BACKGROUND Preterm birth leads to an early switch from fetal to postnatal circulation before completion of left ventricular in utero development. In animal studies, this results in an adversely remodeled left ventricle. We determined whether preterm birth is associated with a distinct left ventricular structure and function in humans. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 234 individuals 20 to 39 ye...

LVAD is a mechanical pump supporting a weak heart function and blood flow. Sometimes, the heart may not recover fast enough to take over the pumping action immediately after surgery, in such patients a temporary support device has been employed to maintain the pumping action until the patient’s own heart recovers. This device can be considered as a temporary alternative before the process of ar...

Intra-arterial and intravenous catheters were inserted in six fetal lambs at 125-130 days of gestation. On the following day, fetal arterial pressures and blood gases were monitored and fetal cardiac output and its distribution were measured by injection of radionuclide-labeled microspheres 15 mum in diameter. Acetylsalicylic acid, 55-90 mg/kg of estimated fetal weight, then was administered in...

The mortality and morbidity of fetal aortic stenosis (AS) depend on the degree of the hemodynamic effects of the stenosis, and left ventricular (LV) adaptation, development and function during fetal life. In the case of critical AS, the development of hydrops and death in utero are well recognized entities. A 23-week gestation fetus was diagnosed with critical severe AS, cardiomegaly, a dilated...

INTRODUCTION Patients with congenital heart disease frequently require graft material for repair of cardiac defects. However, currently available grafts lack growth potential and are noncontractile and thrombogenic. We have developed a viable cardiac graft that contracts spontaneously in tissue culture by seeding cells derived from fetal rat ventricular muscle into a biodegradable material. We ...

Introduction:Asthma is the most common chronic inflammatory condition affecting the lower airways among children. Asthma may influence right ventricular (RV) function and patients may develop right ventricular hypertrophy, pulmonary hypertension and cor pulmonale. The main objective of this study is to determine RV dysfunction in asymptomatic asthmatic children as detected by ti...

Percutaneous interventions have transformed management of many congenital heart lesions from fetal life through adulthood. This article is the second a two-part review recent developments in cardiac interventions, including advances devices and techniques for atrial ventricular septal defect closure, endovascular stenting obstructive lesions, interventions; as well novel three-dimensional (3D) ...

The hearts from 31 fetuses aged from 12 to 40 weeks' gestation were dissected after fixation. The right ventricle and the left ventricle plus septum were weighed separately and a ratio was established. The total and separate ventricular weights increase steadily with age and at a similar rate. Throughout fetal life the left ventricle plus septum is larger than the right ventricle, but the right...