Beyond the five-year horizon: long-term outcome of high-risk and inoperable patients undergoing TAVR with first-generation devices.

Aims: We sought to determine the long-term outcome of high-risk patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with first-generation devices with a focus on the identification of predictors for mortality and valve durability.

Methods And Results: Consecutive patients in our prospective single-centre registry undergoing TAVR with first-generation devices (n=214 CoreValve; n=86 SAPIEN) between 06/2007 and 07/2009 were retrospectively analysed (n=300, mean age 81.43±6.

Impact of transcatheter aortic valve implantation on surgical aortic valve.

Introduction And Objectives: TAVR is thought to change the volumes, characteristics, and outcomes of patients with aortic stenosis undergoing SAVR. We sought to investigate the impact of increasing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) volumes on surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) volumes and to assess the evolution in baseline demographics and its impact on 30-day clinical outcomes across TAVR and SAVR patients.

Methods: From June 2007 through September 2015, 3543 consecutive patients with severe aortic stenosis who underwent TAVR (n=1407) or SAVR (n=2136) in a single center were subcategorized into nine cohorts defined by procedure year.

Redo aortic valve surgery versus transcatheter valve-in-valve implantation for failing surgical bioprosthetic valves: consecutive patients in a single-center setting.

Background: Due to a considerable rise in bioprosthetic as opposed to mechanical valve implantations, an increase of patients presenting with failing bioprosthetic surgical valves in need of a reoperation is to be expected. Redo surgery may pose a high-risk procedure. Transcatheter aortic valve-in-valve implantation is an innovative, less-invasive treatment alternative for these patients.

Refractive outcomes of an advanced aspherically optimized profile for myopia corrections by LASIK: a retrospective comparison with the standard aspherically optimized profile.

Purpose: A retrospective comparison of refractive outcomes of a new, aspherically optimized profile with an enhanced energy correction feature (Triple-A) and the conventionally used aspherically optimized profile (ASA, or aberration smart ablation) for correction of low-to-high myopia.

Setting: Augen-OP-Centrum, Cologne, Germany.

Design: Retrospective nonrandomized comparative study.

Propensity score analysis of outcomes following minimal access versus conventional aortic valve replacement.

Objectives: Minimal access aortic valve replacement has become routine in many institutions. Aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes between conventional and minimal access aortic valve replacement.

Methods: We retrospectively analysed the data of 2103 patients who underwent primary, isolated aortic valve replacement (AVR) in our institution between January 2001 and May 2012 with a minimal access AVR (MAAVR) via the upper partial ministernotomy approach (n = 936) or conventional AVR (CAVR) via the full sternotomy approach (n = 1167).

Comparison of clinical outcomes in PRK with a standard and aspherical optimized profile: a full case analysis of 100 eyes with 1-year follow-up.

Purpose: One hundred eyes from 55 adult patients with myopia were retrospectively studied to determine the comparative safety, efficacy, and predictability of aberration smart ablation (ASA) and a new advanced ablation algorithm (Triple-A) using the MEL(®) 80 excimer laser.

Methods: Fifty myopic eyes with a manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE) between -1.0 diopters (D) and -9.

Sex-related differences in 2197 patients undergoing isolated surgical aortic valve replacement.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate gender-related differences in clinical presentation and mortality in patients undergoing isolated surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR).

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients undergoing isolated SAVR from 2000 to 2011 in our center. Patient data were compared with regard to gender including baseline characteristics, 30-day, and late mortality.

Health-related quality of life and functional outcome in cardiac surgical patients aged 80 years and older: a prospective single center study.

Background: An increasing number of octogenarians are referred for cardiac surgical procedures. In this subset of patients, information on the health-related quality of life (HrQoL) is critical for decision making. However, there is a paucity of prospective data.

Evaluation of the Aristotle complexity models in adult patients with congenital heart disease.

Objectives: The adult congenital heart disease (CHD) population has surpassed the paediatric CHD population. Half of all mortality caused by CHD occurs in adulthood; in some patients, it occurs during surgery. We sought to assess the potential risk factors for adverse outcome after cardiac operations in adults with CHD, and to evaluate the predictive power of the Aristotle score models for hospital mortality.

Role of metalloproteinases and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases during cardiopulmonary bypass in rats.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and the tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMPs) regulate matrix remodeling in the heart. Changes in synthesis and release of MMPs and TIMPs are observed after extracorporeal circulation (ECC). Thus, MMPs and TIMPs are supposed to be involved in ECC-mediated cardiac dysfunction.

