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Reports of takotsubo cardiomyopathy following cardiac surgery are rare. We report a case of postoperative takotsubo cardiomyopathy after mitral valve replacement (MVR). The patient was a 70-yearold woman with mitral stenosis, regurgitation, and a medical history of long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation. Preoperative echocardiogram confirmed severe mitral regurgitation, severe mitral stenosis, severe tricuspid regurgitation, and slight left ventricular dysfunction. Coronary lesions were not observed on preoperative diagnostic coronary angiography. MVR with a bioprosthetic valve, tricuspid annuloplasty, and left atrial maze were performed. Electrocardiogram on postoperative day (POD) 1 revealed a deep negative T wave in V3-V6. Echocardiogram revealed "takotsubo-like" wall motion, and the ejection fraction( EF) was 19%. The EF improved on POD 7. After three months, the electrocardiogram findings and EF appeared normal. We suspected takotsubo cardiomyopathy although postoperative coronary angiography was not performed. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy should be considered as a possible complication of cardiac surgery, especially after MVR.

2014 American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) guidelines recommend beta blocker for prevention and management of perioperative atrial fibrillation and flutter for thoracic surgical procedures. In recent years, transdermal patch of bisoprolol (TDPB) has become available in Japan. We examined the efficacy of TDPB for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) after open heart surgery. Among 289 patients who had undergone open heart surgery in our hospital from December 2013 to April 2016, 48(16.6%)patients, for whom TDPB was used for PAF, were analyzed retrospectively. The summary of our PAF protocol:HR >80;a sheet of TDPB (4 mg) is pasted, HR≤60;TDPB is removed, HR >140 persisted;another sheet of TDPB is added. Eighteen of the 48 (37.5%) patients recovered sinus rhythm within 24 hours. Six patients( 12.5%), because of persistent tachycardia, shifted to continuous infusion of landiolol. Ten underwent electrical defibrillation during hospitalization. In 3 patients, TDPB was removed due to advanced bradycardia. TDPB could be used safely and feasibly for PAF after open heart surgery.

We report a case of giant cell arteritis that was incidentally diagnosed during a hybrid( open surgical and endovascular) approach to an extensive thoracic aortic disease. A 78-year-old man was admitted for the evaluation and treatment of annuloaortic ectasia and an extensive thoracic aortic aneurysm. We performed aortic root replacement (Bentall procedure) and total aortic arch replacement using the elephant trunk technique under hypothermic circulatory arrest. Pathological examination of the aneurysmal wall revealed giant cell arteritis. He had no specific symptoms such as headache, jaw claudication, or vision loss. Because no findings except for a slightly elevated erythrocyte sediment rate were suggestive of active vasculitis, he was discharged from hospital without steroid therapy 6 weeks after open surgery. However, 4 weeks later he returned in hemorrhagic shock due to rupture of a residual descending thoracic aortic aneurysm. He underwent emergency endovascular repair but died intraoperatively. In conclusion, early second-stage procedure and postoperative steroid therapy may be useful in a patient with aortic aneurysm in giant cell arteritis undergoing a hybrid procedure.