Paediatric coronary artery bypass grafting in a middle-income country: a case series and literature review.

Background: Coronary artery abnormalities in children that require bypass grafting are infrequent but represent a well-recognised entity with a broad spectrum of indications beyond Kawasaki disease. Although myocardial revascularisation in children is uncommon, studies have shown that it can yield favourable short- and long-term outcomes, allowing affected children to regain health and grow up to live normal lives.Myocardial revascularisation in children is an extremely rare intervention in Western countries, accounting for less than 1% of all paediatric cardiac surgeries in this region.

A Retrospective Cohort Study Comparing Different Cannulation Strategies in Type A Aortic Dissection Surgery: 20-year Single-Center Experience in a Referral Center.

Type A aortic dissection as a highly lethal disease continues being a great challenge for cardiac surgeons worldwide. There are still unanswered questions regarding intraoperative decisions and their impact on the surgical outcomes. The aim of this study is to compare postoperative outcomes according to site of cannulation in patients with acute Type A aortic dissection (ATAAD).

Total Arch Replacement is Safe as Hemiarch Repair in Acute Type A Aortic Dissection in a Middle-Income Country Setting.

Objectiver: The aim of this study was to determine the clinical outcomes of patients with acute type A aortic dissection comparing proximal aortic repair vs. total arch replacement.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study.

Competing endogenous RNAs in human astrocytes: crosstalk and interacting networks in response to lipotoxicity.

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are characterized by a progressive deterioration of neuronal function, leading to motor and cognitive damage in patients. Astrocytes are essential for maintaining brain homeostasis, and their functional impairment is increasingly recognized as central to the etiology of various NDs. Such impairment can be induced by toxic insults with palmitic acid (PA), a common fatty acid, that disrupts autophagy, increases reactive oxygen species, and triggers inflammation.

Robotic-assisted laparoscopic pyelolithotomy with intracorporeal pyeloscopy in a horseshoe kidney.

Horseshoe kidneys are one of the most common congenital genitourinary malformations and can increase the complexity of common urologic procedures, especially nephrolithiasis. We present a patient who underwent robotic-assisted laparoscopic pyelolithotomy with intracorporeal pyeloscopy and stone basketing to treat a left lower pole stone burden located in a horseshoe kidney. This procedure provided benefits of expanded maneuverability, dexterity, and stability, which resulted in successful elimination of stone burden on post-operative imaging.

Atrial approaches in mitral valve surgery: a propensity analysis of differences in the incidence of clinically relevant adverse effects.

Background: The lack of evidence on complications using mitral valve approaches leaves the choice of risk exposure to the surgeon's preference, based on individual experience, speed, ease, and quality of exposure.

Methods: The present study analysed patients undergoing mitral valve surgery using a superior transseptal approach or a left-atrial approach between 2006 and 2018. We included first-time elective mitral valve procedures, isolated, or combined, without a history of rhythm disturbances.

Female Fireflies Hunt Males of the Synchronous Firefly (Coleoptera: Lampyridae).

() are female fireflies that hunt and feed on the males of other firefly species that they attract by responding with glows or flashes to their bioluminescent signals. Here, we present field observations demonstrating that females are of male , a synchronous firefly exploited as a tourist attraction in the mountains of central Mexico. We show that the hunting success of the is low, as observed in previous studies, suggesting that the impact of predation on the prey population is low.

Tricuspid Valve-in-Valve Procedure with An Edwards S3 Valve in a 15-kg Child in Latin America.

A 5-year-old child, weighing 15 kg, with three previous sternotomies, presented with right heart failure due to severe stenosis and regurgitation of the bioprosthetic tricuspid valve. A percutaneous tricuspid valve-in-valve procedure with an Edwards S3 valve was ofered for compassionate use, performed with no complications and with a significant clinical condition improvement.

Repair with a pulmonary neovalve in tetralogy of Fallot: does this avoid ventricular dysfunction?

Objectives: Given the anatomical variations of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), different surgical techniques can be used to achieve correction. Transannular patches (TAPs) are the most commonly used technique; they are associated with right ventricular dysfunction, the incidence of which can be reduced through pulmonary valve preservation.

Methods: Between January 2010 and July 2019, we performed 274 surgical corrections of tetralogy of Fallot at Fundación Cardioinfantil; 63 patients (23%) underwent repair with a TAP in addition to a pulmonary neovalve (Group I), 66 patients (24.

