Extracardiac left to right shunt in a patient with biventricular postinfarction rupture and pseudoaneurysm.

A 68 year old man had a diaphragmatic myocardial infarction and 9 months later was admitted with severe congestive heart failure (functional class IV). Cardiac catheterization demonstrated a postinfarction pseudoaneurysm. Because of a massive left to right shunt (pulmonary to systemic flow ratio = 2.7), concomitant rupture of the ventricular septum was suspected. At surgery the pseudoaneurysm communicated with the right ventricle through two different orifices and with the left ventricle through another ostium. The ventricular septum was intact. Therefore, the shunt was extracardiac through the pseudoaneurysm (left ventricle----pseudoaneurysm----right ventricle). The unique combination of lesions allowed the patient to survive. The false aneurysm was excised and primary repair was performed in the orifices of the right and left ventricular walls. The postoperative course was uneventful and 10 months later the patient was in functional class I.

Are elevated levels of soluble ICAM-1 a marker of chronic graft disease in heart transplant recipients?

Positivity for circulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in heart transplant recipients has been claimed to predict the development of coronary artery disease and risk of graft failure. Soluble ICAM-1 were evaluated in 32 heart transplant recipients. Five of these patients, who had undergone transplantation several years before, were positive for soluble ICAM-1 but did not present any clinical sign of graft rejection. Furthermore, although heart graft coronary disease was diagnosed in 15 of the 32 patients, they did not show significantly higher titres of soluble ICAM-1 compared to the remaining patients. These findings suggest that major caution is necessary when considering ICAM-1 positivity as a marker of graft disease.

Proximal aortic dissection with coronary malperfusion: presentation, management, and outcome.

BACKGROUND: Acute myocardial ischemia and infarction due to retrograde dissection of the aortic root reaching the coronary ostia is a potentially fatal condition. Surgical treatment of these patients relies on the re-establishment of an adequate coronary blood flow and on the rescue of jeopardized myocardium. This article reports the results of a selected group of 24 patients with type A acute aortic dissection and coronary artery dissection. We review our experience and illustrate our approach to this condition, which evolved over a 15-year period. METHODS: Between July 1985 and March 2000, 24 patients from a total of 211 (11.3%) treated for acute type A aortic dissection had dissection of at least one of the coronary ostia. There were 14 men and 10 women. The mean age was 65.5 years (median 61.7; range 41-78 years). The right coronary artery was involved in 11 patients, the left in 4 patients, and both coronary arteries in 9 patients. At admission, 16 patients had Q waves (66%), inferior in 6 (25%) and anterior, lateral, septal, or posterior in 10 (41%). All procedures were done on an emergency basis within 10 hours (median 4 hours) after initial chest pain and within 2 hours after the patient's arrival. RESULTS: Hospital mortality was 20% (5 patients); 3 patients could not be weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass and died intraoperatively, and 2 patients died postoperatively of low cardiac output. CONCLUSIONS: As illustrated in this study, direct coronary repair is a safe alternative to bypass grafting. Aggressive myocardial resuscitation together with early operation is a key factor in the management of these patients.

Adenosine triphosphate-dependent potassium channel modulation and cardioplegia-induced protection of human atrial muscle in an in vitro model of myocardial stunning.

