1/50. Syphilitic aortic regurgitation. An appraisal of surgical treatment.During the 10 years from 1964 to 1973, fifteen patients with severe syphilitic aortic regurgitation were treated surgically at the National Heart Hospital. In thirteen the valve was replaced and in two it was repaired. In addition four had replacement of an aneurysmal ascending aorta with a Dacron graft and seven some form of plastic repair to the coronary ostia. Three patients died within 1 month of surgery and a further six during the follow-up period which varied from 1 to 55 months (mean 25-5). The six survivors have been followed-up for an average of 33 months. Factors contributing to this high mortality were analysed and it was found that the mean duration of effort dyspnoea was 22 months in the survivors compared with 48 months in those who had died. Similarly the average duration of nocturnal dyspnoea was 4 months in the survivors compared with a mean of 8 months in those who had died. Only six out of the fifteen patients had angina; this was present in two of the survivors and in four of the fatalities. The pulse pressure, heart size, and haemodynamic findings were similar in the two groups. The prognostic value of an elevated erythocyte sedimentation rate was also examined. It was concluded that preoperative investigations should include aortography, coronary arteriography, an assessment of left ventricular function, and whenever possible myocardial biopsy. These data were interpreted as suggesting that patients should be referred for surgery at an earlier stage in the disease--certainly before the onset of cardiac failure and--and that if this more aggresive attitude was adopted, as it has been in non-syphilitic cases of aortic valve disease, the present high mortality in this group would be reduced.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/50. Massive left atrial thrombus: a case report.This case report describes a patient with aortic and mitral valvular disease who had a massive left atrial thrombus. The left atrial thrombus produced a disappearance of signs of mitral stenosis and a reversed pan diastolic mitral valve gradient. This gradient occurred in the absence of any diastolic mitral insufficiency and may have been due to artifactual lowering of the left atrial pressure by an organized left atrial clot.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/50. Penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer at the proximal aorta complicated with cardiac tamponade and aortic valve regurgitation.A 56-year-old man had a penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer originating in the proximal ascending aorta, which is an unusual case of penetrating aortic ulcer complicated with the aortic valve regurgitation and cardiac tamponade. This hemodynamically unstable patient was successfully treated by conservative management to control his blood pressure and was also monitored closely with follow-up imaging studies.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/50. The use of pulsatile perfusion during aortic valve replacement in pregnancy.Cardiac operations are occasionally required during pregnancy. Despite a low maternal mortality, fetal mortality remains high. Previous reports have suggested maintenance of high perfusion pressure and flow rate as protective measures to maintain fetal viability. Recent experimental data suggest pulsatile perfusion may help preserve placental hemodynamic function. The successful use of pulsatile bypass to replace the aortic valve in a 25-year-old female at 14 weeks gestation, with both maternal and fetal survival, is presented.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/50. A case of aortic dissection with transient ST-segment elevation due to functional left main coronary artery obstruction.A 48-year-old man with a history of hypertension and diabetes mellitus was hospitalized with sudden onset of severe chest pain. He was in cardiogenic shock with a systolic pressure of 60 mm Hg. His electrocardiogram (ECG) showed ST-segment elevation in the precordial leads suggestive of acute anteroseptal myocardial infarction. The ST-segment returned to baseline after the systolic blood pressure rose to 100 mm Hg with the administration of sympathomimetic agents. aortography and transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated type A aortic dissection and aortic regurgitation. aortography and short-axis transesophageal echocardiography showed during diastole almost complete collapse of the true lumen of the ascending aorta caused by the intimal flap. The patient underwent surgical repair of the aortic dissection and implantation of Palmaz stents in the carotid arteries. Decreased blood pressure and the presence of aortic regurgitation accelerated the collapse of the true lumen during diastole in the ascending aorta, resulting in functional obstruction of the left main coronary artery, which may have been related to ST-segment changes in this case.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 3keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/50. cardiac tamponade complicating closure of a median sternotomy.A case of intraoperative cardiac tamponade manifested during closure of a median sternotomy is presented. We postulate that cardiac tamponade was caused by acute dilatation of the cardiac chambers as a result of intraoartic balloon pumping in a patient with aortic and mitral regurgitation. It has been shown experimentally that acute rises in ventricular end-diastolic pressure result in increased intrapericardial pressure and that if a certain point on the pericardial pressure-volume curve is reached, cardiac tamponade will occur. sternotomy closure was accomplished easily as soon as the need for intra-aortic balloon pumping diminished.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 3keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/50. When is an aortic valve prosthesis too small? The need for dobutamine stress echocardiography.We describe a patient who had undergone aortic valve replacement with a small prosthesis 10 years previously and who presented with exertional breathlessness. The resting transaortic pressure gradient was only 30 mmHg but increased to 165 mmHg on dobutamine stress. Conventional resting echocardiography may fail to demonstrate abnormal prosthetic aortic valve function; in the presence of symptoms, dobutamine stress echocardiography should be considered.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/50. The freestyle stentless aortic bioprosthesis: more about the subcoronary technique.Two years after aortic valve replacement with a Freestyle stentless aortic xenograft using the partial scallop inclusion technique, late prosthetic valve endocarditis developed with abscess formation in the space between the porcine and native human aortic wall. The presence of such a periprosthetic dead space exposes the patient to increased postoperative pressure gradients and the risk of superinfection.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/50. Accessory mitral valve associated with aortic regurgitation in an elderly patient: report of a case.We encountered a 75-year-old man who complained of exertional dyspnea. An echocardiographic examination showed aortic regurgitation and a tumor in the left ventricular outflow tract. Under complete extracorporeal circulation, we surgically made an incision of the ascending aorta with a slight thickening of the aortic valve and an enlarged annulus. After excising the aortic valve, an examination of the subvalvular region revealed mitral valve-like tissue extending from the annular region of the right coronary cusp to the ventricular septum, while the chordae tendinae was attached to the septum. This issue was excised, and the aortic valve was replaced with a 27-mm SJM valve. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged in good condition on postoperative day 30. An accessory mitral valve is extremely rare. Since this indication for surgical treatment is associated with congenital heart disease or a left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, most patients are young. Our patient had no associated cardiac anomalies and no pressure gradient attributable to a left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. This accessory mitral valve was discovered during aortic valve replacement surgery. To our knowledge, our patient is the oldest reported with an accessory mitral valve to have undergone a surgical resection.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/50. Biventricular pacing in a patient with severe congestive heart failure.We report a case of dilated cardiomyopathy with severe congestive heart failure (ejection fraction: 19%) and complete left bundle branch block (QRS duration: 240 ms) 13 years after aortic valve replacement. Permanent biventricular pacing was implanted by inserting a left ventricular lead thorough a small left thoracotomy following intravenous insertion of right atrial and ventricular endocardial leads. Biventricular pacing increased hemodynamic parameters such as blood pressure, cardiac output and decreased mitral regurgitation. Symptoms and exercise tolerance improved dramatically. Left ventricular epicardial lead insertion via a small thoracotomy is thus useful in selected patients.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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