The local geometry of the aortic valve plays an important role in its performance. In the past, different factors influencing aortic valve configuration have been the focus of many studies. The coaptation area and effective height (hE) of the cusps have been identified as important parameters in determining the immediate and long-term functioning of repaired aortic valves [1-3]. Aortic aneurysm...

With single-beat analysis, the new concept of systolic myocardial stiffness is applied to provide a new approach for the assessment of myocardial contractility in aortic and mitral valve disease. Seventy patients underwent diagnostic right and left heart catheterization. Twenty-six patients had aortic stenosis, 18 had aortic insufficiency, and 26 had mitral regurgitation. Patients with aortic s...

Thirty-five patients with clinical evidence of aortic insufficiency were studied by echocardiography. Eleven patients had characteristic diastolic fluttering of the mitral valve (30 to 40 Hz, maximal amplitude 4 mm). In five others the fluttering was classified as equivocal. In a control group of 500 echocardiograms in patients without evidence of aortic insufficiency, there were three examples...

Conventional aortic valve replacement for severe aortic stenosis is associated with a high operative mortality in the elderly patients with significant comorbidities, including severe respiratory dysfunction, renal insufficiency, and compromised cardiac function. Human transcatheter aortic valve implantation was first reported in 2002 and has become a valid alternative in selected high-risk pat...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to investigate whether rats dosed with serotonin develop changes similar to those seen in human carcinoid heart disease. METHODS AND RESULTS Ten Sprague-Dawley rats were given serotonin injections subcutaneously once daily for 3 months; controls were given saline. A long-lasting hyperserotoninemia with a >10-fold increase in both platelet-poor plasma a...

a new approach for the assessment of myocardial contractility in aortic and mitral valve disease. Seventy patients underwent diagnostic right and left heart catheterization. Twenty-six patients had aortic stenosis, 18 had aortic insufficiency, and 26 had mitral regurgitation. Patients with aortic stenosis were divided into two groups on the basis of left ventricular mass index<172 g/m2 (AS1) an...

BACKGROUND Aortic valve insufficiency (AI) at the time of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) insertion needs to be corrected, however there is little known about how to manage bioprosthetic valvular AI. CASE PRESENTATION A 55-year-old female with dilated cardiomyopathy who previously had a bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement needed a LVAD as a bridge to transplant. Her left ventricular ...

The patient is a 75-year-old man with a history significant for hypertension and congestive heart failure who underwent a bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement secondary to acute onset of aortic insufficiency. Cultures of the native valve were positive for Staphylococcus epidermidis sensitive to nafcillin and intravenous cefazolin was initiated. On postoperative day 24, he developed acute deco...

INTRODUCTION Due to late complications associated with the use of conventional prosthetic heart valves, several centers have advocated aortic valve repair and/or valve sparing aortic root replacement for patients with aortic valve insufficiency, in order to enhance late survival and minimize adverse postoperative events. METHODS From March/2012 thru March 2015, 37 patients consecutively under...

Major surgery in a patient with pancytopenia might be associated with increased surgical risks, especially for bleeding and infection. A 66-yr-old man was admitted to the hospital due to shortness of breath. His dyspnea was classified by the New York Heart Association (NYHA) as functional class III. Prior to admission, he had a 5-yr history of medical management for idiopathic aplastic anemia. ...