Differentiating between cold agglutinins and rouleaux: a case series of seven patients.

We present a case series of seven patients with suspected cold agglutinin antibodies, discovered after initiation of bypass. Laboratory analysis of blood samples intraoperatively determined the cause of the aggregation to be rouleaux formation in three of the patients and cold agglutinins in the other four.

Cold Agglutinin Autoantibodies in a Patient without a Visible Coronary Sinus Ostium: Strategies for Myocardial Protection without Using Retrograde Cardioplegia.

The presence of cold agglutinins (CA) during cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass usually creates the need for an altered surgical plan. In this case, the CA were discovered after the initiation of bypass, limiting the time, and cardioplegia solutions that could be used in the new approach. The inability to cannulate the coronary sinus with a retrograde cardioplegia catheter excluded the standard approach to myocardial preservation with CA of using continuous warm blood. For this case, we used intermittent cold crystalloid delivered via the antegrade needle for the first half of the procedure and through the saphenous vein graft anastomosis during the aortic valve portion of the cross-clamp period.

Using Zero Balance Ultrafiltration with Dialysate as a Replacement Fluid for Hyperkalemia during Cardiopulmonary Bypass.

Avoiding or managing hyperkalemia during cardiac surgery, especially in a patient with chronic renal insufficiency, can be challenging. Hyperkalemic cardioplegia solution is usually administered to achieve and maintain an electrical arrest of the heart. This solution eventually mixes in with the systemic circulation, contributing to elevated systemic potassium levels. Administration of packed red blood cells, hemolysis, tissue damage, and acidosis are also common causes of hyperkalemia. Current strategies to avoid or manage hyperkalemia include minimizing the volume of cardioplegia administered, shifting potassium from the extracellular into the intracellular space (by the administration of sodium bicarbonate when the pH is low and/or dextrose-insulin when effects relatively independent of serum pH are desired), using zero-balanced ultrafiltration (Z-BUF) with normal saline as the replacement fluid (to remove potassium from the body rather than simply shift the electrolyte across cellular membranes), and, occasionally, hemodialysis (1). We report the application of Z-BUF using an electrolyte-balanced, low potassium dialysate solution rather than isotonic saline to avoid a high chloride load and the potential for hyperchloremic acidosis to successfully treat hyperkalemia while on cardiopulmonary bypass.

New developments in the treatment of acute pain after thoracic surgery.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review examines recent advances and findings in the field of pain management in patients undergoing thoracic surgery. RECENT FINDINGS: Acute and chronic postoperative pain continues to remain a major problem and a primary concern for patients. Although thoracic epidural analgesia is still considered a 'gold standard', more evidence exists that paravertebral blockade has similar efficacy with a better side-effect and safety profile. The cornerstone of pain management remains a multimodal therapeutic strategy that provides both a central and a peripheral block by combining regional techniques with opioid and nonopioid analgesics. SUMMARY: Pain after thoracic surgery has a profound impact on perioperative outcome. Beyond the immediate perioperative period, acute pain contributes to the development of the debilitating chronic pain syndrome. Going forward, both procedural and pharmacologic interventions for acute and chronic pain should be studied in definitive multicenter, well designed randomized clinical trials.

Mitral Intervention with LVAD: Preparing for Recovery.

Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) insertion is an increasingly common treatment of advanced heart failure. Insertion guidelines suggest regurgitant lesions of the mitral valve should not be addressed. However, recent evidence suggests that mitral regurgitation may not necessarily improve with LVAD insertion, and such patients may have worse outcomes. Thus, practice variability is high given the discrepancy between traditional thinking and new evidence that unrepaired mitral regurgitation may increase perioperative mortality. Additionally, the challenges of LVADs can make transesophageal echocardiography evaluation and assessment of mitral valve pathology difficult.

