Congenital anomalies involving the coronary sinus.

A classification is presented of anomalies involving the coronary sinus. These anomalies are classified into four anatomic groups on the basis of (1) enlargement of the coronary sinus, (2) absence of the coronary sinus, (3) atresia of the right atrial coronary sinus ostium, and (4) hypoplasia of the coronary sinus. Anomalies involving the coronary sinus often are associated with other venous anomalies, either of the systemic or the pulmonary circulation. In some there is no basic disturbance of the circulation. Those conditions involving the coronary sinus which are of major functional significance participate in shunts, either left-to-right or right-to-left in nature. Enlargement of the coronary sinus in the absence of a shunt usually indicates that a systemic venous channel joins the coronary sinus anomalously.

Influence of partial sympathetic denervation on the results of myocardial revascularization in variant angina.

Poor results of the aortocoronary bypass graft operation in the treatment of variant angina have been ascribed to recurrent vasospastic activity due to autonomic imbalance. Cardiac sympathetic denervation (plexectomy) may represent a rational approach in the prevention of vasospasm. To test the value of plexectomy in the treatment of variant angina, 31 patients were studied, 17 of whom (Group 1) underwent conventional coronary artery grafting whereas the remaining 14 (Group 2) underwent cardiac sympathetic denervation also. The 2 groups were similar with respect to age (54 +/- 8 versus 50 +/- 7 years), sex distribution (male/female ratio 12/5 versus 9/5), prevalence of coexisting effort angina (10 versus 12 patients), previous myocardial infarction (7 versus 4 patients), and duration of variant angina (3.3 +/- 5.4 versus 2.4 +/- 2.7 months). The left ventricular ejection fraction was comparable in both groups (60 +/- 11 versus 60 +/- 4%) as were left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (15 +/- 4 versus 13 +/- 5 mm Hg) and extent of coronary artery disease (65 versus 71% prevalence of multivessel disease). The average duration of follow-up was 23 +/- 15 months in Group 1 and 22 +/- 18 months in Group 2 (p = not significant [NS]). There were no operative deaths. Four patients, 2 in each group, had a perioperative myocardial infarction. Seven patients in Group 1 and 1 patient in Group 2 had recurrent variant angina. There was sudden death and 2 infarcts in Group 1. Actuarial curves showed the cumulative probability of recurrent variant angina to be significantly lower (p less than 0.05 and p less than 0.001 at 6 and 10 months, respectively) in Group 2. This study suggests that cardiac sympathetic denervation may prevent recurrent vasospastic activity in variant angina.

Late development of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction after repair of double-outlet right ventricle.

A 22-year-old woman had exertional chest pain and dyspnea secondary to left ventricular outflow tract obstruction more than a decade after repair of a type I double-outlet right ventricle. The obstruction was the result of (1) failure of the ventricular septal defect and the tunnel created between the left ventricle and aorta to enlarge commensurate with growth of the heart and (2) a markedly hypertrophied parietal band of the crista supraventricularis which surrounded and narrowed the aortic orifice. At reoperation, the ventricular septal defect and the tunnel were enlarged and the hypertrophied crista supraventricularis was partially resected. The patient is asymptomatic 6 months after operation.

Cardiac surgery in septuagenarians: is there a difference in mortality and morbidity?

Open heart surgery is being performed with increased frequency in elderly patients. Results vary considerably probably as the profile of the surgical population changes. A comparison was established by means of univariate analysis between two consecutive series of 100 patients undergoing bypass grafting or valvular replacement. Group A patients were 70 years of age or older; group B patients were less than 65 years of age. Various clinical, operative, and postoperative parameters were monitored. A significant difference was found between the two groups. Elderly patients tended to be white, female, with poor left ventricular and renal function, had carotid or peripheral vascular disease, and new onset of symptoms. Fewer patients had single-vessel disease and received internal mammary artery grafts. Operative mortality rate was higher in group A subjects and postoperative neurologic complications were also more frequent in this group. Factors influencing operative mortality were the association between vascular disease, presence of left main coronary artery disease, and urgency of the procedure. The mortality rate was 17.2% in 29 patients with associated vascular disease and 4.8% (3/63) in those without vascular disease (p = 0.048). Operative mortality was 4.1% without left main coronary artery disease, 15% with left main coronary artery disease (p = 0.083), and 4% in 84 patients having elective operations versus 31.2% in patients having 16 emergency procedures (p = 0.001). Short-term follow-up revealed a higher late mortality rate in elderly subjects and suggested an increased incidence of early pulmonary embolus. Nevertheless, elective cardiac surgery may be safely performed in septuagenarians with an expected operative mortality rate under 5%.

