[Assisted circulation II--systems for intermediate and long-term mechanical circulatory support].

The concept of artificial circulatory support has been established almost 200 years ago. It has only been within the last four decades that physicians and engineers have developed mechanical assist devices that can temporarily support the circulation until the native heart recovers from a reversible injury. In patients who do not regain native heart function, long-term circulatory support or permanent replace (biologically--heart transplant or permanent mechanical circulatory support) is indicated.

[The internal thoracic artery in myocardial revascularization in patients with severely depressed left ventricular function].

Introduction: In most prospective, randomized studies, severely depressed left ventricular function is found to be the independent predictor of increased morbidity and mortality after myocardial revascularization [3]. Surgical treatment in this particular group of patients results in superior long-term results [1, 2]. Internal thoracic artery (ITA) is considered to be superior compared to venous grafts in myocardial revascularization for the majority of patients with ischaemic heart disease.

[Use of the internal thoracic artery in repeat myocardial revascularization surgery].

The incidence of redo myocardial revascularization is increasing lately. These procedures are accompanied by the higher operative risk, and the use of internal thoracic artery graft may have additional negative impact on early-rization. Mortality and morbidity in this group did not differ significantly compared to a group where only venous grafts were used.

[Myocardial revascularization using the internal thoracic artery: pro and con].

Internal thoracic artery (ITA) has superior histological, physiological and pharmacological properties over the venous grafts, and it is considered to be the graft of choice for myocardial revascularization. It has low incidence of late atherosclerotic lesions, and excellent long-term patency. Usage of ITA yields improved clinical results in all subgroups of patients with coronary artery disease, including patients with poor left ventricular function (EF%), left main stenosis, diffuse coronary artery disease and octogenarians.

[Occlusion of a calcified ascending aorta with a Foley catheter in aortocoronary bypass--case report].

Heavily calcified ascending aorta predisposes to aortic injury and distal embolization during total or partial cross-clamping, during the performance of open-heart procedures. Placement of the arterial cannula may be particularly difficult, occasionally virtually impossible using the standard technique, while placing the clamp on such aorta may be extremely risky. We present a case where we have used a Foley-balloon catheter to occlude the densely calcified ascending aorta, during a aorta-coronary bypass procedure, thus completely avoiding the use of the total aortic clamp.

[History of surgical treatment of atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries--the first 100 years].

Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality. The incidence of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality has been doubled in our country during the period 1980 through 1996. Surgical treatment of the atherosclerotic coronary artery disease is already a century old, ever since Francois-Franck (in 1899) tried to achieve sympathetic denervation of the cervical ganglion.

[Use of the internal thoracic artery in patients with stenosis of the left main branch of the coronary artery].

Unlabelled: Internal thoracic artery (ITA) is the graft of choice in myocardial revascularization. However, superiority of the ITA graft in patients (pts) with left main coronary artery disease is still a matter of debate.

Patients: In the period from November 1986 through February 1999, ITA graft was used for myocardial revascularization in 2860 pts.

Active infective endocarditis: low mortality associated with early surgical treatment.

Background: Early surgical treatment is important for successful outcome in selected cases of active, either native (NVE) or prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE). The aim of this study was to evaluate the early results of the surgical treatment of active NVE and PVE.

Methods: During a 3-yr period (January 1 1996-December 31 1998), 57 out of 60 patients (pts) with active, either NVE (46 pts) or PVE (11 pts) underwent surgical treatment.

Combined carotid and coronary artery surgery: what have we learned after 15 years?

Unlabelled: Optimal surgical strategy in patients with concomitant coronary and carotid artery disease is debatable. We have analysed 15-years of experience (January 1981-August 1996) with 195 consecutive patients in whom we have used two different surgical approaches. Group A consisted of 48 patients who underwent a single-stage surgical procedure, and group B (147 patents) underwent a two-stage procedure, either as carotid endarterectomy followed by coronary artery bypass surgery (group B1, 97 patients), or as coronary artery bypass surgery followed by carotid endarterectomy (group B2, 50 patients).

