A Suspected Case of Adhesion to the Iliac Vein During the Left Femoral Arthroplasty.

An 85-year-old man underwent hemiarthroplasty for a left intertrochanteric femoral fracture at another hospital two years prior. While under outpatient monitoring, the left femur displacement occurred. Therefore, total hip arthroplasty of the left hip was scheduled. However, during acetabular cup insertion damage to the inner plate led to a sudden decrease in blood pressure from 120 to 60 mmHg. The physicians suspected a pelvic vascular injury and promptly stopped the procedure. In case of adhesion between the acetabular cup and the left iliac vein, intraoperative vascular damage would be repaired via endovascular intervention. Subsequently, orthopedic surgery was cautiously performed, taking into account the potential of a vascular injury. The surgery proceeded as planned without vascular intervention. This case involved a patient with suspected injury to the iliac vein and artery during acetabular cup placement. Following comprehensive enhanced CT and angiography tests, orthopedic surgery was performed in preparation for potential vascular damage, demonstrating the multidisciplinary approach to managing such cases.

Transprosthetic cuff leakage of a bovine pericardial aortic bioprosthesis in a redo case.

A 79-year-old man underwent bioprosthetic valve replacement for aortic regurgitation 10 years previously (Carpentier-Edwards PERIMOUNT Magna Ease, 21 mm; Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA, USA). The indexed effective orifice area decreased to 0.422 cm2/m2, and heart failure symptoms appeared. The patient underwent aortic valve replacement through a redo median sternotomy. A perivalvular leak was observed on transesophageal echocardiography at the time of weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass. The patient was judged to have a leak characteristic of bioprosthetic valves and was monitored closely. Postoperative echocardiography showed that the perivalvular leak had decreased to a trivial level, indicating that the intraoperative decision had been correct. We report this case because such intraoperative judgments are difficult to make.

A screw-type pacemaker lead implanted in the right atrium perforated the ascending aorta.

BACKGROUND: Perforation by pacemaker leads, although rare, is a complication reported since the introduction of pacemaker therapy. Although historically reported frequencies were as high as 5%, recent reports have cited frequencies ranging from 1 to 2%. We report a case where a screw-type atrial lead slightly penetrated the right atrial wall, causing chronic abrasion of the ascending aorta, resulting in shock. CASE PRESENTATION: A 54-year-old male presented with dilated cardiomyopathy diagnosed at 40 years of age when he developed decompensated heart failure. Despite ongoing treatment, his heart failure worsened, leading to hospitalization at the age of 54. During his hospital stay, he experienced cardiac arrest that required cardiopulmonary resuscitation, followed by a return of spontaneous circulation. He was subsequently transferred to our institution after initiation of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) and an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP). Echocardiography revealed an ejection fraction of 25%, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter of 60 mm, and severe mitral regurgitation (MR). Transcatheter mitral valve repair was performed to treat severe MR, followed by implantation of a cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D). Three months later, the patient was brought to our emergency department by ambulance because of hypotension. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed pericardial effusion causing cardiac tamponade, necessitating emergency pericardial decompression via left fourth intercostal mini-thoracotomy and drain placement. Upon transfer to the intensive care unit, 1200 mL of blood was drained from the chest tube, prompting a return to the operating room for a median sternotomy. It was discovered that the pacemaker lead on the left side of the right atrium had slowly eroded into the aorta, leading to perforation. The ascending aorta was repaired and hemostasis was achieved; the patient recovered uneventfully and was discharged on postoperative day 18. CONCLUSIONS: The pacemaker lead perforated the right atrium; chronic abrasion of the lead against the ascending aorta resulted in bleeding from the ascending aorta 3 months later.

A Case of Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformation and Malformation of the Lower Limbs.

The case involves a 37-year-old female who was diagnosed with undifferentiated immunodeficiency and protein-losing gastroenteropathy at the age of 26 and was under outpatient care in the gastroenterology department while taking Prednisolone 15mg. At the age of 37, she experienced loss of consciousness and was diagnosed with a right occipital lobe arteriovenous malformation upon investigation. Although initially managed conservatively, she presented the following month with a right-sided headache and vomiting and was urgently transported to our hospital. Imaging with contrast-enhanced CT revealed bleeding from the arteriovenous malformation. Emergency craniotomy was performed, followed by ventricular drainage. Two weeks later, she underwent transcatheter arterial embolization of the main feeder via the right femoral artery approach, followed by excision of the arteriovenous malformation the next day. Subsequently, she had an uneventful recovery. A confirmation CT angiography before discharge revealed severe stenosis of the right common femoral artery, leading to a referral to the cardiovascular surgery department. The stenosis was attributed to the Pro-Glide used for hemostasis during the embolization procedure. Repair surgery was performed, during which CT angiography revealed arteriovenous malformations in both the popliteal fossae and the foot.

