The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2019
Selection of prosthetic aortic valve and root replacement in patients younger than age 30 years.
Long-term outcomes of prosthetic aortic valve/root replacement in patients aged 30 years or younger are not well understood. We report our single institutional experience in this young cohort. ⋯ The choice of mechanical versus biologic/bioprosthetic valve does not affect freedom from reoperation or survival rates in this young cohort during mid- to long-term follow-up. Smaller aortic valve replacement size (≤21 mm) is a significant risk factor for reoperation and progression of mean aortic valve gradients.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2019
Increased mortality, morbidities, and costs after heart transplantation in heterotaxy syndrome and other complex situs arrangements.
Identify pediatric heart transplant (HT) recipients with heterotaxy and other complex arrangements of cardiac situs (heterotaxy/situs anomaly) and compare mortality, morbidities, length of stay (LOS), and costs to recipients with congenital heart disease without heterotaxy/situs anomaly. ⋯ Heterotaxy and other complex arrangements of cardiac situs are associated with increased mortality, postoperative complications, LOS, and costs after HT. Although increased surgical complexity can account for many of these differences, inferior late survival is not well explained and deserves further study.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2019
Four-dimensional flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance in aortic dissection: Assessment in an ex vivo model and preliminary clinical experience.
Four-dimensional flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance may improve assessment of hemodynamics in patients with aortic dissection. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of 4-dimensional flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance assessment of true and false lumens flow. ⋯ Four-dimensional flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance is feasible in patients with aortic dissection and can reliably assess flow in the true and false lumens of the aorta. This promotes potential future work on functional assessment of aortic dissection hemodynamics.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2019
Autologous endothelial progenitor cell therapy improves right ventricular function in a model of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.
Right ventricular (RV) failure is the main prognostic factor in pulmonary hypertension, and ventricular capillary density (CD) has been reported to be a marker of RV maladaptive remodeling and failure. Our aim was to determine whether right intracoronary endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) infusion can improve RV function and CD in a piglet model of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). ⋯ Intracoronary infusion of EPC improved RV function and CD in a piglet model of CTEPH. This novel cell-based therapy might represent a promising RV-targeted treatment in patients with pulmonary hypertension.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2019
Inhibiting a spinal cord signaling pathway protects against ischemia injury in rats.
The aim of the study was to examine whether the cannabinoid agonist WIN55212-2 could attenuate ischemic spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats through inhibition of GAPDH/Siah1 signaling. ⋯ Our findings reveal GAPDH/Siah1 signaling cascades as a novel therapeutic target for ischemic SCI and identify WIN55212-2 with the potential to treat ischemic SCI by targeting this pathway.