AIMS Pulmonary vein ablation offers the potential to cure patients with atrial fibrillation. In this study, we investigated the incidence of pulmonary vein stenosis after radiofrequency catheter ablation of refractory atrial fibrillation by systematic long-term follow-up. METHODS AND RESULTS Forty-seven patients with refractory and highly symptomatic atrial fibrillation underwent radiofrequen...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Pulmonary arterial stenosis is a relatively common complication after corrective operation of congenital heart disease. Unilateral stenosis of pulmonary arteries could result in decrease perfusion of affected lung, pulmonary regurgitation, or elevation of right ventricular pressure. Eventually there are increasing risks of right ventricular failure, arrhythmia, or sudd...

Fourty-three operations were performed on a total of 41 patients consisting of atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, ventricular septal defect with pulmonary stenosis, tetralogy of Fallot, aortic valve stenosis, pulmonary valve stenosis and coarctation of the aorta under hypothermia using intrathoracic rewarming. All patients but 2 cases with tetralogy Fallot have been completely cur...

Patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis often have no pulmonary oedema despite considerably increased pulmonary venous pressure. Pulmonary microvascular permeability was measured non-invasively by a previously validated method of double isotope scintigraphy with indium-113m and technetium-99m. This permits calculation of an index reflecting transferrin efflux and thus, indirectly, the microvasc...

BACKGROUND Severe congenital mitral stenosis (MS) is a rare anomaly that is frequently associated with additional left heart obstructions. Anatomic treatments for congenital MS include balloon mitral valvuloplasty (BMVP), surgical mitral valvuloplasty (SMVP), and mitral valve replacement (MVR), although the optimal therapeutic strategy is unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS Between 1985 and 2003, 10...

Twenty children with pulmonary valvular stenosis were studied by cardiac catheterization both at rest and during submaximal supine exercise, prior to and following pulmonary valvotomy. The resting and exercise states were comparable preoperatively and postoperatively since cardiac output, heart rate, A V 02 difference and oxygen consumption were similar. Evidence of improved cardiac function wa...

Objective: Valvotomy and the autograft procedure are the most common surgical treatment options for children with valvular aortic stenosis. We evaluated the results of these surgical procedures in our institution. Methods: Retrospective analysis was done of all patients presenting with aortic stenosis and operated upon before the age of 18. In 11 patients a valvotomy was performed and in 36 an ...

n engl j med 354;21 www.nejm.org may 25, 2006 2289 To the Editor: In their study of circumferential pulmonary-vein ablation in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation, Oral et al. (March 2 issue)1 do not mention evaluation or discuss the potential complication of pulmonary-vein stenosis. In their definition of ostial stenosis, they rely on the electroanatomical “tube depiction” method as a gu...

BACKGROUND Carcinoid heart disease typically results in pulmonary stenosis and tricuspid incompetence. Percutaneous balloon dilatation is an effective treatment for congenital pulmonary stenosis and has been applied successfully to tricuspid stenosis caused by carcinoid heart disease. The value of balloon dilatation of the pulmonary valve in carcinoid pulmonary stenosis was assessed. METHODS ...

BACKGROUND The classification of pulmonary stenosis (PS) severity based on the transpulmonary pressure gradient, which is affected by flow rate. CASE REPORT We report the first case of a pregnant patient with atrial septal defect (ASD) and pulmonary stenosis that was misclassified by conventional echocardiographic methods. Most importantly, three-dimensional transoesophageal echocardiographic...