Rapid-deployment aortic valve replacement in high-risk patients with severe endocarditis.

Background: Surgical management of aortic valve endocarditis in high risk patients is controversial and the ideal treatment has not been found yet. We describe a selected series of eight patients treated with rapid-deployment aortic valve prosthesis as a therapeutic solution for minimizing the risks associated with annulus manipulation in case of severe aortic infective endocarditis.

Methods: Eight consecutive patients (five men and three women) with a mean age of 74.

Reduced Length of Hospital Stay for Cardiac Surgery-Implementing an Optimized Perioperative Pathway: Prospective Evaluation of an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Program Designed for Mini-Invasive Aortic Valve Replacement.

Objectives: Presently, there is enthusiasm for the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program. The literature clearly indicates this type of program could shorten hospital length of stay and improve patient outcome. However, most of the studies conducted have encompassed mainly colorectal and orthopedic surgeries.

Guidance of the MitraClip procedure by 2D and 3D imaging.

Percutaneous edge-to-edge repair using MitraClip (Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL, USA) can be used to treat mitral regurgitation. However, real-time echocardiographic guidance is vital; and use of 3D transoesophageal echocardiography to guide the procedure has improved reproducibility, reliability and safety. This review describes the MitraClip device - which is composed of a steerable guide catheter (SGC) and a Clip Delivery System (CDS) - and the MitraClip procedure.

Successful Coronary Artery Bypass in Types 2M and 2N von Willebrand Disease.

von Willebrand disease is a quantitative or qualitative deficiency of von Willebrand factor (VWF) that results in a significant risk of bleeding during surgical procedures unless precautions are taken. We describe for the first time 2 patients with type 2M and type 2N von Willebrand disease, respectively, who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. Because of their high cardiovascular risk factors, replacement therapy was given at low doses with minimal postoperative bleeding.

Electrophysiological study 6 months after Epicor™ high-intensity focused ultrasound atrial fibrillation ablation.

Purpose: Little is presently known about the outcome of atrial lesions performed with high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for atrial fibrillation ablation. We aimed to assess endocardial atrial lesions 6 months after epicardial HIFU ablation (Epicor(™)) and to evaluate the benefit of a combined ablation approach.

Methods: Thirty patients (21 males, mean age 68 ± 12 years old) undergoing HIFU atrial fibrillation ablation during cardiac surgery were enrolled.

Early to midterm results of total cavopulmonary connection in adult patients.

Background: Total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC) has not been studied in adults. We investigated early and midterm morbidity and mortality in adults undergoing TCPC and assessed risk factors for mortality.

Methods: Between June 1994 and October 2010, 30 adults (21.

Optimization of Impella 5.0 implantation using mini-sternotomy approach in postmyocardial infarction cardiogenic shock.

The Impella Recover LP 5.0® (Abiomed, Inc. Danvers, MA, USA) is an aortic transvalvular microaxial pump designed to unload the left ventricle and to ensure a systemic flow in severe left ventricular dysfunction.

Single surgical procedure combining epicardial pacemaker implantation and subsequent extraction of the infected pacing system for pacemaker-dependent patients.

Objectives: Management of pacemaker infection in pacing-dependent patients is often challenging. Typically, temporary pacing is used while antibiotic therapy is given for a number of days before reimplantation of a new endocardial system. This results in a prolonged hospital stay and complications associated with temporary pacing.

Treatment of isolated ventricular septal defects in children: Amplatzer versus surgical closure.

Background: Isolated hemodynamically significant ventricular septal defects (VSD) were previously treated surgically. Since the introduction of percutaneous (PC) devices, the management of isolated VSD has evolved. In our center, Amplatzer devices have been implanted for selected isolated perimembranous VSD since 2002.

Hypoxia preconditioned mesenchymal stem cells improve vascular and skeletal muscle fiber regeneration after ischemia through a Wnt4-dependent pathway.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are multipotent postnatal stem cells, involved in the treatment of ischemic vascular diseases. We investigate the ability of MSC, exposed to short-term hypoxic conditions, to participate in vascular and tissue regeneration in an in vivo model of hindlimb ischemia. Transplantation of hypoxic preconditioned murine MSC (HypMSC) enhanced skeletal muscle regeneration at day 7, improved blood flow and vascular formation compared to injected nonpreconditioned MSC (NormMSC).

Freedom SOLO valve: early- and intermediate-term results of a single centre's first 100 cases.

Objective: The Freedom SOLO aortic valve is a bovine pericardial stentless valve, which requires only one suture line. The aim of our single-centre retrospective study was to assess postoperative and intermediate-term haemodynamic results of the first 100 consecutively implanted valves.

Methods: One hundred patients (39 male and 61 female) underwent aortic valve replacement with a Freedom SOLO from November 2006 to January 2008.

Micro computed tomography for vascular exploration.

Vascular exploration of small animals requires imaging hardware with a very high spatial resolution, capable of differentiating large as well as small vessels, in both in vivo and ex vivo studies. Micro Computed Tomography (micro-CT) has emerged in recent years as the preferred modality for this purpose, providing high resolution 3D volumetric data suitable for analysis, quantification, validation, and visualization of results. The usefulness of micro-CT, however, can be adversely affected by a range of factors including physical animal preparation, numerical quantification, visualization of results, and quantification software with limited possibilities.

Mapping 3-dimensional neovessel organization steps using micro-computed tomography in a murine model of hindlimb ischemia-brief report.

Objective: Studying the mechanisms of neovascularization and evaluating the effects of proangiogenic strategies require accurate analysis of the neovascular network. We sought to evaluate the contribution of the microcomputed tomography (mCT) providing high-resolution 3-dimensional (3D) structural data, to a better comprehension of the well-studied mouse hindlimb postischemic neovascularization.

Methods And Results: We showed a predominant arteriogenesis process in the thigh and a predominant angiogenesis-related process in the tibiofibular region, in response to ischemia during the first 15 days.

Secreted frizzled-related protein-1 enhances mesenchymal stem cell function in angiogenesis and contributes to neovessel maturation.

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation offers a great angiogenic opportunity in vascular regenerative medicine. The canonical Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway has been demonstrated to play an essential role in stem cell fate. Recently, genetic studies have implicated the Wnt/Frizzled (Fz) molecular pathway, namely Wnt7B and Fz4, in blood growth regulation.

Glomus tumor of the mesocolon.

Glomus tumors are rare distinctive benign neoplasms, which arise from modified smooth muscle cells of the normal glomus body and are most commonly located in the subungual region of the finger. Intraabdominal locations are relatively rare. We report a case of glomus tumor of the mesocolon in a 10-year-old girl.