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Copyright of Zeitschrift für Herz-, Thorax- und Gefaesschirurgie is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Complex peripheral aneurysm anatomy with major artery branches in the immediate vicinity and mycotic aneurysm often impede endovascular management using covered stent grafts. The Cardiatis Multilayer Stent (Cardiatis, Isnes, Belgium) is a recently approved innovative stent system for peripheral aneurysm management. Its multilayer design aims at decreasing mean velocity and vorticity within the aneurysm sac to cause thrombus formation while maintaining patency of branching vessels due to laminar flow. We present a case of bilateral subclavian artery aneurysms and perivisceral aortic aneurysms in an AIDS patient successfully treated with the Cardiatis Multilayer Stent at 18 months' follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Surgery plays a central role in the management of acquired valvular heart disease. The optimal diagnostic evaluation, surgical treatment, and postoperative care of these patients are only possible through a cooperative effort of the primary care physician, the cardiologist, and the cardiac surgeon. Methods: The literature was selectively searched for information on surgical indications, operative techniques, and postoperative care in acquired valvular heart disease. Evidence-based guidelines and treatment recommendations were also taken into account. Results: A wide variety of techniques and implants are now available for the surgical treatment of acquired valvular heart disease. If they are used in evidence-based fashion, the perioperative mortality is low and the long-term outcome is favorable. Conclusions: The volume of surgery for acquired valvular heart disease in Germany has increased substantially in recent years, from 25 495 cases in 2002 (corresponding to 26.5% of all heart operations in that year) to 33 412 in 2007 (36.5% of all heart operations). The causes for this include both demographic changes and the availability of new, less invasive surgical techniques that yield better results in elderly and/or multimorbid patients. Because of these new techniques, the indications for surgery have widened, while the results have remained favorable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims The aim of this study was to test pacemakers with feedthru filters for interference with a digital cellular telephone. Methods The study comprised 100 patients having their first pacemaker implantation between January 2001 and May 2003. A GSM-standard cellular phone was tested in the standby, dialing and operating mode against 23 single-chamber and 77 dual-chamber pacemakers. Continuous surface electrocardiograms, intracardiac electrograms, and marker channels were recorded when calls were made by a land phone to the cellular phone. Results In 2 patients we observed pacing inhibition with the cellular phone positioned directly above the pacemaker pocket. The unipolar and bipolar ventricular sensitivity setting was 0.25 mV in one dual-chamber pacemaker, and when we changed the sensitivity to 0.50 mV and higher no interference could be detected. The second inhibition occurred in a single-chamber pacemaker with unipolar and bipolar ventricular sensitivity setting of 0.5 mV, where a sensitivity change to 1.0 mV eliminated the interference. Conclusion Anticipating a correct setting of ventricular sensitivity, currently available pacemakers equipped with feedthru filters do not show any interference with cellular phones. Since interference was only observed with sensitivity settings below 0.50 mV, we recommend that permanent programming of ventricular sensitivity should be set at 2.0 mV and higher. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Clinical Research in Cardiology is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: The resection of large soft-tissue sarcoma requires reconstruction with free flaps. The choice of recipient vessels is crucial for the success of surgery., Patients: We report four cases with large soft-tissue sarcomas with complex anatomical relationships: two tumors of the thigh surrounding the femoral neurovascular structures and two tumors of the abdomen with infiltration of the thorax and the abdomen. All cases received multimodal interdisciplinary treatment. The anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap and the latissimus dorsi (LD) flap were employed twice for defect coverage in this series. In all cases the deep inferior epigastric (DIE) vessels were transposed to the subcutaneous compartment and used as recipient vessels., Results: The mean duration of surgery was 694 ± 149 minutes. The mean weight of the tumor specimen was 3069 ± 1267 g. Three flaps healed primarily and one exhibited a minor necrosis, which was treated by excision and secondary suture. There were no cases of abdominal herniation due to the transposition of vessels., Conclusion: Transposition of DIE-vessels to the subcutaneus compartment is a good alternative for free flap revascularisation in this patient group. In this position, the vessels are easily accessed and used for microsurgery. This technical modification increases the reconstructive possibilities in large and previously irradiated surgical defects., Competing Interests: Die Autoren geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht., (Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

SummaryThe development of new devices to improve treatment and to explore new indications that have not yet been adequately addressed is a natural consequence of the clinical demand for solutions to as yet unmet needs. The frozen elephant trunk technique was one of the major steps within the last 15 years to improve on existing treatments as well as to explore new indications. The goal of this article is to provide technical details about advances in implantation techniques for the treatment of acute and chronic thoracic aortic pathological conditions., (© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

There is a growing number of devices used for thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). The designs of stent grafts and their delivery systems differ substantially. The success of TEVAR is based on the correct use of stent graft delivery systems, the identification and understanding of radiopaque markers, and the stent graft's accurate placement. In this brief communication, we introduce the TEVAR App-a novel guide for thoracic endovascular aortic repair. It is a tool that provides key information that is quick to access and easy to understand on the thoracic aortic stent grafts currently available. It includes instructions for use, animations demonstrating the stent grafts' deployment, troubleshooting information, size tables, the locations of radiopaque markers, stent graft and delivery system photos, chest X-rays, and information on magnetic resonance safety and compatibility. Furthermore, it contains the TEVAR Calculator, which assists one in planning stent graft size according to individual aortic dimensions and oversizing factors. The TEVAR App is cost-free, and its development has not been supported financially by any industry. It is a non-profit project that aims to educate and help physicians performing TEVARs., (© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Background: Abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysms are diagnosed in 40 and 10 to 15 out of 100 000 persons per year, respectively. Fenestrated (fEVAR) and branched (bEVAR) stent grafts have been developed for abdominal juxtarenal and thoracoabdominal aneurysms. We discuss the patency and complication rates of fEVAR and bEVAR procedures and compare them with the outcome of open surgery., Methods: This review is based on pertinent publications from 2011 to 2014 that were retrieved by a selective literature search. The clinical outcomes of case series involving a total of more than 1500 patients are presented. The discussion takes account of recommendations contained in the literature and the authors' own experience., Results: Open surgery and aortic stent grafting have not been compared in any randomized trial to date. We identified 7 clinical series that included a total of 1270 fEVAR patients and 5 with a total of 408 bEVAR patients. The perioperative mortality after fEVAR procedures was 0-4%. Spinal cord ischemia arose in 1% of cases. The stent patency rate in visceral vessels ranged from 93 to 98%. bEVAR procedures were associated with both higher mortality (4-7%) and more common spinal cord ischemia (4-13%). 5-8% of all patients needed dialysis perioperatively, and the stent patency rate in visceral vessels was 94-97%. Preoperative renal insufficiency was a risk factor for peri-interventional death. Impaired renal function after fEVAR/bEVAR procedures was mainly associated with intermittent lower limb ischemia., Conclusion: The results of fEVAR/bEVAR procedures in the last 5 years are similar to those of open surgery. The high postoperative rate of spinal cord ischemia remains a serious problem in the endovascular treatment of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms. The decision to implant a stent graft by an endovascular approach or to treat surgically should be made on a case-to-case basis in an interdisciplinary vascular conference.