Background and Aims:The success of thyroid surgery largely depends on an accurate understanding and proper handling of cervical anatomical structures. As a key anatomical landmark,the middle cervical fascia plays a critical role in thyroid lobe resection and precise identification of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) during thyroid surgery. However,existing anatomical literature provides limited descriptions of the middle cervical fascia and surrounding spaces. This study was performed to explore the anatomical characteristics of the middle cervical fascia and its adjacent spaces in detail,providing more accurate anatomical evidence and practical guidance to improve the safety and efficacy of thyroid surgery.Methods:First,systematic anatomical studies were conducted on formalin-fixed cadaveric specimens. During the dissections,the structural features of the middle cervical fascia and its surrounding spaces were meticulously recorded,with special attention to its relationships with the thyroid gland,common carotid artery,and infrahyoid muscles. Second,real-time observations and records were made during thyroid surgery on patients with thyroid cancer. The appearance of the middle cervical fascia and changes in related anatomical structures were documented during surgery. Results:Both cadaveric dissections and intraoperative observations revealed that the middle cervical fascia is closely attached to the thyroid gland medially,while laterally it extends across the surface of the common carotid artery to the infrahyoid muscles. When the fascial plane was incised,important structures such as adipose tissue,lymph nodes,RLN,middle thyroid vein,inferior thyroid artery,and inferior thyroid vein were clearly observed. Additionally,it was found that the RLN is enveloped by a thin layer of fascia and adipose tissue. Intraoperative findings showed that RLN exposure techniques based on the middle cervical fascia significantly facilitated RLN identification and improved surgical efficacy. Conclusion:The middle cervical fascia is a key supportive structure on the thyroid surface and an independent fascial plane critical for tissue dissection and precise RLN exposure during thyroid surgery. A deeper understanding of the anatomy of the middle cervical fascia and its surrounding spaces is essential for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of thyroid surgery.

Background and Aims:The success of thyroid surgery largely depends on an accurate understanding and proper handling of cervical anatomical structures. As a key anatomical landmark,the middle cervical fascia plays a critical role in thyroid lobe resection and precise identification of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) during thyroid surgery. However,existing anatomical literature provides limited descriptions of the middle cervical fascia and surrounding spaces. This study was performed to explore the anatomical characteristics of the middle cervical fascia and its adjacent spaces in detail,providing more accurate anatomical evidence and practical guidance to improve the safety and efficacy of thyroid surgery.Methods:First,systematic anatomical studies were conducted on formalin-fixed cadaveric specimens. During the dissections,the structural features of the middle cervical fascia and its surrounding spaces were meticulously recorded,with special attention to its relationships with the thyroid gland,common carotid artery,and infrahyoid muscles. Second,real-time observations and records were made during thyroid surgery on patients with thyroid cancer. The appearance of the middle cervical fascia and changes in related anatomical structures were documented during surgery. Results:Both cadaveric dissections and intraoperative observations revealed that the middle cervical fascia is closely attached to the thyroid gland medially,while laterally it extends across the surface of the common carotid artery to the infrahyoid muscles. When the fascial plane was incised,important structures such as adipose tissue,lymph nodes,RLN,middle thyroid vein,inferior thyroid artery,and inferior thyroid vein were clearly observed. Additionally,it was found that the RLN is enveloped by a thin layer of fascia and adipose tissue. Intraoperative findings showed that RLN exposure techniques based on the middle cervical fascia significantly facilitated RLN identification and improved surgical efficacy. Conclusion:The middle cervical fascia is a key supportive structure on the thyroid surface and an independent fascial plane critical for tissue dissection and precise RLN exposure during thyroid surgery. A deeper understanding of the anatomy of the middle cervical fascia and its surrounding spaces is essential for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of thyroid surgery.

