Ten-Year Experience with a Transapical Approach for Transcatheter Aortic and Mitral Valve Implantation.

Background: The transfemoral approach represents the optimal access for TAVI due to its low invasiveness; however, up to 10-15% of TAVI candidates are considered unsuitable for femoral access because of significant peripheral vascular disease and need alternative access.

Methods: This is a single-center retrospective observational study including all consecutive adult patients undergoing transcatheter procedures through a TA approach from March 2015 to April 2024.

Results: 213 patients underwent transcatheter aortic or mitral valve implantation through a TA approach and were enrolled in this study.

Three Decades of Experience with Aortic Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis.

The objective of this study was to evaluate early and long-term outcomes of patients with aortic prosthetic valve endocarditis (a-PVE) treated with a prosthetic aortic valve (PAV), prosthetic valved conduit (PVC), or cryopreserved aortic homograft (CAH). A total of 144 patients, 115 male and 29 female, aged 67 ± 12 years, underwent surgery for a-PVE at our institution between 1994 and 2021. Median time from the original cardiac surgery was 1.

Organization and Activity of Italian Echocardiographic Laboratories: A Survey of the Italian Society of Echocardiography and Cardiovascular Imaging.

Background: The Italian Society of Echocardiography and Cardiovascular Imaging (SIECVI) conducted a national survey to understand better how different echocardiographic modalities are used and accessed in Italy.

Methods: We analyzed echocardiography laboratory activities over a month (November 2022). Data were retrieved via an electronic survey based on a structured questionnaire, uploaded on the SIECVI website.

Twenty-Year Experience with Surgery for Native and Prosthetic Mitral Valve Endocarditis.

: To evaluate the early and long-term results of surgical treatment of isolated mitral native and prosthetic valve infective endocarditis. : All patients undergoing mitral valve repair or replacement for infective endocarditis at our institution between January 2001 and December 2021 were included in the study. The preoperative and postoperative characteristics and mortality of patients were retrospectively reviewed.

Reverse Remodeling and Functional Improvement of Left Ventricle in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure Treated with Sacubitril/Valsartan: Comparison between Non-Ischemic and Ischemic Etiology.

Sacubitril/valsartan (SV) has been demonstrated to reduce cardiovascular mortality, hospitalization for heart failure and to induce reverse ventricular remodeling. The present study was designed to confirm the effects of SV in a selected population of patients with HFrEF and to evaluate the different responses between patients with an ischemic or a non-ischemic etiology. A total of 79 patients with indication of SV were recruited prospectively during a timelapse of 4 years.

Cryopreserved aortic homografts for complex aortic valve or root endocarditis: a 28-year experience.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate early- and long-term outcomes of cryopreserved aortic homograft (CAH) implantation for aortic valve replacement (AVR) or aortic root replacement (ARR) in patients with or without complex infective endocarditis.

Methods: All adult patients undergoing AVR or ARR with CAH at our institution between January 1993 and July 2021 were included in the study.

Results: One hundred four patients, 75 males and 29 females, aged 59 ± 17 years, underwent AVR or ARR with CAH for infective endocarditis (n = 94, 90%) or aortic valve disease (n = 10, 10%).

Syncope induced by transient total occlusion of the mitral valve orifice by a giant free-floating left atrial thrombus.

Left atrial ball thrombus is a rare disorder with potential fatal systemic embolism or mitral valve orifice occlusion that may result in sudden death. Its treatment is still controversial and is often associated with poor prognosis. We report the case of a 95-year-old woman with a history of permanent atrial fibrillation who was admitted to our hospital for syncope.