Heart transplantation in diabetic recipients.

Preexisting diabetes mellitus (DM) has been regarded as a contraindication to heart transplantation (HT). This prejudice has been based upon concern over increased infection rates and worsening DM with the initiation of prednisone immunosuppression. To better evaluate these suppositions, we reviewed our experience with diabetic patients who underwent HT. Between 6/80 and 1/88, 367 nondiabetics (NDs) and 19 diabetics underwent HT at our institution. Of the 19 diabetic recipients (DRs), two were black and four were female. Six DRs were on insulin (average daily dose: 46 U) prior to HT, and the remainder required oral hypoglycemic agents. Following HT, five DRs had insulin substituted for oral hypoglycemics. The 11 insulin-dependent DRs now require an average daily dose of 48 U. The average duration of follow-up for the 19 DRs was 17 months (range 1-67 months). During this time, 5 hospitalizations were required for complications of diabetes. The rejection rate was not higher for the DRs than the NDs (0.37 events/100 pt. days vs. 0.51 events/100 pt. days). The DRs who have undergone coronary angiography up to 4 years following HT have had no evidence of coronary atherosclerosis. Three-year survival for DRs and NDs is similar. DRs have a slightly higher incidence of lethal infections than NDs, which is not statistically significant (16% at 17 months vs. 10% (p greater than 0.4). We conclude that carefully selected diabetics can undergo HT with minimal consequent worsening of their DM. Diabetic HT recipients do not suffer a higher incidence of graft atherosclerosis, rejection, or lethal infection.

Cardiac transplantation in patients with preexisting malignancies.

A history of preexisting malignancy has been considered a contraindication to cardiac transplantation. The reasons for this prejudice include concerns about potentially deficient intrinsic immunomodulation and fear of cancer recurrence (or development of second cancers) because of therapeutic immunosuppression. In the past four years at the Northern Indiana Heart Institute seven patients with preexisting malignancies underwent cardiac transplantation. Their two-year survival rate was 100%, which is comparable to a rate of 81% in non-malignancy patients. After an average 31 months of follow-up (range = 6-56 months), only one patient has had a recurrent tumor (basal cell carcinoma). Statistical comparison of immunosuppression dosages, incidences of rejection, and incidences of infections between patients with preexisting malignancy and those without preexisting malignancy was performed. We found that the only significant difference was an increased number of infections in preexisting malignancy patients. Additionally, we found no difference in the incidence of posttransplant coronary artery disease in the preexisting malignancy group when compared with those patients without preexisting malignancies. This study demonstrates that patients who have been successfully treated for malignancies have no greater incidence of rejection than those patients without preexisting malignancy. Furthermore, preexisting malignancy patients require no significant modulation of immunosuppression. Although preexisting malignancy patients have a higher incidence of infections than patients without preexisting malignancy, their two-year survival is not worse than the patients without preexisting malignancy.

Chlorhexidine gluconate 0.12% oral rinse reduces the incidence of total nosocomial respiratory infection and nonprophylactic systemic antibiotic use in patients undergoing heart surgery.

UNLABELLED: STUDY OFJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of oropharyngeal decontamination on nosocomial infections in a comparatively homogeneous population of patients undergoing heart surgery. DESIGN: This was a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Experimental and control groups were selected for similar infection risk parameters. SEETTING: Cardiovascular ICU of a tertiary care hospital. PATIENTS: Three hundred fifty-three consecutive patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, valve, or other open heart surgical procedures were randomized to an experimental (n=173) or control (n=180) group. Heart and lung transplantations were excluded. INTERVENTIONS: The experimental drug chosen was 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) oral rinse. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The overall nosocomial infection rate was decreased in the CHX-treated patients by 65% (24/180 vs 8/173; p<0.01). We also noted a 69% reduction in the incidence of total respiratory tract infections in the CHX-treated group (17/180 vs 5/173; p<0.05). Gram-negative organisms were involved in significantly less (p<0.05) of the nosocomial infections and total respiratory tract infections by 59% and 67%, respectively. No change in bacterial antibiotic resistance patterns in either group was observed. The use of nonprophylactic IV antibiotics was lowered by 43% (42/180 vs 23/173; p<0.05). A reduction in mortality in the CHX-treated group was also noted (1.16% vs 5.56%). CONCLUSIONS: Inexpensive and easily applied oropharyngeal decontamination with CHX oral rinse reduces the total nosocomial respiratory infection rate and the use of nonprophylactic systemic antibiotics in patients undergoing heart surgery. This results in significant cost savings for those patients who avoid additional antibiotic treatment.

