Long-term prognosis in patients with end-stage renal disease after coronary artery bypass grafting.

Background: Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is beneficial in selected patients with ESRD. This study investigates the survival outcomes and prognostic factors in ESRD patients who underwent CABG.

Restrictive mitral valve annuloplasty for chronic ischaemic mitral regurgitation: outcomes of flexible versus semi-rigid rings.

Background: Restrictive mitral annuloplasty is the mainstay of surgical correction of chronic ischaemic mitral regurgitation (CIMR). Long-term data on the various types of annuloplasty rings is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and echocardiographic outcomes of restrictive mitral annuloplasty in patients with CIMR, comparing the use of flexible versus semi-rigid annuloplasty rings.

Primary cardiac lymphoma.

Primary cardiac lymphoma (PCL) is a rare neoplasm involving the heart, pericardium or both. Patients with PCL have a median survival of approximately 7 months based on literature. We report a unique case of a 63-year-old woman presenting with worsening exertional dyspnoea and symptoms of superior vena cava obstruction.

Therapeutic Hypothermia May Improve Neurological Outcomes in Extracorporeal Life Support for Adult Cardiac Arrest.

Background: Limited data exists on patients receiving therapeutic hypothermia during extracorporeal life support (ECLS). We investigated outcomes and prognostic factors in these patients.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted for 225 consecutive adult patients treated with ECLS between July 2003 and January 2016.

Therapeutic hypothermia in adult patients receiving extracorporeal life support: early results of a randomized controlled study.

Cardiac arrest with cerebral ischaemia frequently leads to severe neurological impairment. Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) has emerged as a valuable adjunct in resuscitation of cardiac arrest. Despite ECLS, the incidence of permanent neurological injury remains high.

Warfarin related nephropathy: a case report and review of the literature.

Background: Warfarin related nephropathy is one of the potential complications of warfarin therapy. Despite the well described histological entity, the clinical course and approach to warfarin related nephropathy in patients requiring life-long anticoagulation is however not well described in the literature.

Case Presentation: We report the clinical course of a 56 years old Chinese lady who presented with over anti-coagulation and acute kidney injury while on warfarin therapy for permanent atrial fibrillation and mechanical valve replacement.

Surgical management of infective endocarditis: an analysis of early and late outcomes.

Objectives: To review our experience of surgical management of infective endocarditis (IE) over a 13-year period and analyse the outcomes and associated prognostic factors.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted for 191 consecutive patients who underwent surgery for native and prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) between January 2000 and December 2012. Surgical outcomes were reviewed to include survival and postoperative complications.

Is it possible to predict the risk of ischaemic bowel after cardiac surgery?

A best evidence topic in cardiac surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was 'Is it possible to predict the risk of ischaemic bowel after cardiac surgery?' Altogether 80 papers were found as a result of the reported search, of which 7 represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, journal, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes and results of these papers are tabulated.

Outcome and survival analysis of surgical repair of post-infarction ventricular septal rupture.

Background: To review the experience of surgical repair of post-infarction ventricular septal rupture (VSR) and analyze the associated outcomes and prognostic factors.

Methods: Following approval from the Singhealth Centralised Institutional Review Board (reference: 2011/881/C), a retrospective review was performed on 38 consecutive patients who had undergone surgical repair of post-infarction VSR between 1999 and 2011. Continuous variables were expressed as either mean ± standard deviation or median with 25th and 75th percentiles.

Iliofemoral anatomy among Asians: implications for transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Background/objectives: This study aims to examine iliofemoral anatomy and predictors of vessel size and tortuosity in Asian patients as transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) may be limited by the smaller Asian physique.

Methods: Characteristics and vessel dimensions of 549 patients undergoing ultrasonography were reviewed. The minimal luminal diameter (MLD) along the iliofemoral vasculature of each side was identified and the larger of the two sides was used to determine suitability for transfemoral TAVI.