Objectives: Low patency rates of saphenous vein grafts remain a major predicament in surgical revascularization. We examined a novel expandable external support device designed to mitigate causative factors for early and late graft failure. METHODS: For this study, fourteen adult sheep underwent cardiac revascularization using two vein grafts for each; ...

BACKGROUND: In this study, we investigated the effect of a novel antiepileptic drug, zonisamide (ZNS), on the basilar artery and hippocampus in a rabbit subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) model. METHODS: Three groups of New Zealand white rabbits were used: a sham (non-SAH) group, an SAH + saline group, and SAH + drug treatment group that ...

The sphenoid sinus occupies a central location in transsphenoidal surgery (TSS). It is important to identify relevant anatomical landmarks to enter the sphenoid sinus and sellar region properly. The aim of this study was to identify anatomical landmarks and their value in single-nostril endonasal TSS. A retrospective study was performed ...

The influence of deep hypothermia low-flow (DHLF) perfusion on inflammatory response of pulmonary injury in mammals undergoing the cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) remains unknown. This study was conducted to determine the feasibility and mechanism of pulmonary protection strategy on preventing pulmonary function from ischemia reperfusion injury with piglet model. Eighteen piglets ...

AIMS: Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are involved in vascular repair and homeostasis after vascular injuries. In this study, we aimed to explore whether bone marrow (BM)-derived EPCs contribute to neointima formation and reendothelialization in rabbit elastase-induced aneurysm after flow diverter treatment. METHODS: Elastase-induced aneurysms were created in New Zealand male ...

As plaque develops in arteries two types of remodeling can occur; positive and negative remodeling. Positive remodeling is an outward compensatory remodeling in which the arterial wall grows outward in an attempt to maintain a constant lumen diameter, while negative remodeling is defined as a local shrinkage of vessel size. ...

The morphological transformation of hermit crabs into crab-like king crabs in the evolution of decapod crustaceans represents a remarkable case of carcinization or evolutionary shaping into a crab-like form. In this study, we focus on internal organs such as the hemolymph vascular system and adjacent anatomical structures of several Recent ...

PURPOSE: The anatomy of the radial recurrent artery (RRA) is important for different clinical procedures: interventional cardiology and microsurgery of the forearm; however, few studies have analysed its morphology: number, course, relations and distribution. METHODS: The RRA was analysed in 332 upper limbs divided into two groups: (1) normal pattern ...

BACKGROUND:: The sellar wall of the sphenoid sinus and its recesses have been previously studied, but their intracranial relationships to the diaphragma sellae, tuberculum, clinoid segment of the internal carotid artery, chiasmatic sulcus, and middle clinoid process need further definition. OBJECTIVE:: To describe these intra and extracranial relationships of the ...

This study concerns the morphological differentiation between double outlet right ventricle (DORV) and aortic dextroposition (AD) defects, namely tetralogy of Fallot and Eisenmenger anomaly. Indeed, despite the similar condition in terms of sequential ventriculo-arterial connections, DORV and AD are two distinct morphological entities. It is proposed that the borderline between ...

The etiological basis of trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is unknown but vascular (arterial and venous) compression of the trigeminal nerve roots has emerged as the likely cause in most cases. Here we examine the evidence for the "brain sagging/arterial elongation hypothesis" with reference to the cerebral arteries and veins believed to ...

Gas bladders of ray-finned fishes serve a variety of vital functions and are thus an important novelty of most living vertebrates. The gas bladder has long been regarded as an evolutionary modification of lungs. Critical evidence for this hypothesized homology is whether pulmonary arteries supply the gas bladder as well ...

Hemodynamic factors are commonly believed to play an important role in the pathogenesis, progression, and rupture of cerebral aneurysms. In this study, we aimed to identify significant hemodynamic and morphological parameters that discriminate intracranial aneurysm rupture status using 3-dimensional-angiography and computational fluid dynamics technology. 3D-DSA was performed in 8 patients ...

To compare the efficacy and safety of bronchial artery embolization (BAE) with n-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA) and gelatin sponge particles (GSPs). Six healthy female swine were divided into two groups to be treated with BAE using NBCA-lipiodol (NBCA-Lp) and using GSPs. The occlusive durability, the presence of embolic materials, the response ...

The external layrngeal nerve (ELN) may be at risk during thyroidectomy. Because the relationship between the ELN and superior thyroid artery (STA) can be variable, we aimed to investigate their relationship in detail. In human cadavers, 81 ELN and STA and their branches were carefully dissected. The position of the ...

