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Objective: Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is the most frequent dysrhythmias observed following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Several studies have shown the beneficial effects of curcumin on cardiovascular diseases; however, there is no clinical trial to examine its effect on POAF. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study was designed to evaluate the prophylactic effects of a nano-formulation of curcumin (SinaCurcumin™) versus placebo on POAF and levels of biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in patients undergoing CABG surgery. Materials and Methods: A total of 234 eligible patients were randomized to receive 240 mg curcumin nano-formulation or placebo three days prior to the surgery and on the first four postoperative days. The occurrence of POAF was monitored for at least 96 hr after the surgery. Also, C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels were assessed at baseline and the end of the study. Results: Analyses were done in the intention-to-treat population. No significant difference was observed in the occurrence of POAF between the treatment (9.5%) and placebo (11.5%) groups. Also, curcumin intervention did not alter serum concentration of the hs-CRP, MDA, or GSH in comparison with placebo. Conclusion: In conclusion, it seems that perioperative treatment with SinaCurcumin™ did not prevent POAF after CABG surgery.

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BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common complications after cardiac surgery. Several therapeutic and preventive strategies have been introduced for postoperative AF, but the treatment and prophylaxis of AF remain controversial. We aimed to compare the efficacy of intravenous amiodarone and oral propafenone in the treatment of AF after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). METHODS: This was a randomized controlled trial performed in two hospitals in Shiraz, Iran from 2009 to 2012. We included all patients who underwent elective CABG and developed AF postoperatively. The patients were randomly assigned to receive propafenone or amiodarone. The duration of AF, the success rate of the treatment, the need for cardioversion, the frequency of repeated AF, and the need for repeating the treatment were compared. RESULTS: The duration of the first (p=0.361), second (p=0.832), and third (p=0.298) episodes of AF, the need for cardioversion (p=0.998), and the need to repeat the first and second doses of drugs (p=0.557, 0.699) were comparable between the study groups. Repeated AF was observed in 17 patients (30.9%) in the propafenone group and 23 patients (34.3%) in the amiodarone group (p=0.704). CONCLUSION: Oral propafenone and intravenous amiodarone are equally effective in the treatment and conversion of recent-onset AF after CABG.

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OBJECTIVES: Recent evidence has emphasized multifunctional therapeutic effects of statins on renal protection after cardiac surgeries. We aimed to assess the effects of preoperative administration of statins on lowering the incidence of postoperative acute kidney injury in patients undergoing cardiac surgeries. METHODS: In a retrospective study, the preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative data of 1064 consecutive patients who underwent different forms of cardiovascular surgeries were reviewed. According to whether patients had received statins preoperatively, the patients were categorized into no statin (n = 620), low-dose statin (n = 262) or high-dose statin (n = 182) administration groups. RESULTS: No difference was seen in postoperative incidence of acute kidney injury between the three groups (11.1, 9.9 and 11.5%, respectively, P = 0.887). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that advanced age [odds ratio (OR) = 1.043, P < 0.001], recent myocardial infarction within 90 days of surgery (OR = 1.935, P = 0.002) and longer intubation time (OR = 1.001, P = 0.001) could predict occurrence of kidney injury after cardiac surgery. The preoperative use of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor could effectively prevent occurrence of this postoperative event (OR = 0.552, P = 0.008). After adjusting for propensity score only, statin treatment, at low or high doses, was not associated with lower postoperative acute kidney injury (OR = 1.010, P = 0.971 for low dose and OR = 1.108, P = 0.745 for high dose versus no statin). After further adjustment for propensity score, statin treatment with the different dosages was not associated with acute kidney injury (OR = 0.869, P = 0.633 for low dose and OR = 1.051, P = 0.885 for high dose versus no statin). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative statin use may not inhibit acute kidney injury after operation.

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BACKGROUND: Controversy persists regarding the use of coronary endarterectomy (CE) in patients with severe coronary artery disease. We compared the comorbidities and perioperative characteristics of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with and without CE. METHODS: This study was performed in two private hospitals in Shiraz, Iran from May 2010 to December 2011 on 967 patients who underwent CABG without CE and 84 patients who underwent CABG with CE (the CE+ group). After follow-up at 9.66±3.65 months post-surgery, 28 patients from the CE+ group underwent angiography to evaluate the patency of grafts and native coronary vessels. RESULTS: Patients in the CE+ group had a more prevalent history of diabetes (48% vs. 36%) and number of diseased vessels (2.88±0.39 vs. 2.70±0.85). The overall hospital mortality was 1.8%, and no significant difference was observed between the two groups. In the 28 patients who underwent reangiography, 113 vessels were bypassed and 29 endarterectomies were performed, mostly on the left anterior descending artery (12 endarterectomies) and the right coronary artery (8 endarterectomies). In the endarterectomized vessels, a 66% patency rate was found in both the grafts and the native vessels. The native coronary vessels were more likely to be patent when the left internal mammary artery was used as a conduit than when a saphenous vein bypass graft was used. CONCLUSION: The lack of a significant difference in postoperative complications in patients who underwent CABG with or without CE may indicate that CE does not expose patients to a higher risk of complications. Since most of the endarterectomized vessels were shown to be patent during the follow-up period, we propose that endarterectomy is a viable option for patients with severely diseased vessels.

