Cardiac surgery in the presence of chronic internal carotid artery occlusion.

The aim was to evaluate the incidence of stroke in the setting of cardiac surgery with or without hemodynamically relevant asymptomatic carotid stenosis contralateral to the occlusion. We designed a historical cohorts study, focused on patients with unilateral totally occluded internal carotid arteries who were referred for any cardiac surgery at our center. Isolated unilateral occlusions were assigned to group 1 (n = 60), and those with a contralateral stenosis grade ≥ 60% were included in group 2 (n = 51).

Regional and directional compliance of the healthy aorta: an ex vivo study in a porcine model.

Objectives: To gain differential knowledge about the physiological compliance and wall strength of the different regions of the aorta, including the ascending aorta, arch and descending aorta in both the circumferential and longitudinal directions, and to generate a hypothesis on the pathophysiological mechanisms that lead to Type A aortic dissection.

Methods: Fresh tissue specimens from 22 ex vivo porcine aortas were analysed on a tensile tester. Regional and directional compliance, failure stress and failure strain were recorded.

Ascending aortic elongation and the risk of dissection.

Objectives: Unlike aneurysm formation, the role of ascending aortic elongation in the pathogenesis of Type A aortic dissection (TAD) is largely unclear. We investigated the morphology of healthy, dissected and predissection aortas with a focus on ascending aortic length.

Methods: We retrospectively compared clinical and computer tomography angiography (CTA) data from TAD patients (n = 130), patients who developed a TAD in the further clinical course (preTAD, n = 16) and healthy control patients who received a CTA for non-aortic emergencies (n = 165).

Identification of Predictive Early Biomarkers for Sterile-SIRS after Cardiovascular Surgery.

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is a common complication after cardiovascular surgery that in severe cases can lead to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and even death. We therefore set out to identify reliable early biomarkers for SIRS in a prospective small patient study for timely intervention. 21 Patients scheduled for planned cardiovascular surgery were recruited in the study, monitored for signs of SIRS and blood samples were taken to investigate biomarkers at pre-assigned time points: day of admission, start of surgery, end of surgery, days 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8 post surgery.

Elastic properties of the young aorta: ex vivo perfusion experiments in a porcine model.

Objectives: To investigate the regional and directional compliance/distensibility of the healthy aorta.

Methods: Complete fresh porcine aortas (n = 11) were perfused ex vivo under defined haemodynamic parameters using a custom-made pulse duplicator. Both circumferential and longitudinal compliance were measured optically.