Cor et Vasa, 2005 (vol. 46), issue 6
Original research articles
Twenty-five-year experience with coarctation of the aorta surgery in neonatal age
Tomáš Matějka, Bohumil Hučín, Tomáš Tláskal, Pavel Vojtovič, Oleg Reich, Jan Škovránek
Cor Vasa 2005, 46(6):225-230
Introduction:Symptomatic coarctation of the aorta in neonatal age is a critical heart defect requiring urgent surgery, since inadequate blood flow to the lower half of the body results in splanchnic organ ischemia, oliguria up to anuria, which, when associated with left ventricular failure, may lead to death of the child. Patients and results:A total of 281 neonates with coarctation of the aorta underwent surgery at the Pediatric Heart Center of Motol University Hospital in the 1978-2002 period. In 192 (68.3%) cases, coarctation of the aorta was associated with another intracardiac defect, most often with ventricular septal...
The effect of prolonged anticoagulation therapy on the development of echogenic masses in patients with deep vein thrombosis
Miroslav Vítovec, Karel Roztočil, Petr Frídl
Cor Vasa 2005, 46(6):231-234
Aim:The aim of the study was to assess the difference in the regression of echogenic masses in patients with idiopathic deep vein thrombosis in a group of patients treated by anticoagulation therapy for 6 months compared with those treated for 12 months. Patients and Methods:A total of 52 patients (28 females and 24 males) with a mean age of 58 years and with idiopathic deep vein thrombosis were randomized, after six-month standard therapy (heparin, warfarin with an INR of 2-3), into a group of 25 patients with progressive therapy discontinuation and another group of 27 patients with therapy continued for another six months....
Initial experience with inducing mild hypothermia in cardiac arrest patients
Roman Škulec, Jan Bělohlávek, Tomáš Kovárník, Vladimír Dytrych, Miroslav Pšenička, Jan Horák, Aleš Linhart, Michael Aschermann
Cor Vasa 2005, 46(6):235-241
Background:Cardiac arrest will often result in severe neurological injury. Results of randomized clinical trials showed that induction of mild hypothermia (MH) in patients resuscitated from cardiac arrest to 32-34 °C for 12-24 hours can improve the neurological outcome and even reduce mortality. We have applied this treatment in our Intensive Coronary Care Unit (ICCU) since November 2002; our initial experience is reported below. Methods:We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients indicated to therapeutic MH in our ICCU from November 2002 to June 2004. MH was initiated as soon as possible after the return of spontaneous...
Review articles
Multicentric screening of Fabry disease in individuals with unexplained left ventricular hypertrophy. Fabry Cardio-myopathy Screening Study (FACSS): study design
Tomáš Paleček, Aleš Linhart, Sudheera Magage, Jean-Claude Lubanda, Debora Karetová, Jan Bultas, Michael Aschermann
Cor Vasa 2005, 46(6):242-245
Fabry disease is a lysosomal storage disease caused by the X-linked defect of the enzyme "-galactosidase A, which leads to intracellular accumulation of glycosphingolipids in various organs and tissues. Cardiac involvement is frequent and, in individuals with some residual enzyme activity, it may be the sole manifestation of the disease. The dominant cardiac manifestations include left ventricular hypertrophy, which may mimic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. According to current knowledge, Fabry disease is likely to be present in 3-12% of individuals with otherwise unexplained left ventricular hypertrophy on follow-up for late-onset hypertrophic cardiomyopathy....
Case reports
Use of radial artery anatomic variation for coronary artery bypass grafting
Martin Šimek, Marek Gwozdziewicz, Petr Němec, Ivo Fluger, Martin Troubil, Zdeněk Coufal
Cor Vasa 2005, 46(6):247-249
A 68-year-old man was scheduled for complete elective arterial coronary revascularization because of shortage of vein grafts. Prior to cardiac surgery, he had undergone varicose vein surgery. The revascularization procedure was performed using the internal thoracic artery (bypassing the left anterior descending artery and the diagonal branch) and the radial artery. While performing the harvesting, we noted the distal portion of the radial artery was divided into two equivalent branches. Both these branches were used for bypass grafting to the circumflex branch of the left coronary artery and to the posterior descending branch of the right coronary...
Short communication
The HOPE for Europe is PEACE: ACE inhibitors in CHD secondary prevention
Jindřich Špinar, Jiří Vítovec
Cor Vasa 2005, 46(6):251-254
PEACE (Prevention of Events with Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibition Trial) is a multicentric randomized, double-blind study, comparing treatment with the ACE inhibitor trandolapril and placebo in patients with confirmed coronary heart disease without heart failure, with an ejection fraction over 0.4 and a BPd < 100 mm Hg. A total of 8,290 patients were enrolled and followed for 4.8 years. The primary endpoint (death, nonfatal MI, CABG and PCI) was not affected (21.9% vs. 22.5%, p = 0.43). There was a decrease in hospitalization or death rates due to heart failure (2.8% vs. 3.7%, p = 0.02) and a decrease in new-onset diabetes mellitus (9.8%...
Use of temporary resynchronization therapy in cardiac surgery in patients with severe cardiomyopathy
Adrian Kolesár, Jaroslav Šimon, Jan Vojáček, Petr Telekes, Michal Horáček, Jan Burkert, Jaroslav Hlubocký, Jaroslav Špatenka, Milan Horn, Lukáš Vlk, Tomáš Vymazal, Petr Pavel
Cor Vasa 2005, 46(6):256-258
We report on a group of six patients with coronary heart disease, low ejection fraction (EF) and ventricular dyssynchrony, who-in addition to the actual cardiac surgical procedure-had been temporary biventriculary paced in an effort to improve their postoperative hemodynamic parameters.