Identification of a Dissection Site in the Internal Thoracic Artery Using Fluorescence Imaging: A Case Report.

A 66-year-old man with a history of type 2 diabetes mellitus who was undergoing hemodialysis presented with angina. Coronary angiography revealed triple-vessel coronary artery disease. He underwent multiple percutaneous coronary interventions due to recurrent restenosis and was referred for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The left internal thoracic artery and bilateral saphenous veins were harvested under general anesthesia. Four CABGs were performed: left internal thoracic artery to the left anterior descending artery; saphenous vein graft to the obtuse marginal branch of the circumflex artery; and saphenous vein graft to two sites in the right coronary artery. Intraoperative assessment with transit-time flow measurements showed no abnormalities, and the surgery was completed. On postoperative day seven, coronary and graft angiography revealed dissection of the left internal thoracic artery at its midportion with restricted flow. On postoperative day eight, a surgical intervention was performed to excise the dissected segment of the left internal thoracic artery. The dissection site was identified by fluorescence imaging. The dissected segment was excised, and the artery was re-anastomosed. The postoperative course was uneventful, and graft angiography performed on postoperative day 22 confirmed good blood flow. Fluorescence imaging was valuable in identifying the dissection site in the left internal thoracic artery.

Huge, Infected Pancreatic Necrosis After Total Arch Replacement in a Patient With Immunoglobulin G4-Related Syndrome.

A 77-year-old male patient with immunoglobulin (Ig)G4-related disease was diagnosed with a 60-mm aortic arch aneurysm and atherosclerosis of the aorta advanced throughout the body. Aortic arch replacement surgery was performed with circulatory arrest at 28°C. One week later, the patient developed acute pancreatitis, followed by encapsulated necrosis in the chronic phase. After debridement surgery, the patient's condition improved.

Mid-term outcomes of physician-modified endograft therapy for complex aortic aneurysms.

OBJECTIVES: Our goal was to evaluate early and mid-term outcomes of physician-modified endografting for pararenal and thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysms from 10 Japanese aortic centres. METHODS: From January 2012 to March 2022, a total of 121 consecutive adult patients who underwent physician-modified endografting for pararenal and thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysms were enrolled. We analysed early and mid-term postoperative outcomes, including postoperative complications and mortality. RESULTS: The pararenal and thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm groups included 62 (51.2%) and 59 (48.8%) patients, respectively. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 5.8% (n = 7), with mortality rates of 3.2% (n = 2) and 8.5% (n = 5) in pararenal and thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm groups, respectively (P = 0.225). Type IIIc endoleaks occurred postoperatively in 18 patients (14.9%), with a significantly higher incidence (P = 0.033) in the thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm group (22.0%, n = 13) than in the other group (8.1%, n = 5). Major adverse events occurred in 7 (11.3%) and 14 (23.7%) patients in pararenal and thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm groups (P = 0.074), respectively. The mean follow-up period was 24.2 months. At the 3-year mark, both groups differed significantly in freedom from all-cause mortality (83.3% and 54.1%, P = 0.004), target aneurysm-related mortality (96.8% and 82.7%, P = 0.013) and any reintervention (89.3% and 65.6%, P = 0.002). Univariate and multivariate regression analyses demonstrated that ruptures, thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysms and postoperative type IIIc endoleaks were associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The mid-term outcomes of physician-modified endografting for pararenal and thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysms were clinically acceptable and comparable with those in other recently published studies. Notably, pararenal and thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysms represent distinct pathological entities with different postoperative outcomes.

Mitral valve repair for infective endocarditis after esophageal reconstruction: a case report.

