Severe right ventricular outflow obstruction by right sinus of valsalva aneurysm.

Aneurysms of the sinus of Valsalva are rarely diagnosed cardiac anomalies, occurring in 0.14%-0.96% of patients who have undergone open heart surgical procedures. The most common congenital anomalies accompanying sinus of Valsalva aneurysm (SVA) are ventricular septal defect, bicuspid aortic valve, atrial septal defect, and coarctation of aorta. We report a patient with an unruptured right SVA presenting with severe right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) obstruction, and coexisting patent foramen ovale (PFO) with a right to left shunt. It could be assumed that the increase in right atrial pressure due to RVOT obstruction had led to a right to left shunt across the patent foramen ovale.

Does acute aortic dissection display seasonal variation?

BACKGROUND: The relation between cardiovascular diseases and the seasons is well known; however, only a few reports have addressed the seasonal aspects of acute aortic dissections. We investigated whether presentation of acute aortic dissection has monthly/seasonal variations. METHODS: From February 1985 to January 2006, 165 consecutive patients with aortic dissection admitted to our institution were reviewed. During this period, regional monthly atmospheric pressure data were supplied by the state's meteorological service. The mean and SD of atmospheric pressure data were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: The frequency of acute aortic dissection was found to be significantly higher during winter versus other seasons (P = .041). A relatively high positive correlation was found between the incidence of acute aortic dissection and the mean atmospheric pressure (P = .037). The study confirmed monthly variation with a peak in January. In winter, the frequency of acute aortic dissection was higher in male than in female patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that the occurrence of acute aortic dissection has significant seasonal/monthly variations. Thus, these observations may be a guide for prevention of acute aortic dissections by structuring treatment approaches with consideration given to the times of the year that patients are most vulnerable.

Surgical treatment of post-infarction left ventricular pseudoaneurysm: a two-decade experience.

Herein, we present a retrospective analysis of our experience with acquired pseudoaneurysms of the left ventricle over a 20-year period.From February 1985 through September 2004, 14 patients underwent operation for left ventricular pseudoaneurysm in our clinic. All pseudoaneurysms (12 chronic, 2 acute) were caused by myocardial infarction. The mean interval between myocardial infarction and diagnosis of pseudoaneurysm was 7 months (range, 1-11 mo). The pseudoaneurysm was located in the inferior or posterolateral wall in 11 of 14 patients (78.6%). In all patients, the pseudoaneurysm was resected and the ventricular wall defect was closed with direct suture (6 patients) or a patch (8 patients). Most patients had 3-vessel coronary artery disease. Coronary artery bypass grafting was performed in all patients. Five patients died (postoperative mortality rate, 35.7%) after repair of a pseudoaneurysm (post-infarction, 2 patients; chronic, 3 patients). Two patients died during follow-up (median, 42 mo), due to cancer in 1 patient and sudden death in the other. Although repair of left ventricular pseudoaneurysm is still a surgical challenge, it can be performed with acceptable results in most patients. Surgical repair is warranted particularly in cases of large or expanding pseudoaneurysms because of the propensity for fatal rupture.

Pedicled right internal mammary artery for reoperative off-pump revascularization of left anterior descending coronary artery.

In situ right internal mammary artery is the graft of choice in reoperative off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, as well as in primary on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, unless the vessel has been used previously. However, there are not enough data about postoperative angiographic findings of the in situ right internal mammary artery in reoperative coronary artery bypass grafting with the off-pump technique. From September 1993 through January 2004, we reviewed the postoperative course and the graft patency of 12 selected patients who underwent off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting reoperation only for revascularization of the left anterior descending artery, by means of a pedicled right internal mammary artery graft. All patients were evaluated clinically and by postoperative coronary angiography. There were no early or late deaths during the mean follow-up period of 33.08 +/- 30.05 months (range, 1-77 months). The mean interval from the 1st operation to the 2nd operation was 74.1 +/- 57.01 months (range, 4.5-171 months). Postoperative coronary angiograms of all patients showed a 100% patency rate for both in situ grafts and composite grafts. We suggest that use of the in situ right internal mammary artery in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting is a safe and reliable option for revascularizing the left anterior descending artery, especially in reoperation.

Operative mortality after valvular reoperations.

