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To establish whether emergency surgery performed outside working hours (after hours) contributed to adverse outcomes for patients with acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD).We reviewed the operation records of ATAAD repair in our institution from 2004 to 2019 (n = 187). Emergency surgery was performed by one of a few teams of experienced surgeons, regardless of the time of day. Patients were divided into two groups based on the surgery start time: during working hours (n = 65) and after hours (n = 122). A propensity score-matched analysis was performed for 58 pairs of patients.The overall in-hospital mortality was 6.9% for the working-hours group and 13.8% for the after-hours group. There were no significant differences between the groups in the relatively limited study population (n = 187). Surgeon experience and aortic interventions did not differ remarkably between the groups. After-hours repair was not associated with postoperative complications. There were no significant differences in the long-term survival or aortic event-free rates between the groups.After-hours surgery did not affect the short- or long-term outcomes of ATAAD repair under our backup system, which supports the recommendation of immediate surgical repair. Efforts to minimize the discrepancies between working hours and after hours could help to improve the surgical outcomes of patients undergoing ATAAD repair.

This report presents a modified procedure of tricuspid valve ring annuloplasty (R-TAP) with posterior annular plication for functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR). Sutures on the native annulus were placed by a standard fashion in R-TAP, and those on the posterior annulus and its bilateral commissures were passed through in a narrow range between the 3 and 4 o'clock positions of the 26-mm ring. The other sutures were done with an usual manner and the ring was fixed to the annulus, resulting in the posterior annular plication( bicuspidization). Follow-up was performed for more than 5 years( mean: 7.9 years, range:5.5~11.5 years) by echocardiography in 13 cases. Postoperative TR reduced significantly to less than moderate, which was maintained during the entire follow-up period, even in the case with atrial fibrillation. There was no sign of tricuspid stenosis. R-TAP with posterior annular plication was feasible, reproducible, and effective, although further investigation is needed.

Introduction The efficacy of endovascular treatment for complicated Stanford type B acute aortic dissection is being established. However, aortic events sometimes occur, and some cases require surgical intervention. Report A 52 year old man underwent ascending aorta replacement for Stanford type A acute aortic dissection in August 2016. Post-operative computed tomography (CT) showed residual dissection from the aortic arch to the right common iliac artery and a large re-entry in the right common iliac artery (RCIA). Two months after the operation, CT revealed enlargement of the false lumen of the thoracic aorta and the thoracic aortic diameter. Aiming to reduce the false lumen and remodel the aorta, a three stage operation was performed, as described below. Four months after the dissection, total aortic arch replacement and a frozen elephant trunk insertion were performed as the first stage. Subsequently, as a second stage operation, thoracic endovascular repair (TEVAR) was performed using a Zenith® Dissection Endovascular System (Cook Japan Co., Ltd, Tokyo, Japan), with the aim of expanding the true aortic lumen. The implanted devices were a stent graft for the proximal part and two bare stents for the middle and distal part. As a third stage operation, abdominal aortic endovascular treatment was performed with the purpose of closing the re-entry from the RCIA. However, two years after the three stage operation, CT showed that the thoracic aorta was over 60 mm in diameter. Graft replacement of the thoraco-abdominal aorta was performed. The bare stents were expected to be easily removable from the aorta, but unexpectedly, they were strongly attached to the intima, which made it extremely difficult to perform surgical and aortic operations. Discussion Surgical operations for the aorta can become more difficult after bare stent placement in the aorta., Highlights • Surgical operations on the aorta can be hampered after intra-aortic bare stent placement. • The bare stents and the intima of the true lumen were integrated. • Operability seemed to be relatively smooth when the electric cautery was operated at a high output.

The patient was an 81-year-old man. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation( TAVI) was performed for severe aortic stenosis using Evolut R. The patient moved to intensive care unit without an adverse event after the operation. But repeated acute heart failure occurred several times during hospital stay. Mitral regurgitation (MR) was worsened from mild at baseline to moderate or more by transthoracic echocardiography. Various factors that worsened MR after TAVI have been reported, and treatment strategy for severe aortic stenosis patients with MR should be carefully developed.

We report our experience in the application of a Denver shunt as surgical treatment for intractable pericardial effusion. The patient was a 60-year-old woman who suffered from pericarditis accompanied by intractable pericardial effusion as complications of systemic lupus erythematosus. Pericardial fenestration with thoracoscopic assistance and a right pleuroperitoneal shunt using a Denver shunt were performed as surgical treatment. Postoperatively, the patient’s heart failure symptoms disappeared and her pericardial effusion was considerably reduced. The postoperative course was uneventful without recurrence after a 2-year follow-up period.