Idiopathic dilatation of the right atrium: a not so benign entity.

Idiopathic dilatation of the right atrium is an isolated enlargement of the right atrium in the absence of other cardiac lesions. This rare anomaly has a clinical spectrum ranging from asymptomatic to heart failure or even sudden death. It can be associated with atrial arrhythmias and thrombus formation.

A Rare Case of Cardiogenic Shock: Cor Triatriatum With Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return.

Obstructive total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR) is a potentially life-threatening clinical condition and a surgical emergency. Left-sided partial anomalous pulmonary venous return (PAPVR) in association with a subdivided left atrium, also known as cor triatriatum sinister (CTS), is a very rare malformation that can mimic obstructive TAPVR. We present a case of a newborn with clinical manifestation of cardiogenic shock caused by CTS and PAPVR.

Surgical closure of multiple large apical ventricular septal defects: how we do it.

The management of apical ventricular septal defects continues to be challenging because of the difficulty in achieving a complete closure without a left apical ventriculotomy. In this study, we present our innovative technique of closing multiple and/or large muscular apical ventricular septal defects through a right atriotomy. We operated three patients with multiple apical muscular trabecular ventricular septal defects ("Swiss cheese") using a technique that involved exclusion of the right ventricular apex.

[Surgical treatment of anomalous left pulmonary artery].

We report our experience with the surgical treatment of anomalous origin of the left pulmonary artery in eight children between 2004 and 2009. The congenital heart disease most frequently associated with this condition was patent ductus arteriosus. Surgery was carried out with extracorporeal circulation in five children, and without, in three.

[Progress in pediatric cardiology, congenital heart disease in adults, and heart surgery for congenital heart disease].

The field of pediatric cardiology is continually developing and now covers not only congenital and acquired heart disease in children but also congenital heart disease in adults and the prenatal diagnosis and prevention of heart disease. This review highlights new findings in the field of genetics, selected articles on the use of magnetic resonance imaging and multislice CT in diagnosis, and recent publications on electrophysiology and the surgical treatment of children and adults with congenital heart disease. In addition, the increasingly advanced use of mechanical assist devices as a bridge to heart transplantation in children is also discussed.

Treatment of complex coarctation of aorta with hypoplastic transverse aortic arch using left carotid artery flap.

Coarctation of aorta associated with severe hypoplastic aortic arch and ductus arteriosus dependent, often combined with complex cardiac malformations, should be looked upon as bordering of hypoplastic left heart syndrome. The crucial and first objective is the adequate reconstruction of aortic arch, continuing with the repair of cardiac malformations. The surgical treatment making resection of the coarctation segment combined with left carotid flap plasty is a surgical alternative, useful in patients with this complex anatomic variant.

Long-term storage in liquid nitrogen does not affect cell viability in cardiac valve allografts.

Liquid nitrogen is the most common medium used by tissue banks for the storage of cryopreserved heart valves. This study evaluates the effect of the length of storage on human cryopreserved heart valves. Human tissues (14 aortic and 13 pulmonary) were frozen in a controlled-rate freezer (1 degrees C/min) and stored in the liquid phase of a nitrogen tank for 9.

Successful neonatal double switch in symptomatic patients with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries.

Anatomic repair is the standard surgical approach to congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries. However, timing to perform the procedure remains controversial. We present 2 cases of congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries and Ebstein's-like anomaly of the tricuspid valve presenting with heart failure.

Device migration in hybrid technique for apical muscular ventricular septal defects closure.

Muscular ventricular septal defects still require complex surgical procedures for their repair. We have used a hybrid approach for closure of these ventricular septal defects in patients needing open-heart surgery. It consists of the deployment of a ventricular septal occluder, as used in transcatheter procedures inside the defect under direct vision after cardiopulmonary bypass establishment.

Biventricular repair of complete atrioventricular canal, double-outlet right ventricle and common atrium using a modified double switch technique. A valid alternative to univentricular procedure.

An eleven month-old child underwent a successful modified double switch operation for total correction of complete atrioventricular canal, double outlet right ventricle, noncommitted ventricular septal defect, pulmonary stenosis, common atrium and anomalous left superior vena cava to an unroofed coronary sinus. We describe the technique of modified double switch operation, utilizing an atrial switch combined with a Rastelli type reconstruction between the venous ventricle and the pulmonary artery.

