An extreme case of cor triatriatum mimicking hypoplastic left heart syndrome and combined pulmonary vein stenosis.

A 65-day-old girl presented to the emergency room with lethargy, requiring emergency venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for refractory cardiogenic shock. Initially, hypoplastic left heart syndrome was suspected. However, cor triatriatum with a pinpoint opening on the membrane was diagnosed based on a detailed echocardiographic examination. After membrane resection, the left heart size was restored. However, follow-up echocardiography performed 4 months later showed occlusion of both upper pulmonary veins and stenosis in both lower pulmonary veins. Hybrid balloon angioplasty was performed in all pulmonary veins, and stents were inserted into the right upper and lower pulmonary veins. Despite repeated balloon angioplasty, all pulmonary vein stenosis progressed over 6 months and the patient expired while waiting for a heart-lung transplant. Even after successful repair of cor triatriatum, short-term close follow-up is required for detecting the development of pulmonary vein stenosis.

Safety of Perioperative Maintenance of Antiplatelet Agents in Elderly Patients Undergoing Lung Cancer Surgery.

Background: The maintenance of antiplatelet therapy increases the risk of bleeding during lung cancer surgery. Conversely, the perioperative interruption of antiplatelet therapy may result in serious thrombotic complications. This study aimed to investigate the safety of continuing antiplatelet therapy in the context of lung cancer surgery. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a cohort of 498 elderly patients who underwent surgery for lung cancer. These patients were categorized into 2 groups: group N, which did not receive antiplatelet therapy, and group A, which did. Group A was subsequently subdivided into group Am, where antiplatelet therapy was maintained, and group Ai, where antiplatelet therapy was interrupted. We compared the incidence of bleeding-related and thrombotic complications across the 3 groups. Results: There were 387 patients in group N and 101 patients in group A (Ai: 70, Am: 31). No significant differences were found in intraoperative blood loss, thoracotomy conversion rates, transfusion requirements, volume of chest tube drainage, or reoperation rates for bleeding control between groups N and A or between groups Am and Ai. The duration of hospital stay was longer for group A compared to group N (7 days vs. 6 days, p=0.005), but there was no significant difference between groups Ai and Am. The incidence of cardiovascular or cerebrovascular complications did not differ significantly between groups Ai and Am. However, group Ai included a severe case of in-hospital ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Conclusion: The maintenance of antiplatelet therapy was found to be safe in terms of perioperative bleeding and thrombotic complications in elderly lung cancer surgery patients.

Incidence and risk factors of acute kidney injury after maze operation in patients with rheumatic mitral valve disease.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most common complications after cardiac surgery. While current guidelines indicate that surgical ablation does not increase the risk of renal failure, recent studies have produced conflicting results. This study was conducted to evaluate the incidence of AKI after maze procedure in patients with rheumatic mitral valve disease and atrial fibrillation, and to elucidate risk factors associated with postoperative AKI. Methods: Between 2011 and 2020, 203 patients with rheumatic mitral valve disease and atrial fibrillation (61.4±8.7 years, male:female =67:136) who underwent concomitant maze procedure and mitral valve replacement were retrospectively reviewed. Other combined procedures included aortic valve operations (n=64, 31.5%) and tricuspid valve procedures (n=149, 73.4%). The AKI was defined as an increase of serum creatinine level by 1.5 times after surgery based on the RIFLE (Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss, and End stage) criteria. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate risk factors associated with postoperative AKI. Results: Postoperative AKI developed in 76 patients (37.4%). The multivariable analysis demonstrated that age [odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.065, 1.025-1.107; P=0.001], cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time (1.007, 1.002-1.013; P=0.009) and nadir hematocrit during CPB (0.854, 0.740-0.985; P=0.031) were associated with postoperative AKI. Conclusions: Postoperative AKI occurred in more than one thirds of patients with rheumatic mitral valve disease and atrial fibrillation who underwent combined mitral valve replacement and maze procedure. Optimization of CPB management might be needed to prevent postoperative AKI after maze procedure.

Temperature-Sensing Inks Using Electrohydrodynamic Inkjet Printing Technology.

Temperature measurement is very important for thermal control, which is required for the advancement of mechanical and electronic devices. However, current temperature sensors are limited by their inability to measure curved surfaces. To overcome this problem, several methods for printing flexible substrates were proposed. Among them, electrohydrodynamic (EHD) inkjet printing technology was adopted because it has the highest resolution. Since EHD inkjet printing technology is limited by the type of ink used, an ink with temperature-sensing properties was manufactured for use in this printer. To confirm the applicability of the prepared ink, its resistance characteristics were investigated, and the arrangement and characteristics of the particles were observed. Then, the ink was printed using the EHD inkjet approach. In addition, studies of the meniscus shapes and line widths of the printed results under various conditions confirmed the applicability of the ink to the EHD inkjet printing technology and the change in its resistance with temperature.