Background— Atrial fibrillation (AF) often occurs after coronary artery bypass grafting and can result in increased morbidity and mortality. In the present pilot study, our aim was to investigate whether sodium nitroprusside (SNP), as a nitric oxide donor, can reduce the frequency of post–coronary artery bypass grafting AF. Methods and Results— To investigate the effectiveness of SNP in the prophylaxis of AF, we conducted a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study on 100 consecutive patients in whom we performed elective and initial CABG operations. A control group of 50 patients were treated with placebo (dextrose 5% in water), whereas the SNP group (n=50 patients) was treated with SNP (0.5 μg · kg ⁻¹ · min ⁻¹ ) during the rewarming period. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels were measured before surgery and 5 days postoperatively. All patients were monitored postoperatively with telemetry. Baseline characteristics were similar in both treatment groups. AF occurred in 12% of the SNP group and 27% of the control group. The occurrence of AF was significantly lower in the SNP group ( P =0.005). The duration of AF in the SNP group was significantly shorter than that in the control group (5.33±1.86 and 7.55±1.94 hours, respectively; P =0.023). C-reactive protein levels were higher postoperatively in the control group than in the SNP group ( P <0.05). Postoperative AF significantly prolonged postoperative hospital stay ( P <0.05). Conclusions— The incidence of postoperative AF in the SNP group was reduced significantly. Further studies are needed to better delineate the anti-AF profile of SNP.

Although off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) surgery has many beneficial effects compared with on-pump surgery, switch to on-pump surgery has significantly higher risks of operative mortality. Benefits of OPCAB over on-pump surgery strategies concerning myocardial revascularization are still debatable. We have aimed to develop an "algorithm of off-pump surgical strategy" on preventing conversion to on-pump. This clinical study reports our clinical outcome of OPCAB in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

We describe a case of 68-year-old woman which was admitted to our hospital for mitral valve replacement (MVR), in whom acute compresion of the vena cava inferior developed after repair of lacerated atrio-caval junction with hemostatic tissue sealant, biologic glue (BioGlue, Cryolife, ınc, Kennesaw, Ga). Removal of the BioGlue relieved the unexpected problem.

A 70-year-old male known with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) was admitted with effort angina and fever, which developed into unstable angina. On coronary angiography a critical stenosis of the left main coronary artery and 75 % stenosis of the right coronary artery were found. On complete blood count the number of leukocytes was 1600/µl. We administered granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) twice daily to increase the number of leucocytes. After two days the number of leukocytes had increased to 8700/µl. The patient was admitted to the operating room and off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting was performed successfully.

Purpose: The modified Bentall procedure utilizing the Carbomedics Carbo-Seal Valsalva™ graft can be employed to address aortic root pathologies. In this study, we examined the performance of this conduit specifically for treating isolated annuloaortic ectasia. Our objective was to evaluate the long-term outcomes of these surgeries. Methods: A total of 48 consecutive patients with annuloaortic ectasia underwent aortic root replacement using the Carbomedics Carbo-seal Valsalva™ graft between 2012 and 2024. In 7 patients, additional cardiac procedures were performed: two underwent mitral valve annuloplasty, and five had coronary artery bypass grafting. The mean cardiopulmonary bypass time and aortic clamp time during the modified button-Bentall operations were 151 ± 37 min and 128 ± 14 min, respectively. Results: The operative mortality rate was 2.1% ( n = 1). Late mortality was 6.3% ( n = 3), with causes including chronic heart failure (2.1%; n = 1), cerebral hemorrhage (2.1%; n = 1), and pulmonary complications (2.1%; n = 1). Major late complications included cerebral hemorrhage (4.2%; n = 2), pulmonary bleeding (2.1%; n = 1), and gastrointestinal hemorrhage (2.1%; n = 1). The Kaplan–Meier estimated survival rates were 96.22% at 5 years and 95.20% at 10 years. Additionally, the Kaplan–Meier curves showed event-free survival rates of 98% at 5 years and 82% at 12 years (95% CI). Conclusions: Modified button-Bentall operations for annuloaortic ectasia, with Carbomedics Carbo-Seal Valsalva™ graft, can be performed with a low mid- and long-term mortality and morbidity.