BACKGROUND Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has been an alternative to conventional aortic valve replacement (AVR) in old and high risk patients. The goal of this study is to compare the early outcomes of conventional AVR vs. TAVI in high risk severe AS patients. METHODS From January 2008 to July 2012, 44 high risk severe aortic stenosis patients underwent conventional AVR, and ...

working with flax and the flax rust fungus, defined plant–pathogen interactions genetically, producing the gene-for-gene hypothesis1. This classic concept is based on the observation that disease resistance in plants commonly requires two complementary genes: an avirulence (Avr) gene in the pathogen and a matching, resistance (R) gene in the host. The biochemical interpretation of this hypothes...

BACKGROUND The continuous suture (CS) technique has several advantages as a method for simple, fast, and secure aortic valve replacement (AVR). We used a simple CS technique without the use of a pledget for AVR and evaluated the surgical outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between October 2007 and 2012, 123 patients with aortic valve disease underwent AVR alone (n=28) or with other concomitant ca...

PURPOSE To explore the association between axial length and retinal vascular network geometry (arteriovenous diameter ratio [AVR], arteriolar branching angles, and junctional exponents). DESIGN Prospective, cross-sectional study. METHODS Patients were recruited from a pseudophakic population that had preexisting axial length measurements. Mean arterial blood pressure and previous medical hi...

Aortic stenosis is the most common valvular heart disease in the Western world. It is caused primarily by age-related degeneration and progressive calcification typically detected in patients 65 years and older. In patients presenting with symptoms of heart failure, the average survival rate is only 2 years without appropriate treatment. Approximately one half of all patients die within the fir...

BACKGROUND Lead aVR is a neglected, however, potentially useful tool in electrocardiography. Our aim was to evaluate its value in clinical practice, by reviewing existing literature regarding its utility for identifying the culprit lesion in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS Based on a systematic search strategy, 16 studies were assessed with the intent to pool data; diagnostic test ...

The pathway oxoaverantin (OAVN) --> averufin (AVR) --> hydroxyversicolorone (HVN) --> versiconal hemiacetal acetate (VHA) is involved in aflatoxin biosynthesis, and the cypX and moxY genes, which are present in the aflatoxin gene cluster, have been previously suggested to be involved in this pathway. To clarify the function of these two genes in more detail, we disrupted the genes in aflatoxige...

BACKGROUND Patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) have been frequently complicated with ascending aortic dilation possibly because of hemodynamic burdens by aortic stenosis (AS) or regurgitation (AR) or congenital fragility of the aortic wall. METHODS AND RESULTS To clarify if the aortic dilation could be prevented by aortic valve replacement (AVR) in BAV patients, we studied 13 BAV (8 AR ...

OBJECTIVES We sought to develop national benchmarks for valve replacement surgery by developing statistical risk models of operative mortality. BACKGROUND National risk models for coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) have gained widespread acceptance, but there are no similar models for valve replacement surgery. METHODS The Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Cardiac Surgery Datab...

BACKGROUND The goal of this study was to compare the early and late outcomes of different techniques of proximal root reconstruction during the repair of acute Type A aortic dissection, including aortic valve (AV) resuspension, aortic valve replacement (AVR), and a root replacement procedure. METHODS All patients who underwent acute Type A aortic dissection repair between January 2000 and Oct...