Takotsubo cardiomyopathy complicating thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

We describe the management of a patient with symptomatic spinal cord hypoperfusion after thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair, where the neurological insult and associated emotional stress precipitated Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Transthoracic Echocardiography showed akinetic mid and apical left ventricular segments, while basal segments were spared. Emergent coronary angiography ruled out acute coronary syndrome. Excess catecholamines have been postulated as a contributing mechanism to the disease, therefore, catecholamines were avoided to prevent further myocardial injury. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is associated with serious morbidity and mortality, which highlights the importance of early recognition and proper management for complete recovery of both cardiac and neurologic functions.

Intravenous acetaminophen analgesia after cardiac surgery: A randomized, blinded, controlled superiority trial.

BACKGROUND: Pain after cardiac surgery traditionally has been controlled by intravenous opioids and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs. An intravenous analgesic with fewer adverse effects is needed. Therefore, we tested the primary hypothesis that intravenous acetaminophen is more effective than placebo for pain management, which was defined a priori as superior on either pain intensity score and/or opioid consumption and not worse on either. METHODS: In this single-center, double-blind trial, 147 patients having cardiac surgery via median sternotomy were randomized to receive either 1 g of intravenous acetaminophen (73 patients) every 6 hours for 24 hours or comparable placebo (74 patients) starting in the operating room after sternal closure. Cumulative opioid consumption (in morphine equivalents) and pain intensity scores (on a 0-10 Numeric Rating Scale) were measured at 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 hours after surgery. We estimated ratio of mean opioid consumption by using multivariable linear regression (noninferiority delta = 1.15) and pain score difference by using repeated measures regression (noninferiority delta = 1). RESULTS: Acetaminophen was superior to placebo on mean pain intensity scores and noninferior on opioid consumption, with estimated difference in mean pain (95% confidence interval) of -0.90 (-1.39, -0.42), P < .001 (superior), and estimated ratio of means in opioid consumption (90% confidence interval) of 0.89 (0.73-1.10), P = .28 (noninferior; not superior). CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous acetaminophen reduced pain after cardiac surgery, but not opioid consumption. Intravenous acetaminophen can be an effective analgesic adjunct in patients recovering from median sternotomy.

Cardiac herniation through a pericardial defect after minimally invasive mitral valve surgery.

Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery has been increasingly performed because of its presumed advantages over traditional surgery performed through median sternotomy. Cardiac herniation is an extremely rare complication initially reported by Bettman and Tannenbaum in 1948. It is usually reported after blunt chest trauma or pneumonectomy, but can potentially occur after any minimally invasive surgery involving a pericardial incision. In this case report, we present 2 cases of cardiac herniation occurring after minimally invasive mitral valve surgery; the 2 cases had different surgical exposures and clinical presentations. Early diagnosis is crucial for a timely lifesaving definitive management.

Propensity matched comparison of outcomes in older and younger patients after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

BACKGROUND: By 2050, the number of people in the United States aged 85 years and older is expected to increase from 4.2 to 20.8 million. We therefore compared outcomes after isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients aged 85 years and older with those 55 to 65 years old. METHODS: Propensity matching and multivariable analysis were used to compare morbidity and mortality outcomes in 132 patients aged 85 years and older and in 5243 patients aged 55 to 65 years who underwent CABG between 1993 and 2004. Variables of interest were compared using Student t, Wilcoxon rank sum, chi(2), or Fischer exact tests, as appropriate. RESULTS: After propensity matching, each group had 122 patients who were matched on all baseline and intraoperative variables except number of intraoperative red blood cell (RBC) transfusions, which was greater in the older group. Atrial arrhythmias occurred more frequently and intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital lengths of stay (LOS) were longer in the older group. Multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated that atrial arrhythmias and catheter-related sepsis were more common in the older group. CONCLUSIONS: Older patients received more RBC transfusions, presumably reflecting a lower threshold to transfuse older patients. Atrial arrhythmias were more common in the older group, this can account for their longer ICU and hospital LOS, which can also explain their greater incidence of catheter sepsis. The two age groups had similar mortality and morbidity. Advanced age is not associated with substantively worse outcome after CABG compared with a propensity-matched younger age group.