[Vascular Prosthesis Perforation Caused by a Stent Graft Inserted into the Innominate Artery after Total Aortic Arch Replacement].

The patient was a 60-year-old woman who underwent thoracoabdominal aorta replacement for type B aortic dissection three years ago and aortic root replacement and total aortic arch replacement due to asymptomatic type A aortic dissection two years previously. Her clinical course was uneventful until follow-up computed tomography (CT) disclosed anastomotic insufficiency in the innominate artery and left main coronary artery stenosis owing to hematoma. Emergent percutaneous coronary intervention and stent graft insertion into the innominate artery were performed successfully. Seven months later, however, CT scan revealed a perforation in the posterior wall of the artificial graft damaged by the edge of the implanted stent graft. The patient underwent open surgery and perforation of artificial graft was sutured and redundant stent graft edge was resected. Artificial graft damage by stent graft placement is rare to date, but may increase in the future in accordance with broader application of endovascular treatment.

Operative modification for the prevention of device-related infection during NIPRO extracorporeal left ventricular assist device implantation.

An operative modification in which the NIPRO left ventricular assist device (LVAD) cannulas are passed through the intraperitoneal cavity is performed as the first-choice standard technique in our institution. Eighteen consecutive patients who underwent NIPRO LVAD implantation as heart transplantation candidates were enrolled in this study. The cannulas were passed through the intraperitoneal cavity in 11 patients (Group IP) and the extraperitoneal space in 7 patients (Group EP). A device-related major infection was defined as bloodstream infection and/or abscess formation in the deep tissue space. Device-related major infection occurred in 6 patients in Group IP and in 6 patients in Group EP. Of these patients, 3 patients in Group IP and 5 patients in Group EP suffered from uncontrollable bloodstream infection and finally died of development into multiple organ failure and/or cerebrovascular accidents. The actuarial rates of freedom from device-related major infection at 6 months after LVAD implantation were 100 % in Group IP and 38 % in Group EP, respectively (p = 0.02). Moreover, the actuarial survival rates after the initial device-related major infection in Group IP could be significantly higher than in Group EP (83 and 67 % at 6 months, p = 0.03). We demonstrated that this operative modification can contribute to prevention of progression of superficial skin infection to critical infection and to extension of the survival duration after the initial device-related major infection.

A case of conversion of a NIPRO ventricular assist system to an EVAHEART left ventricular assist system.

Bridge to bridge (BTB) is a promising strategy for the treatment of end-stage heart failure that involves the left ventricular assist system (LVAS). We describe our experience with the conversion of an extracorporeal ventricular assist system (VAS), the NIPRO VAS, to an implantable LVAS, the EVAHEART LVAS. A 32-year-old man underwent a NIPRO VAS implantation as a bridge to decision for a condition consistent with Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support profile 1. He was later diagnosed with secondary cardiomyopathy due to cardiac sarcoidosis. During the period in which he had NIPRO VAS support, no significant bacterial cultures were obtained from the cannula-piercing site, and no systemic infection occurred. Approximately 5 months after the NIPRO VAS implantation, he underwent an EVAHEART LVAS implantation as a BTB. The procedure required technical modifications, including the anastomosis of outflow grafts, trimming of the apical cuff, and creation of a pump pocket. The operation was completed uneventfully. The patient completed the discharge program for awaiting heart transplantation at home. Approximately 6 months after the EVAHEART LVAS implantation, he continues to do well without any complications, including infection, and visits our hospital as an outpatient. Conversion to an implantable LVAS can be beneficial in carefully selected patients after ascertaining the operative indications and operation timing.

Left ventricular performance after aortic valve replacement in patients with low ejection fraction.

