Female Gender is not a Risk Factor for Early Mortality after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Background: The female gender is considered as a risk factor for morbidity and mortality after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Aim: In this analysis, we assessed the impact of female gender on early outcome after CABG. Study Design: This is a retrospective analysis of data from our center situated in South India. Statistical Analysis: Patients were categorized according to gender and potential differences in pre-operative and post-operative factors were explored. Significant risk factors were then built in a multivariate model to account for differences in predicting gender influence on surgical outcome. Methods: 773 consecutive patients underwent first time CABG between January 2015 and December 2016. 96.77% of cases were performed using off-pump technique. 132 (17.07%) patients were females. These patients formed the study group. Results: The in-house/ 30-day mortality in females was similar to that of males (3.03% vs. 3.12%, p value 0.957). Mediastinitis developed more commonly in females (5.35% vs. 1.30%; p value 0.004) compared to males. There were more re-admissions to hospital for female patients (21.37% in females vs. 10.14% in males, p value <0.001). In multivariate analysis using logistic regression; there was a significant association between age (OR 1.08), chronic obstructive airway disease (OR 4.315), and use of therapeutic antibiotics (OR 6.299), IABP usage (OR 11.18) and renal failure requiring dialysis (OR 28.939) with mortality. Conclusions: Early mortality in females was similar to that of males. Females were associated with higher rate of wound infection and readmission to hospital.

Predictors of acute kidney injury in patients undergoing adult cardiac surgery

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery (CS) is not uncommon and has serious effects on mortality and morbidity. A majority of patients suffer mild forms of AKI. There is a paucity of Indian data regarding this important complication after CS. Aims and Objectives: The primary objective was to study the incidence of AKI associated with CS in an Indian study population. Secondary objectives were to describe the risk factors associated with AKI-CS in our population and to generate outcome data in patients who suffer this complication. Methods: Serial patients (n = 400) presenting for adult CS (emergency/elective) at a tertiary referral care hospital in South India from August 2016 to November 2017 were included as the study individuals. The incidence of AKI-CS AKI network (AKIN criteria), risk factors associated with this condition and the outcomes following AKI-CS are described. Results: Out of 400, 37 (9.25%) patients developed AKI after CS. AKI associated with CS was associated with a mortality of 13.5% (no AKI group mortality 2.8%, P = 0.001 [P < 0.05]). When AKI was severe enough to need renal replacement therapy, the mortality increased to 75%. Patients with AKI had a mean hospital stay 16.92 ± 12.75 days which was comparatively longer than patients without AKI (14 ± 7.98 days). Recent acute coronary syndrome, postoperative atrial fibrillation, and systemic hypertension significantly predicted the onset of AKI-CS in our population. Conclusions: The overall incidence of AKI-CS was 9.25%. The incidence of AKI-CS requiring dialysis (Stage 3 AKIN) AKI-CS was lower (2%). However, mortality risks were disproportionately high in patients with AKIN Stage 3 AKI-CS (75%). There is a need for quality improvement in the care of patients with AKI-CS in its most severe forms since mortality risks posed by the development of Stage 3 AKIN AKI is higher than reported in other index populations from high resource settings.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy part II - Anesthetic and surgical considerations.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) poses many unique challenges regarding the conduct of anesthesia and surgery. Adequate preload, control of sympathetic stimulation, heart rate, and increased afterload are required to decrease the left ventricular outfl ow tract obstruction. Comprehensive intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) examination confi rms the diagnosis, elucidates the pathophysiology, and identifi es the various anomalies of mitral valve apparatus and allows assessment of the adequacy of surgery. In this review, we focus on the preoperative assessment, conduct of anesthesia and comprehensive TEE examination of patients presenting for surgery with HCM. The various surgical options are extended myectomy and resection, plication and release.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: Part 1 - Introduction, pathology and pathophysiology.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common genetic cardiovascular disease with many genotype and phenotype variations. Earlier terminologies, hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and idiopathic hypertrophic sub‑aortic stenosis are no longer used to describe this entity. Patients present with or without left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction. Resting or provocative LVOT obstruction occurs in 70% of patients and is the most common cause of heart failure. The pathology and pathophysiology of HCM includes hypertrophy of the left ventricle with or without right ventricular hypertrophy, systolic anterior motion of mitral valve, dynamic and mechanical LVOT obstruction, mitral regurgitation, diastolic dysfunction, myocardial ischemia, and fibrosis. Thorough understanding of pathology and pathophysiology is important for anesthetic and surgical management.

Emergency mitral valve replacement for acute severe mitral regurgitation following balloon mitral valvotomy: Pathophysiology of hemodynamic collapse and peri-operative management issues.

Severe mitral regurgitation (MR) following balloon mitral valvotomy (BMV) needing emergent mitral valve replacement is a rare complication. The unrelieved mitral stenosis is compounded by severe MR leading to acute rise in pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular afterload, decreased coronary perfusion, ischemia and right ventricular failure. Associated septal shift and falling left ventricular preload leads to a vicious cycle of myocardial ischemia and hemodynamic collapse and needs to be addressed emergently before the onset of end organ damage. In this report, we describe the pathophysiology of hemodynamic collapse and peri‑operative management issues in a case of mitral valve replacement for acute severe MR following BMV.

Anesthetic management for surgical repair of Ebstein's anomaly along with coexistent Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome in a patient with severe mitral stenosis.

Ebstein's anomaly (EA) is the most common cause of congenital tricuspid regurgitation. The associated anomalies commonly seen are atrial septal defect or patent foramen ovale and accessory conduction pathways. Its association with coexisting mitral stenosis (MS) has uncommonly been described. The hemodynamic consequences and anesthetic implications, of a combination of EA and rheumatic MS, have not so far been discussed in the literature. We report successful anesthetic management of a repair of EA and mitral valve replacement in a patient with coexisting Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome.

Perioperative issues due to long-standing lung collapse during repair of a large ascending aortic aneurysm.

Acute lung collapse during open-heart surgery may potentially lead to problems such as inadequate gas exchange, increased pulmonary vascular resistance, increased afterload to the right ventricle, and difficulty in weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Therefore, expansion of the lungs is ensured prior to separation from CPB. We report the inability to manually expand a chronically collapsed lung during the repair of ascending aortic aneurysm. The collapsed lung did not pose difficulty in separation from CPB and in blood gas management during the perioperative period. We discuss perioperative management issues in such situations.