Capillary haemangioma of the heart presenting with pericardial effusion: A case report.

Cardiac haemangiomas (CH) are rare benign primary tumours of the heart and constitute nearly 2.8% of primary cardiac tumours. In a-48-year-old female, a cardiac tumour mass over right ventricular out flow area and main pulmonary artery was detected during diagnostic workup for aetiology of recurrent pericardial effusion.

Ambidextrous techniques in cardiac surgery.

Ambidexterity is the state of being equally adept in the use of both the left and right hands. It is advantageous in surgeons, but the degree of ambidexterity found among them varies greatly. It is a very desirable attribute in laparoscopic surgery.

Modified carbodissection: A new technique for harvesting the internal mammary artery.

The modified carbodissection technique is a new technique for harvesting the internal mammary artery during coronary artery bypass graft surgery. It is performed using an improvised instrument that consists of an electrocautery device and a carbon dioxide blower/mister. It combines electrocautery dissection and continuous controlled gas blow dissection along with saline irrigation mist.

Long QT syndrome and torsades de pointes complicating mitral valve replacement.

Severe QT interval prolongation >500ms occurs in one quarter of cardiac surgical patients in the perioperative period while moderate prolongation occurs in most of them. Prolonged QT interval may be associated with torsades de pointes and lead to sudden cardiac death. Because of the high incidence of prolonged QT in cardiac surgery patients and its perioperative adverse outcomes, it is vital to identify it early and take necessary precautions.

Giant solitary ancient schwannoma of the pleura masquerading as bronchopneumonia.

We report a 53-year-old female who presented with complaints of sudden onset breathlessness, cough with expectoration for 6 months, and a right lung base lesion in the chest X-ray, which was diagnosed and treated as bronchopneumonia by the family physician. High-resolution computed tomography of the chest was done which revealed a large heterogeneously enhancing mass in the right thoracic cavity. She underwent thoracotomy and was found to have a giant encapsulated and well-circumscribed mass arising from the pleura.