Computer Simulation of Catheter Cryoablation for Pulmonary Vein Isolation.

Cryoablation is a well-established medical procedure for surgically treating atrial fibrillation. Cryothermal catheter therapy induces cellular necrosis by freezing the insides of pulmonary veins, with the goal of disrupting abnormal electrical heart signals. Nevertheless, tissue damage induced by cold temperatures may also lead to other complications after cardiac surgery. In this sense, the simulation of catheter ablation can provide safer environments for training and the performance of cryotherapy interventions. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a novel approach to help better understand how temperature rates can affect this procedure by using computer tools to develop a simulation framework to predict lesion size and determine optimal temperature conditions for reducing the risk of major complications. The results showed that a temperature profile of around -40 °C caused less penetration, reduced necrotic damage, and smaller lesion size in the tissue. Instead, cryotherapy close to -60 °C achieved a greater depth of temperature flow inside the tissue and a larger cross-section area of the lesion. With further development and validation, the framework could represent a cost-effective strategy for providing personalized modeling, better planning of cryocatheter-based treatment, and preventing surgical complications.

Temporary Epicardial Pacing Wire Migration to the Pulmonary Artery in the Early Postoperative Stage.

Temporary epicardial pacing wires (TEPWs) are widely used during open heart surgery to treat postoperative bradycardia or arrhythmia. They are usually removed, but the wire is cut at the skin entrance site if there is resistance upon removal. Residual TEPWs have risks of complications such as infection, but they rarely migrate to distant organs. We report a case of TEPW migration from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery during the early stage after acute type A aortic dissection surgery. Residual TEPW migration was detected incidentally during follow-up imaging for aortic dissection, and no other complications, such as residual wire infection or thrombus, were noted. The residual TEPW was safely treated using catheter therapy. This case report utilized existing patient information without intervention for research purposes, and the requirement for obtaining written patient consent was waived.

Treatment of isolated tricuspid regurgitation in 2020: an update.

Tricuspid valve regurgitation is an insidious pathology that is associated with increased mortality if left untreated. Conversely, surgical correction of tricuspid regurgitation is burdened by poor outcomes, especially when right ventricular dysfunction, kidney disease, or liver disease occur. There is, therefore, increasing interest in transcatheter approaches as an alternative to surgery in patients at high or prohibitive surgical risk. The development of percutaneous devices to treat tricuspid regurgitation has several technical challenges, mainly because of the complexity of valve anatomy, thus requiring accurate patient selection. Here we review the currently available transcatheter approaches to treat severe tricuspid regurgitation.

Endpoints for tricuspid regurgitation trans-catheter therapy trials.

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR), particularly functional or secondary TR, is increasingly recognized in clinical practice and when at least moderate in severity is associated with significant increase in mortality. In recent years multiple new trans-catheter devices have been developed to treat tricuspid regurgitation and are now undergoing clinical trial evaluations. The choice of appropriate endpoints in TR trials is particularly challenging as the disease is complex, often co-exists with left heart disease and pulmonary hypertension, and has not been extensively studied. Endpoints utilized in left heart disease trials have been applied with success to TR trials, and innovative trial designs will allow the initiation of pivotal randomized trials. Ultimately the development of TR specific endpoints may provide for more specific and robust assessment of these novel therapies.

Management of Congenital Heart Disease: State of the Art-Part II-Cyanotic Heart Defects.

In this review management of the most common cyanotic congenital heart defects (CHDs) was discussed; the management of acyanotic CHD was reviewed in Part I of this series. While the need for intervention in acyanotic CHD is by and large determined by the severity of the lesion, most cyanotic CHDs require intervention, mostly by surgery. Different types of tetralogy of Fallot require different types of total surgical corrective procedures, and some may require initial palliation, mainly by modified Blalock-Taussig shunts. Babies with transposition of the great arteries with an intact ventricular septum as well as those with ventricular septal defects (VSD) need an arterial switch (Jatene) procedure while those with both VSD and pulmonary stenosis should be addressed by Rastelli procedure. These procedures may need to be preceded by prostaglandin infusion and/or balloon atrial septostomy in some babies. Infants with tricuspid atresia require initial palliation either with a modified Blalock-Taussig shunt or banding of the pulmonary artery and subsequent staged Fontan (bidirectional Glenn and fenestrated Fontan with extra-cardiac conduit). Neonates with total anomalous pulmonary venous connection are managed by anastomosis of the common pulmonary vein with the left atrium either electively in non-obstructed types or as an emergency procedure in the obstructed types. Babies with truncus arteriosus are treated by surgical closure of VSD along with right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit. The other defects, namely, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum, double-outlet right ventricle, double-inlet left ventricle and univentricular hearts largely require multistage surgical correction. The currently existing medical, trans-catheter and surgical techniques to manage cyanotic CHD are safe and effective and can be performed at a relatively low risk.

Catheter-Based Embolectomy for Acute Pulmonary Embolism: Devices, Technical Considerations, Risks, and Benefits.

