Prediction of early postoperative atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery: is it possible?

Background: Postoperative atrial fibrillation is common after cardiac surgery. In this study, we aimed to investigate the value of interatrial conduction time for the prediction of early postoperative atrial fibrillation, using intra-operative transoesophageal echocardiography.

Methods: A total of 65 patients undergoing cardiac surgery in our hospital between January and March 2007 were prospectively evaluated, and 59 patients with sinus rhythm were included in the study.

Acute thrombotic occlusion of right coronary and left circumflex coronary arteries in a patient with antiphospholipid syndrome: successful stent implantation.

Antiphospholipid syndrome is a rare disorder. Acute myocardial infarction is uncommon among these patients. Here we report a case of a 44-year-old man with antiphospholipid syndrome admitted for acute inferior myocardial infarction.

An easy and safe way of left ventriculotomy closure in patients with left ventricle thrombi during the subacute phase of anterior myocardial infarction.

Left ventricle thrombi occurring following myocardial infarction are usually left to spontaneous resolution to avoid a left ventriculotomy in the early phase of myocardial healing. We describe a simple and safe method of ventricular closure in patients with left ventricular thrombi embolizing to the lower extremities following acute anterior myocardial infarction. Ventricles were closed by epicardially running 5/0 polypropylene sutures in continuous fashion to avoid the myocardial tearing of heavier suture materials and the late adverse effects of Teflon use.

Effects of coronary artery bypass surgery on diastolic and systolic parameters of left ventricle in Type II diabetic patients.

Diabetes mellitus itself can cause systolic and diastolic dysfunctions of the left ventricle in the absence of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. Effects of coronary bypass surgery on the left ventricular functions of Type II diabetic patients having atherosclerotic coronary artery disease were investigated. Forty-eight Type II diabetic and 63 nondiabetic multivessel coronary artery disease patients who had no differences in age, sex, drugs used, number of revascularized arteries and aortic cross-clamp time were included in the study.

The effect of type II diabetes mellitus on platelet aggregation in patients who underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

Background: In noninsulin-dependent type II diabetic (tIIDM) patients it was reported that ADP-induced platelet aggregation response was increased with decreased level of platelet guanylate cyclase. This study was therefore designed to examine the effects of tIIDM on collagen-induced, in-vitro platelet aggregation in percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) patients.

Methods: Twenty patients with tIIDM and 30 nondiabetic patients who had successful PTCA were included in the study.

Primary spontaneous coronary artery dissections in atherosclerotic patients. Report of nine cases with review of the pertinent literature.

Primary spontaneous coronary artery dissection is one of the rare causes of acute myocardial infarction. Previous studies reports that it is mostly seen in middle aged women in the last trimester of pregnancy and early postpartum period. Clinical presentation of the disease is variable in pattern and severity related to extent and development rate of dissection.