[Surgery in the Cardiovascular Surgical Intensive Care Unit]. / Reintervenciones en una Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos de Cirugía Cardiovascular.

BACKGROUND: To analyze the indications, actions and results of the operations performed in the Cardiovascular Surgery Intensive Care Unit. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of consecutive non-selected adult patients operated in the ICU. All operations were included. Descriptive statistics were used. RESULTS: Between 2008 and 2013, 3379 consecutive adult patients were operated upon. A total of 124 operations were performed in the ICU in 109 patients, 70 male (64.2%) and 39 female (35.8%) with a mean age of 61.6 years (12-80). This represented 3.2% of all operations. During the study period, 185 patients (5.5%) were reoperated for postoperative bleeding/tamponade in the operating room. The index interventions were for valvular heart disease (34.9%), aortic disease (22.9%), ischemic heart disease (15.6%), combined valvular/ischemic (12%), valvular/aorta (11%) and miscellaneous (3.6%). The indications for reoperation were persistent bleeding 54 (43.5%), pericardial tamponade 41 (33%), low cardiac output 13 (10.5%), cardiac arrest/arrhythmia 8 (6.5%), respiratory insufficiency 6 (4.8%) and acute ischemic limb 2 (1.7%). Operations performed were: mediastinal exploration 73 (58.9%), implant/removal of ECMO 17 (13.7%), sternal closure 16 (12.9%), open resuscitation 9 (7.3%), subxyphoid drainage 7 (5.6%) and femoral embolectomy 2 (1.6%). Overall mortality was 33%. There was one case of mediastinitis (0,9%), with no difference from patients operated in the regular operating room. CONCLUSIONS: Operations in the ICU represent a safe, life-saving alternative in specific subgroups of patients. The risk of wound infection is not increased, unstable patients are not transferred and there is time savings.

Durability of the Liotta porcine bioprosthesis beyond two decades.

Porcine valves are generally known to have a limited durability. The case is reported of a 35-year-old male patient who underwent mitral valve replacement with a 28 mm Liotta porcine bioprosthesis. At reoperation 21 years later, the bioprosthesis was replaced (uneventfully) with a second porcine bioprosthesis. Pathological and X-radiographic examinations of the excised valve demonstrated focal calcification of the leaflets, confirming the long-term durability of the Liotta porcine bioprosthesis.

Seventeen-year follow-up after ascending-to-infrarenal aorta bypass for recurrent coarctation in an adult.

Anatomic repair of complex aortic coarctation is associated with significant mortality and morbidity, including paraplegia. Extra-anatomic bypass strategies have been developed to reduce these complications and allow the correction of any concomitant conditions during the same operation. We present the case of a woman with uncontrolled hypertension and preductal coarctation of the aorta diagnosed at age 22 who underwent an unsuccessful attempt at primary repair, followed by extra-anatomic bypass from the ascending-to-infrarenal aorta. The patient has remained normotensive, with no additional complications related to the disease or the procedure, during a follow-up of 17 years.

Delayed aortic regurgitation caused by a right coronary stent protruding into the aorta.

Aortic valve perforation is an extremely rare complication after percutaneous coronary intervention. The case is presented of a 49-year-old male with aortic valve regurgitation secondary to the intra-aortic protrusion of a right coronary stent. The patient had undergone an apparently successful rescue percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty with a drug-eluting stent following failed fibrinolysis, but one month later was readmitted for acute pulmonary edema. Further investigations demonstrated new-onset aortic regurgitation. Medical stabilization was achieved and an elective aortic valve replacement and coronary revascularization performed. Intraoperatively, the stent was found to be partially deployed within the aortic lumen, causing perforation to the non-coronary cusp.