OBJECTIVES: Although adenosine triphosphate-dependent potassium channel openers have been shown to enhance cardioplegic protection in animal myocardium, there is a lack of data on human cardiac tissues. We aimed at determining, on human atrial muscle, whether adenosine triphosphate- dependent potassium channels are involved in protection caused by high-potassium cardioplegia and whether adenosine triphosphate-dependent potassium channel activation might improve cardioplegic protection in an in vitro model of myocardial stunning. METHODS: Human atrial trabeculae were obtained from adult patients undergoing cardiac operations. In an organ bath at 37 degrees C, the preparations were subjected to 60 minutes of hypoxia at a high stimulation rate either in Tyrode solution (control, n = 17) or in St Thomas' Hospital solution without additives (n = 6) or associated with 100 nmol/L bimakalim (n = 7) or 1 micromol/L glibenclamide (n = 7), followed by 60 minutes of reoxygenation and 15 minutes of positive inotropic stimulation with 1 micromol/L dobutamine. RESULTS: Atrial developed tension was reduced by hypoxia to 27% +/- 5% of baseline and incompletely recovered after reoxygenation to 38% +/- 7%, whereas dobutamine restored contractility to 74% +/- 7% of basal values. St Thomas' Hospital solution with or without bimakalim improved developed tension after reoxygenation and dobutamine (P <.0001 vs control), whereas glibenclamide inhibited these protective effects of cardioplegic arrest (P =.001 vs St Thomas' Hospital solution). After reoxygenation, the protective effect of bimakalim disappeared at a high pacing rate (400- and 300-ms cycle length) but recovered during dobutamine superfusion. CONCLUSIONS: Adenosine triphosphate-dependent potassium channels are likely involved in the cardioprotective effects of cardioplegia in human atrial trabeculae and adenosine triphosphate-dependent potassium channel activation with bimakalim used as an additive to cardioplegia enhanced protection.

Primary repair of coarctation of the thoracic aorta by patch graft aortoplasty. A three-decade experience and follow-up in 60 patients.

OBJECTIVES: The present report is a critical review on primary repair of aortic coarctation by patch aortoplasty on the basis of over 30 years surgical experience. METHODS: Since 1962, 60 patients (mean age 9.4 +/- 4.8 years, range 2-25 years), affected by aortic coarctation, underwent patch aortoplasty repair. During the operation protective guidelines were adopted: additional external Dacron was placed around the repaired site in cases of friable host tissue, the aortic ridge was not excised to leave the posterior aortic wall intact, and the patent ductus arteriosus or ligamentum arteriosum was transected and sutured. Prophylactic measures of neurologic sequelae were: dual pressure monitoring, sequential aortic clamping, surgical shunt or left heart bypass associated with moderate hypothermia when the distal aortic pressure was less than 50 mmHg. RESULTS: No early deaths occurred. The overall survival rate was 92.77 +/- 4.04% at 31 years from surgery. Three late deaths occurred. Pressure gradients across the patch ranged between 9 and 20 mmHg. Late aneurysm occurred in one patient (1.3%), 2 years after bacterial endocarditis had developed on a biscuspid aortic valve. CONCLUSIONS: Patch aortoplasty is an effective and safe surgical procedure for primary repair of isthmic aortic coarctation when other surgical techniques cannot be performed.

Myocardial infarction caused by compression of anomalous circumflex coronary artery after mitral valve replacement.

We report a case of myocardial infarction after mitral valve replacement occurring in a patient with the left cyrcumflex coronary artery arising from the right one. The patient underwent mitral valve replacement with a size 27 Carbomedics prosthesis and a tricuspidal annuloplasty was performed according to the De Vega technique. Patient died on the 20th postoperative day.

Rheumatic fever recurrence: a possible cause of restenosis after percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the occurrence of a rapid process of restenosis after percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty (PMV), initiated by the recurrence of acute rheumatic fever. Restenosis after PMV has been mainly related to a high echocardiographic score (> or = 8) indicating a severely compromised mitral valve apparatus. METHODS: From 1986 to 1996, 120 patients underwent PMV by the transseptal approach at our Institution. The mean follow-up time was 58 +/- 32 months (range 3 months to 9 years). RESULTS: Restenosis occurred in 10 patients (8.3%): in 4 restenosis was found within a relatively short period of time (1 to 3 months) following a documented recurrence of acute rheumatic fever; in the other 6 patients there was a gradual loss of the initial gain in the mitral valve area. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest two potential mechanisms of restenosis: 1) a more common slow process, due to turbulent flow-trauma on the mitral valve; 2) a rapid process that relates to valvulitis consequent to a recurrence of acute rheumatic fever. In consideration of the second possibility, after PMV prophylactic treatment may be warranted at least in those patients who are at high risk of streptococcal infection.