Twenty years of cardiac surgery in patients aged 80 years and older: risks and benefits.

Background: Patients aged 80 years and older who require cardiac surgical procedures are an increasing population and usually present with considerable comorbidity. Detailed operative risk stratification versus long-term survival and quality of life after surgery is mandatory.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 1,003 patients aged 82.

Early timing of surgical intervention in patients with Ebstein's anomaly predicts superior long-term outcome.

Objective: Various surgical valve repair and replacement techniques have been developed over the past decades for patients with Ebstein's anomaly. Determination of the appropriate moment for surgery, however, has not been elucidated clearly enough.

Methods: From 1976 to 2007, 130 patients (mean age 23.

Cardiac reoperation in patients aged 80 years and older.

Background: The benefit of cardiac surgery in octogenarians is well described. Today, nearly every second patient who undergoes cardiac surgery is older than 70 years. The time between primary cardiac surgery and reoperation is 7 to 13 years.

Patency rates of endoscopically harvested radial arteries one year after coronary artery bypass grafting.

Objectives: To improve patients' acceptance of the radial artery as a graft for coronary revascularization, we introduced an endoscopic harvesting technique. The aim of this study was to assess graft quality 1 year after the operation.

Methods: In 50 patients who underwent endoscopic radial artery harvesting for coronary artery bypass grafting, 64-slice computed tomography, electrocardiography, and echocardiography were utilized to assess graft patency and left ventricle function at a 1-year follow-up.

Impact of patient-prosthesis mismatch on exercise capacity in patients after bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement.

Objective: It is presumed that patient-prosthesis mismatch (PPM) influences morbidity and mortality after aortic valve replacement (AVR). The aim of our study was to determine the impact of PPM on physical capacity.

Methods: Six months after AVR with a bioprosthesis, stress echocardiography was performed on a bicycle ergometer in 312 patients.

Factor V Leiden does not affect bleeding in aprotinin recipients after cardiopulmonary bypass.

Background: Carriers of the factor V Leiden mutation (FVL) are resistant to activated protein C proteolysis. Therefore, they are at increased risk of thromboembolic events. Aprotinin is an unspecific proteinase inhibitor frequently used during cardiac surgery procedures to reduce bleeding.

Timing of repair in ventricular septal defect with aortic insufficiency.

Objective: Trusler's valvuloplasty technique and its modifications are the standard approach for the repair of aortic insufficiency in combination with ventricular septal defect. However, recurrent aortic insufficiency may occur after repair. The timing of surgical intervention in patients with ventricular septal defect and aortic insufficiency is still controversial.

Early graft failure of small-sized porcine valved conduits in reconstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract.

Background: The quest for an alternative to homografts for reconstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract is ongoing. The Shelhigh No-React (NR-4000PA series) treated porcine pulmonic valve conduit (SPVC) was developed as a potential alternative.

Methods: During a 12-month period from May 2004 to May 2005, the SPVC was implanted in 34 patients, of whom 62% were younger than 1 year.

A new night vision disturbances parameter and contrast sensitivity as indicators of success in wavefront-guided enhancement.

Purpose: To determine the level of success of wavefront-guided repair of night vision disturbances after conventional (Munnerlyn) myopic LASIK using a new parameter to describe higher order aberrations, and to compare the improvements to matched myopic LASIK controls who were symptom-free.

Methods: We developed a single parameter metric to represent raw spherical aberration (RAWS) to functionally describe the cumulative spherical aberration for an eye over a range of physiological pupil sizes. To derive the RAWS parameter, spherical aberration is plotted over pupil analysis zones from 3000 to 6000 microm.

Absent long-term benefit of patch versus linear reconstruction in left ventricular aneurysm surgery.

Background: Endoventricular patch reconstruction of the left ventricle is considered the gold standard in surgery for left ventricular aneurysms, because of improved preservation of ventricular geometry. However, the superiority over conventional linear closure has not been demonstrated, as assessed by the long-term outcome.

Methods: Two hundred patients (66%) underwent linear closure (group L) and 105 patients (34%) had endoventricular patch reconstruction (group D) using the Dor technique.

Assessing the benefit of biological valve prostheses: cumulative incidence (actual) vs. Kaplan-Meier (actuarial) analysis.

Objective: The standard method of analysing structural valve degeneration (SVD) of biological prostheses is the Kaplan-Meier method. In order to assess SVD with regard to competing risks (e.g.