Bronchoscopy in the management of children from developing countries undergoing congenital heart surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To study the clinical characteristics and impact of bronchoscopy in children from developing countries, referred for cardiac surgery, through the "Save a Child's Heart" (SACH) organization. METHODS: We performed a retrospective hospital-chart review of SACH children (0-18 years old) referred between 2006 and 2021 who underwent fiberoptic bronchoscopy. We examined demographics, congenital-heart-disease (CHD) types, bronchoscopy's indications and findings, subsequent recommendations, number of ventilation, and intensive-care-unit days. The primary outcome was percent changes in management and diagnosis, following the bronchoscopy. We included a control group matched-for-age and CHD type, who did not undergo bronchoscopy. RESULTS: We performed 82 bronchoscopies in 68 children: 18 (26.5%) preoperatively; 46 (67.6%) postoperatively; and four (5.9%) both. The most prevalent CHDs were Tetralogy-of-Fallot (27.9%) and ventricular-septal-defect (19.1%). The main indications were persistent atelectasis (41%) and mechanical ventilation/weaning difficulties (27.9%). Bronchoscopic evaluations revealed at least one abnormality in 51/68 (75%) children. The most common findings were external airway compression (23.5%), bronchomalacia (19.1%), and mucus secretions (14.7%). Changes in management were made in 35 (51.4%) cases, with a major change made in 14/35 (40%) children. Compared to the control group, the children undergoing bronchoscopy were both ventilated longer (median 6 vs. 1.5 days, p < 0.0001) and stayed longer in the intensive care unit (median 1.5 vs. 18.5 days, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: A bronchoscopy is an important tool in the diagnosis and management of the unique group of children from developing countries with CHD referred for cardiac surgery. The results of our study, reveal a more complicated clinical course in children requiring bronchoscopy compared to controls.

Save a Child's Heart: We Can and We Should-A Generation Later.

The Annals of Thoracic Surgery published a seminal article by the late Dr Amram ("Ami") Cohen and his associates entitled "Save a Child's Heart: We Can and We Should" in 2001. It stressed the moral imperative and challenge of pediatric heart care in the developing world. The current article presents an update of the past 25 years of the history, experience, and international ramifications of 1 institution and 1 UN-recognized Israeli organization.

Mending Hearts and Building Bridges: The Save a Child's Heart Foundation.

CONTEXT: Save a Child's Heart addresses the challenges of heart care for children in underdeveloped countries. OBJECTIVE: Save a Child's Heart has created a center of excellence for pediatric cardiac care at the Wolfson Medical Center in Israel, helped develop partner sites for evaluation and referral, and trained medical teams to return and build their own capacity for local cardiac care. RESULTS: Save a Child's Heart has treated more than 3600 children from 48 countries, with 50% from Iraq, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, and Syria. In cooperation with the Palestinian Authority, Save a Child's Heart has examined more than 6000 children and treated 1750 children, trained 21 medical personnel, and conducted seminars for Palestinian medical personnel. The "Heart of the Matter Project," funded by the European Union, US Agency for International Development, the Palestinian Ministry of Health, and the Israeli Ministry of Regional Cooperation, is currently training a team at the Wolfson Medical Center from the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah and provides funds for Palestinian children's care in Israel. CONCLUSIONS: Save a Child's Heart is a model of a global humanitarian health care initiative with a single focus on heart disease in children. The "Heart of the Matter Project" is a model of health care based on regional cooperation despite local political tensions.

Lobectomy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Surgery.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy in patients with previous coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery is controversial. OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether skeletonized left internal mammary artery (LIMA) mobilization contributes to the development of severe adhesions, which will affect what type of lung surgery (open or closed procedure) will be required in the future. METHODS: Eight patients (mean age 73.9 years) with previous CABG surgery using a LIMA to left anterior descending (LAD) graft underwent left-sided lobectomy for operable non-small cell lung carcinoma. RESULTS: The lobectomy by thoracotomy rate was 62.5% (5 patients), generally in patients with tumors in the left upper lobe or in patients post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy, while the video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy rate was 37.5% (3 patients). Mean hospital stay was 8.3 days. There was no mortality or major morbidity, apart from six minor complications in four patients (50%) (air leak, atrial fibrillation, atelectasis, pneumonia). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with operable non-small cell lung carcinoma following CABG surgery who need left upper lobe resection do not benefit from the video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery technique due to significant adhesions between the LIMA to LAD graft and the lung. The method of preserving a small portion of the lung on the LIMA to LAD graft may help during left upper lobe resections. Adhesions in the left pleural space after LIMA mobilization appear to minimally affect left lower lobe video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.

