Nail gun is a rare but important cause of penetrating chest trauma. Cardiac nail gun injury is a life threatening injury. If the patient is unstable, immediate intervention (thoracotomy or sternotomy) helps reduce the rate of mortality. In stable patients, a high index of clinical suspicion and use of the best and fastest imaging modalities are helpful for successful management. ... Read more

BACKGROUND: Cardiac myxoma is a benign tumor that carries the risk of embolization and obstruction of the blood flow. The ideal surgical approach is still debatable. We present our experience in the surgical treatment of cardiac myxomas and its ideal surgical approach. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the data for all patients who underwent surgical excision of cardiac myxoma at our ... Read more

Abstract: Background: congenital lobar emphysema is a rare cause of respiratory distress in neonates and infants. It was treated by lobectomy since 1943. Objectives: The aim of this study was to present our experience in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of congenital lobar emphysema cases and highlight the effect of multidisplinary team work on the outcome. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed ... Read more

BACKGROUND:Mitral valve replacement surgery has substantially progressed along the last few decades. Only few reports from Upper Egypt cardiac surgery centers are currently available. AIM:The aim of this study was to evaluate early morbidity and mortality in patients who had mitral valve replacement with mechanical valve prosthesis in Sohag University Hospital. METHODS: Two hundred and forty eight consecutive adult patients ... Read more

_BACKGROUND: _The addition of haloperidol to epidural morphine has been assumed to provide good analgesia following severely painful operations including thoracotomy with subsequent decrease in the analgesic consumption. Reduction in the incidence and severity of pruritis, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) could be achieved without cardiac, respiratory or central nervous system side effects. _OBJECTIVE_: This study was to evaluate the ... Read more

_Abstract _ _Background and aim of the study_ : Tube thoracostomy remains the standard of care for the treatment of pneumothorax and simple effusions in most hospitals (2, 8). Placement of a large-bore chest tube is an invasive procedure with potential morbidity and complications and therefore the use of small-bore catheter may be desirable (3). The objective of this study ... Read more

_Abstract _ _Background and aim of the study_: The continuous suture technique has numerous advantages as a simple, quick, and effective method for valve replacement (5). The semi-continuous suture technique is a modification of the continuous technique aiming to avoid its technical disadvantages. This method combines advantages of the continuous and interrupted suture techniques (6). In this study we evaluated ... Read more

_Objective: _Thoracoscopy offers great advantages when compared with open surgery in terms of postoperative pain and pulmonary complications. Thoracoscopy is safe and feasible with minimal morbidity. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the indications, surgical procedures, complications, and failure rates of VATS in the diagnosis and treatment of intrathoracic diseases. _Materials and Methods: _One hundred seventy consecutive patients, ... Read more

INTRODUCTION: Coronary artery disease (CAD) remains the most common pathology with which cardiologists and cardiac surgeons are faced.Controlling risk factors such as hyperlipidemia in patients with coronary artery disease, including candidates for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), seems to be of great importance and has serious effects on CABG morbidity and mortality. AIM OF THE STUDY: The objective of the ... Read more

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) after thoracic surgery provides the most effective analgesia, influences the neurohumoural stress response and cardiovascular pathophysiology. AIM: To evaluate the impact of TEA, via a catheter placed pre-operatively, on extubation time and pain scores in patients undergoing mitral valve replacement surgery. METHODS: In this prospective, randomized study, eighty four patients scheduled for elective mitral ... Read more