Changing Face of Inflammatory Activation in Complex Coronary Artery Disease during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the immunological status of the population, indicating increased activation. The aim of the study was to compare the degree of inflammatory activation in patients admitted for surgical revascularization in the period before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective analysis included an analysis of inflammatory activation assessed on the basis of whole blood counts in 533 patients (435 (82%) male and 98 (18%) female) with a median age of 66 (61-71) years who underwent surgical revascularization, including 343 and 190 patients operated on in 2018 and 2022, respectively.

Simultaneous surgical treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma with tumor thrombus in the inferior vena cava and ischemic heart disease own research and literature review.

<b> Introduction:</b> Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Tumor penetration into the inferior vena cava/right atrium is rare, as it occurs only in 34% of HCC patients. There are no clear guidelines for the management of this stage of disease.

Optimal Management of Patients with Severe Coronary Artery Disease following Multidisciplinary Heart Team Approach-Insights from Tertiary Cardiovascular Care Center.

Background: The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate outcomes of patients with severe coronary artery disease (CAD) after implementing various treatment strategies following multidisciplinary Heart Team (MHT) discussion. Methods Primary and secondary endpoints and quality of life during a mean (SD) follow-up of 37 (14) months of patients with severe CAD (three-vessel [3-VD] or/and left main [LM] disease) qualified after MHT discussion to optimal medical treatment (OMT) alone, OMT and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), or OMT and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were evaluated. As the primary endpoint, major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events (MACCE) (i.

Long-term outcomes and quality of life following implementation of dedicated mitral valve Heart Team decisions for patients with severe mitral valve regurgitation in tertiary cardiovascular care center.

Background: This study was purposed to investigate which treatment strategy was associated with the most favourable prognosis for patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR) following Heart Team (HT)-decisions implementation.

Methods: In this retrospective study, long-term outcomes of patients with severe MR qualified after HT discussion to: optimal medical treatment (OMT) alone, OMT and MitraClip (MC) procedure or OMT and mitral valve replacement (MVR) were evaluated. The primary endpoint was defined as cardiovascular (CV) death and the secondary endpoints included all-cause mortality, myocardial infarctions (MI), strokes, hospitalizations for heart failure exacerbation and CV events during a mean (standard deviation [SD]) follow-up of 29 (15) months.

Effects of ischaemic postconditioning in aortic valve replacement: a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: The effect of ischaemic postconditioning (IPost) on postcardioplegic cardiac function is not known. We hypothesized that IPost was cardioprotective in adult patients undergoing elective aortic valve replacement.

Methods: In a multicentre, prospective, randomized trial, patients (n = 209) were randomized to either a standard operation (controls) or postconditioning.

Heart Team for Optimal Management of Patients with Severe Aortic Stenosis-Long-Term Outcomes and Quality of Life from Tertiary Cardiovascular Care Center.

Background: This retrospective study was proposed to investigate outcomes of patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) after implementation of various treatment strategies following dedicated Heart Team (HT) decisions.

Methods: Primary and secondary endpoints and quality of life during a median follow-up of 866 days of patients with severe AS qualified after HT discussion to: optimal medical treatment (OMT) alone, OMT and transcather aortic valve replacement (TAVR) or OMT and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) were evaluated. As the primary endpoint composite of all-cause mortality, non-fatal disabling strokes and non-fatal rehospitalizations for AS were considered, while other clinical outcomes were determined as secondary endpoints.

Atherosclerosis Pathways are Activated in Pericoronary Adipose Tissue of Patients with Coronary Artery Disease.

Purpose: Perivascular release of inflammatory mediators may accelerate coronary lesion formation and contribute to plaque instability. Accordingly, we compared gene expression in pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) in patients with advanced coronary artery disease (CAD) and non-CAD controls.

Patients And Methods: PCAT samples were collected during coronary bypass grafting from CAD patients (n = 21) and controls undergoing valve replacement surgery, with CAD excluded by coronary angiography (n = 19).

Bioprosthetic or mechanical heart valves: prosthesis choice for borderline patients?-Results from 9,616 cases recorded in Polish national cardiac surgery registry.

Background: In middle-aged patients undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR), the selection of prosthesis type is a complex process. Current guidelines do not unequivocally indicate the type of prosthesis (bioprosthetic or mechanical) recommended for patients between 60-70 years of age. The aim of the study was to present the trends in AVR prosthesis selection in borderline patients over a 10-year period, based on real-life registry data.

Echocardiographic photorealistic imaging of leiomyomatosis intravascularis.

We present a case of patient with leiomyomatosis intravascularis. To diagnose, we used 3D photorealistic imaging which allowed us better visualisation of pathological structures as well as planning the surgical procedure in greater detail. The main advantage of this technique is the possibility to move the virtual light source and thus visualize the specific part of the heart.

Pre-procedural abnormal function of von Willebrand Factor is predictive of bleeding after surgical but not transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Both transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) have been proven to effectively correct von Willebrand Factor (vWF) pathologies, however there is limited data simultaneously comparing outcomes of both approaches. We prospectively enrolled patients with severe aortic stenosis referred for TAVI (n = 52) or SAVR (n = 48). In each case, vWF antigen (vWF:Ag), vWF activity (vWF:Ac) and activity-to-antigen (vWF:Ac/Ag) ratio were assessed at baseline, 24 h and 72 h after procedure.

Perioperative risk assessment with Euroscore and Euroscore II in patients with coronary artery or valvular disease.

Nowadays, both the European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE) logistic (ESL) and EuroSCORE II (ESII) models are used worldwide in predicting in-hospital mortality after cardiac operation. However, these scales are based on different populations and represent different medical approaches. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of the ESL and the ESII risk scores in predicting in-hospital death and prolonged hospitalization in intensive care unit (ICU) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), aortic valve replacement (AVR), and mitral valve replacement (MVR) by comparison of an estimated risk and a real-life observation at a reference cardiac surgery unit.

Dual antiplatelet therapy is safe and efficient after left atrial appendage closure.

Background: Despite results of the PROTECT AF trial, many patients undergoing left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) have unconditional contraindications to warfarin.

Aim: We sought to investigate whether double antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is safe in patients after LAAC.

Methods: Forty-four consecutive patients (22 males, mean age 74 ± 7.

A case of candida albicans mediastinitis after heart transplantation successfully treated with caspofungin.

Reported here is a case of mediastinitis caused by candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus following a heart transplantation that was successfully treated with caspofungin, antibiotics and mediastinal lavage. A review of the literature revealed that Candida albicans as a cause of mediastinitis has been rarely described. In the few existing reports, evolution was generally fatal, especially in immunocompromised patients, despite treatment with antifungal drugs and antibiotics.

Conversion from cyclosporine to tacrolimus improves renal function and lipid profile after cardiac transplantation.

Background: Calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) have become the cornerstone of immunosuppressive regimens following heart transplantation, but their use is associated with nephrotoxicity. The impact on renal function after conversion from cyclosporine (CsA) to tacrolimus (TAC) is reported.

Patients And Methods: Fifteen patients (men age 42 +/- 11 years) after cardiac transplantation (HTX) were switched from CsA to TAC (mean time after HTX 21 +/- 6 months).