ABSTRACT
A 59-year-old man with myocardial infarction underwent 4-vessel coronary artery bypass grafting. After operation, on the 9th hospital day, fever, dehiscence of the median wound, and pus discharge were observed. Methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA) was detected in the wound, and median wound curettage and removal of the sternal bone wire were performed. The infection also involved the substernal area and anterior mediastinum, and a diagnosis of mediastinitis was made. After wound cleansing and antibiotic (vancomycin) administration, inflammatory reactions decreased, and MRSA disappeared from the wound. The wound spontaneously closed, and complete closure required 60 days. On the 75th hospital day, pain from the right shoulder to the neck and numbness in the upper limbs suddenly developed. MRI revealed vertebral body destruction at C5-6, and a diagnosis of cervical osteomyelitis was made. The spinal cord was compressed, and there was a risk of spinal cord injury below the cervical spine. After consultation with orthopedic surgeons, cervical anteroposterior fixation was performed, he improved, and was discharged. We report a patient with MRSA mediastinitis complicated by cervical osteomyelitis who required emergency surgery.
ABSTRACT
A 50-year-old man who had coronary artery bypass grafting (LITA-LAD, RA-RCA, SVG-OM-PL) 6 years previously was admitted with acute dissection of the aorta (DeBakey type I). Preoperative computed tomography showed that all coronary bypass grafts were patent. We replaced the graft of the ascending aorta and reconstructed the coronary artery bypass by re-sternotomy, circulatory arrest (rectal temperature: 23.6°C), retrograde cerebral perfusion, and intermittent retrograde cardioplegia. Because a radial artery (RA) graft and a saphenous vein graft (SVG) each had intact orifices, we detached them together and attached the grafts back to the aortic graft wall. He was weaned successfully from cardiopulmonary bypass without difficulty and postoperative transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) showed good left ventricle (LV) function. Postoperative multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) showed that the RA graft and SVG were patent. By performing circulatory arrest and intermittent retrograde cardioplegia, we successfully protected the myocardial function of a patient with acute aorta dissection after a CABG and we reconstructed the graft without needing further coronary anastomosis.
ABSTRACT
Aneurysms of the inferior left ventricular wall comprise only a small fraction of all aneurysms that have been reported in surgical series. Pseudo-false ventricular aneurysm is very rare and communicates with the left ventricule through a small orifice, and its wall contains myocardial tissue, unlike false ventricular aneurysm. A 53-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with chest pain. Echocardiography revealed left ventricular aneurysm, and the coronary arteriography subsequently revealed a complete occlusion of right coronary #2 and 75% and 90% stenosis of left anterior descending artery #7 and #8, respectively. Left ventriculography revealed an aneurysm of the inferior left ventricular wall, which communicated with the left ventricle through a small orifice and exhibited contraction. Surgical repair was indicated. Endoventricular circular patch repair (Dor operation) of the aneurysm of the inferior left ventricular wall and coronary artery bypass grafting to the left anterior descending artery and the right coronary artery were simultaneously performed under cardiopulmonary bypass with moderate hypothermia. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged on the 22th day after surgery. Pseudo-false ventricular aneurysm of the inferior left ventricular wall was diagnosed by pathologic examination.
ABSTRACT
A 71-year-old man had been repeatedly admitted to our hospital with congestive heart failure, cerebral infarction and pneumonia. Under a diagnosis of mitral regurgitation and tricuspid regurgitation by echocardiography and catheter examination, mitral valve replacement and tricuspid annuloplasty were performed. Pathohistological study revealed a direct insertion of the papillary muscle into the anterior mitral leaflet (DPM) in addition to post-rheumatic valvular disease. These findings suggest that the increased rigidity of the scarring valve leaflets in combination with direct insertion of DPM lead to inadequate leaflet coaptation and apposition. This is the first report of mitral valve replacement for mitral regurgitation due to post-inflammatory valvular disease with DPM.
ABSTRACT
A 61-year-old woman who presented with symptoms of dysphagia was hospitalized after right subclavian artery aneurysm was diagnosed. A selective right subclavian arteriogram revealed the presence of two large subclavian arterial aneurysms. The operative procedure consisted of aneurysmectomy through a right supuraclavian incision followed by the reconstruction of the blood vessel by end-to-end anastomosis of the right subclavian artery. The postoperative course was uneventful. Multiple subclavian artery aneurysms are rare among peripheral aneurysms. This case was found by the symptoms of dysphagia caused by compression of the esophagus. The etiology of this case is unclear, but most likely was due to trauma.
ABSTRACT
The authors examined the frequency of thromboembolism and bleeding complications in cases of mechanical valve replacement during the past 5 years in the Tokyo area. There were 21 cases of thromboembolism and 15 cases of bleeding complications. Analyzing these cases with regard to anticoagulant therapy, 71% of the thromboembolism cases and 47% of the bleeding complication cases had 10∼25% result on the thrombotest at the time of the event. Consequently, in cases of mechanical valve replacement it is necessary to reevaluate the therapeutic range of the thrombotest results. This was a retrospective study of a TAS (The Tokyo area anticoagulation study for cardiac valve replacement by using PT-INR) trial and we intend to carry out a prospective study on the therapeutic range of the thrombotest and PT-INR.