Lower perfusion pressure during hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass is associated with decreased cerebral blood flow and impaired memory performance 6 months postoperatively.

Objectives: We undertook to determine the influence of perfusion pressure during hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) on cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cognitive memory outcome at 6 months postoperatively.

Methods: Nineteen patients who underwent hypothermic nonpulsatile CPB for elective coronary artery bypass (CAB) surgery were evaluated by (133)Xe measurement of the CBF and by the Incidental Memory Assessment for evaluating cognitive memory (IMTscore), both at baseline before the operation (T(1)) and again at 5 to 6 months postoperatively (T(2)).

Results: Overall, the mean CBF fell significantly from 39 +/- 5 mL.

Late cutaneous fistulae after prosthetic hernia repair of the abdominal wall.

Late cutaneous fistulae, after a hernioplasty operation for a hernia in the abdominal wall, represent an unusual complication. They can appear a considerable time after a hernioplasty operation and feature the presence of a fistula between the prosthesis and the cutaneous wall. The Authors report the cases of five patients who developed late cutaneous fistulae after an operation for the repair of a hernia of the abdominal wall and the treatment established in the end to correct the existing complication.