Repair of a right coronary artery arising from the pulmonary artery.

We present here the fourth patient in the literature, over the age of 50 years old, with an abnormal right coronary artery arising from the pulmonary artery, who was successfully treated with surgery. Pre-operative computerised tomography (CT) angiography revealed an abnormal right coronary artery arising from the pulmonary artery. The right coronary artery was surgically transposed from the pulmonary artery to the ascending aorta with the aid of cardiopulmonary bypass.

Cilostazol, a type III phosphodiesterase inhibitor, reduces ischemia/reperfusion-induced spinal cord injury.

Background: Spinal cord injury is still a devastating complication after surgical repair of thoracoabdominal aortic pathologies. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of cilostazol, a type III phosphodiesterase inhibitor, against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced spinal cord injury in rats.

Methods: Twenty-four rats were assigned to 3 experimental study groups: the control group (sham operation, n = 8); the ischemia group (nontreated, n = 8), which underwent aortic occlusion without pharmacologic intervention; and the cilostazol-treated group (n = 8), which received 20 mg/kg cilostazol per day orally for 3 days before spinal ischemia.

Protective effects of angiotensin II type-1 receptor blockade with olmesartan on spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury: an experimental study on rats.

Background: Spinal cord injury is a major complication of thoracoabdominal aortic operations. We aimed to investigate neuroprotective role of olmesartan administered to rats before ischemia against ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) injury.

Methods: Twenty-four Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into three groups (n = 8 per group): group I (control group, the sham-operation group), group II (the I-R group undergoing aortic occlusion without pharmacologic treatment), and group III (olmesartan-treated group receiving 3 mg/kg/d olmesartan for 14 days before ischemia).

[Accompanying embolectomy and closed fasciotomy in the same session for the delayed arterial thromboembolic occlusions in lower extremity].

Objective: We aimed to compare the postoperative complications in patient with acute lower extremity arterial occlusion who admitted in the late period in whom accompanying embolectomy and fasciotomy in the same session and fasciotomy following embolectomy were applied, because of development of compartment syndrome.

Methods: A total of 36 patients (13 female, 23 male) with acute lower extremity arterial occlusion, who admitted to our clinic at least 12 hours after onset of symptoms were enrolled to the study and investigated retrospectively. While embolectomy was performed in all cases, the cases in which mini fasciotomy was performed after development of compartment syndrome constitute the group 1 (n=21) and the ones in whom accompanying embolectomy and closed mini fasciotomy in the same session constitute the group 2 (n=15), groups were formed randomly.

Does harvesting of radial artery in the early postoperative period perturb the palmar blood supply and functions?

Objective: The aim of this prospective study was to assess whether the removal of the radial artery (RA) caused any alteration in the function or power of hand on postoperative 15th day.

Methods: The study group included 25 patients with objective or subjective complaints on postoperative 15th day regarding harvest site following coronary bypass surgery by using RA. Patients were examined for bilateral forearm function (soft touch and pin-prick neural sensation, handgrip power).

Coronary artery bypass surgery in patients with malignancy: a single-center study with comparison to patients without malignancy.

Background: There is debate on the timing and outcome of coronary artery bypass surgery in patients with coincident malignancy. In this study, we compared the outcome of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) in such patients with those without malignancy.

Methods: The patients were selected from those who had undergone coronary artery bypass surgery in the last decade.

Coronary artery anomalies: Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery and circumflex branch in two patients.

Coronary anomalies may be isolated defects or accompany congenital malformations of the heart. The determination of these anomalies is important in the treatment approach and the surgical procedure in bypass and valve surgery. The present article reports on clinical and angiographic findings in two patients with coronary artery anomalies -one patient with an anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the right aortic sinus, and another patient with an anomalous origin of the circumflex branch of the left coronary artery from the right coronary artery.

Harvesting of the radial artery: subfasciotomy or full skeletonization: a comparative study.

Background: Long fasciotomy of the posterior aspect of the radial artery (RA) for the purpose of sympathectomy is one of the surgical techniques for the preparation of this graft. We compared the early results of this technique with those of the RA graft harvested as a pedicle in the conventional fashion.

