[Spinal cord protection during open and endovascular surgery in thoracic and thoracoabdominal aorta diseases].

In recent decades great advances have been made in surgical procedures for treating thoracic and thoracoabdominal aorta defects. Associated mortality and morbidity rates have dropped considerably, mainly in major reference centers, but nonetheless continue to be significant. The need for new strategies to reduce mortality and morbidity has made endovascular approaches an attractive alternative for high-risk surgical patients.

[Mortality following cardiac surgery in the National Health Service Hospitals of the Community of Valencia in 2007: a descriptive analysis].

Objective: To analyze clinical records of cardiac surgery patients in an attempt to identify factors associated with mortality in the postoperative critical care units of the public health service hospitals in the Community of Valencia, Spain, in 2007.

Methods: Retrospective study of cases from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2007. The charts of all patients who underwent cardiac surgery with or without extracorporeal circulation were reviewed.

[Perioperative management of a ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm].

Congenital sinus of Valsalva aneurysms are extremely rare in Spain. The lesion consists of a defect that allows the aortic media to separate from the annulus fibrosus of the aortic valve, causing it to dilate with arterial pressure. The natural course of the aneurysm involves the risk of complication due to bacterial endocarditis, with conduction blocks or myocardial ischemia.