At the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute, our faculty, fellows, and clinical staff members engage in research to find new and better treatments for cardiovascular disease. By publishing their findings, our experts share important insights that can help improve treatments and patient care.
Simon MA, Schnatz RG, Romeo JD, Pacella JJ. Bedside Ultrasound Assessment of Jugular Venous Compliance as a Potential Point-of-Care Method to Predict Acute Decompensated Heart Failure 30-Day Readmission. J Am Heart Assoc. 2018;7:e008184. DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.117.008184.
Schelbert EB, Bering P. Constancy of Spatial Variation in Diffuse Myocardial Disease: Implications for Diagnosing Disease. Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2018 Jun;11(6):e007836. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.118.007836.
Adelstein EC, Althouse AD, Schwartzman D, Jain SK, Soman P, Saba S. Scar burden, not intraventricular conduction delay pattern, is associated with outcomes in ischemic cardiomyopathy patients receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy. Heart Rhythm. 2018 Nov;15(11):1664-1672. doi: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2018.05.027.
Adelstein E, Saba S. The Wearable Cardioverter-Defibrillation: An Investment Worth Making or Needing Further Investigation? JACC Clin Electrophysiol. 2018 Feb;4(2):240-242. doi: 10.1016/j.jacep.2017.10.011.
Gupta A, Ladejobi A, Munir MB, Pasupula DK, Bhonsale A, Kancharla K, Wang NC, Jain S, Saba S. Derivation and validation of a new score to predict long-term survival after sudden cardiac arrest. Pacing Clin Electrophysiol. 2018 Dec;41(12):1585-1590. doi: 10.1111/pace.13528.
Gupta A, Pasupula DK, Bhonsale A, Kancharla K, Wang NC, Adelstein E, Jain S, Saba S. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy in device recipients who survived a cardiac arrest associated with a reversible cause. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol. 2018 Oct;29(10):1413-1417. doi: 10.1111/jce.13696.
Schelbert EB, Miller CA. Unrecognized Myocardial Infarction: Time to Rectify Failures of Detection and Failures of Prevention. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2018 Dec;11(12):1782-1784. doi: 10.1016/j.jcmg.2018.03.007.
Wong TC, McNamara DM. Imaging-Based Surveillance for Graft Rejection Following Heart Transplantation: Ready for Prime Time? JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2018 Apr 13. pii: S1936-878X(18)30305-X. doi: 10.1016/j.jcmg.2018.04.002.
Mulukutla S, Althouse AD, Jain SK, Saba S. Increased left atrial size is associated with higher atrial fibrillation recurrence in patients treated with antiarrhythmic medications. Clin Cardiol. 2018 Jun;41(6):825-829. doi: 10.1002/clc.22964.
Masri A, Althouse AD, McKibben J, Thoma F, Mathier M, Ramani R, Teuteberg J, Marroquin O, Lee JS, Mulukutla SR. Outcomes of Heart Failure Admissions Under Observation Versus Short Inpatient Stay. J Am Heart Assoc. 2018 Jan 31;7(3). pii: e007944. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.117.007944.
Guhl EN, Adelstein E, Voigt A, Wang NC, Saba S, Jain SK. Impact of 3D mapping on procedural characteristics and outcomes in cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation for atrial fibrillation. J Interv Card Electrophysiol. 2018 Jan;51(1):71-75. doi: 10.1007/s10840-017-0304-0.
Bianco V, Kilic A, Gleason TG, Aranda-Michel E, Navid F, Mulukutla S, Sultan I. Aortic root replacement with stentless xenografts in patients with aortic stenosis. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2018 Nov 23. pii: S0022-5223(18)33125-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2018.11.028. PMID: 30635191
Sultan I, Bianco V, Yazji I, Kilic A, Dufendach K, Cardounel A, Althouse AD, Masri A, Navid F, Gleason TG. Hemiarch Reconstruction Versus Clamped Aortic Anastomosis for Concomitant Ascending Aortic Aneurysm. Ann Thorac Surg. 2018 Sep;106(3):750-756. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2018.03.078PMID:
Wallen TJ, Szeto W, Williams M, Atluri P, Arnaoutakis G, Fults M, Sultan I, Desai N, Acker M, Vallabhajosyula P. Tricuspid valve endocarditis in the era of the opioid epidemic. J Card Surg. 2018 May;33(5):260-264. doi: 10.1111/jocs.13600.
