Midterm follow-up of tricuspid valve reconstruction due to active infective endocarditis.

Background: Surgical methods for treatment of tricuspid valve (TV) endocarditis include complete TV excision, TV replacement, and the use of various reconstructive techniques even in cases of severe TV destruction and incompetence. This study summarizes our experience with TV reconstruction and replacement in patients with severe TV endocarditis.

Methods: Between October 1997 and July 2004, TV reconstruction was performed in 18 patients (mean age, 38 +/- 17 years; 7 women, 11 men), and TV replacement in 4 patients (mean age, 48 +/- 22 years; 2 women, 2 men).

Triangular plication of the anterior mitral leaflet: a new operative technique.

This study describes the technique of triangular plication in patients with mitral valve incompetence that is due to segmental anterior leaflet prolapse. A nonabsorbable suture plicates the prolapsed leaflet area towards the ventricular aspect in a triangular fashion by decreasing the suture width towards the leaflet base. Because no leaflet tissue is resected, this technique allows for the intraoperative correction of an imperfect plication.

EuroSCORE predicts mid-term outcome after combined valve and coronary bypass surgery.

Background And Aim Of The Study: EuroSCORE is widely used to assess operative risk. Combined cardiac procedures carry increased perioperative mortality, but the influence of preoperative factors on mid-term outcome is not well known for these patients. The study aim was to determine if EuroSCORE risk influences mid-term survival after combined coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and valve surgery.

Relation between size of prosthesis and valve gradient: comparison of two aortic bioprosthesis.

Objectives: The outcome of patients undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR) may be affected by the influence of prosthesis-patient mismatch on left ventricular mass regression. However, due to the discrepancies in labeled valve size, size of sizer and actual valve dimension, it is difficult to compare different valve types. In order to perform an objective comparison, this study was designed to compare the hemodynamics of the Edwards Lifescience pericardial (ELP) and the Medtronic Mosaic porcine (MM) bioprosthesis between patients receiving the same valve size and between patients with the same aortic annulus diameter.

Repair of stab-wound laceration of the aortic arch using deep hypothermia and circulatory arrest.

The surgical management of a 56-year-old patient with a single thoracic stab wound penetrating the left innominate vein and the aortic arch is described. Repair was successfully achieved using extracorporal circulation and circulatory arrest during deep hypothermia. Clinical features and surgical approach are described and discussed in detail.