[Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair with preservation of the diaphragm and intercostal muscles].

In thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repair, postoperative respiratory complication is a major problem. TAAA repair was performed in a 75-year-old man. The computed tomography showed a TAAA (Crawford type IV) with shaggy descending thoracic aorta.

Forty-year survival with Smeloff-Cutter and Starr-Edwards prostheses.

This case study describes a 40-year follow-up of a man who had a double valve replacement with Smeloff-Cutter aortic (Cutter Laboratories, Berkeley, CA) and Starr-Edwards mitral prostheses (Edwards Laboratories, Santa Ana, CA) when he was 34 years old. Double valve replacement was performed for aortic and mitral valve stenosis and insufficiency. To date, no surgical treatment has been required except a pacemaker implantation.

Primary cardiac chondrosarcoma with large cell pulmonary carcinoma.

A 55-year-old man was transferred to our hospital for removal of cardiac and pulmonary tumors. Transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated a large echogenic mass in the left ventricle. The mass was attached to the posterior wall of the left ventricle and the mitral valve.