[Unexplained right-sided heart failure following open heart surgery: mind the pericardium]. / Onverklaarde rechtsdecompensatie na een openhartoperatie: denk aan het hartzakje.

Three men, aged 67 years, 80 years and 53 years, respectively, developed signs and symptoms of progressive right-sided heart failure following open heart surgery. They were diagnosed with constrictive pericarditis based on echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance and cardiac catheterisation. Following pericardiectomy, two of the patients fully recovered, while one, the 80-year-old man, died during convalescence. When signs and symptoms of progressive right-sided heart failure develop after open heart surgery, a diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis should be considered. Constrictive pericarditis after open heart surgery may be caused by inflammation of the pericardium; an old, fibrotic haemopericardium, which may be diffuse or loculated; pericardial adhesions; or a combination of these entities. Diagnosing constrictive pericarditis is difficult and may take a long time. However, it is important to recognise this disorder early before it has progressed to an advanced stage. Pericardiectomy is the only effective therapy. When performed too late, survival is significantly reduced.

Selective antegrade cardioplegic perfusion complicated by left main stem dissection.

Selective antegrade coronary artery perfusion is a commonly used procedure to obtain myocardial preservation during cardiac surgery. This report describes a patient operated for severe aortic valve stenosis and insufficiency, mitral valve and tricuspid insufficiency. Cardioplegia was administered by selective antegrade coronary artery blood perfusion. Antegrade blood cardioplegia was complicated by dissection of the left coronary main stem. The dissection induced a myocardial infaction and the patient finally died due to heart failure.

[Favourable long-term results using the unmodified maze procedure in patients with medication-refractory or nearly refractory atrial fibrillation; experience from 1993/'04]. / Gunstige langetermijnresultaten van de originele 'maze'-operatie voor patiënten met medicamenteus moeilijk of niet te behandelen boezemfibrilleren; ervaringen van 1993/'04.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the short- and long-term results following the unmodified maze procedure in patients with medication-refractory or nearly refractory atrial fibrillation. DESIGN: Retrospective. METHODS: We retrospectively collected and analysed preoperatively in-hospital and follow-up data from patients with atrial fibrillation with or without structural heart disease who underwent the unmodified maze procedure in the St. Antonius hospital, Nieuwegein, the Netherlands. RESULTS: In the 11-year period 1993-2004, 203 patients underwent the procedure: 139 underwent the maze procedure only and 64 underwent combined surgery for concomitant atrial fibrillation and structural heart disease. There were no in-hospital deaths. During a mean follow-up period of 4 years, 2 ofthe 203 patients died from cardiac causes; both had undergone combined surgery. With a mean follow-up period of 4 years, the rate of atrial fibrillation-free survival was 90% in patients with lone atrial fibrillation and 70% in patients with concomitant atrial fibrillation. For patients who had no recurrent atrial fibrillation 1 year after surgery, the risk of recurrence after 4 years was small (odds ratio: 9.56). Risk factors for recurrence included a large left atrium and a long duration of atrial fibrillation (more than 5 years). CONCLUSION: The maze procedure was a successful surgical intervention for patients with atrial fibrillation, both in the short and long term. This procedure can be considered when medication and electrical cardioversion are ineffective.

The maze operation as a surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation.

In this study we reviewed the history of the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). Of the various types, the maze operation has become nowadays the most successful surgical treatment of AF with or without concomitant cardiac surgery. We report on our 10-year experience with conventional maze III surgery: 203 patients were operated on without in-hospital mortality and acceptable morbidity. Success defined as the freedom of AF and other supraventricular arrhythmias was 80.1% for the patients with lone AF and 64.5% for the patients with concomitant AF after a mean of 4 years after surgery. We conclude that despite the complexity of the maze III operation this approach remains the golden standard from which future surgical and other ablative treatments of AF will be derived.

[Dyspnoea in pregnant female immigrants due to unexpected mitral valve stenosis]. / Dyspnoe bij allochtone zwangeren door onverwachte mitralisklepstenose.