BACKGROUND: To determine the incidence and risk factors of mortality and morbidity in valvular reoperations. METHODS: Between January 1993 and December 2003, 309 valvular reoperations were performed. The reasons for reoperations were reconstructive surgery in first operation (110 patients, 35.5%), prosthetic valve endocarditis (12 patients, 3.8%), periprosthetic leakage (32 patients, 10.3%), new valve degenerations (12 patients, 3.8%), bioprosthetic dysfunction (92 patients, 29.7%), acute thrombotic stuck valve (30 patients, 9.7%), and pannus formation (21 patients, 6.7%). Mitral valves were replaced in 235 patients, aortic valves were replaced in 32 patients, 24 patients had aortic and mitral valve replacements, 2 patients had mitral and tricuspid valve replacements, and reconstruction of periprosthetic leakage was held in 16 patients. 264 patients had elective surgery, whereas 45 were operated on emergency basis. RESULTS: Hospital mortality was 14.23%. Mortality rate was found to be 10.6% for elective cases and 35.5% for emergency cases. Permanent pacemaker was required in 12 patients, 3 patients had cerebrovascular events, and mediastinitis was observed in 1 patient. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that age > 60 (P = .006; OR 7.3, 95% CI 1.7-30.1), emergency surgery (P = .001; OR 8.1, 95% CI 2.4-27.7), preoperative cerebrovascular accident (P = .003; OR 11.8, 95% CI 2.458.7), and concomitant ascending aorta replacement (P < .001; OR 27.4, 95% CI 6-127) were independent risk factors. CONCLUSION: Valvular reoperations can be carried out with acceptable morbidity and mortality in elective operations but mortality rates are still very high in emergent cases.

Double-patch repair of postinfarction ventricular septal defect.

We report 4 consecutive cases in which the double-patch technique was used to repair an inferior postinfarction ventricular septal rupture. The ventricular septal perforation was closed directly by stitching, with the same sutures, 2 autologous pericardial patches onto both sides of the affected septum, through only a left ventriculotomy. Complete closure of the defect was accomplished, and no residual shunt was observed in any patient. This technique appears to be useful in selected cases, such as ventricular septal perforation with myocardial infarction in the subacute or chronic phase, especially in instances of inferoposterior infarction. Further experience is needed to verify its safety and efficacy.

Surgical treatment of aortobronchial and aortoesophageal fistulae due to thoracic aortic aneurysm.

We present a review of our single-institution experience, over 19 years, with aortobronchial and aortoesophageal fistulae due to descending thoracic aortic aneurysm. We conducted a retrospective chart review of 10 cases involving surgery for aortobronchial and aortoesophageal fistulae in our clinic from February 1985 through October 2004. Pathologic or predisposing conditions associated with aortobronchial fistula were descending thoracic aortic aneurysm (n=8), previous aortic surgery (n=1), and concomitant aortoesophageal fistula (n=1). Three patients presented emergently with aortobronchial fistula (n=2) and aortoesophageal fistula (n=1). Ages of the 10 patients ranged from 42 to 74 years (median, 63 years). The median cross-clamp time was 34 minutes (range, 27-41 min). Repairs, in 9 patients, involved an inlay of prosthetic tube graft using the clamp-and-sew technique, and in 1 patient repair involved patch aortoplasty. The operative mortality rate was 20%:1 patient had acute concomitant aortoesophageal and aortobronchial fistulae, and another had chronic aortobronchial fistula. There was no embolic stroke or paraplegia. During follow-up (median, 2.5 years), there were no deaths or postoperative morbidity We conclude that repair of aortobronchial and aortoesophageal fistulae using the clamp-and-sew technique can be performed with acceptable operative mortality and long-term results. However, the mortality rate continues to be highly significant in patients with acute bleeding aortobronchial fistula or with aortoesophageal fistula, despite rapid surgical intervention.

Pericardiectomy for chronic constrictive tuberculous pericarditis: risks and predictors of survival.