Cardounel A, Gleason TG, Lee JS, Schindler JT, Kliner D, Navid F, Bianco V, Sultan I. Surgical cut down for vascular access with conscious sedation for transcatheter aortic valve replacement: the best of both worlds? Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2018 Oct 1;27(4):494-497. doi: 10.1093/icvts/ivy114.
Masri A, Bianco V, Kilic A, Gleason TG, Sultan I. Failure of CT angiogram to detect an ascending aortic dissection. J Card Surg. 2018 Apr;33(4):194-195. doi: 10.1111/jocs.13562
Sultan I, Kilic A. Invited Commentary. Ann Thorac Surg. 2018 Apr;105(4):1198-1199. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2017.11.008.
Seese LM, Bakaeen FG, Sultan I, Chu D. Bilateral Opposing Loop Technique for Securing Air Knots. Ann Thorac Surg. 2018 Jun;105(6):e277-e278. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2017.12.043.
Sultan I, Siki MA, Bavaria JE, Dibble TR, Savino DC, Kilic A, Szeto W, Vallabhajosyula P, Fairman RM, Jackson BM, Wang GJ, Desai ND. Predicting Distal Aortic Remodeling After Endovascular Repair for Chronic DeBakey III Aortic Dissection. Ann Thorac Surg. 2018 Jun;105(6):1691-1696. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2018.01.006.
Seese L, Schindler JT, Gleason TG, Sultan I. The delayed southern migration of a transcatheter aortic valve. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2018 Jul 1;54(1):187-188. doi: 10.1093/ejcts/ezy008.
Sultan I, Seese L, Lagazzi L, Gleason TG. Concomitant aortic valve replacement with orthotopic heart transplantation. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2018 May;155(5):e151-e152. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2017.10.125.
Kilic A, Sultan I. Anomalous Origin of the Left Main Coronary Artery From the Right Coronary Artery. Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2018 Dec;11(12):e008452. doi: 10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.118.008452.
Kilic A, Sultan I, Navid F, Aranda-Michel E, Chu D, Thoma F, Gleason TG Trifecta Aortic Bioprosthesis: Midterm Results in 1,953 Patients From a Single Center. Ann Thorac Surg. 2019 May;107(5):1356-1362. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2018.10.063..
Chan PG, Chan EG, Seese L, Sultan I, Kilic A, Gleason TG, Chu D. Safety and Feasibility of a Nonpledgeted Suture Technique for Heart Valve Replacement. JAMA Surg. 2018 Nov 21. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2018.4243.
Bianco V, Gleason TG, Kilic A, Lee JS, Schindler JT, Rauso L, Arnold J, Joshi R, Navid F, Kliner D, Sultan I. Open Surgical Access for Transfemoral TAVR Should Not Be a Contraindication for Conscious Sedation.J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2019 Jan;33(1):39-44. doi: 10.1053/j.jvca.2018.05.036.
Kilic A, Acker MA, Gleason TG, Sultan I, Vemulapalli S, Thibault D, Ailawadi G, Badhwar V, Thourani V, Kilic A. Clinical Outcomes of Mitral Valve Reoperations in the United States: An Analysis of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Database.Ann Thorac Surg. 2019 Mar;107(3):754-759. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2018.08.083.
Sultan I, Bianco V, Kilic A, Chu D, Navid F, Gleason TG. Aortic root replacement with cryopreserved homograft for infective endocarditis in the modern North American opioid epidemic. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2019 Jan;157(1):45-50. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2018.05.050.
Coyan GN, Aranda-Michel E, Sultan I, Gleason TG, Navid F, Chu D, Sharbaugh MS, Kilic A. Outcomes of mitral valve surgery during concomitant aortic valve replacement. J Card Surg. 2018 Nov;33(11):706-715. doi: 10.1111/jocs.13824. Epub 2018 Oct 2.
Sultan I, Dufendach KA, Kilic A, Bianco V, Navid F, Gleason TG. A running suture line for aortic valve replacement does not increase the rate of postoperative complete heart block. Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2019 Mar;67(3):283-288. doi: 10.1007/s11748-018-1011-1.
Bianco V, Kilic A, Gleason TG, Arnaoutakis GJ, Sultan I. Management of thoracic aortic graft infections. J Card Surg. 2018 Oct;33(10):658-665. doi: 10.1111/jocs.13792.
Sultan I, Kilic A, Arnaoutakis G, Kilic A. Impact of Foley Catheter Placement by Medical Students on Rates of Postoperative Urinary Tract Infection. J Am Coll Surg. 2018 Nov;227(5):496-501. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2018.08.182.
