Although the incidence of mediastinal wound infection in patients undergoing median
sternotomy for cardiopulmonary bypass is less than 1%, its associated morbidity, mortality …

Skeletal muscle cardiac assist (SMCA) is emerging as a promising form of surgical treatment
for end-stage heart failure. In one form, cardiomyoplasty, the muscle is wrapped around the …

OBJECTIVES.: The purpose of this study was to prospectively assess the effect of dynamic
cardiomyoplasty in patients with symptomatic chronic heart failure. BACKGROUND.: Since …

Extremely large protein complexes involved in the Ca2+-regulatory system of the excitation-
contraction-relaxation cycle have been identified in skeletal muscle, ie clusters of the Ca2+ …

Ischemia of the distal portion of the latissimus dorsi muscle occurs in muscle transfer for
cardiomyoplasty and reduces distal muscle contractility and thus the mechanical …

A versatile, microprocessor-based stimulator for skeletal muscle cardiac assist (SMCA) has
been designed, constructed, and used in several studies. The stimulator uses multiple …

Background. The successful treatment of cardiac failure by heart transplantation is severely
limited by the shortage of donor organs, and alternative surgical approaches are needed. An …

Objectives. Dynamic cardiomyoplasty (CMP) as a surgical treatment for chronic heart failure
improves functional class status for most patients. However, significant hemodynamic …

The subscapular artery arises from the third part of the axillary artery and gives off the
circumflex scapular and the thoracodorsal arteries. Although anatomical variations of the …

Objective: Dynamic cardiomyoplasty, using a functional graft of the latissimus dorsi muscle,
has shown promise as a treatment for selected patients with advanced heart failure. The …