Influence of prosthetic heart valve sound on a patient's quality of life.

Purpose: To elucidate the effects of prosthetic valve sound on a patient's quality of life (QOL).

Methods: We compared the valve sounds of ATS, SJM, and Carbomedics (CM) based on assessments by 248 patients who underwent mechanical valve replacements from January 2000 to August 2003 at seven facilities in Japan. We used a self-administered questionnaire for evaluating patients' assessments of valve sounds and the Japanese version of SF-36 for measuring their health-related QOL.

Demonstration and operative influence of low prime volume closed pump.

Various improvements have been made in cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in the past few decades. We designed a new type of CPB to reduce the secretion of systemic inflammatory markers. We used a low prime volume pump (LPVP), completely closed CPB circuit and examined coagulant factors and inflammatory cytokines.

The efficacy of low prime volume completely closed cardiopulmonary bypass in coronary artery revascularization.

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate and demonstrate the efficacy of low prime volume completely closed cardiopulmonary bypass (LPVP) in arrested coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We improved the percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (PCPS) circuit to reduce the deleterious effects of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

Methods: Between April 1999 and May 2003, among 228 isolated CABG procedures, 47 procedures using LPVP (group L) and 86 procedures using standard prime volume open CPB (group S) were compared.

Bilateral subclavian steal associated with severe coarctation of the thoracic aorta and an aberrant right subclavian artery.

A 10-year-old girl having bilateral subclavian steal associated with severe coarctation of the thoracic aorta and an aberrant right subclavian artery was found, on admission, to have no difference between upper and lower extremity blood pressure, but echocardiography revealed severe thoracic aorta coarctation and systolic blood pressure in the carotid arteries exceeding 200 mmHg estimated by Doppler ultrasonography. Magnetic resonance imaging and angiography demonstrated bilateral subclavian steal without esophageal compression. We reconstructed the aortic arch using the left subclavian artery and a reversed Blalock-Park procedure, then repaired the coarctation with a 14 mm woven double velor vascular graft.