Methods: The study patients have been selected from the patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) using the RA graft harvested either with a long posterior fasciotomy (group 1) or as a whole with a pedicle in the classical manner (group 2).

Surgical challenges for urgent approach in penetrating heart injuries.

Unlabelled: The aim of this clinical study is to assess the characteristics of penetrating heart injury and its surgical challenges for urgent surgical approach.

Materials And Methods: Seventeen patients suffering from penetrating heart wounds were evaluated retrospectively in the department of cardiovascular surgery between 1996 and 2004. All patients were male, with ages ranging from 19 to 36 years, with a mean age of 23.

Interpleural versus epidural analgesia with ropivacaine for postthoracotomy pain and respiratory function.

Study Objective: To evaluate the impact of interpleural analgesia (IP) on postthoracotomy pain and respiratory function as an alternative to thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA).

Design: Prospective, randomized study.

Setting: Tertiary-care military hospital.

Anticoagulation after coronary artery surgery in patients with polycythemia vera: report of two cases.

Polycythemia vera is a myeloproliferative disorder associated with the thromboembolic events. Normalization of the hematocrit and elevated platelet counts is obligatory to reduce the thrombotic risk of patients with PV. Therapeutic strategies include phlebotomy, myelosuppressive agents, and, more recently, interferon-alpha.

Bullet embolism to the pulmonary artery.

Bullet embolization of the pulmonary artery is a very rare event. When a bullet enters the pulmonary vasculature, it may cause haemorrhage, thrombosis, sepsis, intimal erosion and eventually occlusion. Locating the bullet with several imaging methods is important to confirm the diagnosis.

Left anterior descending artery arising as a terminal extension of posterior descending artery (a rare coronary artery anomaly).

Several types of left anterior descending artery anomalies have been detected. In these anomalies, left anterior descending artery usually originates from the right coronary artery or right sinus of Valsalva. A case of left anterior descending artery arising as a terminal extension of posterior descending artery presented.

A concealed penetrating cardiac injury.

We present the case of a 29-year-old man who had been the victim of a stab wound. The cardiac wound was localized in the left ventricular apex and the posterior side of the left ventricle. When he was brought to the emergency department, he had no significant symptoms related to the cardiac wound regardless of ECG changes in the V(2)-V(4) precordial derivation.

Do N-acetylcystein, beta-glucan, and coenzyme Q10 mollify myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury?

Background: N-acetylcysteine, beta-glucan, and coenzyme Q10 have been shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on reperfusion injury. The aim of our study was to determine and evaluate the effects of these agents on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Methods: Forty-four New Zealand white rabbits, all female, weighing 2.

A complication of coronary angiography: fractured and retained intraaortic catheter.

The complications linked directly to coronary artery catheter itself are very rare. We presented a case in which the broken right coronary artery catheter was successfully removed from the ascending aorta. The removal of catheter was accomplished via an aortic incision, which was created for saphenous vein graft in the site of anastomosis during an emergency coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

A mitral-aortic intervalvular fibrosa false aneurysm in a patient without overt heart disease.

False aneurysms originating from mitral-aortic intervalvular fibrosa are clinically very rare. A 22-year-old male patient without overt heart disease was admitted to the cardiology department of the Gulhane Military Academy of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey, with a false aneurysm located between the left ventricular outflow tract and the anterior left atrium. The false aneurysm was repaired at the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, and the patient was discharged 10 days after the surgery.

Management of a retained catheter in an arteriovenous malformation. Case report.

The long-term effects of retained catheters in patients are not well known; therefore, the clinical presentation may differ. The authors present the case of a 21-year-old man with a pseudoaneurysm of the left common femoral artery, which developed 3 months after a transfemoral microcatheter embolization of a cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in which the catheter was inadvertently glued into the AVM and was retained at the groin.

Protective effects of antioxidant medications on limb ischemia reperfusion injury.

Background: N-acetylcysteine, beta-glucan, and coenzyme Q(10) were shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on reperfusion injury. The aim of our study was to determine and evaluate the effects of these agents on ischemia reperfusion injury of limb.

Material And Method: Forty-four New Zealand white rabbits, all female, weighing between 2.