[The Role of a Nurse Practitioner in Cardiovascular Surgery at a Japanese Private Hospital].

Since 2020, our hospital has introduced nurse practitioners( NP) into cardiovascular surgery with the aim to improve labor efficiency. A cardiovascular surgery NP has both pre- and postoperative roles. An NP is not only involved in a necessary intervention but also in an intervention as the first assistant regardless of regular or emergency surgery. By having an NP perform the work normally performed by doctors, a labor burden on doctors is reduced and care administered by the medical team is smoothened. This study reports the role of NPs in the field of cardiovascular surgery in private hospitals.

Evolut Self-Expanding Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients with Extremely Horizontal Aorta (Aortic Root Angle ≥ 70°).

Because of its rigidity and non-steerability, the presence of a horizontal aortic root poses a major anatomical issue during transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with Evolut self-expanding valve. Previous studies have elucidated the difficulties of coaxial implantation of the self-expanding valve in patients with horizontal aorta, often resulting in increased complications and a lower device success rate. To date, most patients with extremely horizontal aorta (aortic root angle ≥ 70°) have been excluded from major TAVR clinical trials. Therefore, available data on TAVR with Evolut in this challenging anatomy are limited, and standardized treatment strategies and clinical results remain unknown. Herein, we report a clinical case series of TAVR with Evolut in extremely horizontal aorta. Among seven patients (aged 80-92 years; STS score, 12.6% ± 7.9%) who underwent TAVR with Evolut system, aortic root angle ranged from 71° to 83° (mean, 75.1°± 4.5°). All patients achieved device success with dedicated strategies and were clinically stable at 3-month follow-up. None of the patients had more than mild paravalvular leakage (PVL) at any point during follow-up.Complications in three patients included complete atrioventricular block requiring a permanent pacemaker implantation, cerebral infarction because of atrial fibrillation 3 days after TAVR, and cardiac tamponade requiring pericardiocentesis. In this case series, Evolut self-expanding TAVR in extremely horizontal aorta was effective and feasible with a high device success rate. Based on anatomical features, some dedicated strategies majorly contribute to the success of this procedure. Large-scale multicenter studies are required to confirm our findings.

Infundibular pulmonary stenosis after radiotherapy for breast cancer.

Postoperative radiotherapy for breast cancer may be associated with cardiotoxicity. We present a case of acquired infundibular pulmonary stenosis that developed 43 years after radiotherapy for left breast cancer, which necessitated a right ventricular outflow tract myectomy.

Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Migration of a Balloon-Expandable Prosthesis During Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

Valve migration into the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) during transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a life-threatening complication. An 89-year-old female patient was admitted for TAVI due to severe symptomatic aortic stenosis. After deployment of a balloon-expandable prosthesis, the prosthesis had migrated into the LVOT. The prosthesis was reimpacted to the aortic annulus by a balloon-assisted recapture procedure. Immediately after recapturing the prosthesis with an oversized balloon, the patient's vital signs deteriorated due to acute aortic regurgitation (AR), and a prompt valve-in-valve (V-in-V) procedure allowed us to stabilize the patient's condition. This is the first reported case of a V-in-V procedure using an oversized balloon and a larger prosthesis to treat migration of the initial prosthesis into the LVOT. Balloon recapture and V-in-V procedure using an oversized balloon and larger prosthesis for a migrated balloonexpandable prosthesis into the LVOT is feasible, but hemodynamic support should be prepared before recapture and Vin-V because overdilatation of the first prosthesis might cause hemodynamic collapse due to severe AR.

[Discrete Subaortic Stenosis in an Adult; Report of a Case].

Discrete subaortic stenosis (DSS) is a well-described cause of isolated left ventricular outflow tract obstruction( LVOTO) in children. But prevalence, rate of progression and postoperative data in adults are limited. We report a case of a 30-year-old woman, who was referred to our institution because of chest pain and loss of consciousness. Echocardiography revealed DSS with LVOTO (peak gradient 81 mmHg) and mild aortic regurgitation. Increased age at the time of diagnosis, female sex and preoperative left ventricular outflow tract(LVOT) gradient ≥80 mmHg were thought to be predictors for reoperation, therefore the obstructing membrane was circumferentially excised and concomitant localized myectomy of the ventricular septum was performed to achieve complete relief of the LVOT obstruction. Her postoperative course was uneventful, and she was discharged on the 5th postoperative day.

