Asian Cardiovascular & Thoracic Annals

A 37-year-old lady with infective endocarditis of the mitral valve presented in congestive cardiac failure. However, the clinical scenario became complicated when she was also found to have antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. Meticulous optimization and timely surgical intervention by a multidisciplinary team helped mitigate this not so common situation and lead to successful outcome.

BACKGROUND: Among venous thromboembolism, pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is one of the most serious postoperative complications. Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is the main cause. Considering the unknown prevalence of DVT and PTE in the postoperative period of cardiovascular surgery in Japan, we investigated the incidence in consecutive patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery. METHODS: A total of 225 patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery at four hospitals consented to participate in the study...

INTRODUCTION: To date, the discussion is still ongoing whether the Siewert II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG) should be resected either by thoracoabdominal esophagectomy or gastrectomy with resection of the distal esophagus by transhiatal extension. The aim of our study was to compare the oncological and perioperative outcomes of the transthoracic approach (TTA) and the transabdominal approach (TAA). METHODS: Searches of electronic databases identifying studies from Cochrane, PubMed and Google Scholar were performed...

The management of malignant melanoma with pulmonary metastases is controversial and occasionally requires multimodality management, including pulmonary metastasectomy after immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, limited data are available on these patients. We described a case series of three consecutive patients who underwent pulmonary metastasectomy after ICIs for malignant melanoma and discussed the important characteristics of these patients. After pulmonary metastasectomy, none of the patients had recurrent pulmonary metastases, although extrapulmonary metastases were developed...

BACKGROUND: Blood glucose level variability has been associated with increased risk of complication in the postoperative setting of cardiovascular surgery. Although interesting for optimization of blood glucose management in this context, continuous blood glucose (CBG) devices can have a limited reliability in this context, in particular because of the use of paracetamol. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of Dexcom G6®, a recently developed continuous glucose monitoring device...

Various surgical techniques have been developed for coarctation of the aorta. However, coarctation repair in neonates with arch hypoplasia remains challenging. We herein report a case in which a premature neonate under 1500 g with coarctation of the aorta and arch hypoplasia underwent an extra-anatomical bypass at 18 days old. A second extra-anatomical bypass was performed at 3 years of age, and a third extra-anatomic bypass for recurrent coarctation was performed in adulthood. By increasing the size of the graft as the patient grows, extra-anatomic bypass can be a useful surgical option for premature neonates with coarctation and arch hypoplasia...

Lung pleomorphic carcinoma is a rare and aggressive cancer that uncommonly metastasizes to the colon and only a few case reports have been published thus far. We present an exceptional case of colon metastasis from lung pleomorphic carcinoma in a 68-year-old man which was revealed by large bowel perforation, and we review the previous three published cases. Metastasis to the bowel from primary lung malignancy often lacks specific symptoms which result in delayed diagnosis. Bowel metastasis is a poor prognostic factor in patients with lung pleomorphic carcinoma, regardless of management strategy...

BACKGROUND: Transbronchial microwave ablation in treating lung nodules is gaining popularity. However, microwave ablation in subpleural lung nodules raised concerns about pleural-based complications due to the proximity between the pleura and the ablation zone. METHODS: Patients who underwent transbronchial microwave ablation between March 2019 and November 2022 were included in this analysis. The lung nodules were categorized into the subpleural group-less than 5 mm distance to the nearest pleural surface; the deep nodule group-larger or equal to 5 mm distance to the nearest pleural surface...

BACKGROUND: Research comparing the effectiveness of central aortic cannulation to axillary artery cannulation in repairing acute type A aortic dissection is limited and controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to compare early outcomes of central aortic cannulation versus axillary artery cannulation for surgery for acute aortic dissection type A. METHODS: A comprehensive systematic search was conducted across PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials up to September 1, 2023...

INTRODUCTION: Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) caused by superior mediastinal soft tissue mass has never been reported in the literature, the aim of this study is to discuss a case of TOS caused by a superior mediastinal mass in which the histopathological examinations of the mass showed vascular malformation. CASE REPORT: A 45-year-old female presented with left upper limb pain and numbness for three months, associated with swelling and attacks of shortness of breath...

