In this study, we report early and mid-term outcomes of endoscopic saphenous vein (SV) harvesting (EVH) for coronary artery bypass grafting. EVH is expected to have superior cosmetic results and fewer wound complications than conventional open techniques. EVH was performed in 262 patients from April 2008 to December 2010. From September 2010, we have administered heparin before EVH to prevent intraluminal SV clot formation. The mean age of the patients was 70±7.3 years, and 178 (67.9%) patients were men. The success rate of EVH was 97.3%. Hospital mortality was 1.2%. Postoperative wound complications occurred in only 7 (2.8%) patients. The early and mid-term patency was 95.8% (276/288) and 74.2% (187/252), respectively, as evaluated by postoperative angiography or computed tomography. Comparing the mid-term patency rate between the groups with or without systemic heparinization before EVH, statistical significance was not observed, but the mid-term patency was good in the group with systemic heparinization (82.5% vs. 73.6%, p=0.16). Actuarial 1-year and 3-year survival were 93.9% and 79%. Actuarial 1-year and 3-year major adverse cardiac event-free rates were 92.2% and 77.5%. In 10 patients who had SV graft occlusion during the observation period, percutaneous coronary intervention was required for the native coronary artery. EVH has great cosmetic advantages and has a good early patency. However, the mid-term patency is not satisfactory. Thus, systemic heparinization before EVH, improvement of the device and further clinical experience and techniques are required to improve the mid-term and late patency.

Surgical Site Infection (SSI) is one of the most serious post-operative complications and therefore its prevention is extremely important. SSI risk factors were evaluated in 337 cardiac valvular surgical cases without concomitant CABG or the thoracic great vessels interventions which had been performed in our center between January 2008 and December 2010. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention definition of SSI was used for case determination. The SSI incidence was 4.7% (16 cases). Univariate analysis found statistical significance in history of cardiac surgery, LVEF, surgical procedures, operative time and morning glucose level on post-operative days (POD) 1 and 2. POD 1 morning glucose level higher than 150 mg/dl (odds ratio 4.2 ; 95% confidence interval 1.3-13.7) and operative time (odds ratio 2.0 ; 95% CI 1.2-3.5) were identified as independent factors by multiple logistic regression. According to SSI rate comparison by glucose-level, the incidence was higher when POD 2 morning glucose level exceeded 150 mg/dl as in the case of POD 1 (p<0.02). Longer operative time represented higher SSI rates in interquartile range-based comparison. This study suggested values of reducing surgical time and controlling POD 1 morning glucose level within 150 mg/dl.

Endovascular aortic aneurysm repair using stent graft (SG) for both thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms (SG therapy) rapidly became widespread in Japan because of its relatively low invasiveness. Pre- and postoperative contrast enhanced CT are mandatory in SG therapy and angiography is required during SG therapy. Therefore contrast induced nephropathy (CIN) might occur after SG therapy. In our hospital, a renal protection protocol (oral N-acetylcysteine, perioperative normal saline infusion and bicarbonate infusion during SG therapy) was introduced in June 2010. In this report, the effect of the renal protection protocol on renal function after SG therapy was evaluated. During May 2008 and March 2012, 229 patients underwent SG therapy in our hospital. Serum creatinine (CRTN) was higher than 1.5 mg/dl and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was less than 50 ml/min/1.73 m² in 26 patients. In these 26 patients, the renal protection protocol was applied in 15 patients (group P) and group P was compared with the 11 patients without renal protection protocol (group N). Also the relationship between CIN occurrence and preoperative renal function was evaluated in 192 patients who did not receive the renal protection protocol. CIN was defined as more than 25% or 0.5 mg/dl increase of CRTN based on the European Guidelines. As renal protection protocol, N-acetylcysteine (600 mg) was given 4 times every 12 h. Normal saline infusion was started on the evening of the day before surgery at the rate of 50 ml/h and was continued until 1h before surgery. Sodium bicarbonate solution (151 mEq/l) was started 1 h before surgery at the rate of 180 ml/h and the infusion rate was decreased to 60 ml/h during surgery. After surgery, 1,000 ml of normal saline was given at a rate of 60 ml/h. In group N, CRTN increased 1 and 3 days after SG therapy and returned to baseline level 6 days after SG therapy. On the other hand, CRTN was lower than baseline after SG therapy in group P. At 3 days after SG therapy, the percent change of CRTN component with baseline level was significantly lower in group P (14.5±19.1% in group N, -3.7±15.8% in group P, p=0.014). CIN occurrence tended to be more in group N (45% in group N, 7% in group P, p=0.054). Among the 192 patients without the renal protection protocol, CIN occurred in 16 patients (29.1%) out of 55 patients with preoperative CRTN≥1.0 mg/dl and eGFR≤50 ml/min/1.73 m², however CIN occurred in only 1 patient (0.7%) among 137 patients with preoperative renal function out of this range (p<0.001). Renal protection protocol seemed to be effective to prevent CIN after SG therapy. Renal protection might be useful for patients with a CRTN≧1.0 mg/dl and eGFR≦50 ml/min/1.73 m².

