Successful treatment of a patient with severe pulmonary hypertension due to perivalvular leakage at aortic and mitral positions after aortic and mitral valve replacement.

A 33-year-old-man had severe secondary pulmonary hypertension due to perivalvular leakage at the aortic and mitral positions after aortic and mitral valve replacement. Preoperative cardiac catheterization revealed pulmonary artery pressure of 105/45 mmHg and pulmonary vascular resistance of 929 dynes.s.

Pedicled cardiac hemangioma with right ventricular outflow tract obstruction.

A 46-year-old female was admitted to our hospital complaining of dizziness. Echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a pedicled tumor in the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT), causing severe obstruction during systole. Resection was performed under cardiopulmonary bypass.

Characteristics of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy refractory to medical treatment and selection of surgical methods.

Background And Aim Of The Study: Treatment for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) has been reported; however, there has been no report on the characteristics of medication-responsive and -refractory hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). Using the classification of systolic anterior movement (SAM) which has been previously reported, we tried to identify the characteristics and use them to treat HOCM appropriately.

Methods: The clinical, echocardiographic, catheterization, and surgical data of 29 hospitalized patients with HOCM during 1980 to 1999 were analyzed retrospectively.

[Infective endocarditis with a huge mitral vegetation related to atopic dermatitis and high serum level of infection-related antiphospholipid antibody: a case report].

A 24-year-old woman with atopic dermatitis was admitted to our hospital with fever. Echocardiography showed a huge vegetation attached to the posterior mitral commissure without mitral valve dysfunction. Blood culture identified methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus.

Left ventricular mass index reduction early after an isolated aortic valve replacement with St. Jude Medical 19A-HP.

Objectives: It has been reported that the left ventricular mass index (LVMI) for the hypertrophic myocardium is reduced at an early stage following surgery. In this study, those factors affecting the changes in early postoperative LVMI were investigated in cases in which a St. Jude Medical 19A-HP (19HP) mechanical heart valve was used.

Echocardiographically evaluated site of attachment of atrial myxoma may predict recurrence.

We explore the association between the site of attachment of nonfamilial left atrial myxoma and it's recurrence. Forty-three (11 male and 32 female; mean age, 55.9±13.

In vivo evaluation of a MPC polymer coated continuous flow left ventricular assist system.

The aim of this study was the evaluation of the thrombogenicity and the biocompatibility of the SunMedical EVAHEART left ventricular assist system (LVAS) coated with 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) polymer compared to a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating. Four calves were implanted with the MPC polymer-coated LVAS. Eight calves were implanted with DLC coated LVAS.

Arch-first technique for aortic arch operation using branched graft.

To compare the arch-first technique with conventional aortic arch reconstruction 19 patients were randomly assigned to either procedure. Nine patients underwent the arch-first technique (group A) and 10 underwent the conventional technique (group B). There were no hospital deaths and no significant differences between groups in terms of intraoperative bleeding or the duration of operation cardiopulmonary bypass aortic crossclamping recovery from anesthesia or intensive care.

A comparison of the in vivo performance of the 19-mm St. Jude Medical Hemodynamic Plus and 21-mm standard valve.

Background: In the present study we analyzed the in vivo performance of the 19-mm St. Jude Medical Hemodynamic Plus aortic prosthesis (19HP), evaluated the midterm performance of 19HP in the aortic position, and compared the implantability and hemodynamic characteristics of this valve with those of the 21-mm standard St. Jude Medical valve (21SD) in adult patients with aortic stenosis and a narrowed aortic annulus.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and left ventricular assist device: a case of double mechanical bridge.

A 14-year-old boy with dilated cardiomyopathy with cardiac arrest was successfully implanted with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) after 6-day extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). He had multiple organ failure at the initiation of ECMO, but the failed organs recovered during assisted circulation, leading to LVAD implantation. This case showed the advantages of the "double bridge" such as: (1) quick and easy installation for acute cardiogenic shock, (2) providing intervention time for complications refractory to LVAD implantation, and (3) providing evaluation time for potential LVAD implantation and transplant candidates.

