Robot-Assisted Training Early After Cardiac Surgery.

BACKGROUND: To assess feasibility and safety of a robot-assisted gait therapy with the Lokomat® system in patients early after open heart surgery. METHODS: Within days after open heart surgery 10 patients were subjected to postoperative Lokomat® training (Intervention group, IG) whereas 20 patients served as controls undergoing standard postoperative physiotherapy (Control group, CG). All patients underwent six-minute walk test and evaluation of the muscular strength of the lower limbs by measuring quadriceps peak force. The primary safety end-point was freedom from any device-related wound healing disturbance. Patients underwent clinical follow-up after one month. RESULTS: Both training methods resulted in an improvement of walking distance (IG [median, interquartile range, p-value]: +119 m, 70-201 m, p = 0.005; CG: 105 m, 57-152.5m, p < 0.001) and quadriceps peak force (IG left: +5 N, 3.8 7 N, p = 0.005; IG right: +3.5 N, 1.5-8.8 N, p = 0.011; CG left: +5.5 N, 4-9 N, p < 0.001; CG right: +6 N, 4.3-9.8 N, p < 0.001) in all participants. Results with robot-assisted training were comparable to early postoperative standard in hospital training (median changes in walking distance in percent, p = 0.81; median changes in quadriceps peak force in percent, left: p = 0.97, right p = 0.61). No deep sternal wound infection or any adverse event occurred in the robot-assisted training group. CONCLUSIONS: Robot-assisted gait therapy with the Lokomat® system is feasible and safe in patients early after median sternotomy. Results with robot-assisted training were comparable to standard in hospital training. An adapted and combined aerobic and resistance training intervention with augmented feedback may result in benefits in walking distance and lower limb muscle strength (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT 02146196).

Portal vein thrombus and liver failure in a patient with pheochromocytoma crisis.

A 51-year-old man with known pheochromocytoma refused surgical treatment over several years and subsequently presented in catecholamine crisis with shock and multiple organ failure. Laboratory testing revealed liver failure with elevated liver enzymes and coagulation abnormalities, and imaging showed ischemia of extended parts of the right liver lobe. It also revealed a large thrombus in the right portal vein, which together with severe arterial vasoconstriction impaired the dual blood supply of the liver. The patient recovered after effective medical treatment and finally underwent surgical tumor resection. Thereafter, antihypertensive treatment could be stopped. We present this exceptional case of adrenal crisis and discuss the mechanisms leading to liver failure in general and portal vein thrombosis in particular.

Severe left ventricular dysfunction secondary to primary pulmonary hypertension: bridging therapy with bosentan before lung transplantation.

When right ventricular failure develops secondary to primary pulmonary hypertension, right-left ventricular interaction may lead to severe impairment of left ventricular function. In such cases, many experts favor combined heart-lung transplantation by fear that the left ventricle may not recover after transplantation of the lungs alone. We report a case of primary pulmonary hypertension with severely diminished right and left ventricular function. The patient was rendered amenable to isolated pulmonary transplantation with the endothelin-receptor antagonist bosentan. The medication improved right and left ventricular function to the point that heart transplantation no longer appeared necessary. After double-lung transplantation the patient's cardiac function made a full recovery. This approach might be particularly welcome considering both the current donor organ shortage and the limited number of surgical teams with expertise in heart-lung transplantation.