Changes in plasma fibronectin levels after cardiac and pulmonary surgery: role of cardiopulmonary bypass.

The changes in immunoassayable plasma fibronectin were studied during seven days after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (group A, 19 patients) or lung surgery without bypass (group B, 11 patients). In group A the fibronectin showed a series of rapid changes during the 24 perioperative hours. Simultaneous assessment of other plasma proteins (albumin, fibrinogen and immunoglobulin G) suggested that these changes mainly reflected hemodilution and hemoconcentration processes following the cardiopulmonary bypass, being influenced by the necessarily large transfusions of plasma.

Repair of large chest wall defects: experience with 23 patients.

The repair of large chest wall defects has been done on 23 patients who had 28 operations. Twenty-two patients had a neoplasm of the thoracic cage, while 1 had a large inflammatory mass. Nine patients had a partial lung and 3 a partial diaphragmatic resection done en bloc with the ribs.

[Floating thrombus of the left ventricle after recent myocardial infarction, treated by surgery].

The case of a 55 year old man admitted with an uncomplicated anteroseptal myocardial infarction is reported. At the third week this young patient underwent complete assessment. On coronary angiography severe double vessel disease was demonstrated and ventriculography showed a "floating" pediculated thrombus attached to the akinetic anterior wall.

[Secondary tamponade following cardiac surgery with reference to 3 cases].

Secondary tamponnade after cardiac surgery occurs after a variable period, generally between the 15th day and the 5th post-operative week. Although this is a rare complication, it occurred three times in a consecutive series of 225 patients (1.3 p.