Cardiotomy suction blood is used in cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) surgery to maintain blood volume in the CPB system, although it is known to contain micro emboli, cytokines and free plasma hemoglobin. Our aim was to investigate whether cell saver washing the cardiotomy suction blood before re-transfusing it is safe.

Azithromycin and methylprednisolone are two medications that are commonly used in patients who require ECMO support. Unfortunately, ECMO support can decrease drug concentrations through adsorption to circuit components. Such interactions have not been well described for either azithromycin or methylprednisolone. This study determined the extraction of these medications by ECMO circuits in an system.

Type A acute aortic dissection, an aggressive and highly fatal disease, is particularly common among pregnant women and foetuses. This disease often occurs during the third trimester of pregnancy and the postpartum period.

Bleeding after cardiac surgeries holds risk of mortality and morbidity in pediatrics. This systematic review aimed to evaluate postoperative blood loss and blood transfusion requirements for pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery with fresh frozen plasma (FFP) priming.

This study aimed to identify characteristics associated with survival during and post Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) therapy, in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite technological advances, the use of homologous blood to prime the cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) circuits of infants under 10 kg remains common. However, such rapid massive transfusion may increase post-CPB morbidity.

Approaches that require less invasive procedures, offer heal in a shorter time and provide better cosmetic results have gained importance with the technological and modern developments in cardiac surgery. Esthetically preferred results can be achieved after heart valve surgery using a periareolar incision, especially in female patients. In the present study, we aimed to present our results after surgery using periareolar incision in female patients.

ECMO plays a crucial role in treating severe respiratory and cardiac failure in pediatric patients. However, its impact on the regulation of erythropoietin (EPO) and erythropoiesis remains poorly understood. Factors such as improved oxygenation, inflammation, and hemodilution associated with ECMO treatment may influence EPO production and erythropoiesis. This study aimed to examine the effects of ECMO on EPO regulation and erythropoiesis in pediatric patients.

The purpose of this study was to compare the ability of four obesity indicators, including waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), body adiposity index (BAI), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) on prediction for incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Chinese Han population.

The impact of non heparin-induced thrombocytopenia on the clinical outcomes for pediatric cardiac surgery patients who required veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane support (VA-ECMO) for failure to wean from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is uncertain. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between thrombocytopenia and prognosis in these patients.

In recent years, during the decannulation process for veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO), methods for suturing the femoral artery have included the pre- and post-closure techniques. The safety and efficacy of the pre-closure technique are widely recognised; however, reports on the post-closure technique are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the post-closure technique using ProGlide (Abbott Healthcare, Green Oaks, IL, USA) device during VA-ECMO decannulation.

Q-Fever is a rare condition with an often insidious presentation. Endocarditis is a serious complication of up to 5% of Q-Fever cases, with a higher incidence and mortality in patients with prosthetic valves. A 67-year-old man presented with a 6-weeks history of breathlessness on a background of previous bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement in 2018. Subsequent echocardiograms showed severe eccentric aortic regurgitation, a 2 cm vegetation, and severely impaired biventricular function. Routine blood cultures were negative, but later PCR testing for non-culturable microorganisms, performed due to the high probability of endocarditis, was positive for . The patient denied any recent constitutional symptoms and previous exposure to animal reservoirs. He underwent a successful urgent redo sternotomy and aortic valve replacement with a bioprosthesis. Prosthetic valve PCR testing was positive for , and he completed a long antibiotic course with follow-up serology to guide therapy. Clinic follow-up 3 months later showed good recovery with no complications. This case emphasises the high index of suspicion and routine screening needed in culture-negative cases to diagnose Q-Fever endocarditis, especially in the absence of acute symptoms and exposure to known sources of transmission. The complexities in management and timing of surgery are discussed.

Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation has increasingly been utilized to support patients in respiratory failure as a bridge to recovery or lung transplantation. As patients progress from cannulation to recovery or transplantation, it has been shown that physical therapy and ambulation are possible and beneficial for patient outcomes.

