Normoxic management of cardiopulmonary bypass reduces myocardial oxidative stress in adult patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to investigate whether normoxic cardiopulmonary bypass would limit myocardial oxidative stress in adults undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. METHODS: Patients scheduled to undergo elective isolated on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting were randomized to normoxia and hyperoxia groups. The normoxia group received 35% oxygen during anesthetic induction, 35% during hypothermic bypass, and 45% during rewarming. The hyperoxia group received 70%, 50%, and 70% oxygen, respectively. Coronary sinus blood samples were taken prior to initiation of cardiopulmonary bypass and after reperfusion for myocardial total oxidant and antioxidant status measurements. The primary endpoint was myocardial total oxidant status. Secondary endpoints were myocardial total antioxidant status and length of intensive care unit and hospital stay. RESULTS: Forty-eight patients were included. Twenty-two received normoxic management. Mean ± standard deviation of age was 58 ± 9.07 years. Groups were balanced in terms of demographics, risk factors, and operative data. Myocardial total oxidant status was significantly lower in the normoxia group following reperfusion (p = 0.03). There was no statistically significant difference regarding myocardial total antioxidant status and length of intensive care unit and hospital stay (p = 0.08, p = 0.82, and p = 0.54, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Normoxic cardiopulmonary bypass is associated with reduced myocardial oxidative stress compared to hyperoxic cardiopulmonary bypass in adult coronary artery bypass patients.

Blunt Traumatic Aortic Injury: 10-Year Single-Center Experience.

OBJECTIVE: In blunt trauma patients, injury of the thoracic aorta is the second most common cause of death after head injury. In recent years, thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has largely replaced open repair as the primary treatment modality, and delayed repair of stable aortic injuries has been shown to improve mortality. In light of these major advancements, we present a 10-year institutional experience from a tertiary cardiovascular surgery center. METHODS: Records of patients who underwent endovascular or open repair of the ascending, arch or descending thoracic aorta between January 2009 and December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients without blunt traumatic etiology were excluded. Perioperative data were retrospectively collected from patient charts. Long-term follow-up was performed via data from follow-up visits and phone calls. RESULTS: A total of 1,667 patients underwent 1,740 thoracic aortic procedures (172 TEVAR and 1,568 open repair). There were 13 patients (12 males) with a diagnosis of blunt thoracic aortic injury. Mean patient age was 43.6 years (range, 16-80 years). Ten (77%) patients underwent TEVAR, two (15.4%) underwent open repair, and one (7.7%) was treated nonoperatively. Procedure-related stroke was observed in one (7.7%) case. Procedure-related paraplegia did not occur in any patients. Left subclavian artery origin was covered in seven patients. None developed arm ischemia. Hospital survivors were followed-up for an average of 60.2 months (range, 4-115 months) without any late mortality, endoleak, stent migration, arm ischemia, or reintervention. CONCLUSION: Blunt thoracic aortic injury is a rare but highly fatal condition. TEVAR offers good early and midterm results. Left subclavian artery coverage can be performed without major complications.

Combined mitral valve replacement and ravitch procedures in a patient with previous pneumonectomy: case report and review of the literature

Abstract Introduction: Significant anatomical and functional changes occur following pneumonectomy. Mediastinal structures displace toward the side of the resected lung, pulmonary reserve is reduced. Owing to these changes, surgical access to heart and great vessels becomes challenging, and there is increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. Methods: We performed a mitral valve replacement combined with a Ravitch procedure in a young female with previous left pneumonectomy and pectus excavatum. Results: She was discharged on postoperative day 9 and remains symptom-free 3 months after surgery. Conclusion: Thorough preoperative evaluation and intensive respiratory physiotherapy are essential before performing cardiac operations on patients with previous pneumonectomy.

Causes of Dyspnea after Cardiac Surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Postoperative dyspnea is common after cardiac surgery, even in low-risk patients. Cardiac surgeons and anesthesiologists are familiar with patients suffering from dyspnea in the early postoperative period, but in some cases, conventional treatment strategies may be ineffective, and a consultation with a pulmonologist may be required. The aim of this study is to investigate the causes of dyspnea after cardiac surgery in this particular patient group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The hospital database was searched for non-emergency cardiac surgery for the period January 2014-October 2015. Individuals with an impaired spirometry result and a history of any pulmonic disease were excluded. Only patients for whom a pulmonary consultation was needed because of dyspnea in the postoperative course were enrolled in the study. Causes of dyspnea were analyzed according to consultation reports and computed tomography findings. RESULTS: One hundred and three patients were enrolled in the study. Of those, 67 (65%) were male, and the mean age was 61.50±9.43. The most common procedure was the coronary artery bypass grafting. Atelectasis (n=57, 42%) was the most common cause of dyspnea. The length of the intensive care unit (ICU) stay was significantly longer in the pneumonia group (p=0.012). Hospital mortality in the pneumonia group was significantly higher compared with other subgroups (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: After cardiac surgery, atelectasis was the most common cause of dyspnea, followed by pleural effusion and pneumonia. Patients who experienced dyspnea due to pneumonia had a longer ICU stay. Developing the treatment strategies with consideration of these causes may help reduce the length of stay, morbidity, and mortality in this patient group.

