Balloon dilatation (BD) of bioprosthetic valves was investigated in vivo and in vitro. Four children with stenotic bioprosthetic porcine valves in the pulmonary position underwent BD of the valve 10 to 24 months after its insertion. Average valve gradient was reduced from 47.5 to 27 mm Hg. Obstruction at the conduit-branch pulmonary artery connection became apparent after dilatation of the valv...

Pulmonary hypertension frequently complicates mitral stenosis. Increased pulmonary artery pressure results from raised left atrial pressure, pulmonary arteriolar constriction, and obliterative changes in the pulmonary vascular bed, and usually responds to surgical relief of mitral stenosis. However, severe pulmonary hypertension may persist after surgical treatment of mitral stenosis. We descri...

An increasing number of patients with tetralogy of Fallot require repeat surgical intervention for pulmonary valve replacement secondary to pulmonary regurgitation. Catheter-based interventions have emerged as an attractive alternative to surgery in this patient population but it is limited by patient size or the anatomy of the right ventricular outflow tract. Hybrid approaches involving both c...

Pseudoaneurysm formation after aortic valve and root replacement is a postoperative complication that has traditionally been addressed by surgical means. We describe a case of a large subaortic pseudoaneurysm successfully occluded by transcatheter device closure. A 64-year-old woman with a history of mitral valve repair and ring implantation due to severe valvular regurgitation was referred for...

Pulmonary regurgitation after repair of tetralogy of Fallot has always been an important issue for pediatric cardiac surgeons. Some of the patients may need pulmonary valve replacement in the future. Conventional prosthesis valves were seldom custom made for the pulmonary valve and were often inadequate to use because of variable age and size of these patients. Through evolution of techniques, ...

he number of women of childbearing age who have congenital heart disease is increasing. 1 A similar proportion of these women can be expected to attempt pregnancy as women in general. 2 Although most of these women can be expected to tolerate pregnancy well, particularly if the pregnancy is carefully planned following appropriate clinical evaluation, not all pregnancies are planned, and some wi...

introduction: infective endocarditis is well known to produce neurologic complications from septic emboli, which mandates a multidisciplinary approach between neurosurgery and cardiac surgery. however, literature is not clear as to the optimal interval length between neurosurgery and cardiac surgery.presentation of cases: the first case involves a 60-year-old woman with significant past medical...

a 46 year old man had been undergone aortic valve replacement (avr) due to mechanical aortic valve endocarditis two month ago. he was referred to imam khomeini hospital because of dyspnea since two weeks ago. echocardiography showed the false aneurysm, with an area of flow beyond the lumen of the aorta. this patient underwent reoperation, the previously implanted aortic valve was removed, metic...

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