ABSTRACT
@#Objective To evaluate the influence of diabetes on coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery using bilateral internal mammary artery (BIMA). Methods From December 2015 to August 2017, 182 patients (153 males, 29 females, age of 56.5±6.8 years) underwent CABG using BIMA. The propensity score was used to create matched diabetes (n=66) and non-diabetes (n=66) cohorts. The operative data, post-operative outcomes and coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) of the diabetes group (53 males, 13 females, age of 57.8±7.2 years) and the non-diabetes group (56 males, 10 females, age of 56.3±6.0 years) were analyzed retrospectively. Results There was no peri-operative mortality. There was no difference in operative sternal wound complication (P=0.466), or graft patency (P=0.730 for internal mammary arteries and 0.684 for saphenous vein grafts) between the matched diabetes and the non-diabetes groups. However, patients with elevated glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (n=54) had more sternal wound complications (P=0.006). The level of Hb1Ac of the patients with sternal wound complication was significantly higher than that of the patients without sternal wound complication. Conclusion BIMA grafting may be performed routinely even in diabetic patients, without increased complications. However, elevated HbA1c level should be avoided to reduce sternal wound complication.
ABSTRACT
@#Objective To verify whether hybrid surgical and interventional ablation(HA) for the treatment of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) is superior to video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical radiofrequency ablation (VATS-RA). Methods From September 2010 to December 2017, 79 consecutive patients with persistent AF underwent VATS-RA or HA in Fuwai Hospital. VATS-RA was performed in sixty patients (a stand-alone surgical group, 48 males and 12 females, at average age of 56.0±7.6 years, and HA was performed in nineteen patients (a hybrid group, 14 males and 5 females, at average age of 58.0±7.3 years). Follow-up was completed at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and annually thereafter. Postoperative sinus rhythm was defined as sinus rhythm recorded in 24-hour or 7-day Holter during follow-up, without exhibited rapid atrial tachyarrhythmia≥30 s including AF, atrial flutter, or atrial tachycardia. Results Seventy-eight patients (98.7%) completed the follow-up. Although the preoperative left atrial diameter (49.1±5.3 mm) in the hybrid group was significantly greater than that in the stand-alone surgical group (41.7±6.2 mm, P<0.001). Overall sinus rhythm maintenance rate in the hybrid group was significantly greater than that in the stand-alone surgical group (94.7% versus 64.4%, P=0.011). And sinus rhythm maintenance rate free from anti-arrhythmic drugs (AADs) and catheter ablation in the hybrid group was significantly greater than that in the stand-alone surgical group (84.2% versus 50.8%, P=0.010). Conclusion HA is superior to VATS-RA in the treatment of persistent AF, but a larger sample size is needed for further validation in prospective randomized studies.
ABSTRACT
@#Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of skeletonized and pedicled harvesting of bilateral internal mammary artery (BIMA) in coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Methods From December 2015 to May 2017, 152 patients (128 males, 24 females, age of 56.5±6.8 years) underwent CABG using either skeletonized BIMA (s-BIMA group, n=73) or pedicled BIMA(p-BIMA group, n=79). The operative data and post-operative outcomes were analyzed in the s-BIMA group (61 males, 12 females, age of 56.6±7.0 years) and the p-BIMA group (67 males, 12 females, age of 56.3±6.7 years). Results There was no peri-operative mortality. There was no statistical difference in operative time, cardiopulmonary bypass time, aortic cross-clamp time or internal mammary artery graft flow between the two groups. One patient(1.4%) in the s-BIMA group suffered from severe sternal wound complication, which was major sternal wound complication. Five patients (6.3%) in the p-BIMA group suffered from sternal wound complications, including 1(1.3%) with severe complication and 4(5.1%) with minor complication. One(1.4%) patient in the s-BIMA group and 7 (8.9%) patients in the p-BIMA group suffered from chylothorax. The chest tube drainage significantly reduced in the s-BIMA group, both in postoperative day 1(P=0.000) and postoperative day 1-3 (P=0.001). CT angiography showed no stenosis of BIMA in both groups. Conclusion The use of skeletonized BIMA for CABG is safe and efficacious, with less sternal wound complications, chylothorax and chest tube drainage. Skeletonization should be suggested if BIMA is harvested in CABG.
ABSTRACT
@#Objective To evaluate a score system to allow stratification of complexity in degenerative mitral valve repair. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 312 consecutive patients who underwent surgery for mitral valve repair and whose preoperative echocardiography was referable in our hospital from January 2012 to December 2013. A scoring system for surgical complexity was used based mainly on the preoperative echocardiography findings. Complexity of mitral valve repair was scored as 1 to 9, and patients were categorized into 3 groups based on the score for surgical complexity: a simple group (1 point), an intermediate group (2-4 points) and a complex group (≥5 points). There were 86 males and 35 females in the simple group (n=121) with an average age of 51.6±12.6 years, 105 males and 53 females in the intermediate group (n=158) with an average age of 51.1±12.8 years and 25 males and 8 females in the complex group (n=33) with an average age of 49.3±13.0 years. Results There was significant difference in surgical complexity in different groups. In the simple, intermediate and complex groups, the mean cardiopulmonary bypass time was 111.7±45.5 min, 117.7±40.4 min and 153.4±74.2 min (P<0.001), the mean cross-clamping time was 77.5±33.8 min, 83.2±29.9 min and 108.8±56.2 min (P<0.001), and the mean number of repair techniques utilized was 2.1±0.4, 2.4±0.6 and 2.8±0.8 (P<0.001). However, there was no significant difference in the early and late outcomes in different groups. Conclusion It is feasible to use echocardiography to quantitatively evaluate the difficulty of mitral valvuloplasty.