Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Association Of Apremilast With Vascular Inflammation And Cardiometabolic Function In Patients With Psoriasis: The Vip-A Phase 4, Open-Label, Nonrandomized Clinical Trial., Joel M Gelfand, Daniel B Shin, April W Armstrong, Stephen K Tyring, Andrew Blauvelt, Scott Gottlieb, Benjamin N Lockshin, Robert E Kalb, Robert Fitzsimmons, Justin Rodante, Philip Parel, Grigory A Manyak, Laurel Mendelsohn, Megan H Noe, Maryte Papadopoulos, Maha N Syed, Thomas J Werner, Joy Wan, Martin P Playford, Abass Alavi, Nehal N Mehta

Journal Articles

IMPORTANCE: Psoriasis is an inflammatory condition associated with metabolic and cardiovascular disease. Apremilast, a phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor, is commonly used for psoriasis and can cause weight loss.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between apremilast and aortic vascular inflammation as assessed by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT), cardiometabolic markers (primary outcomes at week 16), and abdominal fat composition.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A single-arm, open-label, interventional, nonrandomized clinical trial in which the imaging and laboratory outcomes were measured by an investigator who was blinded to time was conducted between April 11, 2017, and August 17, 2021, at 7 dermatology sites …

Self-Expanding Transcatheter Vs Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement In Intermediate-Risk Patients: 5-Year Outcomes Of The Surtavi Randomized Clinical Trial, Nicolas M Van Mieghem, G Michael Deeb, Lars Søndergaard, Eberhard Grube, Stephan Windecker, Hemal Gada, Mubashir Mumtaz, Peter S Olsen, John C Heiser, William Merhi, Neal S Kleiman, Stanley J Chetcuti, Thomas G Gleason, Joon Sup Lee, Wen Cheng, Raj R Makkar, Juan Crestanello, Barry George, Isaac George, Susheel Kodali, Steven J Yakubov, Patrick W Serruys, Rüdiger Lange, Nicolo Piazza, Mathew R Williams, Jae K Oh, David H Adams, Shuzhen Li, Michael J Reardon

Journal Articles

IMPORTANCE: In patients with severe aortic valve stenosis at intermediate surgical risk, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with a self-expanding supra-annular valve was noninferior to surgery for all-cause mortality or disabling stroke at 2 years. Comparisons of longer-term clinical and hemodynamic outcomes in these patients are limited.

OBJECTIVE: To report prespecified secondary 5-year outcomes from the Symptomatic Aortic Stenosis in Intermediate Risk Subjects Who Need Aortic Valve Replacement (SURTAVI) randomized clinical trial.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: SURTAVI is a prospective randomized, unblinded clinical trial. Randomization was stratified by investigational site and need for revascularization determined by the local heart teams. …

Cardio-Onco-Metabolism – Metabolic Vulnerabilities In Cancer And The Heart, Anja Karlstaedt, Heinrich Taegtmeyer

Journal Articles

Cancer and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide. Metabolic remodeling is a hallmark of both cancer and the failing heart. Tumors reprogram metabolism to optimize nutrient utilization and meet increased demands for energy provision, biosynthetic pathways, and proliferation. Shared risk factors for cancer and CVDs suggest intersecting mechanisms for disease pathogenesis and progression. In this review, we aim to highlight the role of metabolic remodeling in cancer and its potential to impair cardiac function. Understanding these mechanisms will help us develop biomarkers, better therapies, and identify patients at risk of developing heart disease after surviving cancer.

Kat-Arc Accelerated 4d Flow Cmr: Clinical Validation For Transvalvular Flow And Peak Velocity Assessment, Hosamadin Assadi, Bhalraam Uthayachandran, Rui Li, James Wardley, Tha H Nyi, Ciaran Grafton-Clarke, Andrew J Swift, Ana Beatriz Solana, Jean-Paul Aben, Kurian Thampi, David Hewson, Chris Sawh, Richard Greenwood, Marina Hughes, Bahman Kasmai, Liang Zhong, Marcus Flather, Vassilios S Vassiliou, Pankaj Garg

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: To validate the k-adaptive-t autocalibrating reconstruction for Cartesian sampling (kat-ARC), an exclusive sparse reconstruction technique for four-dimensional (4D) flow cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) using conservation of mass principle applied to transvalvular flow.