We performed this study to determine the predictors of early and long-term survival in the surgical treatment of tuberculous pericarditis and to examine the risks of pericardiectomy and the functional outcome in patients after surgery. A retrospective analysis was undertaken in 36 consecutive patients, 26 female and 10 male, with a mean age 32.2 +/- 16.3, who underwent pericardiectomy for chronic constrictive pericarditis from February 1985 to February 2002. All patients received antitubercular therapy in the postoperative period. The operative mortality rate was 6% (2 patients); the cause of death in both cases was severe low-cardiac-output syndrome. Nonfatal intraoperative complications affected 3 patients (8%). The median stay in the intensive care unit was 3.7 +/- 3.1 days. The median hospital stay was 14 +/- 2.6 days. The median ventilation time was 11.9 +/- 1.8 hours. The median volume of blood transfused was 2.1 +/- 1.6 units. Advanced age, atrial fibrillation, concomitant tricuspid insufficiency, inotropic support and low cardiac output were significant negative predictors of survival, according to univariate analysis. There were 4 late deaths. Actuarial survival at 5 years was 75.9% +/- 9.14%. At the 1-year follow-up examination, improved functional status was noted in 88% of patients. We suggest that pericardiectomy be performed early and as radically as possible, in an effort to prevent chronic illness. A combination of chemotherapy and surgery yields gratifying results in the treatment of tuberculous pericarditis.

Evolution of repaired and non-repaired tricuspid regurgitation in rheumatic mitral valve surgery without severe pulmonary hypertension.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of repairing significant tricuspid regurgitation (> or = grade 2) without severe pulmonary hypertension (< or = 50 mm Hg). Between 1993 and June 2001, 88 consecutive patients were operated on for rheumatic mitral valve disease associated with significant tricuspid regurgitation and without severe pulmonary hypertension. The severity of the tricuspid valve disease was assessed by echocardiography. Sixty-three patients had severe (> or = grade 3) tricuspid regurgitation (Group I), and 25 patients had moderate (grade 2) tricuspid regurgitation (Group II). There was no hospital mortality. six patients died during follow-up. The overall actuarial survival rate for 8 years was 92.1% +/- 3.1%. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed that age ( p = 0.006) and pulmonary complication ( p = 0.01) were associated with increased late mortality. Freedom from death was similar in both groups at 8 years (93.1% +/- 3.3% versus 88% +/- 8%, p = 0.7). Severe postoperative tricuspid regurgitation (> or = grade 3), caused by the failure of tricuspid repair or leaving the valve untouched, impaired long-term survival after surgery, and actuarial survival was 96.1% +/- 2.7% and 83% +/- 7.8% at 7 years ( p = 0.048), respectively. Severe tricuspid regurgitation, functional or organic, should be corrected at the time of mitral valve surgery, whereas untouched functional moderate tricuspid regurgitation improves after mitral valve surgery.

[Traumatic vascular complications due to intraaortic balloon pump support]. / Intraaortik balon pompasi destegine bagli vasküler travmalar.

BACKGROUND: The use of an intraaortic balloon pump (IABP) catheter was retrospectively evaluated in terms of risk factors, insertion techniques, and complications in patients with low cardiac output. METHODS: A total of 1036 patients (804 males, 232 females; mean age 53.4 years; range 16 to 75 years) received IABP support from 1985 to March 2002. Of these, 789 patients (76.1%) underwent open heart surgery, 247 patients (23.8%) developed low cardiac output during medical treatment. Insertion of IABP was performed via the femoral artery either percutaneously by the Seldinger technique in 897 patients (86.6%), or by direct surgical exposure in 88 patients (8.5%). Open surgical IABP insertion was performed through an 8 mm Dacron graft placed with an end-to-side anastomosis to the common femoral artery (88 patients) or to the ascending aorta (23 patients). RESULTS: The overall mortality rate was 35.1% (364 patients). Vascular complications were associated with IABP in 104 patients (10%), of which 57 patients (5.5%) required surgical treatment. Major complications were aortic arch dissection in two patients and paraplegia in two patients. Vascular complications tended to increase with female gender, older age, diabetes, and peripheral vascular disease. The mean duration of IABP support in the presence of vascular complications was 7.8 days (range 5 hours to 77 days). CONCLUSION: Application of unsheathed IABP and proper evaluation of peripheral circulation seem to decrease the incidence of vascular complications.

Repair of left ventricular pseudoaneurysms.

The outcomes of 3 different methods of repair of left ventricular pseudoaneurysm after myocardial infarction were analyzed retrospectively. The operations were carried out in 22 patients between 1985 and 2008. Repair procedures included primary closure with Teflon-pledgeted sutures, and Dacron or pericardial patches. Overall hospital mortality was 27.3% (2 patients had primary closure, 3 had a Dacron patch, and 1 had a pericardial patch). Mean postoperative bleeding was 885 mL (range, 200-4,800 mL). Mean preoperative and postoperative ejection fractions were 40% (30%-47%) and 48% (30%-65%), respectively. The overall incidence of arrhythmia was 36.4% (8 patients). The incidence of arrhythmia was lowest in the pericardial patch group, but this was not statistically significant. No significant differences in postoperative ejection fraction or hemorrhage were found among the study groups. Mean survival was 61.9 + or - 41.4 months in the 16 hospital survivors. Although the 3 techniques gave similar results, repair with an autologous pericardial patch may offer an advantage in terms of less postoperative arrhythmias.

