Texas Heart Institute journal
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Transcatheter aortic valve replacement is an increasingly common treatment of critical aortic stenosis. Many aortic stenosis patients have concomitant left ventricular dysfunction, which can instigate the formation of thrombus resistant to anticoagulation. Recent trials evaluating transcatheter aortic valve replacement have excluded patients with left ventricular thrombus. We present a case in which an 86-year-old man with known left ventricular thrombus underwent successful transcatheter aortic valve replacement under cerebral protection.
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Patients with tetralogy of Fallot can survive to late adulthood; however, there are few data on cardiovascular outcomes in this population. We conducted a single-center retrospective analysis of cardiovascular outcomes and risk factors in 208 patients with tetralogy of Fallot to better evaluate the burden of cardiovascular disease in this group. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the prevalence of relevant cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes, including a composite analysis of cardiovascular disease. ⋯ In particular, the increased prevalence of heart failure (regardless of pulmonary valve disease) accounts for the frequency of cardiovascular disease in tetralogy of Fallot men aged 20 to 59 years. These data support the need to routinely screen young adult male survivors of tetralogy of Fallot for asymptomatic heart failure. Further studies are needed to determine the incidence, severity, and long-term effects of cardiovascular disease in the adult congenital heart disease population.
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Tracheobronchial-angle tumors involve the right main bronchus, the right upper lobar bronchus, and the lateral wall of the lower trachea. Resecting these tumors is one of the most complex procedures in thoracic surgery. In cases of high-caliber mismatch, the selection of a suitable anastomotic technique can be challenging. ⋯ We conclude that our one-stoma carinoplasty technique enables the resection of tumors at the right tracheobronchial angle, with acceptable morbidity and mortality rates. This method saves the unaffected part of the ipsilateral lung and can overcome high-caliber mismatch. Because of these and other advantages, we suggest that using our method first might preclude having to perform a right carinal sleeve pneumonectomy or using Barclay's method.
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Aortic false aneurysm is a rare complication after cardiac surgery. In recent years, improved results have been reported in regard to the surgical management of these high-risk lesions. We retrospectively examined 28 consecutive cases (in 27 patients) of postsurgical aortic false aneurysm diagnosed at our institution from May 1999 through December 2011. ⋯ Aortic false aneurysm can develop silently. Surgical procedures should be proposed even to asymptomatic patients because of the unpredictable evolution of the condition. Radical aortic-graft replacement should be chosen rather than simple repair, because recurrent false aneurysm is possible.
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In recent years, our understanding of the physiologic mechanisms of transient takotsubo cardiomyopathy has improved because of the growing use of emergent heart catheterization in patients who present with severe ischemic syndromes. However, even this procedure has revealed only that, in most patients with takotsubo syndrome, the sudden onset of ventricular dysfunction is not due to fixed coronary artery occlusions. We present a case of transient takotsubo cardiomyopathy with an exceptional feature--uneven impairment of both right and left ventricular function, or biventricular takotsubo--and we discuss a novel, comprehensive theory that we have devised to explain the pathophysiology of this syndrome's many manifestations.