Twenty-two (41%) patients had fixed FPH (defined as pulmonary vascular resistance [PVR] >3 Wood units and resistant to pulmonary vasodilators) prior to VAD implant (FPH group) and were compared with 32 patients without FPH (NoFPH group). Baseline characteristics, pre- and post-transplant pulmonary pressures, incidence of complications and post-transplant survival were analyzed.

RESULTS: Baseline characteristics were similar except that patients in the FPH group were older (46 +/- 11 years vs 39 +/- 13 years in the NoFPH group, p < 0.05). The mean pre-VAD PVR was 4.3 +/- 1.7

Wood units in the FPH group and 1.7 +/- 0.5 Wood units in the NoFPH group (p < 0.001). Pulmonary pressures were higher in the FPH group immediately prior to VAD implant, but they were comparable immediately pre-transplant and during the first year post-transplant. Nutlin-3 research buy The incidence of post-transplant RV failure was not significantly different between groups. Post-transplant selleck products survival was similar between groups.

CONCLUSIONS: VAD therapy successfully decreases pulmonary hypertension, even in patients with “”fixed”" FPH, allowing candidacy for heart transplantation. Among bridge-to-transplant

candidates, the presence of FPH does not reduce post-transplant survival. J Heart Lung Transplant 2010;29:1253-8 (C) 2010 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. All rights reserved.”
“Objectives. The aim was to evaluate whether patients with calcifications in the carotid region detectable by panoramic radiograph differ in the prevalence of risk factors for stroke development compared with those without calcifications.

Study design. Forty consecutive individuals suffering from proven carotid artery see more atherosclerotic occlusive disease were submitted to carotid endarterectomy. Seventeen patients were symptomatic at the time of referral, having suffered at least 1 episode of ischemic cerebral event during the preceding 6 months,

mainly transient ischemic attacks or amaurosis fugax, and the remaining 23 patients were asymptomatic and the diagnosis was reached during a thorough investigation of coexisting coronary or peripheral vascular disease. Preoperatively, all patients had undergone panoramic radiograph examination, as the presurgical protocol commanded. Based on the panoramic radiograph results, patients in whom calcifications were detected either unilaterally (n = 10) or bilaterally (n = 18) constituted group A (n = 28) and patients in whom no calcifications were detected constituted group B (n = 12) of this study.

Results. Univariate analysis among several risk factors for stroke development between the 2 groups of patients disclosed a stastistically significant lower incidence of diabetes mellitus (P = .005) but a higher incidence of symptomatic plaques (P < .030) in the group of patients with detectable calcifications in the panoramic radiograph.

Conclusion.