Written by faculty members of the international symposium 'Valves in the Heart of the Big Apple: Evaluation and Management of Valvular Heart Diseases, this book is intended to complement and supplement the first volume, published in 2002. While the first volume reviews current information on valvular disease pathophysiology, epidemiology and evaluation as well as management strategies for affected patients, the current volume covers areas not discussed in the first and updates information on critical prognostication and management issues. Topics discussed include the selection of patients for surgery, current surgical approaches, natural history and management of selected complex congenital abnormalities involving heart valves, cellular and molecular pathophysiology of myocardial dysfunction. Consideration is also given to prognostication strategies and results as well as technical approaches to measuring disease characteristics. Providing a comprehensive overview of contemporary thinking about valvular heart diseases, this book will be of great value not only to cardiologists and cardiac surgeons, but also to medical students, medical and surgical residents, cardiology and cardiac surgery fellows and general internists.

Diseased heart valves are a growing public health concern, ranging among the most important causes of heart failure and sudden death. This volume reviews the most current information on valvular disease pathophysiology, epidemiology and evaluation as well as management strategies for affected patients. Topics discussed include data supporting selection of asymptomatic patients for valve surgery, methods employed in evaluating patients for this purpose, surgical methods and valve prostheses currently applied for valve repair and replacement, and criteria for selecting among them. Adjunctive problems such as aortic root disease, infective endocarditis and arrhythmias that may modify patient management are also considered. Epidemiologic data illustrate the increasing prevalence of valvular disease in the population. In addition, the book reviews new and emerging knowledge about the molecular and cellular basis of myocardial dysfunction and heart failure in various forms of valvular disease, and new information about the potential roles of alternative medicine, blood conservation and minimally invasive surgical techniques. A particular highlight is a 'debate' between paired chapters on the appropriateness of mitral valve surgery for patients with less than severe mitral regurgitation of ischemic etiology. Compiling the most up-to-date and authoritative information in the field, this book will be of great value not only to cardiologists and cardiac surgeons, but also to medical students, medical and surgical residents, cardiology and cardiac surgery fellows and general internists.

Diseased heart valves are a growing public health concern, ranging among the most important causes of heart failure and sudden death. This volume reviews the most current information on valvular disease pathophysiology, epidemiology and evaluation as well as management strategies for affected patients. Topics discussed include data supporting selection of asymptomatic patients for valve surgery, methods employed in evaluating patients for this purpose, surgical methods and valve prostheses currently applied for valve repair and replacement, and criteria for selecting among them. Adjunctive problems such as aortic root disease, infective endocarditis and arrhythmias that may modify patient management are also considered. Epidemiologic data illustrate the increasing prevalence of valvular disease in the population. In addition, the book reviews new and emerging knowledge about the molecular and cellular basis of myocardial dysfunction and heart failure in various forms of valvular disease, and new information about the potential roles of alternative medicine, blood conservation and minimally invasive surgical techniques. A particular highlight is a 'debate' between paired chapters on the appropriateness of mitral valve surgery for patients with less than severe mitral regurgitation of ischemic etiology. Compiling the most up-to-date and authoritative information in the field, this book will be of great value not only to cardiologists and cardiac surgeons, but also to medical students, medical and surgical residents, cardiology and cardiac surgery fellows and general internists.

Written by faculty members of the international symposium 'Valves in the Heart of the Big Apple: Evaluation and Management of Valvular Heart Diseases', this book is intended to complement and supplement the first volume, published in 2002. While the first volume reviews current information on valvular disease pathophysiology, epidemiology and evaluation as well as management strategies for affected patients, the current volume covers areas not discussed in the first and updates information on critical prognostication and management issues. Topics discussed include the selection of patients for surgery, current surgical approaches, natural history and management of selected complex congenital abnormalities involving heart valves, cellular and molecular pathophysiology of myocardial dysfunction. Consideration is also given to prognostication strategies and results as well as technical approaches to measuring disease charac-ter­istics. Providing a comprehensive overview of contemporary thinking about valvular heart diseases, this book will be of great value not only to cardiologists and cardiac surgeons, but also to medical students, medical and surgical residents, cardiology and cardiac surgery fellows and general internists.

Challenges for the treatment of valvular heart disease include the growing need for effective yet less invasive interventions and therapies to treat these progressive conditions. With the development of potential new treatments, it is crucial for cardiac physicians to be well informed on the pathophysiology, assessment, treatment options and their outcomes of valvular diseases. Written by a highly experienced and internationally recognized group of cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, and researchers, Valvular Heart Disease offers insights into the widely varying hemodynamic effects and clinical course of heart valve conditions, as well as the contemporary management of these conditions. Offering a broad perspective on these diseases, Valvular Heart Disease expands on the recent guidelines developed by the major heart societies in the United State and Europe.