Combined Mitral Valve Replacement and Ravitch Procedures in a Patient with Previous Pneumonectomy: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

INTRODUCTION: Significant anatomical and functional changes occur following pneumonectomy. Mediastinal structures displace toward the side of the resected lung, pulmonary reserve is reduced. Owing to these changes, surgical access to heart and great vessels becomes challenging, and there is increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. METHODS: We performed a mitral valve replacement combined with a Ravitch procedure in a young female with previous left pneumonectomy and pectus excavatum. RESULTS: She was discharged on postoperative day 9 and remains symptom-free 3 months after surgery. CONCLUSION: Thorough preoperative evaluation and intensive respiratory physiotherapy are essential before performing cardiac operations on patients with previous pneumonectomy.

Coronary Artery Fistulae Involving Both Right and Left Coronary Arteries.

A coronary artery fistula is defined as an abnormal direct communication between any coronary artery and any of the cardiac chambers, superior vena cava, coronary sinus, pulmonary artery, and pulmonary veins. The right coronary artery (RCA) is the most common site of origin, and right heart chambers are the most common site of drainage. However, there are few cases reported in the literature in which the fistulae originate from both the right coronary and the left anterior descending arteries and drain into the pulmonary artery. We present a case with fistulae involving both right and left coronary arteries.

Management of Traumatic Aortic and Splenic Rupture in a Patient With Ascending Aortic Aneurysm.

Traumatic aortic rupture is rupture of all or part of the aortic wall, mostly resulting from blunt trauma to the chest. The most common site of rupture is the aortic isthmus. Traumatic rupture of the ascending aorta is rare. A 62-year-old man with a family history of ascending aortic aneurysm was referred to our hospital after a motor vehicle accident. He had symptoms of cardiogenic shock. A contrast-enhanced computed tomographic scan revealed rupture of the proximal ascending aorta and an ascending aortic aneurysm with a diameter of 55 mm at the level of the sinuses of Valsalva. Transthoracic echocardiography at the bedside revealed severe aortic valvular insufficiency. We performed a successful Bentall procedure. During postoperative recovery, the patient experienced a cerebrovascular accident. Transesophageal echocardiography did not reveal thrombosis of the mechanical prosthesis. The patient's symptoms resolved in time, and he was discharged from the hospital on postoperative day 47 without any sequelae. He has been symptom free during a 6-month follow-up period. We suggest that individuals who have experienced blunt trauma to the chest and have symptoms of traumatic aortic rupture and a known medical history of ascending aortic aneurysm should be evaluated for a rupture at the ascending aorta and the aortic isthmus.

Right Sided Aortic Arch Resembling Asthma.

Exertional dyspnoea and shortness of breath at rest are common complaints in asthmatic patients. However, symptoms sometimes do not resolve under optimal medical treatment. In such cases infrequent causes of dyspnoea may be the underlying basis. We present a 38-year-old patient who suffered from shortness of breath not amenable to medical treatment for asthma for five years. In her medical history, the patient was on salbutamol inhalation as well as budesonide/formoterol inhalation for 5 years and the symptoms did not ameliorate. We diagnosed a right sided aortic arch after investigations. In this rare anomaly, both trachea and oesophagus might be encircled and compressed by large vessels as well as the aortic arch. Although some signs of right sided aortic arch can be recognized in chest radiograph and spirometry, accurate diagnosis is made by contrast enhanced computed tomography or angiography. Delay in diagnosis of right sided aortic arch may result in unnecessary investigations and prolonged periods of ineffective treatment. Diagnosis of right sided aortic arch leads to improvement in symptoms and withdrawal of unnecessary treatment.

Results for surgical closure of isolated ventricular septal defects in patients under one year of age.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the outcomes of patients undergoing surgical repair of isolated ventricular septal defect (VSD) in the first year of life with particular attention to age and severity of pulmonary hypertension (PH). METHODS: Between July 1, 2002 and May 31, 2012, 282 patients aged less than one year underwent isolated VSD closure at a median age of five months (range, 21 days to 1 year) and a median weight of 5.3 kg (range, 2.9 to 12.5 kg). Patients were divided into three groups according to the age at surgery (0-3, 3-6, and 6-12 months), and groups were compared in regard to severity of PH associated with morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: Four (1.4%) early and four (1.4%) late deaths occurred postoperatively. All mortalities were patients with severe PH, aged between 3 and 12 months. Although hemodynamic studies revealed a higher incidence of persistent postoperative PH in patients above three months of age, there was no statistically significant difference in morbidity associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation, and long intensive care unit and hospital stays between age-related groups. CONCLUSION: In this study, the incidence of mortality was higher in patients over three months of age undergoing repair of isolated VSD; the data suggest that the mortality may be decreased in patients with severe PH who were operated on earlier in life. We conclude that in infants with severe PH, early surgical repair (less than three months) of isolated VSDs is strongly advised to achieve more favorable results.