Three female patients, a 22-year-old Moroccan woman, a 25-year-old Turkish woman and a 35-year-old Iraqi woman, became increasingly dyspnoeic during their pregnancy; this was a symptom of congestive heart failure due to mitral valve stenosis. Since all patients were refractory to medical treatment, they underwent invasive therapy by percutaneous transvenous mitral balloon valvotomy (PTMV). In two patients this therapy was successful, but in one patient a closed mitral valvotomy was needed. All three women delivered healthy infants, two immediately following the PTMV; at follow-up 2-4 years later, the women and infants were all doing well. The prevalence of mitral valve stenosis in the western world is increasing because of changing immigration patterns. When pregnant patients start complaining about dyspnoea, especially if they are immigrants, one should be aware of the possibility of mitral valve stenosis. PTMV is a safe and successful treatment for these patients and is preferred above surgical therapy because of its low morbidity and mortality for both mother and foetus. PTMV must be performed in a thoracic surgery centre by an experienced team and the X-ray exposure should be minimised.

A randomized study of combining maze surgery for atrial fibrillation with mitral valve surgery.

AIM: Mitral valve surgery seldom suppresses atrial fibrillation (AF), present prior to surgery. Maze III surgery eliminates AF in >80% of cases, the reason why combining this procedure with mitral valve surgery in patients with AF seems worthwhile. We prospectively studied the outcome of combining the Maze III procedure with mitral valve surgery. METHODS: Thirty-five patients with AF and a mean age of 64 years undergoing mitral valve surgery were prospectively randomized according to a 2.5:1 ratio to surgery with (n=25), or without (n=10) maze III and followed for at least 1 year. RESULTS: At discharge and after 12 months freedom from AF was 56% and 92%, respectively, in the maze group, and 0% and 20%, respectively, in patients without maze (group differences at discharge p=0.002, after 12 months p=0.0007). Sinus node incompetence was seen in 1 of 25 maze patients requiring pacing. No in-hospital or late death occurred; stroke was observed in 1 patient (without maze). Quality of life markedly improved after surgery, but did not differ between patients with or without maze surgery. CONCLUSIONS: This first prospective randomized study shows that combining maze III with mitral valve surgery resulted in a significantly better elimination of preoperative AF than mitral valve surgery alone. As the quality of life did not differ between patients with, or without maze surgery, additional maze surgery is primarily recommended in patients in whom anticoagulation therapy can be avoided after surgery, specifically in patients with scheduled mitral valve plasty.

Right atrial modification of maze surgery does not affect refractoriness and conduction patterns of human lone atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Tissue mass and structure are relevant for initiation and persistence of fibrillation. Modification of the right atrium during maze surgery may change the arrhythmogenic substrate of atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS AND RESULTS: Epicardial mapping was performed in 9 patients undergoing unmodified maze III surgery for lone paroxysmal AF. Simultaneous recording of AF on the right and left atrium was carried out with two spoon-electrodes each harbouring 64 terminals. Activation maps of AF were made to study AF wavelet organization. The recording position on right and left atria was outside the surgical field and remained unchanged before and after surgery. Before surgery, mean right and left fibrillatory intervals were 174+/-23 ms, and 175+/-26 ms, respectively, and did not differ. After completed right atrial surgery, these fibrillary intervals remained unchanged. Mean right and left atrial dispersion of refractoriness (expressed as the coefficient of variation) were 4.2+/-0.8 and 5.2+/-3.8 ms. Only right atrial dispersion of refractoriness increased significantly after right-sided surgery. Prior to surgery, activation patterns of the left atrium were more complex than that of the right atrium. The left activation patterns became less complex afterwards; the right atrial activation patterns did not change. CONCLUSION: The right atrial modification of maze III surgery neither affects atrial refractoriness during human lone AF nor changes AF wavelet organization. Thus, right atrial surgery does not modify the arrhythmogenic substrate of AF. These findings may imply that maze surgery can be restricted to the left atrium.

Pace mapping of postinfarction scar to detect ventricular tachycardia exit sites and zones of slow conduction.

INTRODUCTION: The exit site and central common pathway of slow conduction are preferred sites to guide radiofrequency ablation of postinfarction ventricular tachycardia (VT). Both require inducibility of VT. In addition, their low amplitude hampers direct recording of potentials generated by activation in pathways of slow conduction. We hypothesized that pace mapping during sinus rhythm would help to detect the VT exit site and potentials generated by activation in pathways of slow activation. METHODS AND RESULTS: In 13 patients suffering from VT late after anterior (n = 10) or inferior (n = 3) myocardial infarction, stimulation was performed in scarred endocardium at 23.5 (range 13 to 36) sites per patient during arrhythmia surgery. Multielectrode recordings (64 sites) during stimulation at a fixed cycle length of 500 msec were obtained. Endocardial breakthrough sites distant (>2 cm) from the pacing site were found at 4.3 (range 3 to 19) pacing sites per patient. Low-amplitude discrete potentials (LADPs) could be detected between the pacing site and the breakthrough site in 2.3 (range 0 to 13) of 4.3 stimulation sequences. In these patients, 19 VTs were induced and the exit site determined. In 6 patients, the distant pacing breakthrough site was identical to the VT exit site; in 7 patients, no similar exit sites were found. LADPs during VT were found at a median 2.0 (range 0 to 14) sites per patient. CONCLUSION: Pace mapping of the postinfarction endocardial scar during sinus rhythm revealed 50% of the endocardial exit sites of VT and the same number of LADPs observed during VT.

