Pre-bypass levosimendan in ventricular dysfunction-effect on right ventricle.

BACKGROUND: Levosimendan is an effective calcium sensitizer with complementary mechanisms of action: calcium sensitization and opening of adenosine triphosphate-dependent potassium channels, both on the sarcolemma of the smooth muscle cells in the vasculature and on the mitochondria of cardiomyocytes. Levosimendan has a long-acting metabolite with a half-life of approximately 80 h. There have been a few small studies on this drug regarding right ventricular function. In view of this, we investigated the effect of levosimendan on right ventricular function in patients with coronary artery disease. METHODS: This was a prospective, randomized, double-blind study on 50 patients with coronary artery disease and severe left ventricular dysfunction (left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35%) undergoing elective off-pump coronary artery bypass. RESULTS: Levosimendan had an inotropic effect on right ventricular myocardium and a vasodilatory effect on blood vessels. It caused a decline in pulmonary vascular resistance (p < 0.018), right ventricular systolic pressure (p < 0.001), and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (p < 0.001), and improved right ventricular diastolic function as shown by the decrease in right ventricular Tei index (p < 0.001), right ventricular end-diastolic pressure, and the ratio of early diastolic tricuspid inflow to tricuspid lateral annular velocity (p < 0.006). However, we found no beneficial effects on intensive care unit or hospital stay (p = 0.164, p = 0.349, respectively) nor a mortality benefit. CONCLUSIONS: Levosimendan has salutary effects on right ventricular function in patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction undergoing coronary artery bypass, in terms of improved hemodynamic parameters.

Correlation between Doppler, Manual Morphometry, and Histopathology Based Morphometry of Radial Artery as a Conduit in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

Background. Long-term graft patency is the major factor impacting survival after coronary artery bypass grafting. Arteries are superior in this regard. Radial artery is considered the second best conduit after internal mammary artery. Several studies have shown excellent radial artery patency. We evaluated the morphologic characteristics of radial artery by three modalities, (i) preoperative Doppler ultrasound, (ii) intraoperative manual morphometry, and (iii) postoperative histology-based morphometry, and compared these with the aim of validating Doppler as a noninvasive test of choice for preoperative assessment of radial artery. Methods. This was a prospective study involving 100 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting in which radial artery was used. The radial artery was assessed using preoperative Doppler ultrasound studies, intraoperative morphometry, and postoperative histopathology and morphometry. The morphometric measurements included (i) luminal diameter, (ii) intimal and medial thickness, and (iii) intima-media thickness ratio. Results. Using Bland-Altman plots, there was a 95% limit of agreement between the preoperative Doppler measurements and the postoperative histopathology and morphometry. Conclusion. Doppler ultrasound is an accurate screening test for evaluation of radial artery, in terms of intimal/medial thickness and luminal diameter as a conduit in coronary artery bypass grafting and has been validated by both morphometric and histopathology based studies.

Constrictive pericarditis following coronary artery bypass grafting.

Constrictive pericarditis following Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery is an uncommon disorder. We report a patient who developed constrictive pericarditis after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting. After an unsuccessful trial of medical management and pericardial tapping, he underwent pericardiectomy via a left posterolateral thoracotomy.

Coronary artery bypass grafting in women--is OPCAB mandatory?

OBJECTIVE: There has been an explosive increase in our understanding of the natural history and progression of CAD in women. Women have a poorer prognosis and a more severe outcome than men after myocardial infarction, Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the differences in the results of CABG in women as compared with men using Pump and Off Pump operating techniques. METHODS: Data of 3500 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting by a single surgeon at two institutes over an 8-year period were analyzed. Clinical data including demographic and risk profile and perioperative data were obtained from case records, operation notes, ICU charts and out-patient records. Data were analyzed using 'chi square' test to calculate p value for various parameters. RESULTS: 14.6% of patients were women. Coronary artery size correlated with body surface area (BSA) but even with BSA > 1.5m2, it was smaller than the males. Inhospital mortality was higher in women as compared to men, being 2.92% versus 1.8% in men. The ventilation time, blood requirement, ICU stay, inotropic requirement and hospital stay were identical with results seen in men in our series. The commonest causes of mortality were low cardiac output and renal failure. Use of Off Pump technique reduces mortality (1.84% Vs 4.5% on Pump--p = 0.01) in women, besides reducing the blood requirement (2.5 +/- 1.2 units/pt in OPCAB Vs 4.3 +/- 1.4 units/pt in Pump group--p < 0.001; ICU stay (29.4 +/- 16.4 hrs Vs 38.3 +/- 17.3 hrs in Pump group--p < 0.0001); & hospital stay (6.81 +/- 1.6 days Vs 8.05 +/- 2.1 days in pump group--p < 0.0001). However, there was no statistically significant difference in the rates of mediastinitis, Arrhythmias, Neurological or Pulmonary complications between the OPCAB & Pump group. CONCLUSIONS: Women coming for coronary artery bypass surgery are a special risk group. The operative and early mortality of bypass surgery in women is higher than in men for conventional CABG. However, off pump techniques has negated this to a large extent. Our findings lead us to conclude that use of OPCAB promises to be gratifying enough to mitigate the early concerns in this group of patients.