Safety Pericardiocentesis with Fluoroscopy Following Cardiac Surgery.

Purpose: In the treatment of the postsurgical pericardial effusions via pericardiocentesis, determination of the puncture site might be difficult. Contrast echocardiography may not be efficient due to surgical artefacts and pulmonary problems and therefore may lead to inaccurate evaluation. Alternative imaging methods might be helpful to perform the pericardiocentesis with decreased complications.

Our experiences on endovascular and hybrid treatment of peripheral arterial diseases.

Background: This study aims to present our experiences on endovascular and hybrid treatment of peripheral arterial diseases.

Methods: Between March 2008 and April 2016, 86 patients who underwent endovascular treatment and 17 patients who underwent hybrid treatment for peripheral arterial disease in our clinic were retrospectively analyzed. The treatment approaches, success of treatments, complications and outcomes of these patients were studied.

Comparison of primary repair and patch plasty procedure on the P wave in adult atrial septal defect closure.

Introduction: In this study we compared the effects of two different surgical procedures for closure of adult atrial septal defect (ASD) on postoperative P-wave changes.

Methods: Patients who underwent cardiac surgery for secundum type ASD closure were evaluated retrospectively. Seventy-two patients with primary repair of ASD and 29 patients with pericardial patch plasty repair were compared according to P, P and P-wave dispersions (P).

Removal of broken catheter piece with snare device during endovascular treatment of post-traumatic brachial artery pseudo-aneurysm.

Post-traumatic pseudo-aneurysm is a rare complication of penetrating vascular injury. Endovascular stent implantation has become an alternative approach in the management of this pathology. In our case, we present a brachial artery pseudo-aneurysm that was treated with endovascular stent implantation, and removal of a broken catheter part with a three-dimensional snare device.

The effect of serum, intestinal and peritoneal visfatin levels on early diagnosis of acute mesenteric ischemia.

Background: Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is a rapidly progressive disease where early diagnosis is life-saving. As a new cytokine, levels of thevisfatin might be affected during the ischema and reperfusion. In our study, we obtained changes of visfatin levels in the serum, peritoneal and intestinal lavage samples in rats, to investigate the effectiveness of these changes in the early diagnosis of AMI.

Four different strategies for repair of aortic coarctation accompanied by cardiac lesions.

Objectives: Coarctation accompanied by cardiac lesions is a complex clinical situation due to the presence of two different pathologies that necessitate surgical treatment. An individual strategy, according to the severity of the disease, is important to reduce perioperative mortality and morbidity.

Methods: We report here on 25 patients with coarctation accompanied by cardiac lesions who were treated by various surgical approaches.

Long-term results of the single-patch repair technique for sinus venosus atrial septal defects.

Background: Anomalous pulmonary venous drainage commonly accompanies sinus venosus atrial septal defects (SVASDs). Many techniques have been reported for avoiding postoperative complications, such as narrowing of the superior vena cava (SVC) or the pulmonary system, and arrhythmia. We perform a single V-Y pericardial patch plasty repair technique for SVASDs.

Coronary artery bypass grafting following simultaneous treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm and peripheral arterial disease.

Atherosclerosis might affect all arterial segments of the vascular system, thus peripheral arterial disease (PAD) accompanying coronary artery disease (CAD) is not uncommon. In addition to this coexistence, abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is frequently associated with CAD. Although treatment strategies of CAD and PAD or CAD and AAA has been reported previously, treatment of these three pathologies has not been reported.

Reversed C sternotomy versus conventional sternotomy in cardiac surgery.

Background: In this study, cardiac surgery with minimally invasive reversed C sternotomy was compared with conventional sternotomy in patients undergoing valve replacement or septal defect repair.

Methods: In this prospective randomized study, 35 patients were assigned into one of two groups for elective cardiac surgery under general anesthesia: Group A (reversed C sternotomy group) and Group B (conventional sternotomy group). Intraoperative variables, intubation time, postoperative drainage volume, pulmonary function tests, sleep quality and quality of life, and requirement for blood transfusion were compared.

Hemorrhage into a pericardial cyst and associated right ventricular compression after blunt chest trauma.

Hemorrhage into a pericardial cyst is an extremely rare event after blunt chest injury and may lead to compression of cardiac chambers. Most pericardial cysts develop adjacent to the sternum, at the right or left cardiophrenic angle; therefore a direct blow to the chest may be associated with hemorrhage into a pericardial cyst. Surgical resection is reasonable because hemorrhagic content of cysts may cause failure of percutaneous interventions.

Hybrid repair of an acute type B dissection with subclavian-to-subclavian bypass and stent-grafting.

Hybrid repair of an acute type B aortic dissection with endovascular stenting and aortic arch debranching is an acceptable treatment in complicated type B dissection. We present the case of a 71-year-old man presenting with acute type B aortic dissection and concomitant aneurysm of the distal aortic arch, who underwent an uneventful hybrid procedure, which involved subclavian-to-subclavian bypass before endovascular stent-graft placement to the aortic arch.

Bilateral renal artery occlusion due to intraoperative retrograde migration of an abdominal aortic aneurysm endograft.

Retrograde (proximal) migration of an abdominal aortic aneurysm endograft is an extremely rare event during endovascular insertion and may lead to occlusion of the bilateral renal arteries and dialysis-dependent renal failure. This case report describes the intraoperative retrograde migration of a bifurcated abdominal aortic endograft during the initial endovascular procedure after deployment of an extender limb graft into the right iliac artery and associated bilateral renal artery occlusion. This was treated with renal artery bypass, and the patient had a favorable outcome.

Posterior root enlargement for aortic valve replacement associated with unexpected anomalous right coronary artery.

Anomalous right coronary artery (ARCA) generally follows a course between the aorta and pulmonary artery. When ARCA follows a course posterolateral to the aortic root behind the noncoronary sinus of Valsalva, the vessel can be at risk of injury during posterior aortic root enlargement. We present the case of a 21-year-old man with congenital aortic stenosis and small aortic root, who had an intraoperative diagnosis of ARCA.

Combined surgical approach to multiple giant coronary artery aneurysms.

Multiple giant coronary artery aneurysms are rare but can develop in the presence of an underlying atherosclerotic vessel disease. Nevertheless, there is no consensus on the ideal surgical treatment or on operative procedures, including aneurysm resection, ligation, distal bypass, and graft interposition. We present the case of a 72-year-old woman with a history of multiple arterial aneurysms who was admitted to the emergency clinic with sudden-onset chest pain and dyspnea.

Pulmonary vascular protective mechanisms in adult patients with an isolated large ventricular septal defect: a 21-year experience.

Background: Ventricular septal defects (VSDs) are one of the most common congenital heart defects in adults. In adult patients with an anatomically large VSD and relatively preserved pulmonary vascular system, several pulmonary flow-limiting cardiac morphologic alterations (PFMA) are encountered.

Patients: Ninety-eight male patients (mean age 22.

Free-floating tumor thrombus in the left atrium associated with non-small cell lung cancer.

A free-floating tumor thrombus in the left atrium is an unusual metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer. Surgical resection of free-floating tumor thrombus prior to adjuvant therapy relieves cardiac symptoms such as exertional dyspnea, and prevents life-threatening complications including systemic embolization, mitral obstruction, or sudden death.