Optimal patency rates obtained in coronary artery grafting with circular vein grafts.

Twenty-two patients underwent coronary artery grafting with a circular vein graft comprising four or five distal coronary anastomoses. Postoperative angiographic evaluation showed patency in 90 (95.7 percent) of the 94 coronary anastomoses fashioned in this manner. All four occlusions occurred in the one patient whose graft comprised five anastomoses and was occluded beyond the first anastomosis on the right coronary artery (RCA). Eleven of the 94 anastomoses were made onto arteries with limited runoff. Blod flow averaged 214 ml. per minute (range 130 to 320) in the main portion of the graft and 59 ml. per minute (range 35 to 100) in the most distal segment. Flow doubled (averaged 403 ml. per minute) in the 11 grafts injected with papaverine. The technique of circular vein grafting is described in detail and potential pitfalls are outlined. The reasons for the high early patency rate are believed to be the following: (1) high flow in the proximal segment of the graft insuring patency of said segment, (2) termination on the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery providing good distal flow and patency. (3) diamond-shaped side-to-side anastomoses (SSA's) preventing angulation of the graft at these crucial points, and (4) nearly equidistant anchoring at the site of the multiple anastomoses giving the graft a smooth, even contour.

Evaluation of myocardial damage during coronary artery grafting with serial determinations of serum CPK MB isoenzyme.

Serial determinations of creatine phosphokinase isoenzymes (CPK) were made during the operative period and the first postoperative week in 60 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. Electrocardiograms (ECG) and serum levels of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) were also evaluated. All patients had increased CPK MB activity which first became detectable during the operative period. The CPK MB curves usually showed a peak during the first postoperative hours and then a rapid decay. Some curves, however, showed a different profile with a prolonged liberation of CPK MB. This type of curve was more frequent in patients with electrical signs of necrosis or ischemic injury. In this group, the total amount of CPK MB released was greater than that in patients with unchanged ECG tracings (p less than 0.05). A mean curve of CPK MB activity was calculated for the patients without electric and/or enzymatic signs of myocardial injury. Serum CPK MB determination is a useful technique for identifying perioperative myocardial infarction (MI) and the time sequence of its occurrence. The appearance of this isoenzyme in every patient undergoing coronary surgery is an interesting finding, and it significance needs to be clarified.

Reoperation in patients with patent atherosclerotic coronary vein grafts. A different approach to a different disease.

Atherosclerotic changes are often noted in vein grafts at angiography 8 to 10 years after coronary artery grafting. Reoperation in these patients is hazardous, as manipulation of the grafts may loosen atheromatous debris and cause coronary embolization and myocardial infarction. A technique is described to avoid embolization of atheromatous material during reoperation in patients with patent atherosclerotic coronary vein grafts. This technique was carried out in six patients and compared to the standard technique of reoperation in similar patients. The incidence of complicated perioperative myocardial infarction (0/6 versus 5/12) and perioperative death (zero versus three) was lower when our new technique was used. This approach consists of minimal dissection for access to the right atrium and ascending aorta for cannulation, prompt ligation of all patent grafts at the start of cardiopulmonary bypass, cardioplegic infusion through the ascending aorta and subsequently also through newly inserted grafts using larger infusions until myocardial temperatures reach less than or equal to 15 degrees C, and single aortic clamping for distal and proximal anastomoses.

Cardiac valve prostheses, anticoagulation, and pregnancy.

A series is presented of 7 women who underwent cardiac valve replacement and who ultimately became pregnant. The only infant death was that of a premature baby whose mother received oral anticoagulants until delivery. The remaining 6 babies were normal and survived. One mother died suddenly on the fourth postpartum day and was found to have a periprosthetic clot on postmortem examination. Although a certain risk exists for the fetus whose mother receives oral anticoagulants since they cross the placental barrier, this risk is far lower that that for the mother who does not receive anticoagulation. From a prospective point of view, it would appear preferable to use prostheses such as the porcine heterograft that do not necessitate the administration of anticoagulants.

Reoperation for coronary graft failure: clinical and angiographic results in 43 patients.

