Objective To analyze and evaluate the effect addition of albumin to the extracorporeal circulation (CPB) in patients undergoing valve replacement. Methods 62 patients under 60 years of age, with the blood level of albumin nearly normal, undergoing mitral valve replacement or aortic valve replacement were randomly divided into two groups. In 34 patients albumin was added to the priming fluid of extraporeal circulation, and in 28 patients it was not. The pre-operative and postoperative serum albumin levels, the duration of assisting ventilation, and the amount of albumin needed between the time of operation to 7 am of the first postoperative day were compared. In both groups the primary priming fluid consisted of balanced electrolyte solution, hydroxyethyl starch, 5% sodium bicarbonate, and 25% mannitol. Results All the indexes, including the preoperative level of albumin, the amount of albumin needed from operation to 7 am of the first postoperative day, and the albumin level at 7 am of the first postoperative day showed no notable differences. Conclusion For patients with no hypoalbuminemia, mitral valve replacement or aortic valve replacement is safe to withhold the addition of albumin to the priming fluid for CPB.

Objective To compare short-term therapeutic outcomes and the safety of percutane-ous radiofrequency ablation (PRFA) with left single lung ventilation (LSLV) for liver cancer of the hepatic dome (LCHD) and that of PRFA for right liver carcinoma in favorable location. Methods Thirty one patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (belonging to LCHD) receiving PRFA with LSLV (Group LCHD) between January 2006 and January 2009 in our hospital were selected, and 45 control patients with right lobe HCC ≥1 cm away from the liver capsule, gallbladder, and main portal bran-ches were also included. One month after PRFA, residual tumors were followed up with contrast en-hanced CT and alpha fetal protein and PRFA was repeated in the presence of residual foci. Tumor-free survival time was defined as the duration from complete ablation to diagnosed local tumor progression.The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare age, tumor diameter, and average number of punctures between LCHD patients and controls. A χ2 test was used for comparison of the incidence of complica-tions and incomplete tumor ablation rate. The Kaplan-Meier's method was used for calculation of local tumor-free survival rate compared with a log-rank test. Results The incidence of right shoulder pain was significantly higher in LCHD patients than in controls (87. 1% vs 11. 1%, P<0. 01). LCHD pa-tients showed no difference from controls in the average number of punctures (2. 8±. 5 vs 3. 2±. 5,P>0. 05). Meanwhile, there was no difference between the 2 groups in average duration of treatment and hospitalization, and the complete tumor ablation rate at first PRFA. No differences were observed in the 1-, 2- and 3-year local tumor-free survival rates between LCHD patients (85. 5% , 65. 8% , and 36. 4% ,respectively) and controls (87.7%, 62. 3% , and 34.0% , respectively). Conclusion PRFA with LSLV for LCHD seems to promise comparable short-term outcomes and safety to PRFA for right liver carcinoma of fa-vorable location and should be preferred as one of the therapeutic options for LCHD patients with tumor di-ameters≤5 cm regardless of its unique location.