Intracardiac operation in seven pregnant women.

The outcome of open heart operations on pregnant women is not well documented. Between March 1985 and October 1988, 7 pregnant patients underwent valve replacement at Tygerberg Hospital. This included three redo operations and one double-valve replacement. The range of perfusion temperatures used during cardiopulmonary bypass was 28 degrees to 33 degrees C with aortic cross-clamp times of 53 to 121 minutes. One baby was stillborn, but the others were normally delivered at full term, and all the mothers survived. The stillborn baby was lost after the shortest procedure at the highest temperature during cardiopulmonary bypass.

Management and prognosis of massive hemoptysis. Recent experience with 120 patients.

A retrospective analysis was done of 120 consecutive patients with life-threatening hemoptysis (greater than 200 ml of discharge per 24 hours) cared for between 1983 and 1990 at our institution. Seventy-nine percent of the patients (95/120) had hemoptysis exceeding 500 ml/24 hr. Inflammatory lung disease was the underlying cause in at least 85% of cases (n = 103); and of these, pulmonary tuberculosis was the primary diagnosis in 85% (88/103). Fifty-two patients (43%) had had a prior episode of massive hemoptysis, usually within 3 months of their admission. Urgent examination with rigid endoscope in 97 patients (81%) localized the bleeding in only 42 (43%). The overall hospital mortality rate was 10% (12/120) and was similar for those having pulmonary resection (7.1%, 3/42), and those assisted medically (11.5%, 9/78) (p = not significant). However, of these hospital survivors on whom 6-month follow-up was available, 36.4% (20/55) of those with medical management and none (0/39) (p < 0.001) of those with surgical management had recurrent massive hemoptysis. Forty-five percent of these cases were fatal. Current management of massive hemoptysis has resulted in improved hospital outcome. However, the high risk of recurrent and often fatal hemoptysis mandates the definitive management of the bronchial arteries before discharge from the hospital. Recent reports suggest that percutaneous embolization may be effective in nonsurgical candidates.

Penetrating cardiac trauma: management strategy based on 129 surgical emergencies over 2 years.

Between 1986 and 1988, 129 patients with stab wounds to the heart were referred from the emergency room of our institution for a thoracic surgical procedure. Multiple entrance wounds of the heart were present in 12 patients, and through-and-through stab wounds were encountered in another 10. The overall hospital mortality rate was 8.5% (11/129), which includes a 54% mortality rate for the 13 patients undergoing emergency room thoracotomy. These patients were pulseless and unconscious either on arrival (n = 8) or soon thereafter (n = 5). Cardiopulmonary bypass was not used during the primary operation, although 7 patients underwent subsequent intracardiac repair with bypass without hospital mortality. Important aspects of our preoperative management strategy include: (1) aggressive transfusion to improve the central venous pressure/intrapericardial pressure gradient; (2) rapid drainage of the pleural and pericardial spaces to reduce intrapericardial pressure; (3) empirical partial correction of metabolic acidosis with sodium bicarbonate; and (4) emergency operation without unnecessary cardiac imaging. Patients suspected of having penetrating cardiac trauma and cardiac tamponade are best managed by aggressive primary intervention and immediate operation.

[Primary echinococcus cyst of the heart. A case report]. / Primêre echinococcus-sist van die hart. N gevalbespreking.

A young male commercial pilot, completely asymptomatic of heart disease, was found to have an abnormal ECG on routine examination. This consisted of a bifascicular block (left anterior hemiblock plus a complete right bundle-branch block). Aviation regulations demanded further examination to rule out possible cardiac disease. On two occasions in 1984 and again in 1986 cardiac catheterisation was performed and revealed normal left ventricular function and normal coronary arteries. On 15 April 1986 an echocardiogram revealed a large cystic mass in the right ventricle, which was further delineated by right-sided cine-angiography. The patient was referred for cardiac surgery with the diagnosis of an Echinococcus cyst as the most likely possibility. Open-heart surgery was performed on 16 July 1986 and a 4 x 4 cm hydatid cyst, originating from the right ventricle septum and projecting into the right ventricular cavity, was removed. The diagnosis of Echinococcus granulosus was confirmed by histological examination.

Unstable angina pectoris secondary to multiple calcified coronary artery masses. Successful treatment with coronary artery bypass surgery.

A 31-year-old doctor's wife suffered from severe unstable angina pectoris (AP) due to two large, heavily calcified masses involving the right coronary artery and the left anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery. The causes of the masses could not be determined with certainty, but in view of the history (which included the ingestion of large quantities of raw boerewors (traditional spiced sausage) and histopathological findings, we believe that they were coronary artery aneurysms which developed secondary to coronary arteritis many years previously. The possibility of echinococcal (hydatid) infection is also discussed. Cardiac surgery entailed total excision of both masses, together with sections of their accompanying coronary arteries which had become fibrotic as a result of the arteritis, and reestablishment of coronary blood flow by the insertion of two saphenous vein coronary artery bypass grafts. Her AP was dramatically relieved and she continues to be asymptomatic without taking anti-anginal drugs.

Rupture of sinus of Valsalva aneurysm into the right ventricle.

A young Black woman presented with acute severe right ventricular and moderate left ventricular cardiac failure secondary to rupture of a sinus of Valsalva aneurysm originating from the right coronary sinus. The rupture into the right ventricle was accompanied by severe aortic valve insufficiency. The aortic valve showed congenital myxomatous degeneration with no evidence of infective endocarditis or syphilis. Right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy revealed no evidence of any specific cardiac disease such as amyloidosis. Successful closure of the fistula, together with aortic valve replacement and a De Vega tricuspid annuloplasty, was carried out. M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiography delineated the fistula, as well as the most unusual binding of tricuspid valve fluttering, which persisted after operation. Slight insufficiency of the Björk-Shiley aortic prosthesis was noted at postoperative cardiac catheterization. The patient was discharged from hospital asymptomatic and with no abnormal clinical features.