OBJECTIVE: Retrograde aortic arch malperfusion after ductal stenting can be life-threatening after univentricular hybrid palliation. Arch perfusion can be maintained with a main pulmonary artery to innominate artery shunt placed during the stage I procedure: a "reverse Blalock-Taussig shunt." METHODS: A retrospective review of 37 infants who underwent hybrid palliation ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:The relationship between aneurysm dimensions, flow, thrombosis, and rupture remains poorly understood. We attempted to clarify this relationship by exploring various swine aneurysm models.MATERIALS AND METHODS:Bilateral carotid aneurysms were constructed according to 3 protocols in 24 animals: small aneurysms with wide necks (group 1; n = 6 animals); ...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between the eustachian tube (ET) and petrous internal carotid artery (ICA) in whole-mount human temporal bone specimens. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive study. METHODS: Histologically prepared serial sections of 10 adult temporal bones were included in the study. Five specific ...

The relationship between the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) and the inferior thyroid artery (ITA) is an important and helpful landmark for isolating the RLN and its branches during surgery. In the present study, we aimed to define and classify in detail all of the possible relationships between the two anatomic ...

We present a 75-year-old woman with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis who underwent transesophageal echocardiography (TOE) as part of the routine examinations before scheduling transcatheter aortic valve implantation. The examination identified, in addition to severe calcific aortic stenosis, intimal thickening of the ascending aorta. Three-dimensional (3D) TOE was performed to better ...

CASE REPORT: A 72-year-old woman with a 30-year history of iron deficiency anaemia was admitted for fatigue and increasing weakness. On physical examination, the patient appeared dyspneic and pallor. The tongue showed angiodysplasias. Laboratory analysis showed a microcytary anaemia with an iron deficiency. Firstly a routine ultrasound examination (iU22, Philips Medical ...

Many authors have studied variation in the maxillary artery but there have been inconsistencies between reported observations. The present research aimed to examine the courses and branching patterns of the trunk and branches of the maxillary artery in a large sample of Japanese adult cadavers. The course of the maxillary ...

Significant hemodynamic alterations often occur during off-pump coronary artery bypass operations. Historically, left main coronary artery stenosis has been excluded from off-pump coronary artery bypass operations because of this concern. Many articles in recent times support off-pump operations in left main coronary artery (LMCA) stenosis. We describe here a safe ...

There is no robust consensus on the efficacy of polyglycolic/polylactic acid (PGLA)-coated coils used in the endovascular embolization of intracranial aneurysms. We present a comparative study of bare platinum coils and PGLA-coated Gugliemi Detachable Coils (GDC) in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms at a single centre, using target aneurysm recurrence ...

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been applied clinically as a noninvasive therapeutic tool. Atrial septostomy is a palliative treatment for pulmonary artery hypertension. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of atrial septal ablation in vitro using HIFU. Fourteen sections of atrial septum from pig hearts were treated. ...

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is a relatively rare cause of stroke and has a wide spectrum of unspecific symptoms, which may delay diagnosis. There are many etiologies, including hematological disorders, trauma, infection, and dehydration. Iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) has been reported as an extremely rare cause of CVT, especially in adults.

Arterial spin labeling can be used to measure both cerebral perfusion and arterial transit time. However, accurate estimation of these parameters requires adequate temporal sampling of the arterial spin labeling difference signal. In whole-brain multislice acquisitions, two factors reduce the accuracy of the parameter estimates: saturation of labeled blood in ...

Libman-Sacks endocarditis (LSE) is a common manifestation of valve disease in antiphospholipid syndrome. Mitral valve LSE is characterized by verrucous vegetations on the atrial surfaces of valve leaflets. In this report, mitral valve LSE was visualized by real time 3D transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). 3D TEE provides a unique en face ...

We assessed the hemodynamic effects induced by the thoracic pump in the intra and extracranial veins of the cerebral venous system on healthy volunteers. Activation of the thoracic pump was standardized among subjects by setting the deep inspiration at 70% of individual vital capacity. Peak velocity (PV), time average velocity ...

The antegrade stented (frozen) elephant trunk procedure and pulmonary embolectomy are complex cardiac surgical operations for extensive aortic and pulmonary arterial disease, respectively. We report the first known case of concomitant antegrade stented elephant trunk and pulmonary embolectomy in order to highlight pre- and intra-operative management strategies for this uncommon ...

PURPOSE.: To evaluate the repeatability and reproducibility of intima thickness (IT) measurements at different sites along the common carotid artery and compare with intima-media thickness (IMT) measurements. METHODS.: Ultrasound examinations of common carotid artery were performed in 30 healthy subjects and 20 patients with diabetes mellitus. Carotid IT and IMT ...

To report real-time ophthalmoscopic findings during superselective intraophthalmic artery chemotherapy (SSIOAC) in a nonhuman primate model. Six adult male Rhesus macaques (Macacca mulatta) were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatment cohorts: melphalan (5 mg/30 mL) or carboplatin (30 mg/30 mL). Each animal underwent 3 separate SSIOAC procedures at 3-week ...

Background. The safety, feasibility and post-operative outcome are the main concern in Off-pump Coronary artery bypass graft (OPCAB) surgery as compared to conventional technique especially in multi-vessels coronary artery disease. Materials and Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 137 patients with left main stem disease (LMS) who underwent Coronary ...