The operative validity of aortic valve replacement (AVR) for high-risk patients with impaired left ventricular (LV) function is controversial. We measured LV contractility, afterload, and efficiency by use of transthoracic echocardiography data obtained before, after, and approximately 1 year after isolated AVR for 335 patients with aortic stenosis (AS group; n = 160), aortic regurgitation (AR group; n = 116), or aortic stenosis and regurgitation (ASR group; n = 59). Two subgroups were created: LV ejection fraction (EF) of ≥50 % (normal-EF subgroup) and <50 % (low-EF subgroup). Contractility decreased after AVR in the normal-EF AS and normal-EF AR subgroups, but did not change after AVR in the low-EF subgroups. Afterload decreased after AVR in the AS group and increased in the AR group. LV efficiency was unchanged after AVR in the normal-EF AS and ASR subgroups, worsened in the normal-EF AR subgroup, improved in the low-EF AS and ASR subgroups, and did not improve in the low-EF AR subgroup. LV contractility and efficiency improved during the 1-year period after AVR for all patients and subgroups, but the improvements in the low-EF AR subgroup were not as good as those in the low-EF AS and ASR subgroups. Improvements in LV contractility and efficiency after AVR can be expected for patients with low EF. However, contractility and efficiency did not improve after AVR for patients with AR and low EF. Low mortality and morbidity of AVR likely conceal a latent problem among patients with AR.

Left atrioventricular valve regurgitation after correction of atrioventricular septal defects.

PURPOSE: Progressive regurgitation of the left atrioventricular valve (AV) remains a major postoperative problem in the repair of atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD). The aim of this study was to review a case series of AVSD repair and reoperation for significant left AV valve regurgitation from this institution. METHODS: Forty-nine patients underwent initial repair of AVSD between February 1990 and March 2011, and 4 of them underwent reoperation for left AV valve regurgitation. Another 5 patients, who had received initial repair of AVSD before 1990, underwent reoperation of the left AV valve during the same period. This study retrospectively reviewed all cases of AVSD operation, and considered the causes of the left AV valve incompetence, and furthermore addressed how to manage most effectively this problem. RESULTS: There were 4 early deaths (8.6%) and no late deaths after initial repair of AVSD. No death was observed after reoperation of the left AV valve. Six patients underwent re-repair of left AV valve, but three patients needed prosthetic valve replacement. An additional cleft closure and commissuroplasty were performed on the 6 re-repaired cases. No significant AV valve regurgitation was observed among the 6 re-repaired cases. The actuarial survival was 92% at 10 and 15 years after AVSD repair. Freedom from reoperation of the left AV valve was 81% at 10 and 15 years for the patients who survived the initial repair during the study period. Freedom from significant left AV valve regurgitation was 46% at 10 years for all patients who survived the initial repair during the study period. A partial ring annuloplasty using Gore-Tex graft was applied to the last 2 cases, and this employment yielded encouraging results. CONCLUSION: The results were acceptable in terms of the mortality and reoperation free ratio, but the freedom from significant left AV valve regurgitation was disappointing. The outcome of reoperation for significant left AV valve regurgitation was also satisfactory. The application of Gore-Tex graft partial annuloplasty of the left AV valve appears to be a potentially useful and effective treatment modality.

Para-Hisian pacing for a pediatric patient with a congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (SLL).

We report a pediatric patient with a congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (ccTGA)(SLL) in which permanent para-Hisian pacing (PPHP) could improve dyssynchrony-associated systemic ventricular (SV) dysfunction resulting from permanent morphologic left ventricular pacing for complete atrioventricular block. Since, in patients with ccTGA(SLL), an elongated His-bundle runs medially toward the upper septum to the site of the fibrous continuity between the right-sided mitral valve and pulmonary artery, the His-bundle may easily be captured by a pacing lead, unlike in normal hearts. Thus, PPHP may be an effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of dyssynchrony-associated SV dysfunction associated with ccTGA (SLL).

Leaflet escape in an Edwards TEKNA mitral prosthesis.

In almost every type of artificial valve, structural failure has been described. We are reporting on a case of a sudden leaflet escape of an Edwards TEKNA mitral valve prosthesis 12 years after implantation. The patient had a sudden onset of dyspnea and severe pulmonary edema with subsequent cardiogenic shock. An emergency mitral replacement was successfully performed. A multi-detector computed tomography scanning and three-dimensional imaging showed two fragments that had embolized in the terminal aorta and the left common iliac artery. The patient presented visual field abnormality, and postoperative head computed tomography showed watershed cerebral infarction. The escaped leaflet that fractured transversely was removed, following the patient's recovery, during cardiac surgery.

