The optimal approach to early postoperative anticoagulation after mechanical valve
implantation remains controversial. This review article examines the pathogenesis of thrombus …

A 55-year-old man presents with a holosystolic murmur of increasing intensity and is given
a diagnosis of mitral-valve prolapse with severe mitral regurgitation. He is asymptomatic but …

Background— Minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting (MICS CABG) is a novel
coronary operation that does not require infrastructure and is potentially available to all …

Background— Clopidogrel inhibits intimal hyperplasia in animal studies and therefore may
reduce saphenous vein graft (SVG) intimal hyperplasia after coronary artery bypass grafting. …

OBJECTIVE: The effect of prosthesis–patient mismatch on clinical outcome and left ventricular
mass regression after aortic valve replacement remains controversial. Data on whether …

Background— Several centers favor replacing a diseased native heart valve with a tissue
rather than a mechanical prosthesis, even in younger adult patients. However, long-term data …

BACKGROUND: We examined factors associated with persistent or recurrent congestive
heart failure after aortic valve replacement. METHODS: Patients who underwent aortic valve …

Objectives: Reoperation is a relatively common event in patients with prosthetic heart valves,
but its actual occurrence can vary widely from one patient to another. With a focus on …

Objective: The current trend towards decreasing the age for selection of a tissue over a
mechanical prosthesis has led to a dilemma for patients aged 50–65 years. This cohort study …

Background— Observational studies suggest that skeletonization of the internal thoracic
artery (ITA) can improve conduit flow and length and reduce deep sternal infections and …