Surgical treatment of a giant right atrial myxoma.

BACKGROUND: Right atrial myxoma is a rare anomaly. When present, it can rarely cause blood flow obstruction in the right cardiac chamber depending on its size and location. We herein report a rare case of a giant right atrial myxoma, which caused right heart failure due to tricuspid valve obstruction, along with our treatment experience. CASE PRESENTATION: A 59-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for palpitations and edema of the lower extremity. Computed tomography image and transthoracic echocardiography showed a 57 mm × 63 mm giant tumor obstructing the tricuspid valve inflow. The tumor was excised surgically and the residual septal defect was repaired with a Dacron patch. Tricuspid valve annuloplasty was performed additionally. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 5. CONCLUSION: Giant right atrial myxoma is a rare cause of tricuspid valve stenosis and right heart failure. Surgical resection is the most appropriate treatment option and should be performed as soon as possible after diagnosis.

Obstruction of 2 Coronary Arteries from Different Causes Immediately after Transapical Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Coronary obstruction, a rare complication of transcatheter aortic valve replacement, can be fatal. Few data exist on this phenomenon, and, to date, authors have reported only single coronary lesions. We present a case in which 2 coronary arteries obstructed immediately after transapical transcatheter aortic valve replacement. The patient was an 81-year-old woman with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis who underwent transapical transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Immediately after an Edwards Sapien XT valve was deployed, she experienced sudden cardiogenic shock resulting from obstruction of the left main coronary artery ostium and the distal left anterior descending coronary artery. The left main obstruction was caused by direct compression from a large calcified mass and the valve frame. The left anterior descending coronary artery obstruction was caused by ambient myocardial tightening and external compression around the apical sutures. Revascularization was achieved through coronary stent placement and suture removal, respectively. Our patient's case highlights the risk for coronary obstructions after transapical transcatheter aortic valve replacement, and we discuss how they can be managed.

Surgical Therapy for Angiosarcoma of the Aorta: A Case Report.

We describe the case of a 71-year-old woman presenting with abdominal angina with an intra-aortic mass at the thoracoabdominal aorta that restricted blood supply to the organs. Initially, the intra-aortic mass was suspected to be a mural thrombus; thus, endarterectomy was performed. However, postoperative histopathological examination revealed an intimal sarcoma, which relapsed locally within a few months. Additional en bloc resection of the aorta with graft interposition was performed. Despite surgical therapy, splenic metastasis was detected a few months after the second surgery; therefore, palliative care was selected for the patient.

Partial root remodelling for treatment of a giant isolated right sinus of Valsalva aneurysm.

Sinus of Valsalva aneurysms are rare cardiac abnormalities that may be congenital or acquired. Patch closure or direct closure of the aneurysm orifice is a frequently performed surgical repair strategy. In this report, we present a rare case of an isolated giant right sinus of Valsalva aneurysm with aortic insufficiency and right coronary artery obstruction. We treated this patient by a valve-sparing aortic root remodelling procedure with partial preservation of the intact Valsalva sinuses and coronary artery bypass grafting with a favourable outcome.

Initial clinical experience with the Heartstring.