This case report describes a 20-year-old man, who was a drug abuser, and was treated surgically for tricuspid valve endocarditis. He presented with fever, caused by tricuspid valve endocarditis with a lung abscess. Blood culture detected Staphylococcus aureus and cardiac ultrasonography showed tricuspid insufficiency and tricuspid valve vegetation. He was treated with intravenous antibacterial agents, but the inflammation signs did not improve. He had a large number of puncture scars, as a consequence of self-injection of drugs in his lower arm. He underwent tricuspid valve plasty, and recovered successfully. He was discharged 2 weeks after surgery, and we instructed him to return for follow-up examination in our hospital. However, he did not return to our hospital because he was arrested for drug possession. In such cases, it is necessary to consider the operative method relative to reuse of drugs in the postoperative management of medication.

The collagen gel droplet-embedded culture drug sensitivity test (CD-DST) identifies effective anticancer drug using resected tumor specimen, enabling tailor-made chemotherapy for a rare tumor. We report a case of the patient with leiomyosarcoma originating in the inferior vena cava, to which CD-DST was applied. This application has not been previously reported to the best of our knowledge. A 61-year-old woman consulted a nearby hospital because of abdominal pain. Computed tomography revealed an inferior vena cava tumor. The tumor was resected with the inferior vena cava, which was reconstructed with a 16 mm ePTFE graft. The tumor was diagnosed as leiomyosarcoma histopathologically. CDDP, VP-16, ADR, and VDS were CD-DST showed the tumor to be sensitive. Her postoperative course has been good without recurrence of tumor for 6 months, and the results of CD-DST may be helpful for chemotherapy strategy in case of recurrence.

Infectious abdominal aortic aneurysm is a relatively rare disease, and there is no consensus regarding its surgical treatment. Medical infectious control should be concerned comparison with surgical treatment if there is sepsis, however we sometimes have no other choice but emergency operation for uncontrollable cases. In many reports, cryopreserved homografts were used as in-situ alternative grafts for infectious aortic aneurysms because they had some merits such as anti-infectious effects, suitability and so on. However the number of in-situ cryopreserved homograft replacement cases are few, and the long term result is unclear. We encountered a ruptured cropreserved homograft case 7 months after urgent in-situ cryopreserved homograft replacement. We report the case and refer to the relevans literature.

We report a case of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) with a fenestrated stent graft for ulcer-like projection (ULP) of the proximal anastomosis after total arch replacement (TAR) for acute type A aortic dissection (DAA). A 73-year-old woman with a history of surgical resection of a left atrial myxoma in January 2009 underwent TAR for DAA in November 2011. The contrast enhanced CT (CE-CT) 72 days after TAR revealed two ULPs anterior and posterior to the proximal anastomosis. Surgical repair would be difficult because of the history of cardiac and aortic surgery, therefore TEVAR with a fenestrated stent graft was performed. The postoperative course was uneventful and she was discharged on the 8th postoperative day. The CE-CT 3 months after TEVAR showed almost completely thrombosed ULPs. Endovascular repair with fenestrated stent graft for the proximal anastomotic ULP can be a useful and effective treatment.

A 71-year old woman, who underwent direct closure of an atrial septal defect with mild tricuspid regurgitation (TR) 18 years previously, suffered terminal cardiac failure with extreme cardiomegaly, mitral regurgitation and severe TR. Medical treatment gradually became ineffectual and we decided to perform surgical therapy. Mitral annuloplasty with a prosthetic ring, tricuspid valve repair, plications of extended bilateral atrium walls and epicardial ventricular pacemaker implantation were performed. In tricuspid valve repair, anterior tricuspid leaflet was augmented by use of glutaraldehyde-preserved autologus pericardial patch and tricuspid annuloplasty with addition of a slightly larger prosthetic ring. Atrio-ventricular regurgitations disappeared and she was discharged 63 days after the operation. Valve extension is a very effective technique to treat severe secondary TR, and long term follow-up is necessary.

We report a rare case of a giant celiac aneurysm complicated with nosocomial acute aortic dissection and idiopathic thrombocytonenic purpura (ITP). A 75-year-old man with ITP complained of abdominal swelling. Enhanced computed tomography (CT) showed a giant celiac aneurysm 72 mm in size. Surgery repair was scheduled and platelet count increased by intravenous administration of immunoglobulin. After admission, he complained of back pain. CT showed aortic dissection (DeBakey classification : IIIb) and a celiac aneurysm enlarged to 78 mm. He underwent surgical repair for a giant celiac aneurysm and splenectomy after management with medial therapy.

We report an extremely rare case of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) extending into the left atrium through the pulmonary vein next to lung metastasis. The patient was a 76-year-old man. Extirpation of the RCC in the right kidney was carried out. Metastasis to the lungs, mediastinal lymph nodes and the pubis were diagnosed and 4 years later, a myxoma-like tumor was formed in the left atrium by echocardiography. We extirpated of the tumor. During surgery, continuity with the metastatic lesion in the right lung, right inferior pulmonary vein and the left atrium was suggested. Histopathologic examination showed the same histopathology as seen in the RCC.