Those cases in which a dissected lumen closes early in the onset of acute aortic dissection and produce a“dissected lumen with no blood flow”are regarded as a clinico-pathological entity and are called a“closing aortic dissection”, and the clinical picture and clinical course of 14 cases in which the clinical course could be observed from early onset were reported. Although 13 cases resulted in complete closure of the dissected lumen, one case initially showed incomplete closure, but subsequently closed completely. Two cases resulted in reopening of the blood flow, but the disease recurred, and by four and six weeks each had incompletely or completely reclosed. Consequently, there were three cases of entry observed and scars of entry were found in three other cases. And in eight cases, there was nothing observed at all. Although one patient died because of complications of secondary type I acute dissection, all the others survived. All told, the developmental mechanism of this disease was alluded to.

Two hundred fourteen cases treated surgically for aortic aneurysms between Jan. 1986 and Dec. 1991 at our hospital. Among them, 15 cases (7.0%) had multiple aortic aneurysms. In 10 cases, aneurysms were resected completely: 9 simultaneously (one-stage operation) and 1 separately (two-stage operation), although in 5 cases there remained another aneurysm left even after operation. In all cases who had one-stage operation, the combination of sites of aneurysms were descending thoracic aorta and infra-renal abdominal aorta. Temporary bypass (n=4), centrifugal pump (n=4) or cardiopulmonary bypass (n=1) were employed as supportive methods during aortic cross-clamp. There were neither operative nor late death in one-stage operation group, although one patient died due to rupture residual aneurysm 1.2 years after the first operation. In these patients, vascular disease are expected to be present systemically, so that operative method should be determined carefully under consideration of poor general condition and another risk factors. We recommend, however, that simultaneous one-stage operation for multiple aortic aneurysm might be safe and fully acceptable procedure, especially in case of those whose aneurysms exist in descending thoracic and infra-renal abdominal aorta.

Endoventricular circular patch plasty was performed in a 42-year-old man, with a postinfarction akinetic aneurysm. The case was complicated with severe congestive heart failure, marked pulmonary hypertension (70% of systemic pressure) and sustained ventricular tachycardia. Cardiac catheterization data revealed low ejection fraction (20%), high pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (33mmHg) and high pulmonary arterial pressure (70/33mmHg), associated with enlarged end diastolic volume index (142ml/m²). After the operation, contractile and volumetric improvements were observed, however the severe pulmonary hypertension remained without any improvement. Disappearance of life-threatening arrhythmia allowed his discharge from the hospital, but unsatisfactory hemodynamic data, except for improved ejection fraction to 49%, turned our attention to patient selection and alternative treatment (cardiac transplantation) for such a severe case.

Sixteen patients with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (CTGA) underwent operative closure of ventricular septal defects (VSD). Ages of the patients ranged from 10 months to 25 years. Three different approaches were employed to access to the defect: through right ventriculotomy 3, through left ventriculotomy 5, and de Leval's maneuver 8. Here, right or left ventricle refers to its anatomic morphology. Early postoperative death occurred in a patient who concomitantly underwent extracardiac couduit repair between left ventricle and pulmonary trunk. Late death occourred in 5 (left ventriculotomy in 1 and righ ventriculotomy in 4), among whom 2 expired suddenly of unknown cause (one in each of the right and left ventriculotomy), and 1 expired of pneumonia. Two other deaths were related to their reoperations for replacement of the incompetent left atrioventricular (AV) valve. Another patient who had been repaired by de Leval's maneuver also underwent replacement of the left AV valve and survived. Two patients who had undergone left ventriculotomy developed com-plete heart block leading to implantation of permanent pacemaker. Postoperative complete heart block was temporarily noted in a patient who had been repaired by de Leval's maneuver but returned to sinus rhythm on the 10th postoperative day. Late postoperative function of the systemic ventricle was assessed in 8 by gated radionuclide ventriculography. Calculated ejection fractions in each of the methods were the followings. Left ventriculotomy: 0.38, 0.47. Right ventriculotomy: 0.13. de Leval's maneuver: 0.29, 0.54, 0.66, 0.47, 0.36. These results draw us to the following conclusions that either ventriculotomy holds its drawbacks, that is, left ventriculotomy is apt to develop complete heart block and right ventriculotomy can predispose incompetent left AV valve ultimately leading to the fatal congestive heart failure. de Leval's maneuver, however, is rare to be complicated by the above morbidity and is considered to be the best operative method currently available.