The CryoLife-O'Brien stentless replacement aortic valve: patterns of valve failure.

Background And Aim Of The Study: The study aim was to describe patterns of failure in a consecutive series of patients with the CryoLife-O'Brien stentless porcine aortic bioprosthesis.

Methods: The records of patients requiring redo surgery were reviewed. All surviving patients were contacted and questioned about clinical events since implantation of the valve.

Intracardiac malignant Triton tumor: a first presentation.

We present the first case of an intracardiac malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor with rhabdomyoblastic differentiation (malignant Triton tumor) in a 63-year-old man who underwent elective, uncomplicated resection of his symptomatic left atrial mass.

Technical error during deployment leads to vena cava filter migration and massive pulmonary embolism.

The Günther Tulip vena cava filter is a safe, effective, well-established device for pulmonary embolism prophylaxis. We report a patient in whom there was migration of the filter to the right atrium, 2 weeks after insertion, caused by a technical error during deployment. An attempt to retrieve the filter percutaneously failed, necessitating removal at open-heart surgery.

A randomized comparison of the Cryolife O'Brien and Toronto stentless replacement aortic valves.

Objective: A composite stentless valve might be less obstructive than a preparation incorporating the porcine right coronary muscle bar. The aim of this study was to compare early hemodynamic function in a prospective series of 78 patients randomized to receive either a Toronto or Cryolife O'Brien stentless valve.

Methods: Echocardiography was performed early after surgery, between 3 and 6 months, and at 1 year after surgery.