Opening the "Dor," Not Always an Inferior Approach.

The Dor procedure was historically used to restore the geometry of the heart in a patient with a left ventricular (LV) aneurysm via reduction and reshaping of the LV with an aneurysmectomy. Unfortunately, morbidity and mortality remain high with this procedure, with many patients little to no recovery of their ejection fraction while developing severe diastolic failure, often requiring further support; however, the natural history of these patients remains largely unknown. Heart transplant has long been considered the most durable of treatment for patients with end-stage heart failure (HF), but because of the scarcity of donor hearts, the implantation of left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) for mechanical circulatory support has also proven to be an essential tool in the treatment of the advanced heart failure patient. While various techniques for LVAD implantation have been well outlined, there is very limited literature on placement of a VAD in patients with a history of LV aneurysmectomy or Dor procedures, particularly with regard to the challenging aspects of apical cannulation in those with prior apical ventriculotomy and patch placement. In this series, we describe three patients with a history of LV aneurysmectomy procedures who underwent Heartware ventricular assist device (HVAD) implantations for end-stage HF.

Troubleshooting electromagnetic interference in a patient with centrifugal flow left ventricular assist device and subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator.

A 25-year-old man with severe nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy underwent subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (S-ICD) implant and subsequently underwent HeartWare ventricular assist device (HVAD) placement. Postoperative interrogation revealed both primary and secondary S-ICD vectors inappropriately regarded sinus rhythm as "noise," and the alternate vector significantly undersensed sinus rhythm. The S-ICD was reinterrogated using high-resolution capture to visually confirm EMI with a dominant frequency in both the primary and secondary vectors of 46.67 Hz that fell within the S-ICD operational range of 9-60 Hz. The 46.67 Hz frequency correlated with the HVAD operational speed of 2,800 RPM. The HVAD pump speed was increased from 2,800 to 3,000 RPM, resulting in a dominant frequency of 50 Hz. The notch filter is nonprogrammable in S-ICDs. However, the built-in filter is 50 Hz for countries in European time zones as opposed to 60 Hz in US time zones due to differences in the anticipated noise from electrical sources within each continent. Thus, the S-ICD time zone was reprogrammed from EST to GMT, which reduced the notch filter from 60  to 50 Hz, resulting in S-ICD successfully eliminating EMI when the patient was in a supine position. The EMI interference was still intermittently present in the upright patient position. This case demonstrates the utility of high-resolution electrogram capture to identify the source and frequency of EMI in S-ICD and offers a potential avenue to troubleshoot dominant frequency oversensing by changing the device time zone.

The present and future disease burden of hepatitis C virus infections with today's treatment paradigm - volume 3.

The total number, morbidity and mortality attributed to viraemic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections change over time making it difficult to compare reported estimates from different years. Models were developed for 15 countries to quantify and characterize the viraemic population and forecast the changes in the infected population and the corresponding disease burden from 2014 to 2030. With the exception of Iceland, Iran, Latvia and Pakistan, the total number of viraemic HCV infections is expected to decline from 2014 to 2030, but the associated morbidity and mortality are expected to increase in all countries except for Japan and South Korea. In the latter two countries, mortality due to an ageing population will drive down prevalence, morbidity and mortality. On the other hand, both countries have already experienced a rapid increase in HCV-related mortality and morbidity. HCV-related morbidity and mortality are projected to increase between 2014 and 2030 in all other countries as result of an ageing HCV-infected population. Thus, although the total number of HCV countries is expected to decline in most countries studied, the associated disease burden is expected to increase. The current treatment paradigm is inadequate if large reductions in HCV-related morbidity and mortality are to be achieved.

Strategies to manage hepatitis C virus infection disease burden - volume 3.

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) epidemic was forecasted through 2030 for 15 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and the relative impact of two scenarios was considered: increased treatment efficacy while holding the annual number of treated patients constant and increased treatment efficacy and an increased annual number of treated patients. Increasing levels of diagnosis and treatment, in combination with improved treatment efficacy, were critical for achieving substantial reductions in disease burden. A 90% reduction in total HCV infections within 15 years is feasible in most countries studied, but it required a coordinated effort to introduce harm reduction programmes to reduce new infections, screening to identify those already infected and treatment with high cure rate therapies. This suggests that increased capacity for screening and treatment will be critical in many countries. Birth cohort screening is a helpful tool for maximizing resources. Among European countries, the majority of patients were born between 1940 and 1985. A wider range of birth cohorts was seen in the Middle East and Asia (between 1925 and 1995).

Historical epidemiology of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in select countries - volume 3.

Detailed, country-specific epidemiological data are needed to characterize the burden of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection around the world. With new treatment options available, policy makers and public health officials must reconsider national strategies for infection control. In this study of 15 countries, published and unpublished data on HCV prevalence, viraemia, genotype, age and gender distribution, liver transplants and diagnosis and treatment rates were gathered from the literature and validated by expert consensus in each country. Viraemic prevalence in this study ranged from 0.2% in Iran and Lebanon to 4.2% in Pakistan. The largest viraemic populations were in Pakistan (7 001 000 cases) and Indonesia (3 187 000 cases). Injection drug use (IDU) and a historically unsafe blood supply were major risk factors in most countries. Diagnosis, treatment and liver transplant rates varied widely between countries. However, comparison across countries was difficult as the number of cases changes over time. Access to reliable data on measures such as these is critical for the development of future strategies to manage the disease burden.