Tricuspid insufficiency due to penetrating cardiac trauma is rare. Patients with tricuspid insufficiency due to trauma can tolerate this abnormality for months or even years. We report a case of a ...66-year-old female with penetrating cardiac trauma on the right side of her heart that required tricuspid valve repair in an acute setting. She sustained cut and stab wounds on her bilateral forearms and in the neck and epigastric region. She had cardiac tamponade and developed pulseless electrical activity, which required emergency surgery. The right ventricle and superior vena cava were dissected approximately 5 cm and 2 cm, respectively. After these wounds had been repaired, the patient's inability to wean from cardiopulmonary bypass suggested rightsided heart failure; transesophageal echocardiography revealed tricuspid insufficiency. Right atriotomy was performed, and a detailed examination revealed that the tricuspid valve septal leaflet was split in two. There was also an atrial septal injury that created a connection with the left atrium; these injuries were not detected from the right ventricular wound. After repair, weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass with mild tricuspid insufficiency was achieved, and she recovered uneventfully. This case emphasized the importance of thoroughly investigating intracardiac injury and transesophageal echocardiography.
We encountered a case of ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm caused by an unusual event. A 38-year-old-man was referred to our hospital owing to cough and orthopnea after being struck in the chest ...while playing baseball. Echocardiography showed a ruptured right sinus of Valsalva aneurysm and ventricular septal defect (VSD). Intraoperative findings revealed rupture of the sinus of Valsalva aneurysm into the right ventricle, with a typical “windsock” appearance. The fistula and VSD were closed with Dacron patches at both the right coronary cusp and right ventricular outflow tract. The patient was discharged on the 11th postoperative day without any complications.
Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia is a rare metabolic disorder with characteristic clinical presentations, such as tendon xanthomas, hypercholesterolemia, and significant cardiovascular ...disease including premature coronary artery disease. We describe a case of a 56-year-old woman with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. She had been treated with low-density lipoprotein apheresis for 23 years. Preoperative echocardiography and coronary angiography showed severe aortic valve stenosis and right coronary artery stenosis. Aortic valve replacement with patch enlargement of the aortic valve annulus, and coronary artery bypass grafting were successfully performed. She was discharged uneventfully.
We developed novel methods to simplify valve repair techniques.Adequate exposure is crucial for mitral valve surgery. The right side of the pericardium is sutured to the chest wall, and both cava are ...mobilized and hitched up to the left. Then a longitudinal incision of the right side of the left atrium allows excellent exposure of the mitral valve.We have developed a new device for replace neochordae. This double-armed, double-hooked device is inserted through the loop formed by the neochordae, which is anchored on the papillary muscle and pass through the prolapsing segment. The device pulls up both leaflets and maintains the neochordae at the same length as that of the opposing normal chordae during tying slippery neochordae.A simple method to repair large prolapsing posterior leaflet was developed. The middle of the prolapsed portion is cut, and both sides are laid each other. The water test is made to confirm accurate closure,and 2 layers are sutured.A novel method for adjustable tricuspid annuloplasty was developed. A flexible annuroplasty band,through which an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) thread was passed, was secured to the tricuspid annulus. The thread was snared from outside of the ejecting heart under observation by echocardiogram.