[Stanford type a acute aortic dissection with pectus excavatum].

Pectus excavatum is generally an isolated abnormality of the chest wall. However, some patients have a concomitant pectus deformity and cardiac & aortic disease. Decisions must be made regarding the operative approach and whether the pectus excavatum should be corrected during the same session.

Greater expression of inflammatory cytokines, adrenomedullin, and natriuretic peptide receptor-C in epicardial adipose tissue in coronary artery disease.

Background: Growing evidence suggests that the epicardial adipose tissue may have local interactions with coronary arteries. In addition, vasoactive peptides such as adrenomedullin and natriuretic peptide has an interaction with adipose tissue. In this study, we investigated the relationship between adipokines, adipocytokines, and vasoactive peptides expressed in epicardial adipose tissue and subcutaneous adipose tissue in patients with and without coronary artery disease (CAD).

Initial clinical experience with a new end graft holder for anastomosis in coronary surgery.

Objective: We assessed the feasibility and effectiveness of a novel end graft holder for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and evaluated anastomotic patency and early clinical results.

Methods: The end graft holder was applied to 45 consecutive patients. Operative characteristics were off-pump CABG in 22.

Graft-to-coronary-artery shunt during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

We have developed a simple technique for temporary shunt from the saphenous vein graft to the coronary artery during off-pump coronary anastomosis. The ends of a 2-mm diameter tube were inserted into the distal end of the saphenous vein graft in which proximal anastomosis had been established and into the right coronary artery crux. Blood flow sufficient to maintain adequate hemodynamics was obtained through the shunt tube while suturing around the tube.

Nonprosthetic surgical repair of pectus excavatum.

Background: Previously, a method was reported to correct pectus excavatum in which a convex steel bar is inserted beneath the sternum. This method gained popularity, but a relatively high incidence of complications has been reported. We review our experience of nonprosthetic repairs of pectus excavatum.

A surgical case of concomitant aneurysms of the brachiocephalic and coronary arteries.

Brachiocephalic artery aneurysm with concomitant coronary artery aneurysm is rare. We describe a case of a patient with a history of prosthetic graft placement following resection of an abdominal aortic aneurysm and was subsequently found to have a brachiocephalic artery aneurysm. After surgical correction of the brachiocephalic aneurysm, postoperative coronary arteriography demonstrated coronary artery aneurysms, and the patient subsequently underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).