Cardiology Commons^™

Severe Dyspnea And Cough, Traci Mellinger Kohl, Elizabeth Cartwright

The Medicine Forum

A 43 year-old white male with a history of hypertension and a smoking history of 30 pack-years presented to the emergency room coplaining of cough, severe dyspnea, nausea, and vomiting. Ten days prior to presentation, he experienced flu-like symptoms with a low-grade fever, myalgias, and malaise that lasted approximately four days but resolved spontaneously. He had a cough productive of white sputum and blood-tinged nasal drainage for one week. Three days prior to presentation he began to experience right upper quadrant abdominal pain and bilious vomiting. The patient worked as a bar inspector and had a routine PPD check 9 …

Interstage Mortality After The Norwood Procedure: Results Of The Multicenter Single Ventricle Reconstruction Trial., Nancy S. Ghanayem, Kerstin R. Allen, Sarah Tabbutt, Andrew M. Atz, Martha L. Clabby, David S. Cooper, Pirooz Eghtesady, Peter C. Frommelt, Peter J. Gruber, Kevin D. Hill, Jonathan R. Kaltman, Peter C. Laussen, Alan B. Lewis, Karen J. Lurito, L Luann Minich, Richard G. Ohye, Julie V. Schonbeck, Steven M. Schwartz, Rakesh K. Singh, Caren S. Goldberg, Pediatric Heart Network Investigators, Girish S. Shirali

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE: For infants with single ventricle malformations undergoing staged repair, interstage mortality is reported at 2% to 20%. The Single Ventricle Reconstruction trial randomized subjects with a single morphologic right ventricle undergoing a Norwood procedure to a modified Blalock-Taussig shunt (MBTS) or a right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery shunt (RVPAS). The aim of this analysis was to explore the associations of interstage mortality and shunt type, and demographic, anatomic, and perioperative factors.

METHODS: Participants in the Single Ventricle Reconstruction trial who survived to discharge after the Norwood procedure were included (n = 426). Interstage mortality was defined as death postdischarge after the …

Pediatric Pharmacogenomics: A Systematic Assessment Of Ontogeny And Genetic Variation To Guide The Design Of Statin Studies In Children., Jonathan B. Wagner, J Steven Leeder

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

The dose-exposure-response relationship for drugs may differ in pediatric patients compared with adults. Many clinical studies have established drug dose-exposure relationships across the pediatric age spectrum; however, genetic variation was seldom included. This article applies a systematic approach to determine the relative contribution of development and genetic variation on drug disposition and response using HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors as a model. Application of the approach drives the collection of information relevant to understanding the potential contribution of ontogeny and genetic variation to statin dose-exposure-response in children, and identifies important knowledge deficits to be addressed through the design of future studies.

Cause, Timing, And Location Of Death In The Single Ventricle Reconstruction Trial., Richard G. Ohye, Julie V. Schonbeck, Pirooz Eghtesady, Peter C. Laussen, Christian Pizarro, Peter Shrader, Deborah U. Frank, Eric M. Graham, Kevin D. Hill, Jeffrey P. Jacobs, Kirk R. Kanter, Joel A. Kirsh, Linda M. Lambert, Alan B. Lewis, Chitra Ravishankar, James S. Tweddell, Ismee A. Williams, Gail D. Pearson, Pediatric Heart Network Investigators, Girish S. Shirali

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVES: The Single Ventricle Reconstruction trial randomized 555 subjects with a single right ventricle undergoing the Norwood procedure at 15 North American centers to receive either a modified Blalock-Taussig shunt or right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery shunt. Results demonstrated a rate of death or cardiac transplantation by 12 months postrandomization of 36% for the modified Blalock-Taussig shunt and 26% for the right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery shunt, consistent with other publications. Despite this high mortality rate, little is known about the circumstances surrounding these deaths.

