Browsing by Author "Titus, Thomas"

Now showing 1 - 12 of 12
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    Congenital coronary anomalies of origin and distribution in adults: a coronary arteriographic study.
    (Indian heart journal, 2002)
    BACKGROUND: Coronary anomalies should be recognized to avoid problems during coronary intervention and cardiac surgery.METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively reviewed 7400 coronary angiograms to find out the pattern and incidence of coronary anomalies of origin and distribution. We excluded patients with congenital heart diseases, coronary artery fistulae and patients with separate origin of the conus artery. and found 34 cases (0.46%) (22 males), mean age 50.7 +/- 12 years with coronary anomalies. Six cases underwent angiography prior to valve replacement and the rest were part of the evaluation for atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. The most common anomaly was separate origins of the left anterior descending coronary artery and left circumflex coronary artery [n=12 (35.3%)]. The next most common anomalies were origins of the right coronary artery from the left coronary sinus [n=7 (20.6%)] and left circumflex artery from the right sinus [n=6 (20%)]. A single coronary artery was seen in 3 cases (8.8%) which included one case of postmyocardial infarction ventricular septal rupture with triple-vessel disease, and another with two small coronary fistulae. One case each of the following coronary anomalies was found: (i) double right coronary artery, (ii) left anterior descending coronary artery from the right coronary sinus, (iii) all three coronary arteries originating separately from the right sinus, and (iv) left main coronary artery from the right sinus. Of these 34 patients, 11 (32.4%) had significant atherosclerotic disease in the anomalous vessel.CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of primary coronary anomaly seems to be less than that in earlier reports, but the pattern of anomalies appears to be similar.
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    Crisscross Pulmonary Artery With Double Aortic Arch: An Unusual Association
    (PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY, 2012)
    Anomalies of pulmonary artery origin are rare. Crisscross pulmonary artery origin is a rare benign anomaly characterized by the left pulmonary artery arising superiorly and to the right side of the right pulmonary artery. The condition is usually accompanied by a conotruncal anomaly. Here, we report a child with crisscross pulmonary arteries and a complete vascular ring formed by a double aortic arch, which was confirmed by computed tomography angiography. The child underwent surgical correction for relief of stridor.
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    Doppler echocardiographic assessment of TTK Chitra prosthetic heart valve in the mitral position
    (EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, 2008)
    Aims TTK Chitra heart valve prosthesis (CHVP), a tilting disc mechanical heart valve of tow cost and proven efficacy, has been in use for the last 15 years. Although various studies substantiating its long-term safety and efficacy are available, no study had assessed its echocardiographic characteristics. The purpose of this study was to determine the normal Doppler parameters of CHVP in the mitrat position and to assess whether derivation of mitrat valve area (MVA) using the continuity equation (CE) and more commonly used pressure half-time (PHT) method is comparable in the functional assessment of this tilting disc mitral prosthesis.Methods and results Doppler echocardiography was performed in 40 consecutive patients with CHVP in the mitrat position. All patients were clinically stable, without evidence of prosthetic valve dysfunction such as significant obstruction or regurgitation, enclocarditis, left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction <40%), or significant aortic regurgitation. Valve sizes studied included 25, 27, and 29 mm. Mitrat valve area was derived both by the PHT method and by the CE, using the stroke volume measured in the ventricular outflow tract divided by the time-velocity integral of CHVP jet. The peak Doppler gradient ranged from 5 to 21 (mean 11.0) mmHg, and the mean gradient ranged from 1.7 to 9.2 (mean 4.1) mmHg. Mean gradient negatively correlated with an increase in the actual orifice area (ACA) derived from the valve orifice diameter given by the manufacturer (r = -0.45, P = 0.004). Mitral valve area calculated by both PHT and CE increased significantly with an increase in the ADA (r = 0.42, P = 0.007 and r = 0.32, P = 0.046, respectively). Mitrat valve area by the CE averaged 1.55 +/- 0.36 cm(2) (range 0.85 cm(2) for a 25 mm valve to 2.41 cm(2) for a 29 mm valve) and was smaller than by PHT (mean 2.04 +/- 0.41 cm(2), range 1.40-3.14 cm(2); P = 0.0001; t-test), irrespective of whether PHT is less than or >110 ms.Conclusion The Doppler parameters obtained with CHVP in the mitrat position are comparable with those obtained with the different prosthetic valves in common use. In the selected group of patients with CHVP, assessment of MVA by the PHT method is comparable with that by the CE. Areas by both methods were smaller than the AOA provided by the manufacturer, as seen in other similar design valves.
