Intraoperative accurate assessment of septal myectomy for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM).

Surgical restoration of the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) is necessary for patients suffering from hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM), when symptoms are present despite the administration of medical treatment. One point of great significance during the procedure is the evaluation of the LVOT gradient after completion of septal myectomy. Most physicians choose to measure this value by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in combination with the direct measurement with the use of needles inserted into the aorta and left ventricle. In this article, we present the implementation of a new technique to estimate the peak-to-peak pressure gradient between the left ventricle and the aorta intraoperatively using a single double lumen central venous catheter inserted through the antegrade cardioplegia cannulation site across the aortic valve into the left ventricle.

Acute heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) without thrombocytopenia post aortocoronary bypass grafting.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) after cardiac surgery is a clinical condition associated with increased incidence of thromboembolic events and mortality. HIT without thrombocytopenia is a rare clinical entity poorly reported in the literature, especially after cardiac surgery. In this case report, we present the case of a post aortocoronary bypass grafting patient who presented with HIT in the absence of thrombocytopenia.