[Right Atrial Approach for the Surgical Repair of Delayed Ventricular Septal Rupture].

Ventricular septal rupture(VSR) after acute myocardial infarction(AMI) is a rare and serious complication that is associated with extremely high mortality. Delayed VSR is particularly uncommon and is difficult to diagnose and treat. A 68-year-old man presented with dyspnea on effort. Coronary angiography revealed subtotal occlusion of the right coronary artery(RCA) with collateral circulation to the chronically and totally occluded left anterior descending artery (LAD). Elective stenting of the RCA was successfully performed for a recent MI of the RCA, while percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI) in the LAD ended in failure. At 21 days after the 1st PCI, the patient developed acute heart failure with new pansystolic murmur. Cardiac catheterization showed a left to right ventricular shunting without new coronary artery lesions. Fortunately, the hemodynamic status was stable, and we could perform elective surgical repair by right atrial approach. Simultaneously, a left internal thoracic artery bypass to the LAD was performed. The postoperative course was uneventful. The patient is currently doing well at 5 years after the operation.

Aorto-renal bypass surgery normalized blood pressure without antihypertensive medications in a young female patient with renal artery occlusion.

We described a 19 year old female case with renovascular hypertension, whose blood pressure was high taking antihypertensive medications. The right renal artery was completely occluded at its ostium, and percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty was unsuccessful. After aortorenal bypass surgery, blood pressure was normalized without administration of antihypertensive medication.

Impact of non-di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate cardiopulmonary bypass tubes on inflammatory cytokines and coagulation-fibrinolysis systems during cardiopulmonary bypass.

Di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), an excellent plasticizer for poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), is a known endocrine-disrupting chemical. This study was designed to investigate whether a new non-DEHP bilayer tube reduced the release of DEHP, suppressed inflammatory cytokines, and altered coagulation-fibrinolysis systems. Sixteen patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) were randomly assigned to the non-DEHP bilayer group (group B, n = 8), or the noncoated PVC group (group N, n = 8). The level of DEHP in the blood was measured before and after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), D-dimer, and thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT) were also measured at six points during and after CPB. DEHP was significantly lower in group B (472 +/- 141 ng/ml) after CPB compared with group N (2094 +/- 1046 ng/ml). The IL-6 level was significantly lower in group B (151 +/- 131 pg/ml) than group N (206 +/- 224 pg/ml) 180 min after protamine administration. The D-dimer level was significantly lower in group B 60 min after protamine administration (6.2 +/- 2.4 microg/ml in group B vs 10.4 +/- 4.5 microg/ml in group N) and 180 min after protamine administration (4.4 +/- 0.7 microg/ml in group B vs 7.3 +/- 2.7 microg/ml in group N). Group B had a tendency toward reduced postoperative bleeding compared with group N at any time. The bilayer tube was superior to the noncoated tube in terms of the inhibition of DEHP release, inflammatory cytokines, and the fibrinolysis system.

Pyogenic granuloma originating in the pulmonary artery.

We herein report an unreported case of pyogenic granuloma that originated in the pulmonary artery. A 38-year-old man was urgently hospitalized with dyspnea and back pain. He had been on hemodialysis for 2 years due to chronic renal failure. We performed contrast-enhanced computed tomography and detected a mass occluding the left main pulmonary artery. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of 18F-fluorodeoxy glucose (FDG) in the mass was 4.1. We made a tentative diagnosis of pulmonary artery tumor, and planned an operation. We performed median sternotomy and left anterolateral thoracotomy. As the tumor had not reached the bottom of the left pulmonary artery, we first performed left upper lobectomy. We then performed resection of the pulmonary artery tumor under cardiopulmonary bypass and reconstructed the pulmonary artery with self-pericardium. The pathological diagnosis was pyogenic granuloma. To our knowledge, pyogenic granuloma originating in the pulmonary artery has never been reported before.

Immunolocalization of platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa and P-selectin, and neutrophil-platelet interaction in human coronary unstable plaques.