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    Efficacy and safety of combination of extended release niacin and atorvastatin in patients with low levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol.
    (Indian heart journal, 2008)
    OBJECTIVE: We investigated the safety and efficacy of combination therapy of extended release (ER) niacin and atorvastatin in patients with low HDL-C and compared the results with atorvastatin monotherapy.METHODS: This open label study recruited consecutive men and women who had coronary artery disease with HDL-C levels <35 mg/dL. These patients were already on atorvastatin therapy targeted to lower low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), for a minimum period of 6 months. Group 1, n = 104 (mean age 52.7 years) received ER niacin in addition to atorvastatin and group 2 (n = 106) continued on atorvastatin (mean age 52.3 years). ER niacin dose was built up to a maximum of 1.5 g and atorvastatin dose titrated according to LDL levels in both the groups. The lipoprotein levels at baseline were similar (p = NS).RESULTS: At 9 +/- 1.8 months of follow-up, the mean dose of ER niacin was 1.3 g and atorvastatin 13.2 mg in group 1. In comparison, group 2 patients had mean atorvastatin dose of 15.9 mg. Patients in group 1 had significant elevation in HDL-C cholesterol (39.5 +/- 5.5 vs 35.7 +/- 4.5 mg/dL), reduction in total cholesterol (156.4 +/- 31 vs 164.5 +/- 39.3 mg/dL) and also LDL-C (88.9 +/- 28.3 vs 99.8 +/- 35.4 mg/dL) compared to group 2 (all p < 0.05). The magnitude of reduction in triglyceride levels was not significant between the groups (140.1 +/- 40.4 vs 145.2 +/- 46.5 mg/dL) (p = NS). No major adverse events or clinical myopathy occurred in either groups. Four patients (4%) discontinued ER niacin (2 due to gastro-intestinal symptoms and 2 due to worsening of diabetes). Flushing occurred in 3% patients, but none felt it to be troublesome.CONCLUSION: Adding ER niacin to atorvastatin exhibited beneficial effects on lipid profile with significant elevation of HDL-C cholesterol and further lowering of LDL-C compared to monotherapy. This treatment offered better targeted therapy and was well tolerated with proper monitoring in Indian patients.
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    Natural History of Aortic Valve Disease Following Intervention for Rheumatic Mitral Valve Disease
    (JOURNAL OF HEART VALVE DISEASE, 2009)
    Background and aim of the study: A significant proportion of patients who require interventions for rheumatic mitral valve (MV) disease have coexisting aortic valve (AV) disease. To date, little is known of the natural history of AV disease in these patients.Methods: The details of a cohort of 200 patients (146 females, 54 males; mean age at MV intervention 30.3 +/- 9.9 years) with rheumatic heart disease were retrospectively reviewed. The patients had undergone an index MV intervention (either closed or balloon mitral valvotomy) or MV replacement between 1994 and 1996, and received long-term regular follow up examinations. The clinical and echocardiographic data at entry and at follow up were noted. Patients were allocated to two groups, based on whether the AV disease was absent (group I, n = 98) or present (group 11, n = 102) at baseline. The AV disease was categorized as thickening only (group IIA), isolated aortic regurgitation (AR) (group IIB), or combined aortic stenosis (AS) and AR (group IIC). No patient had isolated AS at baseline.Results: The mean follow up period was 9.3 +/- 1.07 years, during which 10 patients in group I developed new AV disease, which included AV thickening only (n = 2), trivial-mild AR (n = 7) and mild AS with trivial AR (n = 1). Of 16 patients in group IIA, 11 developed isolated AR, and one patient progressed to have mild AS and AR. Among 69 patients in group IIB, 22 (31.9%) developed AS, and all had either mild (n = 8) or moderate (n = 14) AR with mild AS. Group IIC included 17 patients with mild combined AV disease at baseline, except for moderate AS and moderate AR in one patient each. Among 16 patients with mild AS in group IIC, six progressed to moderate AS and two to severe AS. AR became moderate in 10 patients and severe in one patient. The two patients who progressed to severe AS requiring AV replacement had mild AS at baseline. No patient who developed new combined AV disease had lesions with severity more than mild AS or moderate AR. On logistic regression analysis of the variables predisposing to progression of AV disease, such as age, gender, history of rheumatic fever (RF) and recurrence, and interval from RF episode to symptom onset, only the initial AV gradient was identified as being statistically significant (beta coefficient 0.528, SE = 0.17, p < 0.0001).Conclusion: Patients with no or mild AV disease at the time of MV intervention rarely develop severe AV disease, and seldom require AV surgery over the long-term follow up. The presence of mild AS at baseline is predictive in the minority of cases where AV disease will progress relatively more rapidly.
