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An abstract of the article "A simple and reliable tool to quantify calcium burden of ascending aorta" by E. Gatta and colleagues is presented.

Aim: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation is increasingly presented as an alternative to aortic valve replacement in the high risk surgical candidate. We review the outcomes of isolated aortic valve replacement to identify contemporary results of aortic valve replacement in such high risk patients., Methods: Retrospective analysis of 846 patients (mean age 68.7 ± 11.8 years) who underwent aortic valve replacement in a single institution from 1999 to 2008. We considered 10 risk factors as follows: female gender (395 patients, 46.7%), age, left ventricular ejection fraction, New York Heart Association Class, preoperative creatinine clearance, body mass index, peripheral vascular disease (49 patients, 5%), cerebrovascular disease (42 patients, 4.9%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (87 patients,10.2%), and redo surgery (53 patients, 6.2%)., Results: Twenty-five patients died (2.9%). Age (P=0.032; OR 1.07 per each year increase) was the only significant independent predictor of mortality. Length of stay in the hospital was correlated with age (P<0.0001), New York Heart Association Class (P<0.0001) creatinine clearance (P=0.005) and redo surgery (P=0.006)., Conclusion: Contemporary aortic valve replacement is a low risk procedure for most patients. Historical risk factors which have been used to define high risk and inoperability, such as pulmonary disease, reoperations, decreased left ventricular ejection fraction and vascular disease, may not be relevant in the current era. This observation should be considered if such criteria are used to define patients for transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Aneurysms of sinus of Valsava (SV) are uncommon heart lesions resulting from either a congenital deficiency or an acquired degeneration of the aortic wall. Usually these lesions are asymptomatic and incidentally diagnosed by echocardiography. Therefore when rupture occurs, they might require a prompt surgical operation. We report the case of a 58-year-old man who suddenly developed chest pain. On physical examination a new finding of sistodyastolic murmur was detected. On two-dimensional echocardiography was evidenced an aneurysm of the right SV ruptured in the right atrium. The patient was submitted to urgent surgery. Surgical aneurysm exclusion was achieved through a double access either transaortic and trans-right atrium approach. The right SV was obliterated by suturing a dacron patch on the aortic site while complete exclusion of the aneurysm expanding in the right atrium, was acquired through the right atrium itself, by 5/0 continous prolene suture line. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged on 6th postoperative day. Transesophageal echocardiography represent the gold standard technique to assess this disease and to plan the adequate surgical treatment. The management of an asymptomatic, non ruptured aneurysm is not clear, however surgery is advisable when the aneurysm is complicated by rupture with an acceptably low operative risk and good long-term outcome.

Background: Annulo-aortic ectasia is a dilation of the aortic root with the involvement of the Valsalva sinuses. In 1968 Bentall and DeBono proposed to replace the aortic valve, the Valsalva sinuses and the ascending aorta with a composite tube graft containing aortic valve prosthesis. Consequently coronary ostia had to be reimplanted on the prosthetic tube. Recently the use of new materials has resulted in a more acceptable operative risk, and postoperative bleeding and late mortality have been reduced., Methods: From January 1991 to December 1998, 44 out of 241 patients were operated on with the Bentall-DeBono procedure, affected by dissecting or expansive aneurysm of the ascending aorta. Of the 44 patients (35 males, 9 females, mean age 53.7 years), 3 presented with acute aortic dissection, 5 were asymptomatic, 10 were in NYHA functional class II, 14 in class III, 9 in class IV, and 2 in CCS class 4; 1 patient had dysphonia; 37 patients presented with isolated aortic regurgitation, and 7 associated aortic valvular stenosis. The diagnosis of acute dissection was made by transesophageal echocardiography and that of expansive aneurysm by thorax helical computed tomographic scanning and/or magnetic resonance imaging and cardiac catheterization. Follow-up was obtained in 100% of the patients for an average of 23 +/- 20.9 months (range 4-79 months)., Results: Four patients (9%) died; in 4 patients (9%) postoperative bleeding needed reoperation, in 5 (11.4%) a permanent pacemaker for atrioventricular block was implanted, and 1 patient (2.3%) had transient hemiparesis. At univariate analysis predictive factors for operative risk were NYHA functional class IV (p < 0.005) and atherosclerotic etiology (p < 0.05). At follow-up 7 late deaths occurred for an actuarial survival at 24 months of 75 +/- 9%. Causes were sudden death in 3 patients, cardiac failure in 3 and stroke in 1 patient; 31 surviving patients (94%) were in NYHA functional class I and 2 patients in class II (6%)., Conclusions: The Bentall-DeBono procedure involves moderate risk with good results; clinical presentation and associated valvular pathology influence early and mid-term results.

