[Comparative analysis of the flows of left internal thoracic artery grafts dissected in the pedicled versus skeletonized manner for myocardial revascularization surgery].

Objective: To compare the free blood flow, caliber, and length of the left internal thoracic artery (LITA), dissected in the pedicled (P) and skeletonized (S) manners, during surgery before and after topical vasodilator (TV) application.

Methods: A randomized, blind, clinical trial was carried out with 50 patients undergoing elective myocardial revascularization to assess the use of the LITA in situ in its pedicled or skeletonized form. The 25 patients in the pedicled group (GP) had NYHA class II or III angina, ejection fraction (EF) of 50.

Endomyocardial biopsy foretells ventricular function recovery after coronary artery bypass grafting.

Objective: Patients with ischemic heart failure may benefit from coronary artery bypass grafting. The histopathological variables associated with improvement in ejection fraction 6 months after surgery were assessed.

Methods: This study comprised 24 patients indicated for coronary artery bypass grafting, ejection fraction < 35%, functional class II-IV heart failure, and mean age 59 +/- 9 years.

Behavior of inflammatory markers of myocardial injury in cardiac surgery: laboratory correlation with the clinical picture of postpericardiotomy syndrome.

Objective: To verify the association of serum markers of myocardial injury, such as troponin I, creatinine kinase, and creatinine kinase isoenzyme MB, and inflammatory markers, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), C-reactive protein, and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in the perioperative period of cardiac surgery, with the occurrence of possible postpericardiotomy syndrome.

Methods: This was a cohort study with 96 patients undergoing cardiac surgery assessed at the following 4 different time periods: the day before surgery (D0); the 3rd postoperative day (D3); between the 7th and 10th postoperative days (D7-10); and the 30th postoperative day (D30). During each period, we evaluated demographic variables (sex and age), surgical variables (type and duration, extracorporeal circulation), and serum dosages of the markers of myocardial injury and inflammatory response.