The Novel Technique of Sternal Closure With Absorbable Mesh for Osteoporotic Patients.

After a median sternotomy, sternal instability can result in sternal infection. The usual sternal closure with stainless steel wires may result in sternal instability, especially in osteoporotic patients. An absorbable mesh (Super-FIXSORB-MX®40, Takiron Co Ltd, Osaka, Japan) for reinforcing the sternum has become commercially available. This paper reports a modified sternal closure procedure using this absorbable mesh in combination with heavy braided Polydiaxanon (PDS cord®, Ethicon, Inc., Somerville, NJ, USA) for osteoporotic patients.

Nine-year experience of recurrent anastomotic pseudoaneurysms after thoracoabdominal aneurysm graft replacement in a patient with Behçet disease.

A 47 year-old woman with Behçet disease presented with back pain. Computed tomography showed an extent IV thoracoabdominal aneurysm. Graft replacement with reconstruction of all visceral arteries was performed. At five years postoperatively, anastomotic pseudoaneurysm of the left renal artery occurred, and it was reconstructed with an 8-mm graft. Two years after the second reconstruction, anastomotic pseudoaneurysms of the abdominal aorta developed. Y-shaped graft replacement was performed. There has been no recurrence for one year since the last operation. In situ graft reconstruction for recurrent pseudoaneurysms in a Behçet disease patient more than five years after graft replacement with reconstruction of all visceral arteries is rare.

Pancreaticoduodenal artery aneurysm involving papilla of vater successfully treated with endovascular approach despite intraoperative rupture.

An 81-year-old woman presented with dizziness and nasal bleeding. Gastrointestinal fiberscopy (GIF) showed a pulsatile aneurysm in the duodenum, and that the orifice of the papilla of Vater was involved. Three-dimensional computed tomography imaging showed an unruptured aneurysm in the pancreatic duodenal arcade. The patient underwent an emergent endovascular embolization of the donor arteries using coils and gelatin sponge particles. She was discharged without any complications. This case was extremely rare because of the anatomic location of the unruptured pancreaticoduodenal artery aneurysm and the fact that it involved the papilla of Vater, was detected with GIF, and was successfully treated endovascularly.

Right ventricular perforation caused by pulmonary artery catheter three days after insertion in a patient with acute pulmonary embolism.

A 68 year-old man presented with dyspnoea and chest pain. Computed tomography showed a massive bilateral pulmonary embolism. A 7.5 French pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) was inserted from the right internal jugular vein, and placed at the main pulmonary artery (PA) due to a thrombus in the distal PA. Continuous heparin sodium and urokinase infusions (240,000 units/day) were started. The PA pressure decreased gradually to within the normal range after two days. Three days after insertion, the PA waveform suddenly changed, he subsequently complained of chest pain, and the blood pressure rapidly decreased. Echocardiography demonstrated marked pericardial effusion. Computed tomography showed right ventricular perforation by the catheter, and contrast dye injection from the catheter tip demonstrated pericardial space enhancement. A median sternotomy was performed, and the perforation was detected in the anterior right ventricular wall. Direct buttress suture was placed, and the catheter was removed. He was subsequently discharged without any further complications. We encountered a rare case of postoperative RV perforation caused by a PAC. It is important to keep in mind that such a complication could arise not only during but also a few days after PAC insertion.

[Late mediastinal hematoma presenting cardiac tamponade after re-do off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting in octogenarian; report of a case].

An 86-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with angina due to the instent restenosis. He had a history of coronary artery bypass grafting( CABG). Re-do off-pump CABG was performed. Aspirin and warfarin were started on the next day. The drainage tubes were removed on the postoperative day (POD) 2 and clopidogrel was resumed. On POD 9, he complained of nausea and dyspnea even at rest. Chest computed tomography (CT) and transthoracic echocardiography showed anterior mediastinal hematoma. 550 ml bloody effusion was discharged by percutaneous drainage. Because the accumulation of the mediastinal fluid was mainly anterior to the pericardial space, it was thought to be due to oozing from the sternum and soft tissues. The cause was unclear, but both antiplatelet and anticoagulant agents could have caused the oozing. He was discharged without reaccumulation of the effusion. It is important to take account of such delayed complications when multiple antiplatelet and anticoagulant agents are used after cardiovascular surgery especially in the octogenarian.