METHODS: There were 164 deaths within 12 months postrandomization. A committee adjudicated all deaths for cause and recorded the …

Variation In Perioperative Care Across Centers For Infants Undergoing The Norwood Procedure., Sara K. Pasquali, Richard G. Ohye, Minmin Lu, Jonathan Kaltman, Christopher A. Caldarone, Christian Pizarro, Carolyn Dunbar-Masterson, J William Gaynor, Jeffrey P. Jacobs, Aditya K. Kaza, Jane Newburger, John F. Rhodes, Mark Scheurer, Eric Silver, Lynn A. Sleeper, Sarah Tabbutt, James Tweddell, Karen Uzark, Winfield Wells, William T. Mahle, Gail D. Pearson, Pediatric Heart Network Investigators, Girish S. Shirali

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVES: In the Single Ventricle Reconstruction trial, infants undergoing the Norwood procedure were randomly allocated to undergo a right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery shunt or a modified Blalock-Taussig shunt. Apart from shunt type, subjects received the local standard of care. We evaluated variation in perioperative care during the Norwood hospitalization across 14 trial sites.

METHODS: Data on preoperative, operative, and postoperative variables for 546 enrolled subjects who underwent the Norwood procedure were collected prospectively on standardized case report forms, and variation across the centers was described.

RESULTS: Gestational age, birth weight, and proportion with hypoplastic left heart syndrome were similar across sites. …

The Ventricular Volume Variability Study Of The Pediatric Heart Network: Study Design And Impact Of Beat Averaging And Variable Type On The Reproducibility Of Echocardiographic Measurements In Children With Chronic Dilated Cardiomyopathy., Steven D. Colan, Girish S. Shirali, Renee Margossian, Dianne Gallagher, Karen Altmann, Charles Canter, Shan Chen, Fraser Golding, Elizabeth Radojewski, Michael Camitta, Michael Carboni, Jack Rychik, Mario Stylianou, Lloyd Y. Tani, Elif Seda Selamet Tierney, Yanli Wang, Lynn A. Sleeper, Pediatric Heart Network Investigators

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Clinical trials often rely on echocardiographic measures of left ventricular size and function as surrogate end points. However, the quantitative impact of factors that affect the reproducibility of these measures is unknown. To address this issue, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-funded Pediatric Heart Network designed a longitudinal observational study of children with known or suspected dilated cardiomyopathy aged 0 to 22 years from eight pediatric clinical centers.

METHODS: Clinical data were collected together with 150 echocardiographic indices of left ventricular size and function. Separate observers performed duplicate echocardiographic imaging. Multiple observers performed measurements from three cardiac cycles …

Intermediate-Term Mortality And Cardiac Transplantation In Infants With Single-Ventricle Lesions: Risk Factors And Their Interaction With Shunt Type., James S. Tweddell, Lynn A. Sleeper, Richard G. Ohye, Ismee A. Williams, Lynn Mahony, Christian Pizarro, Victoria L. Pemberton, Peter C. Frommelt, Scott M. Bradley, James F. Cnota, Jennifer Hirsch, Paul M. Kirshbom, Jennifer S. Li, Nancy Pike, Michael Puchalski, Chitra Ravishankar, Jeffrey P. Jacobs, Peter C. Laussen, Brian W. Mccrindle, Pediatric Heart Network Investigators, Girish S. Shirali

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE: The study objective was to identify factors associated with death and cardiac transplantation in infants undergoing the Norwood procedure and to determine differences in associations that might favor the modified Blalock-Taussig shunt or a right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery shunt.

METHODS: We used competing risks methodology to analyze death without transplantation, cardiac transplantation, and survival without transplantation. Parametric time-to-event modeling and bootstrapping were used to identify independent predictors.

RESULTS: Data from 549 subjects (follow-up, 2.7 ± 0.9 years) were analyzed. Mortality risk was characterized by early and constant phases; transplant was characterized by only a constant phase. Early phase factors associated …

Does Initial Shunt Type For The Norwood Procedure Affect Echocardiographic Measures Of Cardiac Size And Function During Infancy?: The Single Vventricle Reconstruction Trial., Peter C. Frommelt, Lin T. Guey, L Luann Minich, Majeed Bhat, Tim J. Bradley, Steve D. Colan, Greg Ensing, Jessica Gorentz, Haleh Heydarian, J Blaine John, Wyman W. Lai, Jami C. Levine, William T. Mahle, Stephen G. Miller, Richard G. Ohye, Gail D. Pearson, Girish S. Shirali, Pierre C. Wong, Meryl S. Cohen, Pediatric Heart Network Investigators

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: The Pediatric Heart Network trial comparing outcomes in 549 infants with single right ventricle undergoing a Norwood procedure randomized to modified Blalock-Taussig shunt or right ventricle-pulmonary artery shunt (RVPAS) found better 1-year transplant-free survival in those who received RVPAS. We sought to compare the impact of shunt type on echocardiographic indices of cardiac size and function up to 14 months of age.

