Objective To summarize the experience of modified Nuss procedure with thoracoscope for the correction of pectus excavatum in children. Methods Forty-nine pediatric pectus excavatum were treated by modified Nuss procedure with thoracoscope from August 2006 to July 2008, the age ranged from 3 to 18 years, 36 patients were symmetric pectus excavatum and 13 patients were asymmetric pectus excavatum. Results The operations in all patients were successful. Only 1 case used two bars,other 48 cases used one bar. There were no major complications such as cardiac perforation occurred during the operation. The earlier complication was pneumatothorax in 1 case, and the average blood loss was less than 10 ml. The postoperative hospital length of stay was 6-8 days. All patients had a satisfied deformity correction and no needs of transfusion. Therapeutic results evaluation showed excellent in 43 patients and good in 6 patients. All patients were followed up in 0.5-23.0 months without bars displacement, 1 ease had chronic intermittent pain for 2 months. The bar had been removed in 1 case after operation 23 months who still kept in excellent result. Conclusions Modified Nuss procedure is easy to performed with minimal invasion and satisfied deformity correction. Thoracoscopic visualization facilitates the safety of this technique.

Objective To evaluate the effects of lipoxin A4 (LXA4) administered at different time points on the expression of connexin43 (Cx43) during myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in rats.Methods Seventytwo healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats,weighing 200-250 g,wcre equally and randomly divided into 6 groups:groups sham operation Ⅰ (group S1) and Ⅱ (group S2),groups myocardial I/R Ⅰ (group Ⅰ/R1) and Ⅱ (group I/R2),and groups LXA4 administered before chest opening (group LX1) and at 30 min of reperfusion (group LX2).Myocardial I/R was produced by 30 min occlusion of left anterior descending branch (LAD) of coronary artery followed by 120 min reperfusion.LXA4 100μg/kg was injected via femoral veins before chest opening and at 30 min of reperfusion in groups LX1 and group LX2,respectively.While normal saline 2 ml/kg was injected via the femoral vein at the corresponding time points in the other four groups.In groups S1 and S2,LAD was only threaded,but not ligated.Blood samples were taken from the femoral vein before chest opening and at 120 min of reperfusion for measurement of serum IL-8,TNF-α and cardiac troponin Ⅰ (cTnI) concentrations.The rats were then sacrificed after blood samples were taken at 120 min of reperfusion and hearts were removed for determination of Cx43 protein (by immunohistochemical SP method) and Cx43 mRNA expression (by real-time quantitative PCR),SOD activity and MDA content in myocardial tissues.The development of arrhythmia was observed from occlusion of LAD to 120 min of reperfusion.Duration of ventricular tachycardia (VTd) and ventricular fibrillation (VFd) was recorded.Scores of ventricular arrhythmias were calculated.Results The expression of Cx43 protein and mRNA was significantly down-regulated,and scores of ventricular arrhythmias,VTd,serum IL-8,TNF-α and cTnI concentrations,SOD activity and MDA content were increased in groups I/R1 and LX1 as compared with group S1,and in groups I/R2 and LX2 as compared with group S2 (P ＜ 0.05).The expression of Cx43 protein and mRNA was significantly up-regulated,SOD activity was increased,and scores of ventricular arrhythmias,VTd,VFd,serum IL-8,TNF-α and cTnI concentrations,and MDA content were decreased in group LX1 as compared with group I/R1,and in group LX2 as compared with group I/R2(P ＜ 0.05).The expression of Cx43 protein and mRNA was significantly lower,scores of ventricular arrhythmias,VTd and SOD activity were higher,and the serum IL-8,TNF-α and cTnI concentrations and MDA content were lower in group LX2 than in group LX1 (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion LXA4 administered before myocardial ischemia and at 30 min of reperfusion can up-regulate the expression of Cx43 and reverse remodeling of Cx43,thus reducing myocardial I/R-induced arrhythmia in rats,and LXA4 administered before ischemia can provide better efficacy.

Objective To summarize the clinical experience of surgical treatment for complete atrioventricular septal defect in infants.Methods From December 2013 to June 2004,56 patients aged from 53 days to 12 months with complete atrioventricular septal defect were undergone operations.All patients were diagnosed by 2D-echocardiography,and 18 patients underwent cardiovascular computed angiography (CTA).Rastelli type A had 44 cases,type B 3 cases,and type C 9 cases.The single pericardium patch repair was used for 37 cases,the two-patch repair for 3 cases,and the modified single-patch repair for 16 cases.The time of mechanical ventilation was 26 to 172 hours,and the time of staying at Intensive Care Unit (ICU) was 3 to 19 days.Results There were 5 early deaths caused by severe low cardiac output in 2 cases,renal failure in 2 cases,and severe pulmonary inflammation in 1 case.One late death was due to severe mitral regurgitation with pneumonia and heart failure.The operative mortality was 10.7％.A total of 47 patients was followed-up for 3 months to 5 years after surgery and their heart function was satisfactory.Conclusions The operation should be done between 6 months and 1 year when the diagnosis of complete atrioventricular septal defect (CAVSD) is clear.Its early surgical intervention is satisfactory.The result of surgical treatment for CAVSD depends on both probing intracardiac anatomy carefully and complete correction of associated cardiac abnormalities.

AIM: To clarify the role of eNOS and ET-1 in development of pulmonary hypertension (PH) associated with congenital heart diseases. METHODS: 40 patients were randomly divided into three groups: severe or moderate PH group (group A, 12 cases), slight PH group (group B, 14 cases) and normal group (group C, 14 cases). ET-1 and eNOS were examined by using the technique of immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: ① Plasma ET-1 concentration was significantly higher in group A and B than that in group C (P