No abstract

This retrospective study compared the immediate post-operative (first month) and mid-term (up to 5 years post-operation) results of 22 patients with isolated ventricular septal defects who underwent surgical correction with bovine pericardium with 57 similar patients who received a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) patch. There were no cases of early (in the first month) mortality in either group and the 3-month post-operative echocardiographical studies showed no evidence of calcification or aneurysm formation around the patch. Recurrent ventricular septal defects due to dehiscence of the patch occurred in the early follow-up period in four patients who had the PTFE patch but this was not statistically significant. Annual echocardiographical examination revealed some calcification in both groups. We conclude that although there are no significant differences between the two materials in outcome after ventricular septal defects closure, we prefer bovine pericardium because of its handling characteristics, elasticity and the lower risk of endocarditis.

No abstract

As a consequence of the progress in the development of endovascular techniques, hybrid treatment is becoming a more popular option for the treatment of coarctation accompanied by cardiac diseases. Two-stage procedures and extra-anatomical bypass might be alternative techniques if endovascular procedures are contraindicated or failing.

A free-floating tumor thrombus in the left atrium is an unusual metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer. Surgical resection of free-floating tumor thrombus prior to adjuvant therapy relieves cardiac symptoms such as exertional dyspnea, and prevents life-threatening complications including systemic embolization, mitral obstruction, or sudden death.