Outcome in Children Operated for Membranous Subaortic Stenosis: Membrane Resection Plus Aggressive Septal Myectomy Versus Membrane Resection Alone.

BACKGROUND: The optimal surgical procedure for treatment of fibromembranous subaortic stenosis has been a subject of debate. We report our experience with patients treated for membranous subaortic stenosis using membrane resection alone and membrane resection plus aggressive septal myectomy. METHODS: Patients followed in the pediatric cardiology clinic of a university hospital, who had undergone surgery for subaortic stenosis between 2002 and 2013 were reviewed. Recurrence of subaortic membrane, residual left ventricular outflow gradient, and aortic valve function were analyzed. RESULTS: Forty-six patients underwent surgery for subaortic membrane. Of these, 19 had membrane resection plus aggressive septal myectomy, while 27 had membrane resection alone. Mean age at surgery for the membrane resection group was 7.7 ± 3.9 years and 10.9 ± 3.6 years for the membrane resection plus aggressive myectomy group. Preoperative subaortic gradient for the membrane resection group was 75.5 ± 26.7 mm Hg and 103.2 ± 39.7 mm Hg for the membrane resection plus aggressive myectomy group. The mean follow-up left ventricular outflow tract gradient was 42.3 ± 31.3 mm Hg in the membrane resection group, while it was 11.6 ± 6.3 mm Hg in the aggressive septal myectomy group. Nine patients from the membrane resection group had significant regrowth of the subaortic membrane during the follow-up period, while none of the aggressive septal myectomy group had detectable membrane on echocardiography. Seven of the nine patients with recurrence of the subaortic membrane underwent subsequent membrane resection plus aggressive septal myectomy. Intraoperative finding in all these redo cases was recurrence (growth) of a subaortic membrane. CONCLUSION: Aggressive septal myectomy offers less chance of recurrence, freedom from reoperation, and an improved aortic valve function. This is especially important in sub-Saharan settings where a chance of getting a second surgery is unpredictable.

Morbidity and mortality after major pulmonary resections in patients with locally advanced stage IIIA non-small cell lung carcinoma who underwent induction therapy.

BACKGROUND: The optimal treatment for patients with locally advanced stage IIIA non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) remains controversial, but induction therapy is increasingly used. The aim of this study was to evaluate mortality, morbidity, hospital stay and frequency of postoperative complications in stage IIIA NSCLC patients that underwent major pulmonary resections after neoadjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiation. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent major pulmonary resections after induction therapy for locally advanced NSCLC from October 2009 to February 2014. Forty-one patients were included in the study. RESULTS: Complete resection was achieved in 40 patients (97.5%). A complete pathologic response was seen in 10 patients (24.4%). Mean hospital stay was 17.7 days (ranged 5-129 days). Early (in-hospital) mortality occurred in 2.4% (one patient after bilobectomy), late (six months) mortality in 4.9% (two patients after right pneumonectomy and bilobectomy), and overall morbidity in 58.5% (24 patients). Postoperative complications included: bronchopleural fistula (BPF) with empyema - three patients, empyema without BPF - five patients, air leak - eight patients, atrial fibrillation - eight patients, pneumonia - eight patients, and lobar atelectasis - four patients. CONCLUSION: Following neoadjuvant therapy for stage IIIA NSCLC, pneumonectomy can be performed with low early and late mortality (0% and 5.8%, respectively), bilobectomy is a high risk operation (16.7% early and 16.7% late mortality); and lobectomy a low risk operation (0% early and late mortality). The need for major pulmonary resections should not be a reason to exclude patients from a potentially curative procedure if it can be performed with acceptable morbidity and mortality rates at an experienced medical centre.

