Complementary and alternative medicine is used as frequently in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, as in the general population. Physicians and surgeons should be aware that patients have no inherent predisposition toward or against using complementary and alternative medicine, but that they are unlikely to volunteer their experience with it. The unwillingness of patients to discuss complementary and alternative medicine with physicians has serious implications for their safety, especially in acute care situations.

No abstract

Mesenteric venous occlusion is a rare yet highly morbid condition that is traditionally treated with anticoagulation while surgery serves as the last resort. Percutaneous intervention provides an effective option with relatively low mortality and morbidity. We herein describe use of transhepatic percutaneous thrombectomy and pharmacologic thrombolysis in treating two cases of symptomatic mesenteric venous thrombosis. These cases underscore the fact that transhepatic thrombectomy and thrombolysis are a highly effective strategy for treating acute symptomatic mesenteric venous thrombosis. Several percutaneous techniques are also reviewed.