No case of graft replacement for abdominal aortic aneurysm in a case of congenital deficiency of coagulation factor X III has yet been reported. Recently we performed graft replacement of 66-year-old man with congenital deficiency of coagulation factor X III. Concentrated factor X III separated from human placenta (Fibrogamin^®) was used during, before and after the operation. We measured factor X III activity, and when the activity was so low that replacement therapy was necessary, we administered Fibrogamin immediately. We maintained coagulation factor X III activity at over 70%. No adverse reaction of factor X III replacement therapy was observed. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient did not have delayed wound healing.

To reduce surgical invasion, we recently used a limited incision through a retroperitoneal approach in the abdominal aortic surgery. Between May 2001 and March 2002, 18 patients who had infrarenal aortic aneurysm, iliac aneurysm, or aortoiliac occlusive disease were surgically treated using a new approach at Dokkyo University Koshigaya Hospital. Although 1 patient with a short aortic neck had to be converted to conventional surgical incision, the remaining 17 patients were successfully treated with the limited incision (range, 6-10cm). Operative time and intraoperative blood loss were 275.2±62.9min and 968.5±473.8ml, respectively. None of these patients required homologous blood transfusion in the perioperative period. All patients were extubated in the operation room. Oral feeding and mobilization started on day 1.6±0.5 and 1.4±0.9, respectively. Furthermore, all patients were discharged home without serious complications such as postoperative ileus and perioperative death. These results show that the limited incision through a retroperitoneal approach is safe and effective in the abdominal aortic surgery. This technique maintains quality outcome while reducing surgical invasion.

A 24-year-old woman with an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) caused by mucoid medial degeneration of the aortic wall in the absence of Marfan syndrome is reported. She required a Y-shaped graft replacement of the abdominal aorta through a minimal incision and recovered successfully.

A case of isolated left coronary artery ostial stenosis treated successfully by the saphenous vein patch plasty is reported. A 49-year-old woman was referred for surgery because of unstable angina with subendcardial infarction on ECG. Coronary angiogram showed isolated severe stenosis of left coronary artery ostium without stenotic lesion in the periphery and right coronary artery. At surgery, the aorta was incised obliquely downward to the left coronary ostium and this incision was further extended 8mm distally in the main trunk. Atheromatous left coronary ostium was enlarged with the saphenous vein patch. Postoperatively, angina disappeared and aortic root angioram revealed a well dilated ostium. At 1 year follow-up, the patient remains asymptomatic.

A 68-year-old woman complained of hemoptic shock and recovered with conservative treatment. Ruptured descending aorta into the left lung was diagnosed. Graft replacement of the descending aorta was successfully performed. We speculated that spontaneous rupture of the descending aorta into the left lung might have occurred due to high blood pressure affecting the weak aortic wall with sclerotic change, causing hemoptysis. The ruptured descending aorta was successfully replaced without dissection between the ruptured aorta and the left lung. The postoperative course was uneventful with neither pulmonary nor infectious complications.

A 45-year-old woman who was a Jehovah's Witness was admitted to our hospital with a complaint of palpitation and sort on-effort. A ruptured aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva (RASV) associated with stenosis of the right ventricular outflow was diagnosed. Operative findings revealed a RASV with a double chambered right ventricle (DCRV) and a ventricular septal defect (VSD). RASV, DCRV and VSD were successfully repaired with extracorporeal circulation without use of homologous blood. We reported this case because congenital combination of RASV, DCRV and VSD is very rare.

A 69-year-old man complained of abdominal pain with inflammatory reaction. Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) with a left main trunk lesion was diagnosed and he successfully underwent Y-graft replacement of the abdominal aorta and coronary artery bypass grafting. Finally AAA was classified as “inflammatory” by histopathological findings. We present this case of “inflammatory AAA” associated with coronary artery disease, and discuss it with a review of literatures.

A conventional reoperation via full sternotomy approach is associated with a higher risk of heart injury compared with first time operations. We employ a minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) for valve reoperations in order to minimize dissection of sternal adhesions. We evaluated MICS for mitral reoperation in this report. We retrospectively analyzed 20 patients (group P) who underwent mitral reoperation via partial lower hemisternotomy (PLH) from July 1997 through March 2002, and 13 patients (group F) who underwent mitral reoperation via full sternotomy from April 1990 through June 1997. All patients received mitral valve replacement in both groups. Concomitant Maze procedures were significantly more frequent in group P (group P: n=8, group F: n=1). Aortic cross clamp times were significantly longer in group P (group P: 110±5min, group F:87±11min). The blood loss during operations was significantly less in group P (group P: 666±100ml, group F: 2, 405±947ml). Postoperative ventilation time and the length of intensive care unit stay were significantly shorter in group P. In group P and F the occurrence of a heart injury associated with sternotomy was 0/20 (0%), 2/13 (15%) respectively. Hospital mortality was 0/20 (0%), 2/13 (15%) respectively. There were neither any hospital deaths nor any postoperative major complications in group P. We conclude that PLH for mitral reoperations could be performed safely and is an alternative approach for mitral reoperations.