The Association of Aortic Valve Pathology With Renal Resistive Index as a Kidney Injury Biomarker.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common serious complication after cardiac surgery. Doppler-determined renal resistive index (RRI) is a promising early AKI biomarker in this population. However, the relationship between aortic valve pathology (insufficiency and/or stenosis) and RRI is unknown. This study aimed to investigate RRI variability related to aortic valve pathology. METHODS: In a retrospective review of cardiac surgery patients, RRI and aortic valve pathology were assessed prior to cardiopulmonary bypass using transesophageal echocardiography. Aortic valve status was categorized into four subgroups: normal (insufficiency and stenosis, none/trace/mild), insufficiency (insufficiency, moderate/severe; stenosis, none/trace/mild), combined insufficiency/stenosis (insufficiency and stenosis, moderate/severe), or stenosis (insufficiency, none/trace/mild; stenosis, moderate/severe). RRI and time-matched hemodynamic and Doppler measurements were compared among subgroups. RESULTS: Of 175 patients, 60 had aortic valve pathology (16 insufficiency, 18 insufficiency/stenosis, 26 stenosis). Compared with the normal subgroup, patients with aortic insufficiency had lower diastolic blood pressure and trough renal Doppler velocities, and higher RRI (0.77 versus 0.69; p < 0.001); patients with combined insufficiency/stenosis also had higher RRI (0.72 versus 0.69, p = 0.042). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with aortic insufficiency and combined insufficiency/stenosis had higher median RRI values compared with normal patients. For these individuals, diastolic flow differences related to aortic insufficiency may explain why their presurgery RRI values often exceeded postoperative thresholds typically associated with AKI. Strategies to account for the potentially confounding effects of aortic insufficiency on renal flow patterns, independent of renal injury, may add to the value of RRI as an early AKI biomarker.

Emerging Concepts in Transesophageal Echocardiography.

Introduced in 1977, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) offered imaging through a new acoustic window sitting directly behind the heart, allowing improved evaluation of many cardiac conditions. Shortly thereafter, TEE was applied to the intraoperative environment, as investigators quickly recognized that continuous cardiac evaluation and monitoring during surgery, particularly cardiac operations, were now possible. Among the many applications for perioperative TEE, this review will focus on four recent advances: three-dimensional TEE imaging, continuous TEE monitoring in the intensive care unit, strain imaging, and assessment of diastolic ventricular function.

Intraoperative Monitoring of Pulmonary Artery Physiology With Transesophageal Echocardiography in a Patient With an Extensive Pulmonary Aneurysm Undergoing Partial Nephrectomy.

Surgical patients with pulmonary hypertension present a significant challenge to the anesthesiologist. Continuous perioperative monitoring of pulmonary artery (PA) pressure is recommended and most often accomplished with a PA catheter. Placement of a PA catheter may be difficult or contraindicated, and in these cases, transesophageal echocardiography is a useful alternative to monitor dynamic PA physiology. In this case, we used intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography to detect changes in peak PA pressure and guide clinical treatment in a patient with pulmonary hypertension and an extensive PA aneurysm undergoing partial nephrectomy.

Surgically placed left ventricular leads provide similar outcomes to percutaneous leads in patients with failed coronary sinus lead placement.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac resynchronization therapy using a left ventricular (LV) lead inserted via the coronary sinus (CS) improves symptoms of congestive heart failure, decreases hospitalizations, and improves survival. An epicardial LV lead is often placed surgically after a failed percutaneous attempt, but whether it offers the same benefits is unknown. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine if patients who receive a surgical LV lead after failed CS lead placement for cardiac resynchronization therapy derive the same benefit as do patients with a successfully placed CS lead. METHODS: A total of 452 patients underwent attempted CS lead insertion. Forty-five patients who had failed CS lead placement and then had surgical LV lead placement were matched with 135 patients who had successful CS lead placement. RESULTS: No major differences in preoperative variables were seen between groups. Postprocedural complications of acute renal injury (26.2% vs 4.9%, P <.001) and infection (11.9% vs 2.4%, P = .03) were more common in the surgical group. Mean long-term follow-up was 32.4 +/- 17.5 months for surgical patients and 39.4 +/- 14.8 months for percutaneous patients. At follow-up, all-cause mortality (30.6% vs 23.8%, P = .22) and readmission for congestive heart failure (26.2% vs 31.5%, P = .53) were similar between surgical and percutaneous groups. Improvement in New York Heart Association functional class (60.1% vs 49.6%, P = .17) was similar between surgical and percutaneous groups. CONCLUSION: Surgical LV lead placement offers functional benefits similar to those of percutaneous placement but with greater risk of perioperative complications, including acute renal failure and infection.