Surgical Treatment for Congenital Venous Malformations in the Lower Limb / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

Four patients, 13 to 53 years old, with congenital venous malformation including Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome underwent surgical treatment followed by sclerotherapy. They developed marked dilatation of varicose veins with spots, and complained of pain, dullness, and bleeding. Two patients also had hypertrophy of the diseased leg. Phlebography and color Doppler ultrasonography were performed in all patients to precisely determine the abnormal vein and incompetent communicating veins which were then resected and/or ligated with minimal skin incision. In two patients, additional ligation of incompetent communicating veins was necessary. One to two weeks after surgical therapy, sclerotherapy was performed with 1-2% polidocanol. Symptoms improved after treatment, even in a patient with claudication before operation. Surgical therapy for congenital venous malformation was feasible and satisfactory, with the aid of meticulous identification of abnormal veins and communicating veins by not only phlebography but color Doppler ultrasonography.

Successful Surgical Repair of Prosthetic Valve Dehiscence Associated with Aortitis Syndrome in the Healing Phase / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

A 43-year-old woman underwent aortic valve replacement for aortic regurgitation causing aortitis syndrome. The postoperative course had been uneventful and inflammation was controlled by steroid therapy. She developed a moderate degree of dyspnea with cardiomegaly. Two years after the first aorta valve replacement (AVR), severe aortic regurgitation was observed on both echocardiography and aortography. Dehiscence of the prosthetic valve was suspected and an emergency operation was performed. To secure the reimplanted prosthetic valve, we applied the technique of passing felt-pledgeted sutures through the aortic wall in the vicinity to the right coronary cusp and the noncoronary cusp and others through the left coronary cusp with everting mattress sutures. The postoperative course of the second AVR has been uneventful for two months. Since prosthetic valve detachment can occur even if inflammation of aortitis is well controlled, strict management of inflammation is recommended for a prolonged period to prevent reccurence of aortitis and subsequent valve dehiscence.