Raising the bar to ultradisciplinary collaborations in management of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension is an underdiagnosed and potentially fatal subgroup of pulmonary hypertension, if left untreated. Clinical signs include exertional dyspnea and non-specific symptoms. Diagnosis requires multimodality imaging and heart catheterization.

Temporary biventricular support as a bridge to recovery: A justifiable strategy for small children with fulminant myocarditis.

Short-term mechanical circulatory support can be life-saving in the pediatric population with acute cardiogenic shock (ACS). However, recovery from MCS is a rare entity. MCS options are limited for low-body-weight children in Turkey.

Turkish Society of Cardiovascular Surgery (TSCVS) Proposal for use of ECMO in respiratory and circulatory failure in COVID-19 pandemic era.

The document is prepared to guide the members of the The Turkish Society of Cardiovascular Surgery (TSCVS) and other extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) centers worldwide to share experiences in using ECMO in COVID-19 pandemic.

Long-term follow-up of patients with Buerger's disease after autologous stem cell therapy.

Objective: We investigated the long-term results of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells (ABMMNCs) implantation in patients with Buerger's disease (BD).

Methods: Twenty-eight patients (25 males and 3 females) who had BD and critical unilateral limb ischemia were investigated between April 2003 and August 2005. The patients were administered multiple injections of CD34+ and CD45+ positive ABMMNCs into the gastrocnemius muscle, the intermetatarsal region, and the dorsum of the foot (n=26) or forearm (n=2) and saline injection into the contralateral limb.

Clinical Results of Cardiac Surgery in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C and Their Role in Risk Models: A Case-Control Study.

Background: To evaluate the results of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) following cardiac surgery in the TurcoSCORE (TrS) database.

Methods: Sixty patients with HCV who underwent cardiac surgery between 2005 and 2016 in our clinic out of a total 8,018 patients from the TrS database were included in the study. The perioperative morbidity and mortality rates in these patients were compared with a matched cohort.

Pharmacomechanical thrombectomy of upper extremity deep vein thrombosis.

Background: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-accelerated catheter-directed thrombolysis (UACDT) in the treatment of upper extremity deep vein thrombosis (UEDVT).

Methods: We conducted a prospective, observational cohort study of consecutive patients with acute UEDVT with low-dose UACDT using the Ekosonic® Endovascular System (EKOS Corporation, Bothell, WA, USA) at a single center from September 2012 until October 2014. Overall, sixteen patients (11 males and 6 females, age range 18 to 70 years, mean age, 45.

Primary Left Cardiac Angiosarcoma with Mitral Valve Involvement Accompanying Coronary Artery Disease.

We report here on a 43-year-old female patient presenting with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction, severe mitral regurgitation, and mild mitral stenosis secondary to encroachment of the related structures by a primary cardiac angiosarcoma. A coronary angiography revealed significant stenosis in the left main and left circumflex arteries and at exploration, the tumour was arising from posterior left atrial free wall, invading the posterior mitral leaflet, and extending into all of the pulmonary veins and pericardium. Therefore, no further intervention was performed, except for left internal mammarian artery to left anterior descending artery anastomosis and biopsy.

Statin pretreatment and risk of in-hospital atrial fibrillation among patients undergoing cardiac surgery: a collaborative meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials.

Aims: Statin pretreatment in patients undergoing cardiac surgery is understood to prevent postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF). However, this is based on observational and limited randomized trial evidence, resulting in uncertainty about any genuine anti-arrhythmic benefits of these agents in this setting. We therefore aimed to quantify precisely the association between statin pretreatment and postoperative AF among patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Correlation between the functional impairment of bone marrow-derived circulating progenitor cells and the extend of coronary artery disease.

Background: Bone marrow-derived circulating progenitor cells (BM-CPCs) in patients with coronary heart disease are impaired with respect to number and functional activity. However, the relation between the functional activity of BM-CPCs and the number of diseased coronary arteries is yet not known. We analyzed the influence of the number of diseased coronary arteries on the functional activity of BM-CPCs in peripheral blood (PB) in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD).

Rationale and design of the coronary artery bypass grafting surgery off or on pump revascularization study: a large international randomized trial in cardiac surgery.

Background: Uncertainty remains regarding the benefits and risks of the technique of operating on a beating heart (off pump) for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery versus on-pump CABG. Prior trials had few events and relatively short follow-up. There is a need for a large randomized, controlled trial with long-term follow-up to inform both the short- and long-term impact of the 2 approaches to CABG.

