Breaks in the insulation portions of implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) leads may cause nonphysiological sensing and subsequent inappropriate ICD therapy, and may also interfere with the sensing and pacing functions of the ICD. Previously, leads with insulation breaks have been replaced with new sensing leads. However, repair of leads, utilizing ...

VDD pacing provides the physiological benefits of atrioventricular synchronous pacing with the convenience of a single lead system, but is hampered by uncertainty regarding long-term atrial sensing and potential development of sinus node disease. To examine the long-term reliability and complication rates of VDD pacing, we compared the outcome of ...

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of the lateral tunnel (LT) and extracardiac conduit (ECC) Fontan procedures at a single institution over the same time period. METHODS: From November 1995 through October 2002, 70 Fontan procedures were performed: 37 LT and 33 ECC. All were ...

As pacemaker generator longevity is dependent on current consumption and resistance of the pacing lead, the use of a high impedance pacing lead theoretically results in an extension of battery longevity. Therefore, the effect of high versus standard impedance ventricular leads on generator longevity was studied. In 40 patients (21 ...

BACKGROUND: Ventricular reconstruction using the Dor technique has been demonstrated to improve outcome in patients with dilated left ventricles. It has been suggested that a beating heart approach improves ventricular function by allowing the surgeon to palpate that part of the ventricle to exclude. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis ...

OBJECTIVE: The management of cerebellar infarctions is controversial. The aim of this study was to determine which patients require surgical treatment and which surgical procedure should be performed when a patient with a cerebellar infarction exhibits progressive neurological deterioration. METHODS: A total of 44 patients (24 male and 20 female ...

BACKGROUND: New methods of lead extraction using laser sheath devices are under evaluation but these techniques are not available in the majority of centres and have cost implications. Furthermore, in the absence of comparative randomised trials, registry experience with new devices must be judged against contemporary data using conventional methods. ...

We report the safety and efficacy of the Amplatzer device for transcatheter closure of ASD and fenestrated Fontan in children and adults. One hundred and two patients underwent transcatheter occlusion of the defect. The median age of the patients was 18.2 years, the median size of the ASDs by TEE ...

BACKGROUND: Cardiac device (CD) endocarditis is an infrequent but potentially lethal infectious complication of permanent pacemakers or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), and mortality rates of 30 to 35% have been reported. Medical treatment has been suggested for the treatment of CD endocarditis, but there is increasing evidence that surgical treatment is ...

BACKGROUND: Surgical closure of membranous ventricular septal defect (VSD) is performed by open heart surgery with a small but significant morbidity and mortality. The authors reported here the first group of patients who underwent transcatheter closure of membranous VSD. METHOD: Patients who had membranous VSD with significant left to right ...

BACKGROUND: Expanding indications for the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) call for further enhancement of patient selection for optimization of use. Because a subgroup of patients who receive ICDs may not receive therapies, we sought to identify clinical predictors of therapy-free survival in ICD patients. METHODS: We performed an analysis of ...

OBJECTIVE: The importance of bidirectional cavopulmonary anastomosis for palliation of complex cyanotic congenital heart disease is widely recognized. This study was conducted to highlight our surgical experience with this procedure in a developing country. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted using medical records at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, ...

Traditionally, all patients undergo cardiac catheterization before bidirectional cavopulmonary anastomosis (BCPA). The purpose of this study was to determine if preoperative catheterization is necessary when echocardiographic parameters appear favorable. A retrospective review was performed of all patients who underwent BCPA (n = 142) between February 1996 and May 2001. Echocardiographic ...

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess ventricular mass, volume, and systolic function in patients late after Fontan operation by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. BACKGROUND: An assessment of determinants for ventricular function in post-Fontan patients was intended. METHODS: Twenty-three unselected patients (9 female, 14 male) at a median ...

Between January 1983 and December 2000, 78 patients underwent primary repair of a ventricular septal defect. There were 42 males (54%) and 36 females (46%) of whom 13 (17%) were under 1 year old, 50 (64%) were aged 1-10 years, 11 (14%) were aged 10-20 years, and 4 (5%) were ...

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical findings, course, and treatment of recurrent pericarditis (RP) in patients with onset in childhood and adolescence. BACKGROUND: Recurrent pericarditis is a chronic condition that has presented problems in management. Knowledge about this disease is based on observations in adults, ...

OBJECTIVE: Standard surgical closure of an atrial septal defect via sternotomy is a safe and effective procedure with low morbidity and mortality. Considering that young female patients are frequently operated on for atrial septal defects, a minimally invasive procedure avoiding sternotomy is convincingly desirable and led to the approach through ...