Long-term survival after valve replacement with Björk-Shiley CC valves. Björk-Shiley Study Group.

Information on the life expectancy of Bjork-Shiley convexo-concave (BScc) valve recipients is necessary when considering prophylactic replacement. However, little is known about the late results after valve replacement with BScc valves. We describe long-term survival and its determinants of the Dutch BScc cohort and compare mortality figures with those of the general population and those used in guidelines for prophylactic replacement. Follow-up was obtained on all Dutch BScc valve recipients (n = 2,264) (end of study 1996). Survival over a 15-year period and its determinants were described using the Kaplan-Meier product-limit method and Cox regression, respectively. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were used to compare mortality rates of BScc valve recipients who survived at least 30 days after surgery with the Dutch population rates. Survival at 15 years for aortic, mitral, and double valve recipients was 55.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] 51.9 to 58.1), 40.8% (95% CI 37.1 to 44.4), and 38.6% (95% CI 33.2 to 43.9), respectively. The determinants of survival were patient, history, and procedure related. The SMR for all BScc valve recipients was 4.2 (95% CI 3.4 to 5.2) in the first year of follow-up, after which it decreased to 2.0 (95% CI 1.8 to 2.3) and remained constant until the 14th year. SMRs depended on time since implantation, age at the time of implantation, and position of the valve replaced. Most of life expectancy estimates in prophylactic replacement guidelines of BScc valves underrate the true survival estimates. Age, valve position, and time- specific risks of death after valvular surgery should be accounted for. Different excess mortality rates should be applied for patients from different age groups: the older the patient the lower the excess.

[Reimplantation of aortic valve; preliminary results in 13 patients]. / Reïmplantatie van de aortaklep: eerste ervaringen bij 13 patiënten.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate our initial experience with the reimplantation technique of the aortic valve. DESIGN: Retrospective. METHOD: From January 1st 1998 to January 31st 2000, 13 patients were operated on by the technique as described by David. Mean age was 52.2 years (SD: 11). Median preoperative New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class was 2/4 and median preoperative degree of aortic regurgitation was 3/4. Surgical indications were initially limited to aneurysmal disease of the aortic root (n = 6) and ascending aorta (n = 4), all complicated by aortic regurgitation. Later on, we also applied the technique in type A aortic dissection (n = 3). The repair was evaluated peroperatively by transoesophageal and postoperatively, by transthoracic echocardiography. The patients were followed postoperatively in the outpatient department. RESULTS: No technical problems arose that necessitated change or adjustment of the technique. Mean cardiac arrest time was 184 min (SD: 40) and cardiopulmonary bypass time 254 min (SD: 74). The primary aetiology on histopathological examination was medial necrosis in 5 patients and degenerative disease in the others. There was no early nor late mortality and none of the patients was reoperated upon the aortic root. Follow-up was complete at a mean of 12.3 months (SD: 8). Median aortic regurgitation at follow-up was 0.5 (p = 0.0001 versus preoperative) and median NYHA functional class at follow-up was 1 (p = 0.02 versus preoperative). CONCLUSION: David's aortic valve reimplantation technique was carried out with a low surgical risk and a low degree of residual aortic regurgitation in aneurysm of the aortic root, aneurysm of the ascending aorta and type A dissection with major destruction of the aortic root.

Successful results of a bipolar active fixation lead for atrial application: an interim analysis.

