Acute shifts in the pressure-volume relationship of the left ventricle occur under several conditions. One potential mechanism for this phenomenon is ventricular interdependence, that is, the influence of right ventricular filling on the left ventricle. This mechanism was studied in an isolated cross-circulated ejecting canine heart preparation with balloons sewn into both right and left ventri...

The constant-volume (CV) hypothesis was tested using the Mytilus galloprovincialis heart under two conditions. The volume of the ventricle, auricles and pericardium, and the flow in the heart and adjacent vessels were measured by magnetic resonance imaging. In synthetic seawater at 23°C (immersed condition), the end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV) and stroke volume (SV) were 5...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS OF THE STUDY Cardiovascular surgeries involving repair or reconstruction of heart valve leaflets with vital autologous pericardium have shown detrimental healing outcomes, mainly fibrosis with retraction. It is proposed that cells intrinsic to the pericardial implants may contribute to this fibrosis by becoming activated to proliferate and synthesize type I collagen. METHO...

Uncorrected functional tricuspid regurgitation can lead to long-term morbidity and mortality. To evaluate our results using autologous pericardium annuloplasty to treat tricuspid regurgitation, we retrospectively reviewed 59 consecutive adult patients aged 19 years to 83 years (58.7 +/- 15.5 years) who underwent tricuspid valve annuloplasty between 2000 and 2003. Concomitant procedures consiste...

OBJECTIVES An adult pig model of retrosternal adhesion formation via an inferior hemisternotomy was used to evaluate the formation and development of pericardial and retrosternal adhesions, as well as adhesion reduction using two thicknesses of a bioabsorbable polylactide film. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-five adult female pigs (70 kg) were allocated to either a control group or four differe...

Between April 1969 and November 1973 103 patients underwent isolated mitral replacement with three-cusp stented tissue valves. Autologous fascia lata was used in 50 patients, homologous fascia lata in 21, and heterologous pericardium in 32. The early mortality rate (14.6%) was influenced by age, the extent of preoperative cardiac disability, and low cardiac output. The survivors were followed u...

Percutaneous Aortic Valve (PAV) replacement is an attractive alternative to open heart surgery, especially for patients considered to be poor surgical candidates. Despite this, PAV replacement still has its limitations and associated risks. Bioprosthetic heart valves still have poor long-term durability due to calcification and mechanical failure. In addition, the implantation procedure often p...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to analyze the preoperative attributes and clinical impacts of complete pericardiectomy in chronic constrictive pericarditis. METHODS A total of 26 patients were treated from January 2001 to December 2013. The pericardium was resected as widely as possible. When excessive bleeding or hemodynamic instability occurred intraoperatively, a cardiopulmonary bypa...

Atrial fibrillation is more common in conditions with elevated atrial pressure and can be induced experimentally with acute increases in atrial pressure. We examined the effect of increased atrial pressure with and without pericardial constraint to better separate the effects of increased pressure and atrial stretch. In Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts with intact pericardium, after ligating ...

THE P A " ' PE"CAFm1"" MAY BE incompletely formed at birth, resulting in partial absence or deficiency of this membrane. As an isolated anomaly, the condition is rare. The subject was thoroughly reviewed by Ellis and assofiates' in 1959. Less than 120 validated c a m have been reported since that of Baillie' in 1793. Despite this rarity, the condition is of in-temt to the clinician and radiolog...