General thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Dec 2008
Case ReportsLeft axillary arterial perfusion for cerebrospinal protection in proximal descending aortic aneurysm.
A 73-year-old man presented with DeBakey type IIIa chronic aortic dissection. The aneurysm of the descending aorta was replaced using an open proximal technique with hypothermic circulatory arrest. For cerebrospinal protection, the left axillary artery was cannulated, which perfuses the vertebral artery and affects the Willis arterial circle, the anterior spinal artery, and the collateral blood supply to the spinal cord. Cannulation of the left axillary artery was a safe and effective surgical option for antegrade cerebral perfusion and spinal protection.
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Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Dec 2008
Case ReportsTraumatic pericardial rupture without cardiac injury.
Pericardial rupture is a rare injury following blunt chest trauma. It is frequently fatal because of serious complications such as cardiac herniation and/or contusion. We report a case of traumatic pericardial rupture without cardiac injury, which was incidentally identified intraoperatively. ⋯ Her postoperative course was uneventful. It is usually difficult to make a diagnosis of pericardial rupture, and a misdiagnosis often leads to a fatal consequence. Therefore, an immediate surgical exploration is warranted if clinical and radiographic findings suggest the condition.