Therapeutic hypothermia after global cerebral ischemia due to left ventricular assist device malfunction.

Herein we report the case of a patient who suffered from global cerebral ischemia due to pump stoppage of Jarvik2000 Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) for unknown reason and fatal ventricular arrhythmia at home. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was started by paramedics 6-7 min after the patient fell down. The patient was transferred to our hospital after the restoration of the LVAD function by exchanging external cables.

Effect of the Initial Strategy for Active Endocarditis Complicated With Acute Heart Failure.

Background: Early surgery for infective endocarditis (IE) with acute heart failure (AHF) is recommended, despite clinical results being unclear. We investigated the effect of initial treatment in such patients.

Methods and results: Outcomes for 470 patients with active IE who underwent valvular surgery during 2009-2016 were reviewed.

Anomalous Origin of Left Coronary Artery From Aortic Arch Associated With Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.

Anomalous origin of the coronary artery from the aortic arch associated with hypoplastic left heart syndrome is an extremely rare anomaly. Coronary anomalies can significantly deteriorate the clinical outcomes of hypoplastic left heart syndrome. We describe the case of a newborn with concomitant hypoplastic left heart syndrome and abnormal origin of the left coronary artery arising from the distal aortic arch.

Surgical treatment for endocardial radiofrequency ablation-resistant sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia with mural thrombus including dense calcification in the left ventricle.

Catheter ablation provides effective results for sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT), but the presence of mural thrombus including dense calcification occasionally causes unfavorable outcomes. The case of a 67-year-old man in whom sustained monomorphic VT, which was resistant to endocardial radiofrequency ablation, in the presence of mural thrombus including dense calcification after coronary artery bypass grafting was successfully treated by left ventricular reconstruction with cryoablation is reported.

Overview of the 81 Annual Scientific Meeting of the Japanese Circulation Society - Cardiovascular Medicine for the Next Generation.

The 81Annual Scientific Meeting of the Japanese Circulation Society was held in Kanazawa, Japan, on March 17-19, 2017 under a miraculously clear sky. The frontlines of healthcare and medicine are dramatically changing. Thus, "Cardiovascular Medicine for Next Generation" was chosen as the main theme of this meeting.

Does Treatment of Impaired Glucose Tolerance Improve Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Previous Myocardial Infarction?

Purpose: We evaluated the effects of an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, voglibose, on cardiovascular events in patients with a previous myocardial infarction (MI) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT).

Methods: This prospective, randomized, open, blinded-endpoint study was conducted in 112 hospitals and clinics in Japan in 3000 subjects with both previous MI and IGT receiving voglibose (0.6 mg/day, n = 424) or no drugs (n = 435) for 2 years.

Ischemic or Nonischemic Functional Mitral Regurgitation and Outcomes in Patients With Acute Decompensated Heart Failure With Preserved or Reduced Ejection Fraction.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of functional mitral regurgitation (FMR), preserved or reduced ejection fraction (EF), and ischemic or nonischemic origin with outcomes in patients discharged alive after hospitalization for acute decompensated heart failure (HF). Of the 4,842 patients enrolled in the Acute Decompensated Heart Failure Syndromes (ATTEND) registry, 3,357 patients were evaluated to assess the association of FMR, preserved or reduced EF, and ischemic or nonischemic origin with the primary end point (all-cause death and readmission for HF after discharge). At the time of discharge, FMR was assessed semiquantitatively (classified as none, mild, or moderate to severe) by color Doppler analysis of the regurgitant jet area.

Impact of combined lipid lowering and blood pressure control on coronary plaque: myocardial ischemia treated by percutaneous coronary intervention and plaque regression by lipid lowering and blood pressure controlling assessed by intravascular ultrasonography (MILLION) study.

The aim of the study was to elucidate the aggressive reduction of both low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and blood pressure (BP) reduced coronary atherosclerotic plaque volume compared with a standard treatment of LDL-C and BP in Japanese patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). This study is a prospective, randomized, and open-labelled with a blind-endpoint evaluation study. A total of 97 patients (81 men, mean age 62.

Short- and long-term results of radial artery and saphenous vein grafts in the right coronary system: a propensity-matched study.

Purpose: The selection of optimal grafts for the right coronary artery remains controversial. This study aims to evaluate the short- and long-term results of radial artery (RA) grafts and saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) to the right coronary artery.

