Annals of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery : official journal of the Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons of Asia
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Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Apr 2009
Review Case ReportsSmall symptomatic pericardial diverticula treated by video-assisted thoracic surgical resection.
There have been few reports about symptomatic pericardial diverticula. We describe 2 patients of symptomatic pericardial diverticula whose symptoms were relieved after surgery. The first patient complained of severe left anterior chest pain for a period of 6 months, and a pericardial diverticulum 4 x 3 cm in size was detected on the right side of the ascending aorta opposite the symptomatic side. ⋯ Although these cysts did not appear large enough to cause symptoms, the patients underwent thoracoscopic resection. The postoperative course in each patient was uneventful, and the symptoms were relieved. We recommend that a symptomatic anterior mediastinal cyst be completely resected even if it does not appear large enough to compress the neighboring organs.
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Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Apr 2009
Case ReportsRuptured bronchial artery aneurysm associated with bronchiectasis: a case report.
A massive hemothorax from a ruptured bronchial artery aneurysm (BAA) is very rare. Only 12 cases of ruptured mediastinal BAA have been reported. This case study describes a 77-year-old female with bronchiectasis who presented with anemia, hypertension, hemothorax, and a mediastinal mass. ⋯ Although the patient needed a transfusion, the subsequent course was uneventful. In the absence of trauma or other causes for hemothorax and mediastinal hemorrhage, the possibility of a BAA should be considered. TAE is the treatment method of choice as a minimally invasive strategy in patients with ruptured BAA.
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Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Apr 2009
Percutaneous cardiopulmonary support after acute myocardial infarction at the left main trunk.
Percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (PCPS) has recently become an accepted modality for the treatment of cardiogenic shock after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, the clinical outcomes of patients with AMI at the left main trunk (LMT) undergoing PCPS remain unclear. ⋯ The clinical outcomes of patients with LMT disease requiring PCPS is not satisfactory. In order to improve clinical outcomes of these patients, a strategy involving a timely insertion of LVAS before the onset of complications might be necessary.
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Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Apr 2009
Efficacy of intraoperative epiaortic ultrasound scanning for preventing stroke after coronary artery bypass surgery.
The aim of this study was to clarify the efficacy of intraoperative epiaortic ultrasound scanning (EAS) for preventing cerebral emboli following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). ⋯ It was suggested that the application of aortic clamping or cardiopulmonary bypass was not a risk factor of cerebral emboli when the ascending aorta was evaluated using the EAS. Furthermore, the application of aortic clamping with free grafts may provide eligible bypass graft patterns, leading to sufficient graft patency.