OBJECTIVE: In literature, various risk scores have been described to predict in-hospital mortality of patients undergoing surgery for acute type A dissection. We want to evaluate which factors are most correlated with a negative outcome and testing the validity of the current scores in literature analyzing our experience of over 20 years in the surgery of type A aortic dissections. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 324 patients were included in the study. Patients were divided into two groups according to 30-day survival or mortality...

BACKGROUND: Omental artery aneurysm (OAA) is an extremely rare visceral artery aneurysm. Ruptured OAAs are associated with a high mortality rate. Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) has been used to treat OAA in recent years. However, the risk of omental ischemia due to TAE remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of TAE of OAA as a first-line treatment. METHODS: Fifteen patients with true aneurysms or pseudoaneurysms who underwent OAA-TAE between 1 April 2010 and 31 December 2022 were included in this study...

BACKGROUND: Popliteal artery aneurysms (PAAs) are relatively rare but are one of the most common peripheral arterial aneurysms. Open popliteal artery aneurysm repair (OPAR) has been the standard, but technological advancements have made endovascular popliteal artery aneurysm repair (EPAR) a promising alternative. The aim of this study is to compare EPAR and OPAR efficacy and outcomes over a 10-year period. METHODS: This study retrospectively reviewed 72 patient charts who were diagnosed with PAA or popliteal artery pseudoaneurysm and underwent EPAR or OPAR from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2019...

A five-year-old boy was diagnosed with the ventricular septal rupture and ventricular aneurysm after blunt chest trauma in child abuse. Because of the intractable heart failure, he underwent operation in subacute period. Postoperative course was uneventful. The blunt cardiac injury in children can be caused by mild trauma and can be lethal. Surgical intervention should be considered when the clinical condition is unstable.

BACKGROUND: The vascular division sequence in video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lung resection is usually determined by the handling difficulty due to the limited surgical view through the scope. However, upfront pulmonary vein division is theoretically desirable to avoid tumor cells spreading by surgical manipulation. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is associated with poor prognosis and an increased number of circulating tumor cells. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of vascular division sequence and EMT on postoperative recurrence...

BACKGROUND: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a cardiovascular disease characterized by a high mortality rate when ruptured. Some studies suggest a potential inverse correlation between AAA and diabetes patients, especially those undergoing metformin treatment. However, this relationship remains unclear. This paper offers a systematic review and meta-analysis with the objective of clarifying the influence of metformin on AAA. METHODS: A search for relevant articles was performed across multiple databases including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Cochrane and Scopus...

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A 51-year-old female underwent emergency mitral valve replacement for mitral stenosis with an undetermined mass which was attached to the anterior mitral leaflet. Histopathological testing of the excised specimen confirmed the diagnosis of rheumatic mitral disease in combination with a primary rhabdomyosarcoma. Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy with pazopanib hydrochloride was given. At 10 months of follow-up, repeated computed tomographic screening has not shown any signs of local recurrence or secondary metastases...

We read with great interest the systematic review from Agarwal and colleagues, comparing the results of sutureless valves versus conventional aortic valve replacement (AVR) with aortic root enlargement in patients with aortic stenosis and small aortic annulus. We herein comment on the review trying to highlight some major issues. Based on some recent literature's evidences and on the authors' personal experience, we suggest to consider AVR with mechanical valve as a still viable option, especially in small aortic annulus...

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of lung cancer is based on the microscopic exam of tissue or liquid. During the recent decade, many biomarkers have been pointed to have a potential diagnostic role. These biomarkers may be assessed in blood, pleural effusion or sputum and they could avoid biopsies or other risky procedures. The authors aimed to assess the diagnostic performances of biomarkers focusing on micro-RNA and metabolites. METHODS: This meta-analysis was conducted under the PRISMA guidelines during a nine-year-period (2013-2022)...