Endocarditis at a large community hospital with on-site cardiac surgery.

Objective: Infective endocarditis (IE) is still a serious disease. The currently published EURO-ENDO registry showed a rate of surgery of 51.2% and a lower mortality in operated IE patients.

Transcatheter Mitral Valve Implantation (TMVI) Using Edwards SAPIEN 3 Prostheses in Patients at Very High or Prohibitive Surgical Risk: A Single-Center Experience.

Background: Mitral valve surgery in patients with failing bioprosthesis, annuloplasty rings, or in patients with advanced mitral annular calcification (MAC) is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Percutaneous antegrade transseptal transcatheter mitral valve implantation (TMVI) has recently successfully been performed in those patients at high or prohibitive surgical risk, but data on patients treated by TMVI are sparse. This study sought to evaluate short- and midterm outcomes of patients treated by TMVI at our site in clinical practice.

Impact of left ventricular lead position on the incidence of ventricular arrhythmia and clinical outcome in patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate the incidence of ventricular arrhythmia and clinical outcome in patients receiving a cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) depending on the left ventricular (LV) lead position.

Methods: A total of 187 consecutive patients with advanced heart failure who received a CRT-implantable cardioverter defibrillator were analyzed. Forty patients (21%) had a LV lead in the anterior/apical (anterior) and 147 patients (79%) in the posterior/posterolateral (posterior) region.

Prevalence of bacterial colonization of generator pockets in implantable cardioverter defibrillator patients without signs of infection undergoing generator replacement or lead revision.

Aims: This study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of bacterial colonization of generator pockets in implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) patients without signs of infection and to analyse the impact of bacterial colonization on the incidence of device infection during follow-up.

Methods And Results: In 122 ICD patients undergoing generator replacement or surgical lead revision between January 2006 and July 2008, microbiological cultures of generator pockets and extracted leads were consecutively obtained. Patients with clinical evidence of a device infection were excluded.

Annual rate of transvenous defibrillation lead defects in implantable cardioverter-defibrillators over a period of >10 years.

Background: The number of patients with longer follow-up after implantation of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator is increasing continuously. Defibrillation lead failure is a typical long-term complication. Therefore, the long-term reliability of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator leads has become an increasing concern.

Advanced sternal closure to prevent dehiscence in obese patients.

Sternal dehiscence is a frequent complication after cardiac surgical procedures. The objective was to evaluate a novel method for advanced sternal closure compared with standard techniques for preventing sternal dehiscence. Our investigation comprised 100 patients with a body mass index above 32.

Bispectral index in patients with target-controlled or manually-controlled infusion of propofol.

Unlabelled: In this prospective, randomized study we compared bispectral index (BIS), hemodynamics, time to extubation, and the costs of target-controlled infusion (TCI) and manually-controlled infusion (MCI) of propofol. Forty patients undergoing first-time implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator were included. Anesthesia was performed with remifentanil (0.

Retracted: Considerations in patients undergoing implantation of a biventricular pacemaker.

Objective: To compare hemodynamics and oxygenation in patients with congestive heart failure and broad QRS complexes before and with biventricular DDD pacing and to report experience with this new procedure.

Design: Prospective, observational study.

Setting: Major university-affiliated community hospital.