Prevention of recurrent stroke in adults with patent foramen ovale represents a therapeutic challenge. Antiplatelet or anticoagulant treatment is widely introduced, but its exact indication is not known. In this pilot study, eight men and three women with previous ischemic cerebral events underwent direct surgical closure of the patent foramen ovale. Mean age was 39.4 (from 30 to 58) years. No coexisting cause of stroke was found after extensive investigations, including blood and coagulation tests, echocardiography, 24-hour three-lead electrocardiographic monitoring, extracranial and transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, and cerebral angiography. Criteria for operation also included at least two of the following: atrial septal aneurysm, multiple cerebral infarcts, a history of multiple cerebral events, and Valsalva strain before stroke. Before operation, one patient had two shunts (1 patent foramen ovale, 1 intrapulmonary shunt). No intraoperative or postoperative complications occurred, but a few hours after operation transient arrhythmias developed in two patients without atrial fibrillation, hemodynamic instability, or embolism. During a median follow-up of 12.2 months, no patient had recurrent stroke. All patients prospectively underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging and contrast echocardiography with simultaneous transcranial Doppler ultrasonography. A residual right-to-left interatrial shunt, smaller than the preoperative one, was observed in only one patient, whereas no lesion was seen on magnetic resonance imaging. Our study suggests that surgical closure of patent foramen ovale in patients with presumed paradoxic embolism is safe, with no recurrent stroke in the first year of follow-up. Further studies are needed to evaluate the long-term prognosis of patients with versus without operation and to define the role of operation as an alternative to prolonged antithrombotic treatment.

Concurrent CRT for elderly was feasible and quite well tolerated. Great attention in prescribing CT dose should be paid to limit acute toxicity.

Introduction: Prevention of recurrent cryptogenic strokes or transient ischemic attacks in adults with patent foramen ovale (PFO) represents a therapeutic challenge. Antithrombotic pharmacological treatment is widely used, but its indication is limited because of its significant complications.Objective: To demonstrate the efficacy of the surgical closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) as prophylaxis secondary to cryptogenic strokes or transient ischemic attacks of undetermined origin.Method: In this study, 31 men and 16 women with previous ischemic cerebral events underwent direct surgical closure of the PFO. Mean age was 40 years (from 27 to 59 years). No coexisting cause of the stroke was found after extensive investigation, including blood coagulation tests, transesophageal contrast echocardiography (TEE), extracranial and transcranial doppler ultrasonography, 24-hour electrocardiographic monitoring, brain magnetic resonance (BMR) and CT scan. Criteria for operation also included at least two of the following: atrial septal aneurysm, multiple cerebral infarcts, multiple cerebral events and a history of Valsalva strain before stroke. Before operation, only one patient had two shunts (1 PFO and 1 intrapulmonary shunt).Results: No complications occurred during or after the operation, but a few hours after the operation transient arrhythmias developed in four patients without atrial fibrillation, hemodynamic instability nor embolism. All patients survived in class I (NYHA) and during a mean followup of 36 months, no patient had recurrence of the stroke or transient ischemic attacks. All patients prospectively underwent BMR and contrast TEE with simultaneous transcranial doppler ultrasonography. A residual right-toleft shunt, smaller than the preoperative one, was observed in only one patient, whereas no lesion was seen on the BMR.Conclusion: It is concluded that surgical closure of PFO in patients with presumed paradoxical embolism is safe and avoids recurrent stroke.Descriptors: Stoke. Heart septum, surgery. Embolism paradoxical. Cardiovasc 2003; 18(3): 242-252 Rev Bras Cir

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The authors developed a new prosthesis for patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure, using a delivery device inserted through the main pulmonary artery (MPA) avoiding ductal dissection and use of cardiopulmonary bypass. The prosthesis was inserted in 19 consecutive patients between 1985 and 1992. They have been followed for a mean of 4.8 years (minimum 30 days, maximum 7.5 years). There were 14 women (72%) and the average age was 11 years (16 months to 38 years). All patients presented with pulmonary hypertension (4 severe, 5 moderate, and 10 mild). Simultaneous surgical procedures for congenital heart disease were performed in two cases. One patient had a diffuse calcified PDA. The average diameter of the inserted prosthesis was 7.5 mm (3.5 to 12.5 mm). Neither hemorrhage nor prosthesis dislocation/embolization occurred during the implantation or in the postoperative period. In a newborn (30 days) with severe cardiomegaly and thin MPA, we decided to ligate the ductus. Chronic cor pulmonale contributed to death in one patient 3.7 years after operation. The remaining patients recovered well, without clinical evidence of residual shunt. Therefore, we recommend the use of this new prosthesis for PDA closure in cases of large ductus or ductus complicated with calcification, pulmonary hypertension, and when associated open heart surgery is required.