A Case of Tandem Plug Embolization for an Aberrant Right Subclavian Artery during Debranching Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair.

Aberrant right subclavian artery embolization is problematic in debranching thoracic endovascular aortic repair, because concomitant bypass grafting to the right upper arm may hinder complete embolization. We report a case of a thoracic aortic aneurysm with aberrant right subclavian artery successfully treated with debranching thoracic endovascular aortic repair and bypass grafting. Although endoleakage was found from aberrant right subclavian artery after single use of Amplatzer vascular plug, additional deployment of Amplatzer vascular plug II completely eliminated residual endoleakage. This simple technique is useful for the aberrant right subclavian artery embolization in debranching thoracic endovascular aortic repair.

Resection of Kommerell Diverticulum After the Arterial Switch for TGA With Bilateral PDAs and Right Aortic Arch.

We present a very rare case of bilateral ductus arteriosus in transposition of the great arteries with right aortic arch and aberrant retroesophageal left subclavian artery (SCA). Around 1 month after the successful arterial switch operation, the baby showed wheezing and retractive breathing. The computed tomography revealed that trachea and esophagus were sandwiched between the posterior displaced ascending aorta and the origin of the retroesophageal aberrant left SCA, the so-called Kommerell diverticulum (KD). This compression was successfully relieved by resection of the KD and division of the retroesophageal aberrant SCA through right thoracotomy.

Midterm results of mitral valve repair with artificial chordae in children.

OBJECTIVE: We have used artificial chordal replacement with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene sutures for mitral valve repair in children and reported favorable early clinical results. In this article we evaluate the midterm results of mitral valve repair with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene sutures in 39 children. METHODS: From April 1995 through September 2003, mitral valve repair with chordal replacement using expanded polytetrafluoroethylene sutures was performed in 39 patients. In all patients the preoperative grade of mitral regurgitation was moderate or more because of prolapse of the anterior mitral leaflet. The mean age and body weight at the time of the operation were 4.7 +/- 5.3 years (range, 1 month to 17.8 years) and 14.4 +/- 12.2 kg (range, 3.9-54.4 kg), respectively. The number of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene sutures ranged from 1 to 3 (mean, 1.4). The mean follow-up period and body weight at the latest follow-up were 5.0 +/- 2.3 years (range, 1.1-8.5 years) and 25.7 +/- 16.4 kg (range, 6.9-73 kg), respectively. RESULTS: There were no operative or late deaths. Only one patient required mitral valve replacement, which occurred 17 days after repair. Two patients underwent redo mitral valve repair 2 and 5 years after initial repair, respectively. The actuarial freedom from reoperation at 5 and 8 years was 94.8% and 89.5%, respectively. At the latest follow-up, trivial or less mitral regurgitation was observed in 33 (84.6%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: Mitral valve repair with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene sutures in children demonstrated favorable midterm outcome. The procedure is safe and effective, with potential for patients' growth.

More than 20-year experience of Bentall operation with mechanical prostheses for chronic aortic root aneurysm.

OBJECTIVES: Long-term results of Bentall operations with mechanical prostheses were analyzed and evaluated over 30 years. METHODS: Seventy-one patients aged 50.2 ± 1.8 years old underwent an elective Bentall operation from 1975 to 2013 for chronic aortic root aneurysm, while 129 patients aged 51.6 ± 1.3 underwent isolated AVR with a mechanical valve for pure aortic regurgitation. The follow-up was completed for a total of 2,336-patient-years in 99.5% of these patients. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed in the hospital mortality (2.8 and 0.78%), actuarial survival rate (43.3 ± 9.9 and 50.0 ± 9.2%), freedom from valve-related death (84.9 ± 6.8 and 68.1 ± 11%), and freedom from valve-related morbidity (43.7 ± 19 and 40.1 ± 15%) at 30 years between the two groups. No significant differences were observed in the valve-related events; however, a higher incidence of rupture of aortic aneurysm was observed in the Bentall group (P = 0.0005). CONCLUSIONS: Both our short- and long-term results of Bentall operation with mechanical prostheses were satisfactory at 30 years after the surgery and were comparable with those of simple AVR. However, to prevent rupture of the aortic aneurysm, special care should be taken after the primary Bentall operations.