METHODS: This observational retrospective study (2020/21-075) was approved by the local ethics committee at the University of East Anglia. Consent was waived. Thirty-five patients who had a clinical CMR scan were included. CMR protocol included cine and 4D flow using Kat-ARC acceleration factor 6. No respiratory navigation was applied. For validation, the agreement between mitral net flow (MNF) and the aortic net flow (ANF) was investigated. Additionally, …

Covid-19 And Blood Clots: A Report Of Massive Pulmonary Embolism In Covid-19 Patient Supported On Veno-Venous Ecmo And The Utility Of Thrombolysis, Bindu Akkanti, Joseph Zwischenberger, Mark T Warner, Kha Dinh, Rahat Hussain, Farah Kazzaz, Pascal Kingah, Lisa M Janowiak, Biswajit Kar, Igor D Gregoric

Journal Articles

COVID-19 morbidity and mortality are not equivalent to other etiologies of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) as fulminant activation of coagulation can occur, thereby resulting in widespread microvascular thrombosis and consumption of coagulation factors. A 53-year-old female presented to an emergency center on two occasions with progressive gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms. She was diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia and admitted to a satellite intensive care unit with hypoxemic respiratory failure. She was intubated and mechanically ventilated, but her ARDS progressed over the next 48 hours. The patient was emergently cannulated for veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-V ECMO) and transferred to our …

Comparative Risks Of Initial Aortic Events Associated With Genetic Thoracic Aortic Disease, Ellen S Regalado, Shaine A Morris, Alan C Braverman, Ellen M Hostetler, Julie De Backer, Ruosha Li, Reed E Pyeritz, Anji T Yetman, Elena Cervi, Sherene Shalhub, Richmond Jeremy, Scott Lemaire, Maral Ouzounian, Arturo Evangelista, Catherine Boileau, Guillaume Jondeau, Dianna M Milewicz

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Pathogenic variants in 11 genes predispose individuals to heritable thoracic aortic disease (HTAD), but limited data are available to stratify the risk for aortic events associated with these genes.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to compare the risk of first aortic event, specifically thoracic aortic aneurysm surgery or an aortic dissection, among 7 HTAD genes and variant types within each gene.

METHODS: A retrospective cohort of probands and relatives with rare variants in 7 genes for HTAD (n = 1,028) was assessed for the risk of first aortic events based on the gene altered, pathogenic variant type, sex, proband status, …

The Routine Use Of Preoperative Non-Contrast Chest Computerized Tomography And Carotid Arteries Doppler Prior To Cardiac Surgery, Ron Nates, Mattan Arazi, Liza Grosman-Rimon, Roy Israel, Jacob Gohari, Leonid Sternik, Erez Kachel

Journal Articles

INTRODUCTION: There is no consensus as to which patients should undergo Non-Contrast Chest Computerized Tomography (NCCCT) and carotid arteries Doppler (CD) prior to cardiac surgery. The objective of this study was to examine whether preoperative imaging modalities provide clinical benefits and a change in surgical strategy.

METHODS: We routinely performed NCCCT and CD in all non-urgent cardiac surgery patients. Major NCCCT/CD findings related to cardiovascular findings (aortic calcification/atherosclerosis, carotid artery plaque/stenosis), or other incidental findings (lung kidney, thyroid, adrenal, gastrointestinal sites etc.) were documented. The results were divided into 3 categories: (A) findings requiring both changes in surgical strategy and …

Heart Transplant Recipient 1-Year Outcomes During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Gabriel Esmailian, Nikhil Patel, Jignesh K Patel, Lawrence Czer, Matthew Rafiei, Dominick Megna, Dominic Emerson, Danny Ramzy, Alfredo Trento, Joanna Chikwe, Fardad Esmailian, Jon A Kobashigawa

Journal Articles

The COVID-19 pandemic initially brought forth considerable challenges to the field of heart transplantation. To prevent the spread of the virus and protect immunocompromised recipients, our center made the following modifications to post-transplant outpatient management: eliminating early coronary angiograms, video visits for postoperative months 7, 9, and 11, and home blood draws for immunosuppression adjustments. To assess if these changes have impacted patient outcomes, the current study examines 1-year outcomes for patients transplanted during the pandemic. Between March and September 2020, we assessed 50 heart transplant patients transplanted during the pandemic. These patients were compared to patients who were transplanted …

