J Cardiovasc Surg
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Comparative Study
Usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography during open heart surgery of mitral stenosis.
The aim of this study was to verify if the use of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), by detecting mitral insufficiency or residual stenosis during surgery, may improve medium term results in patients with severe mitral stenosis who undergo open heart valvuloplasty. ⋯ Intraoperative TEE may guide the surgeon in the assessment of valvuloplasty. However the absence of mitral regurgitation after repair and at discharge cannot predict the medium term results, which are related to the degree of the disease of the mitral valve.
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Major vascular injuries in the region of the neck are most frequently the result of penetrating trauma. Evaluation and management of patients with injury to Zone II of the neck remains highly controversial. Most studies involve small number of patients with a lack of standardization of the nature of the injury in reporting outcome. It is the purpose of this study to propose a grading scale for vascular injuries in the neck that would allow for more uniform reporting of such injuries. ⋯ Carotid artery injuries occur in about 17% of patients with penetrating neck trauma. Data regarding management and prognosis in these patients are at best concflicting, in part, due to lack of a standardized classification system. The proposed grading scale is designed to overcome this problem.
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Mitral aneurysm is commonly associated with infectious endocarditis of the aortic valve. In rare instances, it is associated with other underlying inflammatory or metabolic disorders. A 62-year-old man with mitral valve insufficiency with moderate aortic valve insufficiency underwent operation. ⋯ There was no evidence of infection in the mitral valve and the aortic valve. The mitral valve was repaired, the aortic valve replaced, and Cox Maze procedure added. A rare combination of mitral and aortic valve lesions without endocarditis suggested that mechanical stress alone may induce mitral valve aneurysm.
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The purpose of this article is to present a very rare case of Stanford type A acute aortic dissection featuring a swinging motion of the cylinder-shaped intimal flap through the aortic valve. The patient was a 62-year-old male suffering from severe cardiogenic shock. A transthoracic echocardiogram revealed aortic dissection and severe aortic regurgitation. ⋯ We conclude that this movement of the intimal flap should be regarded as one of the most serious complications leading rapidly to cardiogenic shock. From a surgical point of view, it is most important to prevent myocardial ischemia during cardiopulmonary bypass especially in cases in which ventricular fibrillation has occurred. We describe the ways to prevent myocardial ischemia in this rare situation.