Cirugía paliativa mediante operación de Norwood en distintas formas de corazón univentricular: resultados quirúrgicos inmediatos / Immediate results of palliative surgery for different forms of univentricular heart using the Norwood procedure

Background: Norwood procedure is used as the first stage in the palliative treatment of the hypoplastic heart syndrome and can be used, with some technical modifications, in other forms of univentricular heart with aortic stenosis or hypoplasia. These patients have a high mortality (50 percent), derived from the procedure itself and from their abnormal physiological status. Aim: To report our experience with the Norwood procedure. Patients and methods: Retrospective analysis of all patients subjected to the Norwood procedure between February 2000 and June 2003. Results: Thirteen patients (9 females, age range 5-60 days and median weight of 3.3 kg) were operated. Eight had hypoplastic heart syndrome and five had a single ventricle with aortic arch hypoplasia. The diagnosis was done in utero in eight patients. All technical variations, according to the disposition and anatomy of the great vessels, are described. Cardiac arrest with profound hypothermia was used in all and regional cerebral perfusion was used in nine. Three patients died in the perioperative period and three died in the follow up (two, four and 10 months after the procedure). Gleen and Fontan procedures were completed in five and one patients, respectively. Conclusions: Our results with the Norwood procedure are similar to other series. There is an important mortality in the immediate operative period and prior to the Glenn procedure (Rev MÚd Chile 2004; 132: 556-63).

Rotura de músculo papilar en el infarto miocárdico / Papillary muscle rupture in myocardial infarction

We report 9 patients with acute mitral regurgitation secondary to post-infarction papillary rupture operated between 1980 and 1992. Seven cases had posterior papillary muscle rupture. All patients were in critical conditions with pulmonary edema at the moment of surgery. In 8 cases, mitral valve replacement was performed (4 with mechanical prosthesis) and in 1, the value was repaired with papillary muscle reimplantation. Six cases were also subjected to myocardial revascularization with saphenous vein grafts. Two patients (22 percent) died during the postoperative period and 4 had postoperative complications. The seven survivors have been followed during 6 to 115 month. Of these, one died six months after surgery dur to congestive heart failure, 3 are in functional class I and the rest in functional class II. It is concluded that, although mitral valve replacement for papillary muscle rupture has a high operative mortality and morbidity, long term results are satisfactory

Evolución alejada del reemplazo valvular aórtico con prótesis mecánica: experiencia con prótesis de Starr-Edwards (1965-1974) y Bjork Shiley (1973-1981) / Results of isolated aortic valve replacement using either Starr-Edwards or Bjork-Shilley prosthesis

We compared the short and long term results of isolated aortic valve replacement in 98 patients receiving a Starr-Edwards (SE) prosthesis from 1965 to 1974 and 80 pts receiving a Bjork-Shiley (BS) prosthesis from 1973 to 1981 at our institution. Operative mortality was 20% (SE) and 6% (BS). Follow up information was obtained in 88% (SE) and 96% (BS) of pts discharged alive. The mean period of follow up was 8.2 and 6.7 years respectively. the 5 and 10 year acturial survival rates were 72% and 61% (SE) vs 89% and 83% (BS). Complications per 100 pt-years among pts with SE and those with BS were: systemic emboli 2.8 vs 0.6, major hemorrhagic events 1.25 vs 1.36, perivalvular leak 1.6 vs 1.15, endocarditis 0.31 vs 0.39, prosthetic thrombosis 0 vs 0.58 and ball variance 0.47 vs 0m respectively. Some of these differences may reflect shortcomings of the initial surgical experience during the period in which the SE prothesis was used, rather than different performance of both valves

Síndrome de Wolff Parkinson White: resultados alejados del tratamiento quirúrgico / Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome: late results of surgical treatment

We followed 25 patients operated on for Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome between august 1985 and octuber 1989. Their mean age was 37 ñ 12 years and arrhythmia had been present for 5 to 30 years. A mean of 3.3 ñ 1.2 years antiarrhytmic agents had failed in controlling rrecurrences. Tachycardia was orthodromic in 21 patients and antidromic in 1, while 3 patients presented rapid atrial fibrillation with hemodynamic deterioration. Drug refractoriness (n = 23) or intolerance (n = 2) were the main surgical indications. The location of accessory pathways was lateral in 19 patients, anteroseptal in 3, posteroseptal in 2, postero lateral in 1 and right lateral in 1 patient. One patient hada a double pathway. There was no surgical mortality. After a follow-up period ranging from 1 to 50 months reccurence of arrythmia was observed in one patient and electrophysiologic evaluation showed persistance of a left lateral pathway in another. The remaining 24 patients are free of symptoms at the end of follow up. Thus, surgical treatment is a curative therapy for most patients with WPW

