Congenital mitral regurgitation from absence of the anterolateral papillary muscle.

A 21-year-old woman had congenital mitral regurgitation. Echocardiography showed absence of the anterolateral papillary muscle and corresponding marginal chordae. This rare abnormality was corrected by anterolateral commissural annuloplasty and insertion of artificial chordae to prevent prolapse of the anterior leaflet.

Beneficial effect of balloon-induced pulsatility on brain oxygenation in hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass.

Background: Sufficient O2 delivery to meet the demand is an important factor for protecting the brain during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). This study was designed to investigate the influences of temperature, pulsatility of blood flow (intra-aortic balloon pump-induced) and flow rate during CPB on the cerebral oxygenation.

Methods: Patients were divided into five groups.

Right atrial myxoma complicated with pulmonary embolism.

A 25-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with chest pain and dyspnea, and was diagnosed as having a right atrial myxoma complicated with pulmonary embolism. An emergency operation was performed with cardiopulmonary bypass. A papillary pedunculated tumor was found having a narrow-based attachment to the free atrial wall.

Superior hepatic mitochondrial oxidation-reduction state in normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass.

Objective: This study is the first comparative investigation of hepatic blood flow and oxygen metabolism during normothermic and hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass.

Methods: Twenty-four patients undergoing coronary bypass operations were randomly divided into 2 groups according to their perfusion temperatures, either normothermia (36 degrees C) or hypothermia (30 degrees C). The clearance of indocyanine green was measured at 3 points.

Hemodynamic evaluation of 19-mm Carpentier-Edwards pericardial bioprosthesis in aortic position.

Background: The aortic Carpentier-Edwards pericardial bioprosthesis offers good long-term clinical outcomes with a low rate of structural deterioration. However, little in vivo hemodynamic data is available for this bioprosthesis.

Methods: To determine the hemodynamic performance of the 19-mm Carpentier-Edwards pericardial valve, both cardiac catheterization and dobutamine stress echocardiography were electively performed in 10 patients.