ABSTRACT
An 80-year-old man had a guidewire in his aorta since catheter laboratory accident 4 years ago. He recently started to suffer mental distress and underwent coronary angiography that revealed an entrapped guidewire and significant stenoses in each of three major coronary arteries. The guidewire could not be removed using transcatheter technique. Thus, after careful consideration, we decided to perform entrapped guidewire removal through minimally invasive surgical approach instead of median sternotomy. Post-operative course was uneventful. Although surgical approach should be tailored in each case, minimally invasive approach can be a choice for entrapped guidewire removal.
Subject(s)
Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures , Humans , Male , Aged, 80 and over , Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures/methods , Device Removal/methods , Aorta/surgeryABSTRACT
Blow-out type left ventricular free wall rupture is a serious complication of acute myocardial infarction, that carries high hospital mortality rates and poor surgical outcome. We report the case of an 88-year-old woman who developed cardiac tamponade following percutaneous coronary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction. She was diagnosed with left ventricular free wall rupture, and rupture type was proved to be blow out after median sternotomy. To address this critical condition, we opted for the sutureless technique for its minimally invasive nature and ability to preserve left ventricular function. The patient was discharged from the hospital without any complications 22 days after surgery. Considering favorable, encouraging outcomes of this case, sutureless technique could be regarded as a viable option for blow-out type left ventricular free wall rupture.
Subject(s)
Cardiac Tamponade , Heart Rupture, Post-Infarction , Heart Rupture , Myocardial Infarction , Female , Humans , Aged, 80 and over , Heart Rupture/diagnostic imaging , Heart Rupture/etiology , Heart Rupture/surgery , Myocardial Infarction/complications , Cardiac Tamponade/diagnostic imaging , Cardiac Tamponade/etiology , Cardiac Tamponade/surgery , Heart Rupture, Post-Infarction/diagnostic imaging , Heart Rupture, Post-Infarction/surgery , Heart Rupture, Post-Infarction/complications , Heart Ventricles/surgeryABSTRACT
Key Clinical Message: Surgical treatment is a better option for coarctation of the aorta. Abstract: A 56-year-old man was admitted to the hospital due to chest pain. Computed tomography showed severe coarctation of the aorta distal to the left subclavian artery, with poststenotic dilatation of the descending aorta. A descending aortic replacement was performed in an uneventful manner. The postoperative course was good without symptoms.
ABSTRACT
A 71-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital due to cardiac tamponade. Computed tomography revealed that the diameter and wall thickness of the ascending aorta were 36 and 9 mm, respectively. An emergent ascending aortic replacement was performed uneventfully. The pathological findings indicated frank rupture of intramural hematoma.
ABSTRACT
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement has increasingly been used as a standard treatment option for patients with aortic valve stenosis, especially in the frail and the elderly. However, it is not recognized as a valid treatment for patients with aortic valve regurgitation. In this study, we report our experience in conducting a right anterior minithoracotomy for a minimally invasive aortic valve replacement in the elderly. An 87-year-old woman with severe aortic valve regurgitation was admitted to our department. Minimally invasive aortic valve replacement was performed, through a right anterior minithoracotomy in the second intercostal space. A localized transverse aortotomy was performed at a position higher than that in an ordinary aortotomy. Our procedure for aortic valve replacement was similar to the conventional method. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged after 10 days. Therefore, we conclude that right anterior minithoracotomy for a minimally invasive aortic valve replacement is a feasible, effective, and safe technique.
Subject(s)
Aortic Valve Insufficiency , Aortic Valve Stenosis , Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation , Heart Valve Prosthesis , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Aortic Valve/surgery , Aortic Valve Insufficiency/surgery , Aortic Valve Stenosis/surgery , Female , Frail Elderly , Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation/methods , Humans , Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures/methods , Thoracotomy/methods , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
A 69-year-old woman presented with symptoms of resting pain in the lower limb bilaterally. A computed tomography( CT) scan revealed occlusion of the infrarenal aorta and bilateral common iliac arteries, indicating Leriche syndrome. A coronary angiogram demonstrated in-stent restenosis in the left anterior descending coronary artery. Therefore, the patient underwent off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (left mammary artery to left anterior descending coronary artery) and ascending aorta-bifemoral bypass using the HeartString device for the inflow anastomosis. The postoperative period was uneventful. Although an indication for this surgical technique should be tailored to the anatomy of the lesion, it is a reliable surgical option to achieve good outcomes.
Subject(s)
Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump , Coronary Artery Bypass , Aged , Aorta, Abdominal/diagnostic imaging , Aorta, Abdominal/surgery , Coronary Angiography , Coronary Artery Bypass/methods , Coronary Vessels , Female , HumansABSTRACT
Acute aortic dissection is a rare and potentially catastrophic perioperative complication of cardiac surgery. A 72-year-old woman underwent aortic valve replacement with a bioprosthetic valve for aortic regurgitation seven years earlier. She experienced respiratory distress on exertion and was diagnosed with prosthetic valve dysfunction. Reoperative aortic valve replacement with a bioprosthetic valve was performed. On postoperative day eight, contrast-enhanced computed tomography, which was performed to evaluate persistent high levels of inflammatory response, revealed acute DeBakey typeâ aortic dissection. Emergency ascending aortic replacement was successfully performed. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 19 without any complications. Acute aortic dissection after cardiac surgery is rare;however, physicians should be aware of this possible complication.
