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The end-stage cardiomyopathy is an increasing worldwide problem. Cardiac transplantation lacks sufficient donors to treat all patients, and there is thus debate about alternative strategies. The use of left ventricular assist devices for long-term support is increasing with a positive impact on patient survival. Although there is an ongoing debate regarding the risks and benefits of maintaining pulsatile flow during long-term ventricular assist device support, there has been a significant move towards implantation of continuous flow devices due to the lower surgical morbidity and better long-term reliability of these pumps. The following is a review of the literature on continuous and pulsatile flow for long-term support. Starting from the definition of flow, we analyze the current evidence and consider gastrointestinal complications., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Coronary artery disease (CAD), along with its main complications such as acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and congestive heart failure (CHF), remains a serious worldwide problem and affects many patients despite the improvement of medical treatment. The possibility of the replacement of the infarcted areas by the re-generation of the myocardial cells has been long discussed and the mobilization of the stem cells from bone marrow (BMCs) to the peripheral blood (PB) induced by cytokines, represents a potential pathway to activate the regenerative process., Patients and Methods: We describe BMC mobilization and direct/indirect revascularization in 15 patients operated on for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and/or mitral valve surgery and/or ventricular remodeling combined to multiple trans-myocardial punctures (Sen technique) in ungraftable non-viable fibrotic areas., Results: Peak values of circulating BMCs were recorded between day +4 and day +6. We had no in-hospital (0-30 days) mortality. All the patients were discharged from the ICU after a median period of 2 days while the in-hospital length of stay was 10.5+4.2 days (range 7-21) and all patients were discharged in good clinical condition. There were two sudden deaths over the mid-term, at postoperative day (POD) 32 and 45 respectively., Conclusions: Our study suggests that the combination of BMC mobilization and CABG may be safely performed. However, considering the small series, final conclusions about the benefit of this procedure must await a larger prospective study comparing the role of cytokines alone, myocardial perforation, and the combination of both.

Accidental deep hypothermia with body temperature < 28 degrees C induces high mortality rates for neurological and cardiac complications. Although several reports described successful treatment of hypothermic arrest by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), the field of warming in the homeless is almost completely unquestioned although the malnutrition and the co-morbidities are usually believed as relevant risk factors for poor outcome. This article describes the experience of successful warming by ECMO in two homeless victims of unwitnessed cardiac arrest, who survived without neurological or cardiac complications. In conclusion, this is an initial experience and further research is required, although our results are appreciable in this high risk subset of population.

The scientific literature has pointed out several predictors of negative outcome after surgery such as pain and depression, negatively affecting the postoperative outcome in cardiac surgery. From January 2009 until June 2010, 15 patients scheduled for cardiac surgery were enrolled. The patients were assessed by psychological evaluation either in the hospital stay either in the rehabilitation period with the aim of identifying their emotional condition (sentiments about the onset of the disease, support received from family and friends) even by means of preformed tests for anxiety and depression (tests of Stay and Back). Thus, in our preliminary experience, the psychological evaluation failed to detect the occurrence of postoperative complications. Conversely, the psychological evaluation is very effective in detecting a poor emotional state and the psychological support decreases the degree of anxiety and depression with positive effects on postoperative outcome. In conclusion, a standardize test for anxiety and depression should be used for patients at hospital admission to detect who may benefits by psychological support.

