Eight-year results of Freestyle stentless bioprosthesis in the aortic position: a single-center study of 500 patients.

Background And Aim Of The Study: Stentless bioprostheses may be the future valve of choice for aortic valve replacement (AVR). The study aim was to investigate mid-term clinical outcome after AVR with the Medtronic Freestyle valve.

Methods: Between April 1997 and November 2004, a total of 500 patients (241 females, 259 males) was implanted with a Freestyle bioprosthesis for AVR, without population selection, by a single surgical team at the authors' institutions.

Echocardiographic Doppler assessment of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure in surgical patients with postoperative circulatory shock and acute lung injury.

Background: In cardiac patients, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) is estimated using color M-mode Doppler study of left ventricular filling and Doppler tissue imaging. The goal of this study was to assess whether echocardiography accurately estimates PCWP in critically ill patients.

Methods: Sixty ventilated patients admitted for septic shock and acute lung injury were prospectively studied using simultaneously transesophageal echocardiography and pulmonary artery catheterization.