PURPOSE: To automatically analyze the time course of collateralization in a rat hindlimb ischemia model based on signal intensity distribution (SID). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiograms (TOF-MRA) were acquired in eight rats at 2, 7, and 21 days after unilateral femoral artery ligation. Analysis was performed on maximum ...

A 54-year old man underwent coronary artery bypass graft for occlusion of three coronary arteries. There was no hematological abnormality detected preoperatively and the patient had normal coagulation tests and platelet count before the operation. During the first 24 hours after the operation, hemorrhagic drainage from the chest tubes was ...

BACKGROUND: To describe early results of a novel technique (ViPS, Viabahn Padova Sutureless) that connects a vascular prosthetic graft to a target artery in a sutureless fashion. METHODS: A consecutive series of five patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (Rutherford class IV and V) underwent six ViPS procedures (one bilateral) ...

Congenital mitral ring is a rare type of congenital mitral stenosis. There are two types of mitral ring: the intramitral ring and the supramitral ring. Intramitral rings are often associated with complex valve pathology, and therefore have a worse prognosis than supramitral rings, in which the mitral apparatus is usually ...

Hybrid coronary revascularization combines coronary artery bypass surgery with percutaneous coronary intervention techniques to treat coronary artery disease. The potential benefits of such a technique are to offer the patients the best available treatments for coronary artery disease while minimizing the risks of the surgery. Hybrid coronary revascularization has resulted ...

To compare partial cross clamping and mechanic pulmonary ventilation technique with total cross clamping utilization during cardiopulmonary bypass in coronary artery bypass graft operations in terms of pulmonary healing. Between February and April 2007, isolated coronary artery bypass graft operation was performed for 30 patients in the Cardiovascular Surgery Department, ...

Partial liver transplantation from live donors is now widely performed to compensate for the shortage of deceased donors' organs. Operative microscopy is often used to achieve hepatic artery anastomosis. Here we report our experience of hepatic artery reconstruction using loupe magnification. We used operative microscopy (12-16× magnification) in our early ...

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the impact of preoperative pulmonary hypertension (PH) on early and late outcomes after mitral valve operation for mitral regurgitation. METHODS: Systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) was measured before operation in 873 consecutive patients who underwent mitral valve surgery for mitral regurgitation between January 2002 and January 2010. ...

To evaluate the usefulness of time-resolved contrast enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (4D MRA) after stent-assisted coil embolization by comparing it with time of flight (TOF)-MRA. TOF-MRA and 4D MRA were obtained by 3T MRI in 26 patients treated with stent-assisted coil embolization (Enterprise:Neuroform = 7:19). The qualities of the MRA ...

BACKGROUND: At our institution, the arterial switch operation for transposition of the great arteries has transitioned from the Gore-Tex patch (W.L. Gore & Associates, Flagstaff, AZ) for pulmonary artery reconstruction to redundant pantaloon pericardial patch (RPPP). The (U-shaped) coronary artery button was used for coronary reimplantation. This study investigates overall ...

Muscle-sparing perforator free flap breast reconstruction with the use of an inferior epigastric or gluteal perforating artery to create a vascular pedicle is increasingly popular because it obviates breast implants and results in lower donor site morbidity than breast reconstruction with myocutaneous flaps. The tissue harvesting procedure for a perforator ...

We describe a new method of selective regional perfusion during arch reconstruction in the Norwood procedure. The strategy involves direct sequential perfusion of the coronary and splanchnic circulations coupled with continuous cerebral perfusion, while repairing the arch in a distal to proximal fashion. This technique provides the potential for decreased ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare arterial transit time estimates from two efficient transit time mapping techniques using arterial spin labeling (ASL)-flow encoded arterial spin tagging (FEAST) and Look-Locker ASL (LL-ASL). The effects of bipolar gradients and label location were investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six healthy subjects were scanned with pseudo-continuous ASL (pCASL) ...

Background: Mitral valve (MV) repair provides a better outcome in patients with significant mitral regurgitation than MV replacement. Valve repair requires a thorough understanding of MV morphology. Recently developed real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (RT3D TEE) can provide online acquisition and accurate information of cardiac structures. The study aim was ...

BACKGROUND: -Recurrence of Atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) occurs mainly due to the reconnection of the once isolated PV. Although provocation and elimination of the early pulmonary vein reconnection (EPVR) soon after PVI has been widely performed to improve the outcome, AF recurrence due to subsequent ...

We report the case of a 44-year-old male with a right-sided aortic arch who presented with dissection extending from his distal arch to his left common iliac artery. He was initially managed conservatively, but later became symptomatic with back pain; enlargement of the descending thoracic aorta was demonstrated on computed ...

We present an adult patient with rupture of the right sinus of Valsalva aneurysm in whom the two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiogram failed to show the rupture. On the other hand, live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography clearly delineated the site of rupture into the pericardium and mediastinum. (Echocardiography, ****;**:1-3).