The surgical option in the management of acute pulmonary embolism.

Objective: Massive or submassive pulmonary embolism (PE) carries a high mortality. Traditionally this condition has been treated with thrombolysis or anticoagulation and support measures. Surgical embolectomy is carried out in situations of hemodynamic instability or contraindication for thrombolysis.

Video-assisted mitral surgery through a micro-access: a safe and reliable reality in the current era.

Background And Aim Of The Study: Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery was introduced into clinical practice during the mid 1990s. The clinical benefits of the technique, namely a reduction of surgical trauma, increased patient comfort and shorter hospital stay, are achieved by using a video-assisted, minithoracotomy approach rather than a standard median sternotomy. Herein is described the authors' experience with video-assisted mitral surgery through a micro-access.

Ruptured aneurysm of the mammary artery in a patient with neurofibromatosis type I.

We report a case of acute hemothorax caused by the rupture of a mammary artery aneurysm in a patient with neurofibromatosis type I.

One-hundred aortic valve replacements in octogenarians: outcomes and risk factors for early mortality.

Background And Aim Of The Study: Today, ageing of the western population is causing aortic valve surgery to be performed in elderly patients with increasing frequency. The study aim was to evaluate surgical outcome in octogenarian patients undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR).

Methods: A total of 100 patients (mean age 82.