OBJECTIVE Acquired tracheal stenosis (ATS) is an unusual disease often secondary to prolonged mechanical trauma. Acquired tracheal stenosis pathogenesis involves inflammation and subsequent fibrosis with narrowing of the tracheal lumen. Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β) represents a pivotal factor in most fibrotic processes, and therefore a potential target in this context. The aim of this ...

Of 88 consecutive patients aged 20 to 77 years with severe symptomatic aortic valve disease requiring surgery, 51 patients had angina pectoris; of these 51, 41 had predominant aortic stenosis and 10 had severe aortic regurgitation. All patients with angina pectoris underwent coronary angiography; significant coronary arterial disease was encounted in 24 per cent of those with aortic stenosis an...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of varying hemodynamic conditions on fractional flow reserve (ratio of pressure distal [Pd] and proximal [Pa] to stenosis under hyperemia) in an in vitro setting. Failure to achieve maximal hyperemia and the choice of hyperemic agents may have differential effects on coronary hemodynamics and, consequently, on the determination of f...

Calcific aortic stenosis is a progressive disease with no effective medical therapy that ultimately requires aortic valve replacement (AVR) for severe valve obstruction. Echocardiography is the primary diagnostic approach to define valve anatomy, measure aortic stenosis severity, and evaluate the left ventricular response to chronic pressure overload. In asymptomatic patients, markers of diseas...

OBJECTIVES 1-Recognize difficulties and review techniques in long-segment laryngotracheal stenosis repair. 2-Contribute to increasing clinical and surgical skills in pediatric airway reconstruction through reporting our experience with a novel reconstruction technique involving use of a failed anterior graft and prolonged postoperative stenting. METHODS CASE REPORT 10 year old male with hi...

OBJECTIVES To determine the effect of graft placement and orientation on flow rates through a partially obstructed coronary artery. METHODS A numerical, parametric study of blood flow in the human coronary artery was conducted using computational fluid dynamics simulation. A cylindrical approximation of the coronary artery with varying degrees of stenosis, with and without a bypass graft, was...

Anatomical and electrophysiological evidence indicates that the kidneys contain both mechano- and chemoreceptor nerve endings. We conducted the present study to determine whether conditions of reduced renal blood flow elicit cardiovascular alterations that are dependent on afferent renal nerves. Removal of the renin-angiotensin system with the angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitor, captopri...

BACKGROUND Ventricle-to-coronary artery bypass (VCAB) is an experimental revascularization procedure that provides predominantly systolic instead of diastolic blood flow to a coronary artery. METHODS AND RESULTS In a pig model, a stent-based procedure (VSTENT) was developed to create a VCAB. After thoracotomy, a covered VSTENT was implanted between the left ventricle and the left anterior des...