[Commando Procedure for Rapidly Progressing Infective Endocarditis in Immunosuppressive State: Report of a Case].

A 68-year-old woman with immunosuppressive state following chemotherapy for cancer of unknown primary origin developed infective endocarditis due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Echocardiography showed shunt blood flow from the aortic annular abscess into the left atrium, which indicated infection of the intervalvular fibrosa (IVF). She underwent Commando procedure owing to progression of heart failure. The aortic valve, IVF, and anterior leaflet of the mitral valve were resected. The mitral valve was replaced with a bioprosthesis, and a bovine pericardial patch was used to reconstruct the IVF and left atrial roof. Bentall procedure was performed because the infection extended to the sinus of Valsalva, and the ascending aorta was 49 mm in diameter. She had no serious postoperative complications and is currently being followed up at the outpatient clinic. Because infection in these patients are potentially fatal, we believe Commando procedure is effective in spite of high early mortality rate.

[Resection of Left Upper Division by Uniportal Video-assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery for Congenital Bronchial Atresia:Report of a Case].

We report a case of congenital bronchial atresia resected by the uniportal thoracoscopic approach. A man in his 20s with congenital bronchial atresia diagnosed at 16 years of age visited our hospital with gradually worsening shortness of breath. Chest computed tomography revealed a localized emphysematous area that progressively increased in size, in the left upper lobe and the absence of a left upper division bronchus with mucoid impaction. Surgical treatment was deemed necessary in view of dyspnea and progressively worsening emphysema, and the resection of left upper division was performed by uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.

Huge Primary Cardiac Malignant Lymphoma in the Left Ventricle.

A 67-year-old man presented at the hospital with worsening exertional dyspnea. Echocardiography showed a tumor in the left ventricle (approximately 35 × 48 mm) that protruded into the left atrium and left ventricular outflow tract during systole. These findings suggested a high risk of sudden death resulting from aortic valve obstruction or tumor embolism. Surgical resection was performed. During the operation, the tumor was resected as completely as possible, together with part of the myocardium where it arose. Histopathologic examination showed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The patient received systemic chemotherapy and is alive after 1 year.

Combined therapy using interventional radiology and surgical management for a ruptured pseudoaneurysm of the iliac artery: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: An optimal treatment strategy for a ruptured pseudoaneurysm of the iliac artery must necessarily control bleeding and prevent ischemia in the ipsilateral lower extremity. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 69-year-old man underwent resection of a metastatic lymph node from rectal cancer, which had invaded the sigmoid colon, the left internal iliac artery and vein, and his left ureter. The metastatic lymph node and the organs it invaded were resected together. Owing to postoperative complications, the patient was required to undergo a 2nd and 3rd operation after the initial surgery. During his 3rd surgery, sudden intraoperative bleeding was identified, which was diagnosed as a ruptured pseudoaneurysm of the internal iliac artery. After achieving temporary surgical hemostasis, the lesion was successfully treated using combined therapy comprising catheter embolization and an axillofemoral bypass. DISCUSSION: Even after temporary surgical hemostasis has been achieved, it is perhaps safer to block the arterial flow prophylactically to avoid recurrence of a pseudoaneurysm owing to infection. CONCLUSION: Combined therapy using catheter embolization and surgical revascularization is a minimally invasive and effective treatment option for a ruptured pseudoaneurysm of the iliac artery.

Pseudoaneurysm rupture after acute Type A dissection repair: possible reaction to BioGlue.

A 45-year-old man with acute Type A aortic dissection underwent the ascending aorta replacement with BioGlue (CryoLife Europa, Guildford, Surrey, UK) for anastomotic reinforcement. Postoperatively, he developed descending aortic dilation, a giant mediastinal cyst, Henoch-Schonlein purpura and an anastomotic-site pseudoaneurysm rupture. A BioGlue-induced inflammatory reaction was likely, according to a positive patch test (delayed allergic reaction).

[Surgical Treatment of Right Atrial Malignant Tumor Thrombus Under Deep Hypothermia with Intermittent Circulatory Arrest;Report of Two Cases].

