Minimally invasive mitral valve repair in Barlow's disease: early and long-term results.

Objective: Barlow's disease remains a challenging surgical pathology in patients presenting with mitral regurgitation. We reviewed our early and long-term results for patients with Barlow's disease who underwent minimally invasive mitral valve surgery.

Methods: Between 1999 and 2010, 145 patients with Barlow's disease underwent minimally invasive mitral valve repair at Leipzig Heart Center.

New concepts for mitral valve imaging.

The high complexity of the mitral valve (MV) anatomy and function is not yet fully understood. Studying especially the dynamic movement and interaction of MV components to describe MV physiology during the cardiac cycle remains a challenge. Imaging is the key to assessing details of MV disease and to studying the lesion and dysfunction of MV according to Carpentier.

Cooling after successful resuscitation in cardiac surgery patients.

Background: Despite many years of intensive research sudden cardiac death is one of the most common causes of death all over the world. The European Resuscitation Council (ERC) recommends the use of moderate therapeutic hypothermia for 12-24 hours to improve neurological outcome. However, the beneficial effect of this therapy on outcomes for cardiac surgery patients with In- Hospital- Resuscitation (IHR) has not been well studied.

Interdisciplinary team approach for complicated type B aortic dissection with concomitant hematothorax by endovascular stent grafting and left side mini thoracotomy: a case report.

Due to high mortality rates in surgical treatment, total endovascular stent grafting has become a promising therapeutic option in patients with acute aortic dissection type B. In our case, a 76- year- old patient with acute ruptured aortic dissection type B and hematothorax achieved concomitant total endovascular stent grafting and left side mini thoracotomy. With moderate neurologic impairment he was discharged from hospital after 20 days.

The influence of gender on mortality in patients after thoracic endovascular aortic repair.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine if gender affects mortality in patients after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 286 consecutive patients undergoing TEVAR at our institution during a 12-year period (female 29%, median age 69 years). Chronic health conditions, risk factors, as well as early and long-term outcome were assessed.

Risk factors of mortality in different age groups after thoracic endovascular aortic repair.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine risk factors for mortality in different age groups after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 226 consecutive patients undergoing TEVAR at our institution during a 12-year period (female 28%; median age 67 years). Fifty-six patients were more than 75 years of age at the time of TEVAR.

Translocation of the supra-aortic vessels and stent grafting of the aortic arch.

This is a report on the combined surgical and endovascular treatment of a very large aortic arch aneurysm. In the first step, total arch rerouting was performed with an inversed bifurcated Dacron prosthesis. Brachiocephalic trunk and left subclavian artery were inserted into the two branches of the prosthesis via an end-to-end anastomosis and left common carotid was reinserted into the branch to the left subclavian.

Endovascular and conventional treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysms: a comparison of costs.

Background: The purpose of this study is to compare costs of conventional surgical therapy with costs of endovascular stent-graft placement in patients with thoracic aortic aneurysms.

Methods: Fifteen patients undergoing either conventional surgical therapy or endovascular stent-graft placement of thoracic aortic aneurysms were analyzed. A catalog of costs was then created for both procedures and this catalog was applied individually to each patient.