Thoracoscopic ultrasonic coagulation of thoracic duct in management of postoperative chylothorax.

Chylothorax is a rare but potentially serious complication of cardiac operations. We report here a 72-year-old man who underwent replacement of a descending aneurysm with a synthetic graft for dissecting aneurysm (IIIa). A persistent postoperative chylothorax developed, which necessitated continuous drainage, despite conservative treatment more than 12 days. Thoracoscopic high-frequency ultrasonic coagulation of the thoracic duct without clipping finally stopped chyle production. This method may be useful from the standpoint of minimal access, rapid recovery, less pain, and a shorter operation.

Total aortic arch replacement through the L-incision approach.

BACKGROUND: Even though the median sternotomy is the standard approach for surgery involving the aortic arch, access to the site of distal anastomosis is problematic when the aortic pathology involves the distal arch. We recently developed an "L-incision" approach (a combination of a left anterior thoracotomy and upper half median sternotomy) for total arch replacement. METHODS: We reviewed our surgical technique and operative results for 11 patients who underwent total aortic arch replacement through the L-incision between July 1999 and July 2000. With a patient in a left anterolateral position, a left anterior thoracotomy was performed through the fourth to sixth intercostal space. An upper half median sternotomy followed. Operative exposure was enhanced with spring retractors. The proximal anastomosis (between the four branched graft and ascending aorta) was accomplished first. Upon completion of the proximal anastomosis, the heart was reperfused from one branch of the graft. The three arch vessels were subsequently reconstructed under deep hypothermia and retrograde cerebral perfusion. Antegrade cerebral perfusion was accomplished through the graft as the distal anastomosis (between the graft and descending thoracic aorta) was performed. RESULTS: No early operative deaths were observed. One patient sustained a permanent neurologic deficit. A transient recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy lasting 1 month occurred in 1 patient. No patient required reoperations for bleeding, nor did any patient develop a postoperative phrenic nerve palsy, aspiration pneumonia, or renal dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: The L-incision allows extensive replacement of the aortic arch and is associated with a low incidence of postoperative bleeding and respiratory insufficiency.

Stroke in thoracic aortic surgery: outcome and risk factors.

The risk factors and the outcome of stroke in thoracic aortic surgery were studied in 127 patients (86 males, 41 females), aged 18 to 84 years (mean, 64 years), operated on between September 1994 and December 2000. There were 29 operations on the ascending aorta, 63 arch, 29 descending, 5 thoracoabdominal, and 1 extraanatomical bypass. Perioperative stroke occurred in 15 patients (12%). The risk factors for stroke were identified as preexisting chronic renal failure and femoral arterial cannulation. Hospital death occurred in 4 of the 15 cases (27%) of stroke and 7 of the 112 cases (6%) without stroke (p < 0.05). There were 18 late deaths during a mean follow-up period of 3.2 years (range, 1 month to 7.2 years). The 3-year survival rates were 43 +/- 14% in the stroke patients and 85 +/- 4% in the other patients. Actuarial survival, including during hospitalization, was lower in the stroke patients than in the other patients not only among those 70 years or older but also among all the patients (both p < 0.0001). Stroke occurring in thoracic aortic surgery is thus an important risk factor for early and late mortality, particularly in patients 70 years or older.

Emergency surgery results in life-threatening thoracic aortic disease.

