BACKGROUND The optimal timing of cardiac operations in patients with infective endocarditis continues to be debated. This observational study analyzed the profile and outcome of patients with active infective endocarditis undergoing operations. METHODS Between June 2000 and June 2006, 95 surgically treated patients with definite infective endocarditis by the modified Duke criteria were includ...

Real-time 3D ultrasound (US) has become a promising new tool for guiding surgical procedures [1]. In particular, minimally invasive applications within a beating heart are now possible because of US's high tissue/blood contrast and a temporal resolution capable of capturing fast-moving cardiac structures [2]. Intra-cardiac beating heart procedures present new challenges such as limited workspac...

T HE internist frequently is called upon by his surgical colleagues for an opinion concerning the risk of anesthesia and of a surgical procedure in a patient who has organic heart disease. A request of this kind carries with it a number of implied questions, among the most important of which are: 1. Does the cardiac abnormality increase the risk of the contemplated procedure? 2. Will the anesth...

Cardiac transplantation is the treatment of choice in patients with end-stage heart failure. Insufficient number of donors in all health systems resulted in the need for intensive development of devices for mechanical circulatory support. Right ventricular failure (RVF) combined with major tricuspid insufficiency among the group of patients who are candidates for the left ventricular assist dev...

Careful preoperative evaluation of patients undergoing vascular surgical intervention holds great significance since this group of patients has almost the highest percentage of accompanying diseases with poor outcome. It is well-known that vascular disease – irrespectively of its manifestation – is a generalized disorder, the majority of patients with vascular disease smoke and have chronic pul...

The management of the failing heart represents an increasingly frequent challenge to both anesthesiologists and intensive care physicians, due to the increased prevalence of ventricular dysfunction in the population and to the ever-expanding indications for the surgical treatment of cardiac disease. Inotropic drugs are nowadays invaluable therapeutic tools in the treatment of perioperative hear...

TOPIC: Procedures TYPE: Medical Student/Resident Case Reports INTRODUCTION: The AngioVac device was designed with the purpose to percutaneously remove undesirable material from intravascular system. procedures have recently become popular for decreasing vegetative burden in patients infective endocarditis who are poor surgical candidates. CASE PRESENTATION: A 26-year-old female a previous histo...

background: recently, stem cells have been considered for the treatment of heart diseases, but no marked improvement has been recorded. this is the first study to examine the functional and histological effects of the transplantation of human amniotic mesenchymal stromal cells (hamscs) in rats with heart failure (hf). methods: this study was conducted in the years 2014 and 2015. 35 male wistar ...

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine factors contributing to prolonged mechanical ventilation in children following surgery for congenital heart defects. DESIGN Prospective cohort trial. SETTING Critical Care Unit. "Ignacio Chávez" National Heart Institute, México; from January to December 2000. PATIENTS A total of 318 consecutive patients < 18 years old who underwent card...

Despite remarkable progress in contemporary cardiovascular therapy, treatment of heart failure still remains a therapeutic challenge. Pharmacological treatment using -blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, and angiotensin-II receptor blockers, as well as surgical revascularization together with left ventricular reshaping procedures, has improved the quality of life for heart failur...