Cardiac isoenzymes following heart transplantation.

Creatine phosphokinase (CPK) isoenzymes are commonly obtained after heart transplantation (HT) to assess myocardial injury of the donor heart. This investigation retrospectively evaluated the utility of this practice. Fifty-six recipients of orthotopic heart transplants had at least two daily CPK-MB studies following HT. All patients were followed up for at least one year (or until death). Nineteen patients had entirely negative CPK-MB determinations (NEG). Eighteen patients had a single positive CPK-MB determination, and were considered to be equivocal (EQUIV). Nineteen patients had more than one daily positive CPK-MB determination (POS). To evaluate the influence of positive CPK-MB determinations on the outcome of HT, we compared the results in the NEG and POS groups. There was no difference in the donor organ ischemic times between the two groups. The duration of follow-up for the two groups was also similar (1,192 days vs 1,020 days). The NEG and POS groups had no significant difference in: 1 year survival (84 percent vs 74 percent); freedom from treated rejection episodes in 3 months (39 percent vs 42 percent); and freedom from coronary artery disease (CAD) at 3 years (83 percent vs 86 percent). Additionally, the ejection fractions of the donor hearts were similar at 1 year post-transplant for the 2 groups (64 percent vs 59 percent). We conclude that myocardial injury, as reflected by post-transplant CPK-MB levels, does not predict one-year mortality, predisposition to rejection, predisposition to coronary artery disease, or ultimate graft dysfunction. In an effort to perform HT more economically, we no longer obtain CPK-MB levels following HT.

Mitral valve repair in a transplanted heart via right thoracotomy.

With increasing longevity of many heart transplant recipients, the need for cardiac surgery upon the transplanted heart will become more common Herein is presented an illustrative case that reinforces the utility of a right-side thoracotomy to approach valve repair in the transplanted heart.

Endarterectomy, vein patch, and mammary bypass of the anterior descending artery.

Occasionally the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery contains such diffuse calcific atherosclerosis that an area suitable for distal anastomosis with the internal mammary artery (IMA) cannot be found. Additionally, the LAD of some patients contains multiple areas of stenosis, which would prevent free outflow from the IMA graft. In these cases the potentially increased operative risk of LAD endarterectomy is justified to avoid leaving poorly revascularized areas of anteroseptal heart. In an effort to provide the long-term patency benefits of IMA grafting for these patients without the technical difficulty of a lengthy IMA to LAD anastomosis, we have combined saphenous vein patch reconstruction with IMA bypass when LAD endarterectomy is required.

Factors contributing to recurrent carotid disease following carotid endarterectomy.

BACKGROUND: Retrospective analysis was performed to assess the effect of gender, age, hypertension, diabetes, and smoking upon residual disease, recurrent disease, and progression of disease following carotid endarterectomy (CE). The effect of patch versus primary closure was also studied. METHODS: Postoperative duplex studies were performed following 323 CEs at months 1, 6, 12, and 24. Residual disease was defined as luminal stenosis >59% at 1 month. Progression of disease was defined as stenosis at any month that was greater than stenosis at month 1. Recurrent disease was nonresidual stenosis >79%. RESULTS: Correlation was found between age at operation <65 years and cigarette smoking; both also correlated with progression of disease on serial studies, as well as recurrent stenosis <79%. Primary closure of the arteriotomy correlated with residual disease. CONCLUSION: Primary closure of the arteriotomy following CE increases the likelihood of residual disease. Smokers and those aged <65 years are predisposed to progression of postoperative disease, and to development of recurrent stenosis.

Allograft replacement of the aortic valve for active endocarditis.

PURPOSE: In the 50 months preceding March 1995, 35 adult patients underwent aortic valve replacement with a cryopreserved human aortic valve allograft. Nine of these patients had active endocarditis. The remaining 26 patients had aortic valve pathology without active infection. This study consists of a comparison of these two groups. METHODS: One of the patients with active infection underwent inclusion technique replacement of the infected valve. The other eight valves were replaced with root-replacement technique. Of the 26 non-infected patients, 4 valves were replaced with the inclusion technique, and the remaining 22 were replaced with the root-replacement technique. None of the patients are maintained on long-term anti-coagulation. RESULTS: We have followed the infected group an average of 32 months and the group without active infection has been followed an average of 27 months. There were two perioperative deaths in the nine patients with infected valves and no deaths in the group without active infection (Pearson's chi2 p<0.05). There have been no thromboembolic complications and no recurrent infections.

