Correlation between the Layer of an Intimal Tear and the Progression of Aortic Dissection

Thoracic aortas isolated from dogs were evaluated to determine the correlation between the depth of an intimal tear and the progression of aortic dissection. Thoracic aortas obtained from 99 adult mongrel dogs were used. An intimal tear (aortic pocket) was created on the aortic wall and the aorta was connected in series to a closed circuit (150 mmHg/100 mmHg and 60 beats/min). The progression of the dissection was most notable in the aortic pocket prepared in the first one-third of the external media (87.5%). There was no correlation however between the width of the pocket and the progression of dissection. Examinations of samples from surgical patients have shown that dissection usually progresses at the same site. This has been attributed to the diseased media. Our results demonstrated that dissection occurred almost always at the same site without any medial changes suggesting that whether dissection develops or not likely depends upon whether the intimal tear reaches the first one-third of the external media or not

Successful intra-postoperative extracorporeal circulatory support with atrial communication for treatment of anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery : a case report

We describe a successful case of surgical treatment for anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) syndrome with severe left ventricular dysfunction. Because of the severe left ventricular dysfunction, we planned to use an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for heart support until a satisfactory recovery had been established. The left ventricular function signifi cantly recovered in a few days, and the patient could be discharged without any complications.</p

Suture Retention Strength of Expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) Graft

Our meticulous investigation of ePTFE graft breakage when a wire placed at the edge of an ePTFE graft was pulled, revealed that, depending on the breakage pattern, a break starts much earlier than the peak suture retention strength, which is the current international indicator for anastomotic-site break strength. Furthermore, the breakage patterns differ based on the thickness of the wire and the fiber direction of the ePTFE graft. Based on these findings, we advocate measuring the peak suture retention strength using 0.10-mm sutures and a standardized wire thickness in order to assess the anastomotic retention strength of ePTFE grafts.</p