A dental mirror provides excellent exposure of the right coronary artery during cardioplegia.

It sometimes is very difficult to achieve good exposure of the orifice of the right coronary artery through a typical aortotomy when inserting the cannula for the selective antegrade administration of cardioplegic solution to the right coronary artery. A simple technique of exposing the orifice of the right coronary artery using a dental mirror is described.

Mitral valve annular dilatation caused by left atrial myxoma.

We report a case of mitral valve annular dilatation caused by a large left atrial myxoma. A 69-year-old woman presented in pulmonary oedema. She was found to have a large left atrial myxoma prolapsing into the left ventricle in diastole causing severe functional mitral stenosis. At operation, the myxoma was completely excised from its attachment to the atrial septum. The mitral valve looked anatomically normal but the mitral annulus was dilated. The intraoperative Trans Oesophageal Echocardiogram (TOE) on weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass confirmed a dilated mitral annulus with moderate mitral regurgitation (MR). We elected not to place an annuloplasty ring in anticipation of improvement with postoperative remodelling. However, mitral regurgitation worsened after discharge becoming moderately severe and remains so after 1 year follow-up despite optimal medical treatment. This case suggests that annular dilatation can result from mechanical dilatation by a large left atrial myxoma. Intraoperative mitral valve annuloplasty should be considered in the presence of moderate MR as postoperative remodelling does not occur.

Relationship of connexin43 expression to phenotypic modulation in cultured human aortic smooth muscle cells.

Transition of arterial smooth muscle cells from the contractile to the synthetic phenotype in vivo is associated with up-regulation of the gap-junctional protein, connexin43 (Cx43). However, the role of increased Cx43 expression in relation to the characteristic features of the synthetic phenotype - altered growth, differentiation or synthetic activity - has not previously been defined. In the present study, growth was induced in cultured human aortic smooth muscle cells by treatment with thrombin and with PDGF-bb; growth arrest was induced by serum deprivation and contact inhibition. Alterations in Cx43 expression and gap-junctional communication were analyzed in relation to expression of markers for contractile differentiation and extracellular matrix synthesis. Treatment with thrombin, but not PDGF-bb, led to up-regulation of Cx43 gap junctions, increased synthetic activity yet also enhanced contractile differentiation. Inhibition of growth by deprivation of serum growth factors in sub-confluent cultures had no effect on Cx43 expression or contractile differentiation. Growth arrest by contact inhibition led to progressive reduction in Cx43 expression, in parallel with progressive increase in expression of differentiation markers but no alteration in synthetic activity. Of a range of stimuli examined, only thrombin had the combined effect of increasing Cx43 gap-junction communication, growth and synthesis, yet it also enhanced contractile differentiation. Down-regulation of Cx43 and improved contractile differentiation occurred only when growth arrest was induced through the contact-inhibition pathway, though, in this instance, synthesis remained undiminished. We conclude that Cx43 levels, though having common correlates, are not exclusively linked to the cell phenotype or the state of growth.

Up-regulation of connexin43 correlates with increased synthetic activity and enhanced contractile differentiation in TGF-beta-treated human aortic smooth muscle cells.