Right atrial tumor thrombus is rare in patients with visceral malignant tumors and can cause right heart failure or sudden death. We present 2 cases of right atrial tumor thrombus treated under deep hypothermic intermittent circulatory arrest (DHICA). A 45-year-old man with right heart failure was diagnosed with right renal cancer extending to the right atrium. Computed tomography revealed no metastasis. He underwent right nephrectomy and tumor thrombus resection under DHICA. He was discharged on postoperative day 11 in good clinical course. A 67-year-old woman with hepatitis C virus liver cirrhosis( Child-Pugh A) was diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma and right atrial tumor. She underwent S8 and tumor thrombus resection under DHICA. Hemorrhagic diathesis was controlled using fresh frozen plasma transfusion. She was discharged on postoperative day 24 without liver failure. In cases of atrial tumor thrombus resection, DIHCA may be useful to achieve a bloodless operation field because the procedure is relatively simple and the primary disease need not be considered.

[Effect of Ultra-fast-track Extubation in Cardiovascular Surgery].

Fast-track surgery has been widely implemented and allows such immediate extubation as in the operating room(OR). We retrospectively investigated the effect of routine ultra-fast-track(UFT) surgery extubating in the OR in patients undergoing cardiovascular operations. Among 333 consecutive patients, 224 (67.3%)were extubated in the OR. Five patients were re-intubated, but none were because of heart or respiratory failure. Independent predictors for failure of OR extubation were preoperative renal failure, pre-existent cerebrovascular disease, emergency surgery, and prolonged operation and/or cardiopulmonary bypass times. In patients extubated in the OR, postoperative pneumonia and delirium were less frequent, oral intake was facilitated, and lengths of stay in the intensive care unit as well as hospital were shortened. UFT in cardiovascular surgery can be safely and effectively performed in a majority of patients.

[Leaflet Augmentation with an Autologous Pericardial Patch for Severe Functional Tricuspid Regurgitation].

An 85-year-old man, who had developed right-sided heart failure associated with isolated severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR), was referred to our institution to undergo cardiac surgery. Preoperative echocardiography revealed tricuspid annular dilatation and leaflet tethering, resulting in severe TR. The anterior leaflet was detached from the annulus with 1.5 mm margin for suture incorporation, and an autologous pericardial patch was sutured with 3 5-0 running interlocked sutures to augment the leaflet. Annuloplasty was then performed with an undersized ring. Postoperative echocardiography showed trivial TR with good coaptation of the tricuspid leaflets. This technique may be a therapeutic option for the surgical treatment of severe functional TR due to lack of leaflet coaptation.

[Stuck valve detected during aortic valve replacement; report of a case].

Aortic valve replacement, ascending aorta replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting were performed in a 61-year-old woman with aortic stenosis, ascending aortic aneurysm, and angina pectoris. However, immediately after surgery, transient hypotension and pulmonary hypertension repeated every few beats.Transesophageal echocardiography revealed a stuck valve, and reimplantation was carried out. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful. We present a case of successful treatment of valve dysfunction immediately after valve replacement.

Surgical procedure for coronary artery ectasia associated with saccular fistula.

Echocardiography of a 60 year-old woman with a three-year history of heart murmur revealed a coronary artery fistula. Coronary angiography indicated right coronary artery ectasia and fistula. The pulmonary-to-systemic blood flow ratio was 1.4, and left-to-right shunt, 29%. On follow-up, infective endocarditis of the tricuspid valve had developed and was treated using antibiotics. The right coronary artery was dilated along its length and was saccular at the distal aspect. At this point, a fistula also connected by the left anterior descending and left circumflex arteries drained into the right ventricle. Fistula closure and reduction aneurysmectomy were performed.

Ratio of preoperative atrial natriuretic peptide to brain natriuretic peptide predicts the outcome of the maze procedure in mitral valve disease.

BACKGROUND: Although the maze procedure is an established surgical treatment for eliminating atrial fibrillation (AF), its efficacy in patients with mitral valve disease has remained unsatisfactory. A useful predictive marker for the outcome of the maze procedure is needed. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the preoperative ratio of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) to brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) reflects atrial fibrosis and can be used to predict the maze procedure outcome in patients with mitral valve disease. METHODS: A total of 23 consecutive patients who underwent the radial approach to the maze procedure combined with mitral valve surgery were included in this study and were divided into a sinus rhythm (SR) group (n=16) and an AF group (n=7) based on postoperative cardiac rhythm. Plasma samples were obtained at rest before the operation and were analysed for ANP and BNP levels. Atrial tissue samples taken during surgery were used to quantify interstitial fibrosis. RESULTS: The preoperative ANP-to-BNP ratio in the SR group was significantly higher than that in the AF group (0.74 +/- 0.29 vs. 0.42 +/- 0.28, respectively; p=0.025). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to identify factors that predict outcomes after the maze procedure. The area under the ROC curve for the ANP-to-BNP ratio (0.81) was greater than for any other preoperative factors. Moreover, the preoperative ANP-to-BNP ratio demonstrated a negative correlation with left atrial fibrosis (r=-0.69; p=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The preoperative ANP-to-BNP ratio can predict maze procedure outcome in patients with mitral valve disease, and it represents a potential biomarker for left atrial fibrosis.