Second and third cardiac valve reoperations: factors influencing death and long-term survival.

We retrospectively investigated preoperative and postoperative characteristics in order to determine factors that affected hospital death in patients who underwent 3 or 4 separate cardiac valvular surgeries. The hospital records of 53 such patients who were operated upon from 1985 through 2006 were obtained. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to whether their initial operation was a closed mitral commissurotomy (group C, n = 33) or open-heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (group O, n = 20). In group C, all patients who had initially undergone 1 or 2 closed mitral commissurotomy procedures underwent subsequent reoperations that entailed median sternotomy and cardiopulmonary bypass. Sternotomy and cardiopulmonary bypass had been used in valvular operations of all group O patients. The total early mortality rate was 11.3% (6 of 53 patients). Multivariate analysis revealed that longer aortic cross-clamp times and double valve replacement at last operation significantly increased the risk of death. Herein, we discuss our conclusion that 3rd or 4th cardiac valvular operations incurred acceptable early postoperative mortality rates.

Surgical management of coronary malperfusion due to type a aortic dissection.

BACKGROUND: Acute aortic dissection coexisting with coronary malperfusion is a relatively rare but fatal condition. Surgical treatment of these patients is to perform early coronary revascularization concomitant with aortic repair. We review our surgical results of a selected group of 14 patients with type A acute aortic dissection and coronary artery dissection. METHODS: Between January 1993 and March 2005, 14 patients (10.2%) from a total of 136 consecutive patients with acute type A aortic dissection concomitant coronary dissection were treated by performing aortic repair and coronary artery bypass grafting. There were 11 men and 3 women (mean age, 56.7 +/- 8.4 years). The right coronary artery was involved in eight patients, the left in two patients, and both coronary arteries in four patients. At admission, nine patients had Q waves (64.2%), inferior in seven (50%) and anterior or lateral in two (14.2%). RESULTS: Hospital mortality rate was 21.4% (3 of 14 patients). Of these, two patients could not be weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass, and one patient died of multiorgan failure in the intensive care unit. CONCLUSIONS: Since acute type A aortic dissection with coronary involvement is associated with high mortality rate, immediate coronary artery bypass grafting and aortic repair is a safe and reliable approach to these challenging group of patients.

Combined approach to a peripheral congenital arteriovenous malformation: surgery and embolization.

A 28-year-old woman with a complex peripheral congenital arteriovenous malformation in the left shoulder and left upper arm was treated by a combination of surgery and embolization. In the consecutive four operations, the major feeding arteries of the arteriovenous malformation were ligated, but as her complaints increased, transcatheter embolization was planned for releaving the symptoms in the first aspect. A total of eight embolization sessions were performed with Onyx during the 3-year period. The arteriovenous communications were occluded by embolization, with approximately more than an 80% decrease in the lesion size angiographically. After these interventions, the patient's symptoms improved clinically and dyspnea was lessened. Peripheral congenital arteriovenous malformation is a rare and therapeutically challenging condition in which a combination of surgery and embolization would be necessary to obtain a good result.

Multivariate analysis for operative mortality in obstructive prosthetic valve dysfunction due to pannus and thrombus formation.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the risk factors for early hospital mortality in reoperations performed for obstructive prosthetic valve dysfunction. Between January 1994 and April 2005, 63 patients underwent reoperation for obstructive prosthetic valve dysfunction. The mean age of the patients was 40.3 +/- 12.8 years. The mitral valve was replaced in 47 (74.6%) patients, the aortic valve in 6 (9.5%) patients, and both valves in 10 (15.9%) patients. Forty-three (68.2%) patients underwent emergency reoperations. Early hospital mortality occurred in 13 (20.6%) patients. The ethiology of the valve dysfunction was pannus formation in 45 (71.4%) patients and thrombus formation in 18 (28.6%). Pannus and thrombus were localized at the atrial side of the prosthetic valve in 15 (23.9%) patients, at the ventricular side in 13 (20.6%), and at both sides in 35 (55.5%). Inadequate anticoagulation was diagnosed in 28 of 63 (44.4%) patients. The mean INR level in these 28 patients was 1.43 +/- 0.24. In multivariate analysis, the only risk factor for early hospital mortality was left ventricular ejection fraction (P = 0.015; Odds: 0.000, 95% CI: 0.000-0.043). It is concluded reoperations for prosthetic valve dysfunction have a high mortality rate. This study revealed that left ventricular dysfunction is the major determinant of surgical mortality in patients requiring reoperation for valve dysfunction due to pannus or thrombus.

