[Transluminal coronary angioplasty using a percutaneous axillary route with an arterial sheath]. / Angioplastie coronaire transluminale par voie percutanée axillaire avec introducteur artériel.

Out of 1400 percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasties (PTCA), 23 (1.6 p. 100) were performed by the left percutaneous axillary approach because the bifemoral approach could not be used. There were 18 patients (17 men, 1 woman) with a mean age of 58 years. The coronary vessels dilated were the anterior interventricular artery (n = 4), the circumflex artery (n = 9) and the right coronary artery (n = 10), i.e. a total of 25 stenoses. The success rate in procedures was 83 p. 100 (19/23), and the primary success rate in patients was 83.3 p. 100 (15/18): Despite a good initial result, one patient developed inferior myocardial infarction as a result occlusion of a dominant distal circumflex artery, due to protamine administration immediately after the procedure. Another failure ascribable to the approach was due to selective catheterization being impossible. The mean duration of TCA was 38 min. In every cases the arterial introducer was withdrawn after neutralization with protamine. There were 4 cases of restenosis (25 p. 100) :3 were treated by a second PTCA using the percutaneous axillary approach and 1 by surgery. The method has the following disadvantages: (1) neutralization with protamine is mandatory (we had 1 case of occlusion with infarction after protamine in this series); (2) it is imperative to prevent the formation of a blood collection that would infiltrate the brachial plexus; for this purpose, the axillary cavity must be compressed effectively after PTCA and the puncture area must be watched for 24 to 48 hours.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Intracavitary extraction of fragments of intracardiac catheters using a pigtail catheter. Apropos of 14 operations]. / Extraction endocavitaire de fragments de cathéters intracardiaques à l'aide d'une sonde "queue de cochon". A propos de 14 interventions.

Endocavitary extraction of intracardiac fragments of intravenous catheters was attempted in 14 patients over a 7 year period. The fragments were recovered in 13 cases under local anaesthesia without complications. The average duration of the procedure was less than 15 minutes. The technique requires a pigtail catheter, a material which is usually readily available in all catheter laboratories. This simple procedure may prevent complications and enable some patients to avoid surgery.

[Excimer laser assisted angioplasty. Immediate results in the treatment of complex coronary lesions]. / Angioplastie assistée par laser Excimer. Résultats immédiats dans le traitement des lésions coronaires complexes.

Transluminal coronary angioplasty (TCA) with pulsed excimer laser (CVX 300 Spectranetics) was performed in 89 patients (age 63.7 years); CCS I: 6; CCS II: 12; CCS III: 40; CCS IV: 31; instable: 58%. There was a previous history of myocardial infarction (MI) in 27 cases, TCA (9 restenoses) in 24 cases, 19 bypass graft procedures, 13 failures of TCA. The lesions (n = 90) affected the left main coronary artery: 1 case; the left anterior descending artery: 37 cases; the left circumflex: 8 cases; the right coronary: 28 cases and there were saphenous vein grafts in 16 cases. The lesions were classified B2 (ACC/AHA) in 56 cases and type C in 34 cases. There were 24 lesions > 10 mm, 15 > 20 mm; calcification in 49 cases; excentric in 65 cases; ostial in 9 cases; affecting bifurcations in 13 cases; affecting collateral vessels in 16 cases; chronic occlusions in 12 cases and restenoses of stents in 4 cases. Multifiber catheters: 1.4 mm (50), 1.7 mm (41) and 2 mm (3), were used to deliver energies of 43.3 mj/m2 (+/- 8.1 mj) with an average of 5.2 +/- 1.2 applications persite, and 2.7 +/- 1.1 passages. A balloon dilatation was performed after laser angioplasty in 96% of cases. The following results were observed: success of laser angioplasty (20% reduction of stenosis) in 95.5%, a successful procedure (residual stenosis less than 50% without major complications) in 95.5%, and a clinical success (no pathological Q wave or non-Q wave infarction, bypass graft, or repeat TCA): 92.1%. The following complications were observed: death = 0, non-Q wave infarction 2.2%, emergency bypass surgery in 1 case with Q wave infarction: 1.1%. The use of laser angioplasty may be proposed in the following indications: long, moderately calcified lesion, ostial lesions, complete occlusions, bypass graft disease, failure of angioplasty. In addition to these indications, we propose the treatment of restenosis on stents. The main disadvantage of the Excimer Laser is the poor cost/benefit ratio, given the relatively small number of indications.

[A rare cause of continuous thoracic murmur. A fistula between the internal mammary artery and the pulmonary circulation]. / Une cause rare de souffle continu du thorax. Fistule entre l'artère mammaire interne et la circulation pulmonaire.

The authors present a case of a continuous right lateral sternal murmur which led to the discovery of a systemic-to-pulmonary fistula at the origin of the internal mammary artery. The fact that the patient had a right pulmonary abscess with pyopneumothorax drained several years previously has led them to discuss the possible etiology of this fistula. The murmur disappeared after surgical treatment.

[Crenelation of Beall's prostheses in mitral position: apropos of 21 reoperated cases]. / Le crénelage des prothèses de Beall en position mitrale. A propos de 21 réinterventions.