Mitral valve repair in patient with absent right superior vena cava in visceroatrial situs solitus.

We report on a 74-year-old woman with an absence of right superior vena cava in visceroatrial situs solitus who underwent mitral valve plasty for severe mitral regurgitation. Preoperative three-dimensional computed tomography revealed an absent right and persistent left superior vena cava that drained into the right atrium by way of the coronary sinus. Perioperaively, placement of pulmonary artery catheter, site of venous cannulation, and management of associated rhythm abnormalities were great concern. Obtaining the information about this central venous malformation preoperatively, we performed mitral valve plasty without any difficulties related to this anomaly.

[Surgical case of severe coronary artery obstructive disease with a giant coronary aneurysm; report of a case].

Coronary aneurysms in adults are rare. The natural history of such coronary aneurysms is unknown. Surgical treatment is often concomitant with the treatment of obstructive coronary lesions. However, the ideal treatment strategy is poorly defined. We herein present a case of successful treatment of a large coronary artery aneurysm with interposition of a reverse saphenous vein graft. This modality offers important benefits over other currently used surgical and percutaneous techniques, and should be considered as an effective option.

Staged surgical repair for extensive cardiovascular damage by syphilis.

A 45-year-old man had aortic regurgitation with a syphilitic true aneurysm of the ascending to transverse arch aorta and a descending aortic aneurysm from chronic Stanford type B aortic dissection. After antibiotic therapy, two-staged surgical repair was performed and there has been no evidence of recurrence in 12 months since the second stage. We describe the successful management of extensive cardiovascular syphilitic damage.

Secondary omental and pectoralis major double flap reconstruction following aggressive sternectomy for deep sternal wound infections after cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: Deep sternal wound infection after cardiac surgery carries high morbidity and mortality. Our strategy for deep sternal wound infection is aggressive strenal debridement followed by vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy and omental-muscle flap reconstrucion. We describe this strategy and examine the outcome and long-term quality of life (QOL) it achieves. METHODS: We retrospectively examined 16 patients treated for deep sternal wound infection between 2001 and 2007. The most recent nine patients were treated with total sternal resection followed by VAC therapy and secondary closure with omental-muscle flap reconstruction (recent group); whereas the former seven patients were treated with sternal preservation if possible, without VAC therapy, and four of these patients underwent primary closure (former group). We assessed long-term quality of life after DSWI by using the Short Form 36-Item Health Survey, Version 2 (SF36v2). RESULTS: One patient died and four required further surgery for recurrence of deep sternal wound infection in the former group. The duration of treatment for deep sternal wound infection in the recent group was significantly shorter than that in previous group (63.4 ± 54.1 days vs. 120.0 ± 31.8 days, respectively; p = 0.039). Despite aggressive sternal resection, the QOL of patients treated for DSWI was only minimally compromised compared with age-, sex-, surgical procedures-matched patients without deep sternal wound infection. CONCLUSIONS: Aggressive sternal debridement followed by VAC therapy and secondary closure with an omental-muscle flap is effective for deep sternal wound infection. In this series, it resulted in a lower incidence of recurrent infection, shorter hospitalization, and it did not compromise long-term QOL greatly.

Simple geometrical infarct exclusion technique with a single patch for postinfarction ventricular septal perforation.

Six consecutive patients underwent emergency surgical repair of a postinfarction ventricular septal perforation. The principle of this technique is a simple three-dimensional repair with a nontailored square patch beforehand, which provides an adequate-sized pouch and prevents dehiscence of the patch being caused by excessive tension on the suture line. It also prevents a residual shunt. A single equine pericardium was sutured to the viable muscle circumferentially around the infarcted area to be excluded, after which the free edge of the patch was tailored and sutured in a pouch configuration. This technique seems to provide satisfactory early results in the acute phase of myocardial infarction.

Impact of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography in cardiac and thoracic aortic surgery: experience in 1011 cases.

