Modification of End-to-End Anastomosis for Long-Segment Coarctation of the Aorta / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

<p>Several problems have been reported following coarctectomy, especially in cases involving long-segment coarctation (COA). Although residual COA, proximal arch kinking, and airway compression may occur after coarctectomy, avoiding the use of artificial materials provides a better chance for the subsequent growth of the aorta. We successfully performed a modified end-to-end anastomosis with subclavian flap aortoplasty for a two-month-old boy with COA. A two-month-old boy was admitted to our hospital for nocturnal tachypnea and a feeding disorder. The initial echocardiography showed a preductal long COA beyond the left subclavian artery. A perimembranous VSD, a patent foramen ovale, and a patent ductus arteriosus were also noted. The left ventricular function was mildly depressed with an ejection fraction of 59%. Enhanced CT revealed a long-segment COA with a length of 15 mm. The blood pressure gradient between the upper and lower limbs was 40 mmHg. The operation was performed at the age of 2 months. The 4th intercostal space was opened through a posterolateral left thoracotomy incision. The distal end of the isthmus was so ligated as to maintain blood perfusion to the lower body through the PDA. The arch was clamped between the left carotid and the left subclavian artery (LSCA). The LSCA and the isthmus were divided as distally as possible, and the two distal ends were longitudinally incised and sutured to each other in a side-to-side fashion using a 7-0 polypropylene continuous suture. After complete resection of the ductal tissue, a newly created distal arch was anastomosed to the descending aorta. The left ventricular ejection fraction was increased to 74% at discharge. Catheterizations 3 years after the surgery did not reveal any stenosis or deformity in the aorta at normal PA pressure. The patient has been doing well and is free of complications 7 years after the surgery. At present, end-to-end anastomosis and aortic arch advancement with or without cardiopulmonary bypass are widely used procedures for coarctectomy ; however, a modified end-to-end anastomosis is still a viable option for cases involving long-segment coarctation.</p>

A Successful Surgical Treatment of Ebstein's Anomaly by Hetzer's Procedure in an Adult / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

A 29-year-old woman, who had been diagnosed with Ebstein's anomaly associated with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia due to Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome, was referred to our hospital for treatment of congestive heart failure and tachycardia. She had undergone a catheter ablation for WPW syndrome at the age of 28 years. Subsequently, surgical treatment for Ebstein's anomaly was indicated because of persistent symptoms of heart failure due to tricuspid regurgitation (TR). The echocardiogram and pathologic findings corresponded to Ebstein's anomaly of the Carpentier type B classification, with severe displacement of the septal and posterior leaflets resulting in moderate TR. A mobile anterior leaflet of sufficient size without a cleft enabled us to successfully perform Hetzer's procedure. In this procedure, the large mobile anterior leaflet was approximated to the opposing true tricuspid annulus with a mattress suture of 3-0 polypropylene passed from the anterior leaflet annulus to the true tricuspid annulus at the site of atrialized right ventricle near the coronary sinus. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the cardiothoracic ratio reduced from 56% to 48% with mild TR. In this adult case of Carpentier's type B adult Ebstein's anomaly, Hetzer's procedure allowed reconstruction of the tricuspid valve mechanism of “leaflet-to-septum” coaptation at the level of the true annulus by approximating the anterior leaflet. This was, effective in reducing the patient's moderate TR. We conclude that this procedure is a simple and reproducible method for repairing the tricuspid valve in Ebstein's anomaly, especially for cases with a large mobile anterior leaflet.

Valvuloplasty of Persistent Truncus Arteriosus with Pentacuspid Truncal Valve Insufficiency / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

A neonate, presenting with cyanosis, received the diagnosis of persistent truncus arteriosus with truncal valve stenosis with insufficiency. Her disease was classified as persistent truncus arteriosus Van Praagh type A1, or Collett and Edwards type I. At the age of 2 months, she underwent a modified Blalock-Taussig shunt, and her operative team was waiting for adequate body weight gain before performing further surgery. At the age of 1 year, however, she began to have repeated episodes of congestive heart failure due to severe tricuspid valve regurgitation and truncal valve insufficiency. When she reached 18 months of age, she underwent a definitive operation including a truncal valve plasty, VSD patch closure, and a right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction. Postoperative echocardiography 6 months after surgery showed a good truncal valve function with minimal regurgitaion. Truncal valve surgery is a challenging operation ; we report a successfully treated case, though the patient will require extensive follow-up.

