Two giant sinus of Valsalva pseudoaneurysms as a casual finding.

BACKGROUND: Pseudoaneurysms of the sinus of Valsalva are infrequent cardiac pathologies that usually involve a single sinus. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We present a case of a 63-year-old male who was diagnosed with ascending aortic aneurysm during a routine echocardiogram. CONCLUSION: We report here a patient with giant pseudoaneurysms of two sinuses of Valsalva who successfully underwent a sinus of Valsalva reconstruction.

Patient-prosthesis mismatch in patients undergoing bioprosthetic aortic valve implantation increases risk of reoperation for structural valve deterioration.

OBJECTIVES: Patient-prosthesis mismatch has been identified as a risk factor for mortality after aortic valve replacement and for structural valve deterioration (SVD) in patients receiving a bioprosthetic aortic valve. The aim of the present study was to compare the incidence of aortic valve bioprosthesis replacement for SVD in patients with mismatch to a population without mismatch. METHODS: Three hundred eighty-seven adult patients who underwent aortic valve replacement with a bioprosthesis from 1974 to 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. Mismatch was considered to be present if the anticipated indexed effective orifice area was <0.70 cm(2) /m(2) . The median follow-up period was 7.2 years. Follow-up was 97% complete. RESULTS: Patient-prosthesis mismatch was present in 12% of the study population (n = 47). Ten-year freedom from reoperation for aortic bioprosthesis replacement was 74.3 ± 3.2%. During follow-up, 111 patients underwent reoperation for aortic bioprosthesis replacement. Causes of aortic bioprosthesis replacement were SVD of the bioprosthesis (n = 96), paravalvular leak (n = 10), and acute endocarditis (n = 5). According to unadjusted Kaplan-Meier analysis, patients with mismatch had a higher incidence of aortic bioprosthesis replacement for SVD when compared with patients without mismatch (log rank test: p 0.05). This result was confirmed by multivariable Cox regression analysis, which identified two independent predictors of aortic bioprosthesis replacement for SVD: patients' age (hazard ratio (HR) 0.967) and patient-prosthesis mismatch (HR 2.161). CONCLUSION: Patients suffering from mismatch were twice as likely to undergo reoperation for aortic bioprosthesis replacement for SVD than those without mismatch.

Pulmonary artery pulsatility is the main cause of cardiogenic oscillations.

The genesis of cardiogenic oscillations, i.e. the small waves in airway pressure (COS(paw)) and flow (COS(flow)) signals recorded at the airway opening is under debate. We hypothesized that these waves are originated from cyclic changes in pulmonary artery (PA) pressure and flow but not from the physical transmission of heartbeats onto the lungs. The aim of this study was to test this hypothesis. In 10 anesthetized pigs, COS were evaluated during expiratory breath-holds at baseline with intact chest and during open chest conditions at: (1) close contact between heart and lungs; (2) no heart-lungs contact by lifting the heart apex outside the thoracic cavity; (3) PA clamping at the main trunk during 10 s; and (4) during manual massage after cardiac arrest maintaining the heart apex outside the thorax, with and without PA clamping. Baseline COS(paw) and COS(flow) amplitude were 0.70 ± 0.08 cmH(2)O and 0.51 ± 0.06 L/min, respectively. Both COS amplitude decreased during open chest conditions in step 1 and 2 (p < 0.05). However, COS(paw) and COS(flow) amplitude did not depend on whether the heart was in contact or isolated from the surrounding lung parenchyma. COS(paw) and COS(flow) disappeared when pulmonary blood flow was stopped after clamping PA in all animals. Manual heart massages reproduced COS but they disappeared when PA was clamped during this maneuver. The transmission of PA pulsatilty across the lungs generates COS(paw) and COS(flow) measured at the airway opening. This information has potential applications for respiratory monitoring.

Combined endocardiectomy and bidirectional glenn shunt for right ventricular endomyocardial fibrosis.

We report the case of a young African woman with a history of right ventricular failure. Image studies suggested endomyocardial fibrosis affecting only the right side of the heart. The right ventricle was extremely small and restricted. The surgical approach entailed endocardectomy and a bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt to improve weaning off bypass and postoperative recovery, both of which were successfully achieved.

Successful removal of a floating thrombus in ascending aorta.

Free-floating thrombus in ascending aorta is a rare cause of peripheral embolism with potentially fatal consequences. We report the case of a young patient with syncope and sudden lumbar pain. Computed tomographic scan revealed a large pedunculated floating mass attached to the posterior wall of the ascending aorta, probably responsible of renal embolic infarction; transthoracic echocardiography confirmed the diagnosis. Surgery was urgently performed. The thrombus was excised, and was not related to atherosclerotic disease of the aortic wall. We conclude that once diagnosis is clear, urgent surgery must be considered to avoid any further embolic complications.

Recambio valvular por insuficiencia aórtica severa tras cirugía conservadora según técnica de David / Valve replacemente in severe aortic regurgitation produced after a valve sparing operation with David's technique

La reconstrucción valvular aórtica tiene gran interés en el tratamiento de la insuficiencia aórtica severa causada por dilatación del anillo valvular asociada a anuloectasia aórtica. Si la válvula es normal y queremos evitar problemas derivados de las prótesis y la anticoagulación de por vida, utilizaremos técnicas como la descrita por David para preservación valvular aórtica. Aunque los resultados a largo plazo suelen ser buenos, en algunos casos como en el que aquí nos ocupa se produce una intensa fibrosis en la válvula nativa que evoluciona hacia una insuficiencia aórtica severa que precisa reoperación. Describimos aquí la evolución cronológica del deterioro valvular, el momento en que se indicó la reintervención y la cirugía que se hizo (AU)