Drug-eluting stents (DES) demonstrated superior efficacy when compared to bare metal stents and plain-old balloon angioplasty and are nowadays used in almost all percutaneous revascularization procedures. The design of the stent platforms is constantly improving to maximize its efficacy and safety. Constant development of DES includes adoption of new materials used for scaffold production, new design types, improved overexpansion abilities, new polymers coating and, finally, improved antiproliferative agents. Especially nowadays, with the immense number of available DES platforms, it is crucial to understand how different aspects of stents impact the effect of their implantation, as subtle differences between various stent platforms could impact the most important issue—clinical outcomes. This review discusses the current status of coronary stents and the impact of stent material, strut design and coating techniques on cardiovascular outcomes.

Robots are defined as programmable machines that can perform specified tasks. Medical robots are emerging solutions in the field of cardiology leveraging recent technological innovations of control systems, sensors, actuators, and imaging modalities. Robotic platforms are successfully applied for percutaneous coronary intervention, invasive cardiac electrophysiology procedures as well as surgical operations including minimally invasive aortic and mitral valve repair, coronary artery bypass procedures, and structural heart diseases. Furthermore, machines are used as staff-assisting tools to support nurses with repetitive clinical duties i.e., food delivery. High precision and resolution allow for excellent maneuverability, enabling the performance of medical procedures in challenging anatomies that are difficult or impossible using conventional approaches. Moreover, robot-assisted techniques protect operators from occupational hazards, reducing exposure to ionizing radiation, and limiting risk of orthopedic injuries. Novel automatic systems provide advantages for patients, ensuring device stability with optimized utilization of fluoroscopy. The acceptance of robotic technology among healthcare providers as well as patients paves the way for widespread clinical application in the field of cardiovascular medicine. However, incorporation of robotic systems is associated with some disadvantages including high costs of installation and expensive disposable instrumentations, the need for large operating room space, and the necessity of dedicated training for operators due to the challenging learning curve of robotic-assisted interventional systems.

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a rare autoimmune disease. It leads to an increased production of proinflammatory molecules that accelerates atherogenesis and could cause an endothelium dysfunction. The aim of the study was to assess cardiovascular risk factors such as BMI and lipid profile as well as left ventricular ejection fraction among patients with SLE, and a correlation of these factors with duration of the disease. Materials and Methods. The researched group consisted of patients with SLE, being under control of the outpatient clinic of cardiology. This group included 38 patients among whom 34 were women (56.17 ± 11.05 years) and 4 were men (65.50 ± 9.22 years). The control group consisted of 19 healthy women (53.31 ± 11.94 years) and 2 healthy men (38.51 ± 7.53 years). Measurements were taken in the same conditions by trained medical staff. Results. Excessive body weight (BMI >25 kg/m²) was more frequent in the SLE group, but it was not statistically significant (55.26% vs. 52.38%, ). LVEF values were lower in their searched group, and this factor showed statistical significance (53.92% ± 6.46 vs. 58.67% ± 4.69, ). Thickness of the IMT was higher and statistically important among patients with SLE, both in left (1.22 ± 0.27 mm vs. 0.7 ± 0.21 mm, ) and right common carotid artery (1.16 ± 0.26 mm vs. 0.59 ± 0.15 mm, ), compared to the controls. Conclusions. Patients with SLE are at greater risk of developing cardiovascular diseases as the illness progresses. The activity of the disease according to the SLEDAI-2K scale may have an impact on the LVEF values which was significantly decreased in the group with active disease, but further thorough investigation is required to fully evaluate the impact of individual components of the disease and its treatment on the CVD development and mortality.

Introduction: Indications for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) continue to expand. Very often TAVI must be done in large annuli. Implantation of the bigger prostheses is often associated with more procedural problems, which may affect the outcomes. Material and methods: To...

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), notably acute myocardial infarction (AMI), persist as a leading cause of global mortality despite advances in clinical management. Coordinated cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs, such as the Coordinated Patient Care Program after Myocardial Infarction (MC-AMI), have demonstrated substantial reductions in mortality rates. However, optimizing outpatient care within these programs remains a challenge due to increasing patient volumes and physician workloads. This issue could be alleviated by using technology. Leveraging telemedicine solutions, particularly mobile apps, presents a promising avenue for addressing these challenges. Aim: The main objectives of this study were to determine if the dedicated mobile app for the cardiac rehabilitation program optimizes outpatient visit workflow and improves patient adherence to the CR program. Patients and methods: This observational study enrolled 103 patients after AMI, who completed the CR program and were eligible for the outpatient follow-up. Patients were divided into two groups: (1) the active group ( n = 60) treated with a standard of care supplemented with the AHP-KOS app, and (2) the reference group ( n = 43) treated with standard care without the AHP-KOS app. The first outpatient CR visit occurred 6 weeks after AMI. Results: Implementation of the AHP-KOS app was associated with higher adherence to the CR program (91.7% of patients using the mobile app completed 6-week outpatient visits vs. 67.4% of individuals treated with standards of care, p < 0.001). Additionally, the duration of onsite visits was significantly reduced in the active vs. reference group (8 ± 3 min. vs. 11 ± 4 min, p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: The AHP-KOS mobile app implemented in post-AMI resulted in higher adherence to the CR program (MC-AMI). Furthermore, the application of the AHP-KOS app resulted in financial and workflow optimization allowing for a significantly shorter time of outpatient visits.

Background: Sinus of Valsalva aneurysm is a rare structural anomaly that could be congenital or acquired, usually silent until the moment of rupture. Its diagnosis can be challenging as the turbulent jet flow may mimic vegetations or abscesses associated with infective endocarditis (IE). Case summary: A 31-year-old woman with Down syndrome presented with signs of severe right heart failure and a history of recurrent fevers. Initial echocardiography revealed a massive left-to-right shunt and an echogenic structure in the aortic root, raising suspicion of a paravalvular abscess—patient was treated initially with intravenous antibiotics. However, due to negative blood cultures and imaging findings (coronary computed tomography and cardiac magnetic resonance), lesion was reclassified as a ruptured non-coronary sinus of Valsalva aneurysm (RSOV) fistulizing into the right atrium (Qp:Qs 3.5). Due to the ambiguity of the diagnosis and initial clinical stability, elective surgery was planned after antibiotics course was completed and heart failure treatment optimalization. One month later, the patient presented with acute heart failure event with distribution shock. Emergency surgery was performed. Intraoperative findings confirmed RSOV without signs of infection. The aneurysm was excised with fistula closure, and the aortic valve replaced. The patient made a full recovery. Discussion: This case highlights the diagnostic overlap between RSOV and IE. It underscores the critical role of multimodality imaging in excluding infection and defining anatomy. Furthermore, it demonstrates that in cases of massive left-to-right shunting, delaying surgery carries a high risk of rapid haemodynamic collapse.