BACKGROUND: Although intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (IOTEE) has been widely used in cardiovascular surgery, the exact incidence of abnormalities detected by IOTEE in each type of surgical procedure is still unclear. The aim of this study was to review our experiences of IOTEE, in patients who underwent different types of cardiovascular surgery and to evaluate the clinical usefulness of IOTEE. METHODS AND RESULTS: Our database of 1011 consecutive patients, who underwent cardiovascular surgery and IOTEE monitoring was reviewed. The incidence of abnormal findings was 115 of 1011 patients (11.4%), and the highest incidence was the appearance of new wall motion abnormalities after cardiopulmonary bypass. These findings influenced surgical decision-making in 59 of the evaluated 1011 patients (5.8%). CONCLUSIONS: IOTEE provides important intraoperative and postoperative information that may influence surgical decision-making in various cardiovascular surgeries.

Identification of risk factors related to poor angiogenic potency of bone marrow cells from different patients.

BACKGROUND: Therapeutic angiogenesis induced by the implantation of autologous bone marrow-derived cells has been used for the treatment of ischemic diseases. However, as the outcomes of cell implantation obviously vary among patients, it is essential to identify patients that would benefit the most from this treatment. METHODS AND RESULTS: We collected clinical and laboratory data from 25 patients scheduled to undergo sternotomy for various surgical procedures. Then, we aspirated bone marrow cells from the sternum during the operation and investigated the cell quality in vitro by cultivation, and their angiogenic potency in vivo using an ischemic limb model of mice. The angiogenic potency of bone marrow cells differed among patients. Aging, renal failure, anemia, and high serum levels of triglyceride, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and type I collagen cross-linked N-telopeptide (NTX) significantly correlated with poor angiogenic potency of bone marrow cells. We assigned scores to these risk factors, and found a strong correlation between the risk scores of patients and the angiogenic potency of their bone marrow cells (r=-0.883, P<0.001). These risk scores can predict the angiogenic potency of bone marrow cells for inducing therapeutic angiogenesis with an accuracy of 80%. CONCLUSIONS: We have identified the risk factors related to poor angiogenic potency of bone marrow cells and developed a new scoring system to predict their angiogenic potency for the treatment of ischemic diseases. Our results may help select patients for this treatment in future clinical trials.

Ischemic pre-conditioning enhances the mobilization and recruitment of bone marrow stem cells to protect against ischemia/reperfusion injury in the late phase.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate whether the mobilization and recruitment of bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) contribute to cardioprotection in the late phase after ischemic pre-conditioning (IPC). BACKGROUND: IPC is an innate phenomenon in which brief exposure to sublethal ischemia provides tissue protection from subsequent ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. A delayed cardioprotection also occurs after IPC, but the precise mechanism is unclear. METHODS: IPC was created with 4 cycles of 5-min occlusion and reperfusion of the abdominal aorta in mice. Heart I/R injury was induced by occluding the left anterior descending artery for 30 min immediately (early phase) or 24 h (late phase) after IPC. RESULTS: Serum vascular endothelial growth factor and stromal cell-derived factor-1alpha levels were increased significantly 1 and 3 h after IPC, but CD34+ and CD34+/flk-1+ stem cells in the peripheral blood were increased significantly 12 and 24 h after IPC (p < 0.05). Compared with the control treatment, both the early and late phases of IPC protected the heart against I/R injury. However, the recruitment of BMSCs was significantly greater in the heart when I/R injury was induced in late phase than in the early phase of IPC (p < 0.01). Interestingly, the blockade of the recruitment of BMSCs significantly attenuated the cardioprotective effect of IPC in the late phase (p < 0.01) but did not change in the early phase. CONCLUSIONS: Cardioprotection was observed in the early and late phases of IPC; however, the enhanced mobilization and recruitment of BMSCs played an important role in the late phase of IPC.

Direct observation and image-based simulation of three-dimensional tortuous crack evolution inside opaque materials.

We present a combined novel methodology to study the three-dimensional complex geometry of a tortuous crack and identify the essential features of the crack and its propagation inside a heterogeneous material. We find that some severe damage events occur unexpectedly below a local mode-I crack within the sample; we realize that the severe plastic zone of the local mode-I crack is shifted down by another unseen crack segment hidden behind, which is responsible for the unusual damage phenomenon observed. We also find that the crack grows fast at some locations but slowly at some other locations along the crack front; we recognize that the crack-tip fields are reduced by neighboring hidden crack segments, which accounts for the retarded propagation of some part of the crack front. The feasibility and power of the proposed methodology highlights the potential of a new way to study fracture mechanisms in real materials.