BACKGROUND: In patients with retrosternal neo-esophageal conduit after right thoracotomy, the approach to cardiac surgery could be challenging. Particularly, in patients with infective endocarditis, there is a risk of injury to the conduit through standard median sternotomy. Moreover, right lung adhesions could be predicted. Herein, we present a case of successful mitral valve repair in a patient with infective endocarditis through a redo right thoracotomy after esophageal reconstruction. CASE PRESENTATION: A 66-year-old male patient was diagnosed with infective endocarditis and a large anterior mitral leaflet vegetation after a previous esophageal reconstruction via right thoracotomy for esophageal cancer. Due to the retrosternal esophageal reconstruction, we performed a mitral valve repair through a redo right thoracotomy. After resecting the vegetation, the defect was closed with a fresh autologous pericardial patch. Mitral valve annuloplasty was performed. Postoperatively, antibiotics controlled the infection. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 30. CONCLUSIONS: Successful mitral valve repair was performed for infective endocarditis through a redo right thoracotomy after esophageal reconstruction.

Mitral Valve Infective Endocarditis Associated With Prednisolone-Induced Immunosuppression: A Case Report.

A 74-year-old man with pemphigoid, for which he was on a daily regimen of 14 mg of prednisolone and immunosuppressive drugs, was admitted to the orthopedic surgery department with a fever of 38 °C. An MRI scan of his head revealed multiple bilateral cerebral infarcts, and echocardiography showed a 30-mm structure attached to the anterior apex of the mitral valve. The patient was diagnosed with infective endocarditis and administered antibiotic therapy. Five days after the diagnosis, the patient underwent mitral valve surgery, during which the mitral valve was observed to be severely deteriorated and hence replaced with a bioprosthetic valve. Blood flow disturbance was observed in the right lower extremity, and a thrombectomy was performed. A dispersed vegetation around the heart was observed and removed. After the surgery, the patient progressed without mediastinitis and had a good postoperative course. He was discharged from the hospital on the 56th postoperative day after continued antibiotic therapy.

Multivariate analysis of the factors affecting medical students' decision to join the cardiovascular surgery department.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to statistically analyze the factors that influence cardiovascular surgery recruitment. METHODS: Fifth- and sixth-year medical students and first-year residents who participated in cardiovascular surgery-related events at our university over a 10-year period from April 2013 to August 2022 were included. The primary endpoint was admission to the department of cardiovascular surgery. Gender, participation in sixth-year elective clinical training, participation in national academic conferences, participation in cardiovascular surgery summer school, and the cost of participation in these events (airfares and lodging) were included as analytic factors. RESULTS: Fifty-three participants attended cardiovascular surgery events during the study period. The sample included 48 males (84%) and 9 females (16%), and 3 fifth-year medical students (5%), 45 sixth-year students (79%), and 9 students in their first year of clinical training (16%). Eighteen (32%) of the participants eventually joined the department. Gender, participation in national academic conferences, cardiovascular surgery summer school, and cost of participation were not significantly related to the decision to join the department, but participation in elective clinical training was significantly positively related to the decision to join the department for sixth-year students (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: We statistically analyzed the factors involved in the recruitment of students and initial clinical residents to the department of cardiovascular surgery. The results showed that participation in elective clinical training was significantly positively associated with the decision to join the department, suggesting that efforts to encourage participation in elective clinical training are important.

The impact of postoperative cerebrospinal fluid drainage on neurological improvement following thoracic aortic and thoracoabdominal aortic surgery.

Background: Various preventive measures and treatment methods exist to prevent paraplegia during thoracic aortic surgery. Postoperative cerebrospinal fluid drainage (CSFD) is one of the treatment options when paraplegia occurs. This study aimed to evaluate the neurological efficacy of postoperative CSFD in patients undergoing thoracic aortic and thoracoabdominal aortic surgery. Methods: We analyzed perioperative data from 85 patients who underwent perioperative CSFD for thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic surgery between January 2006 and December 2022, focusing on neurological changes. A total of 61 patients (72%) received preoperative CSFD, and 24 patients (28%) received postoperative CSFD. Perioperative neurological data were analyzed with a focus on perioperative changes. Results: In the postoperative CSFD group, the manual muscle test (MMT) score before CSFD was 0.8, that just after CSFD was 2.4, and that at discharge was 3.0. Therefore, postoperative CSFD improved MMT scores compared with preoperative CSFD. The mean time between surgery completion and postoperative CSFD implantation was 9.8 hours. However, 6 (25%) of the patients who developed postoperative paraplegia and underwent early postoperative CSFD remained paraplegic without any improvement. In the preoperative CSFD group, there was only one case (2%) of postoperative paraplegia. Conclusions: Postoperative CSFD improved the neurological prognosis of individuals undergoing thoracic aortic and thoracoabdominal aortic surgery. However, 25% of the patients remained paraplegic despite postoperative CSFD.

