Left ventricular end-systolic volume index is the most important predictor of survival after coronary artery bypass surgery in patients with severe myocardial dysfunction.

Between September 1989 and June 2004, 148 consecutive patients underwent ascending aortic replacement for aneurysm or dissection. There were 130 males (88%) and 18 females (12%). Their mean age was 46.20 +/- 13.36 years. Fifty-seven patients (39%) were treated for type 1 and type 2 aortic dissection, and 91 (61%) for ascending aortic aneurysm. The Bentall procedure was performed in 81 patients (55%), the Cabrol procedure in 7 (5%), separate ascending aortic replacement and aortic valve replacement or repair was carried out in 24 (16%), and ascending aortic replacement only in 36 (24%). Hospital mortality was 4.05% (6 deaths). On univariate analysis, left ventricular ejection fraction < or = 30%, emergency surgery, contained rupture, concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting, and age > or = 65 years were risk factors for early mortality. However, on multivariate analysis, ejection fraction < or = 30% and contained rupture were the only factors significantly associated with early mortality. The long-term survival rates were 87.2% +/- 3.7% at 5 years, 78.0% +/- 5.6% at 10 years, and 60.9% +/- 9.9% at 15 years. Ascending aortic resection for aneurysm or dissection can be performed with low mortality and morbidity.

Records of 86 patients who underwent off-pump redo coronary revascularization between December 1997 and December 2000, were analyzed. Approaches included median sternotomy (47), anterolateral thoracotomy for left anterior descending artery and diagonal targets (35), posterolateral thoracotomy for the obtuse marginal with proximal anastomosis on descending aorta (3), and a combined subxiphoid-anterior thoracotomy approach (1) for right gastroepiploic artery-to-left anterior descending artery anastomosis. The mean age was 61.82 years. There were 2 (2.3%) operative deaths. Complications included perioperative myocardial infarction in 4 patients and reexploration for bleeding in one. Blood transfusion was required in 12 patients. The mean length of hospital stay was 5 +/- 2 days. A multimodality targeted approach for off-pump redo coronary artery bypass offers a less invasive but safer method of myocardial revascularization, with decreased complications, lower blood product requirement, and early hospital discharge.

Rosai-Dorfman disease, or sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy, is a rare multisystemic disorder that was first reported by Rosai and Dorfman in 1969. It is a distinct histioproliferative disorder due to overproduction of histiocytes, which accumulate in lymph nodes. The cardiac involvement of this disease is extremely rare, and until now, only 18 cases have been reported. We report the case of a 53-year-old woman with right atrial mass mimicking myxoma, which the histopathologic evaluation revealed to be Rosai-Dorfman disease of the right atrium.

The incidence of eventration of diaphragm before cardiac surgery is rare. We describe the management of a patient with eventration of the diaphragm who underwent a coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for left main coronary artery disease followed by left diaphragm plication with video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for the postoperative respiratory insufficiency.

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Lutembacher's syndrome is an uncommon combination of a congenital ostium secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) with acquired mitral stenosis (MS). The incidence of this condition is very rare. The symptoms are dependent upon the size of the ASD, severity of the MS, compliance of the right ventricle and pulmonary artery hypertension. We describe a patient with Lutembacher's syndrome with severe pulmonary hypertension who underwent successful surgical repair.

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