We present a rare case of cardiac surgery for coronary artery single vessel disease and aortic valve stenosis after substernal gastric interposition for gastric cancer. An 80-year-old man, who had undergone esophagectomy and substernal gastric interposition 7 years previously, was referred to our institute for surgical treatment of coronary artery disease and aortic valve stenosis. Through a median sternotomy with cardiopulmonary bypass, we performed aortic valve replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting to the right coronary artery without injury to the gastric tube. Postoperatively, the patient was on respirator care and catecholeamine support for several days. Although urinary tract infection occurred, he recovered with antibiotic therapy. Finally, he was discharged on postoperative day 40. For cardiac surgery after substernal gastric interposition for esophageal cancer, even though the substernal gastric tube may preclude the usual median approach, median sternotomy is an appropriate alternative with close preoperative examination and careful dissection of substernal gastric tube.

A 36-year-old previously healthy woman with cardiomegaly on a routine chest X-ray was given a diagnosis of primary chylopericardium after pericardial puncture revealed milky effusion. Endoscopy-assisted ligation of the thoracic duct and creation of a pericardial window was performed. The operation was greatly facilitated by the preoperative three-dimensional CT scan with lymphangiography that precisely demonstrated the distribution of the thoracic duct and other lymphatic ducts.

This study compared the hemodynamic performance of the Carpentier-Edwards PERIMOUNT Magna bioprosthesis (Magna) with the Carpentier-Edwards PERIMOUNT bioprosthesis (CEP) for aortic valve stenosis (AS). Between January 2005 and May 2010, 164 patients underwent aortic valve replacement for AS with either the Magna (n=68) or the CEP (n=96) at our institute. Patients undergoing a concomitant mitral valve procedure were excluded from this study. The 21-mm Magna and CEP prostheses were the most frequently used during this period. Transthoracic echocardiography was postoperatively performed within 2 weeks. The peak velocity (PV) of the Magna was significantly lower than that of the CEP (2.59±0.36 vs. 2.75±0.47 m/s ; p=0.022). The mean pressure gradient (PG) was not significantly different. For the 19-mm prostheses, the mean PG and PV of the Magna were significantly lower than those of the CEP [16.4±4.5 vs. 19.7±6.4 mmHg ; p=0.034 (PG) and 2.70±0.36 vs. 3.03±0.49 m/s ; p=0.008 (PV)]. The effective orifice area (EOA) of the Magna was larger than that of the CEP [19 mm : 1.29±0.18 vs. 1.11±0.24 cm² (p=0.007) ; 21 mm : 1.46±0.23 vs. 1.42±0.18 cm² (p=0.370) ; and 23 mm : 1.70±0.34 vs. 1.52±0.25 cm² (p=0.134)]. In this study, the EOA of the Magna was approximately 80% of that described in the manufacture's description. Patient-prosthesis mismatch (PPM ; EOA index≤0.85 cm²/m²) was seen in 26.8% of patients with the Magna and in 47.2% of patients with the CEP (p=0.018). Severe PPM (EOA index≤0.65 cm²/m²) was not seen in any patients with the Magna. The EOA of the 19-mm Magna was significantly larger and the mean PG was lower than those of the 19-mm CEP. Compared with the CEP, the Magna significantly reduced the incidence of PPM, and had superior hemodynamic performance.

We have previously reported that the thoracolumbar posterior nerve root shows a tortuous epidural course, based on studies of human fetuses near term. For comparison with the cervical nerve, examinations were conducted using frontal, sagittal and horizontal sections of cervical vertebrae from 22 fetuses at 30–38 weeks of gestation. The cervical nerve root showed a short, straight and lateral course near the zygapophysial joint. Multiple rather than single bundles of the cervical posterior root seemed to account for the majority of sensory nerve fibers innervating the upper extremity. Fasciculation of rootlets was evident near the thoracolumbar spinal cord, whereas it was seen in the dural pocket at the nerve exit from the dural sac although both sites were subdural. As in the thoracolumbar region, the nerve sheath was continuous with the dura mater and independently surrounded each of the anterior and posterior roots. Radicular arteries were few in the cervical region. In 2 of the 22 fetuses (31 weeks and 33 weeks), there was a segmental, unilateral abnormality of nerve rootlet fasciculation where the dorsal root ganglion was located lateral or peripheral to the intervertebral region. Long nerve roots running inferiorly are a necessary adaptation to the delayed and marked growth of the thoracolumbar vertebral column.In children, the cervical nerve roots are likely to be affected by movement or dislocation of the vertebrae. The segmental abnormality of the cervical nerve root may be linked to rare variations in the brachial plexus.

Objective：To clarify the effect of exclusion items on the KRW achievement index (KRW-AI) in the outcome evaluation of a convalescent rehabilitation ward.Methods：The subjects were 812 inpatients in a convalescent rehabilitation ward. The objective variable was the KRW-AI of 40 or less, and the explanatory variables were the items excluded from the KRW-AI and their combination for a total of eight categories, such as (1) low motor FIM, (2) high motor FIM, (3) low cognitive FIM, (4) elderly, (5) (1)＋(3), (6) (1)＋(4), (7) (3)＋(4), (8) (1)＋(3)＋(4). The adjusted variables were sex, rehabilitation calculation category, and time from onset to admission to the ward. Poisson regression analysis was performed. The Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR) and 95％ confidence interval (CI) were calculated.Results：Five of the eight exclusion categories were significantly associated with low-KRW-AI scores. The highest IRR was 2.29 (95％ CI：1.41-3.69, p＜0.001) for (2).Conclusion：High motor FIM are associated with a higher relative risk of falling below the KRW-AI of 40. Conversely, being older and the presence of cognitive disorder did not interfere with low-KRW-AI scores.

Objective：To clarify the effect of exclusion items on the KRW achievement index (KRW-AI) in the outcome evaluation of a convalescent rehabilitation ward.Methods：The subjects were 812 inpatients in a convalescent rehabilitation ward. The objective variable was the KRW-AI of 40 or less, and the explanatory variables were the items excluded from the KRW-AI and their combination for a total of eight categories, such as (1) low motor FIM, (2) high motor FIM, (3) low cognitive FIM, (4) elderly, (5) (1)＋(3), (6) (1)＋(4), (7) (3)＋(4), (8) (1)＋(3)＋(4). The adjusted variables were sex, rehabilitation calculation category, and time from onset to admission to the ward. Poisson regression analysis was performed. The Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR) and 95％ confidence interval (CI) were calculated.Results：Five of the eight exclusion categories were significantly associated with low-KRW-AI scores. The highest IRR was 2.29 (95％ CI：1.41-3.69, p＜0.001) for (2).Conclusion：High motor FIM are associated with a higher relative risk of falling below the KRW-AI of 40. Conversely, being older and the presence of cognitive disorder did not interfere with low-KRW-AI scores.