Video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy versus lobectomy by thoracotomy for lung cancer: pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: Video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy (VATS-L) has become accepted as a safe and effective procedure to treat early-stage non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). However, the advantages of VATS-L compared with lobectomy by thoracotomy (TL) remain controversial. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of patients who underwent VATS-L with those who underwent TL. METHODS: We studied 103 patients who underwent surgery for operable NSCLC between October 2009 and March 2012. All operations were performed by a single surgeon. The inclusion and exclusion criteria for VATS-L and TL were formulated before the study was initiated. Data on age, sex, preoperative comorbidities, intraoperative and postoperative complications, hospital stay, morbidity, mortality, and other characteristics were recorded preoperatively, in real time intraoperatively, and during hospitalization and were statistically compared. Comorbidities were scaled according to the Charlson Comorbidity Index, and propensity scores between the patients who underwent TL and VATS-L were compared. RESULTS: Sixty-three VATS-L operations and 40 TL operations were performed. There were no postoperative complications in 39 patients (61.9%) who underwent VATS-L compared with 25 patients (62.5%) who underwent TL. The patients who underwent TL were significantly younger than the patients who underwent VATS-L (mean ± SD, 64.7 ± 12.6 vs 70.9 ± 8.4; P = 0.003). Hospital stay was not found to be related to the type of surgery (mean ± SD, 8.43 ± 3.15 days vs 8.32 ± 4.13 days; P = 0.888). There were no significant differences when comparing postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: Our initial data suggest that VATS-L is a safe procedure in patients with resectable IA/IB NSCLC and may be the preferred strategy for treatment of the older patient population.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in pediatric patients: our experience in the last ten years.

BACKGROUND: The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in children after cardiac surgery is well established. ECMO support is becoming an integral tool for cardiopulmonary resuscitation in specified centers. OBJECTIVES: To review our use of ECMO over a 10 year period. METHODS: All children supported with ECMO from 2000 to 2010 were reviewed. Most of these children suffered from cardiac anomalies. The patients were analyzed by age, weight, procedure, RACHS-1 when appropriate, length of support, and outcome. RESULTS: Sixty-two children were supported with ECMO; their median age was 3 months (range 0-216 months) and median weight 4.3 kg (range 1.9-51 kg). Thirty-four patients (52.3%) needed additional hemofiltration or dialysis due to renal failure. The children requiring ECMO support represented a wide spectrum of cardiac lesions; the most common procedure was arterial switch operation (27.4%, n=17). ECMO was required mainly for failure to separate from the heart-lung machine (n=55). The median duration of ECMO support was 4 days (range 1-14 days); 29 (46.7%) patients were weaned successfully from ECMO during this time period, and 5 of them died during hospitalization, yielding an overall hospital survival rate of 38.7%. CONCLUSIONS: ECMO support has significant survival benefit for patients with post-cardiotomy heart failure. Its early deployment should be considered in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Endobronchial closure of recurrent bronchopleural and tracheopleural fistulae by two amplatzer devices.

We present a case of right pneumonectomy after induction chemotherapy complicated by a large bronchopleural fistula and empyema two weeks after surgery. The patient was treated surgically by transsternal transpericardial bronchopleural fistula closure and open window thoracoplasty. Thereafter, two new fistulae developed, one in the right main bronchial stump and one in the accessory tracheal bronchus. The two Amplatzer devices that were originally designed for transcatheter closure of cardiac defects were successfully used for closure of the bronchopleural fistulae.

Massive pulmonary emboli in children: does fiber-optic-guided embolectomy have a role? Review of the literature and report of two cases.

Massive pulmonary emboli is a rare disease in children, with only 39 reported cases in the last 50 years. Almost 50% of the patients died suddenly without receiving medical treatment. Most of the patients who were managed medically (70% of the treated patients) underwent surgical pulmonary embolectomy with 80% survival. Surgical pulmonary embolectomy is a blind procedure that can be improved by using intraoperative angioscopy. This technique was reported in adults with good results. In this article, we describe two pediatric patients who underwent fiber-optic-guided surgical pulmonary embolectomy. To our knowledge, this technique has never been reported in the pediatric population.

Right ventricular outflow tract strategies for repair of tetralogy of Fallot: effect of monocusp valve reconstruction.