Platelet aggregation at the site of plaque rupture or erosion is a dominant feature in the pathophysiology of plaque destabilization. To elucidate the role of glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa in coronary plaque destabilization, we immunohistochemically studied the presence of GP IIb/IIIa in coronary atherectomy specimens obtained from patients with stable angina (SAP) and unstable angina pectoris (UAP). Moreover, we immunohistochemically investigated the presence of P-selectin, which is known to be a marker of platelet activation, in these specimens. All these patients underwent atherectomy at primary atherosclerotic lesions responsible for SAP (n=25) and UAP (n=23). Frozen samples were studied with antibodies against smooth muscle cells, macrophages, neutrophils, endothelial cells, GP IIb/IIIa and P-selectin. Immunoreactive positive areas for GP IIb/IIIa, P-selectin, and macrophages, respectively, were calculated using computer-aided planimetry, and numbers of neutrophils were also counted. In the culprit lesions of UAP patients, 17 of the 23 lesions (74%) contained GP IIb/IIIa positive platelet thrombi, and all these platelet thrombi were positive for P-selectin. In contrast, in the lesions of SAP patients, 3 of the 25 lesions (12%) showed staining positivity for GP IIb/IIIa and P-selectin. Quantitatively, the percentage of GP IIb/IIIa- and P-selectin-positive area was significantly higher (GP IIb/IIIa, P<0.0005; P-selectin, P<0.0001) in patients with UAP than in patients with SAP. The number of neutrophils was significantly higher (P<0.0005) in patients with UAP than in patients with SAP. Moreover, the percentage of GP IIb/IIIa-positive area showed a significant positive correlation with the number of neutrophils (r=0.66, p<0.0001). These findings strongly suggest that platelet activation and aggregation, leading to formation of platelet thrombi, and the interaction between activated platelets and neutrophils play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of plaque destabilization in human coronary atherosclerotic lesions.

A new poly-2-methoxyethylacrylate-coated cardiopulmonary bypass circuit possesses superior platelet preservation and inflammatory suppression efficacy.

BACKGROUND: Poly-2-methoxyethylacrylate (PMEA) is a new coating material, and several studies have revealed that PMEA-coated cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) circuits have good biocompatibility. This study sought to compare this biocompatibility with those of heparin-coated and noncoated circuits. METHODS: Forty-five patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting were randomly assigned to PMEA-coated (group P, n = 15), heparin-coated (group H, n = 15), or noncoated (group N, n = 15) circuit groups. Clinical data and the following markers were analyzed: (1) platelet preservation by number of platelets; (2) complement (C) activation by C3a and C4a levels; (3) inflammatory response by interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels. RESULTS: Platelet numbers were significantly preserved in group P compared with groups N and H. Postoperative blood loss did not differ among the groups. During CPB, C3a values were significantly lower in group H (536 +/- 145 ng/mL) than in group P (1,458 +/- 433 ng/mL, p < 0.01) and group N (1,815 +/- 845 ng/mL, p < 0.01). The C4a values did not differ 60 minutes after CPB initiation among the groups. The IL-6 and IL-8 levels were significantly lower in group P and group H than in group N. CONCLUSIONS: The PMEA coating was superior to heparin coating and noncoating in preserving platelets, and was equivalent to heparin coating in terms of the perioperative clinical course and inhibition of inflammatory cytokines, but slightly inferior in reducing complement activation.

Small-intestinal bleeding from angiodysplasia after aortic valve replacement.

An association between aortic stenosis and angiodysplasia of the gut has been reported, though this is unproven. In many instances, recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding originating from angiodysplasia has ceased following aortic valve replacement (AVR). A case is reported of massive bleeding from a small-intestinal angiodysplasia after AVR. The diagnosis was made using radioisotope-labeled red cell scintigraphy and selective angiography of the ileocolic artery soon after AVR. Selective embolization using sponge was performed, and bleeding ceased immediately. The time from onset of bleeding to completion of embolization was 6 h. However, signs of peritonitis appeared the next morning, and an emergency resection of the necrotic ileum was performed. Bleeding from angiodysplasia of the gut may occur after AVR, although the etiologic role of aortic stenosis in angiodysplasic hemorrhage is not clear.