A significant number of patients with high-risk pulmonary embolism have contraindications to thrombolytic therapy. Catheter-based therapy may be helpful and consists of a multitude of catheters and techniques, some old and some new. Although there are few data supporting the use of any of these techniques, there has been a recent rise in interest and use of catheter-based pulmonary embolectomy. This text describes the contemporary devices used in pulmonary embolism treatment, discusses their challenges, and proposes some future directions.

Current diagnostic and treatment strategies for Lutembacher syndrome: the pivotal role of echocardiography.

Lutembacher syndrome (LS) is a rare cardiac abnormality characterized by any combination of a congenital or iatrogenic atrial septal defect (ASD) and a congenital or acquired mitral stenosis (MS). Clinical features and hemodynamic effects of LS depend on the balance of effects of the MS and the ASD. Prognosis is influenced by several factors [pulmonary vascular resistance, right ventricle (RV) compliance, size of ASD and MS severity] but the occurrence of secondary pulmonary hypertension and congestive heart failure is commonly associated with poor outcome. Echocardiography remains the gold standard for diagnosis and evaluation of LS. Timely diagnosis is critical for modifying the natural course, by allowing patients to benefit from currently available percutaneous trans-catheter therapies with favorable effects on the outcomes. This article is a review of published literature on the current diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for LS, focusing on the pivotal role of echocardiography as the key diagnostic tool. Clinical suspicion of LS should prompt extensive investigation with non-invasive and where possible, invasive technics. Multicenter registers have a potential to assist the evaluation of long term outcomes of percutaneous trans-catheter therapies in patients with LS.

Clinical application of high-flow nasal cannula for the respiratory failure following radical resection of pulmonary carcinoma / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective To evaluate the effects of the application of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC)for the respiratory failure following radical resection of pulmonary carcinoma. Methods A total of 48 patients with radicalsurgeryofpulmonarycarcinoma effect postoperative failure from February 2015 to August 2016 were randomly divided into observation group(24 cases) and control group(24 cases) with digital table method.The observation group was received with HFNC,and the control group with oxygen atomization mask 8-10 L/min.The heart rate,respiratory rate,PaO2,PaCO2and oxygenation index(PaO2/FiO2)changes were evaluated before treatment,treatment for 1,6,24 h and at the end of the treatment in both groups, at the same time, noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) rate, again intubation mechanical ventilation rate, incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP), ICU confusion assessment (CAM-ICU) positive rates and ICU stay time were compared in the course of treatment of difference. Results Through two different methods of treatment, the heart rate, respiratory rate, PaO2, PaCO2,PaO2/FiO2were(78.88±12.03)times/min,(18.96±7.53)times/min,(140.2±18.37)mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa),(37.04±7.67)mmHg,(242.83±27.13)mmHg in the observation group,respectively,compared with(88.83±16.48)times/min,(25.46±9.51)times/min,(86.08±20.83)mmHg,(45.71±10.37)mmHg and(210.71±36.34)mmHg in the control group,which had significant differences(t=-3.922-3.415,P<0.05). The ICU stay time in the observation group was( 68.71 ± 32.38) h, respectively, which was much shorter than that in the contorl group(107.67±66.15) h, the difference was statistically significant (t=2.416, P<0.05). The occurrence rates of NPPV and the positive rates of CAM-ICU were16.7%(4/24),4.2%(1/24)in the observation group,respectively,compared with 45.8%(11/24),33.3%(8/24)in the control group,which had significant differences(x2=4.752,4.923,P<0.05). Conclusions HFNC is a new and effective way of oxygen therapy that can better improve circulation oxygenation,reduce PaCO2,reduce the rate of line of NPPV and CAM-positive rate in the ICU,and can shorten the patient's ICU stay time in the treatment of lung cancer patients with postoperative respiratory failure.

Percutaneous cardiopulmonary support for the treatment of acute pulmonary embolism: summarized review of the literature in Japan including our own experience.

BACKGROUND: Acute pulmonary embolism (APE) has high mortality. Some APEs with circulatory collapse or cardiopulmonary arrest have been treated by percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (PCPS) in Japan. But there have been no reports with a large number of series of APE treated with the use of PCPS. METHODS AND RESULTS: We collected all the reported cases with acute thrombotic pulmonary embolism treated with PCPS before surgical embolectomy or those without surgical embolectomy in Japan, and assessed the effectiveness of PCPS. PCPS was combined with surgical embolectomy in 35% (68 of 193), thrombolytic therapy in 62% (120/193), and catheter therapy in 24% (46/193). The survival rate treated with PCPS was 73% (80% in surgical embolectomy, 71% in thrombolytic therapy, and 76% in catheter therapy). Logistic regression analysis showed that the mortality rate was elevated in cases with cardiopulmonary arrest (odds ratio [OR], 3.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.52-7.67; p-value, 0.003) but not by surgical embolectomy (OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.39-2.53; p-value, 0.98), catheter therapy (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.30-1.72; p-value, 0.45), and thrombolysis (OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 0.64-3.99; p-value, 0.31) as regards to the concomitant therapies with PCPS. CONCLUSION: PCPS might improve the survival rate in APE patients with circulatory collapse or cardiopulmonary arrest, but there was no differences in outcome among cases treated by surgical embolectomy, catheter therapy, and thrombolysis as the concomitant therapies.