Objective:To examine the early and midterm surgical outcome of pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (PA/VSD/MAPCA) using revised surgical strategies.Methods:A retrospective analysis of clinical data, surgical methods, and follow-up results was performed of 104 cases of PA/VSD/MAPCA in Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangzhou Women and Children′s Medical Center from January 2017 to September 2022. There were 55 males and 49 females, aged ( M(IQR)) 33.9(84.0) months (range: 0.5 to 209.6 months) at the first surgical procedures. The anatomical classification included 89 cases of type B and 15 cases of type C. The number of major aortopulmonary collateral arteries was 4.2 (3.0) (range: 1 to 8). The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival estimation. Results:In the first stage of surgery, 50 patients underwent a complete primary repair, 12 patients underwent partial repair, 32 patients underwent palliative right ventricular-pulmonary artery connection, and only 10 patients chose the Blalock-Taussig shunt. There were 10 cases of early death. In the second stage, 14 patients underwent complete repair and 4 patients underwent partial repair with no early death. The interval between the two surgeries was 19 (10) months (range: 9 to 48 months). Finally, during the 40 (34) months follow-up period, a total of 64 patients were complete repair and the right/left ventricular pressure ratio after complete repair was 0.63±0.16 (range: 0.36 to 1.00). Survival analysis showed that survival rates at 1 and 5 years after first-stage surgery were both 89.4% (95% CI: 83.5% to 95.3%). At 28 (34) months (range: 1 to 67 months) of follow-up after complete repair, the survival analysis showed that the survival rates at 1 and 5 years were both 95.2% (95% CI: 89.9% to 100%). Conclusions:Using combined approaches tailored to individual patients and optimized unifocalization strategy, the complete repair rate at one stage and the cumulative complete repair rate at 5 years improved significantly with a lower right/left ventricular pressure ratio and satisfactory early and intermediate survival.

Objective:To examine the early and midterm surgical outcome of pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (PA/VSD/MAPCA) using revised surgical strategies.Methods:A retrospective analysis of clinical data, surgical methods, and follow-up results was performed of 104 cases of PA/VSD/MAPCA in Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangzhou Women and Children′s Medical Center from January 2017 to September 2022. There were 55 males and 49 females, aged ( M(IQR)) 33.9(84.0) months (range: 0.5 to 209.6 months) at the first surgical procedures. The anatomical classification included 89 cases of type B and 15 cases of type C. The number of major aortopulmonary collateral arteries was 4.2 (3.0) (range: 1 to 8). The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival estimation. Results:In the first stage of surgery, 50 patients underwent a complete primary repair, 12 patients underwent partial repair, 32 patients underwent palliative right ventricular-pulmonary artery connection, and only 10 patients chose the Blalock-Taussig shunt. There were 10 cases of early death. In the second stage, 14 patients underwent complete repair and 4 patients underwent partial repair with no early death. The interval between the two surgeries was 19 (10) months (range: 9 to 48 months). Finally, during the 40 (34) months follow-up period, a total of 64 patients were complete repair and the right/left ventricular pressure ratio after complete repair was 0.63±0.16 (range: 0.36 to 1.00). Survival analysis showed that survival rates at 1 and 5 years after first-stage surgery were both 89.4% (95% CI: 83.5% to 95.3%). At 28 (34) months (range: 1 to 67 months) of follow-up after complete repair, the survival analysis showed that the survival rates at 1 and 5 years were both 95.2% (95% CI: 89.9% to 100%). Conclusions:Using combined approaches tailored to individual patients and optimized unifocalization strategy, the complete repair rate at one stage and the cumulative complete repair rate at 5 years improved significantly with a lower right/left ventricular pressure ratio and satisfactory early and intermediate survival.

Objective:To evaluate the early results of pulmonary autograft mitral valve replacement (Ross Ⅱ procedure) in infants with intractable congenital mitral valve lesions.Methods:Between August 2018 and September 2019, 6 infants underwent mitral valve replacement with a pulmonary autograft in Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangzhou Women and Children′s Medical Center. There were 2 males and 4 females.The age at surgery ranged from 50 days to 1 year old.Preoperative diagnoses included severe to critic mitral valve insuffiency in all patients, moderate mitral valve stenosis in 3 patients, and mitral valve prolapse in one. When the pulmonary autograft was harvested, a cuff of bovine or autologous pericardium was sewn onto the proximal (infundibular) end of the autograft ( "top-hat" configuration). The distal (pulmonary) end of the autograft was secured to the mitral annulus.At the level of the left atrial free wall, the pericardial cuff was progressively tailored and sewn onto the atrial wall to remain away from the ostia of the pulmonary veins and to maintain normal morphology of the autograft. The bovine jugular valved conduit was used to reconstruct the right ventricular outflow tract.Results:There was one early death due to sudden cardiac arrest at the night of surgery day. The remaining 5 patients were successfully recovered and discharged. Follow-up of survivors ranged from 3 to 13 months. Echocardiographic follow-up demonstrated the flow velocity across the mitral valve position was 1.5 to 2.3 m/s, with a means gradient of 4 to 6 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa). Four patients showed mild mitral insuffiency, normal left atrium and ventricle size and left ventricle ejection fraction.One patient had moderate mitral insuffiency, pulmonary valve endocarditis, and reduced left ventricle ejection fraction. The clinical symptoms of all survivals improved significantly and the weight gain were satisfactory.Conclusion:Pulmonary autograft mitral valve replacement may be a feasible and effective remedial surgical strategy for young infants with intractable congenital mitral valve lesions.