METHODS AND RESULTS: A core laboratory measured indices of cardiac size and function from protocol exams: early after Norwood procedure (age 22.5 ± 13.4 days), before stage II procedure (age 4.8 ± 1.8 months), and at 14 …

Early Developmental Outcome In Children With Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome And Related Anomalies: The Single Ventricle Reconstruction Trial., Jane W. Newburger, Lynn A. Sleeper, David C. Bellinger, Caren S. Goldberg, Sarah Tabbutt, Minmin Lu, Kathleen A. Mussatto, Ismee A. Williams, Kathryn E. Gustafson, Seema Mital, Nancy Pike, Erica Sood, William T. Mahle, David S. Cooper, Carolyn Dunbar-Masterson, Catherine Dent Krawczeski, Alan Lewis, Shaji C. Menon, Victoria L. Pemberton, Chitra Ravishankar, Teresa W. Atz, Richard G. Ohye, J William Gaynor, Pediatric Heart Network Investigators, Girish S. Shirali

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Survivors of the Norwood procedure may experience neurodevelopmental impairment. Clinical trials to improve outcomes have focused primarily on methods of vital organ support during cardiopulmonary bypass.

METHODS AND RESULTS: In the Single Ventricle Reconstruction trial of the Norwood procedure with modified Blalock-Taussig shunt versus right-ventricle-to-pulmonary-artery shunt, 14-month neurodevelopmental outcome was assessed by use of the Psychomotor Development Index (PDI) and Mental Development Index (MDI) of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II. We used multivariable regression to identify risk factors for adverse outcome. Among 373 transplant-free survivors, 321 (86%) returned at age 14.3 ± 1.1 (mean ± SD) months. Mean …

Effect Of Obstructive Sleep Apnea On Mitral Valve Tenting., Gregg S. Pressman, Vincent M. Figueredo, Abel Romero-Corral, Ganesan Murali, Morris N Kotler

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Obstructive apneas produce high negative intrathoracic pressure which imposes an afterload burden on the left ventricle. Such episodes might produce structural changes in the left ventricle over time. Doppler echocardiograms were obtained within 2 months of attended polysomnography. Patients were grouped according to apnea-hypopnea index (AHI): mild/no OSA (AHI < 15) and mod/severe OSA (AHI ≥ 15). Mitral valve tenting height and area, left ventricular (LV) long and short axis, and LV end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), were measured along with tissue Doppler parameters. Comparisons of measurements at baseline and follow up between and within groups were obtained; correlations between absolute changes (deltas) in echocardiographic parameters were also performed. After a mean follow up of 240 days mitral valve tenting height increased significantly (1.17 ± 0.12 cm to 1.28 ± 0.17 cm, p=0.001) in mod/severe OSA as did tenting area (2.30 ± 0.41 cm² to 2.66 ± 0.60 cm², p=0.0002); delta tenting height correlated with delta LVEDV (rho 0.43, p=0.01) and delta tenting area (rho 0.35, p=0.04). In mild/no OSA patients there was no significant change in tenting height; there was a borderline significant increase in tenting area (2.20 ± 0.44 cm …

Invited Commentary On: Orthotopic Heart Transplantation In Patients With Metabolic Risk Factors, Nicholas C. Cavarocchi, Paul Mather

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

This is invited commentary to the following article:

Kilic, A., Conte, J. V., Shah, A. S., & Yuh, D. D. (2012). Orthotopic heart transplantation in patients with metabolic risk factors. Annals of Thoracic Surgery, 93(3), 718-724.