2640 Meters Closer to the Stars: Does High Altitude Affect Fontan Results?

Background: Risk factors for and postoperative results of the Fontan operation in patients living at high altitude (>2500 meters above sea level) in the Andean region remain unknown. This study was conducted to evaluate immediate postoperative outcomes and to assess short- and long-term functional class after the Fontan operation.

Methods: From June 2003 to February 2019, 104 patients receiving the Fontan procedure at 2640 meters (8661 feet) above sea level were retrospectively studied.

Brachiocephalic Vein and Superior Vena Cava Reconstruction with a Superficial Femoral Vein Graft.

Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) is an entity that has become more frequent due to the increasing use of indwelling central venous catheters. Surgical management is considered in patients with extensive venous thrombosis and when endovascular therapy is not feasible. The use of superficial femoral vein is an excellent technique for reconstruction of the brachiocephalic vein and superior vena cava (SVC) in cases with benign and malignant etiologies.

Association between prostate size and the incidence of prostate cancer: a meta-analysis and review for urologists and clinicians.

Purpose: To review the literature regarding any clinically significant association between prostate size and the incidence of prostate cancer (PCa). No previous review or meta-analysis has reported this clinical question.

Methods: A thorough literature review was performed using PubMed and applying the 'PRISMA' guidelines.

Surgical management of a giant right coronary artery aneurysm with coronary arteriovenous fistula: case report.

Background: Coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) are uncommon, and giant aneurysms (>2 cm) are even more unusual. Coronary atherosclerosis and Kawasaki disease are the leading causes for this pathology. The treatment for this condition is controversial because the evidence is based on case report series.

Mitral valve repair, how to make volume not matter; techniques, tendencies, and outcomes, a single center experience.

Background: Recent evidence has showed us that quality of mitral valve repair is strongly related to volume. However, this study shows how low-volume centers can achieve results in mitral valve repair surgery comparable to those reported by referral centers. It compares outcomes of mitral valve repair using resection versus noresection techniques, tendencies, and rates of repair.

Wide Dissection and Intercostal Vessel Division Allows for Repair of Hypoplastic Aortic Arch Through Thoracotomy.

Background: The approach to coarctation of the aorta with hypoplastic aortic arch is controversial. We evaluated the outcomes in patients with coarctation of the aorta with or without hypoplastic aortic arch operated through a posterior left lateral thoracotomy.

Methods: A retrospective cohort of patients with aortic coarctation, who underwent repair between January 2009 and October 2017, was analyzed.

Mechanical circulatory support as bridge therapy for heart transplant: case series report.

Background: Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) represents an effective urgent therapy for patients with cardiac arrest or end-stage cardiac failure. However, its use in developing countries as a bridge therapy remains controversial due to costs and limited duration. This study presents five patients who underwent MSC as bridge therapy for heart transplantation in a developing country.

Occlusion of bilateral dorsal penile arteries resulting in glans necrosis in an obese male truck driver.

Ischemic penile gangrene is an uncommon urologic condition associated with significant morbidity. Etiology of the disease is due to vasculogenic ischemia of the penile tissue. Presented are a series of images from a case of a 51-year-old morbidly obese male truck driver with idiopathic ischemic penile gangrene.

Thermogenic capacity of human periaortic adipose tissue is transformed by body weight.

The anatomical location of adipose tissue might have direct implications for its functionality and risk of cardiovascular disease. Adipose tissue surrounding blood vessels may be thermogenically more active in specific areas of the body, releasing substances that regulate vascular metabolism. In humans, the phenotypic characteristics of adipose tissue surrounding the aorta and the cardiovascular disease risk that it might entail remain largely unknown.

Functional Characterization of Preadipocytes Derived from Human Periaortic Adipose Tissue.

Adipose tissue can affect the metabolic control of the cardiovascular system, and its anatomic location can affect the vascular function differently. In this study, biochemical and phenotypical characteristics of adipose tissue from periaortic fat were evaluated. Periaortic and subcutaneous adipose tissues were obtained from areas surrounding the ascending aorta and sternotomy incision, respectively.

[Rating the quality of care offered to women who underwent hysterectomy].

Background: In recent years emerged as a primary need, the evaluation of the services offered to get better quality in them. Health systems are subject to these assessments.

Objective: To assess the quality of care provided to patients who underwent hysterectomy, since the reference of the family physician, until discharge by the gynecologist.