Aortic valve replacement in pediatric patients: 30 years single center experience.

Background: The choice of aortic valve replacement needs to be decided in an interdisciplinary approach and together with the patients and their families regarding the need for re-operation and risks accompanying anticoagulation. We report long-term outcomes after different AVR options.

Methods: A chart review of patients aged < 18 years at time of surgery, who had undergone AVR from May 1985 until April 2020 was conducted.

Long-term outcomes after the paediatric Ross and Ross-Konno procedures.

Objectives: The Ross procedure is an attractive option for the management of aortic valve disease in paediatric patients. We reviewed our experience with the paediatric Ross procedure to determine survival and freedom from reoperation in the third decade after surgery.

Methods: We reviewed the data of 124 paediatric patients [71% male, median age at time of surgery 11.

Midterm results of aortic valve replacement with cryopreserved homografts.

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the midterm clinical results of aortic valve replacement with cryopreserved homografts.

Materials And Methods: Aortic valve replacement was performed in 40 patients with cryopreserved homograft. The indications were aortic valve endocarditis in 20 patients (50%), truncus arteriosus in 6 patients (15%), and re-stenosis or regurtitation after aortic valve reconstruction in 14 (35%) patients.

Predictors of outcome of non-ischemic mitral valve surgery.

Background: Data on the risk stratification of patients undergoing mitral valve (MV) surgery for non-ischemic mitral disease are sparse. The present study seeks to define them in a contemporary cohort.

Methods: 193 consecutive patients referred to non-ischemic MV surgery were prospectively studied.

Gender differences in clinical presentation and surgical outcome of aortic stenosis.

Background: Little is known about the gender differences of patients undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR) for isolated severe aortic stenosis.

Methods And Results: 408 consecutive patients (215 women and 193 men; p=0.9) were analysed.

Recent trends in heart transplantation: the University of Vienna experience.

Since the beginning of the University of Vienna Cardiac Transplant Program in 1984, 1086 heart transplant procedures have been performed through the end of 2007. One- and five-year survival has increased steadily over time (82% and 76%). Ten-year survival is 65%.

Vacuum assisted closure therapy for the treatment of sternal wound infections in neonates and small infants.

Sternal wound infections occur with an incidence between 0.4 and 5% in the adult as well as the pediatric population. However, in contrast to the adults, established treatment options do not exist in the pediatric population.

Role of amiodarone on the systemic inflammatory response induced by cardiac surgery: proinflammatory actions.

Purpose: Amiodarone (AMIO), a widely used anti-arrhythmic drug, has been shown to reduce the incidence of atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery and also to exert immunomodulatory actions in vitro and proinflammatory effects in vivo. The present study investigated the immunomodulatory properties of AMIO in the inflammatory response induced by cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

Methods: In this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 20 patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass graft were randomized to receive placebo or AMIO 600 mg day(-1) orally for seven days before surgery and 45 mg hr(-1) intravenously for 48 hr postoperatively.

Vascular dysfunction after coarctation repair is related to the age at surgery.

Background: Despite repair of aortic coarctation, hypertension is frequent in adults and premature coronary and cerebrovascular disease remain of concern. Persistent impairment of arterial dilation has been suspected to contribute to abnormal blood pressure regulation. We tested the hypothesis that arterial reactivity is more likely to be impaired in patients corrected at older age.

The oxygen dissociation curve: quantifying the shift.

An oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve (ODC) quantifies the most important function of red blood cells and that is the affinity for oxygen and its delivery to the tissues. Oxygen affinity for haemoglobin plays a critical role in the delivery of oxygen to the tissues and is changed by shifting to the left or right. A shift to the left implies an increased oxygen affinity and, hence, tighter binding due to the higher oxygen saturation in relation to the pO2.

The University of Vienna experience in heart transplantation.

Since the University of Vienna Cardiac Transplant Program began in 1984, 892 heart transplant procedures have been performed through the end of 2001. One- and five-year survival has increased steadily over time to 80% and 75%, respectively, in the most recent cohort. Ten-year survival is 55%.

Early postoperative prediction of cerebral damage after pediatric cardiac surgery.

Background: Cerebral damage is a serious complication of pediatric cardiac surgery. Early prediction of actual risk can be useful in counseling of parents, and in early diagnosis and rehabilitation therapy. Also, if all children at risk could be identified therapeutic strategies to limit perioperative cerebral damage might be developed.

Methemoglobin formation in children with congenital heart disease treated with inhaled nitric oxide after cardiac surgery.

Objective: Inhaled nitric oxide (NO) is used as a therapy of pulmonary hypertension in children after cardiac surgery. Hemoglobin binds to NO with great affinity and forms methemoglobin by oxidation in the erythrocyte. Once produced, methemoglobin is unable to transport and unload oxygen in the tissues.

Cold water submersion and cardiac arrest in treatment of severe hypothermia with cardiopulmonary bypass.

In the paediatric population, submersion injury with drowning or near-drowning represents a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. This study reviews retrospectively our own experiences and the literature on the use of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) to rewarm paediatric victims of cold water submersion who suffer severe hypothermia (<28 degrees C) and cardiac arrest (asystole or ventricular fibrillation). In addition to three children treated at our institution, nine other victims were found in the literature.