Isolated coarctation of the aorta: surgical treatment and late results. Eighteen years' experience.

From March 1967 to February 1985, ninety one patients aged from eleven months to 53 years underwent surgical treatment of isolated coarctation of the aorta. On reviewing the long term results it was found that persistence of hypertension was related to the age when the operation was performed. Dividing the patients into three age groups; group I: 0-5 years, group II: 6-15 years and group III: over 15 years, it was found that there was no late hypertension in group I while hypertension persisted in 11% in group II and 25% in group III. Fifty per cent of the patients with persistent hypertension were above the age of 20 years at the time of operation. The need for graft replacement was related to age of the patients and to the anatomy of the coarctation being used more frequently in older patients and in those where the coarctation was at the junction of the arch and the descending aorta or proximal to that site. Because of this relationship to the anatomy, the coarctations were classified into 4 types. The surgical procedures performed were: resection with end to end anastomosis, resection with replacement by a tube graft, patch and bypass grafts, in descending order of frequency. Eighty six patients have been followed up (mean 10 years). There was no hospital or late mortality (one patient committed suicide one year after operation) and none of the patients suffered from spinal cord injury. There were three recurrent coarctations in patients who had primary reconstruction under one year of age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Results of tricuspid valve replacement for nonrheumatic and noninfective disease.

Because of the rarity of isolated, nonrheumatic, noninfective tricuspid valvular disease, the long-term results of treatment by tricuspid valve replacement are uncertain. From June 1967 to April 1986, we implanted 23 biological or mechanical tricuspid valve prostheses in 20 patients for nonrheumatic, noninfective endocarditis. All cases were followed from 1 to 20 years after the procedure, for a total of 215.08 patient-years. There were 2 hospital deaths and 3 late deaths. Actuarial analysis indicated a mortality rate of 1.39% + 1.6% per year. Late morbidity included 3 episodes of prosthetic thrombosis in 2 patients, arrhythmias in 5 patients, and recurrent spontaneous abortions in 1 patient. New York Heart Association Functional Class improved in all survivors. We conclude that tricuspid valve replacement, especially when a bioprosthesis is used, can be performed with a low operative risk and good long-term results in patients who have nonrheumatic, noninfective, valvular disease.

Ebstein's anomaly: sixteen years' experience with valve replacement without plication of the right ventricle.

From June 1967 to February 1983 10 patients aged from 13 to 51 years underwent surgery for Ebstein's anomaly. Nine patients were in class III according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification and one was in class IV. The interatrial communication was closed in all patients; the tricuspid valve was repaired in one patient and replaced in the other nine patients. There were no deaths in hospital but there were two late deaths. One patient died when the tricuspid prosthesis clotted seven years after its insertion. The other patient committed suicide 11 years after surgery. The remaining eight patients have been followed up for periods ranging from six months to 16 years (mean 10 years). Seven of the eight survivors are well and in NYHA class I, the eighth being in class II. Cardiac arrhythmias have been a problem in only one patient. Tricuspid valve replacement combined with closure of interatrial communication without right ventricular plication has given satisfactory clinical results and has improved the quality of life.

Surgical treatment of isolated coarctation of the aorta: 18 years' experience.

From March 1967 to February 1985 91 patients aged from 11 months to 53 years underwent surgical treatment of isolated coarctation of the aorta. The surgical procedures in descending order of frequency, were: resection with end to end anastomosis, resection with replacement by a tube graft, patch aortoplasty, and bypass graft. Resection with end to end anastomosis was achieved mainly in younger patients. The number of patients needing other procedures increased with advancing age. Eighty six patients have been followed up (mean 10 years). There were no hospital or late deaths and none of the patients suffered from spinal cord injury. There were three recurrences of the coarctation, all in patients who had had primary reconstruction below the age of one year. The patients were divided into three groups by age: group 1, 0-5 years; group 2, 6-15 years; and group 3, over 15 years. It was found that there was no late hypertension in group 1 while hypertension persisted in 7% of group 2 and in 28% of group 3. Fifty per cent of the patients with persistent hypertension were above the age of 20 years at the time of operation and had resection with replacement by a tube graft. It is recommended that elective surgery for coarctation of the aorta should be performed at the age of 3-5 years to avoid both recurrence of stenosis and persistent hypertension.

Incidence and prognostic importance of jaundice after cardiopulmonary bypass surgery.

In a prospective study of 248 consecutive patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery, early postoperative "post-pump" jaundice (PPJ) developed in 49 (20%). Development of PPJ was strongly associated with a bad outcome; 25% of jaundiced patients and 1% of non-jaundiced patients died in the postoperative period. The jaundice was a conjugated hyperbilirubinaemia, and was detectable in 48 out of 49 patients by postoperative day 2. Hypotension, hypoxia, and hypothermia ("shocked liver") were not associated with the development of PPJ, nor was evidence of haemolysis or heart-failure. Although PPJ was significantly associated with multiple valve replacement, higher transfusion requirements, and longer cardiopulmonary bypass time, it also occurred in patients undergoing uncomplicated operations. It is suggested that PPJ is caused by a defect in hepatic excretion of bilirubin.