ABSTRACT
@#Objective To summarize the experience of totally thoracoscopic cardiac surgery for ventricular septal defect. Methods Clinical data of 449 patients undergoing totally thoracoscopic cardiac surgery for ventricular septal defect from May 2008 to December 2018 in Shanghai Yodak Cardiothoracic Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. There were 232 male and 217 female patients, aged from 3 to 55 years with a mean age of 17.3±11.2 years. Results All the operations were completed successfully. Mean operative time was 2.4±0.3 h. The mean extracorporeal circulation time and aortic cross-clamp time was 64.2±11.6 min and 28.4±10.7 min, respectively. Mechanical ventilation time and intensive care unit stay was 6.9±3.8 h and 20.5±5.6 h, respectively. Postoperation drainage quantity was 213.1±117.2 mL. The hospital stay was 6.9±1.3 d. Intraoperative and postoperative complications occurred in 11 patients (2.4%), including 1 patient of intraoperative reoperation, 3 patients of reoperation for bleeding, 3 patients of the incision infection, 2 patients of small residual shunt, 1 patient of right femoral artery incision stenosis complicated by thromboembolism and 1 patient of right pleural cavity pneumothorax. The mean follow-up time was 72.2±33.9 months. During the period, there was no reoperation, but 2 patients of ventricular septal defect small residual shunt, 1 patient of mild-moderate mitral valve and 1 patient of mild-moderate aortic valve incompetence, respectively. During the period, heart function of the patients was NYHAⅠ-Ⅱ. Conclusion Totally thoracoscopic cardiac surgery for ventricular septal defect is a safe and effective treatment, with few serious complications, fast recovery for patients and good short to medium-term outcomes.
ABSTRACT
@#Objective To summarize the experience of totally thoracoscopic cardiac surgery (TTCS) for atrial septal defect. Methods Clinical data of 442 patients undergoing TTCS for atrial septal defect from May 2008 to December 2018 in Shanghai Yodak Cardiothoracic Hospital was analyzed retrospectively. There were 149 male and 293 female patients, aged 3-74 (29.1±14.3) years. Surgical procedures were performed through 3 ports at the right chest wall. Results All the operations were completed successfully. Mean operative time was 1.5-4.6 (2.2±0.3) h. The mean extracorporeal circulation and aortic cross-clamp time was 28-118 (55.9±13.3) min and 8-78 (21.5±10.2) min, respectively. Mechanical ventilation and intensive care unit stay time was 3.5-122.0 (8.1±7.4) h and 13-141 (20.7±10.2) h, respectively. Postoperation drainage volume was 70-1 280 (251.8±131.5) mL. The hospital stay was 4-16 (7.1±1.4) d. Intraoperative and postoperative complications occurred in 15 patients (3.3%). The mean follow-up time was 1-128 (67.6±33.3) months, and during the period, there were 25 patients of atrial fibrillation, 25 patients of mild-moderate tricuspid valve incompetence, 1 patient of moderate tricuspid valve incompetence. There was no reoperation or residual shunt during the period of follow-up. And the heart function was improved. Conclusion TTCS is a feasible, safe and minimal invasive approach for patients with atrial septal defect and has good short to medium-term outcomes.
ABSTRACT
@#Objective To evaluate the effect of left atrial enlargement on atrial myocardial fibrosis degree and levels of the angiotensinⅡ (AngⅡ)/Rac GTPase activating protein 1 (Rac1)/signal transducersand activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathways expressing in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation and rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Methods From March to December 2011, 30 patients with RHD who underwent prosthetic valve replacement in our hospital were enrolled, including 16 males and 14 females, aged 42-70 (56.9±6.8) years. Twenty RHD patients with persistent atrial fibrillation as a research group and ten RHD patients with sinus rhythm as a control group (group A) underwent transthoracic echocardiography and right atrial appendage (RAA) tissue samples were obtained from these patients during mitral/aortic valve replacement operation. The research group according to left atrial diameter (LAD) was divided into two groups, ten patients in each group: a group B with LAD of 50–65 mm and a group C with LAD of LAD>65 mm. For each sample, histological examination was performed by hematoxylin-eosin and Masson’s trichrome staining. Light-microscopic pictures of atrial tissues samples were stained and tissue fibrosis degree in each group was analyzed. AngⅡ concentration was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Rac1 and STAT3 were measured by western blotting. Results LAD was significantly greater in AF patients with RHD than in the control group. Hematoxylin-eosin staining demonstrated highly organized arrangement of atrial muscles in the control group and significant derangement in both group B and group C with reduced cell density and increased cell size. Moreover, Masson’s trichrome staining showed that atrial myocytes were surrounded by large trunks of collagen fibers in both group B and group C, but not in the group A. There was a positive correlation between atrial tissue fibrosis and LAD. AngⅡ content was positively correlated with LAD. Similarly, Rac1 and STAT3 protein levels were found considerably higher in the group C and group B than in the group A with excellent correlation to LAD. Conclusion In patients with RHD complicated with persistent atrial fibrillation, the degree of atrial fibrosis and the expression level of AngⅡ/Rac1/STAT3 signaling pathways significantly increase with the left atrialenlargement.