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Several studies have indicated that the fenestrated frozen elephant trunk (FET) technique enhances early outcomes in cases of acute aortic dissection, although long-term outcomes remain unclear. A case involving a 62-year-old male who experienced endoleak from a fenestration site following total arch replacement using the fenestrated FET technique for a DeBakey type I aortic dissection is reported. The patient underwent successful reoperation involving total arch replacement and reinsertion of the FET. Postoperatively, there was an absence of endoleak from the fenestration, and a noteworthy reduction in the diameter of the aortic arch was observed. It is imperative to recognize that endoleak from a fenestration poses a risk for prompt aortic expansion, thus necessitating vigilant postoperative monitoring. Furthermore, when adopting fenestrated FET, it is crucial to ensure firm fixation around the fenestration to prevent endoleak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we present a case report detailing a pseudoaneurysm of the coronary button due to aortic remodeling that occurred 2 years after aortic root replacement. The patient was referred to our hospital with a diagnosis of left coronary artery pseudoaneurysm. Intraoperative findings revealed substantially loosened sutures in both the left and right coronary arteries with bleeding. Specifically, the left coronary artery was detached at the 6–9 o'clock positions. The operation was concluded with ligation of the loose suture and addition of a new suture. Chronic dissection thickened the aortic wall of the coronary artery ostium in the initial Bentall operation, whereas the sutured coronary button in this operation exhibited a normal arterial wall without a thickened dissected intima. This suggests that aortic wall remodelling of the coronary ostium leads to suture loosening and subsequent haemorrhage. Aortic wall remodeling may lead to bleeding or pseudoaneurysms during the remote period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a successful case of mitral valve replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting under mild hypothermia and systemic hyperkalemia in a patient with severely atheromatous ascending aorta on which placing a clamp seemed contraindicated. A 78-year-old man was referred to our hospital with the diagnosis of heart failure associated with severe mitral regurgitation and coronary artery disease. Echocardiography showed severe mitral regurgitation due to A3, P3 and posterior commissure (PC) prolapse and coronary angiography showed three vessel disease. Computed tomography( CT) revealed a severely atheromatous ascending aorta. Surgery was performed under cardiac arrest using systemic hyperkalemia and superior transseptal approach. Although cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time was a little prolonged in order to wash out potassium with dilutional ultrafiltration, the patient was uneventfully separated from CPB. The patient had no neurological complications and was discharged from the hospital 15 days after surgery. Mitral valve replacement under cardiac arrest using systemic hyperkalemia without cross clamping the aorta is useful to avoid neurological complications.

Objectives: The prognosis of ventricular septal rupture (VSR) after acute myocardial infarction remains poor; hence, surgical repair is essential. However, the appropriate timing for surgical intervention remains unclear. We aimed to compare the prognosis between early (<96 hours) and delayed (≥96 hours) surgery for VSR., Methods: This single-center, retrospective cohort study used data from 49 patients who underwent VSR repair after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) between 2007 and 2022 at our institution. In-hospital and one-, three-, and 10-year mortality and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events were compared between the early (group A) and delayed (group B) surgery after AMI., Results: No significant differences were found between the patients' backgrounds of the two groups. The in-hospital mortality rates were 37.5 and 16.0% for groups A and B, respectively ( P = 0.114). The overall survival rates estimated using Kaplan-Meier analysis were 66.5 ± 6.9, 58.2 ± 7.5, and 28.8 ± 10.6% after one, three, and 10 years, respectively. The mortality rates in group B at three (hazard risk ratio: 2.691; 95% confidence interval: 1.02-7.097) and 10 (hazard risk ratio: 2.575; 95% confidence interval: 1.125-5.891) years were significantly better than those in group A. Major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events were significantly different between the two groups at all time points., Conclusions: These results showed that patients who underwent surgery for VSR 96 hours after AMI had better long-term survival than those who underwent surgery within 96 hours., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Sakakibara Heart Institutional Review Board issued approval 22-034. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Sumi et al.)

Purpose: The nutrition support team at our hospital introduced a flowchart to ensure smooth initiation of early enteral nutrition after open heart surgery. We assessed the effectiveness and safety of early enteral nutrition using the flowchart., Methods: We examined 240 patients who had undergone cardiovascular surgery between November 2013 and September 2015. The patients were divided into 2 groups for comparison;the flowchart intervention group( n=120) and the non-intervention group( n=120)., Results: The postoperative enteral nutrition in the intervention and the non-intervention groups was begun at 28.3 (23.2~40.5) hours and 37.0 (26.7~44.9) hours (p=0.04), respectively. There was no difference in the length of intensive care unit stay or postoperative infection rate. However, the length of hospital stay was prolonged in the intervention group (11.0 days versus 9.0 days;p<0.01). The rate of gastrointestinal complication was also comparable( 28% versus 21%;p=0.23)., Conclusion: Our study suggests that early enteral nutrition may be safely promoted by introducing the flowchart in patients who have undergone open heart surgery. Further investigation is needed to clarify the effectiveness.

A 60-year-old male was referred to our institution for investigation of intractable hypertension. Coarctation of the aorta was detected by computed tomography (CT). Bilateral internal thoracic arteries played an important role as a collateral source to the lower extremity. Coronary angiography showed stenosis at the ostium of left main trunk. Ascending aorta to bilateral external iliac artery bypass grafting and off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) was done simultaneously, this is because we had to harvest left internal thoracic artery as a conduit for coronary artery bypass grafting(CABG).Postoperative course was uneventful. The patient was discharged 10 days after the operation. We could perform less-invasive surgery despite the simultaneous operations.