Multidisciplinary aortic arch procedures within the "Aortic Team".

Introduction And Aim: The European societies EACTS (European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery) and ESVS (European Society for Vascular Surgery) recommend the establishment of "Aortic Teams" from 2019. In Poland, the first such team was officially established in Specialist University Hospital no. 2 in Szczecin in 2021.

Glycated hemoglobin HbA1c - a new risk marker for the outcome of cardiac surgery?

Introduction: About 30% of patients undergoing cardiac surgery are diabetic, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is a reliable marker for long-term glucose control. The aim of our study was to examine whether tight glucose control before a cardiac operation results in a better outcome of the surgical treatment.

Material And Methods: We performed a retrospective record review of 350 diabetic patients undergoing cardiac surgery in our institution.

The Gerbode defect - a frequent echocardiographic pitfall.

We present a case of Gerbode type defect (left ventricular to right atrial communication) discovered in a 52 year-old man with atrial and ventricular septal defects. The patient was diagnosed using two-dimensional colour Doppler and transoesophageal echocardiography. We describe the echocardiographic features and review the anatomical consequences of such defects.

Evaluation of the level of antibodies against Chlamydophila (Chlamydia) pneumoniae in post-surgery heart ischaemia patients and their clinical conditions - a six-year study.

Introduction: Inflammatory conditions modulated by Chlamydophila (Chlamydia) pneumoniae are considered to play an important role in the onset of atherosclerosis. In this paper we present the results of progressive observation of C. pneumoniae antibody titres in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG).