Publications by authors named "Themistocles P Chamogeorgakis"
Background: Potassium adenosine triphosphate (KATP) channel openers have been involved in the enhancement of ischemic tolerance in various tissues. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the effects of aprikalim, a specific KATP channel opener, on spinal cord ischemic injury.
Methods: Fifty-four rabbits were randomly assigned to three groups: group 1 (n = 18, sham operation), group 2 (n = 18, 30 min of normothermic aortic cross-clamping) and group 3 (n = 18, aprikalim 100 μg/kg was administered 15 min before 30 min of normothermic aortic cross-clamping).
Article Synopsis
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a serious condition linked to factors like atherosclerosis and inflammation, and this study explored whether simvastatin can affect its development in rabbits.
- A total of 76 rabbits were divided into four groups, with some receiving simvastatin treatment before and/or after surgery, and their aortic diameters and tissue characteristics were assessed over four weeks.
- Results showed that simvastatin significantly reduced the increase in aortic diameter compared to other groups, suggesting its potential to suppress AAA growth and decrease the risk of rupture.
Background: Sympathetic innervation exerts marked effects on vascular smooth muscle cells, including a short-term homeostatic (vasoconstrictor) and a direct trophic action promoting differentiation. However, the role of sympathetic nervous system in long-term structural and functional modulation of the aortic wall is yet undefined.
Methods: Six Landrace pigs underwent bilateral thoracic sympathectomy from the stellate to T8 ganglion, whereas 10 pigs underwent sham operation.
Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been conventionally associated with increased operative mortality and morbidity after coronary artery bypass grafting. Some studies, however, challenge this association. Moreover, the effect of COPD on long-term survival after coronary artery bypass grafting has not been adequately assessed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The molecular mechanisms leading to ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms (ATAAs) remain unknown. We hypothesized that alterations in expression levels of specific fibrillar collagens occur during the aneurysmal process.
Methods: Surgical samples from ascending aortas from patients with degenerative ATAAs were subdivided by aneurysm diameter: small, 5 to 6 cm; medium, 6 to 7 cm; and large, greater than 7 cm; and compared with nonaneurysmal aortas (mean diameter, 2.
Background And Aim Of The Study: Patients with heart valve surgery may have a periprocedural mortality extending up to one year after surgery. The study aim was to determine independent predictors for in-hospital and long-term mortality after heart valve surgery.
Methods: A total of 1,376 consecutive patients who underwent isolated or combined heart valve surgery at a single institution was studied.
Stroke after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is an infrequent, yet devastating complication with increased morbidity and mortality. We sought to determine risk factors for early (intraoperatively to 24 hours) and delayed (>24 hours to discharge) stroke and to identify their impact on long-term mortality after CABG. We studied 4,140 consecutive patients who underwent isolated CABG from 1992 to 2003.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) can itself contribute to increased rates of cardiovascular events. We sought to determine the impact of LVH on in-hospital and long-term mortality after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).
Methods: Between 1992 and 2003, 4140 consecutive patients underwent CABG.
Background: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of N-acetyl-L-cysteine on lung ischaemia reperfusion injury.
Methods: Nineteen pigs were used. Group I (n = 5) underwent sham operation, group II (n = 7) 90-min left-lung ischaemia followed by 180-min reperfusion.
Thoracoscore predicts midterm mortality in patients undergoing thoracic surgery.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg
October 2007
Objective: Thoracoscore is the first multivariate model for the prediction of in-hospital mortality after general thoracic surgery. We aimed to evaluate the performance of Thoracoscore in predicting in-hospital and midterm all-cause mortality.
Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 1675 patients who underwent thoracic surgery (lung resections [n = 626], mediastinum [n = 535], pleura and pericardium [n = 268], esophagus [n = 88], chest wall [n = 90], trachea [n = 45], and other procedures [n = 23]) from October 2002 to March 2006 at a single institution.