Micronized purified flavonoid fraction in pretreating CABG patients.

The aim of the present study was to determine whether oral pretreatment with micronized purified flavonoid fraction (Daflon) has beneficial effects on cardiac function and outcome after cardiac operations. This prospective, randomized trial enrolled 43 patients who had an impaired preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction of less than 0.50 (mean, 0.

Native valve Brucella endocarditis.

Objective: Brucellosis is frequently seen in Mediterranean and Middle East countries, including Turkey. We report the medical and surgical management of 31 cases of native endocarditis.

Material And Method: Thirty-one patients were admitted to our clinic with suspected Brucella Endocarditis.

Relationship between functional promoter polymorphism in the XBP1 gene (-116C/G) and atherosclerosis, ischemic stroke and hyperhomocysteinemia.

ER stress is associated with a range of pathological conditions, among which, the ischemia/reperfusion injury is also found. The mechanistic array of links among the ER stress and thrombovascular diseases is poorly understood. The XBP1 gene is a transcription factor which modulates the ER stress response; and the XBP1 (-116 C/G) gene polymorphism causes an impairment of its positive feedback system.

Timing of induction of cardiomyocyte differentiation for in vitro cultured mesenchymal stem cells: a perspective for emergencies.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the capacity to differentiate into osteoblasts, chondrocytes, adipocytes, myocytes, and cardiomyocytes. Several established methods are presently available for in vitro isolation of MSCs from bone marrow. However, the duration necessary to culture them can be a major handicap to cell-based therapies needed for such urgent cardiovascular conditions as acute myocardial infarction and acute hindlimb ischemia.

MEF2A sequence variants in Turkish population.

Myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) is present in skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscles and in neurons. MEF2A gene encodes a transcription factor which was on 15q26. The objective was to study the MEF2A gene in patients with premature MI.

Off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery after stent implantation in a patient with combined thrombophilic risk factors.

The case of coronary artery bypass graft surgery in a 51-year-old woman with a heterozygous form of factor V Leiden, prothrombin mutation G20210A and tumour necrosis factor-alpha -308 G-A associated with high lipoprotein(a) and homocysteinemia levels, as well as elevated factors VIIIc and IX, is presented. She suffered from recurrent episodes of venous thromboembolism and left anterior descending artery subtotal occlusion eight months after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and stent implantation.

Coronary artery bypass grafting ameliorates the decreased plasma adiponectin level in atherosclerotic patients.

Adiponectin functions as an anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic factor, and the decreased plasma adiponectin is a risk factor for coronary disease. The aim of this study was to determine the changes in plasma levels of adiponectin, a potential parameter for atherosclerosis, in patients underwent surgical revascularization. We included forty patients with atherosclerosis (age, 58 +/- 9 years; body mass index [BMI] 26.

Early clinical experience with the On-X prosthetic heart valve.

The study aimed to assess the performance of the On-X valve (Medical Carbon Research Institute, Austin, TX). Between December 2000 and January 2003 On-X valves were implanted in 400 patients aged 19-85 years (mean: 55.6+/-16), 290 males and 210 females.

Isolated iatrogenic abdominal aortic dissection secondary to transfemoral arteriography: a case report.

Primary dissections of the abdominal aorta are rare and in most cases traumatic in origin. However, the natural history of isolated iatrogenic abdominal aortic dissection has not been well defined. This report describes a case of a 69-year-old patient with iatrogenic dissection of the abdominal aorta after arteriography and delayed surgical approach.

Effect of posterior pericardial drainage on the incidence of pericardial effusion after ascending aortic surgery.

Objective: Pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade after ascending aortic surgery are higher than anticipated after cardiac surgery. We evaluated a thin closed-suction drain system to prevent posterior pericardial effusion in patients undergoing ascending aortic surgery.

Methods: One hundred forty patients who underwent ascending aortic surgery were prospectively randomized into group A and group B.

Regenerative medicine for cardiovascular disorders-new milestones: adult stem cells.

Cardiovascular disorders are the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in the developed world. Cell-based modalities have received considerable scientific attention over the last decade for their potential use in this clinical arena. This review was intended as a brief overview on the subject of therapeutic potential of adult stem cells in cardiovascular medicine with basic science findings and the current status of clinical applications.