The Thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon
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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Dec 2012
Case ReportsA rare pattern of acute type A aortic dissection: circumferential intimal invagination.
A 59-year-old patient with chest pain was transferred to our emergency unit. Computed tomography depicted a dissection membrane limited to the aortic root and a seemingly normal ascending aorta. ⋯ Ascending aortic and hemiarch replacement was performed. This rare case should raise the surgeons' awareness that preoperative imaging can differ considerably from intraoperative findings.
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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Dec 2012
Case ReportsBilateral tension pneumothoraces leading to cardiac arrest after coronary artery bypass surgery.
Bilateral pneumothoraces are a very rare event. In clinical settings, inadvertent incursion into the pleural space resulting from diagnostic or therapeutic medical interventions such as bilateral venipunctures or damage to the lung parenchyma due to high pressure ventilation may be causative. Bilateral pneumothoraces postcardiac surgery are rarely reported. ⋯ Thoracic chest tubes (retrosternal and intrapericardial) and a left pleural tube were removed 24 hours prior to the incident. Diffuse sternal pain sensation accompanied by slow progressive respiratory distress and confusion shortly before the incident were all developed over a period of 12 hours. A prompt cardiopulmonary resuscitation and bilateral chest tube insertion had prevented a fatality in the patient.
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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Dec 2012
Quality of life following surgery of ascending aorta and aortic arch with selective antegrade cerebral perfusion.
Surgery of the ascending aorta and aortic arch has been challenging since its inception as neurological complications may occur significantly affecting the quality of life (QOL). ⋯ The QOL after following the surgery of ascending aorta and aortic arch with selective antegrade cerebral perfusion is excellent on the long-term as assessed by the SIP.