George S. Abela - Böcker

Following the advent of percutaneous balloon vel oped and are available for clinical use, as well angioplasty, interventional cardiovascular pro­ as those that are still in investigational phases. cedures have become of great interest to the Clinical case reports are presented by expert in­ cardiologist, radiologist, and cardiovascular vestigators on the use of various catheter systems surgeon. One of the most extensively explored in the coronary and peripheral circulation. alternatives to bypass surgery is laser-mediated Part V (Chapters 17-23) is the most up-to­ angioplasty. The fascination with laser radia­ date review of the clinical experience with vari­ tion has greatly contributed to its popularity, ous laser delivery systems. There is an emphasis but has also burdened it with unrealistic ex­ on patient selection, criteria for lesion choice, pectations. Many commercial laser systems are and follow-up data. A detailed description of available to the clinician and the researcher, laser recanalization techniques is presented for which often makes the choice of a laser system the various systems in the clinical setting.

The aim of this book is to provide the necessary perspective to stimulate investigators (both clinicians and basic scientists) to ask the appropriate questions in their own experiments and, in time, determine whether direct myocardial revascularization has a place in the treatment of coronary artery disease. The last five years have witnessed an increasing interest in the subject of transmyocardial revascularization (TMR). The ideas and concepts associated with this particular method of myocardial revascularization have changed dramatically over a short period of time. The original premise of "de-evolving" mammalian hearts to recreate a reptilian-like myocardial circulation by multiple channels through the myocardium has been almost completely dismissed. Now, the most popular notion is that there is an angiogenic response to myocardial channel making. It is this development of new blood vessels that is thought to be responsible for the apparent improvements in symptoms and blood flow. Along the way, the idea that a channel could stay open and allow blood to flow directly from the ventricular chamber has found little support.Rather than directly explore all of these issues and merely duplicate previously published articles, our aim was to take a novel approach: that is, to step back from these arguments and provide perspective from the vantage point of distance.

A detailed description of available to the clinician and the researcher, laser recanalization techniques is presented for which often makes the choice of a laser system the various systems in the clinical setting.

The last five years have witnessed an increasing interest in the subject of transmyocardial laser revascularization (TMR) as illustrated by the number of abstracts presented at the meetings of the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology (Figure). The ideas and concepts associated with this particular method of myocardial revascularization have changed dramatically over even this short period of time. The original premise of "de-evolving" mammalian hearts to recreate a reptilian-like myocardial circulation by making multiple channels through the myocardium has been almost (but perhaps not quite) completely dismissed. Now, the most popular notion is that there is an angiogenic response to myocardial channel making. It is this development of new blood vessels that is thought to be responsible for the apparent improvements in symptoms and blood flow. Along the way, the idea that a channel could stay open and allow blood to flow directly from the ventricular chamber has found little support. Rather than directly explore all of these issues and merely duplicate previously published articles, our aim was to take a novel approach: that is, to step back from these arguments and provide perspective from the vantage point of distance. In the case of trans myocardial revascularization, distance comes both in terms of history and in terms of methodology and knowledge from other fields of research. Historically, innovative methods of myocardial revascularization are by no means uncommon. The first two chapters deal with this historical' perspective.

This book is the first authoritative and comprehensive text dedicated to the understanding of how cholesterol triggers vascular inflammation and mechanical injury that leads to heart attacks, strokes as well as other organ and tissue pathology. It includes chapters on the background of cholesterol crystal formation and methods for their detection as well as a description of the physiochemical transformation of metastable ‘liquid’ cholesterol to a solid flat plate crystalloid within the cellular and extracellular environment resulting in volume expansion. Chapters also discusses cholesterol crystals and other crystalloid molecules found in atherosclerotic plaque. In addition, the book examines how cholesterol crystals can induce similar injurious processes in other organs including the retina of the eye to cause blindness, in solid cancers causing further tumor growth and in the brain of patients with Alzheimer’s. And lastly, the book addresses various potential therapeutics that disrupt the physiochemical transformation of cholesterol from a liquid to a solid, inhibit its role in triggering inflammation and tissue injury while ushering a path towards targeted therapies.Cholesterol Crystals in Atherosclerosis and Other Related Diseases will be of interest to cardiologists as well as individuals in various fields of science including crystallography, basic and clinical imaging, cardiac oncology, and drug discovery.