Multiple Pseudoaneurysms of the Brachiocephalic Artery Following Penetrating Arrow Injury in the Neck.

Arrow injury in the neck with subsequent pseudoaneurysm formation of the brachiocephalic artery is an uncommon type of injury in our country. Initially it was a punctured wound in the neck which was simply repaired. About 13 days after the initial injury patient came back to hospital with severe respiratory distress and backache for which emergency tracheostomy was needed. This simple puncture wound subsequently developed haematoma in the neck and two pseudoaneurysms at distal brachiocephalic artery. CT angiogram was very helpful to confirm the diagnosis. Correct referral to tertiary hospital like National Institute Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) ,prompt diagnosis, definitive treatment of the injury and subsequent aggressive postoperative management saved the life of this young tailor.

Recent Advancement in Non-surgical Interventional Treatment in Congenital Heart Disease at National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (NICVD)-a Tertiary Care Hospital of Bangladesh.

Background: Treatment of Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) is either Surgical or Interventional. Medical management is mainly symptomatic / palliative. Although surgery is the main mode of treatment but in the recent past non-surgical Interventional method is replacing it because of its multiple advantages over surgical procedures. Since 2005, we started our journey in National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases with a PDA device closure. In this article we tried to review the success rate of the interventional procedures in this hospital. Methods: The aim of this retrospective study is to review the short term & Intermediate outcome of the non surgical interventional treatment of congenital heart diseases. We included all the interventional rocedures done in this Institute since 2005 upto December 2013. Results: During this period, we performed total 150 cases of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) device, 20 cases of PDA Coil closure, 60 cases of atrial septal defect (ASD) device, 90 cases of Balloon Pulmonary Valvuloplasty (BPV), 20 cases of Balloon Aortic Valvuloplasty (BAV), 22 cases of Coarctation Balloon Angioplasty, 35 cases of Mitral Valvuloplasty (PTMC), 15 cases of Balloon Atrial Septostomy. Almost all of our intervention procedures were successful except one case of mortality related to procedure of PDA device closure, 4 device embolization (2 ASD & 2 PDA) and one case of PDA coil with persistent Intravascular hemolysis. All the embolized devices were subsequently retrieved surgically with repair. All other patients of interventional treatment are enjoying new life without any morbidity. Conclusion: Thus, we concluded that interventional methods of suitably selected case of congenital heart disease may be an alternative lucrative safe & effective option of remedy for many of the congenital heart diseases.

Our Experience of Conscious Sedation as an Anaesthetic Technique in patients undergoing Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator.

Ten patients with life threatening ventricular arrhythmias who underwent placement of automatic cardioverter defibrillator ( AICD) under conscious sedation are reported. Our clinical experience, patient,s satisfaction, recovery profile and complications of the technique of conscious sedation is presented and discussed.

Aorto-bi-Femoral Bypass for Aorto-Iliac Occlusive Disease: Recent Experience at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD).