[Hypertensive cardiac damage in heart transplantation. A noninvasive monitoring study of arterial pressure]. / Il danno ipertensivo cardiaco nel trapianto di cuore. Studio con monitoraggio non invasivo della pressione arteriosa.

This study is aimed at investigating the relationship between cardiac hypertrophy and blood pressure (BP) 24-h pattern in 34 heart transplanted patients (HTP), 9 out of them (26%) being considered as normotensives, the other ones (74%) being regarded as hypertensives under adequate treatment, via casual sphygmomanometry. The study is an attempt to explain the occurrence of at least one sign of hypertrophic cardiopathy in 20 cases (59%), hypothesizing the presence of false normotensives among the putative normotensives and presumably-cured hypertensives. The ambulatory BP monitoring was able to identify 7 hypertensives (78%) among the putative normotensives, and 17 not well-cured subjects (68%) among the presumably cured hypertensives. At least one sign of cardiac hypertrophy was found in 5 (50%) of the 10 true normotensives, who were all non-dipper, and in 15 (63%) of the 24 hypertensives. The 9 hypertensives without cardiac hypertrophy (37%) had developed hypertension very recently. These findings stress the role of the ambulatory BP monitoring as a diagnostic tool during the follow-up of HTP, in order to identify the false normotensives as well as the not well-treated hypertensives. This role can contribute to optimize the prophylaxis of hypertensive damage for the transplanted heart.

[Who are the "non-dippers": an insight from the ambulatory monitoring of arterial pressure in heart transplant patients]. / Chi sono i "non-dipper": un approfondimento dal monitoraggio ambulatorio della pressione arteriosa nei cardiotrapiantati.

This study was performed in order to define who are the "non-dippers", knowing that their present definition does not imply any explanation about the mechanisms. The investigation was performed on 34 heart transplanted patients, 28 males (mean age 52 +/- 11 years) and 6 women (mean age 35 +/- 14 years), knowing that the "non-dippers" were described as the hypertensives who are devoid of the expected nocturnal fall in blood pressure (BP). The "non-dipping" phenomenon was investigated by exploring the BP 24-h pattern via ambulatory non-invasive BP monitoring, and by applying the rhythmometric analysis for quantifying the BP circadian rhythm. The study provided evidence that the "non-dippers" can be found among the hypertensives as well as the normotensives, suggesting that high BP is not a necessary condition for the "non-dipping" phenomenon, and vice versa. Both the normotensive and hypertensive "non-dippers" were seen to show stereotypic changes in BP circadian rhythm. There are normotensive and hypertensive "non-dippers" with or without the BP circadian rhythm. The "rhythmic non-dippers" show a BP circadian rhythm which is inverted in phase or demodulated in amplitude. The "non-dippers" are, thus, a heterogeneous category.

Pregnancy after heart transplant: update and case report.

A literature review of 22 cases of pregnancy following cardiac transplantation up to 1995 and a case report are presented here. A 30 year old woman, gravida 3, para 1, contacted us for obstetric care at 8 weeks gestation, about 55 months after orthotopic cardiac transplantation. The transplant had been performed for a familial dilative cardiomyopathy, which had become manifest during her previous pregnancy. The course of the current gestation was uneventful. The patient's cardiovascular function was good throughout the pregnancy. Immunosuppressive therapy, the dose of which was increased during pregnancy, included cyclosporine and azathioprine. Because of an increase in the patient's plasma uric acid concentration and an initial rise in her blood pressure, despite therapy, a repeat Caesarean section was performed at 37 weeks gestation. A female baby weighing 2330 g, Apgar scores 7/9, was delivered. Mother and infant were discharged on postoperative day 15 and are doing well 14 months postpartum. Through a review of literature and our case, the issues and problems related to pregnancy after a heart transplant are discussed, in particular the maternal-fetal risks, management, therapy, delivery, neonatal problems and follow-up postpartum of mother and baby.

Permanent mechanical catheter ablation of an accessory pathway in a child.