Up-regulation of the gap-junctional protein connexin43 (Cx43) in arterial smooth muscle cells (SMCs) features in response to injury and in atherosclerosis, in parallel with phenotypic transition to the synthetic state. TGF-beta1 is known to have a role in SMC differentiation and extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis, key characteristics of phenotypic state. Here, we set out to examine the effects of TGF-beta1 on Cx43-gap junction expression in relation to SMC differentiation, ECM synthesis and growth. Cx43 expression was analysed by immunoconfocal microscopy and Western blotting in primary human aortic SMCs treated with TGF-beta1 over a 48-h period, with assessment of gap-junctional communication by cell-to-cell transfer of microinjected ethidium bromide. In parallel, synthetic activity was analysed by Northern blotting for ECM components alpha-1(I) and alpha1(III) procollagen transcripts, contractile differentiation was assessed by immunoconfocal microscopy and Western blotting of the markers smooth muscle alpha-actin, calponin and smooth muscle heavy chain isoform 1 (SM1), and growth was measured by BrdU incorporation. Our results demonstrate that TGF-beta1 significantly up-regulates Cx43 expression and intercellular communication, in concert with increased expression of alpha-actin, calponin and SM1. Concomitant with contractile protein expression, ECM synthesis was increased rather than decreased, TGF-beta1 inducing a significant up-regulation of both procollagen transcripts. These effects were independent of growth. We conclude that in human aortic SMCs, TGF-beta1 treatment leads to up-regulation of Cx43-mediated gap-junctional communication and increased synthetic activity yet, somewhat paradoxically, also enhanced contractile differentiation.

A Safe Technique for Using an Enclose II Anastomosis Assist Device During Off-Pump Coronary Bypass.

Several proximal anastomosis devices have been developed to facilitate the creation of a clampless, hand-sewn coronary artery bypass-to-ascending aorta anastomosis. An Enclose II anastomosis assist device (Novare Surgical Systems, Cupertino, CA) is a device commonly used for this purpose. We demonstrate a new, easy, and safe technique for cutting the aortic wall and making a punch hole over the aorta.

Gap junction alterations in human cardiac disease.

Gap junctions, assembled from connexins, form the cell-to-cell pathways for propagation of the precisely orchestrated patterns of current flow that govern the regular rhythm of the healthy heart. As in most tissues and organs, multiple connexin types are expressed in the heart; connexin43, connexin40 and connexin45 are found in distinctive combinations and relative quantities in different, functionally specialized subsets of cardiomyocyte. Alterations of gap junction organization and connexin expression are now well established as a consistent feature of human heart disease in which there is an arrhythmic tendency. These alterations may take the form of structural remodelling, involving disturbances in the distribution of gap junctions and/or alteration of the amount or type of connexin(s) expressed. In the diseased ventricles, the most consistent quantitative alteration involves heterogeneous reduction in connexin43 expression. In the atria, features of gap organization and connexin expression have been implicated in the initiation of atrial fibrillation and, once the condition becomes chronic, gap junction alterations associated with remodelling may contribute to persistence of the condition. By correlating data from studies on the human patient with those from animal and cell models, alterations in gap junctions and connexins have emerged as important factors to be considered in understanding the pro-arrhythmic substrate found in a variety of forms of heart disease.

Clinical efficacy of thrombus aspiration on 5-year clinical outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Adjunctive thrombus aspiration (TA) during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was reported to promote better coronary and myocardial reperfusion. However, long-term mortality benefit of TA remains controversial. The objective of this study is to investigate the clinical impact of TA on long-term clinical outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary PCI. METHODS AND RESULTS: The CREDO-Kyoto AMI Registry is a large-scale cohort study of acute myocardial infarction patients undergoing coronary revascularization in 2005-2007 at 26 hospitals in Japan. Among 5429 patients enrolled in the registry, the current study population consisted of 3536 patients who arrived at the hospital within 12 hours after the symptom onset and underwent primary PCI. Clinical outcomes were compared between the 2 patient groups with or without TA. During primary PCI procedures, 2239 out of 3536 (63%) patients underwent TA (TA group). The cumulative 5-year incidence of all-cause death was significantly lower in the TA group than in the non-TA group (18.5% versus 23.9%, log-rank P<0.001). After adjusting for confounders, however, the risk for all-cause death in the TA group was not significantly lower than that in the non-TA group (hazard ratio: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.76 to 1.06, P=0.21). The adjusted risks for cardiac death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and target-lesion revascularization were also not significantly different between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Adjunctive TA during primary PCI was not associated with better 5-year mortality in STEMI patients.

