An Unusual Complication of the Ventricular Septal Defect Closure by Device: Late Right Aortic Cusp Perforation.

Aortic regurgitation (AR) is a rare complication of transcatheter closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defects (pmVSD). It results from iatrogenic pinching of the aortic valve by the VSD occluder or perforation by the catheter. It is usually detected during control echocardiography (ECHO). The current study reports the first case of a late AR, which resulted from late right coronary cusp perforation by the VSD occluder. The current manuscript discusses the possible causes of late cusp erosion due to occluder, advantages of early operation in such cases, and an alternative treatment method where the occluder removal is not possible at the operation.

Ochronotic involvement of the aortic and mitral valves in a 72-year-old man.

Ochronosis, an autosomal recessive metabolic disorder, causes an excess of homogentisic acid that results in adverse pigmentation, calcification, and inflammation of cartilaginous and other tissues. Cardiovascular abnormalities are less frequently reported than are other manifestations. In rare cases, ochronosis can cause valvular heart disease. We report the case of a 72-year-old man with aortic stenosis and mitral insufficiency who was diagnosed with ochronosis while undergoing surgical aortic and mitral valve replacement. We discuss the history and surgical management of alkaptonuric ochronosis.

Comparison between minimal right vertical infra-axillary thoracotomy and standard median sternotomy for repair of atrial septal defects.

BACKGROUND: The minimal right vertical infra-axillary thoracotomy could be a safe and cosmetic alternative to standard median sternotomy. This study reviews our results and experience with a minimal right vertical infra-axillary thoracotomy technique for the repair of atrial septal defects compared with standard median sternotomy. METHODS: The study was designed as a retrospective, observational, and case-controlled study. Between May 2007 and November 2012, 26 patients underwent atrial septal defect closure with standard median sternotomy (Group 1). This group was compared with 21 patients who underwent repair of atrial septal defects using minimal right vertical infra-axillary thoracotomy (Group 2). Quantitative data were given as mean ± standard deviation, and qualitative values were expressed as percentages. In the comparison of the normal variables between the two groups, we used independent sample t test, and in the comparison of categorical variables between groups, Chi-square test was used. RESULTS: The mean length of incision was significantly shorter in Group 2 than in Group 1 (p = 0.03). The time it took to establish cardiopulmonary bypass was longer in Group 2 (p = 0.04). There were no statistically significant differences in cardiopulmonary bypass time (p = 0.11), aortic cross-clamp time (p = 0.10), and total operation time (p = 0.10) between the two groups. Group 2 had less chest tube drainage (p = 0.04), less blood transfusion (p = 0.02), and shorter postoperative mechanical ventilation time (p = 0.09) than Group 1. CONCLUSION: Minimal right vertical infra-axillary thoracotomy can be performed with favorable cosmetic and clinical results for atrial septal defects closure. Infra-axillary thoracotomy provides a good alternative to standard median sternotomy for patients with atrial septal defects.

Urgent surgery for cardiac hydatid cyst located in interventricular septum.

A 6-year-old girl was referred with acute chest pain and dyspnea. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a single large well-defined intramyocardial cystic mass in the interventricular septum. A serologic test was positive for echinococcal infection. Urgent open heart surgery was undertaken to remove the cyst, and albendazole treatment was started. The postoperative course was satisfactory, and the patient was discharged on the 5th postoperative day without any complication.

Short- and mid-term results of xenograft-bovine pericardial patch in the repair of intracardiac defects: final results of a single-centre study.

INTRODUCTION: A variety of patch materials have been used in the repair of intracardiac defects. We evaluated the short- and mid-term clinical and echocardiography results of glutaraldehyde-preserved bovine pericardium patches used to repair intracardiac defects in our clinic. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study examines the short- (up to 30 days post-operatively) and mid-term (up to 24 months post-operatively) results of 533 patients with intracardiac defects who underwent surgical correction with glutaraldehyde-preserved bovine pericardium patches between 2004 and 2010 at a university clinic. Short- and mid-term post-operative echocardiographic studies showed no evidence of calcification, thrombus, or aneurysmal dilatation on the patch. Vegetation developed in two (0.37%) of the 533 patients. CONCLUSION: These results that have been obtained from a group of large number of patients imply that the glutaraldehyde-preserved bovine pericardium patches may be preferable in the closure of cardiac defects because of their low complication rates and ease of use.