Sultan I, Cardounel A, Abdelkarim I, Kilic A, Althouse AD, Sharbaugh MS, Gupta A, Xu J, Fukui M, Simon MA, Schindler JT, Lee JS, Gleason TG, Cavalcante JL. Right ventricle to pulmonary artery coupling in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Heart. 2019 Jan;105(2):117-121. doi: 10.1136/heartjnl-2018-313385.
Kilic A, Bianco V, Gleason TG, Aranda-Michel E, Chu D, Navid F, Althouse AD, Sultan I. Hospital readmission rates are similar between patients with mechanical versus bioprosthetic aortic valves. J Card Surg. 2018 Sep;33(9):497-505. doi: 10.1111/jocs.13781.
Seese L, Kilic A, Navid F, Gleason TG, Sultan I. Nonoperative Management of Brachiocephalic Artery Dissection. Ann Thorac Surg. 2019 Feb;107(2):e97-e99. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2018.06.047.
Sultan I, Dufendach K, Kilic A, Bianco V, Trivedi D, Althouse AD, Thoma F, Navid F, Gleason TG. Bare Metal Stent Use in Type B Aortic Dissection May Offer Positive Remodeling for the Distal Aorta. Ann Thorac Surg. 2018 Nov;106(5):1364-1370. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2018.06.042.
Sultan I, Aranda-Michel E, Gleason TG, Navid F, Kilic A. Mitral valve surgery for acute papillary muscle rupture. J Card Surg. 2018 Sep;33(9):484-488. doi: 10.1111/jocs.13773.
Seese L, Sultan I, Navid F, Gleason TG. Conversion of Left- to a Right-Sided Aortic Arch: A Radical Approach for Select Indications. Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2018 Autumn;30(3):288-289. doi: 10.1053/j.semtcvs.2018.06.004.
Kim KM, Shannon F, Paone G, Lall S, Batra S, Boeve T, DeLucia A, Patel HJ, Theurer PF, He C, Clark MJ, Sultan I, Deeb GM, Prager RL. Evolving trends in aortic valve replacement: A statewide experience. J Card Surg. 2018 Aug;33(8):424-430. doi: 10.1111/jocs.13740.
Sultan I, Kilic A. Short-Term Circulatory and Right Ventricle Support in Cardiogenic Shock: Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, Tandem Heart, CentriMag, and Impella. Heart Fail Clin. 2018 Oct;14(4):579-583. doi: 10.1016/j.hfc.2018.06.014.
Kormos RL. Extending the perspective on left ventricular assist device pump thrombosis to left ventricular assist device system thrombosis. J Thorac Cardiovasc. Surg. 2018 Jan;155(1):e37-e38. Doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2017.09.079. PubMed PMID: 29042104
Masri A, Abdelkarim I, Sharbaugh MS, Althouse AD, Xu J, Han W, Chan SY, Katz WE, Crock FW, Harinstein ME, Kliner DE, Navid F, Lee JS, Gleason TG, Schindler JT, Cavalcante JL. Outcomes of persistent pulmonary hypertension following transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Heart. 2018 May; 104(10):821-827. Doi: 10.1136/heartjnl-2017-311978. Epub 2017 Sep 29. PubMed PMID: 28970276; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5876149.
Hsu S, Kambhampati S, Sciortino CM, Russell SD, Schulman SP. Predictors of intra-aortic balloon pump hemodynamic failure in non-acute myocardial infarction cardiogenic shock. Am Heart J. 2018 May; 199: 181-191. doi: 10.1016.j.ahj.2017.11.016. Epub 2017 Dec 13. PubMed PMID: 29754660; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5955398.
Ensor CR, Goerhring KC, Iasella CJ, Moore CA, Lendermon EA, McDyer JF, Morrell MR, Sciortino CM. Venkataramanan R, Wiland AM. Belatacept for maintenance immunosuppression in cardiothoracic transplantation: The potential frontier. Clin Transplant. 2018 Jul 29:e13363. doi: 10.1111/ctr.13363. [Epub ahead of print] Review. PubMed PMID: 30058177.
Gleason TG, Reardon MJ, Popma JJ, Deeb GM, Yakubov SJ, Lee JS, Kleiman NS, Chetcuti S, Hermiller JB Jr, Heiser J, Merhi W, Zorn GL 3rd, Tadros P, Robinson N, Petrossain G, Hughes GC, Harrison JK, Conte JV, Mumtaz M, Oh JK, Huang J, Adams DH; CoreValve U.S. Pivotal High-Risk Trial Clinical Investigators. Self-Expanding Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement or Surgical Valve Replacement in High-Risk Patients: 5-Year Outcomes. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2018 Sep 18. pii: S0735-1097(18)38290-1. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2018.08.2146. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 30249462.