Acute aortic dissection type A (AADA) is a condition that affects both genders and requires urgent surgical intervention as non-operative treatment is often associated with a poor prognosis. Studies have proven that less aggressive surgical treatments influence the outcome for female patients in the fields of several diseases. The purpose of this study was to report and analyze our results in the selective cohort of female patients with AADA to detect differences in the treatment of this group of patients.

Aneurysms of the left main coronary artery are rare clinical entities with an incidence of 0.1%. We herein report a case of left main trifurcation aneurysm in a 57-year-old woman whose coronary angiography demonstrated a giant saccular aneurysm of trifurcation of the left main coronary artery, measuring 32 × 21 mm with tight post-aneurysmal stenosis in the intermediate artery. The patient underwent coronary artery bypass grafting following the resection of CAA and reconstruction with saphenous vein roof-plasty, which ensured the preservation of the native coronary vasculature. At the 6-month follow-up, she remained asymptomatic and preserved preoperative left ventricular function.

Pump Controlled Retrograde Trial Off (PCRTO) is a relatively new technique in trialing-off Veno-Arterial Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (VA-ECMO). Literature on the use of PCRTO in children remains scarce. We describe our centre's initial experience with PCRTO in a neonate and an older child and review its potential advantages and disadvantages compared to traditional weaning methods. More research and shared best practices are required in children to facilitate wider adoption of this technique.

This study aims to investigate the relationship between CPB factors and changes in TH levels in postoperative patients and the effect of oral levothyroxine sodium tablets on outcomes in patients with postoperative TF abnormalities.

Post-infarct ventricular septal defect (VSD) carries high mortality. Since emergent repair of post-infarct VSD is challenging, hemodynamic stabilization utilizing temporary mechanical circulatory support crucially provides time to delay intervention and allows necessary scar tissue formation which improves the fragility of myocardium and leads to a definitive repair. To date, there remains no standard for achieving hemodynamic stability, including usage and mode of temporary mechanical circulatory support. We describe a patient with acute post-infarct VSD in cardiogenic shock successfully supported with Impella 5.5 for 67 days as a bridge to surgical repair and coronary artery bypass grafting.

Neurologic complications remain one of the major risks after pediatric cardiac surgery. Cerebral autoregulation (CA) is a physiologic mechanism regulating cerebral perfusion. A dynamic intraoperative evaluation can possibly detect the impairment of the cerebral regulatory function during surgery. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the utility of dynamic cerebral blood perfusion monitoring using cerebral oxygenation index (COx) as CA parameter during pediatric cardiac surgery without cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) requiring intraoperative cross-clamping of one carotid artery to perform the procedure.

Despite its name, lupus anticoagulant (LAC) neither exclusively occurs in lupus nor induces anticoagulation. It is an antiphospholipid antibody found in 2%-4% of the population that promotes clot formation by targeting phospholipid-protein complexes in cell membranes. However, in vitro, LAC exhibits paradoxical effects, prolonging clotting times in phospholipid-dependent assays such as Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (APTT). This unpredictability extends to point-of-care tests like Activated Clotting Time (ACT), which are frequently used to monitor anticoagulation during cardiac surgeries involving cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). High doses of unfractionated heparin (UFH) are administered in these procedures, but the presence of LAC complicates ACT measurements, creating challenges for both anesthesiologists and surgeons. This case report highlights the clinical implications of LAC in perioperative management, underscoring the difficulties in ensuring adequate anticoagulation during CPB.

The interaction between primary left ventricular output and Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane pulmonary oxygenation (VA ECMO) flow may impede the perfusion of aortic vessels with hyperoxic blood, leading to differential oxygenation. ECMO return cannula design significantly influences the perfusion level of blood supplied via ECMO. This study aimed to investigate the impact of various cannula designs (side hole number) on intravascular flow patterns under different blood perfusion conditions.