Catheter-based examination for pulmonary microcirculatory function in patients with pulmonary hypertension.

A device that can evaluate human pulmonary microcirculation is currently unavailable. This study aimed to establish a novel approach for assessing pulmonary microcirculation in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). We used a guidewire embedded with temperature and pressure sensors to measure the following pulmonary microcirculatory function indicators: pulmonary flow reserve, pulmonary index of microcirculatory resistance (PIMR), and pulmonary resistive reserve ratio.

Risk Assessment of Permanent Pacemaker Implantation After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in Patients With Preexisting Right Bundle Branch Block.

Preexisting right bundle branch block (RBBB) is the strongest predictor for permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). However, the risk assessment for new PPI and effective procedural strategy for preventing new PPI in patients with preexisting RBBB are still unclear. This study stratified the new PPI risk after TAVI and investigated the impact of implantation strategy in a preexisting RBBB cohort.

Flow Grade-Based Success Rates, Complication Rates, and Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty Patency for Total Occlusions.

Background: The number of successfully recanalized total occlusions affects hemodynamic improvement after balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). We aimed to clarify the current efficacy, patency, and success rate of BPA for total occlusions.

Methods: Between April 2016 and August 2021, 178 BPAs were performed in 100 patients with CTEPH and total occlusions.

Long-Term Assessment of Survival After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation - Insights From the International Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Registry.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an established treatment for severe aortic stenosis (AS), but despite estimates of life expectancy after TAVI being essential in heart team discussion, these data are scarce. Therefore, the current study sought to assess long-term survival and its trends in relation to chronological age, surgical risk, and treatment period.

Methods and results: We included 2,414 consecutive patients who underwent TAVI for severe symptomatic AS between 2008 and 2021 at 2 international centers.

Conduction Disturbance After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation With Self- or Balloon-Expandable Valve According to the Implantation Depth.

Membranous septum (MS) length, in conjunction with implantation depth (ID), is known as a determinant of conduction disturbance (CD) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). However, its impact might be dissimilar among valve types because each valve has a different platform. This study sought to investigate the different impacts of ID and MS length on the new-onset CD between ACURATE neo and SAPIEN 3.

Differential prediction of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin-I, but not N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, in different pitavastatin doses on cardiovascular events in stable coronary artery disease.

Background: This study aimed to examine whether high-sensitivity cardiac troponin-I (hsTnI) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) could predict future major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in stable coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with high- or low-dose of pitavastatin.

Methods: This was a case-cohort analysis of the REAL-CAD study, a randomized trial of high- or low-dose (4 or 1 mg/day) pitavastatin therapy in patients with stable CAD. We examined the MACE risk according to the quartile of hsTnI and NT-proBNP at baseline.

Transseptal snaring technique as a bailout from valvuloplasty balloon entrapment within a self-expanding valve: a case report.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become the dominant treatment strategy for severe aortic stenosis in patients with high and intermediate surgical risk. Although complications are significant cause of increasing mortality after TAVR and bailout techniques have been well established, we still encounter a rare complication without widely accepted bailout option. We present a rare complication of valvuloplasty balloon entrapment to a self-expanding valve strut with successful bailout.

A rare case of multiple port site incisional hernias repaired by laparoscopy-assisted intraperitoneal onlay mesh: A case report.

Introduction: Port site herniation is a frequent complication of abdominal surgery, yet treatment strategies for multiple port site hernias are often difficult and case reports are rare.

Presentation Of Case: A 72-year-old woman, with a history of multiple abdominal surgeries, underwent laparoscopic surgery for rectal prolapse four years prior. Three 12 mm ports were inserted into the umbilical region, right upper quadrant and right lower abdomen, subsequently, incisional hernias developed at all three sites.

Surgical strategies for localized colorectal amyloidosis.

Background: Localized colorectal amyloidosis has a good prognosis, but cases involving bleeding or perforation may require surgery. However, there are few case reports discussing the differences in the surgical strategy between the segmental and pan-colon types.

Case Presentation: A 69-year-old woman with a history of abdominal pain and melena was diagnosed with amyloidosis localized in the sigmoid colon by colonoscopy.

Compression Stockings Improve Lower Legs Symptom in Patients with Pulmonary Artery Hypertension Treated by Pulmonary Vasodilators-A Pilot Study.

Pulmonary vasodilators have improved pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) symptoms and prognosis; however, the drugs cause some side effects, including lower legs pain, which impair quality of life (QOL). The present study examined if compression stockings improved lower extremity symptoms and QOL caused by pulmonary vasodilators in PAH patients. We retrospectively enrolled consecutively ten patients with PAH treated by pulmonary vasodilators, who were regularly followed in Kurume University Hospital from January 2022 to June 2022.

Medium-term outcome of transcatheter aortic valve replacement in mucopolysaccharidosis type I-HS (Hurler-Scheie syndrome).

Unlabelled: Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPSs) are inherited metabolic diseases characterized by the deficiency of lysosomal enzymes and the accumulation of glycosaminoglycans in various organs, including the heart. In particular, aortic valve disease causes high morbidity and mortality rates, and sometimes requires surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) at a young age. Although transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for severe aortic stenosis (AS) in surgical high-risk patients is a well-established treatment, there are few reports of TAVR in MPS and medium- and long-term outcomes are not known.

Effects of olmesartan and amlodipine on blood pressure, endothelial function, and vascular inflammation.

Background: Anti-hypertensive drugs can improve vascular endothelial function. However, the mechanism remains to be elucidated.

Objectives: This study sought to investigate mechanisms of anti-hypertensive drugs on improvement of vascular endothelial function in patients with essential hypertension.

Gastric volvulus associated with shrinkage of a gastrointestinal stromal tumor by neoadjuvant imatinib: a case report.

Background: During neoadjuvant chemotherapy for giant gastrointestinal stromal tumors, changes in gastrointestinal stromal tumor size are rarely associated with events such as perforation and bleeding that require emergency surgery. Moreover, it is very rare for gastrointestinal stromal tumors to shrink and become mobile, resulting in gastric volvulus. Herein, we report a case of gastrointestinal stromal tumor shrinkage during neoadjuvant imatinib treatment, resulting in gastric volvulus that required surgery.

Impact of Mild Paravalvular Regurgitation on Long-Term Clinical Outcomes After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

The impact of mild paravalvular regurgitation (PVR) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) remains controversial. We evaluated the impact of mild PVR after TAVI on long-term clinical outcomes. We included patients who underwent TAVI for severe symptomatic aortic stenosis between December 2008 and June 2019 at 2 international centers and compared all-cause death between the group with mild PVR (group 1) and the group with none or trace PVR (group 2).

Trends in the Prevalence of Cancer in Cardiovascular Diseases: A Single Center Retrospective Study, 2011-2018.

Background: Recent progress of cancer therapy has increased the number of cancer survivors, in whom cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have become a big concern. This study aimed to clarify the prevalence of various types of CVDs in cancer patients, using the database of the Cardiovascular Medicine in Kurume University Hospital.

Methods And Results: This retrospective cohort study enrolled 11,093 hospitalized patients in Cardiovascular Medicine, Kurume University Hospital from April 2011 to March 2019.