[Spinal cord ischemia after surgery for arch and aortic valve replacement with elephant trunk for plural thoracic aneurysms].

A 62-years old man had plural aneurysms from the aortic arch to the descending aorta. Y-grafting had been performed twice for an abdominal aortic aneurysm. We performed the first operation which involved aortic valve and arch replacement under deep hypothermia with selective cerebral perfusion. During the operation, hemodynamics was stable, but after the operation he developed paraplegia due to ischemic change in the spinal cord. It was considered that the cause of the ischemia might have been the changing of the blood supply to the spinal cord. In patients with severe atherosclerosis, the blood supply for the spinal cord needs to be very strictly determined.

[Sinus of Valsalva dilatation after replacement of the ascending aorta and aortic valve].

A 52-year-old woman, height, 149 cm; weight, 40 kg, was admitted because of anterior chest discomfort and palpitations. There was no family history of Marfan syndrome. She had undergone replacement of the ascending aorta and aortic valve 10 years prior for DeBakey II aortic dissection. Postoperative pathological examination of the resected aortic wall revealed cystic medionecrosis. Computed tomography(CT) 4 years after the surgery showed moderate enlargement of the preserved sinuses of Valsalva, and CT 10 years after the surgery showed enlargement of the sinus. She consented to a reoperation. The prostheses were explanted, and the aortic root was replaced with a composite graft. The right coronary artery ostium was completely closed, and no graftable portions of the distal right coronary artery were detected. Thus, the left coronary artery alone was reimplanted. The patient required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for 10 days postoperatively, after which she recovered fully without complications. This case may indicate that the complete aortic root should be replaced during initial surgery of the ascending aorta or aortic valve in patients with potential risk of sinus of Valsalva dilatation.

[Reconstruction of aortic branches after total aortic replacement in Marfan syndrome; report of a case].

A 34-year-old man with Marfan syndrome finished to replace the total aorta in consecutive 4 operations for 7 years. Two years later, he was diagnosed as bilateral common iliac artery aneurysms and performed a reconstruction of both arteries in September 7, 1998. Then 2 years later, innominate artery was dilated and Y-type grafting was performed in March 14, 2001. Now we have a scheduled operation for celiac artery aneurysm. In patients with Marfan syndrome, aortic dissection and aneurysms are common complications, but progressive dilatations of aortic branches are rear. Regular follow-up is important even though total aortic replacement was completed.

High-flow arteriovenous malformation of the lower extremity: ethanolamine oleate sclerotherapy.

We report the case of a young man presenting with high-flow arteriovenous malformation (AVM), in whom percutaneous direct nidus puncture ethanolamine oleate (EO) sclerotherapy was useful in the management of the AVM. To our knowledge, this is the first report of percutaneous trans-nidus EO sclerotherapy for AVM in the extremities. Percutaneous trans-nidus sclerotherapy should be considered as an alternative choice for the management of symptomatic AVM.

Surgical Correction and Prognostic Factors for Ascending Aortic Lesions Involving Coronary Arteries

The prognostic factors following aortic root reconstruction were studied in 19 patients including 13 with annuloaortic ectasia (AAE) and 6 without AAE (non-AAE). The preoperative diagnosis of six non-AAE patients was a dissecting aneurysm in five of the patients and supravalvular aortic stenosis associated with stenosis of the right coronary ostia in one patients. In the AAE group, the Bentall's method was initially selected in 11 patients and the Cabrol's method in the remaining 2 patients. In the non-AAE group, ascending aortic replacement was performed in 4 patients, patch plasty of the ascending aorta in 1 patient, and entry closure in the other patient. In this group, aorto-coronary bypass grafting using a saphenous vein graft was performed in 4 patients, ostioplasty of the right coronary artery (RCA) in 1, and the Bentall's method in 1. During the postoperative acute phase, one AAE patient died of acute myocardial infarction 3 days after surgery; the remaining 18 patients survived. In the follow-up study, 3 patients died of cardiac events which included two cardiac failures and one arrhythmia. The preoperative left ventricular diameter in the end-diastolic phase (LVDd) of 2 AAE patients who died of cardiac failure was 80 mm or larger and the left ventricular function remained unchanged after surgery. One non-AAE patient who underwent RCA ostioplasty suddenly died of arrhythmia. Postanastomotic leakage around the left coronary ostia associated with the patent Cabrol's trick occurred in 1 AAE patient and mitral valve regurgitation occurred in the other non-AAE patient. Reoperation using Cabrol's procedure and mitral valve replacement were performed for these 2 patients, respectively. Preoperative low cardiac function and large LVDd may influence the late results in AAE patients, therefore, earlier operations should be recommended.

