Freedom SOLO valve: early- and intermediate-term results of a single centre's first 100 cases.

Objective: The Freedom SOLO aortic valve is a bovine pericardial stentless valve, which requires only one suture line. The aim of our single-centre retrospective study was to assess postoperative and intermediate-term haemodynamic results of the first 100 consecutively implanted valves.

Methods: One hundred patients (39 male and 61 female) underwent aortic valve replacement with a Freedom SOLO from November 2006 to January 2008.

Prospective randomized study of early pulmonary evaluation of patients scheduled for aortic valve surgery performed by ministernotomy or total median sternotomy.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the respiratory function of patients operated either with a ministernotomy or with a conventional sternotomy for an aortic valve replacement.

Design: A prospective randomized study.

Setting: A single-institution university hospital.

Extracorporeal circulation as an additional method for cerebral protection in simultaneous carotid endarterectomy and coronary artery surgical revascularization.

Surgical management of patients with concomitant carotid and coronary artery stenosis remains controversial. Our policy was always to perform at the same time carotid endarterectomy (CE) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), but it was also considered that extracorporeal circulation (ECC), because of full heparinization, hemodilution, pulsatile flow, and hypothermia could provide better cerebral protection during CE. Retrospective data of 124 patients undergoing simultaneous CE and CABGs between January 1994 and December 2001 were reviewed.

Surgery of chronic traumatic aneurysm of the aortic isthmus: benefit of direct suture.

Objective: Retrospective evaluation of long term results after direct suture repair of chronic traumatic aneurysm of the aortic isthmus.

Methods: From March 1979 to June 1998, a total of 19 patients with chronic traumatic aneurysm of the aortic isthmus were operated on, among whom 12 (63%) underwent direct suture. These 12 patients (age ranging from 19 to 68 years; mean 34.

Minimally invasive endoscopic approach to the cervicothoracic junction for vertebral metastases: report of two cases.

The anterior cervicothoracic junction is difficult to expose and many techniques have previously been described. Most of them require an extensile exposure, which can lead to significant morbidity. The aim of this study is to present a less invasive approach, allowing the same exposure on the spine as a larger one.

Surgical repair of an aneurysm of the innominate artery with fistulization into the trachea.

This report describes a 43-year-old patient presenting with an aneurysm located at the junction between the innominate artery and aorta, with spontaneous fistulization into the trachea. Emergency treatment of this unusually located lesion was undertaken to prevent intratracheal rupture. After ligation of the innominate artery, right common carotid artery, and right subclavian artery due to the risk of infection, the tracheal fistula was treated by direct closure and exclusion using an autologous pericardial flap.

Fragmentation of a right atrial myxoma presenting as a pulmonary embolism.

We report here a tricky case of right atrial myxoma with a pulmonary localization mimicking pulmonary thromboembolism. The diagnosis on imaging investigation was delayed because of its atypical appearance. This case report emphasizes the leading role of transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography in the management of this condition.

[Cerebral protection by selective cerebral perfusion during surgery on the aortic arch].

The aim of this study was to evaluate the technique of cerebral protection by selective cerebral perfusion with moderate hypothermia during surgery of the transverse aortic arch. Twenty-three patients were operated for partial or total replacement of the transverse aortic arch between January 1987 and December 1993 by the technique of selective cerebral perfusion by bilateral carotid cannulation. There were 12 cases of aneurysm of the ascending aorta and/or transverse aortic arch, one aneurysm of the innominate artery and 10 Stanford type A aortic dissections.

Isolation of the right subclavian artery.

Loss of continuity between subclavian artery and aorta with persistent connection to the homolateral pulmonary artery through a ductus arteriosus is an uncommon malformation, involving generally the left subclavian artery and associated with intracardiac or aortic arch anomalies. We report a case of right subclavian isolation with a left-sided aortic arch, presenting as a single anomaly and surgically corrected by aortic reimplantation.