ABSTRACT
Case 1 of stuck valve was an 84 year old man, 25 years after mitral valve replacement (MVR) using a mechanical valve. Case 2 was a 67 year old woman, 18 years after the previous operation. These patients underwent re-do replacement of the prosthesis with a minimally invasive right thoracotomy approach using a microscope. Re-do cardiac surgery is commonly regarded high risk on account of difficulty in peeling the adhension, risk of injury to the heart, lung or large vessels, longer operation time, greater amount of transfusion, higher invasion and longer admission. In both cases however, because of microscope-assist and right thoracotomy MICS technique, we safely and successfully completed the operation without any unplanned troubles. We finally had a good course with a short admission, no perioperative transfusion or no perioperative complication.
ABSTRACT
A 24-year-old man was admitted to another hospital due to fever and chest and back pain. Enhanced chest computed tomography showed an aneurysm between the distal aortic arch and left pulmonary artery. The patient was transferred to our hospital for surgery. Because of suspicion of an infectious ductus arteriosus aneurysm, antibiotic therapy was started. Urgent graft replacement of the descending aorta was performed on the third day due to the enlargement of the aneurysm. All blood cultures including the preoperative examination, and the aneurysmal culture were negative. The histopathological study showed non-specific inflammatory response with plasma cell, T lymphocyte, and B lymphocyte infiltrations. There was no evidence of infection. Eventually we diagnosed this patient as having a ductus arteriosus aneurysm with non-specific inflammation. The antibiotic therapy was terminated on postoperative day 10, and the postoperative course was uneventful.