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    One-and-a-half ventricle repair for right ventricular endomyocardial fibrosis.
    (Asian cardiovascular & thoracic annals, 2004)
    One-and-a-half ventricle repair, consisting of endocardiectomy with tricuspid valve replacement and bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt, was performed on a patient with right ventricular endomyocardial fibrosis and right ventricular outflow tract obstruction. The patient made a smooth recovery. We believe that this repair provides good palliation for a subset of patients with right ventricular endomyocardial fibrosis.
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    Percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy using metallic commissurotome: long-term follow-up results.
    (The Journal of invasive cardiology, 2006)
    BACKGROUND: We report the long-term follow-up results of percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC) using metallic commissurotome, which is proposed as an alternative to Inoue balloon use.METHODS: PTMC using a metallic commissurotome was performed in 248 patients (65 men) by the anterograde transseptal technique. Of the 248, 64 of the procedures were for mitral restenosis after previous valvotomy.RESULTS: The procedure was successful in 230 patients (92.7%). Following PTMC, the transmitral gradient decreased from 14.54 +/- 5.79 mmHg to 4.26 +/- 2.82 mmHg (p less than or equal to 0.001). The mitral valve area (MVA) increased from 0.85 +/- 0.12 cm2 to 1.95 +/- 0.31 cm2 (p less than or equal to 0.001). One patient died due to left ventricular perforation (mortality rate = 0.41%). Another patient who developed a left ventricular tear underwent repair of the tear along with open mitral valvotomy. Four patients developed significant mitral regurgitation (MR) from a tear of valve leaflets and had to undergo emergency mitral valve replacement. One patient had a transient ischemic attack and 5 patients developed moderate MR caused by excessive split of valve commissures. The mean follow up period was 3.34 +/- 0.66 years. Six patients were lost to follow up. Seven of the remaining 224 patients developed mitral restenosis. At follow up, the mean pressure gradient across the mitral valve assessed by echocardiography was 6.09 +/- 3.12 mmHg. The mean mitral valve area decreased to 1.67 +/- 0.34 cm2, but clinical improvement persisted in most of the patients.CONCLUSION: PTMC with metallic commissurotomy is safe and produced good results which were sustained at a follow-up period of more than 3 years.
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    Percutaneous Treatment of Congenital Coronary Arteriovenous Fistulas
    (JOURNAL OF INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY, 2011)
    Methods and results: Six patients (two males) with congenital coronary arteriovenous fistulas (CAVF) underwent percutaneous transcatheter occlusion. The ages ranged from 4 years to 49 years (mean 20.1 years). The fistulas had their origins from the right coronary artery (two), the left anterior descending coronary artery (two), and the left circumflex coronary artery (two). One of the fistulas drained to the right ventricle, four drained to the right atrium, and the remaining one to the left ventricle (LV). The fistulas were closed using the arterial approach with Cook (TM) coils in two patients and with nitinol ductal occluders (NDOs) using the venous approach in four patients. One patient developed dissection of the wall of the fistula during attempted closure and had spontaneous occlusion of the fistula. Complete occlusion of the fistulas were achieved in all patients. Complications consisted of migration and embolization of the coils in one patient (later closed successfully with NDO) and myocardial infarction occurring two weeks following successful closure in another patient. At mean follow-up of 39.6 +/- 22.9 months, all patients were asymptomatic and echo-Doppler evaluation revealed no residual fistulae.Conclusions: CAVF are very well amenable to percutaneous closure with acceptable morbidity and high success rates. (J Interven Cardiol 2011;24:208-215).