Subject(s)
Aortic Dissection , Aortic Valve Insufficiency , Heart Valve Prosthesis , Aged , Aortic Dissection/diagnostic imaging , Aortic Dissection/surgery , Aortic Valve/diagnostic imaging , Aortic Valve/surgery , Aortic Valve Insufficiency/diagnostic imaging , Aortic Valve Insufficiency/etiology , Aortic Valve Insufficiency/surgery , Female , Heart Valve Prosthesis/adverse effects , Humans , ReoperationABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Although reoperation has been increasingly performed in cardiovascular surgery in recent years, preventing surgical adhesions remains an unsolved complication. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether gelatine sealing sheets are more effective than fibrin sealing sheets in preventing surgical adhesions. METHODS: Bilateral femoral arteries of 20 beagle dogs under general anaesthesia were pricked with syringe needles, and gelatine and fibrin sealing sheets were applied on the bleeding points to make canine adhesion models. The femoral artery was harvested after 4 and 12 weeks to evaluate adhesion formations. The adhesive grade was quantified by scoring the area and strength of adhesion tissues. Histological staining was performed to examine the structural features of surgical adhesions. RESULTS: Significantly fewer macroscopic adhesions were observed with gelatine sealing sheets than those with fibrin sealing sheets at 4 and 12 weeks postoperatively. Microscopically, CD3+ T lymphocytes at 4 and 12 weeks postoperatively in gelatine sealing sheets were significantly lower than those in fibrin sealing sheets. Microvessel density determined by CD34 at 4 and 12 weeks postoperatively in gelatine sealing sheets was also significantly lower than those in fibrin sealing sheets. CONCLUSIONS: The gelatine sealing sheets are more effective than the fibrin sealing sheets in preventing surgical adhesions. These findings suggest that the gelatine sealing sheet may help prevent adhesions and thus be a therapeutically effective biomaterial in vascular surgery.
Subject(s)
Gelatin , Tissue Adhesives , Animals , Biocompatible Materials , Dogs , Fibrin Tissue Adhesive , Humans , Tissue Adhesions/prevention & controlSubject(s)
Aneurysm , Arterio-Arterial Fistula , Coronary Aneurysm , Coronary Vessel Anomalies , Fistula , Hypertension, Pulmonary , Arterio-Arterial Fistula/complications , Arterio-Arterial Fistula/diagnostic imaging , Arterio-Arterial Fistula/surgery , Coronary Aneurysm/complications , Coronary Aneurysm/diagnostic imaging , Coronary Aneurysm/surgery , Coronary Angiography , Coronary Vessel Anomalies/complications , Coronary Vessel Anomalies/diagnostic imaging , Coronary Vessel Anomalies/surgery , Coronary Vessels , Humans , Pulmonary Artery/abnormalities , Pulmonary Artery/diagnostic imaging , Pulmonary Artery/surgeryABSTRACT
Ligament reconstruction using a tissue-engineered artificial ligament (TEAL) requires regeneration of the ligament-bone junction such that fixation devices such as screws and end buttons do not have to be used. The objective of this study was to develop a TEAL consisting of elastin-coated polydioxanone (PDS) sutures covered with elastin and collagen fibers preseeded with ligament cells. In a pilot study, a ring-type PDS suture with a 2.5 mm (width) bone insertion was constructed with/without elastin coating (Ela-coat and Non-coat) and implanted into two bone tunnels, diameter 2.4 mm, in the rabbit tibia (6 cases each) to access the effect of elastin on the bond strength. PDS specimens taken together with the tibia at 6 weeks after implantation indicated growth of bone-like hard tissues around bone tunnels accompanied with narrowing of the tunnels in the Ela-coat group and not in the Non-coat group. The drawout load of the Ela-coat group was significantly higher (28.0 ± 15.1 N, n = 4) than that of the Non-coat group (7.6 ± 4.6 N, n = 5). These data can improve the mechanical bulk property of TEAL through extracellular matrix formation. To achieve this TEAL model, 4.5 × 106 ligament cells were seeded on elastin and collagen fibers (2.5 cm × 2.5 cm × 80 µm) prior to coil formation around the elastin-coated PDS core sutures having ball-shape ends with a diameter of 2.5 mm. Cell-seeded and cell-free TEALs were implanted across the femur and the tibia through bone tunnels with a diameter of 2.4 mm (6 cases each). There was no incidence of TEAL being pulled in 6 weeks. Regardless of the remarkable degradation of PDS observed in the cell-seeded group, both the elastic modulus and breaking load of the cell-seeded group (n = 3) were comparable to those of the sham-operation group (n = 8) (elastic modulus: 15.4 ± 1.3 MPa and 18.5 ± 5.7 MPa; breaking load: 73.0 ± 23.4 N and 104.8 ± 21.8 N, respectively) and higher than those of the cell-free group (n = 5) (elastic modulus: 5.7 ± 3.6 MPa; breaking load: 48.1 ± 11.3 N) accompanied with narrowed bone tunnels and cartilage matrix formation. These data suggest that elastin increased the bond strength of TEAL and bone. Furthermore, our newly developed TEAL from elastin, collagen, and ligament cells maintained the strength of the TEAL even if PDS was degraded.