[Aortic origin of the left pulmonary artery in an infant with Fallot's tetralogy].

We report the case of a male neonate who had a prenatal diagnosis of Fallot's tetralogy. He presented with respiratory distress during the second week of life. Chest x-ray showed an enlarged right ventricle and pulmonary edema.

[Percutaneous closure of ventricular septal defect with an Amplatzer device].

We present a series of 4 patients in whom a ventricular septal defect (VSD) was closed with an Amplatzer muscular VSD device during cardiac catheterization. In one patient with type I truncus arteriosus and subarterial VSD, closure of a wide apical defect was done to allow further surgical correction while avoiding left ventricular ventriculotomy. The second patient had congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries with complete A-V block and a pacemaker implanted from birth.

Comprehensive experience with the Ross operation in Spain.

Objective: Although the first pulmonary autograft operations were performed in Spain in 1991, this procedure has gained substantial interest and has been consolidated since 1997. The establishment of the Spanish Registry of the Ross Operation pretends to evaluate the results of this option in aortic valve disease patients in our setting.

Methods: In a yearly fashion, the cardiac surgery departments in Spain currently performing this intervention send data from new patients or follow-ups to the reference center.

[Analysis of factors that can influence the appearance of acute heart transplant failure].

Introduction And Objective: Acute graft failure (AGF) is defined as significant failure of myocardial function in a newly implanted heart. The aim of the present study was to investigate a series of factors related to heart transplantation (HT) in relation to AGF.

Material And Method: In a study of 287 consecutive HTs performed over a 14-year period, AGF was defined when: a) the surgeon observed ventricular dysfunction before closing the sternotomy; b) various inotropic drugs were required at high doses in the first days after surgery, or c) ventricular dysfunction was identified by routine echocardiography in the immediate postoperative period.

Long-term outcome after valve replacement with the omnicarbon prosthesis.

Background And Aim Of The Study: The study aim was to determine whether long-term prognosis was affected by valve replacement with a tilting-disc prosthesis.

Methods: Surgical data were recorded prospectively for all (n = 153) valve replacement cases with the Omnicarbon prosthesis during the period February 1985 to January 1986. A rheumatic valvular pathology was present in 105 patients (68.

Long-term clinical experience with the Omnicarbon prosthetic valve.

Background: From February 1985 to December 1994, 781 Omnicarbon valve prostheses were implanted in 647 patients. These were 357 male and 290 female patients with a mean age of 53.5+/-10.

[Cardiac transplant in single ventricle].

Univentricular heart is an uncommon congenital heart disease. A select group of these patients (those with severe pulmonary stenosis or atresia) can reach adult age with different degrees of heart failure and severe chronic hypoxemia. Patients with adequate pulmonary tree development are likely to undergo heart transplantation when usual palliative techniques are contraindicated.

[Predictive variables of early mortality after orthotopic heart transplant in adults].

Objective: The purpose of the study was to analyze some variables of donors, recipients and surgical procedures in order to discover factors that could predict mortality during the early stage (< 30 days) of orthotopic heart transplants.

Material And Method: 125 consecutive orthotopic heart transplants in adults were analyzed. The average age was 51 +/- 11 (range: 12-67), 109 (87%) were men, 16 were women (13%).

[Heart angiosarcoma and heart transplantation. Report of a case].

We present the case of a 29-year-old women with a cardiac primary angiosarcoma diagnosis. The initial symptom was a cardiac tamponade. The tests for screening metastasis proved negative.

[The use of cryopreserved homografts in reconstructing the right ventricular outflow tract in congenital cardiopathies].

In recent years the use of cryopreserved allograft valves has become very popular. Homograft valves have been used for aortic valve replacement and for reconstruction of the outflow tract of the right ventricle for more than 30 years with very good results. Recently the method of cryopreservation has made possible the creation of valve banks.

Blunt chest injuries in 1696 patients.

We review 1696 patients with blunt chest trauma. Road traffic accidents were the main cause of injury followed by domestic falls and labour accidents. Outdoor falls and sport accidents accounted for a small number of injuries.

Bronchial fistula to the mediastinum in a heart-lung transplant patient.

We present a case of heart-lung transplantation complicated by bronchial perforation as the cause or consequence of prolonged lung infection. Periodic bronchoscopic and radiological follow-up showed resolution of the condition following adequate antibiotic and physiotherapeutic treatment.