BACKGROUND Pressure recovery is the variable increase in lateral pressure downstream from a stenotic orifice. The magnitude and clinical significance of pressure recovery in aortic valve stenosis are poorly defined. METHODS AND RESULTS We obtained high-fidelity pressure and velocity recordings in 11 patients with isolated significant aortic valve stenosis at the time of diagnostic cardiac cat...

BACKGROUND Incremental threshold loading (ITL) is a test of inspiratory muscle performance which is usually performed by breathing through a weighted inspiratory plunger, the load on the inspiratory muscles being increased by externally adding weights to the intake valve. This is not a true threshold device and may be inaccurate. This method was compared with a true threshold device consisting ...

Aortic stenosis is the most frequent valvular heart disease. In aortic stenosis, therapeutic decision essentially depends on symptomatic status, stenosis severity, and status of left ventricular systolic function. Surgical aortic valve replacement or transcatheter aortic valve implantation is the sole effective therapy in symptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis, whereas the management ...

The timing of surgery for chronic severe mitral regurgitation (MR) in asymptomatic patients with normal left ventricular (LV) function remains controversial. On the one hand, the natural history of chronic severe MR indicates a high likelihood of eventual progression to symptoms or LV dysfunction (1–3). In addition, hemodynamic compensation may allow LV size and ejection fraction to remain norm...

Introduction The timing of valve surgery in asymptomatic patients with significant aortic regurgitation can be challenging. Current indications focus on symptoms and left ventricular (LV) dilation/dysfunction, but prognosis is already reduced by this time. Quantification of the regurgitation has not previously been used to guide management, likely due to the difficulty of achieving this with ec...

Abstract In general two basic methods are used for controlling the velocity of a hydraulic cylinder. First by an axial variable-displacement pump for controls flow to the cylinder. This configuration is commonly known as a hydrostatic transmission. Second by proportional valve powered by a constant-pressure source, such as a pressure compensated pump, drives the hydraulic cylinder. In this stud...

The bicuspid aortic valve is the most common congenital cardiac anomaly in developed nations. The abnormal bicuspid morphology of the aortic valve results in valvular dysfunction and subsequent hemodynamic derangements. However, the clinical presentation of bicuspid aortic valve disease remains quite heterogeneous with patients presenting from infancy to late adulthood with variable degrees of ...

Although infective endocarditis is primarily treated conservatively with antimicrobial therapy, early surgical intervention is often mandatory when various complications arise. These include intractable heart failure, persistent uncontrollable infection, large mobile vegetations, peripheral embolism and prosthetic valve endocarditis. Optimal timing of surgical intervention in patients with infe...