Papillary Fibroelastoma Incidentally Found On Left Atrial Wall During Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Replacement, Qasim Al Abri, Lamees I El Nihum, M Mujeeb Zubair, Roberto Barrios, Michael J Reardon, Mahesh Ramchandani

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

A 60-year-old man was about to undergo minimally invasive aortic valve replacement when transesophageal echocardiography revealed an intracardiac mass on the left atrial free wall. Multimodal images from 5 months earlier had shown no mass. We converted the procedure to open surgery. The excised mass resembled a cardiac myxoma but was determined to be a papillary fibroelastoma. This case illustrates that papillary fibroelastomas can form and grow rapidly, warranting alertness for their unexpected discovery before and during cardiac surgical procedures.

Myocardial Scintigraphy In Diagnosing Cardiac Transthyretin Amyloidosis, Marija Petrovic, Persio D Lopez, Calvin Eng, Mahjabeen Rashid

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Myocardial scintigraphy with technetium-99m pyrophosphate is a minimally invasive technique that can distinguish between transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) and light-chain amyloidosis. We present a case in which it helped determine the amyloidosis type in a 74-year-old man with cardiac amyloidosis and multiple previous admissions for acute decompensated heart failure. The patient presented with increasing abdominal girth and bilateral lower extremity edema. His medical history also included atrial fibrillation, liver cirrhosis, hypertension, stage 3 chronic kidney disease, and peripheral vascular disease. We prescribed guideline-directed medical therapy for his acute decompensated heart failure with cardiorenal syndrome and his decompensated cirrhosis. Two years previously, …

Decongestion Models And Metrics In Acute Heart Failure: Escape Data In The Age Of The Implantable Cardiac Pressure Monitor, David Paniagua, Glenn N Levine, Lorraine D Cornwell, Ernesto Jimenez, Biswajit Kar, Hani Jneid, Ali E Denktas, Tony S Ma

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

The United States Food and Drug Administration restricts the use of implantable cardiac pressure monitors to patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III heart failure (HF). We investigated whether single-pressure monitoring could predict survival in HF patients as part of a model constructed using data from the ESCAPE (Evaluation Study of Congestive Heart Failure and Pulmonary Artery Catheterization Effectiveness) trial.

We validated survival models in 204 patients, using all-cause 180-day mortality. Two levels of model complexity were tested: 1) a simplified 1-pressure model based on pulmonary artery mean pressure ([PAM]1P) (information obtainable from an implanted intracardiac monitor alone), …

Mitral Regurgitation And Serum N-Terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide Levels In Children: A Modification Of Adult Criteria, Elif Erolu, Figen Akalin

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Mitral regurgitation can result from congenital heart disease, rheumatic valve disease, or other congenital malformations of the mitral valve. Faulty valves require surgical repair or replacement. However, echocardiographic and biochemical parameters that inform surgical decision-making for adults may not be appropriate for children. To investigate whether adult parameters can be used in children, we correlated echocardiographic parameters with serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels in children with chronic mitral regurgitation.

Our sample comprised 45 patients and 38 healthy children. M-mode measurements, left atrial and left ventricular volumes, and Doppler and tissue Doppler echocardiograms were collected. We graded mitral regurgitation …

Thrombotic Left Main Coronary Artery Occlusion Treated With Bioresorbable Scaffold, Santiago Jesús Camacho Freire, Antonio Enrique Gómez Menchero, Jessica Roa Garrido, Marcos López Rojas, Rosa Cardenal Piris, José Francisco Díaz Fernández

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Prescriptions For Potentially Inappropriate Medications From The Beers Criteria Among Older Adults Hospitalized For Heart Failure, Diana Jaber, Fabian Vargas, Linh Nguyen, Joanna Ringel, Kate Zarzuela, Mahad Musse, Min Ji Kwak, Emily B Levitan, Mathew S Maurer, Mark S Lachs, Monika M Safford, Parag Goyal

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: We sought to better understand patterns of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) from the Beers criteria among older adults hospitalized with heart failure (HF). This observational study of hospitalizations was derived from the geographically diverse REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke cohort.

