Aortic arch

To evaluate the prenatal distribution, associated conditions and outcome of the different types of right aortic arch (RAA) detected in fetal life. This was a retrospective review of all cases of RAA detected prenatally between 1998 and 2005 in two tertiary referral centers. In the study period 71 cases of RAA were detected; 26 (37%) had RAA with aberrant left subclavian artery, 23 (32%) had RAA with mirror-image branching, 20 (28%) had RAA of unknown type and two (3%) had double aortic arch. While 20/26 cases with RAA and aberrant left subclavian artery were isolated findings, all 23 cases with RAA and mirror-image branching were associated with cardiac defects, namely tetralogy of Fallot (43%) or pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect (22%). Of the 20 cases with RAA, 19 of unknown type were associated with heterotaxy syndromes and had additional cardiac malformations and ambiguities of the situs. The two cases with DAA were isolated findings. Seven cases in our series (10...

Objective: Low birth weight or premature infants may require early surgical treatment of congenital cardiac lesions because of their poor clinical status. Even thought early repair or palliation is carried out with incremental risk factor for morbidity and mortality, it has been demonstrated to be preferable to medical management and delayed surgery. This retrospective study was undertaken to evaluate early

Objective: We report the combined early results from two centers in the United Kingdom using a composite conduit consisting of a bileaflet mechanical valve incorporated into a gelatin-impregnated, ultra-low porosity, woven polyester graft (Carbo-Seal; Sulzer ...

Surgical treatment of patients who present with large aneurysms of the ascending aorta, transverse arch and descending aorta, including the thoracic and abdominal aorta typically consists of a two-staged elephant trunk procedure. Typically, these operations are lengthy, requiring long cardiopulmonary bypass times, deep hypothermic circulatory arrest and multiple anastamotic suture lines, which increases the risks for coagulopathic bleeding and the need for massive transfusions. The purpose of this report is to describe our approach, involving advanced surgical techniques and the innovative perfusion considerations as well as modified blood management strategies to minimize perioperative blood loss and the need for transfusions. All of the above will highlight critical cardiac team communications. An ever-evolving case requires forward thinking, revised judgments, open discussion and the continued involvement of all team members. In turn, this ensures evidence-based medical and perfu...

Objective: The results of our modification of the stage I Norwood procedure, in which we use only autologous tissue to reconstruct the aortic arch, were reviewed. A high-flow, low-pressure cardiopulmonary bypass protocol (with phenoxybenzamine), before and after a period of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest, was used. Methods: Between 1993 and 1999, 59 patients, aged 1 to 353 days (median 4

We present a rare case of D-transposition of the great arteries (D-TGA) and double aortic arch (DAA). The anatomy was prospectively and preoperatively diagnosed by echocardiography and confirmed by ultra-fast computed tomography. The patient underwent successful arterial switch operation and division of the vascular ring at a single procedure.

Objectives: The aims of this report were to study the early and late outcome in terms of mortality, freedom from reoperation, predictors for late pulmonary stenosis (PAS) and insufficiency of the neo-aortic valve (AVI) in patients with transposition of the great arteries (TGA) undergoing arterial switch operation (ASO). Materials and methods: Between January 1990 and December 2001, 134 patients with

To evaluate the prenatal distribution, associated conditions and outcome of the different types of right aortic arch (RAA) detected in fetal life. This was a retrospective review of all cases of RAA detected prenatally between 1998 and 2005 in two tertiary referral centers. In the study period 71 cases of RAA were detected; 26 (37%) had RAA with aberrant left subclavian artery, 23 (32%) had RAA with mirror-image branching, 20 (28%) had RAA of unknown type and two (3%) had double aortic arch. While 20/26 cases with RAA and aberrant left subclavian artery were isolated findings, all 23 cases with RAA and mirror-image branching were associated with cardiac defects, namely tetralogy of Fallot (43%) or pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect (22%). Of the 20 cases with RAA, 19 of unknown type were associated with heterotaxy syndromes and had additional cardiac malformations and ambiguities of the situs. The two cases with DAA were isolated findings. Seven cases in our series (10...

To present an institutional experience with stent placement in the arterial duct combined with bilateral banding of the pulmonary artery branches as a basis for various surgical strategies in newborns with hypoplastic left heart obstructive lesions. Observational study. Paediatric heart centre in a university hospital. 20 newborns with various forms of left heart obstructive lesions and duct dependent systemic blood flow. Patients underwent percutaneous ductal stenting and surgical bilateral pulmonary artery banding. Atrial septotomy by balloon dilatation was performed as required, in one premature baby by the transhepatic approach. Survival; numbers of and reasons for palliative and corrective cardiac surgery. One patient died immediately after percutaneous ductal stenting. One patient died in connection with the surgical approach of bilateral pulmonary banding. Stent and ductal patency were achieved for up to 331 days. Two patients underwent heart transplantation and two patients ...

The intercellular signaling mediated by endothelins and their G protein–coupled receptors has recently been shown to be essential for the normal embryonic development of subsets of neural crest cell derivatives. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is proteolytically generated from its inactive ...

Abstract: Objective: To delineate the incidence, outcome impact, and clinical predictors of prolonged mechanical ventila-tion (PMV) after adult aortic arch repair requiring deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (AAR-DHCA) Aims: (1) To determine the incidence of PMV after AAR–DHCA. (2) To ...

We sought to investigate the effect of particular deformations of aortic arch shape on blood pressure response in children who had undergone successful repair of coarctation of the aorta. We studied normotensive patients (aged 15.1 +/- 5.8 years) who had undergone coarctation surgery by means of simple (n = 43) or extended (n = 32) end-to-end anastomosis. All patients underwent systematic exercise testing during follow-up, as well as magnetic resonance imaging. Three types of aortic arch geometry were evident on magnetic resonance imaging: gothic arch with angular geometry and an increased height/width ratio of the arch, crenel arch with a rectangular shape, and normal arch with a smooth rounded shape. For each subject's arch, the continuous variable height/width ratio was calculated. Exercise-induced hypertension was more frequent in patients with gothic arch, with a prevalence of 83% at 15 years after surgical intervention (95% confidence interval, 69%-97%) versus 25% (95% confidence interval, 0%-50%) in those with crenel and 21% (95% confidence interval, 10%-46%) in those with normal arch geometry (P < .001). The cumulative incidence of exercise-induced hypertension as a function of aortic arch geometry was significantly higher in patients with gothic arch geometry throughout follow-up. On multivariate analysis, both gothic arch geometry and higher height/width ratio were significantly correlated with exercise-induced hypertension. An angulated gothic arch is independently associated with abnormal blood pressure response. This deformation of the aortic arch identifies a subgroup of subjects with postoperative coarctation at high risk of hypertension in young adult life.

The aims of this study were (1) to demonstrate the feasibility of computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modelling of realistic blood flow in the mouse aortic arch, and (2) to determine the relation of wall shear stress and atherosclerosis in the mouse aortic arch. ApoE knockout mice were chosen for this study. The blood flow fraction in the major branches of