Effects Of Preoperative Aspirin On Cardiocerebral And Renal Complications In Non-Emergent Cardiac Surgery Patients: A Sub-Group And Cohort Study., Longhui Cao, Scott Silvestry, Ning Zhao, James Diehl, Jianzhong Sun

Department of Anesthesiology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Postoperative cardiocerebral and renal complications are a major threat for patients undergoing cardiac surgery. This study was aimed to examine the effect of preoperative aspirin use on patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

METHODS: An observational cohort study was performed on consecutive patients (n = 1879) receiving cardiac surgery at this institution. The patients excluded from the study were those with preoperative anticoagulants, unknown aspirin use, or underwent emergent cardiac surgery. Outcome events included were 30-day mortality, renal failure, readmission and a composite outcome - major adverse cardiocerebral events (MACE) that include permanent or transient stroke, coma, perioperative myocardial …

Mid-Aortic Syndrome In A 3-Year-Old Girl Successfully Treated By Aorto-Aortic Grafting And Renal Artery Implantation Into The Graft, Tanja Kersnik Levart, Tomislav Klokocovnik

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Mid-aortic syndrome, an uncommon acquired or congenital condition characterized by segmental narrowing of the abdominal or distal descending thoracic aorta, is frequently accompanied by ostial stenosis of the aorta's branches. If left untreated, it can result in life-threatening complications secondary to severe hypertension.

We report the case of a 3-year-old girl with congenital mid-aortic syndrome, who was diagnosed by chance in the course of a viral illness, and whose high blood pressure values were first dismissed as inaccurate. Attempts to achieve medical or endovascular control of her hypertension were unsuccessful. She was thereafter successfully treated by aorto–aortic bypass grafting, resection …

Intramyocardial Hematoma From Blunt Trauma Mimicking Apical Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Meta Linda Mobula, Sammy Zakaria, Glenn A Hirsch

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Transcatheter Retrieval And Repositioning Of Embolized Stent From The Right Ventricle In An Infant, Daisuke Kobayashi, Harinder R Singh, Daniel R Turner, Thomas J Forbes, Srinath T Gowda

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Intracardiac stent embolization is a challenging complication in a small infant. A Palmaz stent was placed across the atrial septum in a 3-month-old boy to relieve symptoms of right-side heart failure. On routine chest radiography one week later, the stent was found to have embolized into the right ventricle. The stent was retrieved and repositioned by means of transcatheter technique, without subsequent complications. We found this method to be a viable alternative to surgery in a high-risk infant. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the successful transcatheter retrieval and repositioning of an expandable intravascular stent from an …

Coronary Arteriovenous Fistulae: The Complexity Of Coronary Artery-To-Coronary Sinus Connections, Todd L Kiefer, Anna Lisa Crowley, James Jaggers, J Kevin Harrison

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Coronary artery fistulae are a rare cardiovascular anomaly. Even less common are multiple fistulae involving more than 1 coronary artery. Herein we report the case of a 47-year-old woman who had fistulae from both the right coronary and left circumflex coronary arteries draining into the coronary sinus. These lesions we attempted to close percutaneously but subsequently closed surgically. We discuss diagnostic imaging approaches, along with closure indications, closure options, and outcomes.

Eae/Ase Recommendations For Image Acquisition And Display Using Three-Dimensional Echocardiography., Roberto M. Lang, Luigi P. Badano, Wendy Tsang, David H. Adams, Eustachio Agricola, Thomas Buck, Francesco F. Faletra, Andreas Franke, Judy Hung, Leopoldo Pérez De Isla, Otto Kamp, Jaroslaw D. Kasprzak, Patrizio Lancellotti, Thomas H. Marwick, Marti L. Mcculloch, Mark J. Monaghan, Petros Nihoyannopoulos, Natesa G. Pandian, Patricia A. Pellikka, Mauro Pepi, David A. Roberson, Stanton K. Shernan, Girish S. Shirali, Lissa Sugeng, Folkert J. Ten Cate, Mani A. Vannan, Jose Luis Zamorano, William A. Zoghbi, American Society Of Echocardiography, European Association Of Echocardiography

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

No abstract provided.

