[Predictors of chronic aortic events associated with uncomplicated type B aortic dissection].

Objective: Stent-graft repair may emerge as a first-line therapy for acute complicated type B dissection(C-TBD), while debate continues over thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for uncomplicated type B aortic dissection (U-TBD). Aggressive medical therapy, which confers a 1-year survival rate of 80-90%, is deemed appropriate for most of these patients. However, it is reported that aortic complications occur in ≤ 50% patients within 5 years after surgery.

Clinical benefits of methylprednisolone in off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery.

Background: It has not been established whether off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG) is less invasive than conventional CABG. In our experience, OPCABG has several advantages such as shorter operative duration, decreased requirement of blood transfusion and myocardial protection compared with conventional CABG. However, frequency of postoperative paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) is similar between these techniques and early postoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) levels have been shown to be significantly higher in OPCABG.

[Operative invasiveness of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting].

Objective: In our institution, steroid is administrated intravenously during the anesthesia induction for conventional coronary artery bypass grafting( CABG) to prevent the inflammatory response due to cardiopulmonary bypass and reperfusion injury, however, steroid is not used for off-pump CABG (OPCAB) with expectation of less invasiveness of the procedure. We evaluated the early outcomes and postoperative inflammatory response of conventional CABG with preoperative steroid use and OPCAB.

Methods: From May 2004 to April 2010, 120 patients underwent elective CABG requiring the ventricle elevation to expose the target vessels.

[Distal anastomosis using parachute technique with 4 stay-sutures for Stanford type A acute aortic dissection].

Objective: Distal anastomosis in total arch repair for type A acute aortic dissection is difficult because of fragile aortic wall and time-limiting procedure. Until 2008, distal anastomosis was performed with continuous suture technique at 20 ℃, and parachute technique with 4-stay sutures at 26 ℃ was introduced in our institution. This new technique was compared with previous distal anastomosis with continuous suture technique.

Effect of type II endoleaks and antiplatelet therapy on abdominal aortic aneurysm shrinkage after endovascular repair.

Objective: Endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm (EVAR) has been shown to be safe, and its use is increasing rapidly, but the long-term results of this procedure remain unclear. A decrease in the diameter of the aneurysm sac is considered to represent successful exclusion of the aneurysm from the circulation, but it has been reported that aneurysm shrinkage occurs in only about 60% of patients who have undergone EVAR. We analyzed several factors to determine whether they were related to aneurysm shrinkage after EVAR.

Endovascular repair and pharmacotherapy of an inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysm complicated by primary aortoduodenal fistula.

An inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysm complicated by primary aortoduodenal fistula was successfully treated by stent grafting. Pharmacotherapy with octreotide after endovascular aneurysm repair was also performed with the expectation of spontaneous and rapid closure of the fistula. Gastrointestinal endoscopy performed 10 days after endovascular aneurysm repair showed closure of the large aortoduodenal fistula, and oral intake was started on the operative day 16.

Bronchial and cardiac ruptures due to blunt trauma.

Tracheobronchial and cardiac injuries following blunt thoracic trauma are uncommon but can be life-threatening. We report a case in which the patient with bronchial and right atrial ruptures due to blunt trauma survived after emergent repairs. An 18-year-old female driver was transported to our hospital after a traffic accident and was hemodynamically stable on arrival.

Endovascular management for ruptured Stanford B acute aortic dissection.

Surgery for a complicated Stanford B acute aortic dissection, such as rupture or malperfusion, is still a challenge. We undertook endovascular therapy for ruptured Stanford B acute aortic dissection in two patients. A homemade stent graft was deployed in an 84-year-old woman with a massive mediastinal hematoma; and an aortic extender of Excluder was used for a 76-year-old man with left hemothorax.

Forty-year survival with Smeloff-Cutter and Starr-Edwards prostheses.

This case study describes a 40-year follow-up of a man who had a double valve replacement with Smeloff-Cutter aortic (Cutter Laboratories, Berkeley, CA) and Starr-Edwards mitral prostheses (Edwards Laboratories, Santa Ana, CA) when he was 34 years old. Double valve replacement was performed for aortic and mitral valve stenosis and insufficiency. To date, no surgical treatment has been required except a pacemaker implantation.

Primary cardiac chondrosarcoma with large cell pulmonary carcinoma.

A 55-year-old man was transferred to our hospital for removal of cardiac and pulmonary tumors. Transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated a large echogenic mass in the left ventricle. The mass was attached to the posterior wall of the left ventricle and the mitral valve.