Comparison of acoustic densitometry and dobutamine echocardiography for an assessment of myocardial viability.

Aim: The aim of this study has been to compare acoustic densitometry and dobutamine echocardiography for an assessment of myocardial viability.

Methods And Results: Thirty-four patients with coronary artery disease and dysfunctional myocardial segments, who were referred for myocardial revascularization, underwent a viability assessment using low-dose dobutamine echocardiography and acoustic densitometry. Results of the two techniques were compared to follow-up resting echocardiography.

What is a "normal" right ventricle?

Aims: The aim of this project was to define normal values of right ventricular (RV) volumes and ejection fraction (EF) in healthy population using 2D echocardiography.

Methods And Results: The "patient" group comprised 91 healthy volunteers aged 17-62 years. RV volumetry was based on ellipsoidal shell model method.

Modality of brain death and serum troponin T levels in donors and their heart transplant recipients.

Cardiac troponin T levels and inotropic requirements were assessed in the sera of 39 heart donors immediately before heart harvesting and, in their recipients, during the first two days after transplantation. In the donors who died of cranial trauma (n=21), serum troponin T levels as well as inotropic support were lower (P<0.05 and P<0.

Echocardiographic volumetry of the right ventricle.

Aims: The aim of our study was to define the optimal geometric model for two-dimensional volumetry of the right ventricle and its clinical validation.

Methods And Results: It has been shown in previous reports that an ellipsoidal shell model best reflects the complex right ventricular geometry. We investigated 82 patients without tricuspid regurgitation and intracardiac shunt.

Occurrence, diagnosis and treatment of thromboses of heart valve prostheses.

In the period from 1978 to 1985, the authors implanted a total of 667 Björk-Shiley heart valve prostheses. In the same period, they performed 6 times reoperation for thrombosis of these valves. There was one reoperation for thrombosis per 271 years of life with a valve prosthesis, i.

Congenital heart disease in the adult.

On the basis of literary data and of their own series of 264 adult patients, who were in 1978-1982 subjected to invasive haemodynamic examination for congenital heart disease, 162 patients operated on, and 128 patients followed up for long-term periods after surgical treatment of congenital heart disease in adult age, the authors analyse the causes of late recognition of the disease, operative complications and long-term operative results. It is pointed out that a haemodynamically serious congenital heart disease is indicated for surgical correction even in adult age, and that age itself does not represent a limitation to cardiosurgical intervention. In adult age, it is necessary to anticipate a greater number of complications and a more severe post-operative course, but the long-term results are very good.