A two-part article reviews and discusses the eponymous names of topographic landmarks and anatomical structures of a normally formed heart, covering the first written evidence of the use of anatomical terms Galen in the 2nd century up to the heart conduction system described in the 20th century and V.P. Vorobyov’s discovery of the cardiac plexus. A total of 90 eponyms were identified, including: 1) 6 pericardial eponyms; 2) 19 atrial eponyms; 3) 15 ventricular eponyms; 4) 28 eponyms of the conducting system and nerves of the heart; 5) 22 eponyms of the great arteries and the coronary arteries. The origin of several eponyms dates back to 2 nd century, namely Galen's orifice and duct, Leonardo (da Vinci) ostium, valve and cord; Sinev-Crymski triangle, Tandler's trabecula, Hochstetter's septum). The rise of using eponyms for anatomical structures of the heart started from the 16th century (Leonardo (da Vinci) cord, tubercle of Lower, etc.) and was followed in 17th (nodules of Aranzio, Eustachian valve, etc.), the 18th (sinuses of Valsalva, Vieussens valve, Haller's horns, Thebesian veins, etc.), the 19th (Albini nodules, Haller's cavity, Henle space, canal of Cuvier, Rathke bundles, etc.), the 20th (Aschoff-Tawara node, Wenckebach’s bundle, triangle of Koch, etc.) centuries. Some eponyms are used erroneously (e.g. Botallo did not describe the ductus arteriosus, but redescribed the foramen ovale; the oblique pericardial sinus is mistakenly called Haller's sinus, and the atrioventricular septum is called Leonrado (Da Vinci) septum). To designate some anatomical structures double eponyms are used (Aranzio-Bianchi nodules, Worobiew-Marshall fold, Vieussens-Thebesian vessels, His-Tawara bundle, Eustachian-Sylvian’s valve, His-Flack’s node, etc.). A brief biography of famous eponymous surgeons gives insight and background to their work and professional achievements. The identified eponyms reflect the history of not only anatomy, but also medicine in general. For example, a series of discoveries of the structures of the heart conduction system in the early 20th century resultant from a switch to the morphological and pathomorphological concepts exploring heart function and associated diseases from the perspectives of the physiology and pathophysiology. Part 1 of this paper reviews the eponyms of the pericardium, atria and ventricles of the heart.

Aim: To assess the efficacy and safety of using the T-graft (vein to LIMA) for minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting (MICS CABG) in patients with coronary artery disease.

Methods: 1,111 patients who underwent MICS CABG in the period from October 2012 to February 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. Of them, 36 (3.2%) patients with constructed T-grafts were enrolled in the study. The primary endpoint was mortality and the secondary endpoints were myocardial infarction, stroke, and wound infections. The mean age of patients was 67.9±14.2 years (48 to 85 years). Gender: men – 24 (66.6%), women – 12 (33.4%). The mean EuroSCORE II was 3.6±1.4.

Results: There were no cases of death in the study group. All patients underwent off-pump MICS CABG. The mean operation time was 136±34 min. The mean number of the distal anastomoses was 2. There were no cases of postoperative bleeding, wound infection, and stroke. The mean length of the ICU stay was 1.7±0.7 days. The mean length of the in-hospital stay was 7.9±1.2 days. The median follow-up was 42.4 months (95% CI 36.4.1–46.7). The Kaplan-Meier estimator showed 97.8% survival rate within 36 months (95% CI 97.1–99).

Conclusion: Using of a T-graft in MICS CABG for myocardial revascularization is an effective and safe procedure with superior immediate and medium-term outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease.

Aim: To assess the benefits of minimally invasive methods for treating patients with venous malformations of the head and neck.

Methods: 34 medical records of patients with venous malformations of the head and neck admitted to the Vascular Department at the A.V. Vishnevsky National Medical Research Center of Surgery in the period from 2008 to 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into 3 groups based on the treatment method: Group 1 (n=15) patients underwent sclerotherapy, group 2 (n=17) patients underwent laser ablation, and group 3 (n=2) – patients who underwent radiofrequency ablation. Pain syndrome was assessed using a visual analog pain scale. Health status was assessed using the SF-36 questionnaire.

Results: The mean duration of surgery varied depending on the selected method: group 1 – 27.5±19.9 mins, group 2 – 37.1±28.0 mins, group 3 – 34.8±17.0 mins. 20.6% of patients required a prolonged stay in the ICU with the mean period of 3.1±1.7 days due to upper airway edema. There were no cases of intraoperative or hospital mortality. Elastic bandaging was performed in nine (26.5%) patients. Pain syndrome was observed in all 34 patients in the early postoperative period and was not regarded as a postoperative complication. The success of the interventions was 94.1% (n=32). 73.5% of patients demonstrated complete regression of pain and swelling syndrome. Nine patients (26.4%) had partial lysis of occlusive masses within the 12-months follow-up.