Eae/Ase Recommendations For Image Acquisition And Display Using Three-Dimensional Echocardiography., Roberto M. Lang, Luigi P. Badano, Wendy Tsang, David H. Adams, Eustachio Agricola, Thomas Buck, Francesco F. Faletra, Andreas Franke, Judy Hung, Leopoldo Pérez De Isla, Otto Kamp, Jaroslaw D. Kasprzak, Patrizio Lancellotti, Thomas H. Marwick, Marti L. Mcculloch, Mark J. Monaghan, Petros Nihoyannopoulos, Natesa G. Pandian, Patricia A. Pellikka, Mauro Pepi, David A. Roberson, Stanton K. Shernan, Girish S. Shirali, Lissa Sugeng, Folkert J. Ten Cate, Mani A. Vannan, Jose Luis Zamorano, William A. Zoghbi, American Society Of Echocardiography, European Association Of Echocardiography

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

No abstract provided.

Peripartum Cardiomyopathy: A Review, Anirban Bhattacharyya, Sukhdeep Singh Basra, Priyanka Sen, Biswajit Kar

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is idiopathic heart failure occurring in the absence of any determinable heart disease during the last month of pregnancy or the first 5 months postpartum. The incidence varies worldwide but is high in developing nations; the cause of the disease might be a combination of environmental and genetic factors. Diagnostic echocardiographic criteria include left ventricular ejection fraction2.7 cm/m(2). Electrocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging, endomyocardial biopsy, and cardiac catheterization aid in the diagnosis and management of peripartum cardiomyopathy. Cardiac protein assays can also be useful, as suggested by reports of high levels of NT-proBNP, cardiac troponin, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, …

Culprit-Vessel Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Followed By Contralateral Angiography Versus Complete Angiography In Patients With St-Elevation Myocardial Infarction, Chadi Dib, Elias B Hanna, Muhammad A Chaudhry, Thomas A Hennebry, Stavros Stavrakis, Mazen S Abu-Fadel

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

In patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction, delay in door-to-balloon time strongly increases mortality rates. To our knowledge, no randomized studies to date have focused on reducing delays within the catheterization laboratory.

We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients who presented with ST-elevation myocardial infarction at our institution from July 2006 through June 2010, looking primarily at time differences between percutaneous coronary intervention in the culprit vessel on the basis of ECG criteria, followed by contralateral angiography (Group 1), versus complete coronary angiography followed by culprit-vessel percutaneous intervention (Group 2).

There were 49 patients in Group 1 and 57 patients …

Medical Education On The Brink: 62 Years Of Front-Line Observations And Opinions, Herbert L Fred

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Extreme Thrombocytosis And Cardiovascular Surgery: Risks And Management, Ethan A Natelson

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Extreme thrombocytosis is a major risk factor for excessive bleeding and for thrombosis, either of which can complicate cardiovascular surgical and interventional procedures. Extreme thrombocytosis can also cause an unusual syndrome, erythromelalgia, that results in a type of chronic microvascular occlusive arterial disease. We present the differential diagnosis of conditions that may lead to extreme thrombocytosis, 3 cases (each of which illustrates a different potential complication), and a review of the pertinent medical literature. Correcting excessive thrombocytosis is typically not difficult, whether electively or acutely, and effective therapy usually controls thrombosis and excessive hemorrhage post-procedurally.

Pulmonary Resection In The 21st Century: The Role Of Robotics, Robert J Cerfolio

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia As A Cause Of Intracoronary Drug-Eluting-Stent Thrombosis, Zaven Sargsyan, Christopher Higgins, Sanda Alexandrescu, David A Ott, Surendra K Jain

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Stent thrombosis is a potentially lethal complication of percutaneous coronary intervention. We describe the case of a 51-year-old man who presented with acute anterior ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction and underwent successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and placement of 3 drug-eluting stents in the left anterior descending coronary artery. Despite receiving dual antiplatelet therapy, the patient presented a week later with a non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction and was found to have nonocclusive thrombosis of the left anterior descending coronary artery stents and his ostial left main and left circumflex coronary arteries. Subsequently, bone marrow biopsy analysis indicated that the patient had acute myelogenous …

