Multicentre early experience with totally subcutaneous cardioverter-defibrillators in Poland.

Introduction: Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) have a strong position in the prevention of sudden death. Nowadays, the most commonly used high-energy cardiac devices are transvenous ICDs. A new technology of totally subcutaneous ICDs (S-ICD) was invented and recently introduced into clinical practice in order to reduce lead-related complications of conventional ICDs.

Does the additional usage of a local hemostatic patch reduce bleeding after aortic reimplantation?

Introduction: Our study aimed to assess the efficacy of a local hemostatic, consisting of human thrombin and fibrinogen, which was applied on the aortotomy suture line.

Material And Methods: The study involved 93 patients undergoing elective aortic valve replacement. Patients were randomized to two groups.

Computed tomography angiography for imaging results of neochordal mitral valve repair.

Introduction: Degenerative mitral regurgitation is currently the most frequent indication for mitral valve repair.

Aim: To visualize and assess the mid-term results of mitral valve repair with neochordae implantation, using computed tomography angiography (CTA) imaging.

Material And Methods: The CTA with ECG gating and without modulation was applied in 10 patients to assess the results of a mitral valve sparing procedure.

Artificial aortic valve dysfunction due to pannus and thrombus - different methods of cardiac surgical management.

Introduction: Approximately 60 000 prosthetic valves are implanted annually in the USA. The risk of prosthesis dysfunction ranges from 0.1% to 4% per year.

Iatrogenic left main-stem dissection extending to the circumflex artery and retrogradely involving the left and non-coronary sinuses of Valsalva: iatrogenic aortocoronary dissection.

We present the case of a 57-year-old female who experienced iatrogenic left main-stem (LMS) dissection during elective coronary angiography. The dissection immediately affected the circumflex artery (Cx), causing its total distal occlusion, and the left anterior descending artery (LAD), in which a metal stent, implanted six months earlier, provided blood flow. The dissection spread retrogradely to the left and non-coronary sinuses of Valsalva (SV).

Cardiac tamponade and para-aortic hematoma post elective surgical myocardial revascularization on a beating heart - a possible complication of the Lima-stitch and sequential venous anastomosis.

Background: Off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) surgery can be associated with some intrinsic, but relatively rare complications. A pericardial effusion is a common finding after cardiac surgeries, but the prevalence of a cardiac tamponade does not exceed 2% and is less frequent after myocardial revascularization.Authors believe that in our patient an injury of a nutritional pericardial or descending aorta vessel caused by the Lima stitch resulted in oozing bleeding, which gradually leaded to cardiac tamponade.

Surgical removal of stent from multiply stented vessel: problem with choice of place for anasthomosis - one year follow-up.

Since the advent of percutaneous coronary intervention there have been increasing numbers of patients with so-called 'full metal jacket' coronary arteries disease. This is creating a challenging problem for the cardiac surgeon. A 73 year-old woman after the implantation of two metal stents to the left anterior descending artery (LAD) and four to the right coronary artery (RCA), with ejection fraction of 28%, significant mitral and tricuspid insufficiency, and high systolic pulmonary pressure, was admitted to our department with unstable angina and with symptoms of pulmonary oedema.

Early and long term coronary artery bypass grafting outcomes in patients under 45 years of age.

Background: In Poland, mortality and morbidity rates due to ischaemic heart disease (IHD) remain high and concern the whole population. An interesting issue is rapid development of IHD in some younger subjects and uncertain treatment outcomes in this patient subset. Premature cessation of professional activity, along with worsening of quality of life due to IHD in the population under 45 years of age is a huge medical, economic, and social problem.

[Tumour in left atrium diagnosed 6 years after ablation of pulmonary vein ostia and inferior right atrial isthmus: thrombus or myxoma?].

We present a case of the left atrial myxoma 6 years after atrial fibrillation ablation. The initial diagnosis of the mass revealed on echocardiography was a thrombus. Failure of anticoagulant treatment and transesophageal echocardiography led to diagnosis of myxoma, confirmed intraoperatively and histologically.

Comparison of the clinical application of reactive oxygen species and inflammatory markers in patients with endocarditis.

Introduction: Infective endocarditis (IE) is still connected with high operative mortality. Inflammatory markers are commonly used in monitoring patient clinical condition. Respiratory burst and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are the main way of pathogen elimination.

Late diagnosis of congenital cardiovascular defect.

Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is a common congenital anomaly that is usually treated in infancy or childhood. Adult patients with coarctation have a high incidence of associated cardiac disorders, including valve diseases, atrial fibrillation and ischemic heart disease. Most patients with uncorrected CoA die before reaching the age of 50 from complications such as myocardial infarction, intracranial hemorrhage, congestive heart failure (HF), infective endocarditis or aortic dissection.

Intrapericardial lipoma: diagnosed unexpectedly and resected during coronary artery bypass surgery.

Cardiac lipomas are extremely rare tumors, they usually remain asymptomatic and are detected incidentally, mostly during autopsies. In symptomatic patients, the diagnosis can easily be made by echocardiography, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging. We report a case of pericardial lipoma found unexpectedly during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery.

[Aortic valve replacement in patients with heart failure].

Unlabelled: Severe aortic regurgitation and stenosis are urgent indication for aortic valve replacement in patients with left ventricular dysfunction, however the effect of cardiac surgery may differ in both groups. The aim of the study was to evaluate the early changes of haemodynamic parameters of heart: ejection fraction, endsystolic and enddiastolic left ventricle diameters, endsystolic and enddiastolic left ventricular wall thickness and left atrium diameter, depending on ejection fraction value (EF), in patients undergoing aortic valve replacement due to isolated aortic stenosis or regurgitation.

Materials And Methods: 250 patients engaged to the study were subjected to the mechanical aortic valve replacement in Cardiac Surgery Department in Lodz.

[Early and subsequent results of operation of trivalvular diseases].

Unlabelled: The aim of the thesis is the evaluation of efficacy of surgical treatment for complex valvular heart diseases. An inclusion criterion to this analysis was the performance of a mitral valve replacement (MVR) and aortic valve replacement (AVR) for an artificial valve and a tricuspid valve replacement or plastic operation (TVR or pl. TV).

[Early results of surgical coronary revascularization in patients 65 years and older].

276 patients aged 65 years or more, who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting in the Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Łódź in 1999 and 2000, were assessed. The analyzed group consisted of 193 men (69.93%) and 83 women (30.