Comparison of endovenous laser ablation and cyanoacrylate embolization in the non-invasive treatment of superficial venous insufficiency in terms of patient satisfaction.

OBJECTIVE: Ablation with n-butyl cyanoacrylate is a clinically newer technique than endovenous laser ablation and other interventional techniques in the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). The aim of this study was to compare the endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) and n-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA) interventional techniques in terms of benefit, effectiveness, and patient satisfaction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted at Yozgat City Hospital and Bozok University Research Hospital Cardiovascular Surgery clinics between November 2016 and February 2021. A total of 260 symptomatic patients with 130 randomized cases in each intervention group were included. NBCA patients constituted Group 1 and EVLA patients Group 2. The saphenous vein was evaluated by color Doppler ultrasonography (CDUS) of the lower extremity. Patients with saphenous veins over 5.5 mm in diameter and a saphenous-femoral reflux time of 2 s or longer were included in the study. The patients were asked about their satisfaction and symptoms in the first postoperative week during an outpatient clinic follow-up with CDUS investigation at the first and sixth months. RESULTS: Although vena saphenous magna (VSM) closure results were similar with the two methods, satisfaction rates were found to be higher with the NBCA procedure. CONCLUSION: Comparison of the new methods used in the treatment of CVI revealed similar VSM closure rates in the two methods, but the satisfaction rate was higher with the NBCA technique in this study.

Emergency Redo Mitral Valve Replacement Immediately after Caesarean Section.

Surgery for heart diseases during pregnancy, especially necessitating cardiopulmonary bypass, is believed to trigger maternal and fetal risks and should be performed only when medical therapy has been unsuccessful to alleviate the cardiac decompensation. A 33-year-old pregnant woman in her 33rd week of gestation was admitted to our hospital. She had rheumatic mitral valvular stenosis and had undergone mitral valve replacement (MVR) with a mechanical prosthesis 11 years earlier in another center. Echocardiography revealed a thrombotic mass obstructing the leaflets of the mechanical mitral valve. Emergency redo bioprosthetic MVR concomitant with caesarean section was performed uneventfully. Both mother and baby were discharged in good condition.

Isolated Sternal Cleft in a Patient With Coronary Artery Disease.

A cleft sternum is a very rare developmental anomaly. It is caused by failure of fusion of the two lateral mesodermal sternal bars which later form the sternum. Diagnosis of cleft sternum is generally made in the neonatal period, and it is usually associated with other congenital defects. Occasionally, patients with cleft sternum may be reported late in the childhood or even in adulthood. We present the case of an adult patient with sternal cleft diagnosed incidentally in the perioperative period at the time of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. No other skeletal or cardiac congenital anomalies had been noted previously in this patient.