Transcatheter closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defects with Amplatzer® duct occluder I; The first case report in Japan.

We report the first case of transcatheter perimembranous ventricular septal defect (pmVSD) closure in Japan where none of existing devices for VSD closure has been approved. The pmVSD was successfully closed with first generation Amplatzer® duct occluder (ADO-I; St Jude Medical, St Paul, MN, USA). The procedure was performed under general anesthesia with transesophageal echocardiographic and fluoroscopic guidance.

Static balloon atrial septostomy for the purpose of left heart intervention in postoperative adult CHD.

Unlabelled: Background and purposeStatic balloon atrial septostomy is a widely accepted intervention for children with CHD. Successful surgical palliation is creating increasing numbers of adult CHD patients who need subsequent left heart intervention requiring transseptal access. In these patients, the interatrial septum is usually thick and fibrotic because of a previous open heart surgery or catheter intervention, and conventional transseptal puncture may be unsuccessful.

Stent unzipping using an ultra-high-pressure balloon: in vitro and animal experiments.

As a child grows, limitations to the maximum dilatable stent diameter (MDD) will result in stenosis associated with size mismatch. If an implanted stent can be intentionally fractured along its length, a process called "unzipping," it may eventually be redilated to adult vessel size. Few studies have addressed how a stent can be unzipped using an ultra-high-pressure balloon (UHB) with the smallest balloon diameter.

Novel curved balloon catheter for dilating postoperative angled lesions associated with congenital heart disease.

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the surface stress generated by a novel curved balloon and assess its efficacy for treating angular lesions associated with congenital heart disease.

Background: Obstructions at the anastomosis of aortopulmonary shunts and cavopulmonary connections may occur postoperatively. Catheter interventions are often performed for such lesions; however, acute angulation may cause balloon slippage or inappropriate stress on the vessel wall.

Pharmacological characteristics and clinical applications of K201.

K201 is a 1,4-benzothiazepine derivative that is a promising new drug with a strong cardioprotective effect. We initially discovered K201 as an effective suppressant of sudden cardiac cell death due to calcium overload. K201 is a non-specific blocker of sodium, potassium and calcium channels, and its cardioprotective effect is more marked than those of nicorandil, prazosine, propranolol, verapamil and diltiazem.

Risk of heart failure due to a combination of mild mitral regurgitation and impaired distensibility of the left ventricle in patients with old myocardial infarction.

Background: Ischemic mitral regurgitation (MR) is a serious complication after myocardial infarction, and the incidence of heart failure (HF) increases as the severity of MR increases. However, little is known about the relationship between mild MR and HF in the patients with old myocardial infarction (OMI) and a normal ejection fraction (EF).

Hypothesis: We hypothesized that a combination of mild MR and impaired distensibility of the left ventricle may increase the risk of diastolic HF in the patients with OMI and a normal EF.

K201, a multi-channel blocker, inhibits clofilium-induced torsades de pointes and attenuates an increase in repolarization.

K201 (JTV519) is a 1,4-benzothiazepine derivative that exhibits a strong cardioprotective action and acts as a multiple-channel blocker, including as a K+ channel blocker. An experimental model of prolongation of the QT interval and torsades de pointes can be induced in rabbits by treatment with clofilium in the presence of the alpha1-adrenoreceptor agonist methoxamine. In this study we examined the effects of K201 with and without methoxamine on the QT and QTc intervals, and determined whether K201 inhibits clofilium-induced torsades de pointes in the presence of methoxamine (15 microg/kg/min) in rabbits (n=74).