Endovascular treatment of a tuberculous infected aneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta: a word of caution.

An infected aneurysm of the thoracic aorta due to mycobacterium tuberculosis is an unusual entity for which the classical treatment is antituberculosis chemotherapy and open-chest surgery. Recent improvements in endovascular treatments have led to their proposed use for infected aneurysms in patients for whom open surgery poses too high a risk. We report on a 68-year-old man with a tuberculous aortic aneurysm who had been treated with an endoprosthesis and antituberculosis chemotherapy.

Parachute-like technique for off-pump implantation of cardiac support device in isolated and combined procedure.

Cardiac support is a new and promising therapy for refractory heart failure. Only a few previous publications focused on technical implantation of such device. We have developed a new technique that facilitates a consistent and safe implant when the procedure is done without extra-corporeal circulation (ECC).

'Double patch and glue' technique for early repair of posterior post-infarction ventricular septal defect.

A surgical procedure that reduces the recurrence of post-infarction posterior ventricular septal defects is described. This technique is based on a double ventriculotomy without an infarctectomy, the use of two patches, and glue, which is applied between the two patches. Excellent results have been obtained in 18 consecutives patients with this simple and reliable technique.

Extracorporeal circulation as an additional method for cerebral protection in simultaneous carotid endarterectomy and coronary artery surgical revascularization.

Surgical management of patients with concomitant carotid and coronary artery stenosis remains controversial. Our policy was always to perform at the same time carotid endarterectomy (CE) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), but it was also considered that extracorporeal circulation (ECC), because of full heparinization, hemodilution, pulsatile flow, and hypothermia could provide better cerebral protection during CE. Retrospective data of 124 patients undergoing simultaneous CE and CABGs between January 1994 and December 2001 were reviewed.

Prospective study of hemodynamic performances of standard ATS and AP-ATS valves.

Background And Aim Of The Study: Following aortic valve replacement (AVR), a residual transprosthetic gradient can develop which has detrimental long-term effects, especially with regard to left ventricular mass regression and subsequent mortality. The Advanced Performance-ATS valve (AP-ATS) was developed to overcome this potential patient-prosthesis mismatch. In the present study, the early postoperative transprosthetic gradient was determined after AVR with ATS valves 18 to 25, to confirm the promise of superior hemodynamic performance of the AP series and to define respective indications.

Surgery of chronic traumatic aneurysm of the aortic isthmus: benefit of direct suture.

Objective: Retrospective evaluation of long term results after direct suture repair of chronic traumatic aneurysm of the aortic isthmus.

Methods: From March 1979 to June 1998, a total of 19 patients with chronic traumatic aneurysm of the aortic isthmus were operated on, among whom 12 (63%) underwent direct suture. These 12 patients (age ranging from 19 to 68 years; mean 34.

Early and long term results of coronary artery bypass grafts in patients with dialysis dependent renal failure.

Objective: Coronary artery disease is the main cause of mortality and morbidity in patients on renal therapy replacement. The aim of this study was to define peri-operative risk and long term results of coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG) in dialysis patients.

Methods: this retrospective study included 82 patients in chronic dialysis who underwent CABG between 1978 and 1997.