Tracheo-innominate artery fistula (TIF) is an uncommon yet life threatening complication after a tracheostomy. Rates of 0.1–1% after surgical tracheostomy have been reported, with a peak incidence at 7–14 days post procedure. It is usually fatal unless treatment is instituted immediately. Initial case reports of TIF resulted from surgically performed tracheostomies. We present three fatalities ...

OBJECTIVE This study sought to determine whether simvastatin, a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor, has stabilizing effects on vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques that are independent of their lipid-lowering capabilities. METHODS AND RESULTS Simvastatin (50 mg/kg per day) was administered to 30-week-old apolipoprotein E-deficient mice exhibiting advanced unstable atheros...

BACKGROUND The main structures anterior to the trachea are frequently poorly visualized by trans-oesophageal echocardiography (TEE) because of the tracheal air column. We studied a new acoustic window for TEE imaging of large vessels anterior to the trachea by using a saline-filled endotracheal balloon. METHODS Cardiac surgery patients were studied. After ventilation was discontinued at the b...

We describe three alternative approaches for the left ventricular assist device (LVAD) outflow graft during implantation of the LVAD. The supraceliac abdominal aorta, innominate artery and left axillary artery were employed as alternative sites for the LVAD outflow graft in the setting of a heavily calcified ascending aorta or a hostile chest wall and mediastinum. The first approach involved th...

A 51-year-old man with no cardiovascular symptoms was referred for cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) for further investigation of alterations observed on previous exams. CMRI revealed biventricular dilatation and paradoxical septal motion compatible with volume overload. Balanced steady-state free precession sequences in axial planes showed an anomalous vein oriented vertically and late...

Most previous studies of atherosclerosis in hyperlipidemic mouse models have focused their investigations on lesions within the aorta or aortic sinus in young animals. None of these studies has demonstrated clinically significant advanced lesions. We previously mapped the distribution of lesions throughout the arterial tree of apolipoprotein E knockout (apoE(-/-)) mice between the ages of 24 an...

PURPOSE To improve function after pelvic resection involving the acetabulum, using an anatomic composite implant built with screws and cement. MATERIAL AND METHOD Since 1990, 66 patients with peri-acetabular bone malignancies have been treated by extensive resection followed by hand-modelled innominate prosthesis with partially constrained total hip prosthesis. The hand-modelled innominate pr...

Innominate and common carotid artery lesions have usually been treated surgically with extra-anatomic bypass via a cervical approach or median sternotomy. The transtoracic approach succeeded in providing direct access to proximal aortic arch branch vessel lesions, but these approach was associated with rather high mortality rate (22%) [1-4]. In 1967, Diethrich et al. [5] reported the first extr...