Texas Heart Institute Journal Volume 48: Issue 5

Surgical treatment of valvular heart disease in Nigeria, the most populous country in sub-Saharan Africa, is adversely affected by socioeconomic factors such as poverty and ignorance. To evaluate our experience in this context, we identified all patients who underwent surgery for acquired or congenital valvular heart disease at our Nigerian center from February 2013 through January 2019. We collected data from their medical records, including patient age and sex, pathophysiologic causes and types of valvular disease, surgical treatment, and outcomes. Ninety-three patients (43 males [46.2%]; mean age, 38.9 ± 10.0 yr [range, 11–80 yr]) underwent surgical treatment of a total of 122 diseased valves, including 72 (59.0%) mitral, 26 (21.3%) aortic, 21 (17.2%) tricuspid, and 3 (2.5%) pulmonary. The most prevalent pathophysiologic cause of disease was rheumatic (87 valves [71.3%]), followed by functional (20 [16.4%]), congenital (8 [6.6%]), degenerative (5 [4.1%]), and endocarditic (2 [1.6%]). All 3 diseased pulmonary valves had annular defects associated with congenital disease. Surgical treatment included mechanical prosthetic replacement of 92 valves (75.4%), surgical repair of 29 (23.8%), and bioprosthetic replacement of 1 (0.8%). We conclude that, in Nigeria, valvular disease is mainly rheumatic, affects mostly younger to middle-aged individuals, and is usually treated with prosthetic replacement

Recurrent takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) and the clinical profiles and outcomes of patients have not been fully evaluated, nor has the effect of left ventricular ballooning pattern. After searching the medical literature for reports of patients with recurrent TTC, we identified 84 articles with 101 case descriptions. We divided the cases into those with only apical left ventricular ballooning patterns at recurrence (typical, n=60), and those with at least one midventricular or basal ballooning pattern (atypical, n=41). We then compared their clinical profiles and outcomes.

The groups were similar in terms of baseline demographic characteristics, presence and types of triggers, use of heart failure medications at TTC recurrence, electrocardiographic changes at presentation, initial left ventricular ejection fractions, timespans between recurrent TTC episodes, and recovery times after each event. However, patients in the atypical group had significantly fewer severe adverse events (cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest) than did those in the typical group, with an estimated 63% lower odds (adjusted odds ratio=0.37; 95% CI, 0.14–0.97; P=0.039). Survival to hospital discharge was statistically similar but lower in the typical group (n=53; 88.3%) than in the atypical group (n=24; 96%).

Our results suggest that left ventricular ballooning patterns influence clinical outcomes, and that outcomes are more favorable in patients with recurrent TTC who have atypical left ventricular ballooning patterns.

Coral reef aorta is a rare calcifying obstructive disease that involves the thoracoabdominal aorta. Similar presentations in the postsubclavian aorta may result in acquired atheromatous aortic coarctation leading to systemic hypertension and heart failure. The associated calcification makes surgical anatomic or extraanatomic bypass and thromboendarterectomy challenging. Extensive circumferential calcification often precludes endovascular intervention. We present the case of a 25-year-old man with an acquired atheromatous coarctation of the postsubclavian aorta who underwent successful endovascular treatment with use of a balloon-expandable covered stent.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is underrecognized and undertreated by clinicians, possibly because patients have widely varying clinical presentations and because different physician specialties are involved. In addition, there is little consensus about first-line therapies.¹ Compounding these challenges are institutional and systemic impediments to delivering appropriate, timely therapy. These include fear of complications, failure to recognize potential benefits of treatment and to integrate data in real time, and physician bias. The collective consequence is a treatment gap in which few patients with PE receive appropriate advanced therapy, even when clear indicators such as hypotension and right ventricular dysfunction are present.

Contemporary treatments for pulmonary embolism (PE) fall into 4 broad categories: systemic anticoagulation, systemic thrombolysis (ST), catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT), and mechanical thrombectomy (MT). In general, MT has several advantages over CDT and ST in the treatment of submassive and potentially massive PE. This article describes a promising device that enables MT, and an illustrative case is presented.

In the SEATTLE II (Submassive and Massive Pulmonary Embolism Treatment With Ultrasound Accelerated Thrombolysis Therapy) trial, which evaluated CDT, thrombolytic agents were associated with a >10% rate of bleeding complications.¹ The results in an ST trial, PEITHO (Pulmonary Embolism Thrombolysis Study),

Surgical Treatment of Valvular Heart Disease in Nigeria: A 6-Year Experience

Left Ventricular Ballooning Patterns in Recurrent Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Reported Cases

Endovascular Treatment of Acquired Atheromatous Postsubclavian Aortic Coarctation

Echocardiography and Nuclear Scintigraphy in the Diagnosis of Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis

Atypical ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Presentation in Patients With COVID-19 at a High-Volume Center in New York City

Electrocardiographic Changes in a Man With Acute Pancreatitis: A Myocardial Infarction?

Response Team Management of Acute Serious Pulmonary Embolism

Large-Bore Aspiration Thrombectomy: Catalyst for a Revolution in Treating Pulmonary Embolism

Improvements in Pulmonary Embolism Mortality Rates Trail Those in Myocardial Infarction

Mechanical Thrombectomy of Pulmonary Emboli With Use of the Indigo System and Lightning 12 Intelligent Aspiration

Novel Pharmacomechanical Thrombolysis for Treating Intermediate-Risk Acute Pulmonary Embolism: The Bashir Endovascular Catheter

George J. Reul, MD: A Tribute

Accidental Left Ventricular Placement of a Leadless Micra Pacemaker Through a Patent Foramen Ovale

Impact of a Cardiology-Based Shock Team on Institutional Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Use for Cardiogenic Shock

A Case of a Multistent Scaffold Approach for Treatment of a Coronary Artery Aneurysm

Coronary-Cameral Fistula Following Myectomy in Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy