OBJECTIVES: This study compared early and follow-up angiographic results of individual and sequential grafting with the free right internal thoracic artery (RITA). METHODS: We reviewed 334 patients who underwent multivessel coronary artery bypass grafting with the free RITA between September 2004 and December 2010. The free RITA was used for ...

Introduction: The use of flow arrest as a means of providing cerebral protection during carotid angioplasty offers the advantages of improved efficiency of debris removal and the ability to provide protection under unfavorable (tortuous) anatomic circumstances. However, in contrast to the filtration methods of cerebral protection, this modality requires complete ...

Objectives: Our aim was to establish the frequency of arterial anatomic variations and its relation to coronary procedural outcome in patients undergoing a first transradial coronary procedure. Methods: This was a single-center prospective study. A total of 1,446 consecutive patients undergoing their first transradial coronary procedure were recruited. Retrograde radial ...

Purpose: We compared occlusion of the internal iliac artery (IIA) using coils or the Amplatzer vascular plug (AVP) II prior to endovascular aortic aneurysm repair. Materials and Methods: Occlusion of the IIA was performed in 32 patients (aged 74 ± 8 years) using coils (N = 17) or the AVP ...

Congenital anomalies of the inferior vena cava (IVC) are rare, but recognized, causing deep venous thrombosis. We present a case of a 50-year-old patient with trauma who suffered an intracranial hemorrhage secondary to a fall while on anticoagulation for deep vein thromboses. Venous return from the lower extremities was determined ...

Retroperitoneal fibrosis, inflammatory aortic aneurysm, and pericardial and mediastinal fibrosis are characterized by infiltration of immuno-inflammatory cells and deposition of thickened fibrous tissues. Several recent studies suggested that an immunoglobulin-G4 (IgG4)-related immunological mechanism may play a role in these diseases. By searching the clinical database of patients admitted to our ...

PURPOSE: To investigate the diagnostic value of blood flow measurements in endometrial, myometrial and uterine vasculature by transvaginal Doppler ultrasonography in the differentiation of the neoplastic endometrial pathologies in women with postmenopausal bleeding. METHODS: 106 women who presented with postmenopausal bleeding were enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Endometrial thickness, ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:The introduction of CAS has led to increased treatment of both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with internal carotid stenosis. This study was performed to compare the effect of stent placement on cerebral perfusion in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients using CT perfusion.MATERIALS AND METHODS:We included 45 patients with carotid ...

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary endarterectomy is the treatment of choice in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). Modern pulmonary vasoactive medication (like endothelin receptor antagonists, phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, and prostacyclins) is used in patients with an inoperable disease and improved prognosis. We evaluate mortality and time to clinical worsening (TtCW) in inoperable ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Unruptured cerebral aneurysms are currently considered a contraindication to intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator for acute ischemic stroke. This is due to a theoretical increase in the risk of hemorrhage from aneurysm rupture, although it is unknown whether this risk is a significant one. We sought to determine ...

BackgroundA coronary CT scan allows for non-invasive visualization of the anatomy of a coronary artery in three dimensions compared to the two dimensions afforded by conventional angiography. The septal artery, the main blood source of the interventricular septum, is usually derived from the left anterior descending artery; however, it is ...

Coronary sinus rupture (CSR) is a rare preventable complication of cannula insertion for retrograde cardioplegia. In the hands of an inexperienced surgeon, this complication has the risk of potential mortality and morbidity, and its repair is technically challenging. Techniques for repairing CSR have been reported previously. In this study, we ...

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of percutaneous transvenous mitral valve-in-ring (VIR) implantation using the Melody valve in an ovine model. The recurrence of mitral regurgitation following surgical mitral valve (MV) repair in both adult and pediatric patients remains a significant clinical problem. Mitral annuloplasty rings ...

A pancreatic adenocarcinoma involving both the celiac artery and the gastroduodenal artery is often considered to be unresectable because the simultaneous division of both arteries may result in an acute severe ischemia of the liver and the stomach. We report here a case of total pancreatectomy with en bloc celiac ...

AIMS: Aim of our study was to investigate the value of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) for detecting significant stenoses of coronary arteries in patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) prior to pulmonary vein (PV) ablation (PVA). BACKGROUND: Many patients undergoing PVA for AF receive three-dimensional computed tomography or magnetic resonance ...

Congenital mitral and tricuspid valve abnormalities in unbalanced atrioventricular canal defects are complex. We designed procedures to both repair and induce growth of hypoplastic atrioventricular valves and ventricles to achieve 2-ventricle repairs. Midterm data were assessed for reliability of catch-up growth, resulting quality of atrioventricular valves, and adequacy of 2-ventricle ...

The case history is described of a man in his late 50s who presented with recurrent vertebrobasilar ischemic events despite maximal medical treatment in the setting of a complete left vertebral artery ostial occlusion. The complete occlusion was successfully treated with a drug-eluting stent. The patient has been symptom-free for ...

Purpose:To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of digital subtraction computed tomographic (CT) angiography in the detection of intracranial aneurysms compared with three-dimensional (3D) rotational digital subtraction angiography (DSA), as reference standard, in a large cohort in a single center.Materials and Methods:The study was waived by the institutional review board because of ...

Abstract Objectives: The underlying mechanisms leading to aortic dissection are poorly understood. The present paper describes a unique device for aortic wall testing during open heart surgery which allows to directly predict the risk of aortic dissection. Material and methods: Samples of the aortic wall were taken during surgery of ...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the arterial blood supply to the caudate lobe of the liver from the proximal branches of the right inferior phrenic artery (RIPA) in patients with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirteen patients, including 10 who had a history of TACE of ...

PURPOSE: To assess the usefulness of portography and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) for predicting the embolized area after the first injection of absolute ethanol (AE) in right portal vein embolization (RPVE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Portograms were retrospectively reviewed in 50 patients (30 men and 20 women, mean age 65 years) who ...

Many significant microsurgical series of patients with giant aneurysms predate changes in practice during the endovascular era. A contemporary surgical experience is presented to examine changes in management relative to earlier reports, to establish the role of open microsurgery in the management strategy, and to quantify results for comparison with ...

The objective of our study was to assess whether there is an association between native thoracic aortic curvature and the development of endoleaks after thoracic endovascular aortic repair. Quantitative analysis of the native aortic lumen was performed on preprocedural CT angiograms of 40 patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm treated by ...

In this case report, we illustrate our experience with a patient simultaneously suffering from rheumatic mitral valve stenosis and pulmonary thromboembolism who successfully underwent mitral valve replacement and pulmonary thromboendarterectomy. Physical examination and transthoracic echocardiography revealed mitral stenosis, atrial fibrillation, and a large thrombus in the left atrium. The preoperative ...

Solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma located in the thorax is a rare tumor. We present a 21-year-old patient who was diagnosed with a mediastinal solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma. Complete resection of the tumor with reconstruction of the right pulmonary artery and superior vena cava was performed. The patient is alive without evidence of ...

Patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) are at increased risk for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and mortality from coronary artery disease. Smoking should be stopped and hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and hypothyroidism treated. Statins decrease the incidence of intermittent claudication and improve exercise duration until the onset of intermittent claudication ...

Few studies have compared the incidence of ventricular shunt placement for hydrocephalus after clipping versus coiling of cerebral aneurysms. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database was used to compare, on a national level, the incidence of ventricular shunt placement after clipping versus coiling of ruptured and unruptured aneurysms. Hospitalizations for ...

AIM: Horseshoe kidney is the most common congenital kidney anomaly, occurring in 0.15-0.25% of all newborns. A medial fusion of the kidneys, mostly anteriorly to the aorta, is the main characteristic of this anomaly. The co-existence of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and horseshoe kidney is rare, occurring only in 0.12% ...

Although transradial access (TRA) for coronary procedures has many advantages over the transfemoral approach, it's still not the dominant route used in coronary interventions. Radial artery spasm (RAS) is an important limitation of TRA. We performed a search of published literature to estimate the prevalence and possible risk factors of ...

Occlusion of the extracranial internal carotid artery, whether a result of atherothrombosis or dissection, is a challenging cause of ischemic stroke, characterized by a dismal natural history and a poor response to systemic thrombolysis. Review of the literature and proposal of a management strategy. In most patients, symptoms are caused ...

Management of acute Stanford type A aortic dissection remains a major surgical challenge. Directly cannulating the ascending aorta provides a rapid establishment of cardiopulmonary bypass but consists of risks such as complete rupture of the aorta, false lumen cannulation, subsequent malperfusion and propagation of the dissection.We describe a technique of ...

Pancreaticoduodenectomy is the treatment of choice for periampullary and pancreatic head tumors. In case of hepatic artery abnormalities, early pancreatic transection during pancreaticoduodenectomy may prove inappropriate. Early retroportal lamina dissection improves exposure of the superior mesenteric vessels and anatomic variants of the hepatic artery, where safeguarding is mandatory. We describe ...

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation has become an established alternative treatment method for patients with symptomatic aortic stenosis who are at high risk for conventional aortic valve replacement. Problems, however, persist when using this technique in patients with associated coronary artery disease. We describe a successful case of valve implantation via ...

Background: The advantages of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) are well documented; however, the conversion of OPCAB to cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is associated with higher morbidity and mortality. This issue is of particular concern in low-volume centers or centers that are beginning to use OPCAB. We present an OPCAB ...

Chronic kidney disease patients present a very high cardiovascular mortality. Nevertheless, a comparative description of lesion characteristics, using intravascular ultrasound in dialysis patients, has not yet been reported. The objective of the present study was to analyze the plaque morphology through intravascular ultrasound in comparison to their counterparts with normal ...

Objectives: The benefit of off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) surgery may be reduced by strokes caused by microemboli produced after aortic side-clamping for proximal bypass anastomoses. The Heartstring device allows constructing proximal bypass anastomoses without side-clamping of the aorta.Methods: This retrospective study describes 260 consecutive patients who underwent OPCAB surgery; ...

Object The widespread use of imaging techniques for evaluating nonspecific symptoms (vertigo, dizziness, memory concerns, unsteadiness, and the like) and focal neurological symptoms related to cerebrovascular disease has led to increased identification of asymptomatic incidentally discovered unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs). The management of these incidental aneurysms is controversial and many ...

The cause of acute aortic dissection continues to be debated. One school of thought suggests that underlying aortic medial cystic necrosis is the common denominator. The purpose of the present study was to determine if there was loss and, if so, how much loss of medial elastic fibers in the ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:A number of flow-diverting devices have become available for endovascular occlusion of cerebral aneurysms. This article reports immediate and midterm results in recently ruptured aneurysms treated with the PED.MATERIALS AND METHODS:A prospective registry was established at 3 Australian neurointerventional sites to collect data on ruptured and unruptured aneurysms ...

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the accuracy of preliminary on-call radiology resident interpretation of CT angiography (CTA) compared with digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in detecting cerebral aneurysms in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). A retrospective review compared resident interpretations of head CTA performed after hours for SAH to the ...

Interventional cardiology plays a key role in the diagnosis and management of patients with functionally univentricular physiology after the various stages of surgical palliation. The interventions performed are widely variable in type, including angioplasty of stenotic vessels and implantation of stents in stenotic vessels; closure of defects such as collaterals, ...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of statins on the growth of small abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). We retrospectively examined AAA diameter in 211 patients who had undergone serial imaging surveillance. Patients treated with and without statins were similar regarding age, initial aneurysm size, diagnosis of ...

Choice of cannulation site (femoral, axillary) for cardiopulmonary bypass for thoracic aortic surgery is controversial. We review a single-center consecutive experience with femoral cannulation in the era of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Femoral artery cannulation is our preference for both aneurysms and dissections. If intraoperative TEE (or preoperative computed tomography) shows ...

: Current practice when performing right colectomy for cancer is to divide the feeding vessels for the right colon on the right side of the superior mesenteric vein. : This study aims to show that arterial stumps can be visualized through an early postoperative CT and analyze their anatomical and ...

Thromboembolic phenomena have long been recognized as a major cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients, especially those undergoing reconstructive surgery. We have been empirically treating patients with aspirin, early ambulation, and mechanoprophylaxis after operative management of proximal humerus fractures. However, we have not established the incidence of postoperative ...

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is rapidly becoming in Europe, more than in the USA, a matter of over-diagnosis and over-treatment. A migrainous 34-year-old female with episodic hypostenia and even paralysis of the left arm was referred to a peripheral hospital for a complete neurological work-up. Being the Doppler ultrasound of ...

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relative importance of a wide array of patient demographic, procedural, anatomic and perioperative variables as potential risk factors for early saphenous vein graft (SVG) thrombosis after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. The patency of 611 SVGs in 291 patients ...

Despite many randomised controlled trials there are none that recommend carotid artery stenting (CAS) replaces carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for preventing stroke in patients with atherosclerotic carotid artery stenosis. CAS continues to be attractive due to its minimally-invasive nature and potential benefit in those patients at 'high risk' during open surgery. ...

A 49-year-old patient with an anastomotic pseudoaneurysm in the aortic arch was considered at high risk for conventional surgery through a median sternotomy because he had previously undergone several operations to treat aortic dissection and had a deep sternal infection after one procedure. Therefore, a hybrid repair was performed. Stent ...

To study the outcomes of children with thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) treated surgically with transaxillary first-rib resection and scalenectomy (FRRS). A retrospective database review. The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. Patients 18 years or younger who had undergone FRRS. All patients underwent FRRS. Patients with venous TOS underwent venography 2 weeks ...