Successful graft replacement of the descending aorta after an extended reconstruction of the ascending and transverse aorta in a patient with Marfan's syndrome.

A 27-year-old man with Marfan's syndrome underwent a total aortic graft replacement in three separate stages. Initially the abdominal aorta was replaced, followed by the ascending aorta and aortic arch, and finally the residual portion. The extensive reconstruction of both the ascending and transverse aorta at the second operation, even though no dissection was present in the aortic arch, reduced the risk of the subsequent operation since the same surgical approach did not have to be used.

Saphenous vein graft pseudoaneurysm rupture after coronary artery bypass grafting.

An elderly woman underwent coronary artery bypass grafting, which was followed 1 month later by pseudoaneurysmal rupture at the distal anastomosis of a saphenous vein graft. Emergency repair of the suture line dehiscence was made, and the postoperative course was uneventful. Pseudoaneurysm formation of a saphenous vein graft after coronary artery bypass grafting is a rare but potentially lethal complication requiring urgent operative intervention.

Successful surgical treatment of a complete traumatic tracheal disruption.

We report a case of a survivor who suffered a complete traumatic disruption of the cervical trachea associated with multiple organ injuries. She underwent an emergent operation including end-to-end anastomosis of the disrupted trachea with pedicled omental coverage to prevent dehiscence and mediastinitis. The postoperative course was uneventful, with hospital discharge on day 36. She returned to her previous lifestyle.

[Postoperative inflammatory responses to gelatin- and collagen-impregnated Dacron grafts and changes of endotoxin].

Between June, 1993 and January, 1995 a gelatin-sealed knitted Dacron (Gelseal) (g-G0, n = 7) and a collagen-sealed knitted Dacron graft (Hemashield) (g-H0, n = 8) were randomly implanted to 15 patients (pts) for replacement of thoracic aorta. We evaluated postoperative inflammatory responses and levels of Toxicolor and Endospecy which are the measurements of endotoxin. Five pts in g-G0 and 3 pts in g-H0 showed that a body temperature (BT) were above 37.5 degrees C on the 7th postoperative day (POD). In three of them (2 in g-G0 and 1 in g-H0), BT above 37.5 degrees C continued until POD 14 due to the bacterial infection. The other causes of elevation of BT were pleural effusion (2), pericardial effusion (1) and unknown origin (2). Patients without evidence of infection (n = 12) were divided into 2 groups (g-G: pts with Gelseal, n = 5, g-H: pts with Hemashield, n = 7). On POD3, postoperative BT in g-H was significantly higher than in g-G. And, on POD7, BT in g-G rose up more than in g-H. However, on POD14, BT decreased to the normal range in both groups. The values of WBC in g-G were slightly higher than in g-H and they became normal after POD7 in both groups. The levels of CRP in g-H were higher than in g-G after POD3 and in both groups they were still high on POD14. In terms of endotoxin., Toxicolor was already above the normal range from POD1 and decreased to the normal range after POD14. However, the level of Endospecy kept within normal range. In conclusion, Toxicolor-reactive substance elevates by using Gelseal and Hemashield. Its substance is not endotoxin. It would not be appropriate to consider that endotoxin is an origin of fever between POD7 and 14.

[A case of successful treatment of mediastinitis and prosthetic graft infection after aortic arch and thoracoabdominal aortic reconstruction].