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BACKGROUND: Fungal endocarditis, the most severe form of infective endocarditis, is characterized by excessive mortality and morbidity. OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to analyze the characteristics of fungal endocarditis to improve the management of these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, vegetations on the mitral or tricuspid valves and embolic material surgically removed from the patients with suspected infective endocarditis between December 2009 and November 2011 were examined for fungal infection by direct smear and culture, and the susceptibility patterns of the isolated species were determined. Then, blood samples were cultured on BACTEC media and real-time PCR was done with blood and tissue samples. RESULTS: Of the 31 patients with suspected infective endocarditis who did not respond to antibacterial therapy, 11 had confirmed fungal endocarditis. The most frequent predisposing risk factors were previous surgery and drug abuse. The organisms isolated were Aspergillus spp. and Candida albicans. Resistance to amphotericin B and itraconazole was observed in Aspergillus species, and to fluconazole in Candida albicans. Positive PCR results were obtained in blood and tissue samples. CONCLUSIONS: Fungal endocarditis should be considered in the patients not responsive to antimicrobials. Moreover, management of these patients can be improved with molecular diagnostic methods and by determining the susceptibility patterns of the etiologic agents.

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BACKGROUND: For all the reports on the association between seasons and coronary artery disease, there is a paucity of information on the possible effects of seasonal variations on the outcome of patients after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG). The aim of this study was to assess the short-term outcome of post-CABG patients in the four different seasons to find any correlation between seasonal variations and the outcome of such patients. METHODS: Data on patients who underwent cardiac surgery between 2007 and 2009 were analyzed. In-hospital mortality, length of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay, and length of hospital stay in the four different seasons were considered as outcome measures. The EuroSCORE was calculated for all the patients, and the Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney, Student t, and chi square tests were used as appropriate. RESULTS: Of a total of 402 patients, who underwent CABG during the mentioned period, 292 patients were male (M/F ratio=2.65). There were no differences in terms of mean age, sex ratio, and mean EuroSCORE of the patients between the seasons. The mean length of ICU stay was significantly more in the spring than that of the other seasons (P<0.001), while the difference between the four seasons regarding the mean length of hospital stay did not constitute statistical significance (P=0.22). No effect of seasonal variations was found for the lengths of ICU and hospital stay in the presence of the EuroSCORE after multiple logistic regression analysis (P=0.278, 0.431). CONCLUSION: Psychological mood changes caused by regional cultural differences rather than environmental factors should be considered in the optimal management of patients after CABG.

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Gossypiboma or textiloma are two terms used to describe any cotton matrix such as gauze pads left behind during an operation in the body cavities. They may lead to infections or abscess formations, or may mimic malignant tumours. Here, we present a woman with a history of a previous operation on her thorax who became symptomatic 25 years after the operation because of retained surgical gauzes covered by fibrinous materials with adhesions to the left lung. The cotton matrix had developed into a gossypiboma mimicking a mediastinal tumour.

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Familial hypercholesterolemia is an autosomally dominant disorder caused by various mutations in low-density lipoprotein receptor genes. This will lead to elevated levels of total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, which may in turn lead to premature coronary atherosclerosis and cardiac-related death. The symptoms are more severe in the homozygous type of the disease. Different options for the treatment of affected patients are now available. Diet therapy, pharmacologic therapy, lipid apheresis, and liver transplantation are among the various treatments. We clinically review the treatment and management strategies for the disease in order to shed light on the optimal management of familial hypercholesterolemia.

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OBJECTIVE: Sex, body mass index, and body surface area have been proposed as important determinants of outcome after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. METHODS: In a retrospective study, the archived files of the patients who had undergone isolated coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) in our center from January 2005 to September 2008 were evaluated. The data regarding the patients' body surface area (BSA), body mass index (BMI), and laboratory tests as well as their demographic data and the number of deaths, duration of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and duration of hospital admissions were collected. Duration of ICU stay >4 days and death were considered for the final outcomes to present the morbidity and mortality, respectively. RESULTS: In total, the files of 1223 patients were reviewed. BSA was different between men and women, but the differences in mortality and morbidity were not statistically significant. The difference between the mean BMI in men and women was not significant (P = 0.72). In all, 11 patients (9 men, 2 women) died during the hospital stay, but no significant difference was observed between the men and the women (P = 0.59). Among the patients, 6.5% stayed >4 days in the ICU (50 men, 20 women) with no significant difference between the two (P = 0.482). No significant differences were found between the BSA and BMI of the patients who died and those who were discharged from the hospital (P = 0.088 and P = 0.321, respectively). There were no significant correlations between the duration of hospital stay and the BSA or BMI (P = 0.44 and P = 0.26, respectively). CONCLUSION: Sex, BMI, and BSA do not affect the outcome after CABG.

