The influence of coronary calcification on the diagnostic performance of coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) remains controversial. This study attempts to assess the effect of coronary calcium score (CS) on the diagnostic accuracy of detecting coronary artery disease (CAD) using 64-row multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). Over a period of 2 years ...

PURPOSE: Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-A ECMO) is progressively used in severe cardiogenic shock or in-hospital resuscitation to stabilize patients and to bridge to further therapeutic interventions. However, vascular access for coronary catheterization can be difficult under these conditions. It would thus be desirable to use arterial lines that are ...

Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) is characterized by segmental vasoconstriction and dilatation of intracranial arteries, usually revealed by headaches, which spontaneously resolve in few weeks. We report a patient with RCVS, revealed by thunderclap headaches, involving both internal and external carotid artery (ECA). She received fluoxetin for depression and took ...

The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of aerobic training on the left ventricular (LV) systolic function. Thirty patients with stable coronary artery disease, who had participated in the conducted 3-month physical training, were retrospectively divided into 2 cohorts. While patients in the cohort I (n=14) had ...

The purpose of this report is to describe the effect of body mass index (BMI) on 30-day and late outcome in patients having aortic valve replacement (AVR) for aortic stenosis (AS) with or without concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting. From January 2002 through June 2010 (8.5 years), 1,040 operatively excised ...

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery bypass grafting is standard of care for left main (LM) coronary artery stenosis. Hybrid coronary revascularization (HCR) is an alternative therapy, combining a minimally invasive, sternal-sparing, off-pump left internal mammary artery to left anterior descending coronary anastomosis with percutaneous coronary stent placement through the LM into the ...

Inhaled Nitric Oxide (iNO) has been shown to preferentially lower resistance in the pulmonary vasculature. The relative selectiveness of iNO in accomplishing this effect makes it an attractive drug to administer as salvage therapy in patients with acute right ventricular failure secondary to pulmonary embolism. We describe four cases in ...

Despite level I evidence, no worldwide consensus of opinion exists on how best to manage patients with asymptomatic carotid artery disease. In this article, I present the evidence supporting intervention in these patients, highlighting a number of 'inconvenient truths' that challenge the current 'one size fits all' approach to treatment. ...

The goal of this study was to compare the rate of cerebral microembolization during carotid artery stenting (CAS) with proximal versus distal cerebral protection in patients with high-risk, lipid-rich plaque. Cerebral protection with filters partially reduces the cerebral embolization rate during CAS. Proximal protection has been introduced to further decrease ...

BACKGROUND: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a degenerative disease of the abdominal aorta leading to progressive dilatation, intra-luminal thrombus (ILT) formation, and rupture. Understanding the natural history of AAA is essential, because different processes and, therefore, different biomarkers, could be involved at each stage of disease progression. The purpose of ...

Thoracic surgery patients should be regarded at high risk for postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE). VTE mechanical and pharmacologic prophylaxis with low molecular weight heparin, or low-dose unfractionated heparin or fondaparinux (Arixtra) is therefore strongly recommended. Pharmacologic prophylaxis should be extended to 4 weeks after major cancer surgery. Pulmonary embolism should ...

We present the case of a 62-year-old female with a diagnosis of osteogenesis imperfecta and mitral valve regurgitation. The patient underwent a mitral valve repair without complications. We describe the case and our surgical technique. Keywords: Cardiac; other; Extracorporeal circulation; Valve disease.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of combined laparoscopic technique for different types of vascular reconstruction in the treatment of Takayasu renal artery stenosis. DESIGN: Retrospective study of seven cases of renal artery stenosis caused by Takayasu arteritis (TA). MATERIALS: Institutional practice and hospitalised patients. All these patients manifested renal arterial ...

Duplex ultrasound (DU) surveillance (DUS) criteria for vein graft stenosis and thresholds for reintervention are well established. The natural history of DU-detected stenosis and the threshold criteria for reintervention in patients undergoing endovascular therapy (EVT) of the femoropopliteal system have yet to be determined. We report an analysis of routine ...

We describe the first case of implantation of a transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in a patient with an anomalous origin of the right coronary artery, coursing in between the aorta and pulmonary truncus to the right. After assessment of the risk of compression of the anomalous origin of the ...

A hepatic artery aneurysm is an unusual but life-threatening hepatobiliary complication occurring in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and early diagnosis and treatment of this complication are essential. A 31-year-old man with SLE presented with recurring epigastric pain and jaundice for 2 months; he was diagnosed with choledocholithiasis and ...

To evaluate the mid-term results of endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms and to predict subsequent sac shrinkage. From December 2006 to April 2010, 114 abdominal aortic aneurysms were treated with stent grafts. The intraoperative sac pressure was measured by a microcatheter. Correlations between the diameter change and relevant factors ...

