Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii mediastinitis.

Introduction: Mediastinitis remains one of the most serious complications of cardiac surgery. The reported incidence is 1-4%, while the related mortality varies from 10-47%.

Case Presentation: A patient with triple vessel disease (TVD) was hospitalized at our clinic for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.

Giant Aneurysm of Ascending Aorta and Aortic Arch: A Report of a Rare Case.

A thoracic aortic aneurysm is considered giant when its diameter exceeds 10 cm. We report a rare case of a giant aneurysm involving the ascending aorta and aortic arch in a 40-year-old man, initially diagnosed as an acute aortic dissection. The patient underwent emergency surgery, during which the ascending aorta and aortic arch were replaced under deep hypothermia and circulatory arrest with selective antegrade cerebral perfusion.

Echinococcosis in both heart and lungs, the first case reported in Albania.

An 11-year-old male was admitted with cough and fever for the last 4 days and also complained of pain in the right lung for some weeks. The boy did not show any other symptoms and his past medical history was unremarkable as well. The radiologist findings showed an aspect that suggested for echinococcosis.

Early and Mid-term Outcome of the St. Jude Medical Regent 19-mm Aortic Valve Mechanical Prosthesis. Functional and Haemodynamic Evaluation.

Background And Objectives: The aim of the present study is to report the early and mid-term clinical and haemodynamic results of the St Jude Medical Regent 19-mm aortic mechanical prothesis (SJMR-19).

Materials And Methods: Between January 2002 and January 2012, 265 patients with aortic valve disease underwent AVR (Aortic Valve Replacement) with a SJMR-19 (St Jude Medical Regent Nr.19).

Surgical treatment of a giant unruptured aneurysm of the noncoronary sinus of Valsalva: a case report.

Background: A sinus of Valsalva aneurysm is a rare cardiac anomaly which may be acquired or congenital. The main associated symptoms are conduction disturbances, myocardial ischemia, and syncopes.

Case Presentation: In this report we describe a 52-year-old Albanian woman from Kosovo with an unruptured aneurysm of 74×60 mm of the noncoronary sinus of Valsalva presenting dyspnea, jugular distension, and tachycardia due to cardiac compression.

Surgical treatment of a calcified, amorphous tumor of the right ventricle complicated with thrombosis of the right pulmonary artery in an adult male: a case report.

Background: A calcified amorphous tumor of the heart is an extremely rare cardiac mass.

Case Presentation: A 32-year-old Albanian man presented to our hospital with fatigue, shortness of breath, progressive dyspnea, and right congestive heart failure. Echocardiography and chest computed tomography revealed a giant, calcified right ventricular mass that originated between the papillary muscles and the trabeculae and extended to the pulmonary valve.

"Extroverted Cuff", a novel modification of the elephant trunk technique for distal anastomosis of ragged descending aorta.

Background: The elephant trunk technique has been applied in various situations including distal aortic dissection, entire aortic replacement, proximal aortic aneurysm, proximal aortic dissection, and Marfan's syndrome. The elephant trunk technique remains a challenge in cardiac surgery. Here we report a modification of this surgical approach.

Early and mid-term outcome in terms of functional and hemodynamic performance of the st. Jude regent 19-mm aortic mechanical prosthesis versus 19-mm carpentier edwards aortic biological prosthesis.

Background: The aim of the present study is to compare the early and mid-term clinical and hemodynamic results of the aortic valve replacement (AVR) with a St Jude Medical Regent 19-mm prosthesis (SJMR-19) versus Carpentied-Edwars bovine pericardial 19-mm valve (CE-19).

Methods: Between January 2002 and January 2012, 265 patients (Group I) and 58 patients (Group II) with underwent AVR with a SJMR-19 and CE-19 respectively. There were no significant differences between groups regarding the demographic and preoperative echocardiographic data.

Does the St. Jude Regent 17-mm Offer Better Outcomes Than the Hemodynamic Plus 17-mm Aortic Valve Mechanical Prothesis?

Objective: The aim of the present study is to report the early and mid-term clinical and hemodynamic results of a prospective trial investigating the clinical performance of the St. Jude Medical Regent 17 mm (SJMR-17) versus St. Jude Medical Hemodynamic Plus 17 mm (SJMHP-17).

Acquired Gerbode defect following endocarditis of the tricuspid valve: a case report and literature review.

The Gerbode's defect is a communication between the left ventricle and right atrium. It is usually congenital, but rarely is acquired, as a complication of endocarditis, myocardial infarction, trauma, or after previous cardiac surgery. The acquired Gerbode defect with involvement of the tricuspid valve acquired after bacterial endocarditis can be challenging to repair.

Hemodynamics of 17-mm vs. 19-mm St. Jude Medical Regent and annulus enlargement.

Objective: We aimed to compare early and midterm clinical and hemodynamic outcomes of 17-mm vs. 19-mm St. Jude Medical Regent valves with concomitant aortic annulus enlargement.

A giant myxoma originating from the aortic valve causing severe left ventricular tract obstruction: a case report and literature review.