This study was aimed at assessing the incidence and mechanisms of myocardial ischemia early after coronary artery bypass grafting and the effects of treatment with nitroglycerine. The electrocardiogram of 35 patients (29 males and 6 females, mean age 61 +/- 8 years) with stable angina and multivessel coronary disease, was monitored continuously for 24 hours after uncomplicated coronary artery bypass grafting. Patients were randomized to receive nitroglycerin infusion or placebo. Fourteen of the 35 patients (40%) had 24 transient ischemic episodes (mean duration 11.8 +/- 3.5 min; range 6-20 min with ST segment elevation in 6, ST segment depression in 7 and both ST segment elevation and depression in 1. Seventy-five per cent of the ischemic episodes occurred within the first 6 postoperative hours. The mean ejection fraction prior to surgery and the mean number of stenosed vessels and of the implanted grafts were similar in patients with and without postoperative ischemia (57 +/- 5 vs 57 +/- 6%, p = 0.86; 2.7 +/- 0.5 vs 2.8 +/- 0.4, p = 0.52 and 3.0 +/- 0.9 vs 3.2 +/- 0.7, p = 0.51, respectively) as well as total bypass time and cross-clamp time (123 +/- 38 vs 124 +/- 18 min, p = 0.89 and 67 +/- 20 vs 70 +/- 14 min, p = 0.68, respectively). The values of heart rate and systolic blood pressure at the onset of the ischemic episodes were similar to those recorded 15 min before (103 +/- 16 vs 106 +/- 18 b/min, p = 0.36 and 119 +/- 12 vs 121 +/- 14 mmHg, p = 0.48). Ischemic episodes were recorded in 9 of the 16 patients (56%) randomized to receive nitroglycerine and in 5 only of the 19 patients (26%) randomized to receive placebo (p = 0.05). Thus, transient ischemic episodes occurring early after coronary artery bypass grafting are not preceded by an increase in myocardial oxygen consumption; they appear to be due, therefore, to a primary reduction in coronary blood flow. Treatment with nitroglycerine is associated with a higher prevalence of ischemic episodes, thus suggesting that myocardial ischemia is unlikely to be caused by spasm of large epicardial vessels or grafts. Myocardial ischemia may be caused, instead, by extracorporeal circulation-induced alterations enhanced by the hypotensive effects of nitroglycerine.

Sixty consecutive patients undergoing elective open-heart surgery were prospectively enrolled in a study to compare the efficacy of 3 different antifibrinolytic drugs to reduce postoperative bleeding and to reduce homologous blood requirements in combination with blood-saving techniques and restrictive indications for blood transfusion. The patients were randomized to 1 of 4 intraoperative treatment regimens: 1) control (no antifibrinolytic therapy); 2) epsilon-aminocaproic acid (10 g IV at induction of anesthesia, followed by infusion of 2 g/h for 5 hours); 3) tranexamic acid (10 mg/kg IV within 30 minutes after induction of anesthesia, followed by infusion of 1 mg/kg per hour for 10 hours); or 4) high-dose aprotinin (2 million KIU IV at induction of anesthesia and 2 million KIU added to the extracorporeal circuit, followed by infusion of 500 thousand KIU/h during surgery). Hemoconcentration and reinfusion of blood drained from the operative field and the extracorporeal circuit after operation were used in all patients. Indications for blood transfusion were hypotension, tachycardia, or both, with hemoglobin values < 8.5 g/dL; or severe anemia with hemoglobin values < 7 g/dL. Compared with the blood loss in the control group, patients receiving aprotinin and epsilon-aminocaproic acid showed significantly less postoperative blood loss at 1 hour (control, 128 +/- 94 mL; aprotinin, 54 +/- 47 mL, p = 0.01; and epsilon-aminocaproic acid, 69 +/- 35 mL, p = 0.03); this trend continued at 24 hours after operation (control, 724 +/- 280 mL; aprotinin, 344 +/- 106 mL, p < 0.0001; and epsilon-aminocaproic acid, 509 +/- 148 mL, p = 0.01). Aprotinin was significantly more efficient than epsilon-aminocaproic acid (p=0.002). Tranexamic acid did not have a statistically significant effect on blood loss. Homologous blood requirements were not significantly different among the groups; postoperative hematologic values and coagulation times were also comparable. Despite the efficacy of aprotinin and epsilon-aminocaproic acid shown in the present study, the blood requirements were not significantly different from those that are found when transfusions are restricted, autotransfusions are used, and blood from the operative field and extracorporeal circuit is concentrated and reinfused. Therefore, intraoperative antifibrinolysis may not be indicated in routine cardiac surgery when other blood-saving techniques are adopted.