OBJECTIVES: The absence of a pulmonary valve (PV) after tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) repair has been shown to impact postoperative right ventricular (RV) function. The purposes of this study were to (i) compare early outcomes after PV-sparing vs transannular patching (TAP) with monocusp valve reconstruction or TAP alone and (b) assess the mid-term results after polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane monocusp reconstruction. METHODS: From 2003 to 2009, 163 patients underwent TOF repair. Sixty-nine patients (42.3%) underwent a PV-sparing procedure (Group A), 74 (45.4%) underwent PTFE membrane monocusp valve reconstruction (Group B) and 20 (12.3%) underwent TAP only (Group C). Early outcomes were evaluated by the right-to-left ventricular pressure ratio, RV outflow tract gradient, tricuspid and PV function, intensive care unit (ICU) parameters and need for reintervention. Group B patients were also evaluated at intermediate term for clinical and echocardiographic parameters, including tricuspid and monocusp valve function and mobility. RESULTS: The median age, weight and PV Z-value of Group B patients were significantly lower; 20.5 months, 9.3 kg and -4, respectively. Postoperatively, the right-to-left ventricular pressure ratio was <0.5 in all groups. Mechanical ventilation time, fluid drainage duration and total ICU stay showed no significant difference between Groups A and B, while Group C was significantly longer (P < 0.01). There were five (3%) early deaths: three from Group A and two from Group B. The incidences of moderate or severe pulmonary insufficiency (PI) on discharge were 8.2% in Group A, 9% in Group B and 50% in Group C (P < 0.001). Among Group B patients, 85% of the evaluated patients had less than moderate PI in the intermediate-term follow-up, QRS duration <140 ms in 83.3% and right-to-left ventricular diameter ratio of 0.6 ± 0.2. Two (2.6%) patients underwent reoperation for monocusp replacement. There were two (2.7%) mid-term deaths. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a PTFE membrane monocusp valve and a valve-sparing strategy prevents immediate PI and improves short-term clinical outcomes. PTFE membrane monocusp appears advantageous in preventing severe intermediate-term PI and facilitates the preservation of RV function.

Primary mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the trachea in a child.

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the trachea is a rare tumour, especially in the paediatric population. We report the case of a 9-year-old boy with mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the trachea that was preoperatively diagnosed as an intraluminal polypoid mass arising from the trachea and extending into the right main bronchus. A complete resection of the tumour with reconstruction and end-to-end anastomosis of the trachea was performed. The patient is now, 24 months after surgery, free of disease.

Pulmonary resection for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis: the Israeli experience (1998-2011).

BACKGROUND: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-1B) presents a difficult therapeutic problem due to the failure of medical treatment. Pulmonary resection is an important adjunctive therapy for selected patients with MDR-TB. OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy of pulmonary resection in the management of MDR-TB patients. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of MDR-TB patients referred for major pulmonary resections as part of a treatment strategy. The operations were performed in the departments of thoracic surgery at Assaf Harofeh and Wolfson Medical Centers. For the period under study, 13 years (1998-2011), we analyzed patients' medical history, bacteriological, medical and surgical data, morbidity, mortality, and short-term and long-term outcome. RESULTS: We identified 19 pulmonary resections (8 pneumonectomies, 4 lobectomies, 1 segmentectomy, 6 wedge resections) from among 17 patients, mostly men, with a mean age of 32.9 years (range 18-61 years). Postoperative complications developed in six patients (35.3%) (broncho-pleural fistula in one, empyema in two, prolonged air leakin two, and acute renal failure in one). Only one patient (5.84%) died during the early postoperative period, three (17.6%) inthe late postoperative period, and one within 2 years after the resection. Of 12 survivors, 9 were cured, 2 are still under medical treatment, and 1 is lost from follow-up because of poor compliance. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary resection for MDR-TB patients is an effective adjunctive treatment with acceptable morbidity and mortality.

Meckel's diverticulum ischemia caused by thromboembolism after coronary artery bypass grafting.

A 75-year-old woman underwent emergency coronary artery bypass surgery after acute anterior wall myocardial infarction. Because of the presence of a local peritonitis, an emergency laparotomy was performed in which necrotizing Meckel's diverticulum was found and resected. Microscopically, sections through the diverticulum revealed a fresh thrombus occluded the arterial lumen of diverticulum. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course. We believe that the cause of Meckel's diverticulum ischemia was the development of atrial fibrillation with left atrium thrombus formation followed by embolic obliteration of Meckel's diverticulum feeding artery.

Surgical resection of left atrial myxoma presenting with acute multiple hemorrhagic cerebral infarctions: a case report.

