We propose a new framework for simulating blood flow inside the heart, usable with geometric models of the heart from patientspecific data. The method is geared toward realistic simulation of blood flow, taking into account not only heart wall motion but also valve motion. The simulator uses finite differences to discretize a domain that includes a functional model of the left ventricle and the...

BACKGROUND Tissue engineering is a new approach, whereby techniques are being developed to transplant autologous cells onto biodegradable scaffolds to ultimately form new functional tissue in vitro and in vivo. Our laboratory has focused on the tissue engineering of heart valves, and we have fabricated a trileaflet heart valve scaffold from a biodegradable polymer, a polyhydroxyalkanoate. In th...

patients with valvular heart disease and suffering atrial fibrillation of more than 12 months duration have a low probability of remaining in sinus rhythm after valve surgery alone. we performed intra-operative radiofrequency ablation or cryoablation as an alternative to surgical maze ііі procedure to create linear lesion lines for conversion of this arrhythmia to sinus rhythm. a total of 30 pa...

Computational modeling is an excellent tool with which to investigate the mechanics of the aortic heart valve. The setting of the heart valve presents complex dynamics and mechanical behavior in which solid structures interact with a fluid domain. There currently exists no standard approach, a variety of strategies have been used to address the different aspects of modeling the heart valve. Dif...

The objective was to evaluate the importance of preoperative elimination of oral infections and oral health for survival after heart valve surgery In a group of patients (n=149; treatment group, GP group), oral health was examined and dental treatment was performed 3-6 months prior to heart valve surgery. In a second group (n=103; control group, SP group), oral health was examined postoperative...

A vast unmet need exists for tricuspid valve (TV) repair for functional tricuspid regurgitation (FTR) among patients undergoing left heart valve surgery. The FTR is a dynamic entity that is governed by several pathophysiologic mechanisms like TV annular dilatation, annular shape, pulmonary hypertension, left or right ventricle dysfunction, right ventricle geometry, and leaflet tethering. Treatm...

BACKGROUND Heart valve disease is a significant and increasing global problem in the developing world. The aim of this study is to evaluate the incidence of postoperative complications and mortality in patients who underwent heart valve replacement. METHODS In this prospective study, 320 adult cases (186 females and 134 males, mean age of: 45.7 ± 15.0) with valvular heart diseases who underwe...

Certain subsets of high-risk mitral valve patients are not suitable candidates for transcatheter therapies. The objective of this report is to present a young patient with combined mitral valve and coronary artery disease to illustrate these challenges.In this report, we present a 47-year-old man with longstanding HIV infection who was referred with severe mitral regurgitation (MR) and profound...

There is increasing evidence for activation of developmental transcriptional regulatory pathways in heart valve disease. Here, we review molecular regulatory mechanisms involved in heart valve progenitor development, leaflet morphogenesis, and extracellular matrix organization that also are active in diseased aortic valves. These include regulators of endothelial-to-mesenchymal transitions, suc...

OBJECTIVE To analyze the success rates and prognosis of heart valvuloplasty and valve replacement for elderly patients, and to provide clinical evidence. METHODS A total of 1240 patients who received heart valve surgeries in our hospital from June 2004 to October 2014 were selected and retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into two groups based on age (60), and those older than 60 (Grou...