The vena saphena magna is widely used as a passage during myocardial revascularisation surgery (CABG). The preparation of the vein involves a long incision on the thigh and leg which is routinely closed using a continuous suture thread in Vicryl of the subcutis and continuous intradermal suture of the cutis. The authors retrospectively evaluated the functional and esthetic results of intradermal suture performed using two different types of reabsorbable thread: PDS II and Vicryl. A total of 178 patients underwent CABG surgery at the Heart Surgery Division of Tor Vergata University of Rome during the period January-September 1992. Mean age was 63 year +/- 7 (SD), 140 were males and 38 females. PDS II 3/0 was used for intradermal suture in 88 patients, whereas Vicryl 3/0 was used in 90. There were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to age, sex, number of grafts, associated pathologies or wound length. After 1-9 months (mean 5.6 months) the surgical wound on the saphenectomized limb was evaluated. It was found that compared to Vicryl the use of PDS II presented a higher incidence of keloids (p > 0.05). This was probably due to the greater reaction provoked in the dermis by the monofilament compared to twisted thread. The authors conclude that the use of a reabsorbable twisted thread, such as Vicryl or Vicryl Rapid, is preferable owing to the higher rate of compliance and lower incidence of complications.

The incidence of carotid artery kinking is reported from 4% to 25% in different studies. During cardiopulmonary by-pass (CPB) in cardiac surgery the hemodynamic effects related to the kinking could produce hypoperfusion especially if associated with atherosclerotic lesions of the carotid arteries. We report our experience of 653 patients (538 males, 115 females, mean age 58.3 years) studied by coronaroangiography and internal carotid artery duplex scanning during the period January 1991-December 1992. Thirty-seven patients (22 males, 15 females, mean age 64.9 years), revealed anomalies of the internal carotid artery classificated as tortuosity (9 patients; 24.4%), and kinking (28 patients; 75.6%). All but 4 patients underwent cardiac surgery isolated or associated with carotid thrombo-endarterectomy (TEA) with Dacron patch arterioplasty. Three patients died (8.1%), one of them from cerebrovascular accident. He was a patient who had thromboembolism from the ascending aorta but without associated atherosclerotic lesions of carotid arteries. Asymptomatic isolated internal carotid artery kinking does not seem to be a risk factor for neurological complications during CPB. If carotid kinking is symptomatic and associated with atherosclerotic plaque producing internal carotid artery stenosis greater than 75%, we strongly suggest surgical treatment before cardiac operation.

Unstable angina is a serious condition with high risk of early coronary events; coronary revascularization in these patients gives good results but carries higher operative risk than in stable angina patients. Full medical therapy with antiischemic agents may be effective in controlling symptoms and preventing death and is therefore the first treatment of choice; as in stable angina, further treatment is indicated in stabilized patients according to non invasive tests results and coronary angiograms. Non responsive unstable patients have a poor outcome and are candidates for revascularization: angioplasty may be preferred in single or double vessel disease and bypass operation in multivessel disease. However, surgical revascularization in single and double vessel disease with critical proximal stenosis of a large anterior descending gives optimal results in our experience and may be the treatment of choice also in these patients. Because of the higher operative risk in multivessel disease in unstable ischemia, a combined procedure with angioplasty of the "culprit" lesion followed by full revascularization at a later time may be a more favourable option in some patients with multivessel disease.