A case of multiple median sternotomy for infection and expanding hematoma in 10 years.

BACKGROUND: After a median sternotomy, mediastinitis may develop, necessitating reopening of the chest. Rarely, reoperation due to hematoma after cardiovascular surgery is experienced. In the present case, we experienced a patient who initially had mediastinitis, but later developed a chronic hematoma and underwent multiple surgeries. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was a 40-year-old man who underwent aortic valve replacement for a bicuspid aortic valve and a graft for a dilated ascending aorta. Postoperatively, he developed hematoma in the anterior mediastinum on multiple occasions with repeated episodes of infection that required multiple median sternotomies. CONCLUSIONS: We reported our experience with a rare case of multiple median sternotomies. In the early stage, mediastinitis due to infection was observed, and in the late stage, mediastinal dilatation due to hemorrhage was observed.

Outcomes of Vascular Surgery Performed Jointly With Other Departments.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the results of vascular surgery performed at our hospital, a tertiary emergency general hospital, in patients undergoing surgery in other departments. The results of the study were reviewed. METHODS: The study included cases in which cardiovascular surgery was performed at the request of other departments over a 15-year period from January 2006 to October 2022. Patient backgrounds, departments that requested surgery, surgical procedures, use of extracorporeal circulation, and surgical techniques were reviewed. Patients with femoral artery exposure or ECMO removal during transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) requested by cardiology were excluded. RESULTS: There were 58 vascular surgery cases requested by other departments during the study period. The age was 63±14 years, 43 (74%) were male and 15 (26%) were female. The departments of the patients were urology in 29 (50%), gastroenterology in 18 (31%), orthopedics in seven (12%), emergency department in three (5%), and obstetrics and gynecology in one (2%). The following surgical procedures were performed: tumor resection and reconstruction due to tumor invasion of the inferior vena cava in 27 cases (47%), bypass to secure intraperitoneal arterial blood flow in 15 cases (26%), bypass during resection of the femoral tumor in four cases (7%), hemostasis due to trauma in three cases (5%), intraperitoneal hemostasis in three cases (5%), thrombectomy in two cases (3%), and others in four cases (7%). Extracorporeal circulation was used in six (10%) of the patients. CONCLUSION: A 15-year case study of vascular surgery supports operations requested by other departments at our hospital. All reconstructed sites were open at the time of discharge.

A Case of a Giant Hemangioma of a Primary Cardiac Tumor.

We report a case of a 71-year-old female with a primary cardiac tumor. The patient had undergone surgery for uterine cancer 10 years ago and presented to a nearby clinic complaining of dyspnea on exertion. Chest X-ray revealed cardiac enlargement, prompting further investigations, which revealed a massive tumor protruding into the left atrium and extending toward the outer wall of the left ventricle. The patient was referred to a cardiac surgery department for myocardial biopsy. The tumor biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of a vascular tumor. Due to the tumor's large size and the difficulty in achieving complete resection, a conservative approach was chosen as the patient expressed a preference for non-surgical treatment. This is an extremely rare case of a large primary cardiac tumor, and we report it accordingly.

Ten-year follow-up study of a young woman with loeys-dietz syndrome: a case report.

We herein report the 10-year surgical course of a 27-year-old woman who underwent two surgeries after being diagnosed with Loeys-Dietz syndrome. As described in previous cases, this patient developed ectopic arterial enlargement. We followed her temporal changes over a 10-year period, including the changes in computed tomography, pathology, and surgery.

Initial Outcomes of Physician-Modified Inner Branched Endovascular Repair in High-Surgical-Risk Patients.