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    Percutaneous Valvuloplasty for Mitral Valve Restenosis: Postballoon Valvotomy Patients Fare Better Than Postsurgical Closed Valvotomy Patients
    (CATHETERIZATION AND CARDIOVASCULAR INTERVENTIONS, 2010)
    Aim: To compare the results of percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty (BMV) for mitral restenosis in post-BMV versus postclosed mitral valvotomy (CMV) patients. Methods and Results: Ninety-two patients who underwent BMV for mitral restenosis were followed up prospectively. Of these, 28 patients had undergone previous percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty (PRIOR BMV) and 64 patients had undergone previous closed mitral valvotomy (PRIOR CMV). BMV for mitral restenosis was a success in 59% patients (57.1% PRIOR BMV, 59.3% PRIOR CMV, P = 1.0). Incidence of severe mitral regurgitation was 3.25%, all in the PRIOR CMV group. In univariate analysis, the major predictor of successful BMV for mitral restenosis was Wilkins score (P = 0.004). At a follow up of 3.47 + 2.07 years, mitral valve area was similar between groups (1.45 +/- 0.22, 1.46 +/- 0.26, P = 0.35). The combined end points of mitral valve replacement (MVR), need for rerepeat BMV for mitral restenosis or death was higher in the PRIOR CMV group (31.2% PRIOR CMV, 7.1% PRIOR BMV, P = 0.027). Event-free survival at follow up was lower in the PRIOR CMV group (69% PRIOR CMV, 92.8% PRIOR BMV) mainly due to the higher need for MVR (11 vs. 0 patients, P = 0.03). Conclusions: In conclusion, following BMV for mitral restenosis, patients with PRIOR BMV are found to have lesser event rates on follow-up compared to patients with PRIOR CMV, though procedural success rates are similar. (C) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
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    Supravalvar aortic stenosis: clinical and hemodynamic profile, and surgical outcome.
    (Indian heart journal, 2003)
    BACKGROUND: Supravalvar aortic stenosis is the rarest of left ventricular outflow obstructions. Data on this rare entity from India are scarce.METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 15 patients (13 males, mean age 15.5+/-10.18 years) with a diagnosis of supravalvar aortic stenosis confirmed by cardiac catheterization. Five patients had morphological features of Williams' syndrome. One patient had diffuse while the rest had discrete type of supravalvar aortic stenosis. Five patients did not have any associated lesions. A 9-year-old male had an ascending aortic aneurysm, and 3 patients had associated peripheral pulmonary artery stenosis. One child had a subaortic ventricular septal defect, and another had severe mitral regurgitation. Twelve patients had electrocardiographic evidence of left ventricular hypertrophy. Three patients had mild aortic valvar stenosis while 2 had aortic regurgitation. Six patients had dilated coronary arteries. Two patients with supravalvar aortic gradients of 20 and 40 mmHg were kept on close follow-up. One patient was not willing to undergo surgery while the other is awaiting surgery. Eleven patients underwent surgical correction. Dacron or pericardial patch aortoplasty was done in all the patients. In addition, one patient each underwent pulmonary artery plasty, ventricular septal defect closure, repair of ascending aortic aneurysm, and mitral valve replacement. The patient with diffuse type of supravalvar aortic stenosis underwent augmentation aortoplasty. Two patients died perioperatively. One was lost to follow-up. Two had moderate residual gradients. The rest of the patients were in New York Heart Association functional class I on follow-up of 6.3+/-4.7 years.CONCLUSIONS: Repair of supravalvar aortic stenosis by single sinus aortoplasty is safe and produces good results.
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    Unusual coarctation-the PHACE syndrome: report of three cases.
    (Congenital heart disease, 2008)
    OBJECTIVES: To report the clinical features, nature of vasculopathy observed and the management instituted in three cases of PHACE syndrome.RESULTS: All three patients were noted to have diffuse vasculopathy and aortic arch hypoplasia in addition to aortic coarctation adding substantial surgical risk or making surgery palliative.CONCLUSION: PHACE syndrome should be considered in the differential diagnosis of aortic coarctation associated with aortic arch hypoplasia.
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    Ventricular septal rupture following myocardial infarction. Long-term survival of patients who did not undergo surgery. Single-centre experience.
    (Acta cardiologica, 2005)
    Long-term survival is rare in patients not undergoing surgery after post-myocardial infarction ventricular septal rupture. We report our experience of seven patients out of 27, who did not undergo surgery and were followed up for a mean period of 2.8 years. They were evaluated after a mean period of 2.2 months after infarction in our centre. The septal defects measured 9.8 mms on average and the mean left-to-right shunt ratio was 1.98: 1. The mean pulmonary artery, right atrial and left ventricular end diastolic pressures were 28.3 +/- 10.6, 4 +/- 3 and 15.8 +/- 4.8 mm Hg, respectively. Only three out of seven patients had LV aneurysm and all patients had single-vessel disease. Smaller defect size, minimal left-to-right shunt and preserved right ventricular function may be the factors responsible for long-term survival.