Conclusion: Minimally invasive methods for treating venous malformations of the head and neck have demonstrated good clinical outcomes and low rate of postoperative complications. Further prospective randomized clinical trials are required to assess their effects and role in the treatment of this group of patients.

Aim: To compare the intraoperative parameters of minimally invasive mitral valve surgery with 3D video endoscopic visualization and conventional surgery, as well as to evaluate the learning curves for performing mitral valve interventions through a right minithoracotomy and to determine the number of surgeries that are required to achieve comparable success.

Methods: 242 medical records of patients with isolated mitral valve disease admitted to the Federal Center of Cardiovascular Surgery (Penza) for elective cardiac surgery in the period from January 2019 to December 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 patients (n=120) underwent mitral valve surgery through a right minithoracotomy with 3D video endoscopic visualization. All surgeries were performed by one operator. Group 2 patients (n=122) underwent mitral valve surgery through median sternotomy.

Results: 54 (45%) patients in Group 1 and 57 (46.7%) in Group 2 underwent mitral valve annuloplasty. Chordal replacement of the anterior mitral leaflet and mitral valve annuloplasty was performed in 23 (19.2%) patients in Group 1 and in 25 (20.5%) patients in Group 2. Resection or plication of the posterior mitral leaflet was performed in 28 (23.3%) patients in Group 1 and 26 (21.3%) patients in Group 2. 15 (12.5%) patients in Group 1 and 14 (11.5%) patients underwent mitral valve replacement using mechanical valves. Both groups did not differ by the types of surgical interventions. Postoperative complications did not differ between the groups. There were no cases of deaths in Groups 1 and 2. Both groups did not differ by the time of surgery, myocardial ischemia and cardiopulmonary bypass after transversing the curve.

Conclusion: Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery with total endoscopic visualization is a method of choice for treating mitral valve disease. To transverse the learning curve and achieve similar intraoperative results, at least 120 similar interventions should be performed. Patient selection is of great importance when starting mastering minimally invasive approaches.

This review article explores (1) the feasibility of radiofrequency catheter ablation in the prevention and treatment of ventricular tachycardia in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and chronic heart failure, (2) the benefits of interventional treatment of ventricular tachycardia on the course of chronic heart failure and the prognosis of patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators for the most part successfully prevent sudden cardiac death associated with ventricular tachycardia. However, recurrent and inappropriate implantable cardioverter- defibrillator shocks remain a significant problem in the treatment of this group of patients. The capacity of antiarrhythmic therapy in patients with chronic heart failure is significantly limited, radiofrequency catheter ablation and non-invasive stereotactic radioablation is an effective strategy for treating patients with chronic heart failure.

Ebstein's anomaly is a complex congenital anomaly with a broad anatomic spectrum from mild forms in asymptomatic patients to severe pulmonary atresia. Both, right and left heart chambers, are affected. This causes a variety of clinical manifestations and determines the use of different surgical approaches to treat patients with Ebstein's anomaly. Considering 70-years’ experience of treating this group of patients, there is no any universal approach. Conservative treatment of patients with Ebstein's anomaly has shown its poor effectiveness. There is no any other option than surgical treatment, and the establishment of biventricular circulation through surgical repair is considered as a method of choice. The comparative analysis of different surgical approaches that are currently used in the routine clinical practice allows concluding that the most promising method is the cone reconstruction of the tricuspid valve. It can be successfully used in patients of any age, even in newborns. Preoperative management and timely diagnosis of heart rhythm disturbances, including Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, are of great importance. The need for either interruption of multiple accessory conduction before surgical repair or concomitant treatment should be considered.

Surgical treatment of infective endocarditis remains challenging when the intervalvular fibrous body with the resultant abscess is involved. The removal of the fibrous body implies the resection of at least portion of the infected annulus of the aortic and mitral valves, complicating the reconstruction. In addition, infection of the intervalvular fibrous body is often associated with the infection of other cardiac structures that should be removed. The implantation of a monobloc aortomitral homograft is a feasible alternative option that provides sufficient tissue to secure the reconstruction. It adheres well to the tough tissues involved in the reconstruction, is quite resistant to recurrent infection, hemodynamically effective and does not require anticoagulation therapy.

There are various options for surgical treatment of aortic valve disease. Each approach has its own advantages and disadvantages. Aortic valve replacement is considered to be the "gold standard" for treating degenerative aortic disease. This procedure is indicated to patients has stenosis or aortic insufficiency. This article reports a clinical case of aortic valve replacement with the Medtronic Freestyle stentless bioprosthesis implanted in the “full root” technique in a patient with a small aortic root. The patient underwent aortic valve replacement with good clinical and hemodynamic results. The article discusses the surgical technique, its effectiveness, as well as indications and contraindications.