Chylothorax due to goiter is an exceptional compressive complication; compressive goiter usually causes narrowing of the trachea and compression of the esophagus or jugular vein. Because of anatomical relationship, right-side chylothorax is caused by a very large and low-lying goiter. In those cases usually the surgical approach is a sternotomy instead of transcervical thyroidectomy, that is as...

Papillary fibroelastomas are rare primary tumours of cardiac origin accounting for approximately 10% of all primary cardiac neoplasms. Due to a high thromboembolic risk, surgical excision is the mainstay of treatment in these patients and median sternotomy the most widely used approach. We describe the case of a 43 year-old lady presenting with acute myocardial infarction secondary to aortic va...

Traditionally, cardiac surgery has been performed by median sternotomy. However, a renaissance is occurring. Cardiac operations are being performed through smaller and alternative incisions with enhanced technological assistance. Both coronary artery bypass grafting and valve surgery can be accomplished with this novel methodology. Specifically, minimally invasive mitral valve surgery has becom...

The ideal surgical approach is unclear in adult patients with coarctation of the aorta that is associated with other cardiovascular pathologies that require intervention. Standard median sternotomy allows simultaneous, coronary revascularization surgery, valve replacement and repair of aortic coarctation. However the collateral circulation and the anatomy of the mammary arteries must be determi...

Ectopic mediastinal parathyroid adenomas or hyperplasias account for up to 25% of primary hyperparathyroidism cases. Most abnormal parathyroid glands are found in the superior mediastinum within the thymus and can be removed through a cervical incision; however, a few of these glands are not accessible using standard cervical surgical approaches. Surgical resection has traditionally been perfor...

Total thymectomy combined with medical therapy is currently the most effective therapeutic strategy for patients with myasthenia gravis. The standard approach for total thymectomy is that of a median sternotomy. Other approaches include the cervical approach and partial sternotomy. We report a patient who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic thymectomy at our institution. There was no postope...