Haemodynamic Assessment and Outcomes of Aortic Valvuloplasty for Aortic Regurgitation in Patients with Bicuspid Aortic Valve.

Aortic valvuloplasty for bicuspid aortic valve carries a risk of postoperative stenosis. We evaluated the haemodynamic differences between aortic valvuloplasty for bicuspid aortic valve, tricuspid aortic valve, and aortic valve replacement by echocardiography. We also assessed whether a higher postoperative pressure gradient affects the outcomes of aortic valvuloplasty for bicuspid aortic valve.

Successful Repair of a Forme Fruste Bicuspid Aortic Valve by the Raphe Suspension Technique.

A 52-year-old man underwent surgery due to shortness of breath caused by severe aortic regurgitation with right coronary cusp prolapse. Operative findings revealed 3 symmetric cusps with small raphe between the right and noncoronary cusps situated lower than the others, indicating a forme fruste bicuspid aortic valve (BAV). The BAV was successfully repaired by tricuspidization, including raphe suspension, right coronary cusp plication, and double annuloplasty.

Aortic root destruction after aortic valvuloplasty for bicuspid aortic valve.

Ultrasound cardiography showed severe aortic regurgitation (AR) due to bicuspid aortic valve with dilatation of the aortic annulus and sinotubular junction in a 27-year-old man hospitalized with loss of consciousness. He underwent aortic valvuloplasty combined with external suture annuloplasty using an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) suture. Intraoperative findings revealed thickening and adhesion of the aortic root despite the first surgery.

The Composition and Structure of Biofilms Developed by Isolated from Cardiac Pacemaker Devices.

The present study aimed to understand the biofilm formation mechanism of by analyzing the components and structure of the biofilms. strains were isolated from the surface of explanted cardiac pacemaker devices that exhibited no clinical signs of infection. Culture tests using a simple stamp culture method (pressing pacemakers against the surface of agar plates) revealed frequent colonization on the surface of cardiac pacemaker devices.

Spontaneous closure of a large left ventricular pseudoaneurysm after mitral valve replacement.

Left ventricular pseudoaneurysm is a rare, but potentially fatal, condition that generally occurs as a complication of myocardial infarction, infective endocarditis, or cardiac surgery. Surgical repair is the treatment of first choice because of the marked risk of rupture, but deteriorated hemodynamics and complicated procedures to treat the pseudoaneurysm may lead to a high mortality rate. We report a 62-year-old woman with a large left ventricular pseudoaneurysm after mitral valve replacement for rheumatic mitral valve stenosis.

Reversal of oxidant-mediated biochemical injury and prompt functional recovery after prolonged single-dose crystalloid cardioplegic arrest in the infantile piglet heart by terminal warm-blood cardioplegia supplemented with phosphodiesterase III inhibitor.

Purpose: The benefit of terminal blood cardioplegia (TWBCP) is insufficient after prolonged ischemia associated with inevitable oxidant-mediated injury by this modality alone. We tested the effects of TWBCP supplemented with high-dose olprinone, which is a phosphodiesterase III inhibitor, a clinically available compound with the potential to reduce oxidant stress and calcium overload. We evaluated the effects with respect to avoiding oxidant-mediated myocardial reperfusion injury and prompt functional recovery after prolonged single-dose crystalloid cardioplegic arrest in a infantile piglet cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) model.

Ischemic postconditioning promotes left ventricular functional recovery after cardioplegic arrest in an in vivo piglet model of global ischemia reperfusion injury on cardiopulmonary bypass.

Objective: An in vivo study of piglets on cardiopulmonary bypass was performed to determine whether postconditioning has a cardioprotective effect after cardioplegic arrest in large animals.

Methods: Eighteen piglets were subjected to 90 minutes of cardioplegic arrest followed by 30 minutes of reperfusion. In 6 animals (control), there was no intervention at reperfusion.

Prevention of ischemia/reperfusion-induced pulmonary dysfunction after cardiopulmonary bypass with terminal leukocyte-depleted lung reperfusion.

Objective: Pulmonary ischemia and reperfusion during routine open heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass can lead to pulmonary dysfunction and vasoconstriction, resulting in a high morbidity and mortality. We investigated whether ischemia/reperfusion-induced pulmonary dysfunction after full-flow cardiopulmonary bypass could be prevented by the infusion of leukocyte-depleted hypoxemic blood during the early phase of reperfusion (terminal leukocyte-depleted lung reperfusion) and whether the benefits of this method were nullified by using hyperoxemic blood for reperfusion.

Methods: Twenty-one neonatal piglets underwent 180 minutes of full-flow cardiopulmonary bypass with pulmonary artery occlusion, followed by reperfusion.

Myocardial cyclic AMP augmentation with high-dose PDEIII inhibitor in terminal warm blood cardioplegia.

Purpose: Phosphodiesterase (PDE) III inhibitors have been reported in various cellular protective activities via the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) pathway. We investigated the effects of amrinone on ischemia/reperfusion injury and intracellular calcium (Ca2+) handling if utilized as a component of terminal warm blood cardioplegia (TWBCP).

Methods: Anesthetized pig hearts were subjected to 90-min global ischemia with single-dose crystalloid cardioplegia, followed by 30-min reperfusion under cardiopulmonary bypass.