Subject(s)
Collagen/chemistry , Collateral Ligaments/cytology , Elastin/chemistry , Polydioxanone/chemistry , Tibia/surgery , Tissue Engineering/methods , Tissue Scaffolds/chemistry , Animals , Biomechanical Phenomena , Bone Regeneration , Cells, Cultured , Collateral Ligaments/injuries , Collateral Ligaments/ultrastructure , Elastic Modulus , Female , Pilot Projects , Rabbits , Plastic Surgery Procedures , Sutures , Tibia/physiologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Anastomotic needle hole bleeding is a frequently encountered problem in cardiovascular surgeries. OBJECTIVE: To examine the feasibility of crosslinked gelatin glue as an anastomotic needle hole sealant in comparison with fibrin glue. METHODS: The in vitro burst water pressures were measured for gelatin and fibrin glue sealed needle holes of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) or collagen coated woven polyester grafts. For in vivo investigations, abdominal aorta-ePTFE graft anastomoses of heparinized beagle dogs were sealed by gelatin or fibrin glue and hemostatic efficacy was judged. The implanted sites were re-examined 4 weeks postoperatively. RESULTS: The in vitro burst water pressures of gelatin glue sealed needle holes of both grafts were higher than those sealed by fibrin glue. For in vivo canine studies, hemostasis was successful for all gelatin glue applied suture lines, but not two out of three fibrin glue treated sites when 3-0 polypropylene suture was employed. Although adhesions of surrounding tissues were intense for all sites 4 weeks postoperatively, inflammation was more severe for the fibrin glue group compared to those of gelatin glue. CONCLUSIONS: Gelatin glue was found to be an effective and safe sealant for accomplishing hemostasis of anastomotic needle holes of vascular grafts.
Subject(s)
Aorta, Abdominal/injuries , Tissue Adhesives/administration & dosage , Tissue Adhesives/chemical synthesis , Vascular Surgical Procedures/adverse effects , Vascular System Injuries/etiology , Vascular System Injuries/therapy , Adhesives/administration & dosage , Adhesives/chemistry , Animals , Aorta, Abdominal/pathology , Cross-Linking Reagents/chemistry , Dogs , Female , Hemostatic Techniques , Hemostatics/administration & dosage , Hemostatics/chemical synthesis , Treatment Outcome , Vascular System Injuries/pathologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Lifestyle-related diseases represented by metabolic syndrome develop as results of complex interaction. By using health check-up data from two large studies collected during a long-term follow-up, we searched for risk factors associated with the development of metabolic syndrome. METHODS: In our original study, we selected 77 case subjects who developed metabolic syndrome during the follow-up and 152 healthy control subjects who were free of lifestyle-related risk components from among 1803 Japanese male employees. In a replication study, we selected 2196 case subjects and 2196 healthy control subjects from among 31343 other Japanese male employees. By means of a bioinformatics approach using a fuzzy neural network (FNN), we searched any significant combinations that are associated with MetS. To ensure that the risk combination selected by FNN analysis was statistically reliable, we performed logistic regression analysis including adjustment. RESULTS: We selected a combination of an elevated level of γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (γ-GTP) and an elevated white blood cell (WBC) count as the most significant combination of risk factors for the development of metabolic syndrome. The FNN also identified the same tendency in a replication study. The clinical characteristics of γ-GTP level and WBC count were statistically significant even after adjustment, confirming that the results obtained from the fuzzy neural network are reasonable. Correlation ratio showed that an elevated level of γ-GTP is associated with habitual drinking of alcohol and a high WBC count is associated with habitual smoking. CONCLUSIONS: This result obtained by fuzzy neural network analysis of health check-up data from large long-term studies can be useful in providing a personalized novel diagnostic and therapeutic method involving the γ-GTP level and the WBC count.
Subject(s)
Computational Biology/methods , Fuzzy Logic , Life Style , Metabolic Syndrome/diagnosis , Neural Networks, Computer , Adult , Body Mass Index , Computational Biology/standards , Diagnostic Tests, Routine , Employment , Environmental Exposure , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Japan , Leukocyte Count , Logistic Models , Male , Metabolic Syndrome/blood , Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care , Reproducibility of Results , Risk Assessment , Risk Factors , Specimen Handling , Surveys and Questionnaires , gamma-Glutamyltransferase/blood , gamma-Glutamyltransferase/metabolismABSTRACT
In the presence of poly(L-lysine)-graft-dextran, an in-stem molecular beacon involving three perylene-anthraquinone pairs in the stem region had a signal/background ratio of as high as 570. Response speed was also remarkable; equilibrium was attained within 5 minutes after addition of substrate DNA at 20 °C.