Extracorporeal Life Support in Adult Patients with Hematologic Malignancies and Acute Circulatory and/or Respiratory Failure / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: The primary goal of this study was to characterize the clinical outcomes of adult patients with hematologic malignancies (HM) who were treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support when conventional treatments failed. METHODS: In this retrospective, observational study at a tertiary medical center, we reviewed the clinical course of 23 consecutive patients with HM requiring ECMO who were admitted to the intensive care unit at Asan Medical Center from March 2010 to April 2015. RESULTS: A total of 23 patients (8 female; median age, 44 years; range, 29–51 years) with HM and severe acute circulatory and/or respiratory failure received ECMO therapy during the study period. Fourteen patients received veno-arterial ECMO, while 9 patients received veno-venous ECMO. The median ECMO duration was 104.7 hours (range, 37.1–221 hours). Nine patients were successfully weaned from ECMO. The in-hospital mortality rate was 91.1% (21 of 23). There were complications in 3 patients (cannulation site bleeding, limb ischemia, and gastrointestinal bleeding). CONCLUSION: ECMO is a useful treatment for patients with circulatory and/or pulmonary failure. However, in patients with HM, the outcomes of ECMO treatment results were very poor, so it is advisable to carefully decide whether to apply ECMO to these patients.

Extracorporeal Life Support in Adult Patients with Hematologic Malignancies and Acute Circulatory and/or Respiratory Failure

BACKGROUND@#The primary goal of this study was to characterize the clinical outcomes of adult patients with hematologic malignancies (HM) who were treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support when conventional treatments failed.@*METHODS@#In this retrospective, observational study at a tertiary medical center, we reviewed the clinical course of 23 consecutive patients with HM requiring ECMO who were admitted to the intensive care unit at Asan Medical Center from March 2010 to April 2015.@*RESULTS@#A total of 23 patients (8 female; median age, 44 years; range, 29–51 years) with HM and severe acute circulatory and/or respiratory failure received ECMO therapy during the study period. Fourteen patients received veno-arterial ECMO, while 9 patients received veno-venous ECMO. The median ECMO duration was 104.7 hours (range, 37.1–221 hours). Nine patients were successfully weaned from ECMO. The in-hospital mortality rate was 91.1% (21 of 23). There were complications in 3 patients (cannulation site bleeding, limb ischemia, and gastrointestinal bleeding).@*CONCLUSION@#ECMO is a useful treatment for patients with circulatory and/or pulmonary failure. However, in patients with HM, the outcomes of ECMO treatment results were very poor, so it is advisable to carefully decide whether to apply ECMO to these patients.

Critical Illness-Related Corticosteroid Insufficiency in Patients with Low Cardiac Output Syndrome after Cardiac Surgery

BACKGROUND: Low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS) after cardiac surgery usually requires inotropes. In this setting, critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency (CIRCI) may develop. We aimed to investigate the clinical features of CIRCI in the presence of LCOS and to assess the efficacy of steroid treatment. METHODS: We reviewed 28 patients who underwent a rapid adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) test due to the suspicion of CIRCI between February 2010 and September 2014. CIRCI was diagnosed by a change in serum cortisol of <9 μg/dL after the ACTH test or a random cortisol level of <10 μg/dL. RESULTS: Twenty of the 28 patients met the diagnostic criteria. The patients with CIRCI showed higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores than those without CIRCI (16.1±2.3 vs. 11.4±3.5, p=0.001). Six of the patients with CIRCI (30%) received glucocorticoids. With an average elevation of the mean blood pressure by 22.2±8.7 mm Hg after steroid therapy, the duration of inotropic support was shorter in the steroid group than in the non-steroid group (14.1±2.3 days versus 30±22.8 days, p=0.001). Three infections (15%) developed in the non-steroid group, but this was not a significant between-group difference. CONCLUSION: CIRCI should be suspected in patients with LCOS after cardiac surgery, especially in patients with a high SOFA score. Glucocorticoid replacement therapy may be considered to reduce the use of inotropes without posing an additional risk of infection.

Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation among patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

OBJECTIVE: Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) may be considered as a rescue therapy for patients with refractory cardiac arrest. Identifying patients who might benefit from this potential life-saving procedure is crucial for implementation of ECPR. The objective of this study was to estimate the number of patients who fulfilled a hypothetical set of ECPR criteria and to evaluate the outcome of ECPR candidates treated with conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation. METHODS: We performed an observational study using data from a prospective registry of consecutive adults (≥18 years) with non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in a tertiary hospital between January 2011 and December 2015. We developed a hypothetical set of ECPR criteria including age ≤75 years, witnessed cardiac arrest, no-flow time ≤5 minutes, low-flow time ≤30 minutes, refractory arrest at emergency department >10 minutes, and no exclusion criteria. The primary endpoint was the proportion of good neurologic outcome of ECPR-eligible patients. RESULTS: Of 568 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases, 60 cases (10.6%) fulfilled our ECPR criteria. ECPR was performed for 10 of 60 ECPR-eligible patients (16.7%). Three of the 10 patients with ECPR (30.0%), but only 2 of the other 50 patients without ECPR (4.0%) had a good neurologic outcome at 1 month. CONCLUSION: ECPR implementation might be a rescue option for increasing the probability of survival in potentially hopeless but ECPR-eligible patients.

Successful Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support for Acute Pulmonary Thromboembolism during Adult Liver Transplantation / 대한중환자의학회지

No abstract available.

Successful Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support for Acute Pulmonary Thromboembolism during Adult Liver Transplantation / 대한구급학회지

No abstract available.

