Thoracic Key

Background As the population ages and life expectancy increases, there is increasing demand for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients >80 years old. PCI in this group is adversely influenced…

Introduction The epidemics of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and atrial fibrillation are growing as the demographic profile in the United States is leaning towards elderly population. However, the relationship between…

Background Chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) is an established risk factor for coronary disease, but its effect upon high on-treatment platelet reactivity in patients following percutaneous coronary intervention is not well…

Background Left ventricular systolic dysfunction in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) is associated with poor outcome. The aim was to compare the outcome of patients with severe AS and…

Objectives The objectives were to evaluate long-term follow-up (FU) of mitral balloon valvuloplasty (MBV) with single balloon (SB), the less expensive technique to perform MBV, and to determine independent predictors…

Objectives The objective was to demonstrate that mitral balloon valvuloplasty (MBV) with single balloon, the less expensive technique, has similar outcome and long-term follow-up (FU) than MBV performed with the…

Background Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an alternative for surgery in patients at high surgical risk. We would like to describe our single-center multimodality experience with transfemoral, transaxillary and…

Background Many patients with severe symptomatic aortic valve stenosis (AS) are considered high surgical risk and therefore are either treated conservatively or undergo balloon valvuloplasty (BV). Some of them may…

Background Transapical aortic valve implantation is a novel therapeutic approach in high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis. We report a single-center experience during and after the learning curve for establishing…