[Mediastinitis after cardiac surgery. A 10-year evaluation (1985-1995)]. / Les médiastinites après chirurgie cardiaque. Bilan sur 10 ans (1985-1995).

UNLABELLED: From June 1985 to May 1995, 9,814 patients were operated for a cardiac procedure with cardiopulmonary by-pass. Mean age was 61,3 years. The most frequent procedure was coronary surgery (45%), followed by valvular surgery (34%) then combined surgery (11%) and other surgery (4%). 66 cases of mediastinitis were observed: 38 from June 1985 to May 1990 (first group), 28 from June 1990 to May 1995 (second group). The changes between the two groups was antibiotic prophylaxis using Cefuroxime in the first group and Cefamandole in the second and also an impairment of general status of the patients in the second group. Staphylococcus remains the most frequent organism in both groups and for Gram negative bacteria was less frequent in the second group. Several risks factors mediastinitis were identified (males, emergency, diabetes mellitus, obesity, redo, patient of first group, duration of Cardiopulmonary by pass for 100 minutes, mechanical ventilation greater than 48 hours) and the most important factor was the need for mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours. The mortality rate was 39.4% (26 patients). Identified risk factors of mortality were age over 65 years, females, poor constitution, and cardio/thoracic ratio > 0.55. CONCLUSION: Mediastinitis after cardiac surgery remains a serious complication. In this series we observed a decrease of mediastinitis rates, especially in the second group (p < 0.001). In high risk patients, specific preoperative methods of patient care may be able to prevent such complications. When mediastinitis appears, and when debridement is necessary, a cover procedure seems necessary in elderly or poor constitution patients.

[Postoperative autotransfusion and transfusion evaluation in cardiac surgery]. / Autotransfusion postopératoire et bilan transfusionnel en chirurgie cardiaque.

In cardiac surgery, blood retransfusion from the thoracic drainages, though already ancient, still remains controversial either for its quantitative or its qualitative interests. A retrospective study has been conducted, between the 1st january 1992 and the 30th june 1993, over 1.655 consecutive operations. Most of the patients suffered from coronary disease (937) or a valvular disease (605), others had been operated for a combined valvular and coronary revascularization surgery (113). The safety of this technique, guaranteed by strict rules, allowed a "transfusional strategy" which tends to reduce the homologous blood consumption. Twenty-nine percent of all the patients received homologous red cells units and only 23% of the patients operated for a coronary revascularization. This strategy aims to reduce both the risks of blood transfusion and the health cost.

[Cardiac transplantation: clinical results. Apropos of 150 cases]. / Transplantation cardiaque: résultats cliniques. A propos de 150 cas.

This retrospective study reports the clinical results obtained in a series of 150 heart transplantations performed from October 1986 to January 1995. Overall actuarial survival rate, including operative mortality, was 71% and 57% at 1 and 5 years respectively. Despite a certain level of morbidity, the spectacular functional results in this series are emphasized.

[Transfusion and Jehovah's witnesses. A review of medicosurgical attitudes in a University hospital in 1995]. / Transfusion et témoins de Jéhovah. Enquête sur les attitudes médicochirurgicales dans un CHU en 1995.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the attitudes of physicians (anaesthetists + other doctors + surgeons) towards Jehovah's witness patients refusing blood transfusion. Such a situation is not uncommon: 79% of respondents uncountered it. For scheduled surgery in adults, 75% of these physicians (54% of anaesthetists) would accept to lake care of these patients. In case of emergency or unforeseen indication for transfusion, 54% of these physicians (72% of anaesthetists) would administer blood, despite a written transfusion refusal. These figures would be 95 and 97% respectively in children.

[Surgical treatment of aneurysms of the left ventricle. Immediate and long-term results. Apropos of a consecutive series of 121 cases]. / Traitement chirurgical des anévrysmes du ventricule gauche. Résultats immédiats et éloignés. A propos d'une série consécutive de 121 cas.

From 1978 to 1992, 121 cases of postinfarction left ventricular aneurysm (99 males, 22 females, mean age 60 years) were operated on. The authors insist on a high rate of clinical arhythmogenicity (31.4%) and associated mechanical complications (21%). 76% of patients were in functional NYHA class III or IV. Resection was performed in 90% of patients, plication in 10%. 58% underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (1.7 graft/patient), 16% encircling ventriculotomy, 8% mitral valve replacement and 13% closure of ventricular septal defect. Operative mortality was 14.9% (10% when other mechanical complications where excluded). 5-year survival is 67.9%. Late cardiac deaths are as follow: left ventricular failure (1.8% A/P), Sudden death (1.4% A/P), Myocardial infarction (0.6% A/P). 82% of survivals are in functional NYHA class I or II. Only functional class NYHA III or IV is predictive of late death. We conclude that postinfarction left ventricular aneurysm remains a high risk complication especially when associated with other mechanical complications. When arhythmogenicity is present we suggest rhythmologic surgery and in all cases, complete revascularization.

