The use of Castro Bernardes intraluminal ring in ascending aortic surgery avoiding conventional suture reduces extracorporeal circulation time and aortic cross-clamping time, improving surgical results. This approach simplifies ascending aortic surgery whether the disease is type A dissection or aneurysm, and may be considered a good alternative technique.

Ectopia cordis is a rare congenital malformation, which is commonly associated with other intracardiac defects. A two-day-old full-term baby girl was admitted to Santa Casa de Misericórdia Hospital Montes Claros, NG, Brazil, with thoracic ectopia cordis. A transthoracic echocardiographic study did not identify any associated congenital heart diseases. The infant underwent surgical treatment using a rib graft to create a neo-sternum. She was discharged after presenting a good outcome on the 20 th postoperative day.Descriptors: Heart defects, congenital. Ectopia cordis. Thoracic wall, abnormalities. Infant, newborn. ResumoA ectopia cardíaca é uma má formação congênita rara, normalmente associada a outras más formações intracardíacas. Uma criança do sexo feminino com dois dias de vida, nascida a termo de uma primeira gestação sem intercorrências (G1P1A0), por parto cesariano, foi admitida na Santa Casa de Montes Claros, em Minas Gerais, apresentando ectopia cardíaca na forma torácica. O estudo ecocardiográfico transtorácico não evidenciou cardiopatia congênita associada. A paciente foi submetida a tratamento cirúrgico, utilizando enxerto de costela. Apresentou boa evolução, recebendo alta hospitalar no vigésimo dia de pós-operatório.Descritores: Cardiopatias congênitas. Ectopia cardíaca. Parede torácica, anormalidades. Recém-nascido. 246GONÇALVES, FD ET AL -Thoracic ectopia cordis with anatomically normal heart Braz J Cardiovasc Surg 2007; 22(2): 245-247

GONÇALVES, FD ET AL -Influence of tranexamic acid in postoperative bleeding of cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypassRev Bras Cir Cardiovasc 2002; 17(4): 331-338 Abstract Objective: To analyze the influence of tranexamic acid in postoperative bleeding of cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.Method: 51 patients who underwent heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass were randomly divided in 2 groups: Group I -control, with 12 coronary artery disease patients and 14 valve disease patients. Results: Concerning the postoperative bleeding and transfusion required, there was a statistically significant reduction in its average in valve disease patients in Group II. In coronary disease patients there was only a slight tendency. There was no significant statistical difference as far as the thromboembolic or renal complications were concerned.Conclusion: In valve disease patients, there was a reduction in bleeding and the need of transfusions of red blood cells, both of which had statistical differences. In coronary disease patients there was only a reduced tendency. The use of tranexamic acid was not related to further thromboembolic complications or renal insufficiency in the assessed groups.Descriptors: Tranexamic acid, therapeutic use. Cardiac surgical procedures. Fibrinogen

No período de julho de 1986 a dezembro de 1995, foram operados 12 pacientes com rotura traumática da aorta torácica. Nove pacientes apresentavam rotura aguda da aorta e 3 rotura crônica. Em todos os pacientes a lesão localizava-se logo abaixo da emergência da artéria subclávia esquerda (istmo). Onze pacientes foram operados sob pinçamento aortico simples e em apenas 1 associamos shunt não heparinizado entre a artéria subclávia esquerda e a aorta descendente. O tempo médio de pinçamento aórtico foi de 33,2 minutos. Onze pacientes sobreviveram. Um paciente faleceu no pós-operatório imediato, devido a sangramento, e outro apresentou paresia de membros inferiores. Dez pacientes evoluíram sem complicações no pós-operatório. Concluímos que a correção da rotura traumática da aorta torácica, sob pinçamento aórtico simples, é técnica aceitável no tratamento cirúrgico desta lesão.
From July 1986 to December 1995 twelve patients with traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta were operated on. Nine patients had an acute injury and three had chronic injury. In all patients the lesion was located in the isthmus. Eleven patients were operated on with simple cross-clamp and in just one patient a shunt without heparin, between the left subclavian artery and thoracic aorta, was done. Medium aortic occlusion time was 33.2 minutes. Eleven patients are alive. There was one hospital death (8.3%) due to bleeding. One patient developed paresis of the lower limbs. Ten patients survived without complications. In our opinion the simple cross clamp technique is acceptable in the surgical repair of the traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta