Toward the development of a polarimetric tool to diagnose the fibrotic human ventricular myocardium.

Significance: Optical polarimetry is an emerging modality that effectively quantifies the bulk optical properties that correlate with the anisotropic structural properties of cardiac tissues. We demonstrate the application of a polarimetric tool for characterizing healthy and fibrotic human myocardial tissues efficiently with a high degree of accuracy.

Aim: The study was aimed to characterize the myocardial tissues from the left ventricle and right ventricle of N  =  7 control and N  =  10 diseased subjects.

Rheumatic Heart Disease in India in 2020: Advances in Diagnostic and Therapeutic Options.

Rheumatic Fever (RF)/ Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) is the result of autoimmune response triggered by group A Beta-haemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis leading to immune-inflammatory injury to cardiac valves. It is practically disappeared in developed countries. However, it continues to be a major cause of disease burden among children, adolescents, and young adults in low-income countries and even in high-income countries with socioeconomic inequalities.

PROSE: Prospective Randomized Trial of the On-X Mechanical Prosthesis and the St Jude Medical Mechanical Prosthesis Evaluation : Part 1(Patient Dynamics): Preoperative demographics and preoperative and operative risk factors.

Objectives: The PROSE trial purpose is to investigate whether the incidence of thromboembolic-related complications is reduced with a current generation mechanical prosthesis (On-X Life Technologies/CryoLife Inc.-On-X) compared with a previous generation mechanical prosthesis (St Jude Medical-SJM). The primary purpose of the initial report is to document the preoperative demographics, and the preoperative and operative risk factors by individual prosthesis and by Western and Developing populations.

Auto-Pericardial Mitral Valve Implantation: A Pilot Study.

Introduction: Developing nations continue to grapple with rheumatic heart disease, particularly in the young. There is a need for an alternative to prosthetic mitral valve replacement in irreparable mitral valves, which avoids the need for anticoagulation and risks of thromboembolism.

Methods: Twelve (12) patients with irreparable severe mitral valve disease underwent auto-pericardial mitral valve implantation from August 2020 to February 2021.

Re-do pericardial reconstruction of the aortic valve in Brucella endocarditis.

We report a 12-year-old boy who had undergone an auto-pericardial aortic valve implantation 3 years ago for rheumatic aortic regurgitation. He presented with Brucella endocarditis of the auto-pericardial leaflets with new-onset severe aortic regurgitation, congestive cardiac failure and systemic sepsis. He had an aortic root abscess with multiple pseudoaneurysms in relation to the aortic sinus.

SIRT6 transcriptionally regulates fatty acid transport by suppressing PPARγ.

Pathological lipid accumulation is often associated with enhanced uptake of free fatty acids via specific transporters in cardiomyocytes. Here, we identify SIRT6 as a critical transcriptional regulator of fatty acid transporters in cardiomyocytes. We find that SIRT6 deficiency enhances the expression of fatty acid transporters, leading to enhanced fatty acid uptake and lipid accumulation.

The String Puppet Technique to Improve Exposure in Totally Endoscopic Mitral Valve Surgery.

Aim: To determine the feasibility of the string puppet technique as a flexible, dynamic alternative to atrial retractors in totally endoscopic non-robotic mitral and tricuspid valve surgeries.

Method: Fifty-one (51) consecutive patients were operated on for totally endoscopic mitral valve repair from July 2017 to February 2018. A 3 cm peri-areolar (males) or submammary (females) incision was placed on the right chest.

3D printing guided closure of submitral aneurysm-an interesting case.

Submitral aneurysm is a congenital outpouching of the left ventricular wall invariably occurring adjacent to the posterior leaflet of the mitral valve. It usually presents with heart failure symptoms. We report a case of a 59-year-old gentleman with a posterolateral submitral aneurysm who underwent aneurysm patch repair and mitral valve repair.

Autologous pericardial aortic valve reconstruction: early results and comparison with mechanical valve replacement.

Introduction: Autologous pericardial aortic valve reconstruction is an attractive option compared with prosthetic valve replacement due to the absence of anticoagulation, lower pressure gradient across the valve and excellent valve haemodynamics.

Objective: We wanted to share the early results of autologous pericardial aortic valve reconstruction from our centre. The outcomes were compared with that of mechanical valve replacement.

Universal trends in human cough airflows at large distances.

Coughs are one of the primary means of transmission of diseases such as influenza and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Disease spreading occurs by the expulsion of pathogen containing aerosol droplets. Fine droplets can pass through layers of masks and are carried away by the exhaled airflow unlike larger droplets that settle down due to gravity.

Aberrant Aortopulmonary Venous Fistula: An Intraoperative Surprise.

An isolated systemic artery to pulmonary vein arteriovenous fistula is a rare clinical entity. We report a 20-year-old woman diagnosed with myxomatous mitral valve prolapse with severe mitral regurgitation and planned for mitral valve repair. An aberrant aortopulmonary venous fistula was suspected intraoperatively due to flooding of the left atrium with blood from the left inferior pulmonary vein on cardiopulmonary bypass.

Perioperative management of a patient with glanzmann's thrombasthenia for mitral valve repair under cardiopulmonary bypass.

A 30-year-old male patient presented with Glanzmann's thrombasthenia and mitral valve prolapse. He was in acute decompensated congestive heart failure due to severe mitral and tricuspid regurgitation. After his cardiac failure had been stabilized, the patient was subjected to mitral and tricuspid valve repair.

Preliminary results of supra-hepatic intraaortic perfusion with nitroglycerin for patients with significant hepatic dysfunction.

Background: Preoperative hepatic dysfunction is a risk factor for postoperative fulminant hepatic failure and death. We noted persistent hepatic artery vasospasm in patients dying of postoperative hepatic failure. We hypothesized that an intra-aortic vasodilator such as nitroglycerin could attenuate vasospasm and prevent hepatic failure.

Recurrent chylopericardium.

A 19-year-old male presented with recurrent episodes of pericardial effusion. On evaluation, he was diagnosed to have idiopathic chylous effusion. As there was persistent pericardial collection, chemical pericardiodesis was done.

Myocardial preservation: controlled reperfusion.

Reperfusion injury after reestablishing coronary flow by releasing the aortic cross clamp after cardiac surgery with cardioplegic arrest causes myocardial damage and even death. Attenuation of this reperfusion response by controlling the biochemical and physical environment can avoid morbidity and mortality. Use of a warm reperfusate with addition of drugs that are known to decrease reperfusion injury with manipulation of coronary vascular resistance and the physical parameters of the reperfusion environment helps the heart to reestablish coronary perfusion while decreasing the harm produced by the period of ischemia that occurs during cardiac surgery with intermittent cardioplegic arrest.

Flap valved closure of ventricular septal defects with increased pulmonary vascular resistance.

Closure of ventricular septal defect (VSD) in children with elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality with pulmonary hypertensive (PH) episodes being a major postoperative problem. Flap valved closure of VSD is reported to decrease morbidity and mortality. We report our experience of closure of a VSDs in patients with severe PH, using a valved patch in an effort to reduce the risk of operation.

Giant mediastinal thymolipoma simulating cardiomegaly.

Thymolipomas are rare anterior mediastinal tumors composed of mature adipose tissue and benign thymic tissue and they may rarely simulate cardiomegaly on chest radiograph. We report an adult male who presented with progressive dyspnea of 2 months' duration. Clinical examination was unremarkable.