Purpose: Effective predictors of the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) are still insufficient. This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of serum lipid profiles for the response to NAC in breast cancer patients. Methods: A total of 533 breast cancer patients who had received NAC were retrospectively studied. The pretreatment of serum lipids, including total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and lipoprotein-α, and clinicopathological characteristics were collected to assess their predictive roles. Results: Breast cancer patients had significantly lower TC, TG, HDL-C, and LDL-C levels than normal individuals. Among these indicators, TG and LDL-C levels and HDL-C level increased and decreased significantly after NAC, respectively. In estrogen receptor (ER)-positive patients, increased LDL-C level was associated with better outcomes. Moreover, the receiver operating characteristic curve analyses suggested that TG and HDL-C levels at diagnosis can be used as predictors of the response to NAC only in the ER-positive subgroup.According to univariate analyses, patients with low TG level (< 1.155 mmol/L) or high HDL-C level (≥ 1.305 mmol/L) in the ER-positive subgroup had more favorable clinical responses than the other patients in the subgroup. Furthermore, according to multivariate analyses, a high HDL-C level (≥ 1.305 mmol/L, p = 0.007) was an independent predictor of NAC efficacy. Conclusion High HDL-C level (≥ 1.305 mmol/L) before NAC and increased LDL-C level after NAC were associated with the better treatment response in ER-positive breast cancer patients.These results are potentially considered beneficial in establishing treatment decisions.

Objective:To evaluate the early results of pulmonary autograft mitral valve replacement (Ross Ⅱ procedure) in infants with intractable congenital mitral valve lesions.Methods:Between August 2018 and September 2019, 6 infants underwent mitral valve replacement with a pulmonary autograft in Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangzhou Women and Children′s Medical Center. There were 2 males and 4 females.The age at surgery ranged from 50 days to 1 year old.Preoperative diagnoses included severe to critic mitral valve insuffiency in all patients, moderate mitral valve stenosis in 3 patients, and mitral valve prolapse in one. When the pulmonary autograft was harvested, a cuff of bovine or autologous pericardium was sewn onto the proximal (infundibular) end of the autograft ( "top-hat" configuration). The distal (pulmonary) end of the autograft was secured to the mitral annulus.At the level of the left atrial free wall, the pericardial cuff was progressively tailored and sewn onto the atrial wall to remain away from the ostia of the pulmonary veins and to maintain normal morphology of the autograft. The bovine jugular valved conduit was used to reconstruct the right ventricular outflow tract.Results:There was one early death due to sudden cardiac arrest at the night of surgery day. The remaining 5 patients were successfully recovered and discharged. Follow-up of survivors ranged from 3 to 13 months. Echocardiographic follow-up demonstrated the flow velocity across the mitral valve position was 1.5 to 2.3 m/s, with a means gradient of 4 to 6 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa). Four patients showed mild mitral insuffiency, normal left atrium and ventricle size and left ventricle ejection fraction.One patient had moderate mitral insuffiency, pulmonary valve endocarditis, and reduced left ventricle ejection fraction. The clinical symptoms of all survivals improved significantly and the weight gain were satisfactory.Conclusion:Pulmonary autograft mitral valve replacement may be a feasible and effective remedial surgical strategy for young infants with intractable congenital mitral valve lesions.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of multistage surgery in patients with functional single ventricle (FSV) and risk factors of postoperative death. Methods: The clinical data of all consecutive patients with FSV undergoing multistage single ventricle palliation surgery in Guangzhou women and children's medical center from January 2008 to December 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. The study included 289 patients. The age was 10.0 (6.0, 35.4) months,and there were 198 male and 91 female patients. The patients were followed up at outpatient clinic. Survival rates were calculated with Kaplan-Meier. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was made to determine the risk factors of postoperative death. Results: Seventy-nine patients required the first stage palliation surgery, 232 patients received the Glenn shunt surgery, and 162 patients completed the Fontan procedure. Overall, postoperative death occurred in 39 patients including 21 after the first stage palliation surgery (early stage 13 cases, late stage 8 cases) , 10 after the Glenn shunt surgery (early stage 5 cases, late stage 5 cases) , and 8 following the Fontan procedure (early stage 6 cases, late stage 2 cases) . Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that survival rate of the entire cohort was 90.2% (95%CI 86.7%-93.7%) , 85.9% (95%CI 81.8%-90.0%) ,and 84.6% (95%CI 79.7%-89.5%) at 1 year, 5 years and 10 years post operation. Survival rate was 74.4% (95%CI 64.8%-84.0%) , 73.0% (95%CI 63.2%-82.8%) , and 73.0% (95%CI 63.2%-82.8%) at 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years post the first stage palliation surgery, 97.8% (95%CI 95.8%-99.7%) , 95.2% (95%CI 92.3%-98.1%) , and 95.2% (95%CI 92.3%-98.1%) at 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years post Glenn shunt surgery, 95.6% (95%CI 92.5%-98.7%) and 93.7% (95%CI 88.8%-98.6%) at 1 year and 5 years post Fontan surgery. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (HR=5.47, 95%CI 2.71-11.04, P<0.001), atrioventricular valve regurgitation more than moderate (HR=2.52, 95%CI 1.32-4.79, P=0.005), systemic ventricular outflow tract obstruction (HR=3.47, 95%CI 1.30-9.29, P=0.013), and required the first palliation surgery (HR=3.12, 95%CI 1.59-6.15, P=0.001) were risk factors of postoperative death. Conclusions The multistage surgery can effectively improve the survival of patientswith functional single ventricle and is associated with satisfactory long-term prognosis. Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection, atrioventricular valve regurgitation more than moderate, systemic ventricular outflow tract obstruction, and required the first palliation surgery are risk factors of postoperative death in these patients.

