Early neurological injury after cardiac surgery: insights from a single centre prospective study.

Background And Aim Of The Work: The aim of this study was to report the incidence of early neurological complications after heart surgery, to identify preoperative and procedural risk factors for these complications and to assess their influence on postoperative outcome.

Methods: Data were prospectively collected from 954 procedures: 520 coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), 233 valve surgery, 100 combined CABG and valve surgery, 88 major aortic surgery, and 13 other procedures. Independent risk factors were analyzed by multivariate stepwise logistic regression model.

Aortic valve replacement in octogenarians: analysis of risk factors for early and late mortality.

Background And Aim Of The Study: Cardiac surgery can be performed on elderly patients in good physical and mental health, thus improving their mortality, morbidity, and quality of life. Nevertheless, for some elderly patients aortic valve replacement (AVR) is still denied because of the presence of preoperative characteristics, such as older age and left ventricular dysfunction. The study aim was to review early and long-term results in patients aged > or = 80 years who underwent AVR for severe aortic stenosis, and to identify risk factors for in-hospital and late mortality.

Heart surgery in patients on chronic dialysis: is there still room for improvement in early and long-term outcome?

The purpose of this study was to review the outcome of dialysis-dependent patients undergoing cardiac surgery. We retrospectively reviewed 81 dialysis-dependent patients with a mean age of 62.5 ± 9.

Mitral valve annuloplasty and myocardial revascularization in the treatment of ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy.

The aim of this study was to examine perioperative mortality and morbidity and midterm results in patients undergoing coronary bypass graft and mitral valve annuloplasty with advanced dilated cardiomyopathy. Sixty-one patients with ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy underwent coronary artery bypass grafting and mitral valve annuloplasty between January 1998 and December 2003. Patients eligible for revascularization that presented a mild or more severe mitral valve regurgitation at echocardiography (effective regurgitant orifice > 0.

Acute coronary syndromes without persistent st-segment elevation: advances in surgical revascularization.

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) still plays a fundamental role in the management of acute coronary syndromes. The aim of this study is to report the experience of our center in the treatment of patients with acute coronary sindromes without persistent ST elevation urgently operated on with CABG, and to discuss surgical problems related. Two-hundred and six patients were urgently operated on for CABG for acute coronary syndromes without persistent ST-segment elevation from January 2001 to February 2003.

Surgical repair and stent positioning for type A acute aortic dissection: a step forward?

We report two cases of type A acute aortic dissection in which the traditional ascending aorta replacement was completed by aortic arch stenting to achieve a complete treatment and to avoid the risks that are connected to aortic arch replacement. Correct deployment of the stent was evaluated through an endoscope inserted in the transverse arch, which avoided fluoroangiography and the involvement of a radiologic team.

Aortic valve periprosthetic leakage: anatomic observations and surgical results.

Background: One of the most frequent causes of reoperation after heart valve replacement is periprosthetic leakage (PPL). Previous studies have failed to determine whether PPL is linked to specific anatomic details. The aim of this study was to examine the location within the aortic annulus where PPL occurs, and to evaluate the postoperative outcome after surgical correction.

Comparing warfarin with aspirin after biological aortic valve replacement: a prospective study.

Background: Patients with prosthetic heart valves have a higher risk of developing valve thrombosis and arterial thromboembolism. Antithrombotic therapy in the early postoperative period after biological aortic valve replacement (BAVR) is controversial. The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association and European Society of Cardiology guidelines recommend the use of warfarin for the first 3 months after BAVR, although the American College Chest Physician guidelines suggest that the recommendations are very weak and that the risk/benefit is unclear.

Complications after radial artery harvesting for coronary artery bypass grafting: our experience.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of complications in the upper limbs as a new event after radial artery (RA) harvesting for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Methods: From June 1997 to August 2001, the RA graft was used in 271 patients who underwent cardiac surgery at our department. These patients were prospectively reviewed.