OBJECTIVES: Surgical remodeling of the left ventricle has involved various techniques of volume reduction. This study evaluates factors that influence long-term survival results with 3 operative methods. METHODS: From 1979 to 2000, 157 patients (134 men, mean age 61 years) underwent operations for class III or IV congestive heart failure, ...

Acute stress disorder (ASD) is a new DSM-IV diagnostic category, characterized by dissociative, intrusive, avoidance, and hyperarousal symptoms in the first month after a traumatic experience. The goal of the present study was to examine the utility of this diagnosis. In a prospective study, 79 mixed trauma victims who met ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of transcatheter closure of secundum atrial septal defects and fenestrated Fontan with the Amplatzer septal occluder. METHODS: Fifteen consecutive patients, with a significant interatrial communications, were considered for the procedure; four patients with defects that were too large or with deficient margins were ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine the outcomes for a program that utilizes the double switch operation as the primary approach for congenitally corrected transposition. METHODS: The records of 46 consecutive patients from a single institution who had undergone a double switch operation from October 1993 to March 2002 were reviewed. The records ...

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to compare the early and midterm outcome following completion total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC) in patients with a single functional ventricle of left or right morphology. METHODS: Between August 1996 and July 2001, 103 patients underwent completion TCPC following an interim superior cavopulmonary connection. The single ...

BACKGROUND: No series have described the surgical pathology of subaortic septal myectomy in patients with conditions other than hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). METHODS: Medical records and microscopic slides were reviewed from 98 non-HCM patients undergoing septal myectomy at Mayo Clinic Rochester from 1996 to 2000. Concurrently, 204 other patients had myectomy ...

BACKGROUND: Nonsurgical septal reduction therapy (NSRT) has been shown to improve left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) gradients, decrease septal thickness, and improve symptoms in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). The major complication of this procedure has been the development of complete heart block (CHB) requiring permanent pacemaker implantation, which ...

OBJECTIVE: Although significant progress has been made in the perioperative management of neonates with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), early survival has plateaued. Moreover, low but important interstage mortality remains unsolved. With a systemic to pulmonary artery shunt, the combination of significant diastolic runoff into the pulmonary circulation, a large ...

BACKGROUND: Right ventricular diastolic function has been evaluated in various diseases by the pulsed Doppler technique. Right ventricular diastolic filling parameters show changes with age, heart rate and respiration. Evidences of diastolic left and right ventricular dysfunctions have been reported by echocardiographic studies in asthmatic patients. In the present study, ...

BACKGROUND: No large surgical series have qualitatively examined all histopathologic features of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). METHODS: Medical records and microscopic slides were reviewed from 204 patients undergoing septal myectomy for HCM at Mayo Clinic Rochester. RESULTS: The 108 females and 96 males (1-86 years old; mean, 48) included 133 patients ...

BACKGROUND: Surgical closure of secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) is a standard procedure associated with very low mortality and morbidity. We evaluated outcomes in the era of catheter-based interventional closure and minimally invasive techniques. METHODS: From May 1996, February 2002, 177 patients with a body weight of more than 30 ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine medium-term outcome after arterial switch operation for complete transposition in a population-based cohort. DESIGN: Retrospective study of all 86 patients operated on at our institution from 1982 to 2000. Age at operation was 0-256 days (median 6 days); 28 (32%) had closure of a ventricular septal defect, ...

OBJECTIVE: Single ventricle palliation is rarely performed in adults and the results are less optimal than in children. In this article we analyze our experience with the modified Fontan operation in this age group. METHODS: Data of 15 consecutive patients with single ventricle with a mean age of 26 (range ...

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to determine whether either of 2 alternative methods of extracardiac Fontan reconstruction provides superior results. METHODS: We reviewed 58 consecutive Fontan procedures performed between 1995 and 2001 with a pedicled pericardial tunnel (group P, n = 21) or an extracardiac conduit of polytetrafluoroethylene or allograft ...

The aim of the study was to analyze short-term results of the arterial switch operation in 29 neonates with simple transposition of the great arteries (group A) and 18 (group B) with complex heart defects: transposition with a ventricular septal defect (10), coarctation of the aorta (5), or Taussig-Bing anomaly ...

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Treatment of ductus arteriosus is controversial. The merits and timing of ductus ligation versus indomethacin treatment were compared. METHODS: Study parameters for infants with PDA (June 1988 through March 2001) included age, weight, physical findings, echocardiograph, success/complications of treatment, and length of stay (LOS). Statistical analysis was by descriptive ...

BACKGROUND: This study sought to test whether intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) is superior to conventional monitoring in guiding device closure of interatrial communications (atrial septal defect [ASD] and patent foramen ovale [PFO]). METHODS AND RESULTS: Forty-four patients undergoing device closure of ASD (n=6) or PFO (n=38) were randomized to have the ...

