The Annals of thoracic surgery
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We describe a rare combination of left ventricular aneurysm and severe tricuspid valve insufficiency in a 9-year-old boy who sustained blunt chest trauma in a motor vehicle accident. The child underwent successful aneurysmorrhaphy and tricuspid valve replacement 9 months after the accident.
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Comparative Study
Intraoperative MIDCABG arteriography via the left radial artery: a comparison with Doppler ultrasound for assessment of graft patency.
Minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass grafting involving beating heart left internal mammary artery to left anterior descending coronary artery anastomoses are performed with increasing frequency. Controversy exists regarding the need for intraoperative assessment of graft patency. ⋯ Intraoperative arteriography of the left internal mammary artery can be performed by the surgeon, and a significant number of anastomotic problems may be identified and corrected by using this technique. Therefore, a 100% early graft patency rate may be attainable.
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This study was undertaken to confirm earlier findings that retrograde cerebral perfusion (RCP) can improve cerebral outcome after prolonged hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA), and to determine whether RCP with inferior vena caval occlusion, which is more effective in removing particulate emboli, is superior to conventional RCP in enhancing cerebral protection. ⋯ Conventional RCP without inferior vena caval occlusion results in a significantly better outcome than RCP-O after prolonged HCA, despite more efficient cerebral perfusion during RCP-O, and also provides cerebral protection superior to prolonged HCA alone, but care must be taken during its implementation to minimize cerebral edema and other possible causes of retroperfusion-related cerebral injury.
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The management of blood pressure during cardiopulmonary bypass varies widely. This may be particularly relevant with the trend to warmer bypass temperatures and an older patient population. Therefore, we examined the minimal perfusion pressure that maintains cerebral oxygen delivery during cardiopulmonary bypass at 33 degrees C. ⋯ In a dog without vascular disease, the brain becomes perfusion pressure-dependent at a mean arterial pressure of approximately 50 mm Hg. There is no leftward shift of the cerebral autoregulatory curve during bypass at 33 degrees C. Greater support of mean arterial pressure during "tepid" cardiopulmonary bypass is indicated in the current adult surgical population that is older and has vascular comorbidity.
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It has been difficult to perform tracheal allotransplantation without immunosuppression. To determine whether cryopreserved trachea can be used in tracheal replacement, we evaluated the viability of cryopreserved tracheal allografts in a canine model of immunosuppressant-free transplantation. ⋯ Cryopreserved tracheal allografts maintain their structural integrity after transplantation. The cryopreservation process seems to reduce the allogenic response of the trachea in canine models. Therefore, we believe the cryopreserved tracheal allograft is an excellent choice for tracheal replacement.