ABSTRACT
Ascites is a rare sign of aortic valve disease. Here, we report two cases of refractory ascites that had resulted from aortic stenosis and insufficiency and consequently improved after aortic valve replacement. The first case was a 44-year-old female who had undergone aortic valve repair for aortic stenosis 15 years earlier. She complained of dyspnea and severe abdominal distension due to unimproved massive ascites despite medical therapy. She was diagnosed with aortic stenosis and insufficiency and functional tricuspid insufficiency as well as complete atrioventricular block. She underwent mechanical aortic valve replacement, tricuspid annuloplasty and DDD pacemaker implantation. The second case was a 61-year-old man with a history of alcoholic liver disease who had been hospitalized for massive ascites, progressing rapidly in spite of aggressive medical therapy. Echocardiography revealed severe aortic stenosis and insufficiency; thus, he underwent bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement. Both patients were completely free from ascites about 6 months after surgery.
ABSTRACT
We report a case of minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) for partial anomalous pulmonary venous return (PAPVR) to the high portion of the superior vena cava. A 34-year-old female was referred to our hospital for exertional chest oppression, and was diagnosed with PAPVR and a sinus venosus atrial septal defect. Two pulmonary veins were connected to the superior vena cava (SVC) : one to the SVC-atrial junction and the other to the high SVC adjacent to the azygos connection. We performed an intracardiac repair through a small right axillary incision. The postoperative course was uneventful. MICS may become a useful option for PAPVR repair.