Successful treatment of myocardial infarction by aortic sinus thrombosis.

This case report concerns a 59-year-old man with acute myocardial infarction associated with a giant organized thrombus occupying the right sinus of Valsalva that developed into chest pain and bradycardia. Magnetic resonance imaging showed low intensity in both T1-weighted and T2-weighted images, indicating that the mass was a thrombus. A direct approach involving grafting effectively resolved the embolization and myocardial ischemia, even during the subacute period.

Which valve and which size should we use in the valve-on-valve technique for re-do mitral valve surgery?

The valve-on-valve (VOV) technique is that a mechanical valve is implanted on the sewing cuff of the previous bioprosthesis after removing degenerated leaflets. We conducted an in vitro study to determine the size-match of the valves for VOV technique. The Carpentier-Edwards pericardial (CEP) valve and Mosaic valve were used. We measured the inner diameter of the bioprosthesis after removing the leaflets. We investigated five mechanical mitral valves and two mechanical aortic valves (inverted use). The mitral valves used in this study were the ATS valve (ATS), the CarboMedics standard valve (CMS), the CarboMedics OptiForm valve (CMO), the On-X valve, and the St Jude valve (SJM). Two aortic mechanical valves, CarboMedics and St Jude Regent valves, were investigated for inverted use. After removing the tissue leaflets, the inner diameter of the Mosaic valve was 3 mm smaller than that of the CEP valve even in the same catalogue labeling size. The outer diameters of the housing of the ATS, CMS, CMO, On-X, and SJM valves of the same catalogue size (25 mm) were 25.7, 25.8, 22.0, 25.0, and 23.2 mm, respectively. SJM and CMO valves are the favorite mechanical valve for the VOV technique in terms of the profile and size-match.

Mitral valve replacement for extensive calcification: half and half technique.

A 50-year-old woman who had been undergoing hemodialysis for 18 years underwent mitral valve replacement because of mitral valve stenosis. Her mitral valve leaflet and annulus were highly calcified, and it was impossible to remove the posterior leaflet from the ventricular wall. At the time of surgery, noneverted horizontal mattress sutures were placed from the left ventricle to the left atrium on the anterior half of the mitral annulus and everted horizontal mattress sutures on the left atrial wall close to the calcified posterior annulus. A 25-mm St. Jude valve was seated successfully at a supra-annular position. The St. Jude valve is suitable for this technique because its leaflets protrude less into the left ventricle.

Modification of the Bentall operation using the proximal double sewing technique without excision of leaflets.

We present a report on reinforcement of the proximal anastomosis during the Bentall operation. The aortic wall was excised with a 5-mm remnant, and aortic valve leaflets were preserved. Interrupted horizontal mattress sutures (2-0 Polyestel) reinforced with pledgets were placed. The composite graft was placed at the intraannular position inside of the preserved leaflets. The aortic valve leaflets were then pasted to the sewing cuff with fibrin glue. A running suture with 4-0 monofilament was placed between the remnant of the aortic wall and the peripheral side of the sewing cuff wrapped with native aortic valve leaflets.

Exposure of the mitral valve using flexible self-retaining retractors and an atrial hook.

We hereby present our technique for using the self-retaining flexible arm retractor and its attachments for mitral valve exposure. The Aortic Valve Assistant, which was developed for aortic valve exposure, is also very useful for exposure of the inferior wall of the left atrium. Our modified atrial hook provides excellent exposure of the anterior mitral annulus. Extensive dissection and the combined use of the flexible arm and attachments allows us comfortable access for mitral valve operations.

Mallory - weiss tear complicating intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography.

A Mallory - Weiss tear occurred as a complication of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography carried out in a 62-year-old man who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. Left ventricular function was monitored in the transgastric short-axis view. Postoperative esophagogastroscopy revealed a Mallory - Weiss tear at the gastroesophageal junction and erosions in the cardia, presumably secondary to contact pressure by the echoprobe and ultrasonic thermal injury. When not actively imaging, the echoprobe should be left free in the esophagus with the acoustic power off.