ABSTRACT
Objective : The objective of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of left atrial appendage (LAA) amputation during cardiovascular surgery. Methods : Fifty-seven patients underwent LAA amputation using a stapler from 2016 to 2017. The presence of remnant LAA was estimated by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Results : All LAA amputations were performed with the heart beating, without collapse. Additional amputation for remnant LAA was required in 14 patients. Sutures were needed to control bleeding in 7 patients. There was one case in which the coronary artery ended up being clamped with the LAA. The average duration for LAA amputation was 6.1±3.2 (1.5-15.2) min. There were 25 cases with postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF), one case of cerebral infarction without POAF and one case of re-exploration for bleeding. Three patients died during hospitalization. Conclusion : LAA amputation using a stapler does not require cardiac arrest, and rarely requires an extended operation time. However, sufficient caution is required as there is the possibility that the coronary artery is obstructed and that remnant LAA is present.
ABSTRACT
A 81-year old woman had hypertensive heart failure. She had a history of intermittent claudication for 5 years. Her ankle brachial pressure index (ABI) was 0.53 on the right and 0.58 on the left side. Coarctation of the descending aorta with severe calcification was found by a whole body CT. After medical therapy for heart failure, axillo-bifemoral artery bypass using an 8 mm ringed expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) graft was performed. Postoperatively, ABI improved to 0.83 on the right and 0.87 on the left side. The patient is doing well without any signs of heart failure or intermittent claudication. Although it is a palliative operation, axillo-bifemoral artery bypass is an effective and less-invasive procedure and appropriate for elderly patients.