Are there independent predisposing factors for postoperative infections following open heart surgery?

Background: Nosocomial infections after cardiac surgery represent serious complications associated with substantial morbidity, mortality and economic burden. This study was undertaken to evaluate the frequency, characteristics, and risk factors of microbiologically documented nosocomial infections after cardiac surgery in a Cardio-Vascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU).

Methods: All patients who underwent open heart surgery between May 2006 and March 2008 were enrolled in this prospective study.

Endovascular repair of profunda femoral artery false aneurysms using covered stents.

Pseudoaneurysms of the profunda femoral artery (PFA) have been reported following different types of trauma, mostly iatrogenic. We present three cases of PFA false aneurysm formation, two after vascular procedures and one as a result of a gunshot injury, which were successfully treated with the endovascular deployment of covered stents. Treating these patients by endoluminal means is an efficient and feasible minimally invasive approach.

Catheter closure of congenital/acquired muscular VSDs and perimembranous VSDs using the Amplatzer devices.

Over the past 10 years a variety of occluding devices has been used for transcatheter closure of ventricular septal defects (VSDs), but none has gained wide acceptance. This article presents the experience of transcatheter closure of muscular and perimembranous VSDs in 22 and 13 patients, respectively, with the new Amplatzer VSD occluders. Overall total occlusion was achieved in 95% and 92.