Herz
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Review Comparative Study
[Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. State of the art 2006 and results in comparison with conventional coronary artery bypass strategies].
Adverse clinical consequences associated with conventional coronary artery bypass surgery (CCAB) have largely been attributed to cardiopulmonary bypass circuit (CPB), hypothermic cardiac arrest, aortic cannulation, and cross-clamping. Consequently, there has been a growing interest in safer alternatives to CCAB including off-pump beating-heart bypass surgery (OPCAB). Initial concerns regarding completeness of revascularization at the lateral wall were addressed by using modern stabilizers and heart positioning devices. ⋯ Most of the large observational studies comparing OPCAB and CCAB strategies demonstrated a benefit of OPCAB concerning early mortality, myocardial infarction and stroke rate as summarized in Table 2. However, in few published follow-up studies no significant differences concerning recurrence of angina, reintervention rate und late mortality were found. The decision between OPCAB and CCAB has to weigh several factors, including the likely risks and benefits of the two approaches for the particular patient, the experience of the surgeon, the complexity of the coronary disease, and the required coronary revascularization.
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The aortic valve consists of three cusps attached to the wall of the aortic root. During the cardiac cycle, the aortic root undergoes complex movements that precede and aid opening and closing of the aortic valve. The aortic valve cusps themselves form thin-walled pocket-like structures, made from specialized tissue with fibrous, elastic, nervous, and muscular properties. ⋯ Therefore, patients with aortic root pathologies or aortic valve diseases should be informed about valve-sparing aortic root reconstructive techniques or the Ross procedure. The choice of technique should be made in close contact between patient, cardiologist, and cardiac surgeon. However, the described techniques require extensive experience within the surgical team.
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One of the main issues in complex thoracic aortic disease, requiring the replacement of the ascending aorta, the entire aortic arch and the descending aorta, is the vast amount of surgery necessary to cure the patient. Though one-stage repair is feasible by a clamshell thoracotomy, the associated surgical trauma and perioperative morbidity limit this approach to younger patients only. Classic surgical repair consist of a two-stage strategy, whereby, in the first step, the ascending aorta and the aortic arch are replaced via a midline sternotomy. ⋯ In case of aortic dissection, thrombosis of the false lumen was detectable by transesophageal echocardiography already at the end of surgery. Though long-term results using this new method are not yet available, the initial promising results postoperatively are encouraging toward true one-stage repair by combining classic aortic surgery with open antegrade stent grafting utilizing the newly designed hybrid prosthesis. While surgical trauma is markedly reduced, this treatment option can be offered to elderly patients as well.