Ventricular Arrhythmias in Left Ventricular Assist Device Patients-Current Diagnostic and Therapeutic Considerations.

Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) are used in the treatment of advanced left ventricular heart failure. LVAD can serve as a bridge to orthotopic heart transplantation or as a destination therapy in cases where orthotopic heart transplantation is contraindicated. Ventricular arrhythmias are frequently observed in patients with LVAD.

Troponin T and Survival following Cardiac Surgery in Patients Supported with Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Post-Cardiotomy Shock.

Background: While troponin is an established biomarker of cardiac injury, its prognostic significance in post-cardiotomy cardiogenic shock patients supported by venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (PCCS-VA-ECMO) remains unclear.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the correlation between early post-operative troponin T levels and both short-term and long-term mortality outcomes in this cohort.

Methods: We evaluated 1457 troponin T measurements from 102 PCCS-VA-ECMO patients treated from 2013 to 2018 at a specialized cardio-surgical and transplantation center.

ARTERIAL HYPEROXIA AND MORTALITY IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING VENOARTERIAL EXTRACORPOREAL MEMBRANE OXYGENATION.

Background: Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) can easily lead to supranormal oxygenation. The impact of hyperoxygenation beyond the early VA-ECMO support phase is unexplored. We sought to investigate its association with short- and long-term mortality.

Clinical and Molecular Aspects of Iron Metabolism in Failing Myocytes.

Heart failure (HF) is a common disease that causes significant limitations on the organism's capacity and, in extreme cases, leads to death. Clinically, iron deficiency (ID) plays an essential role in heart failure by deteriorating the patient's condition and is a prognostic marker indicating poor clinical outcomes. Therefore, in HF patients, supplementation of iron is recommended.

Expression of Iron Metabolism Proteins in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure.

In heart failure, iron deficiency is a common comorbid disease that negatively influences exercise tolerance, number of hospitalizations and mortality rate, and this is why iron iv supplementation is recommended. Little is known about the changes in iron-related proteins in the human HF myocardium. The purpose of this study was to assess iron-related proteins in non-failing (NFH) vs.

Current applications and outcomes of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation based on 6 years of experience: risk factors for in‑hospital mortality.

Introduction: Data regarding venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) as a temporary circulatory support in cardiogenic shock (CS) for Central Europe are scarce.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to disclose indications, in-hospital, and long-term (1-year) mortality along with risk factors.

Patients And Methods: The study is a retrospective investigation of patients who underwent VA ECMO for CS at a cardiosurgical tertiary center, from January 2013 to June 2018.

Prevalence and management of driveline infections in mechanical circulatory support - a single center analysis.

Background: Driveline infections in continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (cf-LVAD) remain the most common adverse event. This single-center retrospective study investigated the risk factors, prevalence and management of driveline infections.

Methods: Patients treated after cf-LVAD implantation from December 2014 to January 2020 were enrolled.

Literature-based considerations regarding organizing and performing cardiac surgery against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic.

Background: The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic presents challenges for surgeons of all disciplines, including cardiologists. The volume of cardiac surgery cases has to comply with the mandatory constraints of healthcare capacities. The treatment of Covid-19-positive patients must also be considered.

The role of cardiac computed tomography in the diagnosis of prosthetic valve endocarditis - A comparison with transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography and intra-operative findings.

Background: Infective endocarditis is one of the most severe complications after prosthetic valve implantation and an accurate diagnosis is a clinical challenge. The purpose was to assess the diagnostic usefulness of cardiac computed tomography (CT) in valvular and perivalvular complications in patients with prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) and to compare CT results with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and intraoperative findings.

Methods: The retrospective study included 44 consecutive patients with PVE who underwent cardiac surgery.

Safety and performance of a novel transventricular beating heart mitral valve repair system: 1-year outcomes.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and performance of a novel, beating heart procedure that enables echocardiographic-guided beating heart implantation of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) artificial cords on the posterior mitral leaflet of patients with degenerative mitral regurgitation.

Methods: Two prospective multicentre studies enrolled 13 (first-in-human) and 52 subjects, respectively. Patients were treated with the HARPOON beating heart mitral valve repair system.

Pulmonary artery aneurysm as a result of group 2 pulmonary artery hypertension in a patient with significant mitral and aortic valve disease - review and case report.

Aneurysms are uncommon, but potentially life-threatening abnormalities of the pulmonary arteries. Aneurysm of the main pulmonary artery (MPA) defined as MPA diameter over 40 mm was reported in 1 : 14 000 autopsies. The most frequent location is the main pulmonary artery (89% of cases), whereas the maximum described diameter is 106-170 mm.

Anterior mitral leaflet length and mitral annulus diameter impact the echocardiographic outcome after isolated myectomy.

Background: Myectomy remains the standard surgical treatment of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HOCM). New surgical methods developed in the last decades mainly address the mitral valve and are controversial because of their conflicting assumptions. This study assesses the influence of anterior mitral valve leaflet (AML) length and the anterior-posterior diameter of the mitral annulus (MAD) on dynamic left ventricle outflow tract obstruction and mitral regurgitation (MR) after extended myectomy.