Scholarships and Travel Grants Can Launch Careers and Change Lives
Chris Kramer, BA, RDCS Although the 2012 ASE Scientific sessions are still 8 months away, planning is well under way, and this month there are some important deadlines to add…
Abnormalities in Cardiac Structure and Function in Adults with Sickle Cell Disease are not Associated with Pulmonary Hypertension
Background In sickle cell disease (SCD), pulmonary hypertension (assessed by tricuspid regurgitant jet [TRJ] velocity ≥ 2.5 m/sec) is associated with increased mortality. The relationships among TRJ velocity and left…
Effect of Percutaneous Transvenous Mitral Commissurotomy on Left Atrial Appendage Function: An Immediate and 6-Month Follow-Up Transesophageal Doppler Study
Background The left atrial appendage (LAA) is a common site of thrombus formation and is the source of systemic thromboembolism in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis. LAA contractile dysfunction is…
Diastolic Dysfunction in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Is It Really the First Marker of Diabetic Cardiomyopathy?
Background Diastolic dysfunction is considered the first marker of diabetic cardiomyopathy. However, preclinical systolic alteration was also recently described by strain, but its association with diastolic dysfunction has never been…
Mitral Annulus Dynamics Early after Valve Repair: Preliminary Observations of the Effect of Resectional Versus Non-Resectional Approaches
Background Mitral repair is recommended for patients with significant organic mitral regurgitation (MR). The nonresectional dynamic mitral valve repair (NVR) method involves a complete flexible ring and artificial chordal insertion…
Detection of Left Ventricular Dysfunction by Global Longitudinal Systolic Strain in Patients with Chronic Aortic Regurgitation
Background The purpose of this study was to investigate whether global longitudinal strain measured by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography could detect incipient myocardial dysfunction in patients with chronic aortic regurgitation…
Comparison of Semiquantitative and Quantitative Assessment of Severity of Aortic Regurgitation: Clinical Implications
Background Recent studies have emphasized the importance of quantitative assessment of the degree of aortic regurgitation (AR). However, semiquantitative methods have remained mainly used despite their unclear diagnostic value. The…
Changes of Right Ventricular Function and Longitudinal Deformation in Children with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome before and after the Norwood Operation
Background The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in right ventricular (RV) function and deformation parameters before and at steady state after the Norwood operation in neonates with…
Mitral Valve Repair and Annular Motion: Is Less Really More?
In North America, approximately 10,000 isolated primary mitral valve (MV) operations are performed annually, with increasing rates of MV repair. There are substantial advantages of MV repair compared with MV…
Evaluation of Ventricular Filling Pressures and Ventricular Function by Doppler Echocardiography in Patients with Functional Single Ventricle: Correlation with Simultaneous Cardiac Catheterization
Background Elevated ventricular filling pressure is a marker of diastolic dysfunction and a known risk factor for failure of single-ventricle surgical palliation. Doppler echocardiography has been shown valuable in identifying…