Background & Objectives: Aorto-bi-femoral bypass is one of the most important surgical strategies in vascular surgical practice. The procedure is employed in surgical revascularization for both stenotic and aneurysmal diseases involving the aorto-iliac segment. The present study was carried out to analyze our recent experiences with this procedure for aorto-iliac occlusive diseases (AIOD) at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD). Materials and Methods: Over a period of 3 years (April 2008 to March 2011), a total of 47 patients underwent aorto-bi-femoral or aorto-bisiliac bypass grafting for AIOD using a Y-graft prosthesis. The mean age of the patients was 46.4 years (range 25-75 years). Thirty eight of the patients were male and the remaining 9 were female. A retroperitoneal approach was used in 27 patients. In the remaining 20 patients, the operation was done using a transperitoneal approach. A Gelatin-coated Dacron Y-graft prosthesis was used in 43 (5 of which were silver-coated prosthesis) patients while PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) prosthesis was used in the remaining 4 patients. The operation was carried out under epidural anesthesia with sedation in most cases. Results: The operation was well-tolerated in all patients. There was no intraoperative mortality in this series. Two patients died in the immediate post-operative period- one due to myocardial infarction and the other due to acute renal shut-down leading to renal failure accounting for a mortality rate of 4.3%. Wound infection and lymphorrhoea at the groin incision site were the two main immediate post-operative complications. There was no incidence of graft infection in this series. Twelve patients were available for post-operative follow-up up to 2 years. Out of them, 5 patients returned with occluded grafts 8-23 months after the operation. Three of these patients underwent graft excision with re-do Y-graft bypass. The remaining two were treated with extra-anatomic bypass (Axillobifemoral). Conclusions: Aorto-bi-femoral bypass is an effective surgical strategy for occlusive diseases involving the abdominal aorta and the iliac arteries. The procedure is well-tolerated with a low incidence of early post-procedural complications and graft failure. However, poor adherence of the patients to follow-up remains a significant obstacle for evaluating the long-term outcome of this procedure.

Fast-track Cardiac Surgery in Children: Feasibility in Bangladeshi Setting.

Background: Fast-track recovery protocols in cardiac surgery is gaining worldwide popularity and have contributed to significant reductions in the postoperative hospital stay and cost without any increase in postoperative mortality and morbidity. The aim of this study was to find out the feasibility of fast track paediatric cardiac surgery in Bangladeshi setting. Method: It was a prospective study conducted in National Institute of Cardio-vascular Diseases, Dhaka, from July 2009 to June 2010. All patients, between 3 to 18 years, underwent surgical closure of atrial or ventricular septal defect under cardio-pulmonary bypass. 20 patients from our unit served as fast track group and 30 patients from other units of the same hospital served as conventional group. Fast track patients were extubated in less than 6 hours after surgery, shifted from ICU in less than 24 hours and geared up to discharge home within 3 days of surgery. Result: 18 (90%) of the 20 patient of the fast track group were discharged within 3 days of surgery, 2 patients cannot be discharged within this time frame. Mean post operative hospital stay for study group was 3.1 days, whereas the mean hospital stay in the control group was 7.5 days. Follow-up was 100% complete at 30 days. There was no major in-hospital or out-of-hospital complications in either group. No patient was readmitted at our centre or elsewhere for any complication arising from this process. Conclusion: Fast tracking is feasible and safe in low-risk paediatric open-heart surgery in Bangladeshi scenario. A multidisciplinary approach with a set protocol is required to achieve this goal in a safe and reproducible manner.

Cardiac Drugs Requirement during Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass (OPCAB) Surgery- A Comparison between Combined High Thoracic Epidural Anaesthesia (HTEA) with GA and GA Alone.

Background : During off pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB) to provide adequate myocardial protection cardiac anaesthesiologist frequently needs to use various pharmacological intervention rather than physiological manipulation. This is challenging to overcome the adverse effects of the various drugs. During the past few years, high thoracic epidural anaesthesia (HTEA) as an adjunct to general anaesthesia has become more popular and has been shown to be potentially beneficial in patients with coronary diseases. It provides good protection from stress response, ensures hemodynamic stability, improves distribution of coronary blood flow and reduce demand for oxygen and perioperative arrhythmia. Objective : This study has been undertaken with a view to compare the requirement of intraoperative cardiac drugs between HTEA with General Anaesthesia(GA) and GA alone. Methods: Prospective, randomized case control study was undertaken in sixty patients, without having left main coronary disease, left ventreicular ejection fraction <35% or contraindication of regional anaesthesia scheduled for OPCAB. They were divided into two groups, thirty in each group. Group A patients received GA alone and group B patients received high thoracic epidural anaesthesia with GA. Requirement of drugs (antiarrhythmic, inotropes, vasoconstrictor, vasodilators,Esmolol e.g.) during operation were recorded. Results: Dopamine was needed in 27(90.0%)patients in group A and 11(36.7%) patients in group B, adrenaline was used in 15(50.0%)patients in group A and 4(13.3%) in group B; Dobutamine was used only in 5(15.0%) patients in group A and ephedrine was required only in 2(5.0%) in group B. Regarding the Antiarrhythmic drugs, Lignocanie, Amiodarone and DC Shock was required only in 17(55.0%), 12(40.0%) and 5(15.0%) patients respectively only in group A. In vasodilators group, Nitropruside was used in 5(15.0%) and 1(3.3%) patients in group A and group B respectively. Esmolol was used in 17(55.0%) patients in group A and 1(3.3%) in group B. Significant (p<0.05) difference were found in use of all drugs between two groups except Ephedrine and Nitropruside . Conclusion: The anaesthetic technique HTEA with GA required minimum intra operative cardiac drugs than GA only.

