Exclusive Bilateral Internal Thoracic Artery Grafts for Myocardial Revascularization Requiring Four Anastomoses or More: Outcomes from a Single Center Experience.

 Multivessel coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) with bilateral internal thoracic arteries (BITA) has only been uncommon and technically demanding. We describe our experience with BITA only CABGs requiring ≥ 4 anastomoses.  The department's database was queried for patients undergoing isolated CABG with ≥ 4 anastomoses.

Relationship between depression and health-related quality of life in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting: a MOTIV-CABG substudy.

Context/objectives: Depression is associated with higher risk of death and major adverse cardiac events among patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). This study aimed to investigate the impact of preoperative depression on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) changes over the first 12 postoperative months.

Methods: Patients were the participants in the MOTIV-CABG study that was a single-center, non-stratified, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, phase 4 trial, conducted between January 2006 and February 2012 at University Hospital, Besançon, France.

Early detection of asymptomatic bypass graft abnormalities using a cardiac troponin I ratio following coronary artery bypass surgery.

Background: We sought to identify the best cardiac Troponin I (cTnI) ratio to detect asymptomatic graft or anastomoses anomalies after myocardial revascularization.

Methods: Patients with a rising cTnI profile, based on measurements at 6 and 12 hours (cTnI 12 hours : 6 hours ratio >1) after the last anastomosis in off-pump surgery or after cardiopulmonary bypass in on-pump surgery, underwent a coronary angiogram, despite an uncomplicated postoperative course and absence of electrocardiogram changes. The optimal threshold value for the ratio was determined using a receiving operator characteristic (ROC) curve.

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin as early predictor of acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery in adults with chronic kidney failure.

Background: To assess the utility of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) as an early marker of acute kidney injury (AKI) occurring after cardiac surgery in patients with prior chronic kidney failure.

Methods: Patients with preoperative creatinine clearance 60 mL • min(-1) • 1.73 m(-2) or less according to the Cockcroft-Gault formula and scheduled to undergo cardiac surgery were eligible for inclusion.

Six-year outcomes after non-resective mitral valve repair with artificial chordae using removable clips.

Background And Aim Of The Study: The results were evaluated of a non-resective technique for mitral valve repair with artificial chordae implantation that allows modification of the length of the chordae as many times as necessary, and avoids inadvertent alteration of chordal length during fixation by using removable clips.

Methods: After having determined the length of the artificial chordae, a removable clip was tied on the two thread ends to prevent sliding when performing the competence test. The length of the artificial chordae could be modified by opening the clip and closing it elsewhere along the chordae length.

Antidepressant therapy in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting: the MOTIV-CABG trial.

Background: The efficacy of antidepressant therapy in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is not clearly established.

Methods: This double-blind trial was conducted at University Hospital, Besançon, France. Adult CABG patients were randomized (1:1) to receive escitalopram (10 mg daily) or placebo from 2 to 3 weeks before to 6 months after surgery, including 12 months post-surgery follow-up.

Left ventricular venting through the right subclavian artery access during peripheral extracorporeal life support.

The use of peripheral extracorporeal life support during refractory cardiac arrest sometimes exposes the patient to left ventricular dilatation requiring venting. We report here a simple technique for LV venting by a cannula inserted through right subclavian artery and positioned in the left ventricle.

Presence of circulating endothelial progenitor cells and levels of stromal-derived factor-1α are associated with ascending aorta aneurysm size.

Objective: Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are a specialized subset of stem/progenitor cells found in bone marrow. They participate in neo-vascularization of injured vessels and predict cardiovascular outcome in patient at risk. Several factors influence their migration and proliferation, among which is the widely studied stromal-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α).