ARVCsGF

The most comprehensive review of ARVCs was presented at the ECAS Paris meeting 2011 that you can access by clicking on ECAS in the right column. This blog can be also useful to report the discussions about some critical cases or concepts discussed during the ARVD Staff of La Salpetriere which is organized each month to review all the cases of ARVCs seen during the preceding period. This staff gathers 12-15 clinicians and scientists who have some expertise in the management of these patients.

Welcome

Welcome to you, interested in ARVCs which represents a wide spectrum of diseases poorly recognised diagnosed and treated.
This is related to the complexity of this new category of cardiomyopathies in which some have been known under a different name.
Nowadays, I think it is timely to put them in the same basket under the name of "ARVCs" to concentrate the expertise of many investigators interested in only one aspect of these diseases which have more or less some features in common the first being that they are involving the Right Ventricle !

Being also the founder of the unique style of Calligraphic Painting and Drawing I have illustrated this blog with some of my 2300 recorded pieces of art.

How to use this Blog ?
- The last doc is presented on the center column
- You enlarge the image if you click on it. Click again to come back or click backward
- You bring in the center column the doc that you select on the right list in (either: The most visited, Blog Archive or Popular Posts).
- You should pay credit to me if you use this material in your presentations or publications

Thursday, May 26, 2011

European Heart Journal

Have a look at my double Editorial "The multiple facets of Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathies" and my biography in CardioPulse "Guy Fontaine and Arrhythmogenic ventricular dysplasia". To go to this Journal click on the title of this message, select Volume 32, Issue 9 May 2011.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Anterior Cardiomyoplasty for late stage ARVD performed in Paris

A typical ARVD patient (45 years old, male) with properly controled arrhythmias developed in February 2011 major resistant RV failure with NYHA Class III despite a relatively good LVEF (40%).

As indicated in the recent issue of the EHJ (GF Editorial May 2011), I advocated anterior cardiomyoplasty (Cx) instead of heart transplantation (Tx). After several months of discussions (and after reading my book) the patient finally decided Cx which has been performed to day at Georges Pompidou European Hospital in Paris by Dr Chachques and Pr Jean Noel Fabiani (School of Pr Alain Carpentier).
Anterior cardiomyoplasty has been developed for RV cardiomyopathies with major RV dilatation.
In this approach note that the latissimus dorsi is fixed on the diaphragm.Surprising results have been observed with this technique with a long follow-up that I presented in 2000 at the ACC meeting in a session on Advances in Cardiac sugery. I got 10 questions (3 from the two Chairmen Dr Swan and Eleptheriades).
In 2010 Dr Chachques reported his experience in a AHA session...
The mechanism of success is not reinforcement of contraction as originally expected but the decrease of inert blood occupying the poorly contracting right ventricle. In addition, with time, the reduction of stress on myocardial fibers may explain the disappearence of cardiac arrhythmias... as mentioned in my Editorial in EHJ 2011.

Selection of people interested in hot news about ARVCs

I will start soon to make a list (from email address) of people who are possibly interested in ARVCs developments
Indicate to me if you are interested or not !
Guy

If you like this painting called " Boeing take off " click ont he image you will be automatically connected to my Calligraphic Website www.guyfontaine.com

Saturday, May 14, 2011

ECAS Paris 10/05/11 (Improved)

ARVD first presentation
(This famous sanguine is part of the Windsor Collection)

300 Centuries later

Electrode design which was probably one of the keys of success

Why the Term of Dysplasia ?

The term of Dysplasia is based on "plasia" which in Latin means "fabrication".
The equivalent term is "Dystrophy" which has a greek root which means "growth".
I was convinced even before to see the 27 weeks old fetus that the disease can start in the embryo and therefore the term of "Dysplasia" looked to me better than "Dystrophy".

However, "dys" has a greek root which means "abnormal", as abnormal in latin is "dis" the real proper term would have been "Displasia" instead of "Dysplasia". However, as said by William C Roberts, the term of dysplasia has been used for more than 30 years and "... is probably here to stay".

Finally the term of Dysplasia came from my knowledge of Greek and Latin roots of western words learned at high school in Paris. Up to now none of those who have proposed a different name seems to have had the same high school training...