Coronary artery bypass surgery versus percutaneous coronary artery intervention in patients on chronic hemodialysis: does a drug-eluting stent have an impact on clinical outcome?

Coronary revascularization methods continue to be refined, and the emergence of the drug-eluting stent (DES) has especially changed clinical practice related to ischemic heart disease. For chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients, however, the impact of DES on clinical outcome is yet to be determined. Forty-six consecutive chronic HD patients who underwent myocardial revascularization in our institute were retrospectively reviewed.

Influence of carotid artery stenosis on stroke in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

Objective: It is well known that the presence of carotid artery stenosis increases the risk of perioperative stroke in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Although off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) can avoid the adverse effects of cardiopulmonary bypass, the influence of carotid artery stenosis on the incidence of stroke in patients undergoing off-pump CABG has not been well clarified.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 461 patients who underwent elective off-pump CABG after screening for carotid artery stenosis at our institute between September 2004 and May 2007.

Papillary muscle realignment and mitral annuloplasty in patients with severe ischemic mitral regurgitation and dilated heart.

Chronic ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) is one of the leading causes of congestive heart failure and death. It is controversial whether mitral annuloplasty (MAP) per se can improve the long-term survival because IMR has been considered a disease of the left ventricle. We reviewed our experience of papillary muscle realignment in conjunction with MAP in patients with IMR.

Early angiographic and clinical results of branch conduits attached proximally to left internal thoracic arteries.

Background: We assessed the characteristics of composite branch conduits attached proximally to an in-situ left internal thoracic artery (LITA).

Methods: Sixty nine patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) using composite branch conduits. Overall 35 distal LITAs, 4 RITAs, 18 radial artery grafts (RAG), and 13 inferior epigastric artery grafts (IEA) (both the distal LITA and IEA were used in one patient) were used.