Extrapleural harvesting of the internal thoracic artery - impact on early postoperative results and pulmonary function.

The internal thoracic artery (ITA) has proven to be the best graft for surgical myocardial revascularization, especially in the configuration left ITA (LITA) to the anterior descending branch of left coronary artery (LAD). Its harvesting is usually accompanied by pleurotomy, followed by drainage tube placement into the pleural cavity, using the so called intrapleural method. Extrapleural technique for LITA harvesting is also practiced in many cardiac surgery centers and with this technique the pleura is left intact.

Plasma KL-6 as a Potential Biomarker for Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Preterm Infants.

Background: KL-6 is a biomarker of interstitial lung injury and increases during repair.

Aim: Our aim was to determine the predictive value of plasma KL-6 for the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants.

Methods: Ninety-five extremely preterm infants (EPIs), born at <28 gestational age (GA), were divided into two main BPD groups as follows: the moderate/severe and the no/mild group.

A rare case of posttraumatic aortic rupture, treated with an endovascular stent graft implantation and complicated with esophageal rupture.

Background: Esophageal necrosis and perforation after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for ruptured traumatic aortic aneurysm is extremely rare. It is difficult to manage, and patients rarely survive without treatment. Although, there is no certain consensus in relation with the optimal treatment we present a subsequent successful management of both life-threatening conditions.

Gender-Specific Effect of CYP2C8*3 on the Risk of Essential Hypertension in Bulgarian Patients.

We conducted a case-control study to determine the contribution of polymorphisms in CYP2C8 (CYP2C8*3) and CYP2J2 (CYP2J2*7) to increased risk of coronary artery disease and essential hypertension in Bulgarians. The current analysis included 192 unrelated hypertensive patients, 261 patients with angiographically documented CAD (153 with myocardial infarction and 108 without myocardial infarction), and 496 population controls. The CYP2C8*3 and CYP2J2*7 polymorphisms were genotyped by TaqMan SNP Genotyping Assay.

Acenocoumarol Pharmacogenetic Dosing Algorithms and Their Application in Two Bulgarian Patients with Low Anticoagulant Requirements.

Background: The anticoagulant therapy with acenocoumarol is generally associated with a high risk of bleeding and thromboembolic events.

Purpose: We applied eight already existing acenocoumarol dosing algorithms to Bulgarian patients with low acenocoumarol dose requirements and investigated which of these algorithms would predict most precisely the dose anticoagulant.

Materials And Methods: Two patients with Bulgarian origin were referred to the outpatient clinical laboratory of "St.

Estimation and validation of acenocoumarol dosing algorithms in Bulgarian patients with cardiovascular diseases.

Unlabelled: Aim & Methods: A total of 169 Bulgarian patients were genotyped for CYP2C9*2,*3, VKORC1-1639G>A and VKORC11173C>T. The effect of genetic and nongenetic factors on acenocoumarol dose variability was tested in a derivation cohort of patients and the obtained algorithm was validated in a test cohort.

Results & Discussion: It was found that VKORC-1639G>A (25.

The role of Willis circle variations during unilateral selective cerebral perfusion: a study of 500 circles.

Objectives: During unilateral selective cerebral perfusion (uSCP), with right axillary artery or brachiocephalic trunk cannulation, the brain receives blood only via the right common carotid artery and right vertebral artery (VA). The left hemisphere is perfused mainly through the circle of Willis (CW). However, at least 50% of individuals have some variation in the CW.