INTRODUCTION: The authors present a series of patients in whom early rebleeding occurred after coiling for ruptured aneurysms. We investigated the incidence and possible mechanisms of early rebleeding. METHODS: This study consisted of 1,167 consecutive patients who underwent coiling for a ruptured saccular aneurysm. Clinical and radiological data were collected ...

Transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) with coils is accepted as an alternative to surgical ligation. We evaluated whether flow gradient across PDA, obtained by Doppler echocardiography, can aid in selecting coils for percutaneous ductal occlusion. 79 consecutive patients with PDA, who underwent successful percutaneous coil occlusion were retrospectively ...

Background: Scoring of mitral stenosis (MS) severity is very important for selection of patients for balloon mitral valvuloplasty (BMV). Objective: We propose a novel yet simple, independent parameter of MS severity based on the posterior mitral valve leaflet to anterior mitral valve leaflet length ratio (PMVL/AMVL length ratio). It could ...

Cardiothoracic surgeons commonly use the internal thoracic artery (ITA) and the right gastroepiploic artery (RGEA) when performing a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Although the development of CABG surgery has enabled long-term survival in patients with coronary artery disease, malignant diseases are more common in older patients. We present the ...

Background-Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is often a sequel of venous thromboembolism with fatal natural history; however, many cases can be cured by pulmonary endarterectomy. The clinical characteristics and current management of patients enrolled in an international CTEPH registry was investigated.Methods and Results-The international registry included 679 newly diagnosed (≤6 ...

BackgroundPersistent primitive trigeminal artery (PPTA) is the most common permanent carotid-basilar anastomosis. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) has become the primary non-invasive imaging technique for evaluation of cerebral vascular anatomy and can provide detailed 3D imaging of intracranial vessels.PurposeTo evaluate the usefulness of MRA for the detection of PPTA and to ...

Fractional flow reserve (FFR), an invasive pressure-derived index of stenosis severity, can be performed easily, rapidly, and safely in patients with coronary artery disease as a surrogate of non-invasive detection of ischemia. Over the last decades, profound clinical and scientific evaluation has demonstrated that FFR is one of the few ...

There is no sensitive tool to monitor embolic events and predict patients at a risk for strokes during thoracic endovascular aortic repair. We examined the relationship between the number of high intensity transient signals (HITS) by transcranial doppler ultrasound and the extent of atherosclerotic plaques in aortic arch. Thirteen patients ...

OBJECTIVES: Short relative telomere length (RTL) is associated with vascular ageing, inflammation and cardiovascular risk factors. Previous studies have reported an association between abdominal aortic aneurysm and short RTL. The presence of atherosclerosis among patients with aneurysm disease may, however, be a confounder. The aim was to explore the associations ...

Left main coronary artery disease, present in 5-9% of patients with angina pectoris, is associated with high mortality risk when treated medically. For several decades coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has been regarded as the treatment choice for unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) disease patients. However, proximal location and ...

Carotid artery aneurysms, although rare, are increasing in frequency due to their association with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease. Our institution serves a population with a high HIV prevalence and we wished to document our growing experience with this aneurysmal pathology in a setting of an ever-increasing burden of HIV ...

We report transventricular mitral valve operations in 2 patients with severe mitral regurgitation and postinfarction left ventricular rupture and pseudoaneurysm. The first patient had direct papillary muscle involvement necessitating replacement of the mitral valve. The second patient had indirect mitral involvement allowing for placement of an atrial mitral annuloplasty ring ...

Before yttrium-90 ((90)Y) radioembolization administration, the authors consolidated arterial inflow by embolizing variant hepatic arteries (HAs) to make microsphere delivery simpler and safer. The present study reviews the technical and clinical success of these consolidation procedures. Preparatory and treatment angiograms were retrospectively analyzed for 201 patients. Variant HAs were coil-embolized ...

The incidence rate of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in the elderly is increasing. Although endovascular coiling has become a major form of treatment for SAH in elderly patients, not all ruptured aneurysms can be managed with an endovascular approach. Conventional surgical clipping still plays an important role in SAH treatment. ...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of regadenoson, in comparison with adenosine, for assessing fractional flow reserve (FFR) of intermediate coronary artery stenoses (CAS). Fractional flow reserve is an established invasive method for assessing the physiological significance of CAS. Regadenoson, a selective A(2A) receptor agonist, is ...

To evaluate the published outcomes of endovascular stent graft repair of renal artery aneurysms. The English literature was systematically searched using the MEDLINE electronic database up to April 2010. All reports of endovascular stent graft repair of renal artery aneurysms were considered. The primary outcome measures were technical success and ...

Central shunts may be associated with a high rate of thrombosis and pulmonary artery distortion. Between January 2000 and April 2010, 68 consecutive patients underwent side-to-side aorto-Gore-Tex central shunts (W.L. Gore & Associates, Flagstaff, AZ). Median age at surgery was 31 days (8 to 122). Cardiac morphologies were tetralogy of ...