Chonde M, Sappington P, Kormos R, Althouse A, Boujoukos A. The Use of ECMO for the Treatment of Refractory Cardiac Arrest or Postarrest Cardiogenic Shock Following In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A 10-Year Experience. J Intensive Care Med. 2018 Jan 1:885066617751398. doi: 10.1177/0885066617751398.
Gleason TG, Schindler JT, Hagberg RC, Deeb GM, Adams DH, Conte JV, Zorn GL 3rd, Hughes GC, Guo J, Popma JJ, Reardon MJ. Subclavian/Axillary Access for Self-Expanding Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Renders Equivalent Outcomes as Transfemoral. Ann Thorac Surg. 2018 Feb;105(2):477-483. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2017.07.017.
Avgerinos ED, Mohapatra A, Rivera-Lebron B, Toma C, Kabrhel C, Fish L, Lacomis J, Ocak I, Chaer RA, PERT Consortium. Design and rationale of a randomized trial comparing standard versus ultrasound assisted thrombolysis for submassive pulmonary embolism. J Vasc Surg Venous Lymphat Disord 2018 6(1): 137-138
Domenick Sridharan N, Thirumala P, Chaer R, Balzer J, Long B, Crammond D, Makaroun MS, Avgerinos ED. Predictors of cross-clamp induced intraoperative monitoring changes during carotid endarterectomy using both electroencephalography and somatosensory evoked potentials. J Vasc Surg 2018; 67(1):191-198
Sridharan ND, Liang N, Robinson D, Avgerinos E, Tzeng E, Makaroun MS, Chaer RA, Eslami MH. Implementation of drug-eluting stents for the treatment of femoropopliteal disease provides significant cost-to-system savings in a single-state outpatient simulation. J Vasc Surg. 2018 May 18. pii: S0741-5214(18)30439-7.
Mohapatra A, Robinson D, Malak O, Madigan MC, Avgerinos ED, Chaer RA, Singh MJ, Makaroun MS. Increasing use of open conversion for late complications after endovascular aortic aneurysm repair. J Vasc Surg. 2018 Dec 21. pii: S0741-5214(18)32456-X. doi: 10.1016/j.jvs.2018.09.049.
Avgerinos ED, Saadeddin Z, Abou Ali AN, Fish L, Toma C, Chaer M, Rivera-Lebron BN, Chaer RA. A meta-analysis of outcomes of catheter-directed thrombolysis for high- and intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism. J Vasc Surg Venous Lymphat Disord. 2018 Jul;6(4):530-540. doi: 10.1016/j.jvsv.2018.03.010. Review.
Taha AG, Abou Ali AN, Al-Khoury G, Singh MJ, Makaroun MS, Avgerinos ED, Chaer RA. Outcomes of infrageniculate retrograde versus transfemoral access for endovascular intervention for chronic lower extremity ischemia. J Vasc Surg. 2018 Mar 31
Sridharan ND, Boitet A, Smith K, Noorbakhsh BSN, Dahm B, Avgerinos ED, Eslami MH, Makaroun MS, Chaer RA. Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Drug Coated Therapies in the Superficial Femoral Artery. J Vasc Surg 2018;67(1):343-352
Mohapatra A, Henry JC, Avgerinos ED, Chaer RA, Leers SA, Boitet A, Singh MJ, Hager ES. Heel Wounds Predict Mortality but Not Amputation after Infrapopliteal Revascularization. Ann Vasc Surg. 2018 Mar 6. pii: S0890-5096(18)30176-6.
Mohapatra A, Lowenkamp MN, Henry JC, Boitet A, Avgerinos ED, Chaer RA, Makaroun MS, Leers SA, Hager ES. Prior Endovascular Intervention Is Not Detrimental to Pedal Bypasses for Ischemic Wounds. Ann Vasc Surg. 2018 Feb 23. pii: S0890-5096(18)30168-7. Impact 1.145
Sachdev U, Vodovotz L, Bitner J, Barclay D, Zamora R, Yin J, Simmons RL, Vodovotz Y. Suppressed networks of inflammatory mediators characterize chronic venous insufficiency. J Vasc Surg Venous Lymphat Disord. 2018 May;6(3):358-366.
Chen Y, Tillman BW; Go C, Cho SK, Clark WC, Hur TB, Ding Y, Chun Y. A Novel Customizable Stent Graft That Contains a Stretchable ePTFE with a Laser-Welded Nitinol Stent. Journal of Biomedical Materials in Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials. 2018.