Adequate atrial lead performance consists of stable sensing and pacing properties. To evaluate whether the CPI 4269 bipolar lead, covered with mannitol (Sweet Tip), in the atrial position encounters these properties, we performed a prospective study of this lead. After complete dissolution of the mannitol helix, mapping of the atrium to obtain the highest electrogram and lowest threshold was followed by screw-in into the endocardium. Intraoperative measurements were performed and long-term follow-up was scheduled every 6 to 12 months to measure threshold and perform an intracardial electrogram. Between February 1993 and December 1996, a total number of 73 leads in the atrial position in a consecutive series of patients was implanted. Implantation was performed in 28 patients receiving an AAIR and 45 patients a DDDR pacemaker. Reason for pacemaker implantation was a third-degree AV block in 37% of patients, type II second-degree AV block in 25%, sick sinus syndrome in 35%, and drug refractory paroxysmal atrial fibrillation following His-bundle ablation in 3%. The intraoperative bipolar atrial electrogram had a mean voltage of 4.25 +/- 2.1 mV. The acute atrial bipolar threshold was 0.63 +/- 0.43 V, and current was 1.35 +/- 0.81 mA at a 1.0-ms pulse duration. The mean acute resistance of the lead was 572 +/- 86 Ohm. After a mean follow-up of 18.3 months, the bipolar intracardial electrogram was 3.37 +/- 2.00 mV, the mean atrial threshold measured at the last outpatient clinic visit was 0.99 +/- 0.74 V and the mean impedance was 640 +/- 127 Ohm. A sensing problem due to traction of the atrial lead occurred in only one patient. Acute and late dislodgement did not occur. The CPI 4269 (Sweet Tip) lead is manufactured with a dissolvable capsule covering the helix tip electrode, permitting a safe passage through the venous system. This interim analysis shows that this lead in the atrial position has favorable acute and chronic results.

Mitral valve surgery and atrial fibrillation: is atrial fibrillation surgery also needed?

OBJECTIVE: Atrial fibrillation (AF) persisting after mitral valve surgery reduces survival due to heart failure and thrombo-embolisms, and impairs quality of life. Arrhythmia surgery for AF shows today very satisfying results and therefore mitral valve surgery with AF surgery appears appealing. This study explores whether combined surgery in view of today's results of mitral valve surgery is indicated. METHODS AND RESULTS: An outcome analysis of the arrhythmia outcome of patients undergoing exclusive mitral valve surgery with or without tricuspid repair was done. Preoperative baseline characteristics including arrhythmia pattern, surgical methods and follow-up findings were reviewed. Postoperative management of AF was not protocolized. Between 1990 and 1993, 162 consecutive patients underwent mitral valve surgery; follow-up was a mean of 3.3+/-1.9 years. In-hospital and late mortality were 1 and 9%, respectively. Sinus rhythm was preserved in 40 of 57 (70%) patients with preoperative sinus rhythm whereas AF persisted in 58 of 68 (85%) of patients with preoperative chronic AF (>1 year present). Sinus rhythm without AF was observed in 10 of 29 (34%) patients with preoperative paroxysmal AF. The 4-year Kaplan-Meier survival did not differ between patients with preoperative sinus rhythm (95.2%), paroxysmal AF (89.2%) and chronic AF (82.9%) but AF persisting after surgery tended to determine survival (P=0.05). Gender, age and right ventricular pressure and tricuspid valve repair were risk factors for postoperative recurrence of AF in patients with sinus rhythm at discharge, relative risk 0.35, 1.06, 1. 04 and 2.9, respectively. CONCLUSION: Current mitral valve surgery with or without tricuspid valve repair does not eliminate preoperative paroxysmal or chronic AF. Secondly, because preoperative AF did not determine survival after mitral valve surgery, whereas postoperatively persisting AF was weakly associated with survival, atrial arrhythmia surgery primarily aims to reduce morbidity due to AF. Some characteristics can identify patients with increased propensity for persisting AF after surgery. Randomized studies of AF surgery are needed to identify suitable candidates for combined surgery.

Results of maze surgery for lone paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: If drug refractoriness to paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) occurs, arrhythmia surgery that involves channelling and the exclusion of specific atrial areas can abolish atrial fibrillation. The purpose of this study was to establish the effectiveness and safety of maze III surgery to abolish PAF. METHODS AND RESULTS: Surgery was performed in 41 selected patients who had long-standing, symptomatic, drug-refractory, lone PAF. At discharge, 35 patients (85%) were arrhythmia free, and 6 patients (15%) showed PAF and paroxysmal atrial tachycardia. Death or stroke did not occur during a mean follow-up of 31+/-16 months. At the end of follow-up, 39 patients (95%) had no PAF; however, in 2 patients (5%), PAF persisted and eventually required His bundle ablation and pacing. Three months after surgery, nodal escape rhythm was observed in only 1 patient, whereas sick-sinus syndrome emerged late after surgery in 2 patients. Antiarrhythmic drugs were used in 20% of patients during follow-up. The quality of life improved markedly after surgery and remained unchanged afterward. Echocardiographic findings did not alter, but exercise capacity increased. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study demonstrates the effectiveness and safety of maze III surgery for lone PAF. In patients without sick-sinus syndrome, this intervention offers a sensible alternative to His bundle ablation and lifelong pacemaker dependency.