Acute aortic dissection in a patient with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Surgical treatment of acute aortic dissection in a patient with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy is rare. A 57-year-old man diagnosed with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy with left ventricular dimension of 59 mm in diastole, left ventricular dimension of 47 mm in systole, and fractional shortening of 0.19 on echocardiography developed type A acute aortic dissection.

Acute occlusion of coronary artery bypass graft with nonionic contrast medium.

The use of nonionic contrast media should be beneficial in patients with cardiac disease because such media are less chemotoxic. Using iopamidol under heparinization, we treated 4 cases of acute thromboembolic occurrence including occlusion of coronary artery bypass grafts and associated native coronary arteries. While the majority of patients do not experience this complication, care must be taken to avoid major adverse effects.

Effects of milrinone for right ventricular failure after left ventricular assist device implantation.

Right ventricular failure after left ventricular assist device implantation sometimes requires additional mechanical right ventricular support. The effectiveness of nitrates, prostaglandin, or nitric oxide inhalation in such cases has already been reported. However, there are few reports on the administration of phosphodiesterase inhibitor for right ventricular failure after left ventricular assist device implantation.

High-Resolution Fluorescent Particle-Tracking Flow Visualization within an Intraventricular Axial Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device.

Flow visualization is typically applied in blood pump development to both confirm the design expectations and identify regions that may be predisposed to blood element deposition and trauma. Rotary pumps, in particular, place high demands on the technique chosen to visualize the flow given the limited visual accessibility of the flow path and the high impeller speeds. Fluorescent image-tracking velocimetry currently is used at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to visualize flow accurately inside of these pumps both qualitatively and quantitatively.

Less Blood Damage in the Impeller Centrifugal Pump: A Comparative Study with the Roller Pump in Open Heart Surgery.

A centrifugal pump with an impeller (Nikkiso Centrifugal Pump, Model HPM15; Nikkiso Co. Ltd.) was applied to cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in 14 patients who underwent elective coronary artery bypass grafting.

Basic Performance of a Miniature Intraventricular Axial Pump.

A miniature intraventricular axial pump for left ventricular (LV) support is under development. This pump was designed for placement in the LV cavity by insertion through the LV apex with the outlet located at the ascending aorta via the aortic valve. The basic hydro-dynamic characteristics represented as a relationship between pump head (H) and flow (Q) showed a negative linear relationship under a constant head.

A New Supportive Method for Aortic Aneurysm Surgery: Centrifugal Left Heart Bypass Combined with an Oxygenator and a Heat Exchanger.

A new supportive method of centrifugal left heart bypass with oxygenation was performed in 25 patients and compared with standard left heart bypass in 45 patients. Femoro-femoral bypass was selected in another 6 patients because of the presence of a left atrial adhesion. Intraoperative complications related to standard left heart bypass, hypoxia, hypothermia, and ventricular fibrillation, were eliminated by using this method.

Clinical Application of a Newly Developed Autoflow Control System for the Terumo Centrifugal Pump: From External Control to Built-in Direct Control.

We have developed an autoflow control system for the Terumo Capiox centrifugal pump, the SP-101. First, we made an external control system regulated by a personal computer through a serial communications line. Although an in vivo experiment using a goat showed excellent performance in regulating the flow, a communication error that caused an abrupt and instantaneous flow fluctuation was noted occasionally.

Biventricular Bypass with Oxygenation for Postcardiotomy Ventricular Failure.

Between January 1984 and March 1995, biventricular bypass (BVB) with oxygenation was used in 17 patients for postcardiotomy ventricular failure at the Heart Institute of Japan, Tokyo Women's Medical College. Of the 17 patients, 12 (70.6%) were weaned from the circulatory support, and 8 (47.