Cheatham-Platinum stent for native and recurrent aortic coarctation in children and adults: immediate and early follow-up results.

Objective: To present our institutional experience of endovascular Cheatham-Platinum stent implantation in children and adults with native and recurrent aortic coarctation.

Methods: Between August 2007 and November 2009, 45 patients had aortic coarctation treated with 47 stents implantation. We preferred primarily stent implantation in adult patient with coarctation, in children more than five years-old it is preferred in cases of aneurysm, subatretic or blind coarctation and coarctation with patent ductus arteriosus or in restenosis.

A different therapeutic strategy for severe tetralogy of Fallot with origin of the left pulmonary artery from the ascending aorta: stenting of the right ventricular outflow tract before complete repair.

The origin of pulmonary artery branches (particularly the left pulmonary artery) from the ascending aorta is a rare condition. We detected prominent hypoplasia of the main and right pulmonary arteries in a 3.5-month-old 3.

Patients with anemia on admission who have undergone primary angioplasty for ST elevation myocardial infarction: in-hospital and long-term clinical outcomes.

Objective: We investigated the in-hospital and long-term follow-up (mean 21 months) results of patients with and without anemia on admission and who have undergone primary angioplasty for ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Study Design: A total of 2509 patients (616 patients with anemia on admission, 1893 patients without anemia on admission), who were treated with primary angioplasty due to STEMI, were included in this study. Demographics and basic clinical features of the patients, outcomes of the primary angioplasty procedures, and clinical course of the patients during and a mean period of 21-month follow-up after hospitalization were retrospectively evaluated.

Aortico-left ventricular tunnel experience on three different ages.

Aortico-left ventricular tunnel is extremely rare congenital paravalvar communication between the aorta and the left ventricle. Usually it is treated surgically. In addition to the surgery the tunnel can be closed by percutaneous transcatheter intervention in appropriate patients.

Multiple transcatheter interventions in the same session in congenital cardiopathies.

Background: To investigate the methods of percutaneous transcatheter interventions for combined congenital heart disease and to evaluate its efficacy in children.

Materials And Methods: Thirty cases (ages 3 days-13.5 years, body weight 3-35 kg) that underwent two multiple transcatheter interventions for combined or solitary congenital heart disease were retrospectively analyzed and presented.

Extracranial carotid artery aneurysm due to Behcet's disease.

Behçet's disease is a chronic systemic inflammatory disorder associated with recurrent oral and genital ulcers and iritis. Vascular lesions are encountered in 7%-29% of patients, gravely affecting the course of the disease. Extracranial carotid aneurysms due to Behçet's disease are extremely rare.

Mortality predictors in ST-elevated myocardial infarction patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.

The use of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in primary treatment of acute myocardial infarction is still debated. We evaluated the predictors of mortality in patients undergoing primary CABG for ST-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI). Between January 2003 and January 2008, all patients referred to our institution with STEMI who did not qualify for primary angioplasty and required CABG were included in this study.

Increase in graft blood flow in the early postoperative period.

Flow has been suitably measured by transit-time flow measurement, but measurements in the early period after cardiopulmonary bypass do not reflect expected values because of several factors. We documented that flow measurements during immediate revision of bleeding increased 3 times for the left internal thoracic artery and 2 times for the saphenous vein graft over previous measurements made after cardiopulmonary bypass in a patient who underwent coronary artery bypass surgery.

Safety of coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with bilateral total carotid occlusions.

The presence of bilateral carotid artery occlusions in patients that require coronary artery bypass surgery is rare. Here, we report the successful coronary revascularization of two patients with cardiopulmonary bypass under moderate hypothermia. Routine preoperative carotid artery duplex sonographies revealed bilateral total internal carotid occlusions.

Double outlet right ventricle and aortopulmonary window in a patient with Cornelia de Lange syndrome: a novel association.

We report a patient with Cornelia de Lange syndrome with congenital cardiac malformation; double outlet right ventricle and aortopulmonary window. This is the first report describing this combination of findings for Cornelia de Lange syndrome. Behalf of this report, the pathogenesis of congenital heart disease in Cornelia de Lange syndrome was also revisited.

Is the aortic valve pathology type different for early and late mortality in concomitant aortic valve replacement and coronary artery bypass surgery?

We assessed the effects of aortic valve pathology type on the long-term outcomes of patients who underwent concomitant aortic valve replacement (AVR) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. We retrospectively reviewed 150 patients who underwent AVR-CABG at our institution between January 1997 and December 2006. We divided patients into aortic stenosis (AS), aortic regurgitation (AR), and mixed-type groups consisting of 98 (65.

Comparison of minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass and off-pump coronary artery bypass in single-vessel disease.

Background: Off-pump coronary surgery is an established method of less invasive cardiac surgery. We compared our early results in patents with I-vessel disease who underwent surgery with full sternotomy with off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) or a left anterior minithoracotomy with minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass grafting (MIDCAB) without cardiopulmonary bypass.

Methods: From July 2003 to June 2006, 54 patients with single-vessel disease of the left anterior descending artery who underwent surgery performed by the same surgical team were included in this prospective study.

Does the level of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 predict myocardial injury before cardiac markers increase?

Background: The measurement of cardiac markers is still the gold standard for diagnosing myocardial infarction (MI), but there is always a transition period between the time of infarction and when a marker can be measured in the blood. Therefore, clinicians are shifting their focus to the identification of potential new analytes capable of predicting MIs before the standard cardiac markers increase. In this study, we tested whether measurement of the concentration of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1) in plasma can be used for this purpose.

New use of teflon to reduce bleeding in modified bentall operation.

We analyzed the postoperative short- and mid-term outcomes of a series of patients with annuloaortic ectasia who underwent a modified Bentall operation in our clinic from September 2000 through March 2006. The study included 44 patients. Their average age was 53.

The role of clopidogrel and acetylsalicylic acid in the prevention of early-phase graft occlusion due to reactive thrombocytosis after coronary artery bypass operation.

Background: Reactive thrombocytosis has been reported in 20% of patients after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), a frequency that might be related to the high incidence of thrombotic complications. The present study was planned to investigate the effect of combined treatment with clopidogrel and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) on post-CABG reactive thrombocytosis.

Methods: Included in this prospective, randomized study were 60 patients who underwent CABG operation with a 6-month follow-up.

The severity of positional mitral regurgitation during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

Background: The aims of this study were to elucidate the incidence of mitral regurgitation during off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) surgery to evaluate the relationship of the changes with ventricular function and possible mitral valve regurgitation caused by positioning.

Methods: Included in the study were 60 consecutive patients who underwent CAB grafting on the beating heart. We monitored several hemodynamic variables (systolic arterial pressure, mean arterial pressure, right atrial pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, and heart rate) at baseline and after each anastomosis and used transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) routinely after sternotomy, during each anastomosis, and after completion of the operation.

Surgery of carotid body tumour: 14 cases in 7 years.

Objective: The goal was to review our experience in the management of carotid body tumours.

Material And Methods: A retrospective study was performed of patients in whom carotid body tumour was diagnosed between 1998 and 2005. Data were retrieved from hospital discharge files.