Moderate Versus Deep Hypothermia for the Arterial Switch Operation–Experience with 100 Consecutive Patients
Evaluated the impact of moderate versus deep perioperative hypothermia on postoperative morbidity in patients receiving the arterial switch operation (ASO).
Acute Type II Aortic Dissection with Severe Aortic Regurgitation and Chronic Descending Aortic Dissection in Pregnant Patient with Marfan Syndrome
This case report involves a successful Bentall procedure for and recovery from a rare aortic dissection in a pregnant Marfan patient who developed acute type II aortic dissection with severe aortic regurgitation and chronic descending aortic dissection immediately after Cesarean section.
Emergency Tricuspid Valve Replacement During Pregnancy
High-flow (> 3.0 L/min(2)), high-pressure (> 70 mmHg), normothermic CPB using pulsatile flow and blood cardioplegia is thought to offer the best outcome to the fetus, although data to support these claims are not compelling.
Anaestheia for Valve Replacement in the Second Trimester of Pregnancy
The case is presented of a 19 weeks pregnant woman, who required a mitral valve replacement, which was achieved with success, and enabled her to complete her pregnancy without complications. Details are provided on the published references on which our management was based.
Perioperative Coagulation Management During Cardiac Surgery
Prospective randomized multicenter studies are needed to confirm the hypothesis that algorithm-based specific hemotherapy in conjunction with POC testing minimizes patient's exposure to blood products and improves clinical outcome.
The Future:Therapy of Myocardial Protection
Recent studies have proposed that old, inexpensive drugs--in human use for decades (e.g., β-blockers and cyclosporine, among others)--can reduce ischemia/reperfusion injury, I/R injury, when administered intravenously before coronary opening. The demonstration of such a cardioprotective effect should have a significant impact in the care of AMI patients.
Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting–The Current State
The benefits of OPCAB techniques may be more apparent for patients at high risk for complications associated with CPB and aortic manipulation. Recent studies have demonstrated improved outcomes in higher-risk patients undergoing OPCAB, as well as improved neurological outcomes. The purpose of this review is to outline the recent literature comparing OPCAB with ONCAB, and to demonstrate efficacy of OPCAB as a useful technique for coronary revascularization.
Anaortic, Total-Arterial, Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery-Why Bother
Some recent trials comparing conventional on-pump CABG with OPCAB have questioned the efficacy of the off-pump technique - these are most often performed with manipulation of the ascending aorta. We review the potential benefits of the anaortic, total-arterial OPCAB technique to explain why it is being employed by an increasing number of surgeons.
Lipids and Cardiovascular Disease: Do the Findings and Therapy Apply Equally to Men and Women
Dyslipoproteinemia is prevalent in women as well as in men. In both, its consequences--premature atherosclerosis and CAD morbidity and mortality--are more common. Although clinical evidence of the benefits of cholesterol lowering is less abundant in women, it is not entirely absent.
Diabetes Clinical Trials: Helped or Hindered by the Current Shift in Regulatory Requirements
The potential for some agents to increase the risk of cardiovascular events has led to substantial changes in regulatory requirements for new anti-diabetic therapies. These requirements, while key to ensuring the cardiovascular safety of new agents, fail to emphasize the need to show clinical benefits, such as less visual impairment, less need for dialysis, or fewer cardiovascular events and deaths.
Left-Right Ventricular Interactions in Pediatric Aortic Stenosis: Right Ventricular Myocardial Strain Before and After Aortic Valvuloplasty
Ventricular-ventricular interactions may affect left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) function but have not been well characterized in chronic LV afterload in children. The aim of this study was to assess RV myocardial strain in children with aortic stenosis before and after aortic balloon valvuloplasty.