Permanent mechanical ablation of an accessory atrioventricular pathway was observed in an infant during intracavitary electrophysiological mapping. The persistent lack of preexcitation was confirmed during a 15-month follow-up period.

Successful weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass with central venous prostaglandin E1 and left atrial norepinephrine infusion in patients with acute pulmonary hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: Postoperative pulmonary hypertension increases the mortality risk in cardiac surgery. We have used central venous prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) and left atrial norepinephrine (NE) infusion to wean from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) patients with refractory postoperative pulmonary hypertension. DESIGN: Observational, nonrandomized study. SETTING: Department of Cardiac Surgery in a university hospital. PATIENTS: We studied 10 nonconsecutive American Society of Anesthesiologists III and New York Heart Association class III-IV patients with postoperative pulmonary hypertension and low cardiac output syndrome preventing separation from CPB. INTERVENTIONS: Patients received right atrial PGE1 (31.5 +/- 6.26 ng/kg/min) and left atrial NE (0.11 +/- 0.02 microg/kg/min) infusion. Hemodynamic data were obtained before CPB (T0), after CPB under maximal inotropes and vasodilator infusion (T1), 10 mins (T2) and 12 hrs (T3) after PGE1 and NE infusion, and 48 hrs after withdrawal of PGE1 and NE (T4). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: All patients were successfully weaned from CPB and survived. The biatrial infusion of PGE1 and NE caused a dramatic reduction in mean pulmonary artery pressure (from 42.8 +/- 5.1 mm Hg at T1 to 28.5 +/- 2.6 mm Hg at T2 and 20.5 +/- 2.0 mm Hg at T4), pulmonary vascular resistance index (from 1158 +/- 269 dyne x sec/cm5 x m2 at T1 to 501 +/- 99 dyne x sec/cm5 x m2 at T2 and 246 +/- 50 dyne x sec/cm5 x m2 at T4), and pulmonary-to-systemic vascular resistance index ratio (from 0.61 +/- 0.17 at T1 to 0.20 +/- 0.04 at T2 and 0.11 +/- 0.03 at T4). Cardiac index increased from 1.7 +/- 0.2 L/min/m2 at T1 to 2.3 +/- 0.2 L/min/m2 at T2 and 2.9 +/- 0.1 L/min/m2 at T4. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with refractory postoperative pulmonary hypertension, the combined administration of low-dose PGE1 in the right atrium and NE in the left atrium is an effective means to wean patients from cardiopulmonary bypass.

Postinflammatory scarring of cardiac valves of rheumatic and nonrheumatic etiology.

In rheumatic heart disease, cardiac valves often display only a nonspecific postinflammatory scarring, without specific features, such as the rheumatic granuloma. Fifty-five native valves excised from 47 patients, exhibiting postinflammatory scarring, were studied. Patients were subdivided into three groups according to their case histories: patients with both streptococcal infection and rheumatic fever (group I), with streptococdal infection without noncardiac major manifestations of rheumatic fever (group II), and without either of these features (group III). Pathological examination alone was unable to differentiate among the three groups, all the valves showing the same general pathological features. Differences in terms of sex, age, and valvular involvement were detected among group III and the others, whereas patients belonging to the first two groups did not differ significantly. These results suggest that diagnostic criteria for rheumatic fever are too restrictive and that a postinflammatory valvular scarring of nonrheumatic etiology does exist.