The authors report their experience of 21 revision operations for malfunction of the Beall Surgitool 104 prosthesis used in the mitral position. The incidence and uniformity of the disorders found in the prostheses suggest that these changes are produced inevitably usually during the fourth year. The disc becomes kinked, the mountings eroded, and the teflon ring torn. The clinical features are the onset of heart failure, anaemia, or a thrombo-embolic episode. These three findings may occur individually or in association. The authors do not advise systematic revision surgery, but conclude that close follow-up is essential in the case of all patients who have had a Beall prosthesis. Early signs of failure should be revealed by clinical examination, the level of LDH, and by phonocardiogram and echocardiogram studies. Leaving aside thrombo-embolic episodes and severe anaemia which themselves constitute indications for revision surgery, the decision to replace the damaged prosthesis should be taken as soon as the first signs of cardiac failure are detected.

[Value of the combined Lastac laser-angioplasty technic in symptomatic superficial femoral occlusion]. / Intérêt de la technique combinée Lastac laser-angioplastie dans les occlusions fémorales superficielles symptomatiques.

The results of peripheral transluminal angioplasty are satisfactory in stenotic arteries but those observed in the recanalisation of occluded peripheral arteries are not so good. There would therefore seem to be a good therapeutic opportunity for laser between angioplasty and surgery for patients with symptomatic arterial occlusion. The authors report their experience with the Lastac laser in 12 patients with symptomatic superficial femoral arterial occlusion. This is a no-contact laser. All patients had surgical indications in case of failure to recanalise by laser, despite collateral circulation by the profunda artery which was inadequate on effort leading to claudication and a limited walking perimeter. After 1 initial failure, 11 successful procedures were performed. There were no perforations due to the Argon laser beam but 2 were observed with the guide wire which was rapidly sealed by the balloon catheter. A surgical haematoma at the percutaneous puncture point resulted in 1 reocclusion during the patient's hospital period so that the 11 technical successes became 10 clinical successes. At medium-term follow-up, one asymptomatic occlusion had occurred and one restenosis was successfully redilated. The advantages of a continuous Argon "Lastac" laser compared with a contact laser are its capacity for auto-control, its coaxial fibre placement and the absence of direct contact with the lesion. The coaxial fibre arrangement plays an important role in preventing vascular perforation. These factors enable it to be used with more safety in patients with arterial occlusion.

[Application of echocardiography to the diagnosis of tricuspid valve diseases. Apropos of 103 cases]. / Apport de l'échocardiographie au diagnostic des valvulopathies tricuspidiennes. A propos de 103 cas.

In a series of 103 consecutive surgical patients, the normal and pathological echocardiographic appearances of the tricuspid valve were analysed and compared with the anatomical findings. It was possible to define the nature of the lesions by echocardiography, which was superior to angiography in this field. The right ventricular index (right ventricular dimension body surface area) correlated well with the mean pulmonary artery pressure (r = 0.75; p less than 0.001). The index may be useful in the long term follow-up of post-operative patients.

[Approach to the prognosis of myocardial infarct from the initial hemodynamic examination]. / Approche du pronostic de l'infarctus du myocarde à partir de l'exploration hémodynamique initiale

Hemodynamic investigations (right and left heart catheterization, cardiac output measurement) were performed in 132 patients with acute myocardial infarction. Retrospective study of the first 100 patients allowed determination of prognostic indices. A new statistical method is proposed which was used prospectively in the 32 following patients and resulted in an error of prediction of about 3 per cent. The establishment of prognosis from hemodynamic data is a necessary condition prior to new therapeutic approaches of cardiac failure in acute myocardial infarction.

[Inidications for multivalve prostheses]. / Les indications des prothèses pluri-valvulaires

The authors consider that the indications for surgery should take into account three unknowns: the natural history of the valvulopathies, our incomplete state of knowledge about the outcome in operated cases, and surgical progress, which may transform the whole subject in a short time. They emphasize the seriousness of the disorders in which mitral incompetence is associated with aortic stenosis and/or incompetence; such cases justify earlier surgery. By contrast, some cases of aortic incompetence, when associated with a predominant mitral valve lesion, may not constitute an indication for valve replacement. Tricuspid annuloplasty is a noteworthy advance which provides a simple answer to some of the problems.

[Left ventricular function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease after decompensation (author's transl)]. / Fonction ventriculaire gauche de l'insuffisant respiratoire chronique au décours d'une décompensation aiguë.

13 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were studied for left ventricular function immediately after acute decompensation. Parameters of right and left ventricular function were measured. Mean pulmonary wedge pressure (Paw) was elevated (11.9 mm Hg) but there was no correlation between Paw and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP). The indices of left ventricular contractility were in the normal range. In 4 patients, LVEDP was too high. A correlation was established between RVEDP and LVEDP. Left ventricular compliance, as studied by the index of Diamond and Forrester, was abnormal. Two conclusions are discussed: (1) in COPD, Paw cannot indicate left ventricular dysfunction; (2) alteration of left ventricular compliance is possibly related to an elevation of RVEDP.