Cryopreserved aortic allografts for aortic root reconstruction: a single institution's experience.

BACKGROUND: An evaluation of early and long-term results of aortic root replacement with cryopreserved aortic allografts and echocardiographic follow-up of allograft valve function was performed. METHODS: From September 1989 through May 1998, 132 patients aged 17 to 77 years (mean, 50.8 +/- 14.8 years) underwent freestanding aortic root replacement with a cryopreserved aortic allograft. Eighty-six (65.1%) patients had New York Heart Association class III or IV functional status before operation, and 27 (20.5%) patients underwent emergency operation. Fifty-nine (44.7%) patients had undergone previous cardiac operations. The cause of aortic disease was acute endocarditis in 63 (47.7%) patients, healed endocarditis in 15 (11.3%), degenerative in 20 (15.2%), congenital in 20 (15.2%), failed prosthesis in 10 (7.6%) and rheumatic in 4 (3.0%). Follow-up was complete, with a mean of 42 months. RESULTS: There were 12 hospital deaths (9.1%; 70% confidence limits [CL], 6.6% and 11.6%); 9 of them were operated on for active endocarditis (p = 0.062). Multivariate analysis determined age older than 65 years (p = 0.012) and emergency operation (p = 0.009) as independent risk factors for hospital mortality. During follow-up, 6 (5.0%; 70% CL, 3.0% and 7.0%) patients died. Cumulative survival rate for the entire group was 81.8% +/- 5.4% at 8 years. Freedom from reoperation for structural valve failure was 100%, freedom from reoperation for any cause was 96.3% +/- 1.8% at 8 years. Freedom from endocarditis at 8 years was 97.9% +/- 1.4%. Follow-up of allograft valve function showed no or trivial aortic regurgitation in 97% of patients and absence of stenosis of the allograft in 100%. CONCLUSIONS: Aortic root replacement with cryopreserved aortic allografts can be performed with acceptable hospital mortality and long-term results. The durability of cryopreserved aortic allografts is good, and reoperation for structural valve failure is absent at 8 years.

Comparison of late results of surgical or radiofrequency catheter modification of the atrioventricular node for atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia.

AIMS: Although arrhythmia surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation to cure atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia differ in technical concept, the late results of both methods, in terms of elimination of the arrhythmogenic substrate and procedure-related new and different arrhythmias, have never been compared. This constituted the purpose of this prospective follow-up study. METHODS AND RESULTS: Between 1988 and 1992, 26 patients were surgically treated using perinodal dissection or 'skeletonization', and from 1991 up to 1995, 120 patients underwent radiofrequency modification of the atrioventricular node for atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia. The acute success rates of surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation were 96% and 92%, respectively. Late recurrence, rate in the surgical and radiofrequency catheter ablation groups was 12% and 17%, respectively. Mean follow-up was 53 months in the surgical group and 28 months in the radiofrequency catheter ablation group. The final success rate after repeat intervention was 100% in the surgical group and 98% in the radiofrequency catheter ablation group. Comparison of the initial and recent series of radiofrequency catheter ablated patients showed an increased initial success rate with fewer applications. In the radiofrequency catheter ablation group, a second- or third-degree block developed in three patients (2%), requiring permanent pacing, whereas in the surgical group no complete atrioventricular block was observed. Inappropriate sinus tachycardia needing drug treatment was observed in 13 patients (11%), mostly after fast pathway ablation, but was never observed after surgery. New and different supraventricular tachyarrhythmias arose in 27% of the patients in the surgical group and in 11% of the radiofrequency catheter ablation group, but did not clearly differ. CONCLUSION: This one-institutional follow-up study demonstrated comparable initial and late success rates as well as incidence of new and different supraventricular arrhythmias following arrhythmia surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation for atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia. Today radiofrequency catheter ablation has replaced arrhythmia surgery for various reasons, but the late arrhythmic side-effects warrant refinement of technique.

Which manufacturing characteristics are predictors of outlet strut fracture in large sixty-degree Björk-Shiley convexo-concave mitral valves? The Björk-Shiley Study Group.

