Lung Transplantation in India: a Brief Review, Landmarks, Indian Scenario, and our Experience.

Lung transplantation is gaining widespread acceptance as the preferred therapeutic option for selected cases of end-stage lung disease in India. The indications of lung transplantation are increasing, with better post-operative survival, including the COVID affected lung, if we choose our patients well. The national acceptance of expanded criteria in lung donation, streamlining of the process of lung transplantation by governmental, and non-governmental organizations and significant increase in the number of organ donations in India have strengthened the lung transplantation program within the country. Through this article, we describe a brief history, the process, and our experience of lung transplantation since we started our program in 2017 until date.

Neuroprotective strategies with circulatory arrest in open aortic surgery - A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) in aortic surgery is associated with morbidity and mortality despite evolving strategies. With the advent of antegrade cerebral perfusion (ACP), moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest (MHCA) was reported to have better outcomes than DHCA. There is no standardised guideline or consensus regarding the hypothermic strategies to be employed in open aortic surgery. Meta-analysis was performed comparing DHCA with MHCA + ACP in patients having aortic surgery. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was undertaken. Any studies with DHCA versus MHCA + ACP in aortic surgeries were selected according to specific inclusion criteria and analysed to generate summative data. Statistical analysis was performed using STATS Direct. The primary outcomes were hospital mortality and post-operative stroke. Secondary outcomes were cardiopulmonary bypass time (CPB), post-operative blood transfusion, length of ICU stay, respiratory complications, renal failure and length of hospital stay. Subgroup analysis of primary outcomes for Arch surgery alone was also performed. RESULTS: Fifteen studies were included with a total of 5869 patients. There was significantly reduced mortality (Pooled OR = +0.64, 95% CI = +0.49 to +0.83; p = 0.0006) and stroke rate (Pooled OR = +0.62, 95% CI = +0.49 to +0.79; p < 0.001) in the MHCA group. MHCA was associated significantly with shorter CPB times, shorter duration in ICU, less pulmonary complications, and reduced rates of sepsis. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of circulatory arrest times, X-Clamp times, total operation duration, transfusion requirements, renal failure and post-op hospital stay. CONCLUSION: MHCA + ACP are associated with significantly better post-operative outcomes compared with DHCA for both mortality and stroke and majority of the secondary outcomes.

Aortic valve replacement in a patient with sickle cell disease-Are we justified to perform surgery in the TAVI era?

Not all variants of SCD need the same management and this should be decided on a case-by-case basis. Heterozygous SCD patients can undergo cardiac surgery without the need for intraoperative exchange transfusions with good clinical outcomes.

Feasibility of hybrid off pump artery bypass grafting and transaortic transcatheter aortic valve implantation: A case series.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with complex coronary artery disease and severe aortic stenosis unsuitable for conventional cardiac surgery pose a significant treatment challenge. This is especially difficult for patients where percutaneous revascularization is technically very challenging and/or would not offer as complete revascularisation compared to surgical revascularisation. In addition, patients who are unsuitable for transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) pose an additional technical challenge, particularly with dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). As a potential solution we describe the first case series of hybrid off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) combined with transaortic TAVI. METHODS AND RESULTS: Over a ten-month-period, four patients underwent hybrid off-pump CABG combined with transaortic TAVI. A full sternotomy allowed off-pump arterial and vein graft anastomosis to significantly stenosed coronaries. The first three patients had severe aorto-iliac disease precluding femoral access; the fourth patient was deemed unsuitable for PCI. Transaortic TAVI using Edwards Sapien 3 valves were performed without complication in all four patients. CONCLUSION: The hybrid off-pump CABG and transaortic TAVI procedure allows for more complete coronary revascularization, negates the need for DAPT, and minimizes treatment delay of a TAVI procedure, particularly in patients unsuitable for transfemoral access. We propose this as an important treatment option for the heart team to consider. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Pseudoaneurysm of the Right Internal Mammary Artery Post Vacuum-Assisted Closure Therapy: A Rare Complication and Literature Review.

Vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy in the management of sternal wound infection post cardiac surgery has gained popularity since last decade. It is very cost effective and has survival benefit compared with conventional management. Although there are few complications associated with VAC therapy including right ventricular free wall rupture and infectious erosion to aorta, there are now isolated reports of vein graft pseudoaneurysm associated with it. We describe an extremely rare complication of right internal mammary artery pseudoaneurysm post VAC therapy in a 56-year-old man which was successfully managed surgically. We also did a literature review on the possible complications of VAC therapy post cardiac surgery and its management.

Hybrid approach to closure of an acquired coronary-cameral fistula.

Coronary-cameral fistula is an abnormal fistulous communication between a coronary artery and a cardiac chamber. Significant fistulae require closure either percutaneously or surgically to avoid any complications. We describe the case of a 19-year-old male patient with tetralogy of Fallot, who presented with a complex coronary-cameral fistula, which precluded percutaneous occlusion. By means of a hybrid approach, the fistula was easily located and closed surgically. Where surgical correction of such fistulae is warranted in the setting of other cardiac defects, a hybrid approach to isolate the fistula followed by surgical intervention will reduce operative time, thereby potentially lowering perioperative complications.

Mechanical aortic valve-on-valve replacement in previous Bentall procedure: an alternate technique.

Acute aortic valve regurgitation due to thrombosed prosthetic valve can present as a surgical emergency. This article reports a successful and unusual management of a young pregnant female patient who presented with acute aortic valve regurgitation due to a thrombosed mechanical aortic valve. As the patient had previous multiple cardiac surgeries, the options were limited for repeat aortic valve or aortic root replacement. The patient had caesarean section followed by implantation of a mechanical valve-on-valve in a previously placed composite valved conduit. This technique may be useful for reoperative valve replacement in the setting of a prior mechanical Bentall patient.