Cardiac events after combined surgery for coronary and carotid artery disease.

Objective: To evaluate serious cardiac events after combined (either single or two stage) coronary artery surgery (CAS) and carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for concomitant coronary and carotid artery disease.

Methods: We have analyzed our 15 year experience (January 1981-September 1996) with 201 consecutive patients operated on using both approaches. Group A consisted of 48 patients with the single-stage procedure, while in group B (153 patients), two stage procedure was carried out, either as carotid endarterectomy (CEA), followed by coronary artery bypass surgery (CAS) (group B1- 103 patients), or as CAS followed by CEA (group B2- 50 patients).

[Perioperative myocardial failure and mechanical cardiac support --a five year experience].

Inability to wean a patient from the cardiopulmonary bypass after open heart procedure is reality of the clinical practice. The only realistic chance for these patients is some form of mechanical circulatory support. Over the period from November 1988 to November 1993, in 17 patients the roller-pump mechanical assist device was inserted, i.

[Coronary endarterectomy: has the time come for randomized evaluation of clinical research?].

The authors review contemporary and hitherto not uniform views on the clinical impact of endarterectomy in the surgical treatment of diffuse coronary disease. Exact evaluation of this problem is still lacking. The authors suggest an original, prospective project for the objective evaluation of this therapeutic method by a randomized study called PROCESS.

[The importance of annulo-ventricular integrity in replacement of the mitral valve. Experience with the double-disc low profile Carbo Medics mechanical valve].

In the submitted paper the authors compare the results of the conventional replacement of the mitral valve with total excision of the subvalvular apparatus and the results of mitral replacement with a completely or partly preserved or reconstructed integrity of the annulopapillary structures. During the last five years the authors operated by the former method 115 patients (group A) and the second surgical method was used in 93 patients (group B). In both groups the authors compared 33 demographic, clinical, peroperative, postoperative and echocardiographic indicators.

[Surgical treatment of diffuse coronary disease].

In order to obtain an idea on contemporary opportunities of surgical treatment of diffuse coronary disease the authors compared the results of surgery in 103 patients whose finding called for endarterectomy and bridging of at least one coronary artery (KEA) with the results in 220 patients where it was possible to overcome all significant changes by coronary bypasses only (KBP). Patients in group KEA had more infarctions before operation than patients in group KBP. Diffuse changes of the coronary arteries were found only in patients in group KEA.

[Coronary surgery in patients with severely impaired left ventricular function].

Views on surgical treatment of patients with coronary disease and severely restricted left ventricular function are still controversial. In the present work the authors compare the results of direct reconstruction of the coronary arteries in 184 patients with satisfactory or medium restricted left ventricular function (SLV) with a group of 77 patients with severely restricted left ventricular function (RLV). Twenty-three clinical, angiographic, peroperative and postoperative indicators were compared.

A new efficient method of topical cooling and rewarming of the myocardium.

Profound myocardial hypothermia (below 17 degrees C, and more often around 12 degrees C) is imperative in myocardial protection while the aorta is cross-clamped. Based on our experience in more than 800 open-heart operations, profound myocardial hypothermia can be achieved by very efficient topical cooling despite mild systemic hypothermia (30 to 33 degrees C) and a small, single dose of crystaloid K + cardioplegia. Very efficient topical cooling is achieved by a high flow (1 to 1(1/2) L/min) of continuously cooled fluid (+ 0.

A technique of myocardial protection during aorto-coronary bypass in high-risk patients.

In the authors' opinion, profound myocardial hypothermia is imperative in myocardial protection while the aorta is cross-clamped. They based their own protection method, beside using a single dose of crystalloid cardioplegic solution, on very efficient topical cooling, by which myocardial temperature is reduced to below 15 degrees C. Very efficient topical cooling is achieved by a high flow (2 l/min) of continuously cooled fluid (0 degrees C- +2 degrees C).