Surgical treatment of peripheral artery aneurysms.

Introduction: Peripheral arterial aneurysms (PAA) may rupture, cause emboli and ischemia, and local symptoms due to compression.

Methods: A total of 109 patients who underwent surgery for PAA were analyzed retrospectively, including clinical presentation, surgical procedures used, and postoperative follow-up data obtained 10 days after discharge.

Results: True aneurysm was present in 59 (54.

Traumatic lumbar artery pseudoaneurysm: the role of CT angiography in diagnosis and treatment.

Pseudoaneurysm of lumbar artery is a rare and late complication of penetrating trauma. We report the Doppler ultrasonography and multidetector computed tomography angiography findings and endovascular embolization treatment of a pseudoaneurysm of lumbar artery in a 14-year-old girl following a gunshot wound.

The effect of competitive flow on both the flow and the velocity in venous grafts in a bypass model.

Objective: The term "competitive flow" defines the flow from a partially stenosed native artery that "competes" with the flow from a graft to perfuse the distal tissues. The purpose of our study is to investigate the effects of competitive flow at different degrees of stenosis at common carotid artery, in a rabbit model by measuring both the flow volume and velocity in the venous graft.

Methods: This prospective experimental study included 33 rabbits, which were divided into three groups: in Group 1, the common carotid arteries were ligated to form a total occlusion, in Group 2, the common carotid arteries were externally incompletely ligated to achieve 50% stenosis, and in Group 3, common carotid arteries were fully patent.

The diagnostic value of multislice computed tomography in evaluation of coronary artery disease in patients with left bundle branch block.

Objective: Noninvasive diagnostic methods do not supply sufficient data for patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB) accompanied with coronary artery diseases (CAD). Therefore, generally coronary angiography is required for these patients. Our aim was to evaluate the diagnostic value of multislice spiral computed tomographic (MSCT) coronary angiography to detect CAD in patients with LBBB.

Inhibition of vein graft intimal hyperplasia by periadventitial application of hyaluronic acid-carboxymethyl cellulose: an experimental study.

Objective: Placement of an external support has been reported to prevent intimal hyperplasia of vein grafts. In this study, we investigated the effect of HA/CMC on intimal hyperplasia in a rabbit model.

Design: Right jugular vein to common carotid artery bypass grafting was performed in 24 female New Zealand white rabbits (2.

[Effects of combined mitral valve replacement and radiofrequency atrial ablation in chronic atrial fibrillation].

Objective: The aim of the study is to find out the efficacy of radiofrequency catheter atrial ablation (RF) simultaneously done with mitral valve replacement (MVR) surgery in patients having rheumatic mitral valve disease with chronic atrial fibrillation and to evaluate the short-term postoperative results.

Methods: Seventeen patients underwent MVR surgery, and intraoperative RF procedures were done simultaneously with MVR to eight of these patients, whereas remaining nine of them were assigned to control group. Patients were assessed preoperatively, at time of discharge, and 1st, 6th and 12th months controls.

Acute gastrointestinal bleeding due to primary aortoduodenal fistula: report of two rare cases.

Primary aortoduodenal fistulas are among the rare causes of gastrointestinal hemorrhage and are defined as communications between the native abdominal aorta and the duodenum. The mortality rate is very high if undiagnosed and untreated. Two male patients, 61- and 76-years-old, were admitted to the emergency unit at different times with the chief complaints of abdominal pain, gastrointestinal hemorrhage and pulsatile mass in their abdomen.

Beneficial effect of methylprednisolone on cardiac myocytes in a rat model of severe brain injury.

Cardiac injury, occurred after traumatic brain injury (TBI), has been recognized for more than a century. Bcl-2 is a key regulatory component of the mitochondrial cell death pathway, and its overexpression is cytoprotective in many cell types. The therapeutic agents, which induce the expression of bcl-2 protein, might provide a new therapy to prevent cardiac myocyte damage following TBI.

Harvesting techniques affect the integrity of the radial artery: an electron microscopic evaluation.

Background: Four methods of radial artery harvesting were evaluated with transmission electron microscopy and tissue lipid peroxidation to determine the degree of damage to the artery.

Methods: Radial artery samples from 4 groups of patients (10 samples from each group) who underwent coronary artery surgery were evaluated. In groups I and II, radial arteries were stored in a solution containing 100 mL patients' own heparinized oxygenated blood and 5 mg nitroglycerine.

[Reexploration for bleeding and tamponade in intensive care unit following open heart surgery].

Objective: Following open-heart surgery some patients can need reexploration in the intensive care unit due to bleeding or pericardial tamponade. This study evaluates the impact of reexploration in the intensive care unit (ICU) on morbidity and mortality rates.

Methods: Between January 1990 and January 2002 overall 18,578 open heart surgery procedures were performed in our clinic and among them 570 (3%) patients required reexploration due to bleeding or pericardial tamponade.