Percutaneous implantation of a ventricular partitioning device for treatment of ischemic heart failure: initial experience of a center.

The Parachute is a novel left ventricular (LV) partitioning device that is deployed percutaneously in the left ventricle in patients with anteroapical regional wall motion abnormalities, dilated LV and systolic dysfunction after anterior myocardial infarction (MI). The implantable device is a partitioning membrane that isolates the dysfunctional region of the ventricle and decreases chamber volume. Data from the first-in-human clinical trial - the Percutaneous Ventricular Restoration in Chronic Heart Failure (PARACHUTE) trial- has shown that this new device is associated with significant and sustained LV volume reduction and improvement in LV hemodynamics and functional capacity in the 12 months after implantation, with a relatively low rate of clinical events, indicating that it may have a beneficial effect in the treatment of ischemic heart failure. We aim to describe our initial experience with implantation of the Parachute LV partitioning device and its short-term safety, defined as the successful delivery and deployment of the device.

Treatment of type-A aortic dissection using endoprosthesis occurring after coronary artery bypass surgery.

Type-A aortic dissection is a rare and often fatal complication following coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). Corrective surgery seldom improves patient outcome. This report reviews and discusses endoprosthetic correction of type-A aortic dissection. A case of a transluminal correction of acute type-A aortic dissection one year after CABG in a 66-year-old male with a history of ischemic and severely compromised left ventricular function is presented. A prosthesis originally designed for the abdominal aorta was successfully used. Regular follow-up was performed and nearly 3 years post prosthesis implantation the patient is stable in New York Heart Association class II. To the authors' knowledge there are no other literature reports of endoprosthetic correction of a type-A aortic dissection in the context of CABG with saphenous grafts.

Complex ventricular septal rupture with dissection of the right ventricular wall in ischemic context.

A 72-year-old man was admitted to the local hospital with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction. In the first 24 hours, a new onset apical murmur was heard. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography showed interventricular septal (IVS) rupture and dissection of the right ventricle (RV) wall forming an echolucent pseudocavity that partially occupied the RV and communicated with the true RV cavity. Multislice computed tomography characterized in detail the IVS and RV wall dissection, and further showed the right coronary artery in the outer border of the RV and pseudocavity, excluding pericardial fluid. Despite surgical correction, progression to cardiogenic shock and death occurred 33 days after admission.

[Multislice computed tomography in the selection of candidates for transcatheter aortic valve implantation]. / Tomografia computorizada multicorte na avaliação de candidatos a implantação de prótese aórtica percutânea.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation is an emerging treatment option for severe symptomatic aortic stenosis in patients considered unsuitable for surgical valve replacement. The authors review the use of multislice computed tomography in the selection of candidates for transcatheter aortic valve replacement, procedural support and post-interventional follow-up. A single-center experience of the role of this imaging technique is also described. Multislice computed tomography is an essential imaging tool in the selection and exclusion of candidates for transcatheter aortic valve implantation, providing evaluation of coronary anatomy and the relationship of the coronary ostia with the aortic valve structure, and accurate analysis of the valve annulus and aortic root, left ventricular outflow tract, aorta and peripheral vascular access routes. Multislice computed tomography is also central to the choice of appropriate prosthesis size. In addition, it guides arterial puncture by image fusion techniques and enables correct prosthesis apposition to be verified. This review aims to describe the role of computed tomography in this increasingly common interventional valve procedure, providing an overview of current knowledge and applications.