Sternal fixation with nonspecific plate.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to fixate displaced sternum fractures with a nonspecific plate, without a sternotomy procedure. METHOD: Between May 2010 and December 2011, 15 patients with sternal fractures were included in this study. We performed fixation for 8 of 15 sternal fracture patients. Posteroanterior and lateral chest x-rays and computed tomography were taken for diagnosis of sternal fractures. Our surgical indications were severe pain, dislocationoverlapping of sternal edges, and thoracic wall instability. Locked volar distal radius plates were used for the sternal fixation. RESULTS: After fixation of sternum with plate, the sternum was stable in all 8 patients.There were no complications intra- or postoperatively. Sternal union was observed for all. Pain relief was determined dramatically. CONCLUSION: Locked volar distal radius plates can be used for displaced sternal fractures.It is an alternative and successful method for sternal fractures.

Reoperative coronary artery bypass surgery: the role of on-pump and off-pump techniques on factors affecting hospital mortality and morbidity.

PURPOSE: Short term results of on-pump and off-pump techniques in patients undergoing reoperative coronary artery bypass grafting (redo CABG) were investigated in this study. METHODS: A total of 14.430 patients have undergone isolated coronary artery bypass grafting in our clinic from 1998 to 2010. Of these patients, 105 patients who have undergone redo CABG, 53 (50.5%) were operated with cardiopulmonary bypass (on-pump) and 52 (49.5%) without cardiopulmonary bypass (off-pump). Early results for which on or off-pump techniques were independent risk factors were determined with logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Overall mortality in patients undergoing redo CABG was 12.3% with a 11.5% mortality in the off-pump group and 13.2% mortality in the on-pump group and the difference was not statistically significant (p >0.05). Blood product transfusion requirement (p <0.05, OR: 3.620, 95% CI: 1.295-10.119), new onset atrial fibrillation rhythm (AFR) (p <0.05, OR: 13.357, 95% CI: 1.656-107.721), prolonged ventilation (p <0.05, OR: 9.066, 95% CI: 1.091-75.323) and duration of hospitalization (p <0.01, OR: 5.252, 95% CI: 1.784-15.459) were significantly higher in the on-pump group. The number of patients with postoperative low cardiac output was significantly higher in the off-pump group (p <0.05, OR: 5.337, 95% CI: 1.094-26.043). The ratio of complete bypass was significantly higher in the on-pump group compared to the off-pump group (p <0.05, OR: 2.913, 95% CI: 1.204-7.046). CONCLUSION: Despite the lower morbidity and mortality in the off-pump group, the rate of target vessel bypass grafting was lower. Off-pump technique may be considered as a safer option for cardiopulmonary bypass in the high risk population.

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.

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.