Steroids and statins: an old and a new anti-inflammatory strategy compared.

Objectives: This study compared the anti-inflammatory effects of methylprednisolone (MP) and atorvastatin and analysed their influences on clinical variables in patients undergoing coronary revascularization.

Methods: Ninety patients with compromised left ventricular ejection fraction (≤30%) undergoing elective coronary surgery were equally randomized to one of three groups: statin group, treatment with atorvastatin (20 mg/day) 3 weeks before surgery; methylprednisolone group, a single shot of methylpredniosolone (10mg/kg); and control group.

Results: Postoperative IL-6 was higher in the control group when compared to the methylprednisolone and statin groups (p<0.

Repair of separated coronary segments resulting from a complicated coronary endarterectomy.

Cardiac surgeons are treating an increasing number of patients with diffuse coronary artery disease that requires the use of alternative surgical techniques. We present a patient who had a technically unsatisfactory endarterectomy of the left anterior descending coronary artery. We were left with only 3 segments of properly endarterectomized coronary bed areas, separated with totally disintegrated coronary bed portions.