[Heart transplantation. Clinical study and results apropos of a consecutive series of 100 first grafts]. / Transplantation cardiaque. Etude clinique et résultats à propos d'une série consécutive de 100 premieres greffes.

OBJECTIVES: Global results of entire series of heart transplantations are essential to better evaluate survival rates. We therefore report the results of our first 100 transplantations. METHODS: Orthotopic heart transplantation was performed in 82 men and 18 women (age 50.5 +/- 11.4; range 9-65). Sixteen were over 60. Primitive cardiomyopathies (n = 51) and coronary artery disease (n = 44) were the most frequent underlying diseases. Secondary morbidity was evaluated according to the international classification on the basis of pathological examination of endomyocardial biopsies. RESULTS: Immediate post-operative survival rate was 89 percent: there was 1 peroperative death, 7 deaths due to persistent pulmonary hypertension and 4 due to irreversible left ventricular failure. Eight deaths occurred during the 2nd and 3rd postoperative months for an overall early survival rate of 81 percent. After a mean follow-up of 2.4 years (maximum 6.16 yr), the actuarial survival rate at 5 years was 58 percent. Among the 470 biopsies performed, rejection was classified weak or null in 326, moderate in 125 and severe in 19. Pulmonary artery resistance, immunosuppression and, later, the risk of coronary artery disease and intrinsic graft changes were the three major problems encountered in this series. CONCLUSIONS: Despite its limits, heart transplantation remains an effective therapeutic option, particularly for young patients in good general health.

[Autologous transfusion in heart surgery (apropos of 74 patients)]. / Transfusion autologue en chirurgie cardiaque (a propos de 74 patients).

The present study uses three techniques of autotransfusion in heart surgery under ECC: peroperative and post-ECC transfusion of blood removed after induction of anaesthesia (group I: 25 patients); postoperative transfusion of extravasated thoracic blood (group II: 24 patients) and a combination of the two (group III: 25 patients). Postoperative bleeding was comparable in all groups; A subset likely to haemorrhage made up of patients who had lost more than one litre of blood was isolated and demonstrated a reduction in the number of homologous red cell concentrates needed for the autotransfused population in comparison with the controls (2.4 +/- 2.6 vs 5.7 +/- 3.5 red cell concentrates, p less than 0.05) and was particularly marked in Group II patients who received 1.9 +/- 2.2 homologous red cell concentrates. None of the techniques caused any side-effects. Combination of the two autotransfusion techniques in heart surgery does not secure any additional advantages compared with postoperative autotransfusion alone.

[Current operative risk in emergency coronary surgery. Experience of the last 5 years]. / Risque opératoire actuel en chirurgie coronarienne d'urgence. Expérience des cinq dernières années.

Technique of fibrinolysis and angioplasty have changed the face of emergency coronary artery surgery, which had developed considerably over recent years. Between 1982 and 1986, in the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery of the University Hospital of Rennes, 1,232 patients underwent isolated coronary artery revascularisation (with the exclusion of mechanical complications of infarction). 1,040 patients were operated electively and 192 patients underwent emergency surgery with very different results: mortality of 2.4% with elective surgery versus 12.5% with emergency surgery, divided into four subgroups: revascularisation after thrombolysis (gradually being replaced by angioplasty), by-pass surgery after a complication of angioplasty (or coronary angiography), by-pass surgery in threatened unresponsive infarction (now less common), by-pass surgery in the context of threatened extension of pre-existing myocardial infraction. The factors of mortality are analysed according to the circumstances (emergency, presence or absence of haemodynamic repercussions), clinical context (age, sex, previous infarction, myocardial function) and lastly the surgical possibilities (complete or incomplete revascularisation in vessels of variable quality ...). In relation to this last point, the authors stress the limitations of reasonable indications for emergency surgery, although surgery is readily proposed in deteriorating patients unresponsive to medical treatment, on vessels with a severely pathological disal bed and in myocardia with severely altered ventricular function.

Valvular replacement for aortic stenosis in patients over 70 years: immediate risk and long-term results (from a consecutive series of 355 patients).

From 1971 to 1985, 355 patients over 70 years of age (mean age 73.7) underwent isolated aortic valve replacement, most of them for pure calcified stenosis (78.6%). Mechanical valves (group A) were used in 112 cases (109 Bjork-Shiley; 3 SJM) and bioprostheses (group B) exclusively implanted since 1981 (192 Edwards-Carpentier; 51 Ionescu-Shiley). Thirty-six patients died post-operatively (10.1%). 36% of the deaths were related to cardiac causes, and 14% to cerebral damage. The follow-up involved 100% of the 319 survivors and spanned 12 years (1 month to 11.8 years), with an average of 3.2 years. The follow-up was almost equally distributed between groups A and B: 474 and 453 patient-years, respectively. Sixty late deaths (18.8%) occurred: 26.7% of them related to cardiac causes, and 20% to cerebral accidents. Twenty-nine cases were in group A (6.1% patient-years), and 31 in group B (5.7% patient-years). Acturial analysis shows that, at five years, 94.1% of patients in group A and 96% in group B were free of valve-related complications, and that 88.9% in group A and 89% in group B were free of valve-related non-lethal complications. Actuarial calculation of survival rates shows that, at five years, the probability of survival was 70.8% for the entire series, including the operative deaths. This curve of survival is similar to that of the normal population of the same age. Moreover, the functional status is dramatically improved by surgery: 99.6% of patients are in the NYHA classes I or II.

