Introduction Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is a hereditary heart muscle disorder characterized by significant myocardial hypertrophy. we assessed perioperative and long-term follow-up data of Iranian HOCM patients who underwent SM in 2 pioneering centers. Methods Clinical data of patients with HOCM septal myectomy are collected. Thirty-day outcome and long-term follow-up data for recurrence of gradient and mortality are reported. Results Ninety-six patients in two different centers enrolled in the study. Most patients of 52 patients in center 1 were male (34/52 [65.3%]).and the mean age was of 36.7  ±  19 years. Syncope before admission was reported in 5.7%, the mean left ventricular ejection fraction on admission was 53  ±  8%, the mean left ventricular outflow tract gradient was 66.3  ±  20.4 mm Hg, and the mean preoperativeseptal thickness was 25.4  ±  6.7 mm. A redo SM was performed in 3 patients (5.8%), mitral valve repair in 5 patients (9.6%), and atrioventricular repair in 5 patients (9.6%). A residual systolic anterior motion was detected in 4 patients (7.7%), the mean postoperative septal thickness was 19  ±  6 mm (25.1% septal thickness reduction), and in-hospital mortality was 5.8% (n  =  3). A longer-term follow-up showed death in 3 patients (5.8%) and late recurrent left ventricular outflow tract obstruction in 1 patient. Conclusions Transaortic myectomy is an effective surgery with acceptable early and late mortality rates. Improvements in functional status are seen in almost all patients. Appropriate SM is crucial to a good clinical outcome. Long-term survival is excellent and cardiac sudden death is extremely rare after a good surgical treatment.

OBJECTIVES The prevention of pulmonary insufficiency (PI) is a crucial part of the tetralogy of Fallot repair. Many techniques have been introduced to construct valves from different materials for the right ventricular outflow tract, including the most commonly constructed monocusp valves. We are introducing a new bicuspid valve made intraoperatively using the autologous right atrial appendage (RAA) to prevent PI in these patients. METHODS The RAA valve was constructed and used in 21 patients with tetralogy of Fallot. The effective preservation of the native valve was impossible in all patients because of either a severe valve deformity or a small annulus. The RAA valve was created after ventricular septal defect closure and right ventricular outflow tract myectomy and was covered with a bovine transannular pericardial patch. The perioperative data were evaluated, and the echocardiography results were assessed immediately after operations and in follow-up with a median of 10.5 months. The data were retrospectively compared with 10 other patients with similar demographic data but with only transannular patches. RESULTS The mean age of the patients was 13.3 months. No mortality or related morbidity occurred after repair using the RAA valve. The PI severity early after the operation was trivial or no PI in 18 patients, and mild PI was observed in 3 patients, which progressed to moderate PI in one of them in the mean 12-month follow-up period. Fifteen patients had mild or no pulmonary stenosis, while moderate pulmonary stenosis was observed in 6 others. Compared with the other 10 patients with only transannular patches, the RAA valve patients had prolonged operative and clamping times, but no difference in postoperative course and shorter hospital stays. The degree of PI was, of course, significantly less in the RAA valve patients, but pulmonary stenosis was the same. CONCLUSIONS The RAA valve construction is a safe and effective technique to prevent PI after the tetralogy of Fallot repair, at least in terms of short- and mid-term results. A longer follow-up period is needed to confirm if this new valve can eliminate or significantly delay the need for pulmonary valve replacement in these patients.

Aspergillus endocarditis is considered a rare complication in cardiac surgery, which is usually fatal due to unclear clinical manifestations. We present two cases with early and late post-operative Aspergillus endocarditis. Early diagnosis, more investigation for appropriate antifungal agents and their dosage, and early and aggressive surgical treatment may decrease fatality.

Introduction: The absence of a pulmonary artery is a rare congenital anomaly that occurs on its own or with some congenital cardiac disorders, particularly tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), while the hidden pulmonary artery might originate from a closed ductus arteriosus (DA) that can be stented to reach the artery.Material and methods: This prospective study describes cardiac catheterization of our nine TOF patients who had the absence of the left pulmonary artery before the operation. The patients were stratified in three groups: group one, whose closed DA were found and stented successfully to the hidden pulmonary artery; group two, whose hidden pulmonary arteries were found via the pulmonary vein angiography; and group three, for whom we could not find the remnant of the DA, or our attempt to stent the DA to the hidden pulmonary artery was not successful.We also evaluated outcomes of the other surgically-corrected TOF patients who were operated with the absent left pulmonary artery.Results: The first group included patients aged 1, 24, and 30 months, whose CT angiography 6-9 months after stenting showed acceptable left pulmonary artery diameter for surgically correction, while the pulmonary vein angiography of the group two patients showed a hidden left pulmonary artery with a suitable diameter for surgical correction.However, we were unable to find or stent the DA of the group three patients, aged 12, 38, 60, and 63 months. Moreover, evaluation of the other six previously corrected patients who were operated with a right pulmonary artery revealed pulmonary artery hypertension of the entire patients.Conclusion: The concealed pulmonary artery might be found, and stenting of the closed DA to it might be performed to improve the diameter of the diminutive pulmonary artery. This procedure may allow TOF total surgical correction with two pulmonary arteries. Besides, pulmonary vein angiography can reveal the hidden pulmonary artery.

Introduction The absence of a pulmonary artery is a rare congenital anomaly that occurs isolated or with other congenital cardiac disorders, particularly tetralogy of Fallot (TOF); meanwhile, a hidden pulmonary artery might exist and originate from a closed ductus arteriosus (DA), which can be stented to reach the artery. Material and methods This prospective study describes cardiac catheterization of nine TOF patients diagnosed with the absence of the left pulmonary artery before the operation. The patients were stratified into three groups: group one, whose closed DA was found and connected to the hidden pulmonary artery with a stent; group two, whose hidden pulmonary arteries were found via the pulmonary vein angiography; and group three, for whom we could not find the remnant of the DA, or our attempt to stent the DA to the hidden pulmonary artery was not successful. We also evaluated outcomes of six other surgically-corrected TOF patients who were operated with the absent left pulmonary artery. Results The first group included the patients aged 1, 24, and 30 months, whose CT angiography 6–9 months after stenting showed acceptable left pulmonary artery diameter for surgical correction, and the pulmonary vein angiography of the second group showed a hidden left pulmonary artery with a suitable diameter for surgical correction. However, we were unable to find or stent the DA of group three patients, aged 12, 38, 60, and 63 months. Earlier Angiography might have increased the chance of access to the hidden vessel. Apart from these three groups, follow-ups of six other patients previously corrected with only the right pulmonary artery revealed pulmonary artery hypertension in all patients. Conclusion The concealed pulmonary artery might be found, and stenting of the closed DA to it might be performed to improve the diameter of the diminutive pulmonary artery. This procedure may allow TOF total surgical correction with two pulmonary arteries. Besides, pulmonary vein angiography can reveal the hidden pulmonary artery.