Composite graft in annulo-aortic ectasia. Nineteen years' experience without graft inclusion.

Objective: The original Bentall procedure for the surgery of annulo-aortic ectasia (AAE) includes the risk of leakage and pseudo-aneurysm formation in the coronary anastomosis. To avoid the complications mentioned above we have used the open technique without the graft inclusion. In this study we evaluate our early and late results.

Results of cardiovascular surgery in the Marfan syndrome. A retrospective study of 49 patients.

To evaluate the outcome of cardiovascular surgery in the Marfan syndrome, the records of 49 patients (median age 35 years) who underwent 60 operations were reviewed. Primary surgery was elective in 39 patients and emergency in ten. Non-dissecting aneurysm with diameter 4-19 cm was present in 34 cases and distal, isolated aneurysm in four.

Combined cardioplegia delivery offers no advantage over antegrade cardioplegia administration in coronary surgical patients with a preserved left ventricular function.

The effects of antegrade and of combined antegrade and retrograde cardioplegia were compared in 101 patients undergoing elective coronary artery surgery. The patients were randomly allocated to two groups: antegrade cardioplegia was administered in 53 patients and combined cardioplegia in 43 patients. The patients of the two groups were similar in age, sex and left ventricular ejection fraction.

Exercise habits and physical performance during comprehensive rehabilitation after coronary artery bypass surgery.

The effects of training as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation programme on exercise capacity and habits was studied in 171 male coronary artery bypass surgery patients randomized into a rehabilitation (R) (n = 93) and a reference, hospital-based treatment (H), group (n = 78). The rehabilitation programme started with a 2-day informative course before surgery and continued with a 3-week exercise-based course 2 months after surgery followed by a 2-day refresher 8 months post-operatively. The percentages of subjects having regular exercise were 22% and 10% pre-operatively, 42% and 38% 6 months and 46% and 38% 12 months after surgery in the R and H groups, respectively.

Quality of life during rehabilitation after coronary artery bypass surgery.

The effect of a three-phase comprehensive rehabilitation programme on the quality of life during the first postoperative year after coronary artery bypass surgery was studied in 205 male patients randomly allocated into a rehabilitation (R) and a hospital-based treatment (H) group. The rehabilitation programme included physical exercise, relaxation training, psychological group sessions, dietary advice and discussions about postoperative treatment of coronary disease. There was no difference between R and H groups in the frequency of postoperative complaints, number of hospital admissions and satisfaction of sexual life.