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Primary procedure of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) using nonfluoroscopic mapping system was carried out in 49 patients (mean age 52.2 +/- 11.3 years, 6 women). Etiology of AF was coronary artery disease, cardiosclerosis after myocarditis, dilated cardiomyopathy in 32, 11 and 2 patients, respectively. AF was idiopathic in 4 patients. History of chronic AF varied from 6 months to 17 years (mean 1.8 years). During follow-up for 14 +/- 5 months total efficacy of RFA was 86%. Redo procedures of endocardial electrophysiological study EPS and RFA were performed in 3 cases because of atypical atrial flutter in 2, 3, and 6 months after initial intervention, and in 1 case because of focal left atrial tachycardia (2 months after initial procedure of EPS and RFA for AF). After repetitive sessions because of atypical atrial flutter and focal left atrial tachycardia efficacy was 98%. There were no complications related to the operations.

Purpose: To assess effectiveness and safety of excimer laser extraction of chronically implanted transvenous pacing leads using countertraction technique. We operated upon 10 patients (female 2), mean age 56.1+/-11.7 years. Average time of lead placement was 7.7+/-4.2 years. Indications included erosion of device pocket in 4 patients, abscess of pocket in 2 patients, high grade of tricuspid valve insufficiency in 1 patient with 2 ventricular leads, lead related induction of life-threatening ventricular tachycardia in 3 ICD patients. We used xenon-chloride laser with excimer laser sheath SLS n KIT 14-16 Fr and locking stylet LLD KIT (Spectranetics, USA). Endotracheal anesthesia was applied in all cases. Leads removal was a success for 3 atrial and 12 ventricular leads. All endocardial leads were extracted with countertraction after near-the-complete progression of the laser sheath. Postoperative follow-up period was 16.3+/-5.7 months. There were no procedure-related complications., Conclusion: Laser lead extraction is a safe and effective approach to removal of long-term leads including those with active fixation.

The authors present first experience of application of the system for rheolytic therapy AngioJet in a group of patients with acute myocardial infarction. They describe principle of the work of rheolytic systems, possible procedure related complications. They also discuss results of clinical studies analyzing efficacy of antithrombotic therapy, efficacy and safety of rheolytic therapy in patients with acute coronary syndrome and complicated atherosclerotic plaques in coronary arteries.

The precised classification of circulatory hypoxia described in the paper is principally different from those published earlier by that it discriminates between hypoxia preconditioned by impaired cardiac-muscle constriction, on the one hand, and hypoxia due to malfunctions of smooth muscles (SM), on the other hand. The genesis of SM malfunctions is predetermined by impaired interactions of serotonin with SM serotonin receptors. The clinical use of serotonin adipinat reduces the local organic and total-tissue hypoxia in different pathologies and provides for better treatment results. The mentioned precised classification can be used to gain more data on the tissue-hypoxia pathogenesis and to schedule the clinical-and-experimental research on the purpose-oriented basis.