Reoperation because of early or late coronary graft failure was performed in 43 patients who were part of a group of 1,985 patients operated on for coronary artery disease and followed for up to 7 years. Considerable variation in the results was noted depending on whether the patients were symptomatic or not before reoperation. Of the symptomatic patients, 85% were asymptomatic late (30 months) after reoperation whereas of those patients reoperated on despite the apparent lack of symptoms, 71.5% remained free from angina later on. Moreover, patency rate was high (94.4% or 17/18 grafts) in the first group and much lower (38.4% or 5/13 grafts) in those reoperated on solely on the basis of an early angiogram showing malfunctioning grafts. Patency rate was higher when the graft was totally replaced (92.3% or 12/13 restudied) rather than repaired simply through interposition of a segment of vein (37.5% or 3/8). It is apparent that results of reoperation in symptomatic patients are identical to those of an initial revascularization. On the other hand, patients who are asymptomatic despite early evidence of malfunctioning grafts should be reoperated on only when optimal angiographic conditions are present, that is, a coronary artery that is a good size, severely narrowed, and supplying a large myocardial area.

Vein grafts to left-sided coronary arteries: passage through the transverse sinus.

Vein grafts to left-sided coronary arteries, unlike those to the right coronary artery, do not course and land naturally on an axis parallel to that of the recipient artery. To run such a course, the graft must take off from the aorta in a direction upward and to the left, then loop back toward the left anterior descending, the diagonal, or the circumflex coronary artery. Because of limited space in this area due to the reflection of the pericardium near the left pulmonary artery and left atrial appendage, the vein loop may bend at that point or, when made shorter, may kink at the site of the coronary anastomosis. To avoid the formation of these sharp angulations, the graft may be made to course posteriorly and superiorly into the transverse sinus, behind the main pulmonary artery and the aorta, and may be sutured on the right anterior aspect of the ascending aorta. Following is the description of this technique and its advantages.

Sequential anastomoses in coronary artery grafting: technical aspects and early and late angiographic results.

The present study concerns itself with the early and late results obtained with aortocoronary vein grafts containing more than 1 coronary anastomosis per graft. The surgical technique is described in detail and some of the hazards are outlined. It is apparent that the use of side-to-side anastomoses (SSAs) leads to a marked increase in blood flow in the proximal portion of the graft (average flow,131 ml/min) and also increases the patency rate of the proximal anastomosis. Thus, 3 of 51 SSAs were obstructed on the early angiogram, and only 1 of the 28 SSAs restudied at one year had become occluded. Although the cumulative--early and late--patency rate (55/66, or 83.3%) of the distal end-to-side anastomoses (ESAs) was not significantly better than that usually seen with conventional vein grafts, it is believed that improvement in the technique and greater awareness of some of its pitfalls will further decrease awareness of some of its pitfalls will further decrease the occlusion rate of distal ESAs. Most occlusions of the ESA appeared related to angulation, which tended to occur in the segment of graft between the proximal and the distal anastomoses. Appropriate modifications in the technique are described that should help to eliminate this difficulty. The use of SSAs allows for grafting of small coronary arteries which, with the conventional single anastomosis technique, are not usually bypassed in view of the high expected failure rate. Thus, of the 9 SSAs performed to 1 mm arteries and studied on two occasions, 8 remained open early after operation and 7 were still patent a year later.

Sympathetic denervation in association with coronary artery grafting in patients with Prinzmetals' angina.

Myocardial revascularization in patients with Prinzmetal's angina has yielded variable results. Two patients are presented who underwent partial cardiac sympathectomy in combination with coronary artery grafting for typical variant angina associated with severe organic obstructive coronary artery disease. Late results 12 and 18 months postoperatively have been excellent in both instances as shown by clinical and angiographic evaluation. Although the exact mechanism responsible for Prinzmetal's angina is not known, it is believed that spasm through increased activity of vasomotor tone or of the autonomic nervous system plays a major role. Since this variant form of angina encompasses a whole spectrum at angiography, ranging from normal arteries to severely narrowed ones, including those with spasm, it is suggested that surgical treatment be planned accordingly. Thus, in patients who have organic stenoses with and without spasm, operative treatment may consist of removal of the preaortic or pretracheal plexus in association with conventional coronary artery grafting. In patients who have intractable episodes of ventricular arrhythmia or angina and who angiogram is normal or shows isolated spasm, coronary artery grafting should be abandoned, in view of the poor results reported in the literature in these circumstances, and cervicothoracic sympathectomy should be considered.

Myocardial protection through cold cardioplegia using diltiazem, a calcium channel blocker.