Anomalous Origin of the Left Coronary Artery from the Pulmonary Artery with a Specific Left Coronary Artery Route / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

We surgically treated a case of anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery with the specific route of the left coronary artery in a 17-month-old boy. He had suffered persistent cough and poor weight gain since the age of 4 months. An ultrasound cardiography, at the age of 16 months, revealed retrograde blood flow of the left coronary artery into the main pulmonary artery. Moreover, a chest computed tomography showed an anomalous left coronary artery arising from the bifurcation of the right pulmonary artery and winding in contact on the posterior aortic wall. Though the anomalous left coronary artery shared adventitia with the aortic wall we were able to separate the coronary artery from the aorta, and the patient underwent direct transplantation of the left coronary artery. The postoperative course was uneventful and recovery was rapid.

A Surgical Case for Acute Heart Failure in a 1-month-old Infant with a Right Cervical Aortic Arch / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

A 2-day-old male baby was referred to our hospital because of a heart murmur. We diagnosed as a right cervical aortic arch, and coarctation between the right carotid and right subclavian artery. On echocardiography, the velocity at the coarctation was 1.8 m/s, the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 53%, and he was asymptomatic during the neonatal period. A chromosome examination showed a deletion of 22q11 syndrome. At 1 month, he weighted 3.8 kg and was readmitted to our hospital for wheezing. Echocardiography showed a left ventricular dysfunction with LVEF of 24%. The coarctation velocity increased to 5.1 m/s. An urgent operation was performed because of a severely depressed cardiac function. His LVEF increased to 67%, and the velocity was less than 1 m/s postoperatively, and he was discharged on postoperative day 32. We report a rare neonatal surgical case of a right cervical arch with a coarctation.

Sutureless Repair of Pulmonary Venous Obstruction after Repair of Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection (1a+2a) / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

Pulmonary venous obstruction (PVO) after repair of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection remains a significant problem. Once it occurs, it not infrequently recurs. A 14-month-old boy with recurrent pulmonary venous obstruction after repair of mixed type total anomalous pulmonary venous connection was successfully treated by the method of sutureless <i>in situ</i> pericardial repair and anastomosis of the left pulmonary vein to the left atrial appendage. His postoperative course was uneventful. Cardiac catheterization at 2 years and 9 months after the re-redo operation showed successful relief of PVO with marked reduction of pulmonary hypertension. In addition, multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) performed 3 years and 1 month after the operation showed no pulmonary vein obstruction.

A Case of Mitral Valve Replacement with Rupture of the Left Ventricle / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

A 56-year-old woman suffering from mitral stenosis had underwent PTMC (percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy) at age 46. After she developed congestive heart failure, mitral valve replacement (MVR) with Carbomedics 29M and tricuspid annuloplasty (TAP) was carried out. Four hours after admission to the ICU, massive bleeding was noticed. Cardiopulmonary bypass was restarted in the operating room. Laceration and hematoma were found at the posterolateral wall of the left ventricle. Under cardiac arrest with removal of the prosthetic valve, an internal tear was detected about 2cm below the anterolateral commissure (Miller Type III). The tear was covered with a horse pericardial patch (2×3cm) using 6-0 running sutures with reinforcement with gelatin-resorcine-formaline (GRF) glue between the laceration and the patch. MVR sutures in the annulus above the ventricular tear were first passed through the annulus, the pericardial patch and then the prosthetic cuff. Additionally, an epicardial tear was covered and reinforced with the fibrin sheet, GRF glue and pericardial patch in turn. Cardiopulmonary bypass was weaned easily without bleeding. The patient was intentionally on respiratory support with sedation for 3 days. The subsequent postoperative course was uneventful.