Deep pericardial traction suture versus vacuum-assisted apical suction to expose the posterior wall of the heart in off-pump coronary artery bypass: a prospective, randomized study.

Background: Displacement of the heart to expose the posterior vessels during off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) may cause hemodynamic instability. Deep pericardial traction suture (DPTS) and vacuum-assisted apical suction (VAS) with the Starfish positioning device help to provide good exposure without relevant hemodynamic changes. Our aim was to compare these two methods in patients undergoing multivessel OPCAB.

Novel treatment with rituximab of oropharyngeal posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder after heart transplantation.

Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders are severe complications that arise after solid organ transplantation, which are often related to Epstein- Barr virus. Reports are anecdotal, and a standardized therapy does not exist. We report a case of a 36-year-old man who developed posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder of the oropharynx 1 year after receiving a heart transplant.

Heterotopic rat heart transplantation: severe loss of glutathione in 8-hour ischemic hearts.

Background: Tissue damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) formed during ischemia/reperfusion seems to be an important risk factor in the failure of transplanted hearts. Although endogenous anti-oxidants protect the myocardium against free radical attack under physiologic conditions, their capacity may become limited during severe oxidative stress. Thus, we investigated the effect of 8-hour cold ischemia on the myocardial anti-oxidative defense system in a heterotopic rat heart transplantation model.