During two hours of aortic clamping, two groups of 10 dogs each were given an intermittent infusion of a cold solution in the aortic root. In one group, the solution contained 20 mEq per liter of potassium chloride (KCl) and in the other, a calcium channel blocker (diltiazem). Left ventricular (LV) performance was measured by calculation of LV pressure, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), cardiac index (CI), and stroke-work index (SWI). Regional myocardial function was assessed through ultrasonic crystals implanted in the subendocardial areas of both the left anterior descending (LAD) and circumflex coronary arteries. Dogs receiving KCl displayed deterioration of LV performance as evidenced by a return of maximal LV pressure, maximal rate of rise of LV pressure (dP/dtmax), CI, and SWI to 74 +/- 4%, 87 +/- 5%, 74 +/- 6%, and 59 +/- 6%, respectively, of the initial (before clamping) values. Animals that received diltiazem, on the other hand, had for the same variables a return to 85 +/- 4%, 99 +/- 7%, 129 +/- 8%, and 111 +/- 10% of the initial values. The rate of relaxation (peak negative dP/dt) decreased in both groups but less in dogs receiving diltiazem. Regional function in the area of the LAD and circumflex arteries showed little change in either group. We conclude that cold cardioplegia with a solution containing KCl or diltiazem protects the myocardium during prolonged ischemic cardiac arrest. Return of LV function on the whole is superior when diltiazem is used.

Thromboembolic complications with the cloth-covered Starr-Edwards aortic prosthesis in patients not receiving anticoagulants.

A comparison of the incidence of thromboembolic (TE) episodes was made in three groups of patient who underwent aortic valve replacement with the cloth-covered Starr-Edwards prostheses. Group 1 consisted of patients who received anticoagulants for either the entire period of follow-up or for a period of variable duration, after which these agents were no longer administered. When anticoagulants were stopped, 22 patients were categorized as Group 3 for study. Group 2 comprised patients who never received anticoagulants. Of the 147 patients followed in Group 1, 14 suffered one episode of TE. Six patients experienced major emboli; 3 of them died. Twenty of the 82 patients followed in Group 2 (no anticoagulants) suffered TE complications. There were 10 episodes of major emboli. Five of the 22 patients in Group 3 suffered an episode (all major) of TE. It is concluded from this study that anticoagulants should be given permanently to all patients with cloth-covered Starr-Edwards prostheses. Indeed, there is no period after operation when the incidence of TE is so low that anticoagulation may be safely discontinued.

Coronary artery grafting with the saphenous vein or internal mammary artery. Comparison of late results in two consecutive series of patients.

In two series of consecutive patients who underwent coronary artery grafting with the saphenous vein or the internal mammary artery (IMA), angiographic studies were conducted two weeks and one year after operation. The early patency rate was 91.8% in 184 vein grafts and 97.4% in 38 IMA grafts. Late patency was 93.1% in 143 vein grafts and 90.9% in 33 IMA grafts. Thus, the cumulative patency rate at one year was 84.9% for vein grafts and 88.3% for IMA grafts. The incidence of severe narrowing at the site of anastomosis was 2.2% in vein grafts and 7.9% in IMA grafts; the rate of occlusion of the distal limb of the recipient coronary artery was, respectively, 4.3 and 7.9%. Diffuse reduction in the caliber of grafts at one year was less frequent with IMA grafts (12.7 versus 6.6%). On the other hand, blood flow was significantly higher in vein grafts: 67.4 versus 45.2 ml per minute (p less than 0.001). Blood flow in IMA grafts whose caliber was larger than that of the recipient coronary artery was significantly higher than flow in IMA grafts with a caliber equal or inferior to that of the coronary artery: 63.1 versus 32.7 ml per minute (p less than 0.001). Although cumulative patency rates at one year were comparable in both series, because only one-third of the IMAs were larger than their recipient coronary arteries, flow was somewhat restricted in the other two-thirds. This suggests that the IMA does not constitute the better bypass conduit and, unless it is of large caliber, preferably should be used in the grafting of small coronary arteries or those with limited runoff.

Factors influencing early and late survival in patients with combined mitral valve replacement and myocardial revascularization and in those with isolated replacement.

During a 5 1/2-year period, 251 patients underwent mitral valve replacement (MVR) at our institution: 76 had combined MVR and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), and 175 without major coronary artery disease (CAD) had isolated MVR. In-hospital mortality for MVR + CABG was 13.2% (10/76); it was 8.6% (6/70) when patients with preoperative mechanical support were excluded, 7.9% (5/63) for elective operations, and 8.2% (5/61) for nonischemic mitral disease. Overall, in-hospital mortality for isolated MVR was 6.3% (11/175); it was 4.4% (7/161) excluding patients requiring mechanical support and 3.1% (5/157) for elective operations. Of a host of clinical characteristics in patients with MVR +CABG, few were found to influence in-hospital mortality: age greater than 60 years, degree of incapacitation (New York Heart Association Functional Class IV), previous history of myocardial infarction or congestive heart failure, cardiac enlargement (cardiothoracic index greater than 50%), and ischemic mitral disease (33.3% in-hospital mortality; p less than 0.05). Of the invasive variables, only one influenced in-hospital mortality: wall motion score greater than 10 (31.6% in-hospital mortality; p less than 0.01). Of the operative variables studied, the number of grafts (3 or more: 33.3% in-hospital mortality; p less than 0.05), the need for mechanical support (47.4% in-hospital mortality; p less than 0.0001), and emergency operation (38.5% in-hospital mortality; p less than 0.005) had a significant effect on mortality. The type of mitral lesion, the type of prosthesis, the extent of CAD or the completeness of revascularization, the presence of pulmonary hypertension, and atrial fibrillation appeared to have no influence.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Prophylactic coronary artery grafting in patients with few or no symptoms.

