Hemolytic anemia with aortic stenosis resolved by urgent aortic valve replacement.

A 78-year-old man with aortic stenosis complained of dark colored urine followed by recurrent chest pain and syncopal episodes. Echocardiography showed severely calcified aortic stenosis with the maximal pressure gradient of 125 mm Hg. Hemoglobin was 7.

Returning reservoir blood to right atrium during extracorporeal circulation for descending aortic surgery.

We report our techniques on conducting a closed-circuit femoral-femoral bypass during descending aortic surgery by which collected blood can be easily returned into the right atrium. The main circuit was composed of a centrifugal pump, an artificial membrane lung, and a filter. A reservoir with a roller pump was connected to the main circuit via a filter.