Commissural dehiscence and pannus formation of porcine heart valve bioprostheses.

From May 1976 to June 2001, 95 porcine heart valve bioprostheses (BPs) were explanted. Among them, 85 prostheses were available for an analysis of structural valve deterioration (SVD). There were 32 Hancock (H) BPs and 53 Carpentier-Edwards (CE) BPs, with a mean implantation duration of 12 +/- 3.

Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis.

Background: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for hemodialysis patients is high risk compared with other patient groups. The aim of this study was to analyze the potential benefits of off-pump CABG for hemodialysis patients.

Methods: From April 1994 through December 2000, 26 hemodialysis patients underwent CABG.