Introduction: The left ventricular localization of a myxoma is very rare, usually arising from the interventricular septum close to the left ventricular outflow tract, the mitral valve, the ventricular wall and extremely rarely the aortic valve.

Case Presentation: A 13-year-old male was admitted due to dyspnea and angina. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed left ventricular outflow tract obstruction with a mean gradient of 58 mmHg, and a mobile mass measuring 65×25 mm originating from the ventricular surface of the aortic valve was identified.

Coil embolization of an anomalous bronchial artery originating from the left subclavian artery following arterial switch operation: a case report.

Introduction: Bronchial arteries originate from the descending aorta at the level of the T5-T6 vertebrae following an intrapulmonary course along the major bronchi. When bronchial arteries take off from a vessel other than the descending aorta, the anatomy is defined as an anomalous origin of the bronchial artery.

Case Presentation: A 3-day-old boy from Kosovo with dextro-transposition of the great arteries who developed progressive heart failure required an emergency arterial switch operation.

Surgical treatment of a massive bilateral pulmonary embolus due to an entrapped thrombus in a patent foramen ovale: a case report.

Introduction: Entrapped thrombus in a patent foramen ovale is a rare form of right heart thromboembolism. Various treatments have been used, such as anti-coagulation and thrombolytic therapy, vena cava filter, percutaneous thrombectomy and surgical embolectomy.

Case Presentation: A 60-year-old Kosovan woman was admitted to our hospital with a massive bilateral pulmonary thromboembolism, entrapped thrombus in the patent foramen ovale and severe right ventricular dysfunction.

Huge ascending aortic aneurysm with an intraluminal thrombus in an embolic event-free patient.

We present a case of an 87-year-old male patient with a huge ascending aortic aneurysm, filled by a huge thrombus most probably due to previous dissection. This finding was detected by two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) angiography scan. The patient refused surgical treatment and was medically treated.

The peacock tail technique: a modified reconstruction technique for tricuspid valve repair in Ebstein's malformation.

The "peacock tail" technique is a modification of the cone reconstruction technique for Ebstein's malformation and failing right ventricle and is performed simultaneously with a bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt. The technique consists of total detachment of the posterior and anterior tricuspid valve leaflets, which are rotated simultaneously clockwise and counterclockwise and sutured at the midseptal leaflet level, forming a new tricuspid valve (TV). The constructed cone-shaped valve is then attached in its entire circumference to the true tricuspid annulus.

Early and mid-term functional and hemodynamic evaluation of the St. Jude Medical Regent 17 mm aortic valve mechanical prosthesis.

Background And Aim Of The Study: The study aim was to report the early and mid-term clinical and hemodynamic results of a prospective trial investigating the clinical performance of the St. Jude Medical Regent 17 mm mechanical aortic valve prosthesis (SJMR-17).

Methods: Between January 2001 and January 2009, 20 patients (18 females, two males; mean age 69.

One and a half ventricle repair in association with tricuspid valve repair according to "peacock tail" technique in patients with Ebstein's malformation and failing right ventricle.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome in a series of patients with Ebstein's anomaly and a failing right ventricle (RV) undergoing tricuspid valve (TV) repair and bidirectional Glenn cavopulmonary anastomosis (BDG).

Materials And Method: Between January 2006 and September 2013, 11 consecutive patients diagnosed with severe forms of Ebstein's anomaly and a failing RV underwent TV surgery and BDG. The mean age was 16.

Perventricular device closure of a large residual perimembranous interventricular septal defect after previous surgical correction.

A 21 years albanian patient was referred with important residual left to right shunt. He was undergone 7 years before conventional surgical correction of a perimembranous ventricular septal defect (VSD). The patient underwent sternotomy and perventricular device closure of the residual employing a 16 mm multifenestrated atrial septal defect occlude, which was positioned through the anterior wall of the right ventricle.

A giant cardiac malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor presenting with total obstruction of the superior vena cava.

A 16-year-old boy presenting with dyspnea, facial swelling, cyanosis, and fatigue was found to have a tumor involving the heart, causing superior vena cava and brachiocephalic venous trunk total obstruction. This was diagnosed as malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor, a rare sarcoma of the heart. The patient underwent successful resection of the tumor, and reconstruction of the superior vena cava and right atrium.

Surgical outcome of reoperation due to left atrioventricular valve regurgitation after previous correction of complete atrioventricular septal defect.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to evaluate the early and late outcomes in patients undergoing reoperation due to left atrioventricular valve regurgitation (LAVVR) after initial complete repair (ICR) of complete atrioventricular septal defect (CAVSD).

Materials And Method: Between January 1990 and April 2013, 45 consecutive patients underwent reoperation due to severe LAVVR. The mean age was 7.

Surgical removal of an intravenous leiomyoma with intracardiac extension and pulmonary benign metastases.

Intravenous leiomyomatosis (IVL) with right intracardiac extension or pulmonary benign metastases (PBM) is rare. We report a case of 51 year-old woman, who underwent successful extensive double stage surgical removal of the intracardiac IVL extension associated with a pulmonary limited resection where the cystic bullae and PBM were found, and a month later gynaecological operation. To our knowledge this is the first reported case of such a combination.