Improved results in the management of surgical candidates with lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative mortality and morbidity after lung resection for carcinoma are generally reported to be 3% to 6% and 15% to 30%, respectively, and higher in the elderly and those with limited cardiopulmonary reserve. METHODS: To minimize this risk and extend the surgical option to more high-risk patients, we adopted a protocol in 1991 that included preoperative digitalis, subcutaneous heparin and venoocclusive stockings, aggressive perioperative pulmonary toilet, and video-directed limited resections for many patients with limited pulmonary reserve. In October 1996, we reviewed our results with 173 consecutive patients (median age, 60 years; range, 17 to 89 years) undergoing operation for suspected lung carcinoma. Forty-one patients were 70 years old or older, and 70 patients were considered high risk on the basis of advanced age (> or = 70 years), poor cardiac or pulmonary reserve, or serious medical comorbidity. Procedures included pneumonectomy (n = 31), lobectomy (n = 83), bilobectomy (n = 12), and limited resection (n = 45). Two patients had unresectable disease. RESULTS: Hospital mortality was 1.6% (3/173) and morbidity was experienced by 15% (26/173). Among the high-risk subgroup mortality was 4.2% (3/70) and morbidity was 20% (14/70; p < 0.03). For the older patients these values were 4.8% (2/41) and 17.9% (7/41), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Morbidity and mortality from lung resections may be minimized with the perioperative management strategy outlined above. This would allow more high-risk patients to benefit from surgical resection, and do so with an acceptably low risk.

Pulmonary autografts in patients with aortic annulus dysplasia.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary autograft replacement of the aortic valve is indicated in the young, in patients with an active life style, and when anticoagulation is contraindicated. Its use in patients with a dilated aortic annulus or sinotubular junction has historically had a less satisfactory result. METHODS: To extend the advantages of the pulmonary autograft to this group of patients, we performed the Ross operation as a root replacement and "fixed" and narrowed the aortic annulus with external woven Dacron in 12 patients, Teflon felt in 5, and pericardium in 3. Twenty patients, aged 7 to 47 years (median, 27 years), are reported to assess the effectiveness of this operative technique. Preoperative aortic annulus diameter was 23 to 33 mm (13 were >27 mm). RESULTS: There were no operative or late deaths. Early postoperative, echocardiographic evaluation of autograft valve function revealed no significant obstruction, grade 0 aortic insufficiency in 5, trace to 1+ in 12, and 2+ in 2. Late evaluation of 1 to 4 years is available in 12 patients and has shown no increase in autograft insufficiency. CONCLUSIONS: This experience suggests that operative fixation of the aortic annulus with an external Dacron cuff is effective and is recommended in patients with an aortic annulus that is significantly greater than normal for their body size.

Fibrous skeleton and ventricular outflow tracts in double-outlet right ventricle.

Twenty-four hearts in which both great arteries arose from the right ventricle were studied to establish variations present within the fibrous skeleton and infundibular morphologies. Variations were also noted in the location of the ventricular septal defect and measurements were obtained of the outlet septum and the circumferences of the arterial valves. Completely muscular subarterial infundibulums were present in only 9 (37.5%) of the hearts, with varying degrees of fibrous continuity between the leaflets of the arterial and atrioventricular valves in the remainder. The aorta was rightward and posterior in 12 (50%) of the hearts, and subaortic and subpulmonary ventricular septal defects were present in equal numbers in this group. No subaortic defects were present when the aorta was side-by-side and right-sided. No subpulmonary defects were present in hearts with a posterior aorta. The mean ratio of 0.91 +/- 0.36 for the subpulmonary to subaortic length of the outlet septum was significantly less than the value of 1.54 +/- 0.41 noted previously in hearts with tetralogy of Fallot (p less than 0.001).

Variations within the fibrous skeleton and ventricular outflow tracts in tetralogy of Fallot.

We studied 20 hearts with tetralogy of Fallot with particular reference to the morphology of the fibrous continuity between the aortic and atrioventricular valves and of the ventricular outflow tracts. The extent of valvar fibrous continuity varied with the degree of aortic override, with the extent of the perimembranous ventricular septal defect opening between the ventricular inlets, and with the development of the ventriculoinfundibular fold. This, when fused with the septomarginal trabeculation, produced discontinuity between the leaflets of the tricuspid valve and the continuous leaflets of the aortic and mitral valves, as well as a muscular posteroinferior rim to the defect. Rotation of the aortic root ranged through 119 degrees. Aortic override varied from 33% to 94%, with 35% of these hearts having more than half of the aortic circumference connected to the right ventricle. The pulmonary valves had three leaflets in 50%, two leaflets in 45%, and four leaflets in one (5%). All hearts had two main coronary arterial orifices, 45% of which were atypical in location. One heart displayed a transmural course of the left coronary artery arising from the nonfacing sinus. By measurement, the subpulmonary length was, on average, roughly 50% greater than the subaortic length, and, when the selected hearts were sectioned, much of the subpulmonary infundibulum was found to be composed of free-standing musculature rather than true outlet septum. The proportion of total right ventricular length represented by the infundibulum was 0.31 +/- 0.07, confirming that, compared with that of normal hearts, the narrowed infundibulum in tetralogy is longer rather than shorter.