Concomitant carotid endarterectomy and coronary bypass surgery: should cardiopulmonary bypass be used for the carotid procedure?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: With the increasing age of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), a greater number have associated clinically significant carotid disease. This study determined the morbidity and mortality for combined carotid endarterectomy (CEA)/CABG using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) for both procedures versus a combined approach using CPB only during CABG. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1993 and 2000, 65 patients (Group I) underwent combined CEA and CABG using CPB for both surgical procedures and 88 patients (Group II) underwent combined CEA and CABG using CPB only during CABG. The demographic, clinical, and carotid and coronary angiographic data were similar between groups. In Group I, 22 (33.8%) patients and 32 (36%) patients in Group II presented with contralateral carotid artery stenosis. RESULTS: CPB time was significantly longer in Group I, 127+/-21 minutes versus 98+/-11 minutes in Group II patients (p = 0.001). The incidence of surgical revision for bleeding and deep sternal wound infection was higher in Group I patients, 2 (3%) versus 1 (1.1%) and 5 (7.7%) versus 2 (2.2%), respectively, but not significant. Hospital mortality in Group I was 6% (4 patients) versus 5.7% (5 patients) in Group II (p = ns). Neurologic complications occurred in 4 (6%) and 5 (5.7%) patients in Group I and II, respectively (p = ns). Postoperative renal dysfunction was more common in Group I patients (22 [33.8%]) then in Group II patients 16 (19%) (p = 0.04). Of these patients, (16 [19%]) 8 (12.3%) in Group I and 6 (6.8%) in Group II required postoperative ultrafiltration (p = ns). Infectious complications were more frequent in Group I patients, 5 (7.7%) versus 2 (2.3%), but not statistically significant (p = ns). Overall actuarial survival at 1, 3, and 5 years, including all deaths, was 92%, 88%, and 82% in Group I versus 93%, 86%, and 81% in Group II (p = ns). Overall freedom from stroke at 5 years was 87.5% in Group I and 86.4% in Group II. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that combined CEA/CABG using CPB only during the myocardial revascularization procedure remains the technique of choice in patients with coronary and carotid artery disease, offering better outcome in terms of perioperative morbidity than a combined CEA/CABG using CPB for both procedures.

[Univariate analysis of potential risk factors for early mortality (within 28 days) after aortocoronary bypass in Italy. OP-RISK Study Group]. / Analisi univariata su potenziali fattori di rischio della mortalità precoce (entro 28 giorni) dopo bypass aortocoronarico in Italia. Gruppo di Studio OP-RISK.

The multicenter OP-RISK study, developed during 1994-96, was aimed at: 1) investigating early (28 days) death rates following aortocoronary bypass surgery among patients recruited from four Centers representing geographical distribution in Italy; 2) defining possible risk factors for early mortality, also comparing these factors with those reported in previous studies. Average values are reported and compared of 65 variables (36 preoperative, 10 operative and 19 postoperative) out of 984 patients subdivided into alive (n = 940) or dead (n = 44, 4.47%) at 28 days (155 +/- 174 hours, interval between 12 and 576 hours) postoperatively. Causes of death were cardiac in 37 (77%), pulmonary in 3 (0.7%), vascular in 2 (0.5%) and infective in 2(0.5%) patients, respectively. During the study a total of 1126 patients were operated upon in the collaborative Centers with the diagnosis of coronary artery disease and 51 deaths were reported officially in-hospital (4.53%). Therefore, OP-RISK data represent 87% of overall patients and a superposable death rate. The potential role as risk factors of early mortality was assessed univariately for 17 preoperative, 5 operative (in 3 cases for the first time) and 5 postoperative factors. In general, it was confirmed that factors defining left ventricular function are sensitive predictors of mortality. In OP-RISK we were able to show, in addition, that tachycardia (> 130 b/min) at induction of anesthesia, and total time of anesthesia, cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross clamping may be significant factors among operative variables as might be among postoperative ones several arrhythmia types or a lower rate in antithrombotic therapy with aspirin at 6-12 hours postoperatively. The protective role of bypass surgery performed with at least 1 arterial segment was also ascertained. Most of these potential factors were significantly related to outcome (either directly or inversely) as were among them, as seen in a subsample (65%) of 639 patients in whom a correlation matrix was performed among 16 factors selected on the basis of the common denominator principle. Our results suggest that it is possible to collect in a multicenter experience univariate predictors of early mortality following aortocoronary bypass surgery in Italy, which are not different from those reported from previous studies performed abroad. Operative indicators may also have predictive capabilities. The effort may be worthwhile and demands further cooperative studies to be undertaken, aimed at obtaining nationwide coefficients of risk along with representative average values of factors that soon might emerge once multivariate statistics will be performed on this material.