Objective: To summarize the surgical results and experience of patients with complete atrioventricular septal defect associated with tetralogy of Fallot or double right ventricular outlets. Methods: From April 2013 to June 2017, 10 patients with complete atrioventricular septal defect associated with tetralogy of Fallot or double right ventricular outlets underwent biventricular repair at Guangzhou Women and Children Medical Center. Seven were male, and 3 were female. The age and body weight at surgery was 2 months to 13 years and 3.7-23.6 kg. Repair was performed with modified one-patch technique in 3 patients, modified two-patch technique in 6 patients, two-patch technique in 1 patient. Results: There was no hospital mortality. The ICU stay and hospital stay after operation were 2~5 days and 7~10 days. The follow-up duration was 16 to 65 months. All patients were alive and free from left ventricular outlet obstruction. The left atrioventricular valve function were normal in 2 patients, mild regurgitation in 6 patients, moderate regurgitation in 1 patient and severe regurgitation in 1 patient. Conclusion The outcomes of biventricular repair for patients with complete atrioventricular septal defect associated with Tetralogy of Fallot or double right ventricular outlets were satisfied, and long-term follow-up was demanded.

Objective: To examine the early- and midterm outcomes of pulmonary artery banding as an initial palliation in patients with single ventricle associated with unrestricted pulmonary blood flow. Methods: Between January 2008 and December 2017, 49 patients with single ventricle and unrestricted pulmonary blood flow underwent pulmonary artery banding at Department of Cardiac Surgery, Guangzhou Women and Children′s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University. There were 29 males and 20 females. The age at the time of surgery was 5.6 (11.5) months (M(Q_R)), and the weight was 5.2 (3.9) kg. The medical records and results after pulmonary artery banding (death/reoperation, transition to the Glenn procedure) and subsequently after the Glenn procedure (death, transition to the Fontan procedure) were reviewed retrospectively. Actuarial survivals were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier curve. Relative factors for affecting outcomes were analyzed using the Cox regression hazard model. Results: There were 8 early deaths, with a mortality of 16.3%, including 4 cases who received simultaneous arch repair. There were 5 late deaths. During the follow-up of 47(62) (M(Q_R)) months, 11 patients (22.4%) underwent pulmonary artery banding adjustment, 29 patients (59.2%) underwent the Glenn procedure, 21 patients (42.8%) underwent the Fontan procedure. The survival of patients after the initial pulmonary artery banding were 77.4% (95%CI: 65.6% to 89.2%) and 72.6% (95%CI: 59.9% to 85.3%) at 1 year and 5 years, respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that systemic ventricular outflow tract obstruction (HR=4.25, 95%CI: 1.50 to 12.03, P=0.006) and total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (HR=6.49, 95%CI: 3.24 to 12.98, P=0.000) were relative factors for death. Conclusions The early and midterm outcomes of pulmonary artery banding as an initial palliative strategy is not satisfactory. Systemic ventricular outflow tract obstruction and total anomalous pulmonary venous connection are associated with high mortality.