Rev Esp Cardiol
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Minimally invasive surgery is being applied to certain procedures in cardiac surgery. Aortic valve replacement presents the highest number of cases in which this approach is feasible. ⋯ A transverse incision at the level of the second intercostal space provides an excellent exposure for aortic valve replacement. Surgical times are not excessively prolonged and patient's recovery is faster and less painful than with the standard midline sternotomy.
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Review Case Reports
[The usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography in the diagnosis of atypical aortic coarctation].
We report the case of a 20-year-old woman with severe hypertension diagnosed two months previously. The symptoms and physical examination suggested the diagnosis of coarctation of the aorta, but a transthoracic echocardiogram and a thoracic CT scan were normal. Nevertheless, a severe stenosis of the thoracoabdominal aorta was demonstrated by transesophageal echocardiography. The usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography for the diagnosis of atypical coarctation of the aorta is discussed.