OBJECTIVE: Emergency surgery for thoracic aortic aneurysm continues to involve high mortality. We review our experience in emergency surgery for life-threatening thoracic aortic disease. METHODS: Between September 1994 and June 2000, 65 consecutive patients--38 men and 27 women aged 18 to 84 years (mean: 64.3 years)--underwent emergency surgery for thoracic aortic disease. Of these, 40 (61%) were treated for acute type A dissection, 16 (25%) for aortic rupture, and 9 (14%) for impending aneurysmal rupture. Ascending aorta repair was conducted in 21, aortic arch repair in 30, distal arch repair in 2, descending aorta repair in 9, and thoracoabdominal aorta repair in 3. Of the 65, 42 were under 70 years old and 23 were 70 years of age and older. RESULTS: Overall, 8 (12%) died in the hospital--3 (7.5%) of acute type A dissection, 3 (19%) of ruptured aneurysm, and 2 (22%) of impending rupture. Of these, 3 (7.1%) were younger than 70 years and 5 (22%) 70 years and older. The following perioperative factors significantly influenced hospital mortality: pump time (p = 0.019), postoperative severe cardiac failure (p = 0.006), postoperative respiratory failure (p = 0.045), and postoperative acute renal failure (p = 0.0007). Of the 57 survivors followed up for an average of 2.8 years (1 month to 6 years), 3-year survival was 73% overall--88% in patients younger than 70 years and 38% in those 70 years and older (p = 0.0004). Seven of the 9 patients suffering strokes during surgery died in the hospital (2) or after discharge (5). Overall hospital and late deaths involved 2 of 4 patients younger than 70 years and all of 5 patients 70 years and older. CONCLUSION: The majority of patients undergoing emergency surgery for life-threatening thoracic aortic disease can undergo graft replacement with acceptable mortality, morbidity, and late survival, but early and late mortality for patients older than 70 remains extremely high.

Emergent surgery for 3 aged patients who refused elective operation for thoracic aortic aneurysm.

This report describes 3 aged patients undergoing emergent surgery who refused elective operation for a thoracic aortic aneurysm because of freedom from symptoms attributable to the aneurysm at the time of presentation. A 77-year-old woman with a thoracoabdominal aneurysm 57 mm in diameter at presentation had recurrent hemoptysis 12 months later. A 78-year-old man with a saccular type distal arch aneurysm 64 mm in diameter at presentation was transported with shock and hemothorax 27 months later. Another 82-year-old man with a saccular type distal arch aneurysm 60 mm in diameter at presentation was admitted with severe chest and back pain 36 months later. All of them underwent tube graft replacements of the aneurysm urgently and were discharged on foot. Aged patients with life-threatening events should not be denied surgical intervention because of excessive operative mortality and morbidity, even if they had previously refused elective surgery.

The novel EuroSCORE II algorithm predicts the hospital mortality of thoracic aortic surgery in 461 consecutive Japanese patients better than both the original additive and logistic EuroSCORE algorithms.

OBJECTIVES: The European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE) II was developed to improve the overestimation of surgical risk associated with the original (additive and logistic) EuroSCOREs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the significance of the EuroSCORE II by comparing its performance with that of the original EuroSCOREs in Japanese patients undergoing surgery on the thoracic aorta. METHODS: We have calculated the predicted mortalities according to the additive EuroSCORE, logistic EuroSCORE and EuroSCORE II algorithms in 461 patients who underwent surgery on the thoracic aorta during a period of 20 years (1993-2013). RESULTS: The actual in-hospital mortality rates in the low- (additive EuroSCORE of 3-6), moderate- (7-11) and high-risk (≥11) groups (followed by overall mortality) were 1.3, 6.2 and 14.4% (7.2% overall), respectively. Among the three different risk groups, the expected mortality rates were 5.5 ± 0.6, 9.1 ± 0.7 and 13.5 ± 0.2% (9.5 ± 0.1% overall) by the additive EuroSCORE algorithm, 5.3 ± 0.1, 16 ± 0.4 and 42.4 ± 1.3% (19.9 ± 0.7% overall) by the logistic EuroSCORE algorithm and 1.6 ± 0.1, 5.2 ± 0.2 and 18.5 ± 1.3% (7.4 ± 0.4% overall) by the EuroSCORE II algorithm, indicating poor prediction (P < 0.0001) of the mortality in the high-risk group, especially by the logistic EuroSCORE. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of the additive EuroSCORE, logistic EuroSCORE and EuroSCORE II algorithms were 0.6937, 0.7169 and 0.7697, respectively. Thus, the mortality expected by the EuroSCORE II more closely matched the actual mortality in all three risk groups. In contrast, the mortality expected by the logistic EuroSCORE overestimated the risks in the moderate- (P = 0.0002) and high-risk (P < 0.0001) patient groups. CONCLUSIONS: Although all of the original EuroSCOREs and EuroSCORE II appreciably predicted the surgical mortality for thoracic aortic surgery in Japanese patients, the EuroSCORE II best predicted the mortalities in all risk groups.

