Blood consumption in total arterial coronary artery bypass grafting.

Background: Accumulating evidence consistently demonstrates that blood transfusion in cardiac surgery is related to decreased short- and long-term survival. We aimed to evaluate periprocedural blood loss and transfusion rates in elective, isolated total arterial coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) using exclusively skeletonized bilateral internal mammary arteries (IMAs).

Methods: We identified 1011 consecutive patients with coronary artery disease who underwent CABG between 1/2007 and 12/2014.

Early Results of Surgical Simultaneous Therapy for Significant Carotid Artery Stenosis and Heart Disease.

Background: The purpose of this single-center, retrospective study was to review the early outcome with defined endpoints of myocardial infarction, brain injury, and death after coronary bypass grafting and simultaneous carotid endarterectomy with or without combined valve replacement.

Methods: During the preoperative investigation 52 (44 males, 8 females) patients were examined by cardiac catheterization within the scope of their coronary status. In addition, all patients underwent echocardiography, CT angiography of the supra-aortic vessels, and full description of their neurologic status.

Enterococcus septicemia due to a pacemaker lead infection.

Pacemaker lead infections are rare but potentially life threatening. We report the case of an 80-year-old pacemaker-dependent female patient with complete heart block, who presented with subfebrile temperatures and chills due to a pacemaker lead infection by Enterococcus faecalis.

Paradoxical embolization of brachiocephalic and pulmonary arteries in a case of persistent foramen ovale: a case report.

Paradoxical embolism is the result of systemic arterial embolism and pulmonary embolism. It indicates the presence of an intracardial defect in the area of the atrial or ventricular septum. The most frequent cause of an intracardiac defect associated with paradoxical embolism is a patent foramen ovale (PFO).

Inhibition of carotis venous bypass graft disease by intraoperative nucleic acid-based therapy in rabbits.

Background: Bypass graft stenosis after venous revascularisation procedures is characterised by massive neointimal and vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation triggered via endothelin-1 synthesis in the vessel wall. Decoy oligodesoxynucleotides (ODN) against the transcription factor activator protein-1 (AP-1) inhibits pre-pro-endothelin-1 expression.

Methods: In 20 rabbits, an end-to-side jugular vein bypass to the carotid artery was performed: (group A) 8 grafts were treated with consensus AP-1 decoy ODN, (group B) 8 with mutated control ODN and (group C) 4 received no treatment.