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Intraoperative Classification of Mitral Valve Dysfunction: The Role of the Anesthesiologist in Mitral Valve Reconstruction
ANESTHESIOLOGISTS cannot concentrate solely on advances made within the specialty, but must also keep up with developments occurring within the field of surgery because the surgical management of the patients partly determines the anesthetic management. Mitral valve disease and its surgical therapy represent a very dynamic area within the field of cardiac surgery. Thanks to better understanding of the anatomy of the mitral valve apparatus, pathophysiology of underlying disease processes, and improvements in surgical technique, a shift has taken place clearly favoring mitral valve repair over mitral valve replacement for regurgitant lesions.Real-Time Three-Dimensional Transesophageal Echocardiographic Imaging of Endomyocardial Fibrosis
THE FIRST CASE OF real-time 3-dimensional (3D) transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) imaging of an intracardiac mass is reported. Histologic examination later confirmed the diagnosis of endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF). The utilization of real-time 3D imaging to improve the understanding of the precise anatomic location and the dynamic relationship between this rare intracardiac mass and the surrounding anatomic structures during the cardiac cycle is described. Additionally, a brief review of EMF is provided.