Simultaneous Carotid Endarterectomy and Coronary Revascularization is Safe Using Either On-Pump or Off-Pump Technique.

The appropriate surgical strategy for patients with combined carotid and coronary artery disease remains controversial. We retrospectively compared our surgical results for 2 types of approaches in this disorder. The records of 76 patients consecutively operated on for carotid and coronary artery disease between August 1993 and October 2004 were reviewed. There were 18 males (66.6%) and 9 females (33.3%) in group I. Group II consisted of 35 males (71.4%) and 14 females (28.5%). The patients were divided into two groups: patients with combined off-pump coronary artery bypass and carotid endarterectomy (group I, n = 27), and those with one-stage on-pump coronary artery bypass and carotid endarterectomy (group II, n = 49). Surgical mortality and morbidity and late outcome were compared among the two groups. The average number of grafts was 1.2 +/- 0.4, with the average operative time of 3.3 +/- 0.3 hours in group I, and 2.3 +/- 0.5 grafts with operative time of 4.6 +/- 0.4 hours in group II (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). There was 1 death (3.7%) in group I and 2 deaths (4.8%) in group II (P = 0.937). No patient from either group I or group II had postoperative stroke. Mean hospital stay was 7.4 +/- 1.9 days in group I and 11.3 +/- 1.7 days in group II (P < 0.001). At a mean follow-up of 5.5 +/- 3.3 years in group I, 1 patient had contralateral carotid endarterectomy (3.7%). Group II had a mean follow-up of 5.2 +/- 3.0 years and contralateral carotid endarterectomy was performed in 1 patient (2.0%). There were no late strokes or deaths in either group. Combined coronary artery bypass grafting and carotid endarterectomy using 2 different types of technique is a safe and effective procedure in patients with significant concomitant monolateral carotid and coronary artery disease.

Can revascularization restore sinus rhythm in patients with acute onset atrioventricular block?

BACKGROUND: We studied patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and complete atrioventricular (AV) block of acute onset that were treated with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) to see whether revascularization can restore the sinus rhythm. METHODS: CABG was performed on eight patients with newly developed complete AV block and severe CAD. The distribution of coronary artery lesions showed a type IV pattern in six patients and a type II pattern in two patients. Complete revascularization was performed in six patients. Left anterior descending artery was revascularized in all eight patients. The patients were followed-up after operation for approximately 10 days before the implantation of a permanent pacemaker to see if they recover from AV block. RESULTS: The mean interval from development of complete AV block to operation was 3.63 +/- 1.3 days. There was no operative and/or early mortality. None of the patients recovered from complete AV block after coronary revascularization. Early morbidity was not detected. The mean hospital stay (12.75 +/- 1.49 days) and intensive care unit stay (30.25 +/- 19.39 hours) were relatively long because of the delay in permanent pacemaker implantation. All patients were asymptomatic at the end of their follow-up period (23.38 +/- 18.41 months). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperatively developed complete AV block did not adversely affect the operative and early postoperative outcome of CABG operations. Recovery from complete AV block cannot be achieved by coronary revascularization performed 3.63 +/- 1.3 days after the onset of complete AV block.

Rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysms in Behçet's disease.

Behget's disease is a systemic disease of unknown etiology with a chronic relapsing course,characterized by oral aphtous, genital ulcers, ocular lesions, and occasionally vasculitis. Major asymptomatic vascular complications should always be considered in patients with Behget'sdisease. We present the surgical treatment of two male Behget's patients of 41 and 30 years of age with ruptured infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms. The urgent repairs of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms were performed successfully in both patients. Because Behget's disease is usually seen at young ages, vascular assessment should also be done routinely for early diagnosis and therapy, which can be life-saving.