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Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) with heparin coated perfusion equipment was realized in 13 patients undergoing myocardial revascularization with either low (ACT> 180) or full systemic heparinization (ACT>480). Blood samples for coagulation and other studies were drawn before, after heparin, and at regular intervals during and after CPB.

Introduction: acute haemodynamic changes and/or loss of abdominal muscle tone can occur during induction of general anaesthesia and may be the Achilles' tendon in endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) of ruptured aortoiliac aneurysms (rAIA). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of local anaesthesia (LA) for EVAR to overcome these limitations. Methods: twenty-one consecutive patients with rAIA are included in this study. Twenty patients underwent EVAR under LA, and 1 patient was treated under general anaesthesia. Haemodynamics were stabilised during assessment of EVAR feasibility by CT-scan and during the procedure itself by controlled hypotension (MAP 50–60 mmHg) and moderate fluid resuscitation. Results: median procedure time was 120 min. Haemodynamics remained stable in all but 3 patients who required transfemoral balloon occlusion of the supra-renal aorta. Perioperative intubation was necessary in 5 patients because of respiratory distress (n=3), or retroperitoneal access (n=2). Temporary deterioration of renal function occurred in 6 patients, with 2 requiring hemofiltration. CT-scan confirmed sealing of the rAIA in all patients at discharge. 30-day mortality was 9.5% (2 deaths). In the median follow-up of 19 months, there were no deaths, but 3 endovascularre-interventions, 1 crossover femoro-femoral bypass, and 1 open surgical graft repair. Discussion: our series is the first to show that EVAR for rAIA can be safely performed under LA. This approach allows implantation of commercially available bifurcated SG and improves patient outcome. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd

Infectious complications after angiography are rare. We treated a 72-year-old man who developed staphylococcus aureus endarteritis after angiography resulting in delayed rupture of the common iliac artery. Diagnostic problems, type of bacteria involved and therapeutic implications are discussed. Infektiöse Komplikationen nach Angiographien sind selten. Bei einem 72-jährigen Patienten entwickelte sich nach Angiographie eine Staphylococcus aureus Sepsis mit Endarteriitis und gedeckter Ruptur der Arteria iliaca communis. Diagnostische Schwierigkeiten, Erregerspektrum und therapeutische Möglichkeiten werden diskutiert.

Summary: Infectious complications after angiography are rare. We treated a 72-year-old man who developed staphylococcus aureus endarteritis after angiography resulting in delayed rupture of the common iliac artery. Diagnostic problems, type of bacteria involved and therapeutic implications are discussed.

Previous tissue engineering approaches to create small caliber vascular grafts have been limited by the structural and mechanical immaturity of the constructs. This study uses a novel in vitro pulse duplicator system providing a 'biomimetic' environment during tissue formation to yield more mature, implantable vascular grafts.

The long-term outcome of patients with aortic bioprosthetic valves could be improved by decreasing the reoperative mortality rate.

Life expectancy of cryopreserved allografts implanted in infants is different from those implanted in adults. A morphological study of explanted allograft heart valves was performed to determine the mechanism of deterioration and to compare cryopreserved arterial and heart valve allografts from adult patients with those explanted from infants.

Late outcome after mitral valve repair was examined to define preoperative predictors of recurrent atrial fibrillation late after successful mitral valve reconstruction.

To describe our experience in the surgical treatment of infective, native and prosthetic aortic valve endocarditis, using cryopreserved homograft valves.

Assess outcome of patients with descending thoracic aortic aneurysms complicated by aortobronchial and aortoesophageal fistulae in comparison to patients undergoing repair of aortic aneurysms without fistulae.

Blunted sinus node response to exercise has been reported after the maze operation. We suggested the autonomic vegetative function of the heart to be disturbed after the maze procedure.

The fish-mouth incision of the left ventricular apex is the established incision to access and close apical ventricular septum defect. A long diagonal branch may render this incision dangerous. In such a case, we performed a more anterior incision on the left ventricle, and fashioned a patch to exclude the whole defective area.

Myxomas are the most common primary cardiac tumors. They may simulate infective endocarditis but are rarely infected. Currently, 17 infected left atrial myxomas have been reported in the literature [1, 7, 8, 10, 11]. We present a patient with infected left atrial myxoma combined with mitral valve endocarditis, treated by excision of the myxoma and mitral valve reconstruction.