PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Angela M Montijano Cabrera

Publications and source records attributed to Angela M Montijano Cabrera.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

[Radiofrequency catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia in patients with an implantable defibrillator. Long-term follow-up].

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The frequent occurrence of ventricular tachycardia can be a serious problem for patients with an implantable defibrillator, and may necessitate adjuvant antiarrhythmic therapy or radiofrequency catheter ablation. We analyzed the long-term results obtained with this latter therapy in patients suffering from frequent or continuous ventricular tachycardia. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Eighteen ablation procedures were performed in 11 patients who had a defibrillator implanted because of previous syncopal ventricular tachycardia. All were men, aged 67.64 (5.87) years; 10 patients had had a myocardial infarction 15.50 (5.08) years earlier, and one suffered from arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia. RESULTS: Electrophysiologically, treatment was initially successful in 8 patients (72.73%). After a follow-up period of 39.10 (24.70) months, the number of defibrillator discharges decreased significantly in all patients, from 52.82 (35.73) to 0.64 (1.03) (P=.001). During follow-up, ventricular tachycardia occurred in nine patients. In five, it took the same form as the ablated ventricular tachycardia. Six patients needed additional ablation procedures: two because of initial failure, three because of recurrence, and one because a different ventricular tachycardia occurred. In addition to the good electrophysiological results obtained, long-term clinical evolution was favorable in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: Radiofrequency ablation successfully disrupts frequent or continuous ventricular tachycardias and significantly reduces the defibrillator discharge rate even when ablation has failed electrophysiologically. It is particularly useful in these latter critical situations, in which other therapies are not sufficiently effective. Because our patients mainly had ischemic heart disease and were highly susceptible to new arrhythmias during follow-up, ablation complemented rather than replaced the implantable defibrillator.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

[Comparative analysis of antioxidant defense during on-pump and off-pump cardiac surgery].

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The transient myocardial ischemia that occurs during cardiac surgery leads to oxidative stress and the production of free radicals. The resulting damage can be reduced if cardiopulmonary bypass is avoided. We obtained indirect measures of the oxidative damage occurring during cardiac surgery by monitoring the glutathione system and we studied the influence of cardiopulmonary bypass. PATIENTS AND METHOD: The study included 19 patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Cardiopulmonary bypass was used in 9 (47.4%). Blood samples were obtained from each patient at different times during and after surgery. Total, oxidized and reduced glutathione levels were measured, as was the activity of related enzymes (i.e., glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione transferase). RESULTS: The total glutathione level decreased more in patients in whom cardiopulmonary bypass had been used. In addition, the oxidized glutathione level was reduced in these patients, which suggests that antioxidant defense was not fully effective. In contrast, the oxidized glutathione level tended to increase in patients in whom cardiopulmonary bypass had not been used. There was no significant difference in enzymatic activity between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, patients who underwent off-pump cardiac surgery had a better antioxidant profile. The implication could be that cardiac surgery without cardiopulmonary bypass has a less damaging effect on ischemic myocardium.

Aged↗