Rhythm disorders after isolated mitral valve surgery: Consideration of the variations of the sinoatrial nodal artery in choice of atriotomy.

Background: This study aims to investigate the effect of atriotomy approaches applied in mitral valve surgery and variations of the sinoatrial nodal artery on postoperative arrhythmias and the need for a temporary or permanent pacemaker.

Methods: Data of 241 patients (108 males, 133 females, mean age: 53.7±12.

The prognostic value of fQRSTa in patients with aortic stenosis undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement.

Background: Surgical aortic valve replacement (sAVR) is the ultimate therapy for severe aortic stenosis (AS) in suitable patients. Prognostic factors of sAVR are great interest in recent studies. Frontal QRS-T angle (fQRSTa) is a novel marker of ventricular repolarization abnormalities.

Prognostic Value of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio and Risk Factors for Mortality in Patients with Stanford Type A Aortic Dissection.

Background: Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a prognostic predictor in a wide range of cardiovascular disease. Acute aortic dissection (AD) is an uncommon but fatal cardiovascular disease. In this study, we investigated both prognostic factors in patients with AD and whether NLR can be a predictor for mortality.

Staged or Combined Approach for Carotid Endarterectomy in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: A 5-Year-Long Experience.

Background: Optimal surgical approach for patients with hemodynamically significant carotid and coronary disease remains controversial. We analyzed our 5-year experience and compared early and long-term outcome following staged and combined carotid and coronary artery bypass.

Methods: 312 consecutive patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy and coronary artery bypass between 2008 and 2013 were prospectively enrolled in the study.

Hybrid intervention for type A aortic arch interruption and a giant subclavian artery aneurysm in an adult.

Interrupted aortic arch is a very rare but well-described congenital anomaly. Concomitant presentation of interrupted aortic arch and giant subclavian artery aneurysm is an unusual event in adulthood. To the best of our knowledge, hybrid intervention for type A aortic arch interruption with a giant aneurysm of the subclavian artery is an alternative approach for the management of these concomitant pathologies in adults.

Exclusion of a Huge Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Pseudoaneurysm with Konno's Procedure.

We present the use of Konno's procedure for the reconstruction of a huge left ventricular outflow tract pseudoaneurysm formed after aortic valve replacement.

Severe isolated tricuspid insufficiency due to tricuspid papillary muscle rupture after a fall from a horse: treatment with port access minimally invasive cardiac surgery.

We report on the successful treatment of tricuspid valve insufficiency due to blunt chest injury using port-access minimally invasive cardiac surgery. The optimal surgical treatment of traumatic valvular insufficiency is discussed, including a brief review of the relevant literature.

Carotid body tumors and our surgical approaches.

Glomus tumors known as paragangliomas are neoplasms arising from the neural crest. They are named according to the place they originate from. Tumors originating from the carotid body at the carotid bifurcation are called Carotid Body Tumors (CBT).

Extensive anterior chest wall ecchymosis as a sign of subacute type A aortic dissection.

A 66-year old man was admitted to the hospital with chest and back pain and wide chest wall ecchymosis. His medical history revealed no chest trauma or resuscitation, but coronary angiography had been performed 20 days previously. Subacute type A aortic dissection was diagnosed.

Preservation of systemic tricuspid valve function by pulmonary conduit banding in a patient with corrected transposition of the great arteries.

Systemic tricuspid valve regurgitation increases mortality and morbidity in patients with a corrected transposition of the great arteries. A 17-year old male with a physiologically corrected transposition after the closure of a ventricular septal defect and conduit placement between a morphological left ventricle and pulmonary artery presented with exertional dyspnoea. The transthoracic echocardiography showed a severe conduit stenosis, and cardiac catheterization revealed a pressure gradient of 114 mmHg.

Cardiac and great vessel injuries after chest trauma: our 10-year experience.

Background: Cardiovascular injuries after trauma present with high mortality. The aim of the study was to present our experience in cardiac and great vessel injuries after chest trauma.

Methods: During the 10-year period, 104 patients with cardiac (n=94) and great vessel (n=10) injuries presented to our hospital.

Baroreflex failure syndrome: a rare complication of bilateral carotid body tumor excision.

Baroreflex failure syndrome is a rare disorder seen after bilateral carotid body tumor resection. Iatrogenic injuries to the baroreceptor reflex arc cause fluctuations in blood pressure with hypertensive attacks or hypotensive episodes. A 43-year-old woman underwent bilateral carotid body tumor resection with one-week interval for a hypervascular tumor, 78 x 50 x 45 mm in size, at the right carotid artery bifurcation and a smaller tumor (50 x 30 x 20 mm) in the contralateral neck.

Posterior mediastinal ectopic thyroid: an unusual cause for dysphagia.

Posterior mediastinum is an atypical localization for the occurrence of ectopic thyroid. We present a case of a 62-year-old man who was admitted to the emergency department with atypical chest pain and dysphagia. The patient was diagnosed as having a true posterior mediastinal ectopic thyroid, which caused esophageal compression.

Comprehensive analysis of 4205 patients with chest trauma: a 10-year experience.

Thoracic trauma is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. In this retrospective study, we present our 10-year experience in the management and clinical outcome of 4205 cases with chest trauma associated with blunt and penetrating injuries in a level I trauma hospital in Turkey. In 66% of the cases, blunt injury mostly related to traffic accidents was the cause of chest trauma.

Pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm after a vascular access port catheter implantation.

Pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm is an unusual complication of surgically implantable central venous port catheters. We experienced a case of a 57-year-old man with gastric malignancy, in which a port catheter had been previously implanted for chemotherapy. Because of a puncture site that was also medial for the subclavian vein, the catheter tip fractured between the first rib and the clavicle, and embolized in the left pulmonary artery, which caused a 5 x 4 cm pseudoaneurysm that mandated surgical resection with a lobectomy.

Interpleural versus epidural analgesia with ropivacaine for postthoracotomy pain and respiratory function.

Study Objective: To evaluate the impact of interpleural analgesia (IP) on postthoracotomy pain and respiratory function as an alternative to thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA).

Design: Prospective, randomized study.

Setting: Tertiary-care military hospital.

Prophylactic dialysis in elderly patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery.

Renal dysfunction is associated with markedly increased risk for both mortality and morbidity in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG), especially in elderly patients. In the current study, we aimed to determine the impact of prophylactic preoperative hemodialysis on operative outcome in patients with mild renal dysfunction. Between March 2002 and May 2005 a total of 64 patients, all of whom were more than 70 years of age and with preoperative creatinine levels greater than 2 mg/dL, underwent primary elective on pump coronary artery bypass surgery.

Warfarin-induced skin necrosis after open heart surgery due to protein S and C deficiency.

Warfarin-induced skin necrosis is the rare but potentially devastating complication of anticoagulant therapy and commonly occurs in previously undetected C- and S-protein deficient patients. Because routine preoperative examination does not include protein C and S level measurement, detection of these patients preoperatively is generally not possible, which increases the risk of occurrence of this important complication. In this report we present and discuss such a patient, who died from warfarin-induced skin necrosis after coronary artery bypass surgery.