Methods: We reviewed, retrospectively, isolated coronary artery bypass grafts, placed between 1997 and 2007, and compared the long-term results of patients who received RA (n = 110) grafts with those of patients who received SVGs (n = 264) using propensity-score matching for risk.

Congenital Absence of One Pulmonary Valve Cusp With Other Hypoplastic Cusps.

Congenital absence of a single pulmonary valve cusp is extremely rare. We report a case of a 38-year-old woman with a confirmed congenital absence of a single pulmonary valve cusp associated with dextrocardia. The other 2 leaflets were moderately hypoplastic, and transthoracic echocardiography showed severe pulmonary regurgitation.

Ruptured pancreaticoduodenal artery aneurysm associated with median arcuate ligament compression and aortic dissection successfully treated with embolotherapy.

A 51-year-old man with a ruptured pancreaticoduodenal artery (PDA) aneurysm caused by compression of the celiac artery by the median arcuate ligament and aortic dissection involving the celiac axis was transferred to our hospital for endovascular treatment. A 4-F catheter was advanced into the superior mesenteric artery through the narrow true lumen via the left brachial artery, and coil embolization of the aneurysm was successfully performed. In this case, rapid increase of blood flow in the superior mesenteric artery, which compensated for the decreased celiac blood flow by aortic dissection, increased hemodynamic stress on the PDA, leading to aneurysmal rupture.

Acute type A aortic dissection repair with mild-to-moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest and selective cerebral perfusion.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate surgical results of aortic repair with antegrade selective cerebral perfusion (ASCP) and mild-to-moderate hypothermia (MH) from 28 to 31°C comparing with previous series with hypothermia from 20°C to 27 °C.

Methods: Between 2000 and 2011, 109 consecutive patients underwent surgical repair for acute type A aortic dissection with circulatory arrest and ASCP and MH in our institution. Mean patient age was 67±11 years old.

Dilated left atrium as a predictor of late outcome after pulmonary vein isolation concomitant with aortic valve replacement and/or coronary artery bypass grafting†.

Objectives: Left atrial (LA) dimension can predict atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after catheter-based or surgical ablation. Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) may be a surgical option during aortic valve replacement (AVR) and/or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), though consensus regarding patient selection and late outcome is lacking.

Methods: We studied 160 patients (mean age 70 ± 9 years) with paroxysmal AF who underwent radiofrequency-based PVI during AVR and/or CABG, and were followed up postoperatively for at least 6 months.

Complications and surgical conversion after total aortic repair using endovascular repair in patients with Marfan syndrome.

We report a case of a Marfan syndrome patient who developed a complicated clinical course after total aortic repair using a hybrid technique. After hybrid total aortic repair, this patient was required to undergo open thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic repair due to impending rupture of the aorta. Moreover, the abdominal aortic graft was rereplaced due to debranching graft occlusion of the coeliac artery and the left renal artery.

Postoperative mitral leaflet rupture in an infant with Loeys-Dietz syndrome.

This report describes an infantile case of Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) with spontaneous mitral leaflet rupture. The patient was diagnosed with a type B interruption of the aortic arch. Bilateral pulmonary artery banding was performed 5 days after birth.

Impact of combined lipid lowering with blood pressure control on coronary plaque regression: rationale and design of MILLION study.

A line of epidemiological studies suggests that the accumulation of coronary risk factors promotes the progression of coronary atherosclerosis. Recent clinical studies showed that aggressive low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol-lowering therapy using statins could regress coronary atheroma and reduce major cardiovascular events. Additionally, therapy that controlled amlodipine-based blood pressure reduced major cardiovascular events in patients with hypertension compared with an atenolol-based regimen.

Mechanical valve evaluation with four-dimensional computed tomography.

Background And Aim Of The Study: Echocardiography or cinefluoroscopy are standard modalities for evaluating implanted mechanical valve prostheses. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the validity of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) with three-dimensional image reconstruction in a cine mode (four-dimensional (4D)-CT) for evaluating the functional and morphological findings of implanted mechanical valves.

Methods: A total of 37 patients who had received 45 implanted mechanical valves was studied using electrocardiogram-gated (16- or 256-row) MDCT.