New "right side median" approach for postoperative re-coarctation of the aorta.

Anatomic repair of postoperative recurrent coarctation of the aorta is surgically difficult using the conventional lateral approach. Therefore, we have developed a new approach to the stenotic aorta through a median sternotomy, involving division of the superior vena cava and left caudal displacement of the heart. This approach facilitates extensive dissection and mobilization of the descending aorta in the posterior mediastinum behind the heart and also facilitates direct anastomosis of the aortic arch and the descending aorta after resection of the stenosis. This approach is useful for anatomic repair of postoperative recurrent coarctation of the aorta and other posterior mediastinal procedures.

A novel chest packing technique for intractable bleeding after open heart surgical procedures.

Intractable bleeding after cardiac surgical procedures is a life-threatening complication. In most cases, the main bleeding site is present in the retrosternal space, not the pericardial space. Packing the chest may be a useful technique for achieving hemostasis. Herein, we describe a novel and effective procedure for the treatment of intractable bleeding in the retrosternal space using a sheet of oxidized regenerated cellulose and sponges after cardiac surgical procedures.

Aortic bleeding one week after removal of an intraoperative epicardial temporary pacing wire.

A 56-year-old man had left nephrectomy and resection of a cavoatrial tumor thrombus under a cardiopulmonary bypass assist for left renal cell carcinoma. An intraoperative bipolar temporary epicardial atrial pacing wire was removed on postoperative day 8. The patient collapsed on postoperative day 15. Emergent transthoracic echocardiography and computed tomography scanning with contrast media detected cardiac tamponade. The three-dimensional volume-rendering images from the multislice computed tomography scan demonstrated bleeding from the aortic root. Upon emergency operation, active arterial bleeding from the aortic root distal to the sites of cannulation and cardioplegia was confirmed, and hemostasis with sutures was completed. It is well known that the intraoperative temporary epicardial pacing wire can cause bleeding or arrhythmia, especially when the wire is being removed. However, bleeding usually occurs from the inserted epicardial point of the pacing wire soon after removal of the wire. To our knowledge, this late bleeding complication of the pacing wire is a previously unreported serious iatrogenic complication after cardiac surgery.

Deformities of pulmonary and aortic annulus 42 years after repair of tetralogy of Fallot.

We report an extremely rare case of deformity of the pulmonary sinus of Valsalva with pulmonary valvular stenosis 42 years after a pulmonary annular-sparing operation for tetralogy of Fallot. Aortic regurgitation with deformity of the sinus is also noted. At the previous operation, the right ventricular outflow tract was augmented by a prosthetic subvalvular patch. Through the years, the pulmonary valve and sinus were distorted because the patch was pulled over toward the right ventricle.

Cardiac xanthoma originating from primary cardiac lymphoma.

A 67-year-old man presented with dyspnea, general fatigue, and leg edema. Echocardiography demonstrated a large pericardial effusion with a 5 cm × 3 cm, dense hetero-echogenic tumor in the right atrium. At the time of the operation, the tumor was composed of soft but tough, yellowish, smaller smooth processes, and fragile, reddish, bigger nodules. Pathologic examination revealed that the yellow processes were xanthoma and that the reddish nodules were B-cell lymphoma. This case strongly supports the theory that normolipemic xanthomatosis is a secondary event in the lymphoid tissue neoplasm.

Slime method: modified hemostatic technique of fibrin glue in major cardiothoracic surgery.

Surgical bleeding from anastomoses due to systemic heparinization or prolonged extracorporeal circulation, which is more effectively controlled with topical hemostatic agents than with sutures, has been one of the major problems in cardiovascular surgery. We describe a novel hemostatic technique using fibrin glue. Briefly, the two components of fibrinogen and thrombin solutions are mixed and put over the bleeding point immediately after the glue has become a viscous gel. Within a minute of local compression, the glue sets well enough to stop the bleed.