Congenital Sub-Mitral Aneurysm: Anesthetics and Surgical Management.

ABSTRACT: A sub-mitral left ventricular aneurysm is a rare condition. It is a congenital outpouching of the left ventricular wall, invariably occurring adjacent to the posterior mitral leaflet. Sub-mitral aneurysm (SMA) has usually been reported as a consequence of myocardial ischemia (MI), rheumatic heart disease, tuberculosis, and infective endocarditis. Nevertheless, there have been few case reports of congenital SMA in India. It usually presents with symptoms of heart failure. We report a rare case of congenital SMA in a 27-year-old young Indian and its successful management through a trans-aneurysmal approach.

A maze of pearls in the chest.

Hydatid disease is a prevalent disease in India. The most common organs involved are the liver and the lungs. Most of the time, the lung cysts are single and large. Multiple cysts have been described in literature but they are generally bilateral. We present here a case of multiple hydatidosis which involved only one lung, but occupied all the segments of the lung. The cysts were numerous and interconnected giving the appearance of a maze. The images of the computed tomography (CT) scan reveal that there was very little identifiable lung tissue. But after surgery, the healthy lung tissue expanded and occupied the chest cavity.

Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting in a low-volume center.

BACKGROUND: The advantages of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) are well documented; however, the conversion of OPCAB to cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is associated with higher morbidity and mortality. This issue is of particular concern in low-volume centers or centers that are beginning to use OPCAB. We present an OPCAB methodology that uses a maximum number of arterial grafts. METHODS: We routinely use OPCAB in every patient unless there is another associated condition. We used the following methods to improve the safety of OPCAB: (1) maintaining normothermia, (2) routine use of a pulmonary artery catheter, (3) routine use of a femoral arterial line, (4) routine use of a cell saver, and (5) complete revascularization. RESULTS: We included 173 consecutive patients in the study. All patients underwent OPCAB without any conversion to CPB. Hemodynamic compromise in 5 patients (2.89%) required insertion of an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP). OPCAB was completed in all 5 patients after IABP insertion. Blood transfusions (BTs) were avoided in 55 patients (31.8%), and 68 patients (39.3%) required ≤2 units of blood. CONCLUSION: The OPCAB technique is still evolving. Low-volume centers have higher rates of conversion to CPB. Hypotension due to an impaired left ventricular function can be successfully treated by using an IABP. Although blood loss can be managed with BTs, use of a cell saver helps to reduce the number of BTs. We conclude that our technique of total arterial OPCAB using a cell saver can be safely performed in a low-volume center.