Medium-term survival of diffuse coronary artery disease patients following coronary artery reconstruction with the internal thoracic artery.

Objective: Diffuse coronary artery disease makes cardiac surgeons hesitant regarding whether coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery is feasible or not. Coronary artery reconstruction using the internal thoracic artery (ITA) allows bypassing of coronary arteries with diffuse atheromatous plaques without systematically resorting to endarterectomy. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the medium-term results of coronary artery reconstruction.

[A case of a carcinoid tumour presenting as an "upper lobe syndrome"].

A 53-year-old woman presented with progressive cough related to an endobronchial carcinoid tumour. The location of the tumour in the right upper lobe bronchus could be described as an "upper lobe syndrome" by analogy with the "middle lobe syndrome" or Brock's syndrome. Surgical management consisted of lobectomy and lymph node dissection.

Use of arterial patch to improve re-endothelialization in a sheep model of open carotid endarterectomy. An incentive to use internal thoracic artery as an on-lay patch following coronary endarterecomy?

To better understand the effect of the internal thoracic artery on endothelial growth after open coronary endarterectomy, we designed an experimental test of the hypothesis that closing an endarterectomized artery by an arterial patch improves re-endothelialization. The two carotid arteries were endarterectomized in nine sheep and were randomly chosen for closure by native arterial femoral (ART) patch or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) patch. Three animals were randomly chosen for sacrifice at 8, 15 and 21 days each.

Continuous retrograde blood cardioplegia ensures prolonged aortic cross-clamping time without increasing the operative risk.

The aim of this study was to assess whether the continuous retrograde blood cardioplegia ensures prolonged aortic cross-clamping time without increasing the operative risk. From 1996 to 2003, 204 consecutive patients who had cardiac procedure requiring aortic cross-clamping time > or = 150 min, were prospectively included in this study: low risk group (EuroSCORE < or = 2) 50 patients, medium risk group (EuroSCORE 3-5) 68 patients, high risk group (EuroSCORE > or = 6) 86 patients. The myocardial protection associated induction of cardiac arrest by antegrade injection of hyperkalemic warm blood, continuous retrograde intermediate lukewarm (20 degrees C) blood cardioplegia, retrograde warm blood reperfusion and systemic normothermia.

Homemade expanded-polytetrafluoroethylene flexible mitral annuloplasty ring.

A homemade mitral annular prosthesis has been developed using expanded-polytetrafluoroethylene material. It is safe in that it avoids the risk of prosthesis wrinkle when stitches are tied. Simultaneously, it is strong enough to prevent future stretching and rupture.