Treatment of ventricular septal perforation caused by blunt trauma using the right ventricle approach: A case report.

Traumatic ventricular septal perforation (VSP) is a rare condition that can occur following chest trauma and can lead to heart failure. Herein, a case of VSP caused by blunt chest trauma successfully closed using the double-patch technique via the right ventricle after medial sternotomy is presented. This case report highlights the necessity of emergency surgery in the acute phase of traumatic VSP if heart failure is difficult to control. This technique was useful for acute surgery. .

Local administration of the powder minocycline during surgical intervention for active infective endocarditis.

OBJECTIVES: We retrospectively assessed the initial clinical impact of the locally administered bacteriostatic antibiotic, powder minocycline, during surgery for active infective endocarditis (AIE). METHODS: Among 38 surgical AIE patients, 36 patients who underwent surgical intervention for AIE using local administration of powder minocycline between January 2008 and August 2017 in our institute were enrolled. During surgery, the local administration and dispersion of powder minocycline at not only the valvular annulus and perivalvular cavity, but also the prosthetic cuff and ring were performed following the complete resection and aggressive debridement of infectious tissues. Early clinical outcomes, including survival, postoperative co-morbidities, and freedom from re-intervention or significant paravalvular leakage (PVL), were assessed. RESULTS: Early mortality within 30 days was 5.6% and hospital death was 13.9%. There was no reoperation within 30 days and only one patient (3.8%) developed recurrent infection, which improved with additional antibiotic treatments. More than moderate PVL within 30 days was detected in one patient only (3.8%). Over a median follow-up period of 38.3 ± 35.5 months, a Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that 1- and 5-year survival rates were 75.7 and 66.8%, respectively, and freedom from reoperation was 100% at 5 years. Freedom from significant PVL at 5 years was 91.0%. CONCLUSIONS: The local administration of powder minocycline may be a simple and effective manipulation during surgical intervention for AIE without extensive reconstruction; however, the surgical management of AIE remains challenging.

Angiographic appearance of patent saphenous vein grafts more than 25 years after coronary artery bypass grafting.

Nine patients with ten angiographical patent saphenous vein grafts (SVG) more than 25 years after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) at Kawasaki Medical School Hospital between 1976 and 1992 were reviewed. Patent SVG disease was assessed using the FitzGibbon classification, and clinical characteristics which might affect the longevity of SVG were retrospectively evaluated. The mean duration between surgery and current coronary angiography was approximately 30 years (25-35 years). There were two perfectly patent SVGs (FitzGibbon AI, 35 and 32 years after surgery), both of which were bypass grafts to the left anterior descending arteries (LAD). The other eight grafts exhibited some vein graft disease (BII:3, BIII:5). The sequential anastomosis was performed for 5 SVGs. The SVGs bypassed to the good run-off LAD, sequential bypass, strict medical management including cessation of smoking and body weight control may contribute to the slow progression of vein graft disease after CABG.

[Initial Clinical Experience of the Herbal Medicine Inchinkoto for Refractory Hyperbilirubinemia Following Open-heart Surgery].

We retrospectively assessed our initial clinical experience of the herbal medicine Inchinkoto for refractory hyperbilirubinemia following open-heart surgery. Six patients developed hyperbilirubinemia in an acute phase after surgery and their maximum total bilirubin levels were 6.4~26.4 mg/dl( mean:13.1± 8.2 mg/dl). They were initially treated with ursodeoxycholic acid and/or Stronger Neo-Minophagen C containing monoammonium glycyrrhizinate, glycine, aminoacetic acid, and L-cysteine hydrochloride hydrate. These treatments, however, were ineffective, and Inchinkoto was introduced at 5~34 day (mean:13.3±11.3 days) after surgery. Hyperbilirubinemia improved in all patients after the introduction of Inchinkoto:1 day after in 1 case, 2 days after in 2 cases, 3 days after in 2 cases, and 4 days after in 1 case. These results indicate the potential of Inchinkoto to attenuate refractory hyperbilirubinemia following cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

Initial clinical evaluation of preoperative frailty in surgical patients with Stanford type A acute aortic dissection.

BACKGROUND: We retrospectively assessed the initial clinical role of preoperative frailty in surgical patients with Stanford type A acute aortic dissection (AAAD). METHODS: One hundred and fourteen consecutive patients who underwent emergent or urgent surgical interventions for AAAD in our institute between April 2000 and March 2016 participated in this retrospective study. Patients with more than three of the following six modalities were defined as being frail: age older than 75 years, preoperative requirement of assistance in daily living, body mass index less than 18.5 kg/m2, female, history of major stroke, and chronic kidney disease greater than class 3b. Twenty-three patients (20.2%) were diagnosed with frailty (group F), while 91 patients (79.8%) were not (group N). Early clinical outcomes, major postoperative complications, postoperative recovery of activity, and early or mid-term survival were evaluated. RESULTS: Although early clinical outcomes and the prevalence of major postoperative complications were similar in both groups, postoperative activity of daily living (ADL), such as the rate of being ambulatory on discharge (p < 0.05) and home discharge (p < 0.01), was significantly lower in group F than in group N. A Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that 1- and 5-year survival rates were similar in groups F (85.9 and 76.4%, respectively) and N (86.0 and 76.9%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative frailty in AAAD surgical patients has potential as a prognostic factor that affects delays in ADL recovery, but does not influence the early or mid-term clinical outcomes of prompt surgical strategies for life rescue in AAAD patients with frailty.