Prophylaxis of heart transplant rejection with either antithymocyte globulin-, Minnesota antilymphocyte globulin-, or an OKT3-based protocol.

We compared an equine antithymocyte globulin (ATGAM)-based protocol with a Minnesota antilymphocyte globulin (MALG)-based protocol and a murine monoclonal CD-3 (OKT-)-based protocol in 3 groups of heart transplant (HT) recipients. Thirty-four recipients received a four-day course of ATGAM. Thirty HT recipients received a 14-day course of OKT3. Fifteen HT recipients received MALG for an average of 10 days. The ATGAM group received cyclosporine beginning preoperatively, while the OKT3 and MALG groups received CyA beginning on post-transplant day 4. All three groups received identical azathioprine and similar steroid therapy. The 3 groups were similar in age, donor/recipient HLA mismatches, and donor/recipient gender mismatches. The MALG and OKT3 groups had 20% and 17% females, respectively, while the ATG group had 41% (p < 0.05). Average follow-up exceeded 14 months for each group. The ATGAM group received a higher dose of CyA during "induction" therapy than the OKT3 and MALG groups, and experienced a greater rise in post-transplant serum creatinine levels. We found no difference between the 3 groups in: preoperative creatinine levels, one-year post-transplant creatinine levels, number of patients who could be successfully "weaned" from steroids, or one-year survival. Other data are tabulated as episodes/patient: [table: see text] We conclude that ATG plus preoperative CyA is superior for rejection prophylaxis following heart transplantation when compared with either MALG plus postoperative CyA or OKT3 plus postoperative CyA.

Clinical heparin coated cardiopulmonary bypass: reduction of systemic heparin requirements for redo cardiac surgery.

The authors compared blood loss, transfusion requirements, and heparin doses for reoperative cardiac surgery using either: a) a Duraflow (Baxter Corporation, Irvine, CA) heparin coated cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) system or b) standard CPB. Twenty patients underwent redo cardiac surgery while supported with heparin coated CPB, and 17 patients underwent redo cardiac surgery with standard CPB. The following data are presented as mean +/- standard deviation. The heparin coated CPB circuit group received significantly less heparin than the standard CPB group (322 +/- 80 IU/kg versus 448 +/- 80 IU/kg, p < 0.01). There was no difference in blood loss in the first 24 postoperative hrs or mean transfusion requirements for the two groups. Despite the reduced dose of heparin, the mean activated clotting time in the heparin coated group was similar to the mean activated clotting time of the standard CPB group (577 +/- 98 sec versus 612 +/- 117 sec, p = ns). In conclusion, heparin coated CPB without reduced activated clotting time does not reduce transfusion requirements or blood loss in reoperative cardiac surgery. The heparin coated CPB system allows maintenance of the activated clotting time level despite reduced heparin doses.

Repair of an iatrogenic aortoatrial fistula.

A patient with uncommon potential to contain the extraluminal path of an aortic perforation, due to adhesions from previous operation, survived perforation of the ascending aorta and creation of an aortoatrial fistula at cardiac catheterization. The method of repair is described and discussed herein.

Anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the pulmonary artery: an unusual cause of angina.

Origin of the right coronary artery from the pulmonary trunk rather than the aorta is a rare congenital anomaly. Only five cases of this anomaly have presented with signs and symptoms of ischemia. One of these cases, along with objective evidence for the cause of the ischemia and recommendations regarding surgical repair, is presented here.

Carotid endarterectomy in patients with asymptomatic intracranial aneurysm.

The patient with symptomatic extracranial carotid artery disease who, on angiography, is found to have a coexisting intracranial aneurysm presents a therapeutic dilemma. Relief of the carotid stenosis, with a potential increase in cerebral blood pressure, might increase the risk of aneurysm rupture. Conversely, repair of the aneurysm may be hazardous because of the low flow imposed by the carotid stenosis, particularly in the event of perioperative hypotension. We reviewed 19 patients treated with 20 carotid endarterectomies in the face of concurrent asymptomatic intracranial aneurysm. There were no instances of aneurysm rupture during the operation or the 30 days following operation. The literature reported to date consists of a total of 20 patients with only one incidence of aneurysm rupture in the postoperative period. We conclude that carotid endarterectomy is unlikely to precipitate rupture of an intracranial aneurysm during the operation or postoperative period.

