Successful coronary artery bypass grafting with the aid of a portable minimized extracorporeal life support system.

Extracorporeal life support system has been successfully used in patients with cardiac failure after open heart surgery, as a bridge to transplantation, and in patients with prolonged cardiogenic shock or cardiopulmonary arrest. This report presents our early experience with the new system Cardiohelp in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Between August 2010 and June 2011, 50 patients underwent CABG with the aid of Cardiohelp.

Surgical management of hypoplastic left heart syndrome at the Birmingham Children's Hospital.

Currently, a three-stage surgical palliation remains the treatment of choice at Birmingham Children's Hospital. After initial introduction of the classical Norwood with pulmonary blood flow provided by a modified Blalock-Taussig shunt, a right ventricular to right pulmonary artery conduit at stage 1 Norwood palliation is now used in most cases, a bi-directional 'Glenn' shunt at second stage and an extra-cardiac Fontan completion at third stage. Mortality and morbidity has improved after modification of the technique.

Beating heart aortic valve replacement after previous coronary artery bypass surgery with a patent internal mammary artery graft.

Re-sternotomy for aortic valve replacement (AVR) in patients with a patent internal mammary artery (IMA) graft may present a challenging surgical problem. Thus, strategies to prevent IMA graft injury include avoiding its dissection and leaving the graft open. However, when aortic cross clamping and cardioplegia are required, this approach may be associated with cardioplegia washout, suboptimal myocardial protection, and anterior myocardial wall injury.

Surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation with argon-based cryotechnology.

Over the past several years numerous attempts have been made to treat atrial fibrillation surgically. The most effective of all such surgical treatments has been the Maze operation, developed by James Cox in the 1980s. The Maze operation has demonstrated excellent long-term results.

Three-dimensional echocardiography for planning of mitral valve surgery: current applicability?

Background: Two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiographic (2D TEE) assessment of the mitral valve requires mental integration of a limited number of 2D imaging planes. Structural display in three dimensions from any perspective may be of advantage to the surgeon for better judgment and planning.

Methods: Feasibility, accuracy, and limitations of preoperative three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3D TEE) was assessed in 51 patients with mitral valve disease.

Temporary extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in patients with refractory postoperative cardiogenic shock--a single center experience.

Background: Approximately 1% of patients require temporary circulatory support due to refractory cardiogenic shock following cardiac surgery. Such patients are at very high risk for subsequent morbidity and mortality. We evaluated the results of temporary extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support in patients with postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock.

Skeletonization versus pedicle preparation of the radial artery with and without the ultrasonic scalpel.

Background: The radial artery (RA) is increasingly used for myocardial revascularization because of its presumed advantageous long-term patency rates. The vessel can be harvested as a pedicle or skeletonized. The aim of this study was to compare the skeletonization technique with pedicle preparation using either an ultrasonic scalpel or scissors.

Intraoperative left atrial ablation (for atrial fibrillation) using a new argon cryocatheter: early clinical experience.

Purpose: Recently surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation has gained more popularity and presently is being performed in large numbers of patients. This report describes our early experience in treatment of patients with chronic or paroxysmal atrial fibrillation with a new tool for left atrial cryoablation.

Description: From July 2002 through January 2003, 28 patients underwent left atrial cryoablation with the Surgifrost CryoCath.

Esophageal perforation during left atrial radiofrequency ablation: Is the risk too high?

Objective: Intraoperative radiofrequency ablation of atrial fibrillation (IRAAF) is a recently developed procedure being performed in an increasing number of patients. We have performed left atrial IRAAF in 387 patients since August 1998. The purpose of this article is to describe a serious complication of this procedure, namely IRAAF-induced esophageal perforation, in detail to identify possible risk factors.

Specific linear left atrial lesions in atrial fibrillation: intraoperative radiofrequency ablation using minimally invasive surgical techniques.

Objectives: A specific left atrial (LA) linear lesion concept for treatment of paroxysmal and permanent atrial fibrillation (AF) was tested using intraoperative ablation with minimally invasive surgical techniques.

Background: Curative treatment for patients with chronic AF is among the main challenges of interventional electrophysiology.

Methods: Seventy patients (mean age 53 +/- 10 years) with drug-refractory persistent (n = 28) or paroxysmal (n = 42) AF underwent intraoperative radiofrequency (RF) ablation using video-assisted minimally invasive techniques via a right anterolateral minithoracotomy.

Curative treatment of atrial fibrillation with intraoperative radiofrequency ablation: short-term and midterm results.

Objective: This report describes the early and midterm results after intraoperative radiofrequency ablation of atrial fibrillation for patients with isolated chronic atrial fibrillation or atrial fibrillation in combination with additional valvular and nonvalvular cardiac diseases.

Methods: From August 1998 to March 2001, a total of 234 patients with chronic atrial fibrillation underwent isolated intraoperative radiofrequency ablation alone (n = 74, 31.6%) or in combination with other cardiac procedures, such as mitral valve reconstruction (n = 57, 24.