European journal of cardio-thoracic surgery : official journal of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery
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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · May 2012
Case ReportsValve-sparing replacement of the ascending aorta and aortic arch in a child with Loeys-Dietz syndrome.
We describe a successful surgical treatment in a 2.5-year old boy with Loeys-Dietz syndrome, in whom we performed aortic arch and ascending aorta replacement with a valve-sparing operation (VSO) of the aortic root because of significant aortic insufficiency and dilation of the aortic root. We believe that VSO is ideal for treating young patients with aortic root aneurysm with normal or minimally diseased aortic cusps to avoid the disadvantages of prosthetic valve replacements.
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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · May 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyIncidence of post-thoracotomy pain: a comparison between total intravenous anaesthesia and inhalation anaesthesia.
Thoracotomy is one of the most painful surgical incisions. Little is known, however, about the effect of type of anaesthesia on chronic post-thoracotomy pain syndrome (CPTS). We therefore compared the incidence of CPTS after total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) and inhalation anaesthesia. ⋯ TIVA with propofol and remifentanil may reduce the incidence of CPTS at 3 and 6 months.
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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · May 2012
Evaluation of the use of lower body perfusion at 28°C in aortic arch surgery.
Although hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA) and selective cerebral perfusion (SCP) are widely used for cerebral protection during aortic arch surgery, these strategies offer no protection for mesenteric ischaemia during prolonged circulatory arrest. This study explored mesenteric haemodynamics, metabolism, oxidative stress and inflammatory response levels during isolated SCP and combined cerebral and lower body perfusion (CLBP) in pigs. ⋯ Low-flow CLBP provides a diminished but considerable mesenteric RBF, leading to lower lactate and oxidative stress levels and a diminished local inflammatory response reaction than isolated SCP.
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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · May 2012
Comparative StudyIn vitro comparison of three techniques for ventriculo-aortic junction annuloplasty.
In aortic valve repair, reduction and stabilization of the ventriculo-aortic junction (VAJ) is generally recommended. In this in vitro study, we compare three techniques of annuloplasty: the subcommissural annuloplasty (SCA), the internal ring (IR) and the external ring (ER) annuloplasty. ⋯ The three annuloplasty techniques examined demonstrated differential effects on aortic valve function and root morphology. The ER and IR have greater potential to reduce VAJ diameter in comparison to SCA. The IR induced a subvalvular remodelling of the VAJ, whereas the ER induced a paravalvular remodelling.
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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · May 2012
Studies of isolated global brain ischaemia: II. Controlled reperfusion provides complete neurologic recovery following 30 min of warm ischaemia - the importance of perfusion pressure.
Neurologic injury after sudden death is likely due to a reperfusion injury following prolonged brain ischaemia, and remains problematic, especially if the cardiac arrest is unwitnessed. This study applies a newly developed isolated model of global brain ischaemia (simulating unwitnessed sudden death) for 30 min to determine if controlled reperfusion permits neurologic recovery. ⋯ Brain injury can be avoided after 30 min of normothermic cerebral ischaemia if controlled reperfusion pressure is >50 mmHg, but the lower pressure (<50 mmHg) controlled reperfusion that is useful in other organs cannot be transferred to the brain. Moreover, INVOS is a poor guide to the adequacy of cerebral perfusion and the capacity of controlled brain reperfusion to restore neurological recovery. *P < 0.001 versus uncontrolled or low pressure controlled reperfusion.