Transient neurologic dysfunction is common after aortic surgery. Major causes of postoperative complications followed by cardiac surgery are due to hypoperfusion states such as selective cerebral perfusion, embolic debris during cardiopulmonary bypass and ulcerated plaque emboli originated from carotid arteries. Neurologic complications prolong periods of intensive care unit and hospital stay, ...

Pneumopericardium is a rare clinical entity, occurring in the setting of thoracic trauma, malignancies, or mechanical ventilation. Very few cases report pneumopericardium as complication gastrointestinal tract surgery. Signs and symptoms may be frustrating, ranging from asymptomatic to chest pain, sepsis, hemodynamic instability, pericarditis, even cardiac tamponade. Clinical pathognomonic sign...

Temporary renal replacement therapy (RRT) facilitates recovery from a major perioperative renal injury and, although RRT can improve the hospital outcome, it is not known as to whether it mitigates long-term renal sequelae. Therefore, we investigated the risk of long-term dialysis after RRT post-cardiac surgery. We analysed prospectively the data collected for all hospital survivors who receive...

Results Between 2008-2013 (June) a total of 2316 CABGs were performed at our department, out of which 149 (6,4%) were MIDCABs. The mean age of pts was 67 years (±12), male/female ratio 89/60. Indications were as follows isolated LAD stenosis 64, hybrid procedure (combination with PCI) 27, in-stent restenosis 4, palliative single vessel procedure 30, redo after previous cardiac surgery 9, differ...

Implantable left-ventricular assist devices (LVAD) are successfully used as a bridge to transplant if the patient's condition is worsening and no donor organ is available. They allow recovery of compromised organ function. However, postoperative bleeding, thrombemboelism, and right-heart failure may jeopardize the important improvement of organ function and may even lead to death. We introduce ...

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia was diagnosed in a 50-year-old man on day 5 after cardiac surgery (aorto-coronary bypass and mitral valve replacement). He required redo (para-prosthesis leak) on day 13. The cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was performed with unfractionated heparin (UFH) and the platelet glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitor tirofiban. Post-protamine bleeding likely due to documente...

Surgery for heart diseases during pregnancy, especially necessitating cardiopulmonary bypass, is believed to trigger maternal and fetal risks and should be performed only when medical therapy has been unsuccessful to alleviate the cardiac decompensation. A 33-year-old pregnant woman in her 33rd week of gestation was admitted to our hospital. She had rheumatic mitral valvular stenosis and had un...

A 66-year-old man with a bioprosthetic aortic valve developed Streptococcus bacteremia and was treated with antibiotics. He responded well to this therapy, and no evidence of bioprosthetic valve endocarditis (BVE) was detected at this time. One-and-a-half years after the antibiotic therapy for bacteremia, the patient was referred to our department with a diagnosis of acute cardiac failure. Tran...