German Aortic Root Repair Registry-Insights From the First 400 Consecutive Patients.

Background: The objective was to provide initial data from our prospective valve-sparing aortic root replacement (V-SARR) registry and reasons for conversion to prosthetic aortic valve replacement.

Methods: Six centers established an intention-to-treat-design V-SARR-registry (the German Aortic Root Repair Registry; first patient in October 2016); the main inclusion criterion was being scheduled for V-SARR as plan A. Clinical information, operative details, intraoperative valve/root measurements, and clinical and transthoracic echocardiography follow-up-data are documented.

New Device for the Treatment of Functional Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation: Proof of Concept in an In Vitro Model.

Background:  Optimal surgical treatment of functional ischemic mitral regurgitation (FIMR) is still controversy. Due to the underlying pathophysiology, stand-alone ring annuloplasty is assumed with a high recurrence rate of mitral regurgitation, thus additional subvalvular repair techniques might improve the results. This in vitro study introduces a new device for subvalvular mitral valve repair.

Long-Term (up to 21 Years) Follow Up after Biological and Mechanical Aortic Valve Replacement in Younger Patients.

Background: Despite the limited durability of biological aortic valves, increasing numbers of younger patients are choosing to receive them, due mainly to the lack of a need for permanent anticoagulation. Few data exist, however, regarding the outcomes of valve replacement in patients aged <55 years, and additional data are required in this patient population.

Methods: Between 1993 and 2014, at the authors' institution, a total of 448 patients (237 males, 101 females; mean age 45.

Ex vivo hydrodynamics after central and paracommissural edge-to-edge technique: A further step toward transcatheter tricuspid repair?

Objectives: Transcatheter approaches in heart valve disease became tremendously important and are currently established in the aortic position, but transcatheter tricuspid repair is still in its beginning and remains challenging. Replicating the surgical edge-to-edge technique, for example, with the MitraClip System (Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, Calif), represents a promising option and has been reported successfully in small numbers of cases. However, up to now, few data considering the edge-to-edge technique as a transcatheter approach are available.

Posterior Nutcracker Phenomenon in a Patient with Left Atrial Isomerism.

 Nutcracker phenomenon (NCP) can occur due to various anatomical anomalies. Anterior and posterior NCP are defined in the literature. Posterior NCP combined with left atrial isomerism is a rare condition.

Rest and exercise haemodynamics in patients with one of two stented bioprostheses and in healthy controls with small aortic annuli.

Objectives: Because bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement remains one of the most frequent cardiac surgical procedures, it is necessary to study patient haemodynamics in more detail. Until now, a few studies assessed haemodynamics during exercise, but none with special regard to small aortic annuli. We compared patients who had the differently designed bioprostheses, Trifecta and Perimount Magna Ease (PME), size ≤ 23 mm, and a healthy control group during rest and exercise.