We present a successful case of redo-tricuspid valve replacement for tricuspid prosthetic valve endocarditis. A 78-year-old man who underwent tricuspid bioprosthetic valve replacement for severe tricuspid regurgitation thirty-two years earlier was referred to our institution with persistent high fever and back pain. The blood culture was positive for Streptococcus oralis, and echocardiography revealed a mobile vegetation attached to the tricuspid prosthetic valve with moderate tricuspid regurgitation. A clinical diagnosis of prosthetic valve endocarditis was established. Redo-tricuspid bioprosthetic valve replacement was performed following antibiotics therapy. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 49 after 6 weeks of additional antibiotic treatment, and had no recurrence of infection for 6 months after redo-surgery.

A 59-year-old man who was diagnosed with hypertension and a large thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm was referred to our hospital for surgical treatment. He underwent open surgery and thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair in three stages. He developed paraplegia after the third surgery. Despite acute postoperative treatment and rehabilitation, his lower extremity motor function and bladder and bowel dysfunction did not improve. He was transferred to a recovery hospital 67 days after the third surgery. However, he was readmitted to our hospital about four months later for management of a refractory decubitus ulcer and recurrent urinary tract infections. Computed tomography revealed hematoma and calcification around the femur. Based on the clinical course and imaging findings, we diagnosed neurogenic heterotopic ossification associated with postoperative paraplegia in this patient. He had flap reconstruction for the ulcer. Finally, he was discharged 79 days after readmission. To date, no study has reported neurogenic heterotopic ossification associated with postoperative aortic aneurysm paraplegia. The mechanism underlying this condition is similar to the widely accepted process associated with traumatic spinal cord injury, and conservative treatment comprising pressure ulcer treatment and antibiotics was continued. Although acute rehabilitation is important after highly invasive aortic aneurysm surgery, rehabilitation is limited by the risk of neurogenic heterotopic ossification in patients with postoperative paraplegia, and recovery and maintenance of activities of daily living are challenging. To our knowledge, early diagnosis and prompt treatment for these complications are important considering neurogenic heterotopic ossification.

A 72-year-old female was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) in 2014 and was followed up. Severe mitral regurgitation coexisted with APS, but the case was nonsymptomatic, and surgery involved high risk. Therefore, the physicians continued their observation. In 2020, the patient experienced rheumatic severe mitral stenosis and shortness of breath on exertion. Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and coronary stenosis were also detected. Therefore, we planned mitral valve replacement, tricuspid annuloplasty, coronary artery bypass, pulmonary vein isolation and left atrial appendage closure. During extracorporeal circulation (ECC), we performed coagulation management based on blood heparin concentration using HMS PLUS. Because the APS patient showed prolonged activated clotting time (ACT), and coagulation therapy based on ACT is unreliable. She was discharged from our hospital on postoperative day 23. No complications, including bleeding and thrombosis, were observed 2 years after the operation. We experienced a case of APS who underwent cardiac surgery and performed coagulation management by measuring heparin concentration during ECC. We targeted a 3.5 U/ml heparin concentration, and her clinical course was uneventful.

The peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) is widely used as a central venous catheter for both pediatric and adult patients. Fewer procedure-related complications have been reported than for conventional methods using the internal jugular, femoral, or subclavian veins for access. On the other hand, thrombosis and phlebitis are more common than in conventional methods, and sometimes the catheter cannot be removed by manual traction. In this study, a 13-year-old girl had received long-term sedation from a PICC due to neurodegenerative disease. The patient was referred to our department because of difficulty in manual drawing for removal of the PICC. A CT scan showed that the PICC was bent at the right axillary vein and there was a high-density area around it. Surgical treatment was chosen after a joint conference between the department of pediatrics and us to discuss the reliability and invasiveness of the several treatments. Under general anesthesia, an incision was made under the right subclavian bone, and her axillary vein was exposed. The lumen of the vein was filled with a white plaster-like compound, and the catheter itself was buried inside it. The compound was removed, and the bent PICC was straightened and removed from the puncture site. There is no other case for difficult removal of PICC in this form without calcification. We believe that surgical removal was effective in this case because of her vascular structure.

An 88-year-old man was diagnosed with right renal pelvic carcinoma and underwent laparoscopic right nephroureterectomy. On postoperative day 3, he developed aspiration pneumonia and sepsis and received antibiotic therapy. A central venous catheter (CVC) with an outer diameter of 12 G was inserted via the right internal jugular vein for total parenteral nutrition. On the day after catheterization, pulsatility reverse flow was observed in its lumen, and arterial mispuncture was suspected. Enhanced computed tomography (eCT) revealed that the CVC was inserted at the right internal jugular vein and had penetrated the right subclavian artery, and the CVC tip was positioned at the ascending aorta. Our team discussed the strategy, including direct arterial suture, endovascular therapy, and a percutaneous closure device. Because the patient was too frail to endure direct arterial closure, we chose endovascular therapy. Under general anesthesia, we pulled the CVC. Immediately afterwards, we deployed a GORE® VIABAHN® VBX using the transaxillary approach. On postoperative day 1, eCT showed that the GORE® VIABAHN® VBX was positioned from the right subclavian artery bifurcation, and there were no complications of hemorrhage, endoleak, or migration. His postoperative course was uneventful, and he was transferred to another hospital on postoperative day 16.

