Graft flow assessment and early coronary artery bypass graft failure: a computed tomography analysis.

Objectives: We evaluated graft patency by computed tomography and explored the determinants of intraoperative mean graft flow (MGF) and its contribution to predict early graft occlusion.

Methods: One hundred and forty-eight patients under a single surgeon were prospectively enrolled. Arterial and endoscopically harvested venous conduits were used.

The fate of patients with acute aortic syndrome during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic: A UK multicenter study.

Objective: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed challenges to health care services across the world. There has been a significant restructuring of health care resources to protect services for patients with COVID-19-related illness and to maintain emergency and urgent medical and surgical activity. This study assessed access to emergency treatment, logistical challenges, and outcomes of patients with acute aortic syndrome during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Type A aortic syndromes in COVID-19 positive patients: Case series from a UK multicentre study.

Objective: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) increases the respiratory complications and carries a higher mortality in the immediate postoperative period. The aim of this study was to analyze the outcomes of patients with type A acute aortic syndromes (AAS) diagnosed with COVID-19 in the perioperative period.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data between March and August 2020 from 20 participating cardiac surgery centers in the United Kingdom.

Complete resection of pulmonary artery hemangioma on the beating heart.

Cardiac hemangiomas are rare entities and very few cases have been reported where they originate from the main arteries of the heart. We present a case of hemangioma arising from the main pulmonary artery, which was completely resected with clear margins on the beating heart.

Left ventricular rupture postradiofrequency catheter ablation: Transaortic, intraventricular patch exclusion repair.

Left ventricular (LV) rupture after radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) is a rare but life-threatening complication. We describe a case of LV rupture secondary to RFCA successfully treated with a transaortic, intraventricular patch exclusion surgical repair, assisted by transoesophageal echocardiography and epicardial ultrasound assessment. Patch exclusion technique can offer a physiological repair with better preservation of myocardial mechanical characteristics and possibly less damage to healthy myocardium and surrounding structures.

Early experience of aortic surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK: A multicentre study.

Background: A significant restructuring of the healthcare services has taken place since the declaration of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, with elective surgery put on hold to concentrate intensive care resources to treat COVID-19 as well as to protect patients who are waiting for relatively low risk surgery from exposure to potentially infected hospital environment.

Methods: Multicentre study, with 19 participating centers, to define the impact of the pandemic on the provision of aortovascular services and patients' outcomes after having adapted the thresholds for intervention to guarantee access to treatment for emergency and urgent conditions. Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data, including all patients with aortovascular conditions admitted for surgical or conservative treatment from the 1st March to the 20th May 2020.

Beyond patency: Functional assessment of adequacy using internal mammary artery grafting to the left anterior descending artery.

Introduction: Arterial graft physiology influences the long-term outcome of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We studied factors that can affect the overall resistance to flow using internal mammary artery grafting to the left anterior descending artery.

Methods: This was a prospective, nonrandomized observational study of 100 consecutive patients who underwent elective on-pump isolated or combined valve surgery and CABG.

Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura Following Aortic Valve Replacement with St. Jude Medical Trifecta Bio-Prosthesis.

Thrombocytopenia is a recognized complication following aortic valve replacement (AVR). While post-operative thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is less common than heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), it is associated with high mortality and morbidity and prompt diagnosis and treatment is vital. In this case report, we describe the first reported case of TTP after AVR using the trifecta bio-prosthesis.

Coronary artery surgery in octogenarians: evolving strategies for the improvement in early and late results.

The purpose of this study was to investigate retrospectively early and late outcomes of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in a large series of octogenarians. We retrospectively reviewed the data of 241 octogenarian patients who underwent CABG between April 2002 and April 2009 at our institution. Mean age was 84.