Bleeding following coronary surgery after preoperative low-molecular-weight heparin.

Low-molecular-weight heparin and acetyl salicylic acid have become an established treatment for unstable angina. A retrospective study on our database of one year was carried out to see what impact preoperative low-molecular-weight heparin versus none had on the postoperative course of 473 patients having coronary surgery exclusively. Apart from the fact that the low-molecular-weight heparin patients had a higher New York Heart Association classification and marginally more grafts, longer bypass and cross-clamp time, the preoperative characteristics and surgery of the two groups were similar.

A prospective survey of patients with valvular heart disease in Europe: The Euro Heart Survey on Valvular Heart Disease.

Aims: To identify the characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of contemporary patients with valvular heart disease (VHD) in Europe, and to examine adherence to guidelines.

Methods And Results: The Euro Heart Survey on VHD was conducted from April to July 2001 in 92 centres from 25 countries; it included prospectively 5001 adults with moderate to severe native VHD, infective endocarditis, or previous valve intervention. VHD was native in 71.

[Surgical treatment of carcinoid bronchial tumor].

During the period 1977-95, 20 patients underwent surgery for carcinoid tumour in the bronchus at the University Hospital of Trondheim (n = 16) and Innherred County Hospital (n = 4). All the tumours were typical carcinoid tumours. Median age of the patients was 41 years (range 16-78 years).

[Mitral valve plasty. A 12-year material].

46 patients underwent mitral valve repair at the Regional Hospital in Trondheim/St. Elisabeth Heart Clinic, during the period 1983-95. There were 20 female patients.