Prognosis of patients with carcinoid heart disease after valvular surgery.

A best evidence topic in cardiac surgery was written according to a structured protocol. We addressed the following question: in patients who are diagnosed with carcinoid heart disease (CHD), do valvular surgeries improve their prognosis? Fifty percent of the patients with clinically diagnosed carcinoid syndrome had cardiac involvement which was present either as valvular dysfunction or as cardiac metastases. These patients often require surgery due to their heightened risk of cardiac disease. Altogether 217 relevant papers were identified as a result of the below-mentioned search, of which 10 papers represented the best evidence to answer the question. The author, journal, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses were tabulated. Of the patients who were identified to have carcinoid heart disease in different studies, 193 patients had valve procedure, mainly replacements at tricuspid, mitral and aortic valve positions and either valvuloplasty or replacement at pulmonary valve. Tricuspid and pulmonary valves represented the majority of the excised valves among patients undergoing valvular surgery for CHD. The pathology of carcinoid valve was attributed to the presence of plaque, causing thickening and retraction. Pure regurgitation was the most common finding in all the valves except pulmonary valve which had both stenosis and insufficiency. Thirty-day mortality was 17% (range 1-63%) and long-term survivors were reported to be alive at an average of 58 months (28-80 months) after the valve surgery. The evidence demonstrates that surgical intervention can lead to improved prognosis and reduce the symptoms of heart failure. Postoperative mortality was mainly due to the carcinoid disease itself and not as a complication of the surgery. Therefore, surgery could be considered for symptomatic palliation in carefully selected individuals.

Early and mid-term outcomes of trans-sternal and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for thymoma.

OBJECTIVES: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for thymoma has uncertain safety and effectiveness in comparison with trans-sternal resection. This feasibility study compared short- and mid-term outcomes for patients undergoing these two procedures, highlights weaknesses in current research and makes recommendations for long-term technological evaluations in this field. METHODS: Consecutive thymoma cases between 2004 and 2010 were identified. Patients were divided into two groups according to surgical approach (Group I trans-sternal; Group II VATS) and comparisons were made between groups. The primary outcome was overall survival. Secondary outcomes included operative morbidity and mortality, hospital stay, recurrence rate and disease-free survival. RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients were included (Group I: n = 22 vs Group II: n = 17). There were no differences between groups at baseline for all measured covariates. No deaths occurred within 30 days of surgery. More patients in Group I developed complications (Group I: n = 10 vs Group II: n = 3; P = 0.093), while hospital stay was shorter in Group II (Group I: 6.4 ± 4.6 days vs Group II: 4.4 ± 1.8 days; P = 0.030). Five-year overall survival (Group I: 93.8 ± 6.1% vs Group II: 83.3 ± 11.2%; P = 0.425), 5-year disease-free survival (Group I: 71.0 ± 15.3% vs Group II: 83.3 ± 11.2%; P = 0.827) and recurrence rates at final follow-up (Group I: n = 2 vs Group II: n = 1; P = 0.363) were similar between the groups. CONCLUSION: VATS thymectomy for thymoma is feasible, safe and has comparable mid-term oncological outcomes to trans-sternal thymectomy. Future research is required to evaluate long-term oncological outcomes of VATS thymectomy for thymoma in national registries and randomized, controlled trials.

Repair of Bland-White-Garland syndrome via a modified technique.

Surgically repairing Bland-White-Garland syndrome (anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery) is a challenge if there are variations in the origin of the anomalous artery. We report the successful repair of this congenital abnormality in a 19-year-old woman who presented with an acute anterior myocardial infarction. The anomalous artery originated from the anterior-facing sinus of the pulmonary artery, which precluded typical repair by direct reimplantation or fashioning an intrapulmonary tunnel. We created an extrapulmonary tunnel, using a strip of pulmonary artery anteriorly and an aortic flap posteriorly. Three years postoperatively, the anastomosis was patent and the patient was asymptomatic. Our modified technique might serve as an alternative method during similar surgical circumstances.

Pulmonary infarction after repair of type B aortic dissection.

Lung infarction after intrathoracic surgery is a life-threatening complication that needs urgent intervention. Although the exact etiology is not known, pulmonary infarction may be suspected for patients presenting with consolidation of the lung after intrathoracic surgery. We report a very rare case of pulmonary infarction after successful surgical treatment of a type B aortic dissection. The pulmonary infarction was treated by intrapericardial pneumonectomy. This article discusses possible etiology and management of such patients. A high index of clinical suspicion and timely investigations may allow early detection of this unusual event and avoid fatal outcomes.

Intrapericardial teratoma in neonates: a surgical emergency.

Primary cardiac tumors are very rare, with a reported incidence of 0.15% to 0.2% in autopsy series. They can be life threatening because of myocardial compression and ventricular dysfunction. Once diagnosed during pregnancy, the clinical condition of the baby is monitored because of the risk of rupture of the tumor capsule. The authors report a rare case of a neonate who presented with respiratory and cardiac compromise due to cardiac tamponade necessitating emergency exploration of the pericardium and excision of tumor. A well-encapsulated tumor measuring around 5 cm and bigger than the heart was completely excised. This was diagnosed to be an immature teratoma. Follow-up echocardiogram was normal, and on serial monitoring, alpha-fetoprotein was within normal limits. The baby was discharged home with no complications. Intrapericardial teratoma in neonates is a surgical emergency if presented with significant pericardial effusion. It can be a challenge if diagnosed in utero with rupture before the viability of pregnancy. A multidisciplinary team approach is necessary to manage such situations. Complete excision is necessary because of its association with tissues of malignant potential.