Use of autoperfusion for distant procurement of heart-lung allografts.

Heart-lung transplantation has been limited to on-site organ procurement because current methods of lung preservation are unreliable for periods in excess of one hour. A method of dynamic heart-lung preservation has been evaluated as a possible means for distant procurement for human transplantation. Canine and bovine heart-lung blocks were removed and preserved by autoperfusion for periods of two to nine hours. The key features of the method included normothermic coronary autoperfusion with donor blood by an autoregulating beating heart, and a stabilizing reservoir bag interposed between the donor aorta and the right atrium. The reservoir is positioned one meter above the aortic valve, and determines the pressure in the aorta. Flow from the bag to the right heart dictates venous return, pulmonary blood flow, and ventricular stroke volume. The lungs are ventilated with room air and 5% to 10% of CO2, at 4 liters/minute. Normothermia is ensured by immersion of the heart-lungs block in a temperature controlled crystalloid bath. Eleven canine and eight bovine heart-lung blocks were evaluated for two to nine hours. Lung function was excellent during this period, and cardiac output did not decline from pre-harvest levels. Five heart-lung allografts were transplanted after an average of four hours of autoperfusion and all functioned satisfactorily. All animals could be weaned from the extracorporeal circulation support. Two to three hours later, cardiac outputs and arterial pO2 were normal. The peak airway pressures averaged 29 cm H2O.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Durability of emergency coronary artery bypass for complications of failed angioplasty.

Although emergency coronary artery bypass for complications of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) has proved to be a relatively successful 'bail-out' procedure, little is known about the durability of revascularization under these potentially disastrous circumstances. The authors therefore retrospectively examined their results with this procedure. Emergency coronary artery bypass for complications of PTCA was performed in 112 patients between 1 January 1984 and 19 May 1992. Fifteen patients underwent PTCA for acute myocardial infarction. Eleven patients (9.8%) were stable, and underwent emergency coronary artery bypass after PTCA because of suboptimal angiographic results from percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. None of these stable patients died. The remainder of the patients underwent emergency coronary artery bypass after PTCA because of ongoing documented ischemia, including cardiac arrest requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation during transit to the operating room in 11 patients (9.8%) and preoperative intra-aortic counterpulsation in 24 (21.4%). The average number of coronary arteries bypassed at emergency coronary artery bypass was 2.2, and 19 patients (17%) received at least one mammary artery conduit. The perioperative incidence of myocardial infarction was 8.9% (10/112), and the operative mortality rate 8% (9/112). During follow-up, which averaged 55 months, the survival rate (including operative mortality) was 85% while 98% of patients experienced freedom from reoperative coronary bypass, 89% experienced freedom from myocardial infarction (including postoperative) and 90% experienced freedom from subsequent catheterization or PTCA. In conclusion, emergency coronary artery bypass for PTCA complications successfully avoids subsequent untoward cardiac events. When compared with published results of PTCA without emergency coronary artery bypass, emergency coronary bypass is more reliable for avoiding subsequent cardiac catheterization (with or without PTCA) than PTCA alone.

Posttransplantation diabetes mellitus in heart transplant recipients.

This study was undertaken to investigate the impact of diabetes, which develops after heart transplantation, on infection and patient survival. Nondiabetic patients (366) underwent heart transplantation at our institution between June 1, 1980 and January 12, 1988. Of these patients, 29 (8%) developed posttransplantation diabetes (PTD), defined as a continued need for hypoglycemic agents. The PTD group did not differ significantly from the nondiabetic recipients in age, sex, or human leukocyte antigen type. The average age in the PTD group was 49 years. Average length of follow-up was 21 months (range 4 to 46 months). Eighteen patients are maintained on insulin. Eight patients are on oral hypoglycemic agents. Three patients died while on insulin. The average prednisone dosage in this group is 0.23 mg/kg/day. There have been 18 minor infections and four potentially serious nonlethal infections in the 27 PTD recipients. One lethal infection occurred 33 months after heart transplantation. The only other fatality was related to metastatic bladder cancer. This lethal infection rate of 3% compares with a rate of 11% in all nondiabetic recipients who have follow-up for 21 months. The 3-year actuarial survival of the PTD group is 75%, which compares favorably with the survival of nondiabetic patients. PTD cannot be predicted by sex, age, or human leukocyte type before transplantation, and it does not significantly increase the incidence of mortality or serious infection.