To perform embolization of parasitized extrahepatic arteries (EHAs) before radioembolization to reestablish intrahepatic arterial supply to large, peripheral tumors, and to evaluate the technical and clinical outcomes of this intervention. Among 201 patients retrospectively analyzed, embolization of 73 parasitized EHAs in 35 patients was performed. Most embolization procedures were performed ...

Early hepatic artery thrombosis remains one of the major causes of graft failure and mortality in liver transplant recipients. It is the most frequent severe vascular complication after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) accounting for >50% of all arterial complications. Most patients need to be considered for urgent liver retransplantation. Among ...

Recanalization of arterial obstruction is associated with improved clinical outcomes. There are no controlled data demonstrating whether arterial obstruction status predicts the treatment effect of intravenous (IV) tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). We aimed to determine if the presence of arterial obstruction improves the treatment effect of IV tPA over placebo ...

Peripheral artery disease is increasingly prevalent with disease presentations ranging from the asymptomatic patient to the patient with an ischemic or threatened lower extremity. The role of the vascular specialist treating the peripheral artery disease patient is to create or maintain straight-line or uninterrupted blood flow to the extremities in ...

Among the neoplastic conditions that affect patients with neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) are malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs), which typically arise from peripheral nerves of the limbs, trunk, and lumbar and brachial plexuses. Ionizing radiation is an established risk factor for MPNST development, especially in susceptible patients such as ...

A 30-year-old male with a history of rheumatic mitral valve disease presented with progressive exertional dyspnoea. Echocardiography revealed a mitral valve area of 1 cm2, a mitral valve score of 6/16, and absence of mitral regurgitation. Percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty was performed using the multitrack technique. Unexpectedly, one balloon suddenly ruptured ...

Aortic valve replacement is accepted as a standard treatment for aortic stenosis and regurgitation. To help plan the national requirement for conventional and catheter-based procedures, we have analyzed the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland audit database to look at changes in practice over time. All patients ...

YC-1 (3-(5'-hydroxymethyl-2'furyl)-1-benzyl-indazole) is an allosteric activator of soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) and a vasodilator. This study describes a paradoxical action of YC-1 in isolated vessels of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) that appears to trigger an endothelium-dependent vasoconstrictor pathway present in vessels with endothelial dysfunction. Effects of YC-1 on ...

Comparisons of mitral valve repair with mitral valve replacement for ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) have been limited by differences in preoperative and operative characteristics of patients undergoing these two types of surgical treatment. We performed a propensity-based, case-matched analysis to examine whether patients who undergo mitral valve repair and those ...

OBJECTIVE. To report the initial experience in using cryoballoon catheter ablation in the treatment of atrial fibrillation in Hong Kong. DESIGN. Single-centre, prospective case series. SETTING. Regional hospital, Hong Kong. PATIENTS. Sixteen patients (mean age, 55 years; standard deviation, 14 years; 11 males) with paroxysmal (n=12) or persistent (n=4) atrial ...

Abstract Purpose: To report midterm outcomes after urgent endovascular repair of ruptured pararenal or thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms using multiple periscope and chimney grafts to preserve renovisceral branch perfusion and facilitate aneurysm exclusion. Methods: Nine consecutive men (mean age 72±14 years, range 40-88) presenting with ruptured thoracoabdominal (n = 6), pararenal (n = 2), or infrarenal ...

Abstract Purpose: To present a clinical experience with the use of chimney grafts in the endovascular repair of aortic arch pathologies involving the supra-aortic branches. Methods: The chimney technique consists of endovascular stent or stent-graft placement parallel to the main aortic stent-graft in order to preserve or rescue flow to ...

At present, revascularization is still one of the most critical technologies in orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Hepatic artery (HA) variations occur frequently in both donors and recipients. Moreover, there are always some pathological changes in the recipient hepatic artery. If handled improperly, it may cause complications after anastomosis. Therefore, arterial ...

Off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB) has been widely applied in recent years as a less invasive method of myocardial revascularization. This study evaluated the sequential bilateral internal mammary artery grafting combined with selective arterialization of the coronary venous system during OPCAB. From April 2004 to August 2010, patients with ...

In the past 5 years, with the introduction of new techniques and dedicated materials, endovascular recanalization of distal tibial and pedal vessels has become a valid alternative to inframalleolar bypass for limb salvage in patients with severe arterial occlusive disease, particularly diabetics. Revascularization of the foot is now often performed ...

Endovascular stent grafting is applied for the treatment of different aortic pathologies in the current medical era. It may be lifesaving in patients with comorbidities and virtually inoperable when adopting conventional techniques. This manuscript reports on a 40-year-old patient, who was previously treated for a mycotic saccular aneurysm at the ...