Periannular Mitral Valve Prosthesis Crypts Mimicking Periprosthetic Abscesses.

Mitral annular abscesses are rare and can be caused by infective endocarditis. We present the case of a patient with an infected mitral prosthesis, with multiple suspected periprosthetic abscesses. However, perioperative inspection showed a supra-annular implanted prosthesis.

Surgical treatment of a giant right coronary aneurysm.

This case report is a step-by-step description of the surgical treatment of a giant right coronary aneurysm with a maximum diameter of 80 mm in a 57-year-old male.

Type A Aortic Dissection in a 24-Year-Old Patient With Kabuki Syndrome.

Our case report documents the first type A aortic dissection in a patient with Kabuki syndrome (KS) and emphasize the need for intensive cardiovascular risk monitoring in patients with KS. It stresses the importance of further research to establish a correlation and awareness for patients with KS.

Surgical bypass to the left subclavian artery: an extra-anatomical transpleural approach.

A distal anastomosis in zone 3 is technically demanding during the frozen elephant trunk procedure. Proximalization of the distal anastomosis to zone 2 with subsequent revascularization of the left subclavian artery is an attractive alternative. This video tutorial describes the technique of an extra-anatomical bypass from the aortic prosthesis to the infraclavicular left subclavian (axillary) artery in arch replacement with the distal aortic graft anastomosis in zone 2.

Decision Making during the Learning Curve of Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery: A Focused Review for the Starting Minimally Invasive Surgeon.

Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery is evolving rapidly since the early 1990's and is now increasingly adopted as the standard approach for mitral valve surgery. It has a long and challenging learning curve and there are many considerations regarding technique, planning and patient selection when starting a minimally invasive program. In the current review, we provide an overview of all considerations and the decision-making process during the learning curve.

Clinically Significant Incidental Findings on CT Imaging During TAVI Work-up: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: The transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) population is mostly elderly and frail. Clinically significant incidental findings (SIFs) are commonly encountered in the work-up of TAVI patients. This is a systematic review of current literature on the occurrence of SIFs on computed tomography (CT) imaging preceding TAVI and their association with mortality, delayed planning, and procedure cancellation.

Perigraft hygroma mimicking recurrent angiosarcoma of the right atrium.

Primary cardiac angiosarcoma is extremely rare, has a poor prognosis and has no specific clinical manifestation. A 31-year-old pregnant woman presented to the emergency department with signs of pericardial tamponade. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) showed a mass within her right atrium.

Mitral Valve Repair Versus Replacement in The Elderly.

The disadvantages of mitral valve replacement with a bioprosthesis in the long-term may not play an important role if the shorter life expectancy of older patients is taken into account. This study aims to evaluate whether mitral valve replacement in the elderly is associated with similar outcome compared to repair in the short- and long-term. All patients aged 70 years and older undergoing minimally invasive mitral valve surgery were studied retrospectively.

Reoperative Mitral Valve Surgery Through Port Access.

Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery (MIMVS) has become the standard approach for mitral valve pathology in many centres. The anterolateral mini thoracotomy access is beneficial in reoperative surgery by avoiding repeat sternotomy associated risks. The aim of this study is to analyse the safety of this technique.

Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery: a systematic safety analysis.

Objective: Minimally invasive surgery is increasingly adopted as an alternative to conventional sternotomy for mitral valve pathology in many centres worldwide. A systematic safety analysis based on a comprehensive list of pre-specified 30-day complications defined by the Mitral Valve Academic Consortium (MVARC) criteria is lacking. The aim of the current study was to systematically analyse the safety of minimally invasive mitral valve surgery in our centre based on the MVARC definitions.