Large Intramural Aortic Hematoma with Intimal Tear.

A 72-year-old man presented with excruciating epigastric pain. A chest computed tomography angiography revealed an aortic intramural hematoma. A filling defect within the distal ascending aorta was noted.

Transitioning to Del Nido cardioplegia for all-comers: the next switching gear?

Background: Exclusive use of Del Nido cardioplegia administration in all adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery has been studied for operative, postoperative and myocardial protection outcomes.

Methods: From November 2016 to October 2017, Del Nido cardioplegia was used in 131 consecutive patients (DN group). Using a propensity score, DN group was compared to 251 patients having received intermittent cold blood cardioplegia (CB group).

Caseous Calcification of the Mitral Annulus: A Role for Surgery.

An 80-year-old man followed for aortic stenosis was found to have an intracardiac mass. Multiple imaging modalities were inconclusive in characterizing the mass but raised concerns about the potential malignancy of the mass. Fear of operating on an elderly patient with a potential for cardiac neoplasia led to a percutaneous transseptal biopsy that failed to provide a clear diagnosis.

Concurrent Epicardial Cardiac Resynchronization at Time of Complicated Biventricular Device Extraction: A Potentially Life-Saving Option.

A 60-year-old man with cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) lead endocarditis underwent transvenous lead extraction that was complicated by coronary sinus laceration and tamponade. Severe left ventricular dysfunction and unstable hemodynamic parameters persisted after emergent sternotomy, drainage, and repair. Reinstitution of cardiac resynchronization therapy with an epicardial device resulted in immediate hemodynamic improvement.

Neonatal Cardiac Arrest From Left Ventricular Cardiac Hemangioma: A Surprising Presentation.

Cardiac hemangioma is rare, even more when leading to a cardiovascular collapse in a seemingly healthy newborn. A 6-day-old neonate had a tamponade caused by a basolateral hemangioma of the left ventricle. Partial surgical resection was performed.

Early diaphragmatic plication after cardiac surgery: a case report in an obese patient.

Background: Diaphragmatic plication to help ventilation weaning of an adult obese patient after cardiac surgery is very uncommon. Diaphragm paralysis is usually treated with conservative measures and ventilator support, after which surgical management is considered after months of medical monitoring.

Case Presentation: We report the case of a morbidly obese patient to whom ventilation weaning was unsuccessful following coronary artery bypass graft operation with mitral valve replacement.

Buttocks Hard as Rocks: Not Wanted after Aortic Dissection Repair.

The authors report the case of a patient developing a gluteal compartment syndrome after DeBakey type I dissection repair. Prompt recognition and treatment led to successful results. The surgical approach to the gluteal compartment is described.

Anomalous Left Coronary Artery From the Pulmonary Artery: Masquerading as Peripartum Cardiomyopathy.

Diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy 8 years earlier, a 45-year-old woman had sudden cardiac death. After resuscitation, the patient was diagnosed with an anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery and underwent a successful coronary repair. The management of a patient with clinical features of cardiomyopathy is reviewed.

Mitral Annular Calcification and Mitral Valve Replacement: A New Approach.

Mitral valve replacement is technically challenging in the context of mitral annular calcification. A new surgical strategy is described that was used in a 71-year-old obese patient, where intraatrial prosthesis insertion and valve fixation into native uncalcified structures were performed without calcium debridement.

Protective role of PARK2/Parkin in sepsis-induced cardiac contractile and mitochondrial dysfunction.

Mitochondrial quality control plays a vital role in the maintenance of optimal mitochondrial function. However, its roles and regulation remain ill-defined in cardiac pathophysiology. Here, we tested the hypothesis that PARK2/Parkin, an E3-ligase recently described as being involved in the regulation of cardiac mitophagy, is important for (1) the maintenance of normal cardiac mitochondrial function; and (2) adequate recovery from sepsis, a condition known to induce reversible mitochondrial injury through poorly understood mechanisms.