Thoracic graft infection is a serious complication with high mortality. We report a case of successful treatment of mediastinitis and graft infection after aortic arch and thoracoabdominal aortic reconstruction. A 56-year-old woman underwent surgery for thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm. The aneurysm was replaced with prosthetic grafts. She had a high fever on the 12th postoperative day (POD). A Chest X-ray and CT scan demonstrated fluid collection around the grafts. On the 17th POD, mediastinal drainage was performed and Staphylococcus epidermidis was detected. Because of the difficulty to replace the infected grafts, a continuous drainage from the mediastinal cavity around the grafts was induced for 17 days and sensitive antibiotics to the pathogen was administered systemically for 40 days. Inflammatory reactions were improved and her general condition was stabilized. On the 64th POD, she was discharged.

Successful coronary artery bypass grafting for a patient with myelodysplastic syndrome: report of a case.

We report herein the case of a 61-year-old man with myelodysplastic syndrome causing pancytopenia who underwent successful coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Preoperatively, his hemoglobin (Hb) value was 10.4 g/dl while receiving transfusions of 1 or 2 units of red blood cells (RBC) every 2 weeks, his white blood cell (WBC) count was 8200/microliter with injections of 100 micrograms granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-SCF) every 5 days, and his platelet count was 4.5 x 10(4)/ microliter without platelet transfusion. From the time the pancytopenia was diagnosed in his peripheral blood, he had received a total of 104 units of RBC and 472 units of platelets, following which he developed an antiplatelet antibody, not for a platelet-specific antigen, but for an HLA antigen. Thus, HLA-matched platelets were prepared to prevent bleeding caused by thrombocytopenia, and the WBC count was elevated preoperatively by G-CSF injections. Thereafter, CABG was performed on three vessels. The HLA-matched platelets were transfused as the patient was weaned from the extracorporeal circulation. As a result of these preparations, we were able to protect the patient against bleeding and infection.

Three-channeled aortic dissection.

A 68-year-old woman in whom a thoracic aortic dissection (DeBakey type III) had been followed up for 6 years was admitted to our hospital with a complaint of chest pain. A graft replacement of the descending thoracic aorta was performed. A communication between the second and third channels was detected intraoperatively. Nine cases of three-channeled aortic dissection whose third dissection existed within the outer wall of the second one were previously reported, and 4 of them had a communication between the two false channels.

[Rupture of dissecting aortic aneurysm associated with the right-sided aortic arch and anomalous course of the left brachiocephalic vein--a case report].

A case of ruptured dissecting aortic aneurysm (DeBakey IIIb) associated with the right sided aortic arch and anomalous course of the left branchiocephalic vein was reported. A sixty-nine-year-old female suddenly had the severe back pain and soon fell into shock. The diagnosis of a ruptured dissecting aortic aneurysm associated with the right sided aortic was obtained on CT scanning. CT films also showed the left brachiocephalic vein behind the ascending aorta. Emergency operation was performed through median sternotomy and left thoracotomy. The descending aorta, forming an aneurysm with the aberrant subclavian artery, prominently protruded far to the left, and was located behind the trachea and the esophagus. Extra-anatomical bypass grafting was performed between the ascending aorta and the distal descending aorta. The patient eventually died of multiple organ failure on the 11th day after operation. These findings were confirmed by autopsy. A rare vascular anomaly with aortic dissection was reported, and a surgical approach to that lesion was discussed.

[Concomitant graft replacement of the total aortic root and the transverse aortic arch for type A aortic dissection associated with Marfan syndrome: report of a case].

A 25-year-old man of Marfan syndrome with chronic stage aortic dissection of Stanford type A underwent concomitant graft replacement of the total aortic root and transverse aortic arch. The surgical procedure were performed with an aid of extracorporeal circulation, blood cardioplegia, using the techniques of "open distal anastomosis" under the deep hypothermic circulatory arrest and continuous retrograde cerebral perfusion for cerebral protection during circulatory arrest. The operative techniques consisted of total aortic root replacement using a composite graft with Piehler's and Carrel patch technique for left and right coronary artery, and total arch replacement using en bloc distal arch reconstruction and a composite graft replacement for innominate artery. There were no neurological complications. In the case of Marfan syndrome, type A aortic dissection involving aortic arch should be treated by concomitant graft replacement of the total aortic root and the transverse aortic arch in order to reduce the late risk of aortic dissection or annular dilatation.

[Long-term follow-up results of stage III and IV thymomas and thymic carcinomas invading the great veins].

