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As procedures such as epicardial ventricular ablation and left atrial appendage occlusion become more commonplace, the need grows for safer techniques to access the physiologic pericardial space. Because this space contains minimal fluid for lubrication, prevailing methods of pericardial access pose considerable periprocedural risk to cardiac structures. Therefore, we devised a novel method of pericardial access in which carbon dioxide (CO2) is insufflated through a right atrial puncture under fluoroscopic guidance, enabling clear visualization of the cardiac silhouette separating from the chest wall. We performed the procedure in 8 Landrace pigs, after which transthoracic percutaneous pericardial access was obtained by conventional means. All of the animals remained hemodynamically stable during the procedure, and none showed evidence of epicardial or coronary injury. The protective layer of CO2 in the pericardial space anterior to the heart facilitated percutaneous access in our porcine model, and the absence of complications supports the potential safety of this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the indications for implanting left ventricular assist devices have expanded, some patients are qualifying for device removal after myocardial recovery. Whereas explantation has been described for previous generations of devices, no standard procedures have been developed. Removal of centrifugal-flow devices has created the need for a plug to seal the apical ventriculotomy after pump removal. However, no commercially available products are available in the United States. We used a novel technique to fashion a plug from Teflon felt and a Dacron graft to enable minimally invasive explantation of a current-generation centrifugal-flow device in a 33-year-old woman. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement is becoming a routine procedure to treat severe symptomatic aortic stenosis. At most transcatheter aortic valve replacement centers, transapical access is a frequent alternative for use in patients whose ileofemoral access is inadequate. Transapical access is increasingly applied to a variety of other structural heart and aortic procedures as well. There is a caveat, however. When performed in elderly patients with friable myocardium, transapical access is associated with such serious sequelae as bleeding and left ventricular apical pseudoaneurysmal formation. Here, we describe the case of a 70-year-old woman who developed a left ventricular apical pseudoaneurysm 3 weeks after transapical transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Our successful repair took a minimally invasive left lateral approach that involved peripheral cardiopulmonary bypass cannulation, Foley catheter occlusion and primary defect closure, and BioGlue reinforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minimally invasive cardiac surgical techniques include the use of partial sternotomy for aortic valve and mitral valve replacement. Partial sternotomy is associated with less pain, better chest and upper-sternal stability, shorter hospital stays, and faster recoveries. However, aortic arch operations are still typically performed through median sternotomies. We describe the case of a 77-year-old woman who underwent elective hemiarch replacement because of an asymptomatic ascending aortic aneurysm. She requested a minimal incision. Our J-shaped partial lower sternotomy adequately exposed the proximal aorta and enabled all cannulations to be performed through the sternotomy. The patient had an uncomplicated postoperative course. We think that a partial sternotomy for ascending aortic and hemiarch replacement can be considered in selected patients for whom the procedure's benefits are important.