We performed a double switch operation for the patients with corrected congenital transposition of the great arteries concomitant with intra-cardiac abnormalities including dextrocardia, non-confluent pulmonary artery and Ebstein's malformation between April 2003 and August 2006. The mean age and weight at the time of surgery were 38 months (range 2-89 months) and 10.7kg (range 4.6-16.1kg), respectively. Before the double switch operation, one patient had received a right modified BT shunt as a neonate and another had received bilateral modified BT shunts at the age of one month and 2 months respectively, followed by a central pulmonary artery angioplasty with installation of a right ventricle to a pulmonary artery shunt at the age of 5 years. For definitive repair, the Senning+Rastelli procedure was performed in two patients and Senning+Jatene procedure was performed in one patient. Mitral valve-and tricuspid valve plasties were performed, the atrialized right ventricle was plicated in the patient with Ebstein's malformation during the double switch operation. A Senning procedure was performed in patients with apicocaval juxtapositions. We reconstructed the systemic venous chamber with a dog-ear-like structure made from suture line pouches at the site of upper and lower portions of the atrial free wall, and the pulmonary venous chamber was completed, without augmentation with additional material. The mean surgery, cardiopulmonary bypass-and aortic cross clamp times were 606, 318 and 151 min, respectively. Postoperative CT scans showed smooth systemic venous returns and no pulmonary vein obstruction. No arrhythmias of any kind were detected after the double switch operation. These results suggest the suture line pouch technique in the atrial switch operation is useful in the double switch operation.

Left ventricle to right atrial communication is a rare cardiac pathology, and it is either congenital or acquired. Recently, case reports of acquired left ventricle to right atrial communication have been increasing because of the increased numbers of cardiovascular procedures and improved cardiac diagnostic techniques. We report a case of acquired left ventricle to right atrial communication in a patient with native aortic valve infective endocarditis. A 52-year-old man with worsening dyspnea on exertion and lower leg edema was admitted to a hospital. Blood examination revealed elevated inflammatory marker levels, and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) showed an aortic valve vegetation. The patient was subsequently transferred to our hospital for infective endocarditis with congestive heart failure. Medical treatment with antibiotics and diuretics was initiated. Cardiac computed tomography (CT) demonstrated left ventricle to right atrial communication. An urgent operation was performed wherein the defect was closed with autologous pericardial patches from both the right atrium and left ventricle. Aortic valve replacement was performed with a mechanical valve. The postoperative course was uneventful, and TTE showed no residual shunt. In our case, cardiac CT was useful for accurately diagnosing left ventricle to right atrial communication.

A 67-year-old man with dyspnea at rest was diagnosed with acute heart failure and admitted to our hospital. Echocardiogram showed severe AR, and CT implied an ascending aortic aneurysm and abnormal space in the aortic root. The patient underwent emergent surgery for suspected acute aortic dissection. Intraoperative findings showed the dehiscence of commissure of the aortic valve, and more, the abnormal space in the aortic root was not due to acute aortic dissection but an aortic subannular left ventricular aneurysm. The aneurysm was sutured and closed, and after that, aortic valve replacement and ascending aortic replacement were performed. Although subannular left ventricular aneurysm is a rare disease, it is important to carry out the preoperative evaluation considering the existence of such diseases.