In cases of renal cell carcinoma causing embolism in the inferior vena cava, aggressive surgical resection is recommended and expected to improve the prognosis. The patient was a 52-year-old man who had been on hemodialysis since the age of 45 due to diabetic nephropathy. A CT scan for anemia revealed a tumor in the right kidney, and the patient was referred to the urologist at our hospital. A thorough examination revealed a diagnosis of primary right renal carcinoma with tumor embolization in the inferior vena cava (IVC) that extended to the right ventricle. During surgical resection of the tumor, a midline abdominal incision was made. The liver was detached and exposed to the IVC by the gastroenterological surgeon, followed by dissection of the right kidney for removal by the urologist. The wound was then extended to the anterior chest, and a mid-thoracic incision was made. The SVC was snared, and a right atrial incision revealed a tumor. We resected the tumor at the level of the diaphragm while blocking the IVC, and sutured the right atrium. The IVC was then incised centrally from the confluence of the right renal veins to identify the renal tumor that was resected from the lumen along with the venous wall. The missing IVC wall was reconstructed with an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) patch. In this case, the patient received complete resection of a right renal cell carcinoma, with inferior vena cava embolism and tumor extending into the right ventricle, using extracorporeal circulation. He was discharged on the 29th day after surgery without any major postoperative complications. The use of cardiopulmonary bypass is considered to be an effective means of ensuring surgical safety in cases of complete resection of malignant tumors that have spread from the IVC to the heart.

Objective: Most cases of severe metabolic alkalosis have many causes that may result in renal failure and death. Therefore, these should be treated promptly for successful recovery.Patient: A 61-year-old man was hospitalized due to an acute kidney injury (creatinine level of 4.36 mg/dL) after a 3-month history of anorexia and recurrent vomiting. He had been treated for tuberculosis in the past.Results: Blood gas analysis revealed severe metabolic alkalosis with pH=7.66, HCO3=94 mmol/L, and pCO2=82.0 mmHg. Routine biochemical examination revealed severe hypokalemia (K 2.9 mEq/L) that was associated with prolonged QTc interval (0.52 seconds) on the electrocardiogram. Gastrofiberscopic examination also revealed severe stenosis and ulcerated scarring of the gastric pylorus and severe esophagitis. Intravenous hydration and correction of hypokalemia improved renal function and resolved metabolic alkalosis. An investigation that was repeated after 6 days revealed a creatinine level of 1.58 mg/dL, pH=7.47, HCO3=23.4 mmol/L, K=3.6 mEq/L, and QTc of 0.45 seconds. The patient underwent gastrectomy and adenocarcinoma was observed.Conclusion: We described a resolved case of severe metabolic alkalosis and acute kidney injury in a rural medical setting following conservative management.

A 48-year old man consulted a doctor at a nearby medical clinic due to dyspnea and increased body mass which he began to experience in October, 2011. Further evaluation revealed the presence of three-vessel severe coronary artery disease, poor left ventricular function, and mitral valve regurgitation. Transthoracic echocardiography showed anterior wall asynergy and left ventricular enlargement. Reconstruction of the left ventricle was contemplated during the preoperative evaluation. The patient underwent hemodialysis for chronic renal failure prior to admission. Generally, delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI is used for cardiac viability assessment. However, gadolinium is contraindicated in a patient with chronic renal failure owing to the risk of development of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis. Thus, gadolinium-enhanced MRI is contraindicated in the patient. Instead, we used fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) computed tomography (CT) to assess myocardial viability. Consequently, viability was assessed except for a part of the apical electrode in the left anterior descending artery territory. Subsequently, revascularization and mitral valve annuloplasty with coronary artery bypass grafting of five vessels were performed in January, 2012 without left ventricular reconstruction. A left ventricular assist device was used postoperatively, from which he was later weaned. The outcome was good because post-operative left ventriculography revealed improvement in left ventricular wall motion. This case is presented including bibliographical comments on the effectiveness of FDG PET-CT for assessment of myocardial viability.

In Mongolian gerbils, bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) for several minutes induces ischemia, due to an incomplete circle of Willis, resulting in delayed neuronal cell death in the Cornet d'Ammon 1 (CA1) region of the hippocampus. Neuronal cell death in the hippocampus and changes in behavior were examined after BCCAO was performed for 5 min in the gerbils. One day after BCCAO, the pyramidal neurons of the CA1 region of the hippocampus showed degenerative changes (clumped chromatin in nuclei). At 5 and 10 days after BCCAO, extensive neuronal cell death was observed in the hippocampal CA1 region. Cognitive performance was evaluated by using the radial maze and passive avoidance tests. In the radial maze test, which examines win-stay performance, the number of errors was significantly higher in ischemic gerbils than in sham-operated gerbils on days 1 and 2 post-operation. In the passive avoidance test, the latency and freezing times were significantly shorter in ischemic gerbils than in sham-operated gerbils on the days 1, 2, and 4–6 post-operation. These results indicate that transient forebrain ischemia impairs cognitive performance, even immediately after the ischemic insult when there are only subtle signs of neuronal cell death.
CA1 Region, Hippocampal ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Cell Death ; Chromatin ; Circle of Willis ; Freezing ; Gerbillinae ; Hippocampus ; Ischemia ; Neurons ; Prosencephalon ; Pyramidal Cells

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of combined aerobic and resistance training circuit on daily physical activity, motor function, and health-related QOL among community-dwelling women aged over 65. Of 102 subjects recruited from the local community, 60 met the inclusion criteria. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups: intervention and control. The intervention group was asked to participate in 60 minutes of combined aerobic and resistance training circuit three times a week for 3 months, while the control group was asked to participate in a study circle once a month for 3 months. Daily physical activity was measured by an activity monitor, and questionnaire, physical functioning, and health related QOL were measured before and after intervention. Daily physical activity as measured by the activity monitor increased significantly in the intervention group but not in the control group, although daily physical activity as measured by questionnaire did not significantly differ between groups. Distance walked over 6 minutes significantly increased in the intervention group than in the control group. No significant difference was found in health related QOL between groups. We conclude that combined aerobic and resistance training circuit is effective for increasing daily activity in community-dwelling older women and for enhancing physical function.