Objective To evaluate the clinical value of epicardial echocardiographic examination in cardiac valve surgery.Methods Epicardial echocardiography were performed in 46 patients undergoing valvular plasty or valvular replacement surgery to estimate the function of valve and left ventricle and residual shunt during cardiac surgery.Results Twelve cases of 46(26.1％)showed abnormality during cardiac surgery.Two cases of 15 patients performed valvuloplasty were changed to valvular replacement because of remarkable regurgitation of native valves.There was 1 case of periprosthetic leakage,3 cases of left atrial appendage thrombus,1 case of patent foramen ovale and 5 cases of low ejection of left ventricle in all 31 cases of valvular replacement.Conclusions Epicardial echocardiograpyc examination is an effective examination in cardiac valve surgery with clearly image,simplicity operation and promptness.

Objective To evaluate the clinical value of speckle tracking imaging in the measurement of two-dimensional strain in patients with myocardial infarction. Methods High frame rate two-dimensional echocardiography were performed in 30 healthy subjects,21patients with anterior myocardial infarction and 15 patients with inferior myocardial infarction. Longitudinal strain (LS), radial velocity (Vs), regional shortening fraction (RFS),radial strain (RS) were measured in the apical two-chamber view and short-axis view(the level of papillary muscle) using two-dimensional strain software. Results Compared with healthy subjects, LS, Vs, RFS, RS decreased in the segments with infarction(P<0.05). LS, Vs, RFS, RS of the two myocardial infarction groups had partly differences(P<0.05). Conclusions Regional wall motion of left ventricle in patients with myocardial infarction can be evaluated accurately with speckle tracking imaging.

Objective To observe the changes of quadriceps tendon in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)patients based on ultrasonic elastography.Methods Data of 80 T2DM patients(T2DM group)and 80 healthy subjects(control group)were retrospectively analyzed.The general information and ultrasound elastography parameters,including strain ratio(SR)of the ratio of the proximal,middle and distal segments of quadriceps tendon and ipsilateral anterior femoral fat pad were compared between groups,while the correlations of the above SR with the disease course of T2DM and glycosylated hemoglobin(HbA1c)were explored.Results Fasting blood glucose and HbA1c in T2DM group were both significantly higher than those in control group(both P＜0.05).Compared with control group,SR of the proximal,middle and distal segments of quadriceps tendon in T2DM group were all significantly higher(all P＜0.05),especially the distal and proximal segments(t=6.01,5.92).In T2DM group,SR of the proximal,middle and distal segments of quadriceps tendon were positively correlated with the disease course of T2DM(r=0.45,0.20,0.43,all P＜0.05)and HbA1c(r=0.44,0.40,0.33,all P＜0.05).Conclusion SR of quadriceps tendon in T2DM patients significantly increased and positively correlated with the course of disease and HbA1c.

Objective    To summarize the clinical experiences of minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) for cardiac atrioventricular valve reoperation. Methods    Perioperative data of 32 patients who underwent MICS for cardiac atrioventricular valve reoperation from 2009 to 2019 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University were retrospectively reviewed, including 13 males and 19 females with a mean age of 51.0±12.6 years. All patients were given combined intravenous and inhalation anesthesia, and a double-lumen tube for mechanical ventilation. Cardiopulmonary bypass was established in all patients by femoral artery and venous cannulation or combined with percutaneous superior vena cava cannulation, without aortic cross-clamping. The MICS approaches included right anterolateral small incision surgery, thoracoscopic assisted small incision surgery and total thoracoscopic surgery. The clinical data of the 32 patients were compared with the perioperative indicators of 24 patients undergoing reoperation with conventional median thoracotomy during the same period. Results    Among them, 21 patients underwent isolated tricuspid valve replacement, 4 isolated tricuspid valvuloplasty, 1 combined tricuspid valve replacement and atrial septal defect repair and 6 combined mitral valve replacement and tricuspid valvuloplasty. Twenty-seven patients completed the operation in a beating heart, and 5 under the condition of ventricular fibrillation. Operation time (3.23±1.56 h vs. 5.46±2.13 h, P<0.001), postoperative mechanical ventilation time (9.19±5.40 h vs. 43.23±21.74 h, P<0.001), ICU stay (35.03±18.26 h vs. 79.15±22.43 h, P<0.001) and hospital stay of patients with minimally invasive surgery (9.35±6.43 d vs. 15.85±7.56 d, P=0.001) were shorter than those with median thoracotomy. And the extracorporeal circulation time was not significantly prolonged. There were 4 perioperative complications in patients with minimally invasive surgery, and 1 died in hospital after operation. Conclusion    MICS for cardiac atrioventricular valve reoperation can avoid the risk of median sternotomy and separation of cardiac scar adhesion. Especially, total thoracoscopic surgery has more advantages when compared with other operations, including less trauma, less myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury, more rapid recovery and fewer postoperative complications. Total thoracoscopic surgery may be the development direction of MICS for cardiac atrioventricular valve reoperation. However we should take effective and feasible measures to solve the problems caused by cardiopulmonary bypass.