The Actis-gouge: a simple cutting tool for proper muscular resection in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Surgical treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC) may be challenging for the risk of surgical complications or insufficient resection. We present our cutting tool to perform proper muscular resection in HC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ten patients (5 males, mean age 43,1 +/- 19,6 years, range 9-70 years) were operated on for HC using this semicircular cutting device. Combined procedures were : mitral valve repair (n = 1), mitral valve replacement (n = 2), right ventricular myectomy (n = 1), aortic valve replacement (n = 1), mitral and aortic replacement (n = 1). RESULTS: There was one early death. All the surviving patients are alive over a variable follow up from 2 to 8 years, with consistent reduction of symptoms: in fact, no patient had residual angina with significant reduction of the NYHA class from 3,2 +/- 0,6 to 1,3 +/- 0,5 postoperatively (p < 0,05). Muscular resection was effective with significant reduction of sub-valvular gradient from 84.5 + 33,4 mmHg to 14,1 +/- 17,6 mmHg (p < 0,05) without complications such as complete atrio-ventricular block or ventricular septal defects. CONCLUSION: Our semicircular myotome is an effective tool to perform a safe myectomy and it avoids surgical complications such as atrio-ventricular blocks or sub-valvular injuries. Our experience suggests that this cutting tool offers a reproducible method for muscular resection and it shows appreciable effects in the reduction of sub-valvular gradient with promising results in terms of morbidity and mortality.

Transmyocardial laser revascularization. Personal experience.

BACKGROUND: Indirect revascularization is a therapeutic approach in case of severe angina not suitable for percutaneous or surgical revascularization. Transmyocardial revascularization (TMR) is one of the techniques used for indirect revascularization and it allows to create transmyocardial channels by a laser energy bundle delivered on left ventricular epicardial surface. Benefits of the procedure are related mainly to the angiogenesis caused by inflammation and secondly to the destruction of the nervous fibers of the heart. PATIENTS AND METHOD: From September 1996 up to July 1997, 14 patients (9 males - 66.7%, mean age 64.8±7.9 years) underwent TMR. All patients referred angina at rest; Canadian Angina Class was IV in 7 patients (58.3%), III in 5 (41.7%). Before the enrollment, coronarography was routinely performed to find out the feasibility of Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG): 13 patients (91,6%) had coronary arteries lesions not suitable for direct revascularization; this condition was limited only to postero-lateral area in one patient submitted to combined TMR + CABG procedures. RESULTS: Mean discharge time was 3,2±1,3 days after surgery. All patients were discharged in good clinical conditions. Perfusion thallium scintigraphy was performed in 7 patients at a mean follow-up of 4±2 months, showing in all but one an improvement of perfusion defects. Moreover an exercise treadmill improvement was observed in the same patients and all of them are in good clinical conditions, with significantly reduced use of active drugs. CONCLUSION; Our experience confirms that TMR is a safe and feasible procedure and it offers a therapeutic solution in case of untreatable angina. Moreover, it could be a hybrid approach for patients undergoing CABGs in case of absence of vessels suitable for surgical approach in limited areas of the heart.

A simple method to correct aortic tube graft kinking without cardiopulmonary by-pass and aortic clamping.

A method for correcting the tube kinking after ascending aortic replacement for acute dissection is described. Its main advantage is the no need for cardiopulmonary by-pass (CPB) and aortic clamping to solve the problem.

Aortobronchial fistula after aortic dissection type B.

Although rare, aortobronchial fistula complicates thoracic aortic surgery. Correct diagnosis and the infectious nature of the lesion are the most important conditions to define, for the following best therapy. We presented a case of non-infectious postsurgical aortobronchial fistula, revealed by computed-tomographic scan and angiography procedure, treated with prosthetic graft replacement and broad spectrum antibiotic therapy. In the case of infection our policy is homograft replacement. Computed tomography, being able to make diagnosis, should be performed as the initial technique.

Early and late results after surgical therapy of postinfarction left ventricular aneurysm.