Cervical Epidural Anesthesia for Carotid Endarterectomy.

The successful anaesthetic management using a cervical epidural technique is reported in patients undergoing carotid artery surgery. Adequate analgesia is obtained and the adequacy of cerebral blood flow is easily judged by the patient’s state of consciousness. Cervical epidural anaesthesia could be a safe and reasonable technique for the management of patients who need carotid artery surgery.1 A 54 years old man of A.S.A (American Society of Anesthesiologists) grade- II underwent carotid endarterectomy under Cervical Epidural Anaesthesia (CEA) at C7 – T1 level using a mixture of 0.5% Lidocaine, 0.25% Bupivacaine and Fentanyl citrate. Standard peroperative monitoring including invasive arterial blood pressure and arterial blood gas analysis was done.

Cardiovascular Stability during Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass (OPCAB) Surgery- A Comparison between Combined High Thoracic Epidural Anaesthesia (HTEA) with TIVA and TIVA alone.

Background: In Bangladesh, although OPCAB surgery are done, the number of centers are limited and as a result, studies on this subject are also few. Consequently, there are no exclusive data regarding the best anaesthetic technique in the context of superior haemodynamic stability. This study has been undertaken with a view to find out whether a combined HTEA with GA (TIVA) is safe and more efficient in providing overall cardiovascular stability. The common challenges for the cardiac anaesthesiologist during off pump coronary artery surgery (OPCAB) to maintain optimal cardiovascular parameters such as heart rate, blood pressure, CVP and arrhythmias during the different stressful surgical events and multiple cardiac manipulations, providing adequate myocardial protection, are sometimes difficult. This study has been undertaken with a view to find out whether a combined HTEA with TIVA is safe and more efficient in providing overall cardiovascular stability. Method: Sixty patients aged between 40-70 years, without having any coagulopathy disorder , any emergency surgery or left main disease scheduled for CABG on beating heart were enrolled in prospective, randomized observational comparative study. Patients were divided in two groups. In group A patients received TIVA alone and in group B patients received high thoracic epidural anaesthesia with TIVA. The parameters including heart rate , SPO2 , CVP , arterial blood pressure , rate pressure product , arrhythmia in ECG, were recorded before induction, during induction , intubation and during different events of the surgery ( skin incision, sternotomy, pericardiotomy, coronary artery anastomosis with graft , sternum closure and wound closure) was recorded. Result: Significant per-operative mean heart rate changes were observed all the events except at wound closure and during anastomosis with D1/D2 and the mean difference of mean of mean arterial pressure at intubations, skin incision, sternotomy, pericardiotomy, during anastomosis of distal end of the graft with RCA, PDA, LCX and D1/D2 were observed statistically significant (p<0.05) . No incidence of different arrhythmia occurred in group B, premature ventricular complex (PVC) was statistically significant (p<0.05) between two groups. Conclusion: HTEA with TIVA appeared to be most comprehensive, allowing for revascularization of any coronary artery, providing good cardiovascular stability during OPCAB.