ABSTRACT
A 67-year-old man developed the recurrence of postoperative constrictive pericarditis. He had two operation histories : the one was CABG for old myocardial infarction and the other was pericardiectomy for postoperative pericarditis at 57 and 59 years old respectively. Both operations were performed in our hospital. We used an ePTFE sheet for covering the heart in the pericardiectomy. The course post operation was good, but eight years after the pericardiectomy, he had abdominal distension and leg edema. Detailed studies revealed a recurrence of constrictive pericarditis, and reoperation was performed. The re-operative finding showed thickened sclerotic tissues on both sides of an ePTFE sheet which was applied to the cardiac surface during the previous surgery. No abnormal tissue was detected where the ePTFE sheet was not applied. The ePTFE sheet and the sclerotic tissues were removed under cardiopulmonary bypass support, and then diastolic dysfunction improved dramatically. His chest was closed without applying an ePTFE sheet. His post-operative course was uneventful and he was discharged on the 20th postoperative day. The ePTFE sheet was highly suspected as a cause of the recurrent constrictive pericarditis. An ePTFE sheet-induced constrictive pericarditis should be considered as one of the postoperative complications even in the mid and long-term period. The ePTFE sheet is useful for preventing heart or vascular injury when we perform resternotomy, but in rare cases, there is some possibility of association with a risk of pericarditis.
ABSTRACT
Patients with Behçet disease often develop postoperative valve detachment and pseudoaneurysm as a potentially fatal complication following aortic valve surgery, necessitating re-operation in a few cases. A 37-year-old man underwent 5 aortic valve and aortic root surgeries for the management of valve detachment after initial aortic valve replacement. Evaluation during the course of his disease revealed incomplete Behçet disease. He presented with high fever and Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteremia during the introduction of immunosuppressive therapy with infliximab. Contrast computed tomography revealed a pseudoaneurysm around the aortic root, and an aortic root replacement was performed using an aortic homograft after administration of a 6-week course of vancomycin. The patient is being observed at our outpatient clinic and has demonstrated no complications after 5 years from his last surgery.
ABSTRACT
<p>Endovascular treatment for chronic aortic dissection in patients with Marfan syndrome is still controversial. A 60-year-old man developed an extended chronic type B dissection involving the aortic arch and thoraco-abdominal aorta with a large entry at the distal aortic arch and patent false lumen. He had undergone David procedure for type A aortic dissection at age 42, and aortic valve replacement for recurrent aortic valve insufficiency at 58, which was complicated with mediastinitis. He also suffered drug-induced interstitial pneumonitis. Considering his complicated surgical history and impaired pulmonary function, conventional graft replacement of thoraco-abdominal aorta was thought to be quite a high risk. Thus, we chose debranch TEVAR with a staged approach. First, debranching and Zone 0 TEVAR with the chimney technique were performed. Then, 4 months later, abdominal debranching and TEVAR was performed. The patient tolerated both procedures well and was discharged home. Two years after last procedure, he is in good condition and computed tomography shows that complete entry closure and false lumen had thrombosed. This strategy may be worthy to be considered even for a patient with Marfan syndrome, in case the patient's condition is unsuitable for conventional surgery.</p>