What is cardiac resynchronisation therapy and who will benefit?

Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy (CRT) has been used extensively over the last years in the therapeutic management of the patients with end stage heart failure based on the data of large randomized trials on CRT. CRT improves symptoms, exercise capacity, quality of life and echocardiographic indices of severe systolic heart failure besides reduction in heart failure related hospitalizations and improvement in survival. However, there may be some non-responders as well. There is on-going research, which will identify patients without conventional indications for CRT so as to improve the responder rate. Tissue Doppler Imaging (TDI) techniques will assume an important role in identifying patients for CRT.

Implantable cardioverter defibrillatory implantation in a patient with persistent left superior vena cava and right superior vena cava atresia.

Persistence of a left superior vena cava has been observed in 0.3% of the general population as established by autopsy findings. In the adult population. it is an important anatomic finding if a left or right superior vena cava approach to the heart is considered for device implantation. We present a case with persistent left superior vena cava and right superior vena cava atresia in whom a dual chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillator was implanted and was technically challenging.

Catheter ablation of left free wall accessory pathway in a patient with inferior vena cava interruption.

Access to the right side of the heart for diagnostic and interventional procedures is usually obtained via the femoral vein and inferior vena cava. Anatomic variations or obstruction of the inferior vena cava can make this access difficult. In such cases, alternative routes to the right side of the heart such as the azygos vein and the superior vena cava can be used.

Aortoarteritis with systemic lupus erythematosus and secondary antiphospholipid antibody syndrome: a rare association.

A 41-year-old woman diagnosed with aortoarteritis since 1988 was admitted with unstable angina. She also had anemia, thrombocytopenia, aortic regurgitation and pulmonary artery hypertension. She gave a history of recurrent fetal loss and myocardial infarction, following which angioplasty to the left anterior descending artery had been done. After investigation, a diagnosis of aortoarteritis with systemic lupus erythematosus and associated antiphospholipid antibody syndrome was made. Aortoarteritis may coexist with systemic lupus erythematosus and associated antiphospholipid antibody syndrome.

Percutaneous intraaortic balloon pulsation for management of life threatening emergencies in an intensive coronary care unit.

The indications for the outcome of use of intraaortic balloon pulsation (IABP) in 66 patients (65 males, 1 female), in addition to the usual conventional medical therapy, are reported here. IABP was used for treatment of cardiogenic shock (5 patients), acute myocardial infarction with rupture of interventricular septum (2 patients), acute myocardial infarction with refractory left ventricular failure (2 patients), resistant ventricular tachyarrhythmias (5 patients), refractory angina (50 patients) and for hypotension following high risk coronary angiography (2 patients). A Datascope 10.5 F percutaneous balloon was inserted in all, mostly using the left femoral artery. Either definitive treatment (coronary artery bypass surgery or coronary angioplasty) was offered when feasible or the balloon was weaned off. Twelve patients underwent coronary angiography on IABP; while 31 patients had undergone the angiography earlier. Surgery was possible in 33 patients with 90% survival rate. The non surgical group showed 30% survival rate. The complications of IABP encountered were: leg ischaemia (2 patients), septicemia (4 patients) and balloon rupture (2 patients). Our experience suggests that percutaneous IABP is a very useful management procedure for seriously sick high risk patients prior to definitive therapy. Patients who could have a definitive treatment while on IABP, especially the group with refractory angina, did best on a short term follow up. Vascular complications are minimal while on IABP.