Early Cardiac Metastasis From Squamous Cell Carcinoma Of The Tongue In 2 Patients, Jean Onwuchekwa, Jose Banchs

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Cardiac metastasis from primary tumors is rare. Cardiac metastasis from squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue is rare; in the English-language medical literature, we read of only 4 patients with this condition. Here, we discuss the cases of 2 such patients who presented at our institution only a few months apart. In both, with the use of 2-dimensional echocardiography, we incidentally found cardiac metastasis from squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. Resection of the cardiac masses was precluded. These cases illustrate the usefulness of early cardiac evaluation with 2-dimensional echocardiography in patients with head and neck cancer and known metastatic …

Restoration Of Microcirculatory Patency After Myocardial Infarction: Results Of Current Coronary Interventional Strategies And Techniques, Marlos R Fernandes, R David Fish, John Canales, Jonathan Aliota, Guilherme V Silva, Emerson C Perin, Macarthur A Elayda, James M Wilson

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

We sought to evaluate the restoration of microcirculatory patency after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in an unselected cohort of patients at a tertiary center.

We retrospectively evaluated distributions of the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) myocardial perfusion grade (TMPG) and the myocardial blush grade (MBG) in all primary PCI procedures performed at our institution during 2008. We defined optimal microvascular perfusion as simultaneous TMPG 3 and MBG 3 at procedure's end.

Ninety-nine patients (mean age, 61.5 ± 12.7 yr; 64 men) underwent primary PCI. Microvascular perfusion was optimal in 69 patients (69.7%) and was associated with lower peaks of …

Nitinol Thermoreactive Clips For Secondary Sternal Closure In Cases Of Noninfective Sternal Dehiscence, Arif Gucu, Faruk Toktas, Cuneyt Eris, Yusuf Ata, Tamer Turk

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Postoperative sternal dehiscence is a potentially catastrophic sequela to median sternotomy that can cause not only chest-wall discomfort and pulmonary dysfunction but infection, both superficial and mediastinal. Nitinol thermoreactive clips use a novel material in the treatment of sternal dehiscence. We sought to determine whether the use of these clips is an effective remedy for noninfective sternal dehiscence.

From January 2008 through December 2011, we retrospectively studied the data on 10 patients whose sternums had been closed with nitinol thermoreactive clips after the development of noninfective sternal dehiscence. Diagnosis was made on the bases of clinical criteria, chest radiography, and …

After Avandia: The Use Of Antidiabetic Drugs In Patients With Heart Failure, Khaled I Khalaf, Heinrich Taegtmeyer

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Managing diabetes mellitus is an ongoing concern, especially in the presence of heart failure. Recent reports have drawn attention to adverse cardiovascular events associated with the use of thiazolidinediones, including rosiglitazone (Avandia). In 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration implemented a stringent “restricted access program” for the prescription of Avandia. Other studies, which have revealed increased mortality rates in association with tight glycemic control, raise serious concerns about managing diabetes in heart-failure patients.

Herein, we provide a perspective on the management of noninsulin-dependent diabetes in patients with heart failure. We point out that thiazolidinediones exert their major effects through …

The History Of Art Versus The Art Of Surgery, Ugo Filippo Tesler

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Hypoplastic Right-Heart Syndrome Presenting As Multiple Miscarriages, Chadi Dib, Philip A Araoz, Norman P Davies, Joseph A Dearani, Naser M Ammash

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Reversible causes of miscarriage are many, but they affect only 1% of women who are trying to conceive. Herein, we describe the case of a 23-year-old woman who presented for evaluation of repeated miscarriages and was found to have hypoxemia and erythrocytosis. Further evaluation revealed hypoplastic right-heart syndrome with an intracardiac shunt. She underwent hybrid repair with pulmonary valve balloon valvuloplasty, followed by surgery to perform atrial septal defect closure and a Glenn anastomosis. The erythrocytosis and hypoxemia resolved, and she was able to conceive and deliver a healthy baby at term 2 years later.

This is a unique case …