METHODS AND RESULTS: We examined participants aged 65 years and older with an expert-adjudicated hospitalization for HF. The Beers criteria medications were abstracted from medical records. The prevalence of PIMs was 61.1% at admission and 64.0% at discharge. Participants were taking a median of 1 PIM (interquartile range [IQR] 0-1 PIM) at hospital admission and a …

Cardiovascular Outcomes In Aortopathy: Gentac Registry Of Genetically Triggered Aortic Aneurysms And Related Conditions., Kathryn W Holmes, Sheila Markwardt, Kim A Eagle, Richard B Devereux, Jonathan W Weinsaft, Federico M Asch, Scott A Lemaire, Cheryl L Maslen, Howard K Song, Dianna M Milewicz, Siddharth K Prakash, Dongchuan Guo, Shaine A Morris, Reed E Pyeritz, Rita C Milewski, William J Ravekes, H C Dietz, Ralph V Shohet, Michael Silberbach, Mary J Roman

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: The GenTAC (Genetically Triggered Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm and Cardiovascular Conditions) Registry enrolled patients with genetic aortopathies between 2007 and 2016.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare age distribution and probability of elective surgery for proximal aortic aneurysm, any dissection surgery, and cardiovascular mortality among aortopathy etiologies.

METHODS: The GenTAC study had a retrospective/prospective design. Participants with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) with aneurysm (n = 879), Marfan syndrome (MFS) (n = 861), nonsyndromic heritable thoracic aortic disease (nsHTAD) (n = 378), Turner syndrome (TS) (n = 298), vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS) (n = 149), and Loeys-Dietz syndrome …

Abnormal Electrocardiogram In A Man Presenting With Dyspnea And Chest Pain, Daniel W Nelson, Ryley Mcpeters, Atul Singla

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Recurrent Parotid Adenocarcinoma Presenting As Diffuse Myocardial Metastatic Disease., Edward A El-Am, Upasana Jarori, Sara J Grethlein, Ronald Mastouri, Abhishek Khemka

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

A 64-year-old man who had undergone treatment for left parotid adenocarcinoma presented with progressive exertional shortness of breath. Evaluation revealed metastatic invasion of the myocardium as a rare presentation of recurrent parotid adenocarcinoma. This case highlights the importance of using multimodal imaging methods in diagnostic evaluation and a collaborative multidisciplinary approach in managing patient care.

Supracardiac Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return Repair In A 7-Month-Old Infant, Mislav Planinc, Ivan Malcic, Darko Anic

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Total anomalous pulmonary venous return is a congenital heart malformation characterized by anomalous pulmonary venous inflow to the right atrium. Surgical repair typically occurs during the first month of life, and survival beyond that age in untreated patients is unlikely. We report an extreme case of supracardiac total anomalous pulmonary venous return in an infant who survived 7 months despite atypical anomalous inflow without atrial-level communication and with right-to-left shunting only through a patent ductus arteriosus. We stabilized the patient's left-sided heart function before surgically repairing the anomalous venous return 2 months later. Three years postoperatively, the patient was well.

Impact Of Recent Acute Kidney Injury On Creatinine Clearance Estimation In Critically Ill Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery, Amaris Fuentes, Jagadeswara R Earla, Tomona Iso, Joshua T Swan

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Acute kidney injury (AKI), often present in critically ill patients and patients with cardiac dysfunction, may alter estimates of renal function. The impact of recent AKI on the accuracy of the Cockcroft-Gault creatinine clearance equation (CG-CrCl) before cardiac surgery is unknown. This single-center, retrospective study included patients who underwent cardiac surgery from 1 January 2006 through 30 June 2012 and whose 24-hour urine creatinine clearance (24hr-CrCl) was measured in the intensive care unit before surgery. We evaluated CG-CrCl accuracy by calculating absolute differences between 24hr-CrCl and CG-CrCl estimates. Clinical impact was signified by discrepancies in United States Food and Drug …

Iatrogenic Diversion Of Superior Vena Cava Into Left Atrium, Tarun Jain, Jamil F Borgi, James C Lee, Karthikeyan Ananthasubramaniam

