Full-metal jacket: A bad strategy.

Although drug-eluting stents are increasingly used to treat coronary disease, restenosis remains the major limitation of these devices. We report a case of complete metal jacket using 17 stents for triple-vessel coronary disease in a 73-year-old man, for whom surgery would have been the best choice.

Rapid growth of left atrial myxoma after radiofrequency ablation.

Atrial myxoma is the most common benign tumor of the heart, but its appearance after radiofrequency ablation is very rare. We report a case in which an asymptomatic, rapidly growing cardiac myxoma arose in the left atrium after radiofrequency ablation. Two months after the procedure, cardiovascular magnetic resonance, performed to evaluate the right ventricular anatomy, revealed a 10 × 10-mm mass (assumed to be a thrombus) attached to the patient's left atrial septum.

An alternative method for endoaortic clamping in atherosclerotic aorta.

To decrease the risk of traumatic injury or dissection of the aorta in patients with diffuse atherosclerotic disease or calcification of the ascending aorta, we have devised a simple method that uses an Embol-X aortic cannula with a Fogarty occlusion catheter.

Internal mammary artery dilatation in a patient with aortic coarctation, aortic stenosis, and coronary disease. Case report.

The ideal surgical approach is unclear in adult patients with coarctation of the aorta that is associated with other cardiovascular pathologies that require intervention. Standard median sternotomy allows simultaneous, coronary revascularization surgery, valve replacement and repair of aortic coarctation. However the collateral circulation and the anatomy of the mammary arteries must be determined, to avoid possible complications.

Pulmonary embolism due to biological glue after repair of type A aortic dissection.

Biological glue is increasingly used in cardiac surgery. We report a case of type A aortic dissection repair that was complicated by subsequent pulmonary embolism due to BioGlue(®) (Cryolife Inc, Hennesaw, GA, USA). To our knowledge this is the first report of a case with this complication.

Is distortion of the bioprosthesis ring a risk factor for early calcification?

Background: As the population ages, bioprosthesis are increasingly being used in cardiac valve replacement. Pericardial bioprosthesis combine an excellent hemodynamic performance with low thrombogenicity, but valve failure associated with calcification remains a concern with these valves. We describe distortion of the bioprosthesis ring as a risk factor for early calcification.

Oxidized cellulose as the cause of an acute ischemic event after coronary revascularization.

Absorbable topical hemostatic agents are commonly used in cardiac surgery. In this study, we report an unusual case of an acute ischemic event after coronary revascularization produced by interaction between oxidized cellulose and epsilon aminocaproic acid (EACA). An in vitro study was also performed to test the interaction between oxidized cellulose and EACA.

Coronary steal by left atrial myxoma: a case report.

This report describes a 41-year-old man who had atypical angina resulting from coronary steal by left atrial myxoma. The tumor was completely excised and the patient was symptoms free after operation.

Up to twenty-five-year survival after aortic valve replacement with size 19 mm valves.

Long-term survival was investigated in 202 patients who underwent isolated aortic valve replacement (AVR) with 19 mm valves. There were 171 women with a mean age of 69+/-9 years and 31 men with a mean age of 64+/-13 years. Patients had a mean body surface area of 1.

Cardiac Aspergillosis with pedunculated mass in the left ventricle.

Immunosuppression can allow organisms that are not usually pathogenetic to cause disease; under such circumstances, Aspergillus species frequently form large masses of fungal elements. We describe the case of a 12-year-old girl with hematologic remission of leukemia. She had a left ventricular pedunculated mass that was detected by echocardiographic study; at surgery, the presence of Aspergillus terreus was confirmed.