German Registry for Cardiac Operations and Interventions in Patients with Congenital Heart Disease: Report 2020-Comprehensive Data from 6 Years of Experience.

Background: Based on a quality assurance initiative of the German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (DGTHG) and the German Society for Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Defects (DGPK), a voluntary registry was founded for assessment of treatment and outcomes of patients with congenital heart disease in Germany. This evaluation by the German Registry for cardiac operations and interventions in patients with congenital heart disease reports the data and the outcome over a 6-year period in patients undergoing invasive treatment.

Methods: This real-world database collects clinical characteristics, in-hospital complications, and medium-term outcome of patients who underwent cardiac surgical and interventional procedures within the prospective, all-comers registry.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) during spaceflight - a guideline for CPR in microgravity from the German Society of Aerospace Medicine (DGLRM) and the European Society of Aerospace Medicine Space Medicine Group (ESAM-SMG).

Background: With the "Artemis"-mission mankind will return to the Moon by 2024. Prolonged periods in space will not only present physical and psychological challenges to the astronauts, but also pose risks concerning the medical treatment capabilities of the crew. So far, no guideline exists for the treatment of severe medical emergencies in microgravity.

Intermediate outcomes of transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement with the Edwards Sapien 3 valve - German experience.

: After encouraging results with the Edwards Sapien and XT valves, this study aimed to review procedural data and early outcomes for the Sapien 3 valves for transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement (TPVR). : We performed a multicenter, retrospective analysis of cases who underwent a Sapien 3 TPVR between 2015 and 2017 in 7 centers in Germany with a follow-up of up to 2 years. : 56 patients could be enrolled (weight 58,5 ± 25,0 kg; 53% Tetralogy of Fallot, 45% native RVOT).

Valve-sparing aortic root and aortic arch replacement in a 5-year-old boy with Loeys-Dietz syndrome.

In this study, we describe the case of a 5-year-old boy who presumably presented with Loeys-Dietz syndrome. A huge aneurysm of the ascending aorta and the aortic arch extended beyond the left subclavian artery and was accompanied by a slight narrowing of the aortic isthmus.

Catheter ablation in ASymptomatic PEDiatric patients with ventricular preexcitation: results from the multicenter "CASPED" study.

Background: As there are limited data about the clinical practice of catheter ablation in asymptomatic children and adolescents with ventricular preexcitation on ECG, we performed the multicenter "CASPED" (Catheter ablation in ASymptomatic PEDiatric patients with Ventricular Preexcitation) study.

Methods And Results: In 182 consecutive children and adolescents aged between 8 and 18 years (mean age 12.9 ± 2.

Classification of Ventricular Septal Defects for the Eleventh Iteration of the International Classification of Diseases-Striving for Consensus: A Report From the International Society for Nomenclature of Paediatric and Congenital Heart Disease.

The definition and classification of ventricular septal defects have been fraught with controversy. The International Society for Nomenclature of Paediatric and Congenital Heart Disease is a group of international specialists in pediatric cardiology, cardiac surgery, cardiac morphology, and cardiac pathology that has met annually for the past 9 years in an effort to unify by consensus the divergent approaches to describe ventricular septal defects. These efforts have culminated in acceptance of the classification system by the World Health Organization into the 11th Iteration of the International Classification of Diseases.

Do surgical modifications at the annular level during the Ross procedure negatively influence the structural and functional durability of the autograft?

Objectives: Do surgical modifications at the annular level (e.g. the modified Ross-Konno procedure or reduction plasty) influence the structure and function of the Ross autograft at the mid-term follow-up?

Methods: From June 2001 to July 2009, 49 patients (37 men and 12 women), mean age 10.

Endoaneurysmorrhaphy for a Giant Inferobasal Left Ventricular Aneurysm Restoring Mitral Function.

Over the years, the surgery of ventricular postinfarction aneurysm has evolved from linear resection to endoaneurysmorrhaphy using a patch. Technically, several aims that include the restoration of ventricular shape and function, exclusion of dead space, minimization of the risk of thrombus formation and restoration of valve function are pursued. Herein is reported the case of a 58-year-old male with a giant inferobasal aneurysm involving the mitral valve apparatus who underwent successful endoaneurysmorrhaphy.

In-flight cardiac arrest and in-flight cardiopulmonary resuscitation during commercial air travel: consensus statement and supplementary treatment guideline from the German Society of Aerospace Medicine (DGLRM).

By the end of the year 2016, approximately 3 billion people worldwide travelled by commercial air transport. Between 1 out of 14,000 and 1 out of 50,000 passengers will experience acute medical problems/emergencies during a flight (i.e.

Nomenclature for congenital and paediatric cardiac disease: the International Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Code (IPCCC) and the Eleventh Iteration of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).