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Underutilization Of Endovascular Therapy In Black Patients With Ischemic Stroke: An Analysis Of State And Nationwide Cohorts, Youngran Kim, Anjail Sharrief, Min Ji Kwak, Swapnil Khose, Rania Abdelkhaleq, Sergio Salazar-Marioni, Guo-Qiang Zhang, Sunil A Sheth

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Endovascular therapy (EVT) is a very effective treatment but relies on specialized capabilities that are not available in every hospital where acute ischemic stroke is treated. Here, we assess whether access to and utilization of this therapy has extended uniformly across racial and ethnic groups.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, population-based study using the 2019 Texas Inpatient Public Use Data File. Acute ischemic stroke cases and EVT use were identified using the

RESULTS: Among 40 814 acute ischemic stroke cases in Texas in 2019, 54% were White, 17% Black, and 21% Hispanic. Black patients had similar admissions …

Younger Age Of Stroke In Low-Middle Income Countries Is Related To Healthcare Access And Quality, Mohammad H Rahbar, Martin Medrano, Franck Diaz-Garelli, Cosme Gonzalez Villaman, Sepideh Saroukhani, Sori Kim, Amirali Tahanan, Yahaira Franco, Gelanys Castro-Tejada, Sarah A Diaz, Manouchehr Hessabi, Sean I Savitz

Journal Articles

Stroke is the second leading cause of mortality globally with higher burden and younger age in low-middle income countries (LMICs) than high-income countries (HICs). However, it is unclear to what extent differences in healthcare access and quality (HAQ) and prevalence of risk factors between LMICs and HICs contribute to younger age of stroke in LMICs. In this systematic review, we conducted meta-analysis of 67 articles and compared the mean age of stroke between LMICs and HICs, before and after adjusting for HAQ index. We also compared the prevalence of main stroke risk factors between HICs and LMICs. The unadjusted mean …

Artificial Intelligence In Cardiovascular Medicine: Historical Overview, Current Status, And Future Directions, Zvonimir Krajcer

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are rapidly gaining popularity in every aspect of our daily lives, and cardiovascular medicine is no exception. Here, we provide physicians with an overview of the past, present, and future of artificial intelligence applications in cardiovascular medicine. We describe essential and powerful examples of machine-learning applications in industry and elsewhere. Finally, we discuss the latest technologic advances, as well as the benefits and limitations of artificial intelligence and machine learning in cardiovascular medicine.

Silent Kawasaki Disease Affecting Multiple Coronary Arteries In A 39-Year-Old Egyptian Woman, Hamdy Singab, Gamal Sami, Mahmoud Tag El Sabah

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Kawasaki disease, an acute febrile illness, can cause vasculitis in the coronary arteries. It is the chief acquired cause of myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death in infants, children, and young adults in developed countries. We report a case of chronic, silent Kawasaki disease complicated by multivessel thrombosis in a 39-year-old Egyptian woman. The patient presented with progressive, unstable angina but was otherwise asymptomatic and at negligible risk of ischemic heart disease. Coronary angiograms showed critical arterial stenosis with multiple aneurysms. During revascularization surgery, the patient's harvested left internal mammary artery was found to have occlusive lesions and aneurysmal areas …

Radiation Doses In Patients Undergoing Computed Tomographic Coronary Artery Calcium Evaluation With A 64-Slice Scanner Versus A 256-Slice Scanner., Paul Madaj, Dong Li, Rine Nakanishi, Daniele Andreini, Gianluca Pontone, Edoardo Conte, Rachael O'Rourke, Christian Hamilton-Craig, Manojna Nimmagadda, Nicholas Kim, Badiha Fatima, Christopher Dailing, Kashif Shaikh, Chandana Shekar, Ju Hwan Lee, Matthew J Budoff

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Computed tomographic coronary artery calcium scanning enables cardiovascular risk stratification; however, exposing patients to high radiation levels is an ongoing concern. New-generation computed tomographic systems use lower radiation doses than older systems do. To quantify comparative doses of radiation exposure, we prospectively acquired images from 220 patients with use of a 64-slice GE LightSpeed VCT scanner (control group, n=110) and a 256-slice GE Revolution scanner (study group, n=110). The groups were matched for age, sex, and body mass index; statistical analysis included t tests and linear regression.