Cardiac Angiosarcoma on the Right Atrium: Two Cases

We detected two cases of right atrial angiosarcoma that had a similar appearance on imaging studies. Although the surgical findings were similar for the two patients, one had a clear resection margin, while the other had tumor cells in the resection margin on frozen biopsy. We suggest that preoperative data on magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography in patients with angiosarcomas may not predict the exact extent of surgical resection or prognostic outcomes.

Axillofemoral Bypass to Treat Severe Heart Failure Caused by Takayasu's Arteritis

Takayasu's arteritis is an inflammatory vasculitis that primarily affects the aorta and its major branches. Involvement of the thoracic and abdominal aortas, although rare, causes marked hypertension and may lead to severe heart failure. We report the improvement of cardiac function after axillofemoral bypass grafting in a 59-year-old woman who had this condition.

Surgical Management of Aortic Root Dilatation with Advanced Aortic Regurgitation: Bentall Operation versus Valve-sparing Procedure

BACKGROUND: Although the aortic valve-sparing procedure has gained popularity in recent years, it still remains challenging in patients with advanced aortic regurgitation (AR). We compared the long-term outcomes of the aortic valve-sparing procedure with the Bentall operation in patients with advanced aortic regurgitation secondary to aortic root dilatation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of 120 patients who underwent surgery for aortic root dilatation with moderate to severe AR between January 1999 and June 2009 was performed. Forty-eight patients underwent valve-sparing procedures (valve-sparing group), and 72 patients underwent the Bentall procedure (Bentall group). The two groups' overall survival, valve-related complications, and aortic valve function were compared. RESULTS: The mean follow-up duration was 4.9+/-3.1 years. After adjustment, the valve-sparing group had similar risks of death (hazard ratio [HR], 0.61; p=0.45), and valve related complications (HR, 1.27; p=0.66). However, a significant number of patients developed moderate to severe AR in the valve-sparing group at a mean of 4.4+/-2.5 years of echocardiographic follow-up (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Both the Bentall operation and aortic valve-sparing procedure showed comparable long-term clinical results in patients with advanced aortic regurgitation with aortic root dilatation. However, recurrent advanced aortic regurgitation was more frequently observed following valve-sparing procedures.

A 69-year-old Woman with Anomalous Origin of Left Coronary Artery from the Pulmonary Artery: Surgical Repair Using a Trap-door Flap

We present a patient with anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA), which was diagnosed and corrected in her 60 s. The patient is the oldest documented survivor of ALCAPA who underwent a surgical repair. ALCAPA should be corrected surgically to restore the dual coronary system at any age and this case shows that the surgical procedure may be performed safely even in an elderly patient.

Orthotopic Cardiac Transplantation after Inter-caval Anastomosis in a Patient with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava / 대한흉부외과학회지

Cardiac transplantation in a patient with persistent left superior vena cava (SVC) necessitates unifocalization of the caval veins. Here we report a successful case of orthotopic heart transplantation in a patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and persistent left SVC. Cardiac transplantation was done after the left SVC was anastomosed to the right SVC in an end to side fashion. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient is currently in an excellent clinical condition.

Hybrid Procedure for a Traumatic Aortic Rupture Consisting of Endovascular Repair and Minimally Invasive Arch Vessel Transposition without Sternotomy

Emergency surgical repair for acute traumatic aortic ruptures has been associated with a high peri-procedural mortality rate. Endovascular stent-grafting, as a less invasive procedure, has shown encouraging results. This report describes a patient with a short landing zone, who was treated by transposing the supra-aortic branch without sternotomy, followed by covered stent-grafting with an extended proximal bare portion to enhance fixation.

Clinical Results after Pulmonary Endarterectomy as a Curative Surgical Method in Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: an Approach to Operative Classification of Thromboembolic Disease / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary endarterectomy is widely accepted as a treatment for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. Based on our experiences, we sought to find ways to reduce perioperative complications and to improve surgical outcomes in patients undergoing pulmonary endarterectomy. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This study was designed as a retrospective analysis of 20 patients with pulmonary hypertension who underwent pulmonary endarterectomy between January 1998 and March 2008. All patients presented with chronic dyspnea. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was the major cause of chronic pulmonary thromboembolism (55%). Seventeen patients (85%) underwent inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placement. Thirteen patients underwent surgery under total circulatory arrest, while the others underwent surgery while on low flow cardiopulmonary bypass. Concomitant tricuspid annuloplasty was done in 6 patients (66%) whose tricuspid regurgitation was as severe as grade IV/IV. The mean follow-up duration was 45+/-32 months. RESULT: Using of University of California, San Diego (UCSD), thromboembolism classification, 4 patients (20%) were type I, 8 patients (40%) were type II, and 8 patients (40%) were type III. Right ventricular systolic pressure was reduced significantly from 77+/-29 mmHg to 37+/-19 mmHg after pulmonary endarterectomy (p<0.001). The degree of tricuspid regurgitation and the NYHA functional class were all improved postoperatively. Reperfusion edema occurred in 7 cases (35%). The incidence of reperfusion edema was higher in the UCSD type III group than in the other group (25% vs 50%, p=0.25) and the length of postoperative intensive care unit stay was longer in type III group (5+/-2 days vs 9+/-7 days, p=0.07). The early mortality rate was 10%, and the late mortality rate was 15% (n=3); one death was due to progression of underlying non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and the other deaths were related to recurrent thromboembolism and persistent pulmonary hypertension, respectively. CONCLUSION: Pulmonary endarterectomy, as a curative surgical method for treating chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, should be performed aggressively in patients diagnosed with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, and an effort should be made to reduce the frequency of perioperative complications and to improve surgical outcomes.