An internationally approved and globally used classification scheme for the diagnosis of CHD has long been sought. The International Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Code (IPCCC), which was produced and has been maintained by the International Society for Nomenclature of Paediatric and Congenital Heart Disease (the International Nomenclature Society), is used widely, but has spawned many "short list" versions that differ in content depending on the user. Thus, efforts to have a uniform identification of patients with CHD using a single up-to-date and coordinated nomenclature system continue to be thwarted, even if a common nomenclature has been used as a basis for composing various "short lists".

Radiofrequency Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Ebstein's Anomaly: A Two-Case Report.

Ebstein's anomaly (EA) is a rare congenital heart disease characterized by "atrialization" of the right ventricle, due to apical displacement of the tricuspid leaflets into the right ventricle. Patients with EA may develop all kinds of supraventricular arrhythmias requiring radiofrequency ablation. Atrial fibrillation (Afib) is a common arrhythmia in EA patients, and results in debilitating symptoms that often require surgical treatment.

The German Aortic Valve Score II.

Objectives: The German Aortic Valve Score (GAVS) was developed for national quality assurance regarding the in-hospital mortality rate of patients following isolated aortic valve replacement. The goal of this work was the recalibration of the GAVS in the context of increased numbers of transcatheter aortic valve implantations.

Methods: In 2011 and 2012, 36 183 cases were documented who had either surgical aortic valve replacement or transcatheter aortic valve implantation (45%).

Therapeutic Apheresis in Immunologic Renal and Neurological Diseases.

Since the mid 1970s, when membrane modules became available, plasma separation techniques have gained in importance especially in the past few years. The advantages of this method are a complete separation of the corpuscular components from the plasma and due to increased blood flow rate and higher efficacy. Systemic autoimmune diseases based on an immune pathogenesis produce autoantibodies and circulating immune complexes, which cause inflammation in the tissues of various organs.

Multicenter midterm follow-up results using the gore septal occluder for atrial septal defect closure in pediatric patients.

Objectives: To assess the safety and efficacy of the Gore Septal Occluder (GSO) used for device-closure of significant secundum-type atrial septal defects (ASD II) focusing on pediatric patients.

Background: The GSO is a patch-like double disc device. Due to its design, it is assumed to be safe, even when implanted in ASDs with deficient retro-aortic rims.

Therapeutic Apheresis in Hematologic, Autoimmune and Dermatologic Diseases With Immunologic Origin.

The process of curing a patient by removing his illness by extracting blood is a very old one. Many years ago, phlebotomy was practiced to cure illness. Now, this old process, placed on a rational basis with therapeutic apheresis (TA), is being followed in clinical practice.

German CABG score: a specific risk model for patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting.

Background: A specific risk model concerning mortality of patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is developed based on the national quality benchmarking mandatory by law in Germany.

Methods: On the basis of the national data pool from 2004, a risk score model for patients undergoing isolated CABG was developed and finally adjusted with the data of 43,145 patients of the year 2008. Modeling was performed by logistic regression analysis.

Complex atrial arrhythmias as first manifestation of catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia: an unusual course in a patient with a new mutation in ryanodine receptor type 2 gene.

Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia is a rare life-threatening arrhythmogenic disorder. An association with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and other atrial arrhythmias has been described, but in all published cases the initial manifestation of the disease was ventricular arrhythmia. This is the first report about a patient who presented with complex atrial tachycardia and sinus node dysfunction about 1 year before the typical ventricular arrhythmias were observed, leading to the diagnosis of catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia.

Prospective randomized study of the restenotic process in small coronary arteries using a Carbofilm coated stent in comparison with plain old balloon angioplasty: a multicenter study.

Background: The optimal interventional approach to treat lesions in small coronary arteries is still undetermined and controversial. This randomized, multicenter trial was designed to compare the 6-months restenosis and clinical event rates in two treatment groups: balloon angioplasty as a primary strategy and provisional stenting versus primary implantation of a carbon coated stent (Carbosten).

Results: At 6 months the angiographic restenosis rate was significantly lower for the stented patients (11.

Online detection of myocardial ischemia by near infrared spectroscopy with a fiberoptic catheter.

Background: The interruption of myocardial O2-supply in acute myocardial ischemia causes differences in coronary venous O2-content. In this study, the oxygenation status of coronary sinus blood is detected in myocardial ischemia by near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy.

Method: For the intravascular application, a new fiberoptic catheter is developed.

Cardiovascular operations in patients with dialysis-dependent renal failure.

Background: Cardiac operations in patients with end-stage renal disease carry a significantly increased perioperative risk, and long-term functional results and survival are still purely defined.

Methods: Therefore, we performed a retrospective analysis of 45 consecutive patients with dialysis-dependent renal failure who underwent either coronary artery bypass grafting (n = 30), valve replacement or combined procedures (n = 13), or pericardiotomy (n = 2). Mean age of the patients was 59+/-10 years.