[Aortocoronary bypass surgery at Tygerberg Hospital, 1978 - 1980]. / Aortokoronêre omleidingschirurgie te Tygerberg-hospitaal, 1978-1980.

Between January 1978 and December 1980. 118 patients underwent saphenous vein bypass surgery for obstructive coronary artery disease at Tygerberg Hospital. Sixteen patients in addition to bypass surgery underwent mitral and/or aortic valve replacement or resection of a ventricular aneurysm. The operative and hospital mortality was 3,0% (4/134) for all patients and 3,3% (4/118) for patients who had aortocoronary bypass surgery as the sole procedure. Follow-up of the surviving patients for a mean period of 16,4 months revealed a low incidence of late myocardial infarction of 3.6% (4/112) resulting in the death of only 1 patient; 89.1% of patients were free of angina pectoris and the majority of these resumed their normal work or enjoyed their retirement.

Penetrating wounds of the heart and great vessels--a new therapeutic approach.

A series of 36 Black and Coloured patients, presenting during a 1-year period with life-endangering intrathoracic trauma secondary to assault, is presented. Penetrating wounds of the heart were documented in 32 of these patients, 6 of whom died almost immediately after having been brought into the Resuscitation Unit of Tygerberg Hospital, Parowvallei, CP. The remaining 26 patients had clinical features of cardiac tamponade and circulatory collapse, and in 4 of these patients an emergency thoracotomy was performed in the Resuscitation Unit as it was considered inadvisable to delay surgery until theatre had been arranged. Three of the latter 4 were discharged home completely recovered. Total peri-operative mortality was 13.3%, most deaths being due to lacerations of the left ventricle. Penetrating wounds of the ventricles accounted for some 85% of the total cardiac lacerations; other lacerations affected the pulmonary artery and its branches, the aorta, left atrium and internal thoracic artery. The incision most frequently employed at surgery was a median sternotomy (53%), followed by left thoracotomy (40%) and right thoracotomy (7%). Pre-operative emergency management based on pathophysiological principles is discussed. The fact that relatively inexperienced surgical registrars performed many of these operations with good results emphasizes the need for the establishment of resuscitation units in more peripheral hospitals where many of these patients could primarily be treated. These units would then be able to manage many of these patients, probably at an earlier stage than if they were referred to a teaching hospital such as Tygerberg.

Post-infarction ventricular septal defect and aneurysm formation.

A fairly young man suddenly developed a large ventricular septal defect (VSD) after an extensive anterolateral and anteroseptal myocardial infarction. Because of congestive cardiac failure refractory to medical treatment he underwent simultaneous closure of the VSD and left ventricular aneurysmectomy 6 weeks after the myocardial infarction. Some 14 months after operation the patient is completely asymptomatic on the minimum of medical therapy and is able to live normally. The literature on these two combined lesions complicating acute myocardial infarction and their surgical correction was caused by coronary spasm of the Prinzmetal variety with underlying normal coronary arteries.

Penetrating wounds of the heart and pericardium.

Fifty-seven patients with penetrating cardiac or pericardial trauma were treated at the Department of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, University of Stellenbosch at the Tygerberg Hospital during a 6 1/2 year period from June 1971 to January 1978. Eleven patients were treated by aspiration alone because tamponade was mild, or because they were seen between 24 hours and 3 weeks after injury. Six patients underwent late elective surgery. Cardiopulmonary bypass had to be employed in four patients to correct intracardiac lesions. All other patients underwent emergency operations 8 minutes to 2 hours after admission to hospital. The hospital mortality was 4 of 57 patients (7%), lower than rates reported in other series. Some selected cases will be described more fully and our present plan of management is outlined.

Aneurysm of a peripheral pulmonary artery. Case report and brief review of the literature.

A patient is presented in whom a solitary aneurysm of a peripheral pulmonary artery was treated by left lower lobectomy. This is the eighth reported successful resection of such an aneurysm. A brief review of the literature is also presented and the importance of pulmonary arteriography in the diagnosis of this condition is mentioned.

[Ventricular aneurysmectomy and infarctectomy]. / Ventrikulêre aneurismektomie en infarktektomie

During a 22-month period, April 1972 to February 1974, 4 patients underwent ventricular aneurysmectomy at the Karl Bremer and Tygerberg Hospitals for congestive cardiac failure. In addition, 1 patient with an aneurysm and 3 patients with acute myocardial infarcts, ranging from 16 to 28 days postinfarction, underwent emergency surgery for recurrent malignant arrhythmias. The preoperative treatment, cardiac catheterisation data and surgical findings are outlined. The over-all survival rate is 75% for a mean follow-up period of 12,5 months (range 8-22 months). It is concluded that aneurysmectomy, for congestive cardiac failure, and infarctectomy, for life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias, are gratifying and worthwhile procedures.

Penetrating wounds of the heart and great vessels. Experience with 24 cases including 3 with intracardiac defects.

Twenty-four cases of penetrating cardiac injuries due to stab wounds, which were seen over a 3-year period, are reviewed. Ten patients were treated by aspiration alone because tamponade was mild, or because they were seen more than 12 hours after injury. One patient with multiple stab wounds in the ventricles and left atrium died during emergency thoracotomy in the admission room. The mortality rate of 4,5% is considerably lower than rates reported in other series. Two cases of traumatic ventricular septal defects, one case of traumatic aortic incompetence and sinus of Valsalva fistulae with rupture into the right ventricle and right atrium, and one case of ascending aorta-innominate vein fistula are discussed. Our present plan of management is outlined.