AIMS: Our aims were to use transthoracic three-dimensional echocardiography to assess the morphology of atrial septal defects in children prior to closure, and to compare the three-dimensional echocardiographic data with transcatheter and surgical findings. METHODS AND RESULTS: We used transthoracic three-dimensional echocardiography in 62 consecutive patients, aged from 2 to ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess right ventricular diastolic function in the intermediate postoperative period of repair of tetralogy of Fallot. METHODS: We carried out a case-control study with 60 patients divided into 2 groups as follows: 1) group I - 30 patients who had undergone repair of tetralogy of Fallot and 2) ...

AIM: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of transcatheter closure of secundum atrial septal defects (ASD) with the Amplatzer septal occluder. METHODS: 236 consecutive patients with a significant ASD (age 6 months to 46 years, median 5 years; body weight 6.5-79 kg, median 18 kg) were considered for transcatheter closure ...

Complications are reported more frequently with the implantation of coronary sinus (CS) than other types of leads, and attempts to extract CS leads may also be associated with increased risks. The authors have performed nonthoracotomy lead extraction (LE) since 1981 and maintained a detailed database. By November 2001, 796 leads ...

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that cardiopulmonary bypass used for repair of ventricular septal defects and atrioventricular septal defects would decrease availability of urea cycle intermediates including arginine and subsequent nitric oxide availability. STUDY DESIGN: Consecutive infants (n = 26) undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass for repair of an unrestrictive ventricular septal ...

The femoral vein has been used as an alternative conduit to implant pacemakers in children of any weight. Such method associates endocardial pacing and good cosmetics. The aim of this study was to evaluate prospectively, since 1981, the long-term follow-up of 99 children, from newborn to 13 years old (average ...

INTRODUCTION: Right thoracotomy is a well known alternative for median sternotomy to gain access to the right atrium. The Port-Access technique is a surgical option to reduce the skin incision to 5 cm and have a considerable gain in cosmesis and post-operative rehabilitation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From February 1997 to ...

BACKGROUND: Adult patients with atrial septal defect (ASD) and pulmonary hypertension have a more advanced degree of disease, frequently having functional class deterioration and atrial arrhythmias when they are aged >40 years. Surgery at this age prolongs life expectancy and limits functional deterioration. Although percutaneous ASD device occlusion is an ...

OBJECTIVE: Rupture of ventricular free wall (VFWR) may complicate acute myocardial infarction and accounts for high mortality. Surgical repair is the only therapeutic option. A review of our surgical experience is presented. METHODS: Seventeen patients (11 men, mean age 68 years) underwent surgery for VFWR. Patch covering technique was used ...

BACKGROUND: Arterial level repair is considered the most appropriate procedure for transposition of the great arteries. This report describes our experience with the arterial switch operation over the past decade. METHODS AND RESULTS: From January 1991 to January 2001, a total of 299 patients underwent an arterial switch operation for ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether age has an effect on the long term outcome after surgical closure of atrial septal defects in patients aged 35 years and over. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 89 patients (64 women) operated on between 1989 and 1999. Patients were divided into two age groups: group I ...

To evaluate the feasibility of transcatheter closure of secundum atrial septal defects (ASDs) associated with deficient rims (<5 mm) using the Amplatzer septal occluder (ASO), 23 patients (median age 10.7 years) underwent an attempted transcatheter closure. The patients had a deficient anterior rim of 0 to 4 mm (n = ...

Transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) and patent foramen ovale (PFO) using the Amplatzer septal occluder (AGA Medical, Minneapolis, Minn) is an alternative to surgical closure. There are only limited data on the thrombogenic potential of the device. Thirty-seven patients (14 men, 23 women) underwent device closure of their ...

OBJECTIVES: We have compared mortality and risk factors for late deaths in patients with tetralogy of Fallot undergoing surgical repair in 1972 and 1982 in a Japanese multicentric study, examining in particular the impact of time of repair. BACKGROUND: There is limited information on the effect that time of repair, ...

BACKGROUND: Patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) and associated malformations undergo Norwood palliation or potentially a two-ventricle repair. METHODS: Since 8/99, 8 patients with typical HLHS and two with DILV underwent Norwood/Fontan palliation (group I). Three other patients (group II) had two-ventricle repair. Anatomy was: aortic atresia, coarctation, unrestrictive ...

BACKGROUND: The mortality of pulmonary artery banding improved significantly in the 1980s. However, we lack information on this procedure in the current era. METHODS: The results of pulmonary artery banding in 365 patients who had operations between 1966 and 2001 were reviewed. The patients were divided into three groups: (1) ...