OBJECTIVE: The Heartstring is one of the devices that enable proximal anastomosis without clamping the aorta. We have applied the device not only to low-risk patients with normal aortas but also to high-risk patients with diseased aortas. The purpose of this study was to investigate the initial outcomes of using this device. METHODS: The Heartstring was used on 87 patients between January and December 2004. The patients comprised 62 men and 25 women 48-86 years old (mean 68.4 +/- 8.4 years). The ascending aorta was evaluated by computed tomography (CT) scanning before surgery. If a patient's aorta was severely calcified, epiaortic echocardiography was performed. The aortas were ranked into four grades, and the preoperative patient's status were evaluated by the EuroSCORE. Angiography was performed on the third postoperative day. RESULTS: CT scanning revealed that 74 patients had no calcification in the ascending aorta, 10 patients had scattered calcification, and 3 patients had plate-like calcification. The EuroSCORE was 6.86 +/- 1.03. We performed 93 proximal anastomoses and 149 distal anastomoses. The average distal anastomosis was 1.6 +/- 0.6 sites per graft. Of the distal anastomoses, 74.2% were to the circumflex artery territory. Postoperative coronary angiography revealed that all grafts were patent. CONCLUSION: The Heartstring facilitates safe proximal anastomosis, even in high-risk patients. Their short-term outcome was good. The device assists in bypassing circumflex artery territory. Long-term follow-up is necessary.

Surgical treatment of cardiac myxosarcoma.

A 36-year-old man suffering from exertional dyspnea was admitted to our hospital. An echocardiogram showed a left atrial tumor, which was excised via the left atrial approach. Histological examination of the surgical specimen revealed that it was a myxosarcoma. Twelve months after the surgery, the tumor recurred in the left atrium, and metastatic tumors were found in the right atrium and right ventricle. Surgery was performed once again, but examinations 5 months after the second surgery showed local recurrences and multiple metastases. Although the patient had received chemotherapy, he died 30 months after the first operation.

Can 64-row computed tomography replace angiography after coronary bypass?

Multi-detector (64-row) computed tomography has become an alternative to coronary angiography to diagnose graft occlusion and stenosis after coronary artery bypass. We compared the power of evaluation of multi-detector computed tomography with that of conventional coronary angiography in 60 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass with 135 grafts and 210 graft anastomoses. The diagnostic power of multi-detector computed tomography for graft occlusion was: 100% (2/2) sensitivity, 98.5% (131/133) specificity, 50% (2/4) positive predictive value, and 100% (133/133) negative predictive value; there were no significant differences in rates of occlusion among the different types of graft. The diagnostic power of multi-detector computed tomography for stenosis of the graft anastomosis was: 100% (2/2) sensitivity, 95.1% (194/204) specificity, 16.6% (2/12) positive predictive value, and 100% (194/194) negative predictive value, with no significant differences among grafts. Multi-detector computed tomography permits evaluation of bypass grafts and is much less invasive for the patients.

Aortic valve myxoma mimicking vegetation: report of a case.

We report a case of cardiac myxoma of the aortic valve. To our knowledge, this represents only the seventh such case ever documented. A 61-year-old woman underwent an echocardiography to screen for hypertensive-diabetic cardiac complications, which showed a mass on her aortic valve. Although she had not experienced a fever, the mass closely resembled a vegetation, resulting in an initial diagnosis of infective endocarditis. We extirpated the mass and repaired the aortic valve with the patient under cardiopulmonary bypass. The postoperative course was uneventful. Histological examination confirmed that the mass was a myxoma.

Hypothermia with heparin-coated circuits and low dose systemic heparinization in neurosurgery.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety of profound hypothermic circulatory arrest with heparin-coated circuits and low dose systemic heparinization in the treatment of cerebral aneurysms. Surgery for giant intracranial aneurysms not operable using standard neurosurgical techniques was performed in 8 patients. All patients were placed on cardiopulmonary bypass using the closed-chest technique, except for the first patient who underwent open-chest bypass. Heparin was administered systemically (3,000 IU) and into the circuit (1,500 IU). Total circulatory arrest was begun at 20 degrees C. The D-dimer, alpha2 plasmin inhibitor-plasmin complex, thrombin-antithrombin III, and beta-thromboglobulin concentrations were measured to evaluate the changes in the coagulation and fibrinolytic systems during bypass. There were no neurologic or cardiac complications. None of the indicators of platelet activation, coagulation, or fibrinolysis were elevated. Hypothermic circulatory arrest combined with heparin-coated circuits and low dose systemic heparinization is safe for use in neurosurgery.