The Annals of thoracic surgery
-
Comparative Study
Airway compression in children with congenital heart disease evaluated using computed tomography.
Extrinsic airway compression often complicates the course of congenital heart disease (CHD) repair. This study investigated the risk factors and outcome of airway compression evaluated using computed tomography (CT) in CHD patients. ⋯ Early airway compression detection and management may reduce further morbidity, especially after aortic arch repair. The patient's respiratory manifestation and the underlying disease characteristics must be considered when determining the need for additional surgery for airway compression.
-
Comparative Study
Equivalency of right internal thoracic artery and right gastroepiploic artery composite grafts: five-year outcomes.
We compared 5-year graft patency rates and long-term clinical outcomes after myocardial revascularization using the right internal thoracic artery (RITA) and right gastroepiploic artery (RGEA) as a Y-composite graft anastomosed to the in situ left internal thoracic artery. ⋯ Total arterial revascularization using RITA and RGEA Y-composite grafts based on the in situ left internal thoracic artery showed comparable results in terms of 5-year angiographic patency rates and long-term clinical outcomes.
-
Case Reports
Intermittent tethering of second-order chords after mitral valve repair for bileaflet prolapse.
Mitral valve regurgitation which occurs immediately after repair can be due to anatomic (failure of repair) or functional (systolic anterior motion) reasons. We report a case where a patient with bileaflet prolapse showed, after surgical correction of the disease, moderate to severe regurgitation after cardiopulmonary bypass was stopped. The regurgitation was due to second-order tethering and was successfully treated with second-order chordal cutting.