Elective cardiac surgery using Celsior or St. Thomas No. 2 solution: a prospective, single-center, randomized pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: Celsior is a crystalloid solution specifically designed for solid-organ transplantation. Due to its advanced combination of solutes, we wanted to evaluate its safety, efficacy, and possible benefits when used as blood cardioplegia in elective cardiac surgery in a single-center, randomized, controlled clinical trial, comparing its performance with a well-established cardioplegic solution. METHODS: Patients programmed for aortic valve replacement were randomized to receive either St. Thomas No. 2 or Celsior as blood cardioplegia with the same administration protocol. Intraoperative and postoperative variables concerning myocardial protection were registered and compared. RESULTS: A total of 60 patients were enrolled and randomized (Celsior, 30; St. Thomas, 30). There were no significant differences in baseline and preoperative variables. Volume of cardioplegic solution, number of administrations needed and the amount of potassium added were similar in both groups. Patients in the Celsior group showed a higher incidence of spontaneous sinus rhythm after myocardial ischemia (77% vs 40%, p=0.004) and fewer patients required defibrillation (17% vs 43%, p=0.024) for ventricular reperfusion arrhythmias. Postoperatively, there were no significant differences in troponin I release, inotropic and vasopressor drug support, ICU stay, and postoperative evolution. There were no deaths in the study. CONCLUSIONS: Celsior solution used as blood cardioplegia is effective and seems to be safe in elective aortic valve replacement when compared in this pilot study with a standard cardioplegic solution used worldwide. Fast return to sinus rhythm and lower incidence of reperfusion arrhythmias in the Celsior group may reflect a better myocardial protection during cardioplegic arrest. More investigation is needed to elucidate its performance in elective surgery.

Preoperative risk stratification in infective endocarditis. Does the EuroSCORE model work? Preliminary results.

OBJECTIVE: There is an important role for risk prediction in cardiac surgery. Prediction models are useful in decision making and quality assurance. Patients with infective endocarditis (IE) have a particularly high risk of mortality. The aim was to assess the performance of European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE) in IE. METHODS: The additive and logistic EuroSCORE models were applied to all patients undergoing surgery for IE (Duke criteria) between January 1995 and April 2006 within our prospective institutional database. Observed and predicted mortalities were compared. Model calibration was assessed with the Hosmer-Lemeshow test. Model discrimination was tested by determining the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: One hundred and eighty-one consecutive patients undergoing 191 operations were analyzed. Observed mortality was 28.8%. For the entire cohort the mean additive score was 10.4 (additive predicted mortality of 14.2%). The mean logistic predicted mortality was 27.1%. Discriminative power was good for the additive and the logistic models for the entire series. Area under ROC curve were 0.83 (additive) and 0.84 (logistic) for the entire cohort, 0.81 and 0.81 for the aortic position, 0.91 and 0.92 for the mitral position, 0.81 and 0.81 for the native valve, 0.82 and 0.83 for the prosthetic valves, and 0.81 and 0.51 for the gram-positive microorganisms, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This initial sample may be small; however, additive and logistic EuroSCORE adequately stratify risk in IE. Logistic EuroSCORE has been calibrated in IE, a special group of very high-risk patients. Further studies with larger sample sizes are required to confirm these initial results.

Surgical rescue after left anterior descending catheter entrapment causing cardiogenic shock.

Entrapment or device loss during percutaneous coronary intervention is a rare but potentially fatal complication. Percutaneous retrieval is possible but surgery can be required on an emergency basis. We present the case of an entrapped balloon catheter in the left anterior descending coronary artery during an elective percutaneous coronary intervention. The patient developed acute myocardial ischaemia and cardiac arrest. Emergency surgical intervention with device retrieval and distal bypass grafting was life-saving.

[Mortality and morbidity in HIV-infected patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery: a case control study]. / Morbimortalidad en pacientes con infección por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana que reciben cirugía de revascularización miocárdica: estudio de casos y controles.

