Novel Variants and Haplotypes are Associated with Rheumatic Heart Disease.

Ficolins are pattern recognition molecules that are involved in innate immune defense. Ficonin-2 (FCN2) has a specific affinity for lipoteichoic acid present in the cell wall of , an etiological agent for rheumatic heart disease (RHD). We have estimated FCN2 serum levels and analyzed the functional variants of in 400 RHD patients, 617 healthy controls, and 581 individuals belonged to various ethnic populations, who are inhabited in various geographical regions of India.

Outcome after extended arch repair for aortic coarctation.

Objectives: To assess survival and long term arch patency rates in a consecutive group of children after extended arch repair for coarctation of the aorta.

Methods: Review of 191 consecutive children (154 (81%) under 1 year of age) operated on between 1990 and 2002 by a single surgeon using extended arch reconstructive techniques. For assessment of survival patients were divided into three groups: 1, coarctation alone, n = 104; 2, coarctation and ventricular septal defect, n = 38; and 3, coarctation in association with complex intracardiac anomalies, n = 49.

Alveolar recruitment strategy improves arterial oxygenation after cardiopulmonary bypass.

Atelectasis occurs during general anaesthesia. This is partly responsible for the impairment of gas exchange that occurs peri-operatively. During cardiopulmonary bypass, this atelectasis is exacerbated by the physical collapse of the lungs.

Total Coronary Artery Revascularization Through a Mini-Sternotomy.

Revascularization of all significantly stenosed vessels remains the goal of coronary artery bypass surgery. Recent improvements in endoscopic instruments have resulted in the evolution of selective left anterior descending artery bypass grafting through a limited anterior small thoracotomy (LAST) incision. A major limitation of this technique is the inaccessibility for complete surgical revascularization in multivessel disease.

Mitral Valve Surgery Using a Modified Superior Left Atrial Approach.

Most surgeons use a longitudinal right lateral left atrial incision behind the inter-atrial groove for the exposure of the mitral valve, even though several other surgical techniques have been described. The shortest route to the mitral valve is, however, through the roof of the left atrium, where the incision is closest to the mitral annulus. This was first described by Meyer et al.

Retrograde autologous priming of the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit reduces blood transfusion after coronary artery surgery.

Background: Hemodilution occurring with cardiopulmonary bypass imposes a risk for blood transfusion. Autologous priming of the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit at the initiation of bypass partially replaces the priming solution with autologous blood. We examined the efficacy of autologous priming of the circuit in reducing blood transfusion.

Pleuro-biliary fistula from a ruptured choledochal cyst.

We present a case of rupture of an intrahepatic choledochal cyst through the diaphragm resulting in a pleuro-biliary fistula and a right pleural empyema which was surgically treated. Hepatobiliary complications resulting in biliary empyema of the pleura are discussed.

Total coronary artery revascularization through a mini-sternotomy.

Revascularization of all significantly stenosed vessels remains the goal of coronary artery bypass surgery. Recent improvements in endoscopic instruments have resulted in the evolution of selective left anterior descending artery bypass grafting through a limited anterior small thoracotomy (LAST) incision. A major limitation of this technique is the inaccessibility for complete surgical revascularization in multivessel disease.

Mitral valve surgery using a modified superior left atrial approach.

Most surgeons use a longitudinal right lateral left atrial incision behind the inter-atrial groove for the exposure of the mitral valve, even though several other surgical techniques have been described. The shortest route to the mitral valve is, however, through the roof of the left atrium, where the incision is closest to the mitral annulus. This was first described by Meyer et al.

Chaotic motion in an oscillatory boundary layer.

The chaotic time oscillations in an incompressible fluid driven into motion by a harmonic time-varying pressure gradient is examined. Special attention is given to centrifugal destabilization of the viscous boundary layer. The basic flow is shown to be linearly unstable.