PURPOSE: To report the initial outcomes of physician-modified inner branched endovascular repair (PMiBEVAR) for pararenal aneurysms (PRAs), thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs), and aortic arch aneurysms in high-surgical-risk patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 10 patients (6 men; median age, 83.0 years) treated using PMiBEVAR were enrolled in this retrospective, single-center study. All patients were at high surgical risk because of severe comorbidities (American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status score≥3 or emergency repair). End points were defined as technical success per patient and per vessel (successful deployment), clinical success (no endoleaks postoperatively), in-hospital death, and major adverse events. RESULTS: There were 3 PRAs, 4 TAAAs, and 3 aortic arch aneurysms with 12 renal-mesenteric arteries and 3 left subclavian arteries incorporated by inner branches. The technical success rate was 90.0% (9/10) per patient and 93.3% (14/15) per vessel. The clinical success rate was 90% (9/10). There were 2 in-hospital deaths, unrelated to aneurysms. Paraplegia and shower emboli occurred separately in 2 patients. Three patients experienced prolonged ventilation for 3 days after surgery. Aneurysm sac shrinkage occurred in 4 patients, and aneurysm size stabilized in 1 patient during follow-up, more than 6 months later. None of the patients required intervention. CONCLUSION: PMiBEVAR is a feasible approach for treating complex aneurysms in high-surgical-risk patients. This technology may complement the existing technology in terms of improved anatomical adaptability, no time delay and practicability in many countries. However, long-term durability remains undetermined. Further large-scale and long-term studies are needed. CLINICAL IMPACT: This is the first clinical study to investigate outcomes of physician-modified inner branched endovascular repair (PMiBEVAR). PMiBEVAR for treating pararenal aneurysm, thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm, or aortic arch aneurysm is a feasible procedure. This technology is likely to complement existing technology in terms of improved anatomical adaptability (compared to off-the-shelf devices), no time delay (compared to custom-made devices), and the potential to be performed in many countries. On the other hand, surgery time varied greatly depending on the case, suggesting a learning curve and the need for technological innovation to perform more consistent surgeries.

Temperature analysis of aortic repair with hypothermic circulatory arrest to quantify the injury by cooling.

OBJECTIVES: We analyzed the temperature in proximal aortic repair with moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA) and evaluated the effect of the cooling status on postoperative outcomes. METHODS: A total of 340 patients who underwent elective ascending aortic replacement or total arch replacement with moderate HCA from December 2006 to January 2021 were studied. The change in body temperature trends recorded during surgery was shown graphically. Several parameters, such as the nadir temperature, cooling speed and the degree of cooling (cooling area), which was the area under curve of inverted temperature trends from cooling to rewarming as calculated by the integral method, were analyzed. The relationships between these variables and a major adverse outcome (MAO) postoperatively defined as prolonged ventilation (>72 h), acute renal failure, stroke, reoperation for bleeding, deep sternal wound infection or in-hospital death were evaluated. RESULTS: An MAO was observed in 68 patients (20%). The cooling area was larger in the MAO group than in the non-MAO group (1668.7 vs 1383.2°C min; P < 0.0001). A multivariate logistic model showed that old myocardial infarction, peripheral vascular disease, chronic renal dysfunction, cardiopulmonary bypass time and the cooling area were independent risk factors for an MAO (odds ratio = 1.1 per 100°C min; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The cooling area, which indicates the degree of cooling, shows a significant relationship with an MAO after aortic repair. This finding indicates that the cooling status with HCA can affect clinical outcomes.

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Using the No-Touch Great Saphenous Vein Graft Harvesting Technique: A Retrospective Study.

Background We focused on coronary artery bypass grafting using the great saphenous vein and compared the no-touch great saphenous vein and conventional great saphenous vein. Methods Coronary artery bypass grafting using the great saphenous vein was performed at our hospital over a 15-year period from 2007/04 to 2022/08. The primary endpoint was the patency of the great saphenous vein at discharge, and secondary endpoints were delayed healing of the great saphenous vein harvest wound, delayed healing of the mid-thoracic wound, and factors related to coronary artery bypass surgery. Results There were 183 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass surgery using the great saphenous vein during the study period. There were 131 male patients (72%) and 52 female patients (28%) with a mean age of 69 years (38-94 years). The method of harvesting the great saphenous vein was a no-touch great saphenous vein graft (NT-SVG) in 29 cases (16%) and conventional SVG in 154 cases (84%). Patients were divided into two groups: the NT-SVG group and the standard-collection saphenous vein graft (SVG) group. We compared graft patency at discharge, healing failure of the lower leg wound, healing failure of the mid-thoracic wound, and flow by transit-time flow measurement (TTFM). Conclusion There were no significant differences in perioperative outcomes between the NT-SVG and conventional SVG groups in this study.