Without delicate postoperative management to control pulmonary vascular resistance, the modified Norwood procedure using the right ventricle-pulmonary shunt provides a stable systemic circulation as well as adequate pulmonary blood flow. This novel operation may be particularly beneficial to low-birth-weight infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

We have shown in an animal model that inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta by lithium has an additive effect on pressure overload cardiac hypertrophy.

No abstract

The pharmacokinetics of flomoxef in children undergoing CPB and MUF were well fitted to a modified two-compartment model. Using the kinetic data from this study, the individualization of dosage regimens for prophylactic use of flomoxef might be possible.

We present a 78-year-old man who developed Stanford type A aortic dissection seven years after aortic valve replacement. At the previous operation, the diameter of the ascending aorta was 40 mm. Three years later, computed tomography revealed the diameter to have expanded to 50 mm. Four years later, the patient developed aortic dissection with entry at the ascending aorta, and a graft replacement was performed.

No abstract

A 35-year-old woman was found on echocardiography to have a pseudoaneurysm of the mitral-aortic intervalvular fibrosa, residual ventricular septal defect, and aortic regurgitation. She had undergone surgical closure of a ventricular septal defect at age 7 and was found to have residual shunt several years later. She had been followed nonsurgically and had symptoms of cardiac failure during her 2 pregnancies. The pseudoaneurysm and the septal defect were successfully repaired.

No abstract