Optical monitoring of cerebral perfusion and metabolism in adults during cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

During cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), adequate maintenance of cerebral blood flow (CBF) is vital in preventing postoperative neurological injury - i.e. stroke, delirium, cognitive impairment.

An Early Canadian Experience With the Correx Automated Coring and Apical Connector Device for Aortic Valve Bypass.

Objective: Aortic valve replacement is the standard of care for severe, symptomatic aortic valve stenosis (AS); however, anatomy or pre-existing comorbidities may preclude conventional or alternative transcatheter approaches. Aortic valve bypass (AVB) may be performed as a salvage procedure for the relief of symptomatic aortic stenosis in patients who are not suitable candidates for aortic valve replacement.

Methods: At our institution, seven patients underwent AVB using the Correx automated coring and apical connector system.

Pulsatile versus nonpulsatile flow during cardiopulmonary bypass: microcirculatory and systemic effects.

Background: Controversy exists regarding the optimal perfusion modality during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Here we compare the effects of pulsatile versus nonpulsatile perfusion on microvascular blood flow during and after CPB.

Methods: High-risk cardiac surgical patients were randomly assigned to have pulsatile (n=10) or nonpulsatile (n=10) flow during CPB.

Automated coring and apical connector insertion device for aortic valve bypass surgery.

Purpose: The technical difficulty of performing the left ventricular apical anastomosis has limited the adoption of aortic valve bypass surgery for the treatment of aortic stenosis. We report the successful use of an automated coring and apical connector device to perform aortic valve bypass surgery.

Description: A 74-year-old man, with a history of prior coronary bypass surgery with patent grafts and a porcelain ascending aorta, presented with symptomatic critical aortic stenosis.

Coronary artery spasm: a rare but important cause of postoperative myocardial infarction.

Myocardial infarction that is attributed to native coronary artery spasm in the early postoperative phase has rarely been documented. We report three cases of postoperative myocardial infarction secondary to angiographically demonstrated coronary spasm. Native coronary artery spasm is a rare, but important cause of postoperative ischemia and infarction.