BACKGROUND: Identification of predictors of outlet strut fracture is important for recipients of large (>/=29 mm) 60-degree Björk-Shiley convexo-concave mitral valves when it comes to decision making on prophylactic explantation. An association between the manufacturing process of Björk-Shiley convexo-concave valves and the risk of fracture has been suggested. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine which items from the manufacturing records, in addition to known risk factors, were predictive of fracture of large 60-degree Björk-Shiley convexo-concave mitral valves. METHODS: All Dutch recipients (n = 2264) of Björk-Shiley convexo-concave valves were followed up until fracture, death, reoperation, or end of the study (July 1, 1996). Information was abstracted from the manufacturing records of large 60-degree Björk-Shiley convexo- concave mitral valves (n = 655) in Dutch recipients and included items that described the manufacturing process and items for which an association with strut fracture had been suggested. Manufacturing records were available for 637 valves (97%), including 25 fractured valves. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis identified age at implantation (hazard ratio 0.95, 95% confidence interval 0.93-0.97), lot size (<175 valves versus >/=175 valves; hazard ratio 6.6, 95% confidence interval 2.2-20.1), number of hook deflection tests performed (0 or 1 versus >/=2; hazard ratio 4.7, 95% confidence interval 1.4-16.2), number of disks that were used (1 versus >/=2; hazard ratio 5.9, 95% confidence interval 1.9-18.5), and lot fracture percentage (hazard ratio 1.6, 95% confidence interval 1.4-1. 8) as independent predictors of fracture. Although the added predictive value of a model with these 5 variables was sizable compared with a model containing age only, it was only slightly better than a model with age, lot size, and lot fracture percentage. CONCLUSION: If the serial number of a large 60-degree Björk-Shiley convexo-concave mitral valve is known, manufacturing information can add significantly to the prediction of fracture. Information on lot size and lot fracture percentage should be made available to clinicians for risk assessment of prophylactic explantation.

Completion pneumonectomy: analysis of operative mortality and survival.

BACKGROUND: A single-institution experience with completion pneumonectomy was analyzed to assess operative mortality and late outcome. METHODS: A consecutive series of 138 completion pneumonectomies from 1975 to 1995 was reviewed, and compared with single-stage pneumonectomies performed during the same period. RESULTS: Hospital mortality was 13.8%, including 4 intraoperative and 15 postoperative deaths. Hospital mortality was the same for lung cancer (13.2%) as for benign disease (15.5%). It was 37.5% if an early complication of the primary operation was the indication (p = 0.01). If infection of the pleural space was the indication for completion pneumonectomy, hospital mortality was 23.3% (p > 0.05). In 760 single-stage pneumonectomies hospital mortality was 8.7% (p > 0.05). Five-year actuarial survival after completion pneumonectomy was 42.5% for all patients, 32.3% for those with lung cancer, and 58.8% for those with benign disease. CONCLUSIONS: Hospital mortality for completion pneumonectomy was the same for malignant as for benign indications. It was significantly higher if completion pneumonectomy was done for an early complication of the primary operation. Results at long term of lung cancer patients were the same for single-stage pneumonectomy and completion pneumonectomy.

Likelihood of underreporting of outlet strut fracture from examination of the Dutch Björk-Shiley CC cohort.

The Dutch Björk-Shiley convexo-concave (BScc) cohort serves as a reference population on the risk of outlet strut fracture and is being used to formulate guidelines for prophylactic replacement. Fractures, however, may be undetected at death. The aim of this study was to quantify the degree of underestimation of strut fracture in the Dutch BScc cohort. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to assess the relative and absolute risk of death from different causes within 14 years. The unexplained "excess" mortality among 70 degrees BScc valve recipients was attributed to unreported fatal strut fractures and used to estimate its extent in this group, which then was extrapolated to the 60 degrees BScc valve recipients. For 70 degrees BScc valve recipients, the adjusted hazard ratio for death from all causes except strut fracture was 1.2 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.0 to 1.5). The 14-year absolute risks for 70 degrees and 60 degrees BScc valve recipients were 44% and 37%, respectively. Among 70 degrees and 60 degrees BScc valve recipients, underreporting of fracture was estimated to be 25% (95% CI 0 to 49) and 26% (95% CI 0 to 52), respectively. Estimates based on sudden death and fatal congestive heart failure yielded essentially the same results. Thus, underreporting of fatal strut fracture in the Dutch BScc cohort is estimated to be approximately 25%. Hence, the risk and lethality of fracture of BScc valves are underestimated and indications for prophylactic replacement should be adjusted accordingly. For example, the advantage of valve replacement in a 40-year-old patient with a 29-mm 60 micro BScc mitral valve would almost double to 0.82 years.