Brain ischemia resulting from left atrial myxoma embolization has been well documented. In contrast, the link between the development of intracerebral hemorrhage and myxoma in these patients has little coverage in the literature. The main theory describing this relationship stems from the fact that cardiac myxoma cells metastasize to the brain's vessels, causing destruction of the arterial wall with subsequent formation of fusiform aneurysm and further intracranial bleeding. It is assumed that when a diagnosis of left atrial myxoma with neurologic manifestations is made, surgical resection should be performed without delay to prevent repeated tumor embolization; however, systemic anticoagulation treatment during cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass is not recommended immediately after intracerebral hemorrhage occurs because of the possibility of extending the infarct's size. We describe a patient with acute hemorrhagic brain infarction and an echocardiographically demonstrated left atrial myxoma that was surgically resected successfully in the acute phase after the onset of the neurologic symptoms.

Nitric oxide synthase inhibitor (MTR-105) during open-heart surgery. A pilot double-blind placebo-controlled study of hemodynamic effects and safety.

OBJECTIVES: Hypotension is common immediately following cardiopulmonary bypass. Experimentally, MTR-105 (S-ethylisothiuronium diethylphosphate), a fast-acting synthetic nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, rapidly increases blood pressure. The purpose of the current study was to assess the influence of MTR-105 on hemodynamics early after cardiopulmonary bypass in patients undergoing open-heart surgery. METHODS: Thirty-six patients with an ejection fraction >50% undergoing open-heart surgery were randomly assigned to either 50 microg kg(-1) min(-1) MTR-105 (M50, n = 12), 10 microg kg(-1) min(-1) MTR-105 (M10, n = 12) or buffered phosphate solution (placebo control, n = 12). Half suffered from atrial fibrillation and 75% had severe tricuspid regurgitation. Patients received the drug for 6 h after cross-clamp removal. Hemodynamic variables were measured before drug administration until 24 h after operation. Adverse events were recorded from study drug initiation through 30 days after the operation. RESULTS: Compared with control, both MTR-105 doses were associated with an immediate increase in systemic blood pressure (16%) and systemic vascular resistance and a decrease in cardiac index. Half-life time of MTR-105 was calculated to be 4.1 +/- 0.8 h (M10) and 4.45 +/- 0.92 h (M50). Three patients died during hospitalization, unrelated to the study medication. CONCLUSIONS: At the doses employed, MTR-105 appears hemodynamically active in increasing both blood pressures.

Mode of ventilation during cardiopulmonary bypass does not affect immediate postbypass oxygenation in pediatric cardiac patients.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of different modes of ventilation during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) on immediate postbypass oxygenation in pediatric cardiac surgery. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized clinical trial. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENTS: 50 pediatric patients (18 girls, 32 boys), aged 4 months to 15 years, undergoing elective repair of congenital heart disease. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized to receive one of 5 modes of ventilation during bypass. Groups 1 and 2 received high-frequency/low-volume ventilation with 100% (group 1) or 21% oxygen (group 2). Groups 3 and 4 received continuous positive airway pressure of 5 cm H(2)O with 100% (group 3) or 21% oxygen (group 4); and in group 5, each patient's airway was disconnected from the ventilator (passive deflation). MEASUREMENTS: Blood gas analysis and spirometry data were recorded 5 minutes before chest opening, 5 minutes before inducing bypass, 5 minutes after weaning from bypass, and 5 minutes after chest closure. MAIN RESULTS: There were no differences in Pao(2) values among the 5 groups studied and at the different time points. Lung compliance was higher 5 minutes before bypass in group 1 versus group 5 (34 +/- 13 mL/cm H(2)O vs 20 +/- 9 mL/cm H(2)O; P = 0.048). CONCLUSIONS: Mode of ventilation during CPB did not affect immediate postbypass oxygenation.

Quadrivalvular heart disease: transition from congenital pulmonary stenosis to rheumatic disease.

The case is reported of a 36-year-old male patient suffering from congenital pulmonary stenosis who previously had undergone pulmonary balloon valvuloplasty. During the past nine years, he had experienced recurrent attacks of rheumatic fever that gradually damaged all four heart valves. The patient underwent aortic, mitral and pulmonary valve replacement with tricuspid valve annuloplasty and pulmonary artery reconstruction. Histologically, all heart valves--including the pulmonary--had similar changes that corresponded to chronic rheumatic disease.

Leiomyosarcoma of the superior vena cava: Resection with vascular reconstruction - case report and review of the literature.

The present report describes a case of pedunculated intraluminal leiomyosarcoma of the superior vena cava, extending to the right atrium, that was successfully resected surgically. Superior vena cava reconstruction was performed using bovine pericardial graft, saving the sinus node. The pathological variants of this neoplasm according to the anatomical site of the tumour are described.