A series of 24 patients with stage III and IV thymomas and thymic carcinomas were reviewed with respect to the invasiveness of the superior vena cava (SVC) and brachiocephalic veins (BCV). Masaoka staging revealed stage III disease in 14 patients and stage IV in 10. Follow-up ranged from 3 months to 12 years and 10 months. In 9 patients with stage III disease involving the great veins, 6 patients underwent total resection, 2 subtotal resection, and one exploratory thoracotomy. Reconstruction of SVC was done in 2 patients and of left BCV in 7 and angioplasty of SVC in one. Although there were 4 tumor deaths and one myasthenic death, 4 patients were alive and tumor free. The longest survival after total resection with SVC replacement was 11 years and 7 months. In 3 patients with stage IV disease invading the great veins, 2 patients underwent partial resection and one received radiotherapy alone. Although 2 patients died of generalized metastases and respiratory failure respectively, one remained alive 2 years and 2 months with carcinoma. Although long-term survivors were obtained in the patients with adventitial involvement, prognosis was poor in the patients with intimal invasion.

[Congenital bicuspid aortic valve with regurgitation--a rare case showing a fibrous band between the conjoined cusp and the ascending aorta].

It is quite unusual that the congenital bicuspid aortic valve shows aortic valve regurgitation except postinflammatory event. In a case of aortic regurgitation with bicuspid valve, a fibrous band was recognized between the conjoined cusp and the ascending aorta at the operation. Since a degenerative change alone was discerned histologically in the resected specimen, this abnormal band was supposed to be an embryogenic remnant of the aortic valve. Six cases were reported previously and all of them were male, and five were Japanese.

[Serial assessment of ventricle function in diastolic volume loading caused by valvular disease].

Thirty patients underwent aortic valve replacement (AVR) for aortic regurgitation and fifty-two did mitral valve replacement (MVR) for mitral regurgitation. Preoperative echocardiographic studies classified each cases into two groups. Group A: LVDs (left ventricular end-systolic dimension) > 50 mm and FS (left ventricular fractional shortening < 25%, Group B: LVDs < or = 50 mm or FS > or = 25%. Serial assessments by echocardiography were done at one year, three years, and five years after operation. LVDs, FS, LVDd (left ventricular end-diastolic dimension), EF (ejection fraction, Pombo's method) were evaluated. In the Group A of the AVR cases, it took three years for the left ventricular function to recover, but in the MVR cases, the left ventricular function didn't reach to the normal range, moreover tended to worsen five years after operation. One of the reasons may be attributable to the preoperative hemodynamic states in which the left ventricular after-load is smaller in the MVR cases. For such long-standing unfavorable condition, the left ventricle could not get enough recovery. In the Group B of both cases, there is no difference of the postoperative recovery of the left ventricular function. Postoperative cardiac function must be discussed upon the serial evaluation after operation.

[A case of Stanford type A acute aortic dissection complicated with clotted false lumen and saccular aneurysm formation].

A 59-year-old farmer was admitted with severe anterior chest and back pain. As MRI showed a Stanford type A dissection, operation was performed. Surgical intervention revealed the clotted false lumen of the ascending aorta without intimal tear, and it was transected and primarily reconstructed with Teflon felt bolsters. Three months later MRI disclosed disappearance of the dissected lumen in the ascending and descending aorta. During the following two years and three months, a saccular aneurysm of the distal arch was found to be increased in size rapidly. The second operation was attempted to close the intimal defect with patch. As a whole this was a rare case of DeBakey type III acute aortic dissection complicated with proximal extension, clotted false lumen and saccular aneurysm formation at the site of the intimal tear.

[Dissecting aortic aneurysm involving an aberrant right subclavian artery].

A 51-year-old man was admitted with severe interscapular and chest pain. Chest X-ray showed marked widening of the mediastinum. Aortography demonstrated DeBakey IIIb type dissecting aortic aneurysm and an aberrant right subclavian artery arising from the diverticulum of Kommerell. The intimal tear was repaired with direct suture closure with the aid of femoro-femoral bypass. Although the dissecting lumen was not obliterated completely, the patient has been well for seven years on antihypertensive treatment. This is a rare combination of congenital and acquired disease of the aorta. As far as we know, this is the first report in Japanese literature.