Background: Indirect revascularization is a therapeutic approach in case of severe angina not suitable for percutaneous or surgical revascularization. Transmyocardial revascularization (TMR) is one of the techniques used for indirect revascularization and it allows to create transmyocardial channels by a laser energy bundle delivered on left ventricular epicardial surface. Benefits of the procedure are related mainly to the angiogenesis caused by inflammation and secondly to the destruction of the nervous fibers of the heart., Patients and Method: From September 1996 up to July 1997, 14 patients (9 males - 66.7%, mean age 64.8±7.9 years) underwent TMR. All patients referred angina at rest; Canadian Angina Class was IV in 7 patients (58.3%), III in 5 (41.7%). Before the enrollment, coronarography was routinely performed to find out the feasibility of Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG): 13 patients (91,6%) had coronary arteries lesions not suitable for direct revascularization; this condition was limited only to postero-lateral area in one patient submitted to combined TMR + CABG procedures., Results: Mean discharge time was 3,2±1,3 days after surgery. All patients were discharged in good clinical conditions. Perfusion thallium scintigraphy was performed in 7 patients at a mean follow-up of 4±2 months, showing in all but one an improvement of perfusion defects. Moreover an exercise treadmill improvement was observed in the same patients and all of them are in good clinical conditions, with significantly reduced use of active drugs. CONCLUSION; Our experience confirms that TMR is a safe and feasible procedure and it offers a therapeutic solution in case of untreatable angina. Moreover, it could be a hybrid approach for patients undergoing CABGs in case of absence of vessels suitable for surgical approach in limited areas of the heart.

Objective: Aortic valve replacement (AVR) is nowadays a safe procedure with low rates of mortality and morbidity, but the necessity for a less invasive approach is going to increase. The use of a stentless prosthesis through right mini-thoracotomy has not yet been described and our experience could be useful for other surgeons., Methods: From June 2009 until March 2010, seven female patients (mean age 79.9 ± 5.7 years) underwent stentless-AVR for aortic stenosis through a right mini-thoracotomy (RM). The logistic Euroscore was 11.3 ± 6.1, and left ventricular ejection fraction was 60.7 ± 4.5%. In five cases RM was performed through the second intercostal space (ICS); in two cases through the third ICS. The cannulation was in most cases between ascending aorta and femoral vein (5/7). When transverse sternotomy was required (two patients), the right mammary artery was clipped and cut., Results: Extracorporeal circulation time (ECC) was 110 ± 41min and aortic cross clamp was 80 ± 35min. Two patients required transverse sternotomy. The mean bleeding was 484 ± 469ml and the duration of mechanical ventilation was 22.0 ± 12.5h. The ICU stay was 3.3 ± 2.2 days. No in-hospital death was observed. The mean hospital stay was 11.6 ± 5.4 days., Conclusion: Right mini-thoracotomy is a safe and applicable approach even in case of AVR using stentless prosthesis. The risk of insufficient surgical exposure or complication may be safely managed, by enlarging the thoracotomy through transverse sternotomy. However, valve implantation could be more difficult than the standard approach and it requires an expert and confident surgeon with a large experience in standard stentless implantation., (Copyright © 2011 Australasian Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: This review is about the patency of ductus arteriosus (PDA), with particular care concerning diagnosis, surgical techniques, survival and postoperative pregnancy in operated females., Methods: a) Sperimental study: the research has been conducted retrospectively and the follow-up is 40 years. b), Environment: all the patients were operated on in the Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Turin (public structure) and in the Italian Institution of Cardiac Surgery (private structure). c), Patients: from 1958 to 1987, 677 patients were operated on: mean age was 11.5 +/- 8.7 years. A complete follow-up was made on 487 patients (72%). d) Technique of operation: left lateral thoracotomy was often performed; in younger children, however, the tying of PDA was frequently made within the pericardium by left anterior thoracotomy in the third intercostal space. In uncomplicated situations, PDA was tied more frequently than divided, by two purse string stitches and one or two transfixed ligatures. e), Survey: overall early and late mortality, the clinical conditions of all patients, pregnancies and preor postoperative miscarriages of operated women were examined., Results: From 1958 to 1967 overall early mortality was 5%; during the following years, there was no hospital mortality. The recurrence of PDA occurred only in 4 patients. 72% of the operated females became pregnant., Conclusion: Life expectancy is normal after surgical closure of an uncomplicated PDA in infancy or in childhood but premature death may not always be avoided operating on adults with long-standing chronic congestive heart failure. At least, postoperative pregnancy is not a risk factor for the mother and PDA seems not to be correlated to foetal transmission.