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A remarkable quality of life and important improvement in the functional status after cardiac surgery in patients over 80 paired with a satisfactory medium-term survival justify early intervention for heart disease in this age group. Therefore, referral practice for patients over 80 years for heart surgery should be handled liberally.

Acute type A aortic dissection in younger patients, involving the supraaortic branches and/or combined with malperfusion syndrome favour secondary dilatation. A close follow-up is mandatory to prevent acute complications of the diseased downstream aorta following repair of a AADA.

The sutureless valve implantation technique is feasible and safe with the ATS 3f Enable Bioprosthesis. Valve implantation resulted in excellent hemodynamics and significant clinical improvement. Overall, these data confirm the safety and clinical utility of the Enable® Bioprosthesis for aortic valve replacement.

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Surgical pulmonary embolectomy is an excellent option for patients with major pulmonary embolism and can be performed with minimal mortality and morbidity. Even patients who present with cardiac arrest and require preoperative cardiopulmonary resuscitation show satisfying results. Immediate surgical desobstruction favorably influences the pulmonary pressure and the recovery of right ventricular function, and remains the treatment of choice for patients with massive central and paracentral embolism with hemodynamic and respiratory compromise.

Background-We have recently demonstrated that the use of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) during surgery for acute type A aortic dissections or thoracic aortic aneurysms adversely affect mid-term quality of life (QoL).

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