The mean dose-length product was 21% lower in the study group than in …

Continuous Thoracic Paravertebral Block To Treat Electrical Storm, Daryl I Smith, Sarah A Kralovic, Rafeek A Hegazy, Hai Tran

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Continuous ganglion block is increasingly being used to help manage ventricular tachyarrhythmias. We present the cases of 2 patients in whom we used continuous left thoracic paravertebral block to achieve sympathetic denervation and improvement in drug-refractory ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Whether as destination therapy or bridging therapy, we conclude that the block is safe, improves patients' comfort, and is superior in several ways to stellate ganglion block and other single-injection techniques.

Associations Between Vascular Diseases And Alzheimer's Disease Or Related Dementias In A Large Cohort Of Men And Women With Colorectal Cancer, Xianglin L Du, Lulu Song, Paul E Schulz, Hua Xu, Wenyaw Chan

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Long term risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD) associated with vascular diseases in people with colorectal cancer is unknown.

OBJECTIVE: to determine the risk of ADRD in association with cardiovascular diseases (CVD), stroke, hypertension, and diabetes in a cohort of patients with colorectal cancer.

METHODS: This retrospective cohort study consisted of 210,809 patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer at age≥65 years in 1991-2015 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database with follow-up from 1991-2016, who were free of any ADRD at the baseline (< 30 days after the date of cancer diagnosis).

RESULTS: The crude 26-year cumulative incidence of total ADRD in …

Risk Of Developing Alzheimer's Disease And Related Dementias In Association With Cardiovascular Disease, Stroke, Hypertension, And Diabetes In A Large Cohort Of Women With Breast Cancer And With Up To 26 Years Of Follow-Up, Xianglin L Du, Lulu Song, Paul E Schulz, Hua Xu, Wenyaw Chan

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: No study on the long-term incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD) has been reported in women with breast cancer by vascular diseases.

OBJECTIVE: to determine the risk of ADRD in association with cardiovascular diseases (CVD), stroke, hypertension, and diabetes in women with breast cancer.

METHODS: Study identified 246,686 women diagnosed with breast cancer at age≥65 years in 1991-2015 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database. Women were free of ADRD at the time of cancer diagnosis and followed from 1991 to 2016.

RESULTS: Cumulative incidence of AD over 26 years of follow-up varied …

Surgical Intervention For Phlegmasia Cerulea Dolens In A 61-Year-Old Cancer Patient, Christopher Ruben-Castillo, Cesar Cuen-Ojeda, Gabriel Lopez-Peña, Javier E Anaya-Ayala, Carlos A Hinojosa

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Phlegmasia cerulea dolens, a rare and potentially fatal complication of acute deep vein thrombosis, is characterized by substantial edema, intense pain, and cyanosis. Phlegmasia cerulea dolens may compromise limb perfusion and lead to acute ischemia, gangrene, amputation, and death. We present the case of a 61-year-old woman with a history of breast cancer who had signs and symptoms of phlegmasia cerulea dolens in her left leg. She was treated promptly with open surgical thrombectomy and sequential distal compression with use of an Esmarch bandage to ensure complete thrombus extraction. These techniques restored venous flow and saved her leg. Open surgical …

Left Ventricular Assist Device Support And Longitudinal Sleeve Gastrectomy Combined With Diet In Bridge To Heart Transplant, Mandy Ng, Beverly Rodgers, Saadiya Rehman, Sriram S Nathan, Kulvinder S Bajwa, Shinil K Shah, Bindu H Akkanti, Marwan F Jumean, Sachin Kumar, Jennifer L Dressel, Rajko Radovancevic, Melissa M Felinski, Biswajit Kar, Igor D Gregoric

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Combining left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation and longitudinal sleeve gastrectomy may enable patients with morbid obesity to lose enough weight for heart transplant eligibility. In a retrospective study, we evaluated long-term outcomes of patients with body mass indexes ≥35 who underwent LVAD implantation and longitudinal sleeve gastrectomy during the same hospitalization (from January 2013 through July 2018) and then adhered to a dietary protocol. We included 22 patients (mean age, 49.9 ± 12.5 yr; mean preoperative body mass index, 43.3 ± 6.2). Eighteen months after gastrectomy, all 22 patients were alive, and 16 (73%) achieved a body mass index …