Since 1998, as a method of operating on descending thoracic aortic disease, especially distal aortic disease, a simple circulatory support technique, which uses the axillary artery or the ascending aorta as the aortic inflow, and the inferior vena cava for total body retrograde perfusion of cold oxygenated blood during circulatory arrest for open proximal anastomosis has been applied. This technique has been used in 25 consecutive cases over 10 years. In this report, we evaluate the efficacy of this support technique. From our experience, an atherosclerotic lesion in the ascending aorta required selection of the femoral artery as an aortic inflow site in 7 patients. Prolonged ventilatory support was unnecessary postoperatively unless neurological sequelae supervened, and no heart or visceral organ complications were occurred recognized. The hospital mortality rate was 16%. These results suggest our technique will continue to play an important role in operations on descending thoracic aortic diseases.

We report a case of mitral active infectious endocarditis in a 15-year-old boy successfully managed by folding plasty without any prosthetic devices. He was admitted to our hospital because of high fever and general fatigue. Echocardiography revealed a vegetation of 15×18 mm attached to the anterior commissure area of the mitral valve with severe mitral regurgitation. Brain MRI showed acute brain infarction without symptoms, and enhanced computed tomography also showed multiple infarctions of the spleen and the left kidney. Staphylococcus aureus was identified in the venous blood culture. We diagnosed active mitral infectious endocarditis with multiple systemic embolization and disseminated intravascular coagulation. After antibiotic therapy for 9 days, mitral valve surgery was performed with cardiopulmonary bypass and cold blood cardioplegia through a median sternotomy and a left atriotomy. A giant vegetation was attached to the damaged mitral leaflet of the AC to A1 and P1. The vegetation and damaged leaflet were removed by an ultrasonic aspirator and resected. Removal of the superficial vegetation with the aspiration method enabled preservation of more than half of the A1 and half of the P1 for valve repair. The anterior commissure annulus without a leaflet was reconstructed by compression suture. Furthermore, in a procedure similar to folding plasty, leaflet A1 was folded down and sutured to annulus P1, and a simple suture technique was involved to the left cut edges of leaflet A1 and P1. The postoperative course was uneventful. Two years after surgery, the patient was well with no recurrence of infection and trivial mitral regurgitation on echocardiography.