Use of the patch graft technique and late correction of coarctation can predict aneurysmal formation at the site of coarctation repair, although patients with a bicuspid aortic valve may be at risk for an aneurysm developing in the ascending aorta, particularly after late repair of aortic coarctation with high preoperative pressure gradients.

Background-Atrial tachycardias (AT) often occur after ablation of long-lasting persistent AF (CAF) and are difficult to treat conservatively. This study evaluated mechanisms and success rates of conventional mapping and catheter ablation of recurrent ATs occurring late after stepwise ablation of CAF. Methods and Results-A total of 320 patients underwent de novo ablation of CAF using a stepwise ablation approach in 2006 to 2007 at our institution. This study comprised patients who presented with recurrent ATs at their first redo procedure after initial de novo CAF ablation. All procedures were guided by conventional mapping techniques exclusively. Sixty-one patients (63Ϯ10 years, 14 women) presented with their clinical AT at their redo procedure 7.7Ϯ4.4 months after initial de novo CAF ablation. A total of 133 ATs (2.2Ϯ0.9 per patient) were mapped. Forty-four (72%) were due to reentry; 17 (28%) were focal ATs. Reentry ATs were mainly characterized as roof and perimitral flutter (43% and 34%, respectively). Focal ATs mainly originated from the great thoracic veins (pulmonary veins: 41%, coronary sinus: 23%). Forty-five (74%) patients had conduction recovery of at least 1 pulmonary vein (mean, 1.2Ϯ0.8).Overall, 124 (93%) ATs could be ablated successfully. The mean procedure duration was 181Ϯ59 minutes, with a mean fluoroscopy time of 45Ϯ21 minutes. After a mean follow-up of 21Ϯ4 months, 50 (82%) patients were free of any arrhythmia recurrences after a single redo procedure. Conclusions-Although late recurrent ATs may have complex mechanisms, catheter ablation guided exclusively by conventional techniques is highly effective with excellent acute and long-term success rates. (Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol. 2010;3:160-169.)

The use of RN for PVI seems to be effective and significantly reduces overall fluoroscopy time and operator's fluoroscopy exposure without affecting mid-term outcome after 6-month follow-up.

SummaryBackground: Successful prevention of aortic complications has lead to improved survival of Marfan syndrome (MFS). With increasing age, however, ventricular arrhythmia and heart failure are emerging as life-threatening manifestations of myocardial dysfunction.Hypothesis: We sought to investigate whether echocardiography with tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) identifies myocardial dysfunction in adults with MFS.Methods: We performed two-dimensional (2-D) and Doppler echocardiography with TDI in 141 individuals with suspected MFS and competent heart valves, including 28 persons with MFS who had not undergone surgery and 86 healthy controls without inherited connective tissue disorders.Results: Demographic profile, 2-D, mitral and pulmonary venous flow indices, and left ventricular ejection fractions were similar in both groups. Conversely, isovolumic relaxation time (p < 0.001) and deceleration time