Single-institution, 22-year follow-up of 786 CarboMedics mechanical valves used for both primary surgery and reoperation.

OBJECTIVES: The long-term (>20 years) results for CarboMedics mechanical valves (Sorin Group, Milano, Italy) used for both primary surgery and reoperation have never been reported or compared. METHODS: Since 1990, a total of 787 CarboMedics valves have been implanted in 694 patients for aortic valve replacement, including 19 redo cases in 220 patients; for mitral valve replacement, including 108 redo cases in 381 patents; and for double (aortic and mitral) valve replacement, including 29 redo cases in 93 patients. The follow-up data were complete for 7201 patient-years in 99.3% of the patients. RESULTS: The hospital mortality rate of the aortic, mitral, and double valve replacement groups was 0.9%, 3.7%, and 4.3%, respectively. The corresponding freedom from valve-related morbidity rates in each group were 66.0%, 40.6%, and 48.0% at 20 years (P = .0206). A higher incidence of paravalvular leakage was observed in the mitral and double valve replacement groups than in the aortic valve replacement group (P = .0019). Of the cases of mitral paravalvular leakage after single mitral valve replacement, 97% occurred after redo single mitral valve replacement; 73% of the cases of mitral paravalvular leakage after double valve replacement occurred after redo double valve replacement. CONCLUSIONS: CarboMedics mechanical valves used for both primary surgery and reoperation for aortic, mitral, and double valve replacement can achieve satisfactory early and long-term results, even 20 years after surgery. Care should be taken, however, to prevent paravalvular leakage in the mitral position during reoperation.

Mechanical prosthesis is reasonable for mitral valve replacement in patients approximately 65 years of age.

BACKGROUND: The long-term results of mitral valve replacement (MVR; n = 631) with a bileaflet mechanical prosthesis or a Carpentier-Edwards Perimount bioprosthesis were evaluated in Japanese patients of different age groups. METHODS: A total of 507 bileaflet mechanical prostheses and 124 bioprostheses have been implanted since 1982 at our institution. Follow-up was completed for 6,598 patient-years in 98.4% of the cases. RESULTS: Among the patients 70 years of age and older, the rate of freedom from valve-related death and valve-related morbidity at 10 years after surgery were significantly better in the bioprostheses group (93.3% ± 6.4% and 83.7% ± 8.7%, respectively; n = 35) than in the mechanical prostheses group (71.1% ± 8.0% and 60.9% ± 8.9%, respectively; n = 82), and neither structural valve deterioration (SVD) nor resulting re-MVR were observed for bioprostheses. In contrast, among the patients 64 years and younger, no significant differences were observed in long-term survival between the mechanical prostheses group (n = 347) and the bioprostheses group (n = 76), while significantly lower rates of freedom from SVD and re-MVR were observed in the bioprostheses group compared with those obtained in the mechanical prostheses group. As for the controversial intermediate-age group of 65 to 69 years, the general tendencies were similar to those observed in the group 64 years and younger. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our comparative evaluation, bioprostheses should be chosen for MVR in patients 70 years of age and older, whereas mechanical prostheses were better in the patients 64 years of age and younger. The use of bioprostheses in Japanese patients 65 to 69 years of age is not preferable for preventing SVD and subsequent re-MVR.