[Aortic valve replacement in persons over 75. 128 operated patients]. / Remplacement valvulaire aortique après 75 ans. 128 opérés.

Aortic valve replacements are performed in ever older subjects. In the surgical cardiovascular clinic of Rennes, 128 patients aged 75 or over (up to 85 years) and presenting with solitary or predominant (126 cases) aortic stenosis underwent aortic valve replacement between 1976 and 1985 inclusive. Pre-operative evaluation consisted, on principle, of non-invasive explorations. Myocardial protection was ensured by hypothermic cardioplegia. We used a mechanical (Björk-Shiley) prosthesis in the 19 patients operated upon before 1980, and a bioprosthesis (Carpentier-Edwards porcine, supra-annular type since 1983), in the 109 patients operated upon since 1980. The operative mortality rate was 8.6% (11 deaths). The survival curve was similar to that of a control population of the same age-group (survivors 75% at 4 years, operative mortality included). The quality of survival was remarkable since 96% of survivors were in NYHA stages I or II, the poor results being due to early or late cerebral vascular accidents. Advances in surgery (notably myocardial protection), anaesthesia and intensive care make it possible reasonably to operate upon very old patients, provided they have remained in good general and cerebral vascular condition. Non-surgical alternatives, such as percutaneous valvuloplasty, now used in elderly patients can only be reliable if results of similar quality and durability can be expected from them.

[Mural thrombosis of the abdominal aorta. A sometimes unrecognized cause of recurrent embolisms]. / Thrombus mural de l'aorte abdominale. Une cause parfois méconnue d'embolies récidivantes.

A 23 year old patient with an infrarenal abdominal aorta mural thrombosis developed recurrent peripheral emboli. This case underlines the etiologic investigation necessary in cases of peripheral emboli unexplained by the conventional cardiac examinations. Filling of total aorta with contrast is essential (assisted if necessary by oblique projections) to detect possible mural thrombi carrying the risk of recurrent emboli.

[Surgery of calcified aortic stenosis in patients aged 70 and over. Immediate results. Apropos of a series of 229 cases]. / Chirurgie du rétrécissement aortique calcifié chez les sujets âgés de 70 ans et plus. Résultats immédiats. A propos d'une série de 229 cas.

229 patients aged 70 or over with aortic stenosis (AS) underwent surgery between January 1972 and July 1983 (21.8% of 814 cases of AS operated on during the same period). The Björk Shiley prosthesis was used at the beginning of the series (115 cases, 50.2%), until bioprostheses became the treatment of choice in this age group. Overall operative mortality in the series was 10.9% (25/229). Analysis shows a very marked reduction in recent years: from 15.6% between 1972 and 1977, to 5.8% in 1982-3. Improvement can be attributed in part to the technical progress in myocardial protection. Patient age is a very significant factor in the prognosis. Progress in surgery, together with that in anaesthetics and intensive care, justifies operation in these elderly and incapacitated patients whose general and neurological condition is well preserved.

[Surgery of aneurysms of the abdominal aorta. Clinical study and surgical results. Apropos of a series of 54 cases]. / La chirurgie des anévrysmes de l'aorte abdominale. Etude clinique et résultats chirurgicaux. A propos d'une série de 54 cas.

54 patients with an abdominal aortic aneurysm were hospitalized between 1969 and 1980 in the Clinic of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at Rennes (Pr. Y. Logeais): 35 were ruptured aneurysms, 19 non-ruptured. The average age of the patients was 70.6 years. 48% of patients showed signs of atheroma in at least one other site. 24% had arterial hypertension. Arteriography was carried out in 51.5% of the non-ruptured aneurysm cases and in 26% of the ruptured cases. Both ultrasound and tomography are regarded presently as very useful tests. The intervention carried out in 41 patients always involved the insertion of a by-pass graft (aortic only in 7 cases; aorto-biiliac in 19 cases; aorto-bifemoral in 15 cases). Mortality was 7.7% for the non-ruptured aneurysms. 59% for the ruptured aneurysms, the deaths above all being related to the degree of visceral ischaemia. Secondary mortality was comparable for all the aneurysms operated on. More than 80% of patients were surviving 5 years after surgery.