Go C, Chun Y, Kuhn J, Chen Y, Cho SK, Clark WC, Tillman BW. Damage control of caval injuries in a porcine model using a retrievable RESCUE stent. Journal of Vascular Surgery: Venous and Lymphatic Disorders. 2018
Mohapatra A, Salem KM, Jaman E, Robinson D, Avgerinos ED, Makaroun MS, Eslami MH. Risk factors for perioperative mortality after revascularization for acute aortic occlusion. J Vasc Surg. 2018 Dec;68(6):1789-1795. doi: 10.1016/j.jvs.2018.04.037. Epub 2018 Jun 23.
Wagner JK, Truong S, Chaer R, Dillavou E, Hager E, Yuo T, Makaroun M, Avgerinos ED. Current Experience and Midterm Follow-up of Immediate-Access Arteriovenous Grafts. Ann Vasc Surg. 2018 Nov;53:123-127. doi: 10.1016/j.avsg.2018.04.036. PMID: 30012446
Avgerinos ED, Abou Ali AN, Liang NL, Rivera-Lebron B, Toma C, Maholic R, Makaroun MS, Chaer RA. Catheter-directed interventions compared with systemic thrombolysis achieve improved ventricular function recovery at a potentially lower complication rate for acute pulmonary embolism. J Vasc Surg Venous Lymphat Disord. 2018 Jul;6(4):425-432. doi: 10.1016/j.jvsv.2017.12.058.
Taha AG, Abou Ali AN, Al-Khoury G, Singh MJ, Makaroun MS, Avgerinos ED, Chaer RA. Outcomes of infrageniculate retrograde versus transfemoral access for endovascular intervention for chronic lower extremity ischemia. J Vasc Surg. 2018 Oct;68(4):1088-1095. doi: 10.1016/j.jvs.2018.01.028.
Chen Y, Kim YS, Tillman BW, Yeo WH, Chun Y. Advances in Materials for Recent Low-Profile Implantable Bioelectronics. Materials (Basel). 2018 Mar 29;11(4). pii: E522. doi: 10.3390/ma11040522. Review. PMID: 29596359.
Abou Ali AN, Avgerinos ED, Chaer RA. Role of Venous Stenting for Iliofemoral and Vena Cava Venous Obstruction. Surg Clin North Am. 2018 Apr;98(2):361-371. doi: 10.1016/j.suc.2017.11.015.
Beathard GA, Lok CE, Glickman MH, Al-Jaishi AA, Bednarski D, Cull DL, Lawson JH, Lee TC, Niyyar VD, Syracuse D, Trerotola SO, Roy-Chaudhury P, Shenoy S, Underwood M, Wasse H, Woo K, Yuo TH, Huber TS. Definitions and End Points for Interventional Studies for Arteriovenous Dialysis Access. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2018 Mar 7;13(3):501-512. IMPACT FACTOR: 4.78
Xu J, Cui X, Li J, Koutakis P, Pipinos I, Tzeng E, Chen A, Sachdev U. Chloroquine improves the response to ischemic muscle injury and increases HMGB1 after arterial ligation. J Vasc Surg. 2018 Mar;67(3):910-921
McEnaney RM; McCreary D, Tzeng E. A Modified Rat Model of Hindlimb Ischemia for Augmentation and Functional Measurement of Arteriogenesis. J Biol Methods. 2018. 5(2) e89.
Liang NL, Reitz KM, Makaroun MS, Malas MB, Tzeng E. Comparable perioperative mortality outcomes in younger patients undergoing elective open and endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. J Vasc Surg. 2018 May;67(5):1404-1409.
Domenick Sridharan N, Fish L, Yu L, Weisbord S, Jhamb M, Makaroun MS, Yuo TH. The associations of hemodialysis access type and access satisfaction with health-related quality of life. J Vasc Surg. 2018 Jan;67(1):229-35
Leers SA, Woo K, Rathburn J, Johnson B. Preparing for the Outpatient Treatment of Venous Disease under MACRA J Vasc Surg Venous Lymphatic Disord. 2018 Jan; 6(1): 133.
Eslami MH, Rybin DV, Doros G, Siracuse JJ, Farber. External validation of Vascular Study Group of New England risk predictive model of mortality after elective abdominal aorta aneurysm repair in the Vascular Quality Initiative and comparison against established models. J Vasc Surg. 2018 Jan;67(1):143-150