Citations

Abstract Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has become an indispensable part of cardiac surgery, but its potential for assessing coronary anatomy and blood flow remains underutilised. This case report presents a case of acute iatrogenic left main coronary artery obstruction following re-operative aortic valve replacement that was promptly diagnosed by intraoperative TEE and managed successfully by Bentall operation. We also emphasise the technique of TEE for coronary evaluation, its caveats and its clinical application during cardiac surgery.

Abstract Haemorrhagic pericardial cysts are rare and may be complicated by encasement of the heart, right heart failure and, rarely, cardiac cirrhosis. Surgical management of complicated cysts is challenging and has poor outcomes. We report a case of successful surgical management of a complicated pericardial cyst presenting with cardiac cirrhosis and the challenges associated with this condition.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection exposes patients with heart failure to a higher risk of morbidity and mortality. In LVAD patients, one of the key problems that can lead to life-threatening low-flow or pump malfunction due to thrombus development in the inflow cannula, device body, or outflow graft, implicating hemodynamic instability, hemolysis, renal or hepatic failure, or cerebral or peripheral thromboembolism. [Endothelial protein C receptor and thrombomodulin levels are elevated along with procoagulants such as factor VIII, P-selectin, and von Willebrand factor and downregulated along with thrombomodulin as a result of the cytokine storm released by endothelial and immune cells. In general ,](#ref-0013) LVAD thrombosis has been found to occur in 2–13% of adult patients who use current continuous-flow devices. However, LVAD thrombosis due to COVID-19 is underreported and a few cases presented. We present a case of accelerated LVAD outflow thrombosis in the setting of COVID-19 infection with multiorgan failure.

Heart transplant remains the criterion standard treatment for patients in end-stage heart failure. Improvement in the post-heart transplant outcomes in the last decade has contributed to increased demand for organs. Worldwide each year, more than 5000 heart transplants are performed and 50,000 people become candidates for heart transplant. In the last 50 years, there have been several attempts to expand donor criteria to increase the donor pool. Despite making hepatitis C virus, opioid overdose death, old age allowable and changing the allocation system, the gap between supply and demand is widening and unfortunately, thousands die every year waiting due to the critical shortage of organs. New technologies for heart donation after circulatory death have emerged, particularly normothermic regional organ perfusion and ex-vivo heart perfusion using organ care systems. However, these technologies still do not fill the gap. Continuous advancements in areas such as regenerative medicine and xenotransplantation, among others, are needed to overcome the shortage of heart donors for heart transplantation.