The use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in patients with HIV infection has improved survival. This improvement combined with the metabolic effects of treatment has increased cardiovascular risk and the need for cardiac surgery in these patients. We compared morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected patients (cases, n=7) and non-HIV-infected patients (controls, n=21) who underwent isolated coronary artery surgery between 1997 and 2004. The durations of extracorporeal circulation and aortic cross-clamping were shorter in HIV-infected patients (P=.002 and P=.014, respectively). The percentage of patients who experienced complications was similar, at 57.1% in both groups, but there was a slightly higher number of complications per patient in non-HIV-infected individuals. The mean length of total hospitalization was greater in HIV-infected patients (27.1 [13.3] versus 8.8 [5.3] days; P=.003), as was that of postoperative hospitalization (18.2 [15.4] vs 7.9 [4.2] days; P=.08). No HIV-infected patient died or needed a repeat cardiac operation. No progression of the HIV infection was observed. Isolated coronary artery surgery in HIV-infected patients produces good results, and there is no increase in morbidity or mortality. Extracorporeal circulation did not influence disease progression.

Retrieval of scrap metal from an abdominal aortic aneurysm during the follow-up.

A 75-year-old patient underwent open repair of a rapidly expanded aneurysm after previous multiple endovascular repair (EVAR) attempts by others. Open surgical reconstruction allowed the explants of all metallic components of implanted stent-grafts. This is still an uncommon phenomenon due to the still low late reintervention rate.

New insights in the management of cardiogenic shock complicating myocardial infarction: role of urgent heart transplantation.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the role of heart transplantation (HTx) in the management of patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) complicated by refractory cardiogenic shock despite percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The primary end-point of the study was mortality at the 1-year follow-up. METHODS: Between January 2001 and December 2005, 74 consecutive patients with acute MI complicated with cardiogenic shock were retrospectively analyzed. Thirty-nine patients did not have a contraindication for HTx and qualified for the study (age < 65 years, no comorbidities). RESULTS: Urgent HTx was performed in 10 patients. The remaining 29 patients served as controls. The HTx vs no HTx groups were well balanced in age (50 vs 53 years), proportion of multivessel disease (30% vs 10%), cardiac index (2.2 vs 2.4 liters/min/m(2)), and left ventricular ejection fraction (23% vs 25%). Mortality rates were significantly lower in the HTx group, both in the hospital (10% vs 45%, p < 0.03) and at 1 year (10% vs 52%, p < 0.03). Survival at 1 year among patients alive at hospital discharge was 100% in the HTx group vs 94% in the no HTx group. CONCLUSIONS: Urgent HTx dramatically improves survival of acute MI patients presenting with refractory cardiogenic shock despite early PCI. Therefore, this approach--wherever feasible--needs to be considered in the management of this particular subset of patients.

Hemolysis in mechanical bileaflet prostheses: experience with the Bicarbon valve.

BACKGROUND: Normal functioning mechanical heart valve prostheses are designed to have a certain degree of intrinsic structural regurgitation as a washout mechanism to avoid prosthetic thrombosis. However, intrinsic regurgitation leads to blood cell trauma and hemolysis. Information on hemolysis associated with mechanical bileaflet prostheses is scarce. This study evaluated factors influencing hemolysis in 197 Bicarbon mechanical bileaflet prostheses implanted in 164 patients. METHODS: Serial office interviews, laboratory studies, and echocardiography evaluations were done in the surviving patients. An assay for measuring lactate dehydrogenase activity was developed, and the presence and severity of subclinical hemolysis was determined using reported criteria and analyzed at 1 and 2 years. RESULTS: Hospital mortality was 5.5%. Follow-up was 98.1% complete. No patient had clinically significant or severe subclinical hemolysis. Serum lactate dehydrogenase levels were significantly higher when a paravalvular leak was documented (282 +/- 85 U/L versus 242 +/- 64 U/L; p = 0.0026). Subclinical hemolysis was significantly more frequent after mitral valve (p = 0.001) and double valve replacement (p = 0.001) than after aortic valve replacement, and was unrelated to prosthetic size or to geometric area index, even in those cases with effective orifice area index equal to or less than 0.85 cm2/m2 (p = 0.298). CONCLUSIONS: Mild subclinical hemolysis is frequently associated with normal functioning Bicarbon heart valves. Subclinical hemolysis was significantly influenced by valve position but not by valve size or effective orifice area index and remained stable through time. The magnitude of hemolysis in Bicarbon prostheses compared favorably with that reported for other bileaflet heart valve prostheses.