[Experience with a New Negative Pressure Incisional Wound Management System in Cardiac Surgery].

We report on the efficacy of the Prevena incisional wound management system, a negative pressure wound care system, in patients at a high risk of wound infection following cardiac surgery. METHODS: Ten patients with a mean Fowler risk score of 4.6( 1.6~9.9) were included. The Prevena system was applied immediately after surgery and used for 5 days while negative pressure of -125 mmHg was continuously applied, and the condition of the wound and surrounding skin was evaluated immediately after removal of the Prevena system. RESULT: Ten patients had completely healed wounds, and no skin damage around the wound due to negative pressure after removal of the Prevena system was observed. No skin damage was observed around the wound after removal of the Prevena system, and no wound complications occurred until discharge. CONCLUSIONS: The Prevena system is safe, easy to use, and useful for wound healing in patients at a high risk for wound complications after cardiac surgery.

[Transprosthetic Cuff Leakage of the MITRIS RESILIA Mitral Valve During Mitral Valve Replacement:Report of a Case].

An 82-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of severe mitral valve regurgitation( MR)with symptoms of heart failure. Preoperative transesophageal echocardiography( TEE) showed P2 prolapse due to chordal rupture, severe calcification of P2, and mild tricuspid valve regurgitation. The patient underwent mitral valve replacement using the MITRIS RESILIA mitral valve and tricuspid annuloplasty. Intraoperative TEE showed a mild regurgitation from the cuff on the A1P1 side at the mitral valve position. After the second aortic declamping, 4-0 prolene felted mattress suture was placed on the needle hole in the cuff. In repeat TEE, regurgitation improved to trace. Postoperative echocardiography confirmed disappearance of transprosthetic cuff leakage at the mitral valve, and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 36. We experienced a transprothetic cuff leakage, which is the first case on the MITRIS RESILIA mitral valve.

Mitral regurgitation indirectly caused by giant left atrial myxoma: a case report.

Cardiac myxoma is a benign primary cardiac tumor. Herein, we report a case of mitral regurgitation due to annular dilatation caused by giant left atrial myxoma. The transthoracic echocardiogram performed in a 65-year-old man who suffered from worsening exertional dyspnea detected a large mass of 81 × 31 mm in the left atrium, causing functional severe mitral stenosis. Radical mass resection was performed. After removal of the aortic clamp, an intraoperative transesophageal echocardiogram revealed moderate mitral regurgitation due to annulus dilatation. Mitral annuloplasty was performed, and mitral regurgitation was controlled. The mass was diagnosed as myxoma histologically. A large myxoma that affects mitral annulus dilatation is rarely reported. Mitral regurgitation may be masked by the presence of a large myxoma. Therefore, it should be carefully evaluated after resection, and mitral annuloplasty should be considered in the presence of significant mitral regurgitation due to mechanical annulus dilatation caused by myxoma.

Prosthetic vascular graft rupture caused by claw-type rib fixation strut: a case report.

A 66-year-old-man who had undergone partial aortic arch and descending aortic graft replacement for a dissecting aortic aneurysm presented to our hospital with pain and beating swelling of his left back shoulder. Enhanced computed tomography and aortic angiography revealed graft rupture caused by one of the claws of a rib fixation strut. Furthermore, another claw had invaded a lung. We performed emergency thoracic endovascular aortic repair, and removed all of the struts 3 weeks later. Claw-type rib fixation struts have the potential to injure other organs, including prosthetic grafts. Careful follow-up is mandatory after implantation of this type of strut.

Iatrogenic atrial septal defect caused by repeated catheter ablation.

Iatrogenic atrial septal defect is an issue after percutaneous interventions for structural heart disease. A 63-year-old man, who had previously received 5 catheter ablations for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, was found to have an iatrogenic atrial septal defect that persisted after the fourth intervention. Approximately 4 years later, he suffered exertional dyspnea. Pulmonary hypertension was caused by a left-to-right shunt via a large iatrogenic atrial septal defect. We performed surgical closure and the symptom improved. The timing of treatment for persistent iatrogenic atrial septal defect is difficult to determine, but preferable before the appearance of right ventricular dysfunction or embolism.

Successful Kidney Transplantation Alone With Severe Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction of Ejection Fraction 14%: A Case Report.

It is well known that correction of uremia by kidney transplantation alone (KTA) improves left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD). However, for kidney transplant candidates with extremely severe LVSD, KTA is considered to be contraindicated because of the high risk of peri-operative management. We report a case of successful kidney transplantation with severe LVSD with an ejection fraction (EF) of 14% and low systolic blood pressure (SBP) of approximately 65 to 80 mm Hg. In this case, in spite of an extremely low EF and SBP, functional capacity was assessed using metabolic equivalents (METs) and showed a level of almost 4. The operation was performed carefully, considering the cardiac, operative, and anesthetic risks. No surgical complications occurred, and the patient received intensive care during the peri-operative period. His postoperative course was almost favorable, and he was discharged on postoperative day 29. The present report concludes that evaluation of METs may expand the indication for KTA in patients with extremely severe LVSD.

[Mitral Regurgitation Repaired by Papillary Heads Optimization Technique].

Functional mitral regurgitation( FMR) is a risk factor that increases the mortality rate and incidence of heart failure. Surgical intervention is important. Mitral valve (MV) reconstruction can preserve the valvular apparatus;no anticoagulation therapy is required, left ventricular function is preserved. Some studies have reported a high mitral regurgitation (MR) recurrence rate with only restrictive MV annuloplasty for FMR. Therefore, various reconstructive techniques for FMR have been developed. Papillary heads optimization( PHO),reported by Komeda, is one technique. We performed MV repair with the PHO technique in 3 FMR cases. The 1st case had severe tethering and annulus dilatation due to chronic MR, the 2nd and 3rd were caused by ischemic and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM),respectively. In the early postoperative period, we achieved technical success in all cases. However, 9 months later, moderate MR had recurred in the 3rd case. Geometric measurements with transthoracic echocardiography showed an increase of the papillary muscle distance between the papillary muscle origin and the posterior MV anuulus. The correction of papillary muscles position by PHO might have failed by the progress of DCM, and MR recurred. The operative method and indication for DCM should be carefully considered.

Reimplantation of an anomalous left coronary artery with a malignant course.

A 14-year-old boy was diagnosed with an anomalous left coronary artery coursing between the ascending aorta and the main pulmonary artery and associated with a single coronary ostium. Owing to the high risk of sudden cardiac death, surgery was performed although he was asymptomatic with no sign of myocardial ischemia. Reimplantation of an anomalous left coronary artery is generally considered difficult because an aortic cuff is unavailable for coronary anastomosis; however, we accomplished a successful direct reimplantation in this patient. This procedure offers another choice in the surgical treatment of anomalous left coronary artery.