A quest of Vera M. Danchakoff, a pioneer of stem cell research.

Vera Mikhailovna Danchakova (1877-1950), also written in English as Danchakoff and in German as Dantschakoff, was the first woman to graduate with a PhD in Russia. She was a person of many interests and a strong passion for teaching and social justice that may have interfered with her pioneering stem cell research and cell biology, which was far ahead of its time. Danchakova significantly contributed to the unitarian theory of haematopoiesis along with its founder Alexander A.

Arterial switch operation in a child with commissural malalignment and unusual coronary anatomy.

The arterial switch operation has evolved to become the treatment of choice for transposition of the great arteries and is one of the greatest success stories in congenital heart surgery. The most crucial step of the operation is the coronary artery translocation; therefore, it is of paramount importance for surgeons to know every single detail about the morphology and spatial relationships of the coronary arteries and the roots of the great vessels. However, sometimes the surgeon may face unfavourable scenarios such as major commissural malalignment and anomalous coronary artery patterns and need to be prepared to carry out a successful coronary artery translocation.

Truncal valve repair in an adolescent with severe annular dilatation.

Approximately 20% of patients with truncus arteriosus might need a truncal valve procedure within 20 years after anatomical repair due to regurgitation. These patients commonly develop valve regurgitation due to root dilatation with a sufficient amount of good quality valvular tissue. Thus, the reduction of the truncal annulus is the single most important factor to achieve durable repair, especially in patients in whom the Ross procedure is not an option.