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PURPOSE: Opium abuse is a major type of drug abuse in Iran. This study was designed to find the possible relation between opium addiction and excessive bleeding after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. METHODS: In a historical cohort study during a 1.5-year period, consecutive patients scheduled for elective CABG surgery were assigned to two group on the basis of having or not having the criteria for inhalational opium addiction. Before and after operations, the complete blood count, bleeding time, prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, and platelet count were checked for all patients. The volumes of infused red blood cells during and after the operation were recorded. After operations, the volumes of bleeding through the patients' chest tubes were recorded. The recorded data were analyzed using SPSS software version 11.5. Independent t, chi-square and repeated measure tests were used; and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: In total, 84 nonaddicted patients were assigned in group 1, and 110 patients who fulfilled the addiction criteria were assigned in group 2. Total bleeding from the three chest tubes was significantly different between the two groups (P = 0.001). The mean hemoglobin level, prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, and platelet counts before and after the operations were similar in the two groups. Opium-addicted patients received more packed red blood cells during and after the operations. CONCLUSION: Inhalational opium addiction might lead to more hemorrhage after CABG surgery. It is recommended that cardiac surgeons consider these patients at high risk for major complications after surgery.

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Coronary atherosclerosis, myocardial bridge, and coronary aneurysm are different causes of myocardial ischemia. Patients with cardiac ischemia can be complicated by acute cholecystitis. A 39-year-old man referred with chest pain and cold sweating and scheduled for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) because of severe stenosis in right coronary artery, aneurysm of left circumflex artery, and long-segment muscle bridge in the middle part of left anterior descending artery. He developed acute cholecystitis before operation. Concomitant cholecystectomy and CABG was done. He is the first patient with three different coronary pathologies and simultaneous cholecystitis in the English-language literature who was operated on in a single session.

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Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic disease caused by a mutation in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor gene. It causes various presentations including tendon xanthoma and cardiac manifestations. Herein, we present a young patient with homozygous FH (HFH) who presented with dyspnea and chest pain caused by coronary arteries stenosis and treated with coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery at the age of 13 years. To the best of our knowledge, he is one of the youngest patients in the English language literature for whom coronary revascularization has been done in childhood.

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Primary cardiac tumors are rare. Hemangiomas represent about 5%-10% of benign cardiac tumors. Hemangiomas can be found in any heart chamber, but atria have been more frequently involved. Ventricular involvement is uncommon. Hemangiomas may have various presentations, but there have been few reports about neurological manifestations of such tumors in the English-language literature. We present a patient with a left ventricular hemangioma who presented with leftsided weakness and sudden onset of slurred speech.

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Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant disease caused by a mutation in the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor. This mutation can lead to increased serum LDL, and subsequently to premature coronary artery disease. It may also lead to valvular and supravalvular aortic stenosis, these complications being cardinal in the natural course of the disease. The surgical treatment of aortic stenosis in patients with homozygous FH is accompanied by high risk, even in skillfu1 hands. Herein is presented the long-term follow up of a young patient with homozygous FH who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery at the age 14 years. Although the patient developed aortic stenosis five years later, neither the native coronary vessels nor grafted vessels underwent any atherosclerotic changes during this period.

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Familial hypercholesterolemia is a genetic disorder caused by a mutation in the low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor gene. The homozygous type of the disease is rare and causes tendon xanthomas and coronary artery disease during the early years of life. Herein we present a 10-year-old child with familial hypercholesterolemia who had three-vessel disease and was a candidate for liver transplantation. To the best of our knowledge, he is one of the youngest such patients reported in the English-language literature who underwent coronary artery bypass surgery.

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Open heart surgery in patients with end-stage liver disease is accompanied by various complications. Coagulopathy resulting from liver failure tends to cause uncontrollable hemorrhage. Severe aortic insufficiency has moderate to severe risk for liver transplantation. It can lead to heart failure, liver congestion, and finally rejection of the transplanted liver. Aortic valve replacement in patients diagnosed as having cirrhosis has a significant risk of mortality because of the above-mentioned complications. We present a patient with liver cirrhosis and severe aortic insufficiency who had thrombocytopenia and severe coagulopathy. Aortic valve replacement was performed successfully using cardiopulmonary bypass before the liver transplantation. Hemostasis management was done effectively perioperation. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged after 10 days. Liver transplantation was performed successfully 2 months later.

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