Texas Heart Institute journal
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Transcatheter closure of congenital heart defects with the use of septal occluders has been widely accepted as a preferred treatment; however, the high cost of these devices limits their clinical application in some countries. Few clinical data are available regarding lower-cost products. Accordingly, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of the Chinese-made Shanghai Shape Memory Alloy (SHSMA) occluder in patients with congenital heart defects. ⋯ Six months postprocedurally, complete occlusion was associated with a significant decrease in the right ventricular Tei index in atrial septal defect patients (P < 0.05) and with improvement of body mass index in 11 children. These results suggest that the SHSMA occluder is a safe, effective device for the transcatheter closure of congenital heart defects. For confirmation, a randomized controlled trial with more patients and a longer follow-up period is warranted.
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Case Reports
Two scimitar veins in an adult: repair through a right thoracotomy without cardiopulmonary bypass.
Scimitar syndrome is a rare but serious congenital condition that consists of anomalous pulmonary venous drainage of the right lung to the inferior vena cava. The appearance on chest radiography resembles a curved Turkish sword, or scimitar. Scimitar syndrome is associated with other anomalies, including hypoplasia of the right lung, dextroposition of the heart, anomalous systemic arterial supply to the right lung, and atrial septal defect. ⋯ Classical surgical repair involves diversion of the scimitar venous flow into the left atrium with a baffle, requiring the use of cardiopulmonary bypass and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. Herein, we report the case of a 42-year-old woman with 2 scimitar veins who underwent corrective surgery at our center without the use of cardiopulmonary bypass. We also comment on the importance of a patient's lung hypoplasia in the decision to repair the defect through a right thoracotomy.
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Patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura have safely undergone cardiac surgical procedures; however, platelets were transfused in 20 of 24 reported instances, and no point-of-care testing of coagulation status was performed. Herein, we report the case of a patient with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura who required urgent coronary artery bypass grafting and intra-aortic balloon pump support. ⋯ No preoperative prophylactic transfusion of allogeneic platelets was necessary, and in fact the patient required no allogeneic blood products during his hospitalization. We believe that point-of-care coagulation tests such as thromboelastometry warrant further evaluation regarding their usefulness in the clinical decision of whether to transfuse platelets and other blood products.
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The diagnosis of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is typically reserved for patients who experience ventricular pre-excitation and symptoms that are related to paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, such as chest pain, dyspnea, dizziness, palpitations, or syncope. Herein, we report the case of a 38-year-old woman who presented at our outpatient department because of exercise intolerance. Cardiac auscultation revealed a grade 2/6 pansystolic murmur over the left lower sternal border. ⋯ In Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, left ventricular systolic dyssynchrony can yield abnormal findings on echocardiography and thallium scanning--even in persons who have no cardiovascular risk factors. Physicians who are armed with this knowledge can avoid performing coronary angiography unnecessarily. Catheter ablation can reverse the dyssynchrony of the ventricle and improve the patient's symptoms.
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The HeartAttendant programs the controller and sets pump rpm and alarm thresholds. It collects and stores pump parameters when connected to the controller and enables remote monitoring via the Internet. It charges and reconditions the batteries and can provide electrical power from the wall. ⋯ A new U. S. Food and Drug Administration study of the HeartAssist 5 as a bridge to transplant is being finalized.