Lecompte's closed drainage method combined with omentoplasty: an elective treatment for acute mediastinitis after prosthetic replacement of the ascending aorta?--two successfully treated cases.

Two cases of acute mediastinitis after replacement of the ascending aorta are presented. Both were treated by debridment and immediate closure with placement of multiple Redon suction tubes (Lecompte's method) associated with a primary omentoplasty. Drainage was prolonged up to 15 and 20 days.

[Repair of a left ventricular rupture after mitral valve replacement].

A 70-year-old patient (NYHA IV), who required a Carpentier pericardial prosthetic valve for mitral valve replacement, developed a type 2 intraoperative left ventricular rupture (mid portion of left ventricle) with cataclysmic bleeding. A successful repair with intraventricular dacron patch was performed by suturing the patch on the prosthetic sewing ring and through the ventricular wall using pledgetted stitches. The postoperative course was satisfactory without extensive myocardial necrosis and the patient is well 7 months later without angina and with reduced dyspnoea (NYHA II).

[Patient-controlled epidural analgesia after major urologic surgery].

Postoperative pain is an important issue after major urological surgery. Efficient analgesia is mandatory. The administration of i.

Reliability of auscultation in positioning of double-lumen endobronchial tubes.

Auscultation is a well-established technique to confirm the position of double-lumen endobronchial tubes (DLTs). However, some authors have recommended that fibreoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) is also indicated. The aims of this study were to determine first if bronchoscopy after blind placement of DLTs improved positioning; and second if preoperative bronchoscopy could detect difficult intubation.