Fifty-five patients who underwent prophylactic coronary artery grafting were followed for 4 to 8 years. Sixteen patients had no angina, and 39 were in New York Heart Association Functional Class I. Twenty-one patients had single-vessel disease, 13 had double-vessel disease, and 27, triple-vessel disease. A total of 101 grafts were inserted. There were no operative deaths. Two patients suffered a perioperative myocardial infarction (MI), and 3 were reoperated on for persistent bleeding. Early after operation, 9 of the 45 grafts were occluded. At 1 year, 2 patients had occlusion of all grafts, and 1 had similar findings at 5 years. There were 4 late deaths, 3 related to coronary artery disease. Seven patients sustained a late MI. Thirty-one of the 51 survivors (60.8%) seen late (mean, 69.3 months) after operation were free from angina; 14 were in Class I and 6, Class II. It is apparent from this retrospective study that patients such as these stand to benefit little from prophylactic revascularization. Longevity may be increased, however, in patients who are asymptomatic after MI.

Late tears in leaflets of porcine bioprostheses in adults.

Of 836 patients with a mitral or aortic bioprosthesis who were followed over an 8-year period, 32 required reoperation for prosthetic dysfunction. Of the 26 prostheses removed at operation, 18 (12 mitral and 6 aortic prostheses) showed tears in the valve leaflets. In 7 of the 12 patients with rupture of "mitral" leaflets and in 1 of the 6 patients with torn "aortic" leaflets, the onset of symptoms was sudden, requiring urgent reoperation. Two of the 18 patients died early after reoperation; both had progressive disability and underwent elective operation. In 5 of the 7 patients with torn leaflets in a mitral prosthesis who had acute onset of symptoms, a single tear was found and no gross evidence of calcification was detected. Macroscopic calcification was found in only 8 of the 18 (44.4%) prostheses with torn leaflets (mitral and aortic). Microscopic examination revealed calcific deposits in 9 of the 12 mitral and in all of the aortic bioprostheses. Of the 54 leaflets examined, 29 had tears: 10 were type I; 6, type II; 7, type III; and 6, type IV. Tears in porcine valve leaflets are not an uncommon cause of dysfunction. These tears often lead to acute hemodynamic changes, particularly in the mitral position, and usually require emergency reoperation. They may occur in prostheses that appear grossly normal.

MB creatine kinase and the evaluation of myocardial injury following aortocoronary bypass operation.

Myocardial injury was studied in 104 patients undergoing coronary artery grafting without cold chemical cardioplegia using the quantity of the isoenzyme MB of the creatine kinase liberated as an indicator. This method of evaluation, which is said to permit comparison of different techniques of myocardial protection, allowed us to consider the relative importance of several factors believed to have an influence on intraoperative myocardial injury. Indices of significance were duration of symptoms before operation, presence of chronic arterial hypertension, and the type of antiangina treatment employed. Other operative factors included severity of the arterial lesions, number of anastomoses performed, and duration of extracorporeal circulation and of aortic cross-clamping.

[Nonevolutive aspect of changes in aortocoronary grafts]. / Aspect non évolutif des modifications des greffons aorto-coronariens

An accurate and objective knowledge of the evolution of the aorta-to-coronary grafts is essential in order to establish the rationale of the role of this surgery in the treatment of the coronary artery disease. Serial angiographies of the venous grafts were performed 15 days, one year and approximately 3 years after operation in 74 patients (101 grafts). The graft occlusion rate was 10% in the initial study, more than 20% in the second examination and 6% in the third examination. Moreover, a significant number of pervious grafts have shown, between 2 weeks and one year, a diffuse or segmentary reduction of their lumen. Nevertheless, besides a few grafts with severe stenoses which became occluded, these changes did not progress between one and three years. Therefore, sub-intimal fibrous hyperplasia, responsible for the structure changes of the grafts, does not seem to be a slowly evolutive pathologic process but seems rather to stabilize itself after one year.