Successful in situ repair of a symptomatic left main coronary artery aneurysm by a saphenous vein graft.

In a male patient, presenting with progressive angina refractory to medical treatment, a solitary aneurysm of the left main coronary artery without fistula, a 2 cm large atrial septal defect (ASD) and a persisting left superior caval vein were diagnosed. Successful resection with subsequent in situ repair by vein grafting of the left anterior descending artery and the circumflex coronary artery system and direct closure of the ASD are described.

Reoperation for calcific constrictive pericarditis 43 years after pericardiectomy.

The case of calcific pericarditis in a 63-year-old male with a 1-year history of progressive right heart failure 43 years after pericardiectomy in 1960 is reported. The recurrent constriction was caused by the calcification of the residual posteroinferior pericardium and the impressing sternum of a pectus excavatum encasing the heart like a skull. The patient underwent total pericardiectomy of his residual pericardium through median sternotomy using cardiopulmonary bypass resulting in complete relief of his symptoms.

Numerical simulation techniques to study the structural response of the human chest following median sternotomy.

Background: The optimal closure technique of median sternotomy remains controversial. The objective of this study was to analyze the structural response of the separated sternum using computer-based numerical discretization techniques, such as finite element methods.

Methods: Thoracic computer tomographic scans (2.

Comparison of minimally invasive closed circuit extracorporeal circulation with conventional cardiopulmonary bypass and with off-pump technique in CABG patients: selected parameters of coagulation and inflammatory system.

Objective: Closed circuit extracorporeal circulation (CCECC) has been developed to reduce deleterious effects of standard cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). This study compares the effects of CCECC (CORx system), CPB, and off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) on red blood cell damage, coagulation activation, fibrinolysis and cytokine expression.

Methods: Thirty patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Polymerase chain reaction amplification as a diagnostic tool in culture-negative multiple-valve endocarditis.

We report a case of culture-negative infectious endocarditis in a 17-year-old boy in which the etiologic diagnosis could only be provided by polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene from valve tissue.