Short-term graft patency of sequential and Y-graft in open heart surgery with transit time flow measurement.

AIM: In this prospective study, we aimed to compare flow characteristics and the short term patency of sequential and y-grafts by intraoperative transit time flow measurement. METHODS: Sixty patients were selected from 1374 isolated coronary bypass operations. Group 1 (N.=36) consisted of sequential grafted, Group 2 (N.=24) consisted of y-grafted patients. Intraoperative graft flow measurement was done with a transit time flow meter at stable hemodynamic conditions. We follow up the groups at the 30th day of the operation. RESULTS: The mean flows at measurement set up were 43.2±19.7 mL/min in Group 1 and 43.6±21.7 mL/min in Group 2. After distal graft clamp removal the same values were 63.4±20.9 mL/min in Group 1 and 67.3±35.3 ml/mins in Group 2. At the 30th day of the operation no patients died, and none of them had an acute myocardial infarction. CONCLUSION: The percent of flow increase in sequential graft group was higher but the difference of the percent of flow increase between groups was not statistically significant.

A novel approach: ascending venous arterialization for atherosclerosis obliterans.

OBJECTIVE: Lower limb arterial occlusion with no patent distal artery suitable for revascularisation is a common problem. The aim of this study was to assess the role of revascularisation to distal veins (ascending venous arterialization) in patients not reconstructable by conventional bypass. METHOD: Ascending venous arterialization is a distal arteriovenous fistula. Reversed great saphenous vein grafts, from above the knee, were anastomosed to the common femoral artery, superficial femoral artery or popliteal artery and distally to the saphenous vein at the level of medial malleolus. No intervention was done to destroy the venous valves. The great saphenous vein was ligated below the knee. In this way, oxygenated blood could reach to dorsal venous arch and the tissues below the knee in an ascending fashion through the great saphenous vein, which was not removed. RESULTS: All of the patients recovered immediately after the operation. The lesions on the feet and on the toes of the patients improved in a short time. Intermittent claudication of the patients disappeared. Strong pulses were detected on the dorsal venous arch with manual Doppler in 3 weeks. The below knee tissues were perfused with the applied technique. CONCLUSION: Ascending venous arterialization can be applied for limb salvage to the patients who do not have a suitable arterial bed to revascularize with conventional techniques.

Is left main coronary artery stenosis a risk factor for early mortality in coronary artery surgery?

It is accepted universally that the treatment of critical left main coronary artery (LMCA) stenosis is surgical revascularization. This study was designed to evaluate critical LMCA stenosis as a risk factor in coronary artery bypass surgery. We compared the surgical results of 760 patients with critical LMCA disease, including 58 cases who were operated under emergency conditions (LMCA-em) and 702 patients who were operated electively (LMCA-el), with randomly chosen 707 coronary bypass patients (CONT-el) without LMCA disease, but who had double- or triple-vessel disease. Another group of patients (n = 99) who were operated on under emergency conditions (CONT-em) but without LMCA disease were also compared with the corresponding groups. The mortality of LMCA-em group and CONT-em group was markedly higher from the other two groups. Univariate analysis revealed that female gender, older age, presence of diabetes mellitus, poor left ventricular function, and the presence of unstable angina were major risk factors for fatal outcome in LMCA-el and CONT-el groups. Age was also a risk factor in LMCA-em group, as well as unstable angina pectoris. The coexistence of critical right coronary artery disease did not affect the early outcome in both groups with LMCA lesions. In the multivariate analysis, critical LMCA disease was not a risk factor for mortality. Logistic regression analysis revealed diabetes [odds ratio (OR): 3.66], poor left ventricular function (higher left ventricle end-diastolic pressure, OR: 1.08), and emergent operations (OR: 5.09) were risk factors for early mortality. Patients with LMCA disease should have surgery promptly for favorable results, because emergency conditions have higher mortality rates.

Acute mechanical valve thrombosis of the St. Jude medical prosthesis.

From 1986 to 1996, 2585 patients underwent valve replacement with the St. Jude medical prosthesis. Sixty experienced mechanical valve thrombosis. Seventeen of 60 patients (28.3%) had isolated aortic valve replacements, 33 had isolated mitral valve replacements (55%), and 10 had double valve replacements (16.7%) (aortic and mitral valve replacement). All patients who underwent reoperation for mechanical valve thrombosis were functional Class III or IV. Against medical advice, systemic anticoagulation with warfarin sodium had been discontinued or used only intermittently. Thus, anticoagulant activity was not adequate. The diagnosis of thrombosis was made by clinical examination, laboratory findings, and echocardiography and cineradiography. Of the 60 patients, 9 patients died early after surgery or before discharge. Most of the deaths were attributed to low cardiac output. The overall hospital mortality was 15%. The overall 10-year actuarial survival rate was 82.8+/-1.6%. In our study, reoperation for thrombosed mechanical prosthesis was not an independent parameter determining mortality. Age was the only statistically important hospital mortality predictor. Of this group, 90% suffered mechanical valve obstruction within the first 5 years after operation. These results suggest that valve re-replacement appears to be a suitable surgical treatment for thrombosis of mechanical prosthetic valves, especially in the young. In these patients subsequent anticoagulation management is necessary.

Treatment of functional tricuspid regurgitation by bicuspidalization annuloplasty during mitral valve surgery.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS OF THE STUDY: Surgical treatment of functional tricuspid regurgitation associated with advanced valvular disease remains controversial, mainly due to the difficulty in choosing between valve replacement or reconstructive surgery. Failure to correct tricuspid regurgitation during valvular surgery carries a poor prognosis, as reoperation may represent a significant risk to the patient. Thus correct tricuspid valve surgery is vital to achieve improved early and long-term clinical results. METHODS: A total of 142 patients underwent concomitant tricuspid annuloplasty with mitral valve replacement and their clinical outcome was assessed. RESULTS: Overall hospital mortality rate was 11.3%. Seven patients died during follow up. The overall actuarial survival rate for 10 years was 74.1 +/- 14.2%. Postoperatively, 75.8% of the patients had no residual tricuspid insufficiency, while 24.2% had first- or second-degree tricuspid insufficiency and were treated medically. All patients were in NHYA functional class I or II postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Clinically, it is important to assess the severity of functional tricuspid insufficiency before and/or during the operation. Bicuspidalization annuloplasty for functional tricuspid insufficiency has provided good results, with a low incidence of reoperation and significant clinical improvement. The technique could be used in most patients with functional tricuspid regurgitation.