Tratamiento de lesiones de la columna dorsal por vía transtorácica / Transthoracic approach to treatment of thoracic spinal lesions

Se analizan 10 pacientes con lesiones anteriores de la columna dorsal, operados por vía transtorácica. Las patologías eran 3 espondilitis, TBC y una inespecífica, 2 metástasis vertebrales, 1 plasmocitoma solitario, 1 hernia distal, 1 Schwannoma y 1 meningocele anterior. Se indicó la cirugía cuando existían signos de compresión medular o radicular, grave destrucción vertebral o imposibilidad de diagnosticar la lesión por otros métodos. Se obtuvieron buenos resultados en 8 pacientes, con recuperación neurológica completa en 4, que presentaban compresiones medulares y en 4 con radiculopatías. En 2 pacientes no varió la lesión medular completa preoperatoria. Se destacan las ventajas de esta vía y las escasas complicaciones atribuibles a la toracotomía

Tratamiento quirúrgico del síndrome de Wolff-Parkinson-White / Surgical treatment of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome

La sección quirúrgica de los haces paraespecíficos ha demostrado ser un tratamiento eficaz para las taquicardias del síndrome de Wolff-Parkinson-White. Comunicamos nuestra experiencia con el tratamiento quirúrgico de 9 pacientes, 7 mujeres y 2 hombres, con edad promedio de 30 años. Siete pacientes tuvieron haces laterales izquierdos, 2 posteroseptales y 1 anteroseptal (1 pt con 2 haces) diagnosticados mediante estudio electrofisiológico preoperatório. La intervención se realizó con circulación extracorpórea en normotermia para los haces derechos y con hipotemia sistémica y cardioplejía en los haces izquierdos. El mapeo intraoperatorio permitió la exacta ubicación de los haces responsables de la preexitación. No hubo mortalidad ni morbilidad perioperatoria. En el 100% de los pacientes se observó eliminación de la preexitación en el estudio electrofisiológico intra y postoperatorio antes del alta. Todos los pacientes mantuvieron ritmo sinusal. En el seguimiento alejado (promedio 7 meses), todos los pacientes están en buenas condiciones, sin medicamentos antiarrítmicos y libres de nuevas crisis de taquicardia, excepto 1 pt en quien reapareció la preexitación. Concluimos que el tratamiento quirúrgico tiene un riesgo bajo y éxito del 90% en la sección definitiva del haz paraespecífico. Postulamos que la cirugía constituye un excelente alternativa de tratamiento para el síndrome de Wolff-Parkinson-White

Reemplazo de la aorta ascendente y válvula aórtica con reimplante de las arterias coronarias / Replacement of the ascending aorta and aortic valve with reimplantation of the coronary arteries

La reparación paliativa de los aneurismas de la aorta ascendente tiene una recidiva alta por tratarse de una patología degenerativa que compromete la aorta desde el anillo valvular. Actualmente se prefiere el tratamiento definitivo que consiste en el reemplazo de la aorta ascendente junto con la válvula aórtica. Entre marzo de 1978 y octubre de 1983 hemos intervenido 8 pacientes con esta patología. Cinco casos presentaban disección de la aorta de tipo proximal y 2 se operaron en etapa aguda. La indicación operatória fue insuficiencia aórtica grave en 6 pacientes y disección aguda en los 2 restantes. La reparación del aneurisma se realizó con prótesis de dacrón que tiene incorporada una válvula de Bejork-Shiley sobre la cual se reimplantaron los ostia coronarios. El estudio histológico de la aorta demostró necrosis quística de la túnica media en todos los casos. Dos pacientes fallecieron por complicaciones quirúrgicas y los 6 restantes fueron dados de alta bien. El control alejado (x = 21,6 meses) reveló que 5 pacientes están asintomáticos y sin recidiva, 1 falleció a los 15 meses. La técnica de esta grave patología con buenos resultados alejados y sin recidivas