENDCAD). The aim of this study was to evaluate patients with multivessel (MV) or left main CAD (LM) who had CABG precluded because of ENDCAD.

[Comparative study of the results of coronary artery bypass grafting and angioplasty for myocardial revascularization in patients with equivalent multivessel disease].

Objective: To investigate the relative efficacy of different therapeutic strategies in patients with symptomatic multivessel coronary artery disease with preserved ventricular function. The primary objectives were defined as a combination of death of cardiac origin, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and refractory angina that required revascularization, and the secondary objectives were defined as anginal state and exercise-induced ischemia.

Methods: Of the 20,769 patients assessed on cine coronary angiography at InCor, 210 were chosen for this study and were randomized either for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG, n = 105) or transluminal coronary angioplasty (TCA, n = 105).

Can patients with left main coronary artery disease wait for myocardial revascularization surgery?

Objective: To assess the occurrence of cardiac events in patients diagnosed with left main coronary artery disease on diagnostic cardiac catheterization and waiting for myocardial revascularization surgery.

Methods: All patients diagnosed with left main coronary artery disease (stenosis > or = 50%) consecutively identified on diagnostic cardiac catheterization during an 8-month period were selected for the study. The group comprised 56 patients (40 males and 16 females) with a mean age of 61 10 years.

Improvement in left ventricular dysfunction after surgical correction of mitral regurgitation.

Objective: To evaluate whether left ventricular end-systolic (ESD) diameters < or = 51mm in patients (pt) with severe chronic mitral regurgitation (MR) are predictors of a poor prognosis after mitral valve surgery (MVS).

Methods: Eleven pt (aged 36 +/- 13 years) were studied in the preoperative period (pre), median of 36 days; in the early postoperative period (post1), median of 9 days; and in the late postoperative period (post2), mean of 38.5 +/- 37.