Pseudoaneurysm of ascending aorta following cardiac surgery is a very rare and life threatening entity due to risk of exsanguination from its rupture. This is a case report of a 39 year old male patient who presented with impending rupture of ascending aorta pseudoaneurysm following mitral valve replacement. He underwent urgent reoperation under femoro-femoral cardiopulmonary bypass and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. The pseudoaneurysm was excised and repaired with pericardial patch. He was discharged after an uneventful postoperative course.

Vasoplegic syndrome (VPS) is defined as systemic hypotension due to profound vasodilatation and loss of systemic vascular resistance (SVR), despite normal or increased cardiac index (CI). It occurs in 9- 44% of cardiac surgery patients after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The pathogenesis of VPS is multifactorial involving the activation of contact, coagulation, and complement systems and the activation of leukocytes. platelets and endothelial cells resulting in an imbalance in the regulation of the vascular tone; inducible nitric oxide synthase [iNOS] triggered by inflammatory cytokines during CPB produces nitric oxide (NO), which increases vascular levels of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), resulting in vasodilation. leading to postcardiac surgery VPS. Standard treatment options for severe refractory VPS are extremely limited and include vasopressor support. latest Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines also consider that the best therapeutic management of vascular hypo- responsiveness to vasopressors could be a combination of multiple vasopressors, including norepinephrine (NE) and early prescription of vasopressin. This review will address the various definitions, risk factors, pathophysiology, potential cardiac candidates, and potential therapeutic interventions for VPS following cardiac surgery focussed on the outcome. This review did not require any ethical approval or consent from the patients.

The safety of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) probes has been documented in pediatric patients (neonates, infants, and small children even < 2.5 Kg). The overall safety profile of TEE probe is quite favourable with a reported incidence of complications is about 1-3%. However, insertion of the TEE probe can induce vagal and sympathetic reflexes such as hypertension or hypotension, non-sustained ventricular and supraventricular tachyarrhythmias or bradyarrhythmias [3rd degree heart block], and even angina and myocardial infarction. We hereby document a repeated and fatal intraoperative VF precipitated by TEE probe in a 2-year-old, 10 kg paediatric patient diagnosed with ostium secundum atrial septal defect (OS-ASD), supravalvular pulmonary stenosis (PS) and severe right ventricular (RV) dysfunction.