From 1979 to 1993, 139 patients had reduction of left ventricular aneurysm (LVA) by plication (PL) (25 cases) linear repair (74 cases) or ventricular reconstruction (VR) (40 cases). Coronary bypass grafting was performed in 89 patients. We retrospectively reviewed our experience in order to identify predictore of early and late outcome and determine whether ventricular reconstruction (VR) can improve postoperative and late prognosis. Operative mortality (OM) was 7.2%. Among 129 hospital survivors, 48 died during FU (LM). OM was related to a more recent myocardial infarction (p=0.0001), a higher residual score (RS) (p=0.02), a lower EF (p=0.038), a higher left ventricular score (p=0.059), a three-system disease (TSD) (p=0.09) and a right coronary disease (RCD) (p=0.13). At Multivariate Analysis (Stepwise Logistic Regression) TSD (p=0.001), RCD (p=0.008) and RS (p=0.04) are independent risk factors. Actuarial survival rate at 15 years is 33.5+/-6.9% (OM included). According to the comparison of the Actuarial Curves (Tests of Mantel and Breslow, OM excluded) the most significant risk factors were: non use of left internal mammary artery (LIMA) (p=0.004), VR (p=0.01), TSD (p=0.03) and higher NYHA class (p=0.019). Multivariate Analysis (Co Model) confirms that late prognosis is influenced by non use of LIMA (p=0.03) and TSD (p=0.04); outcome is also affected by preoperative arrhythmias (p=0.022). Five-year survival after VR is 87.5+/-5.7% vs 64.9+/-5.5% after simple linear closure or PL (p=0.1075 and p=0.2252). Our results confirm that OM and LM are influenced by extent of myocardial ischemic damage; in agreement with the majority of Authors we advocate a complete revascularization using IMA, when appropriate, on left anterior descending artery. Our limited experience with VR fails to demonstrate this technique as an independent factor of late survival.

Risk of recurrence after reoperation for prosthetic valve endocarditis.

Reoperation after a surgical procedure for prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) is often required due to the existence of either septic recurrence or sterile para-prosthetic leak (PL). The aim of this study was to assess the risk to patients of undergoing a second operation after PVE. Thirty-six patients underwent operation for active PVE at our institution. The operative mortality rate was 11.2%. Among the 32 patients discharged, six underwent a second operation (in two cases due to persisting sepsis) and two underwent a third procedure. Multivariate analysis demonstrated increased probability of further operation for: inability to identify the infecting organism (p = 0.005); drug addiction (p = 0.007); existence of annular abscess (p = 0.016); and early occurrence of PVE (p = 0.018). In the case of mechanical prostheses, PVE was not an independent risk factor (p = 0.206). Nonetheless, 58.3% of patients with mechanical prostheses compared with 5.3% of those with bioprostheses showed annular abscesses, while 41.7% of the former versus 5.6% of the latter suffered one or more recurrences.

Risk factors of primary tissue failure within the 11th postoperative year in 217 patients with porcine bioprostheses.

From January 1979 to December 1979, 217 patients underwent valve replacement with porcine bioprostheses. The aim of this study has been to analyze possible host-related risk factors of primary tissue failure (PTF). Of the 207 survivors, 33 have been reoperated on because of prosthetic PTF. Actuarial freedom from PTF was 67.4% +/- 6.04% at 11 years. Several clinical and prosthetic variables have been analyzed as risk factors of PTF by stratification of the event-free actuarial rates with the tests of Mantel and Breslow, and then by introducing the significant variables into the Cox proportional hazards regression model. No significance was found for serum calcium and phosphorus levels, the calcium phosphorus product, normal sinus rhythm, and anticoagulant therapy. Age less than 40 years (40.3 +/- 15.9 vs 74.2 +/- 5.7; p = 0.0348 and p = 0.03) and mitral position (57.7 +/- 7.7 vs 90.9 +/- 5.2; p = 0.0124 and p = 0.0095) were significant predictors of PTF within the 11th postoperative year. Female gender approached statistical significance (63.7 +/- 7.9 vs 72.2 +/- 9.3; p = 0.2001 and p = 0.2043). Cox multivariate analysis showed that age less than 40 years (p = 0.008) and mitral position (p = 0.015) were independent determinants of PTF. In conclusion, we have not been able to confirm the influence of metabolic host factors on the occurrence of PTF, but young age (and not only pediatric age) and mitral position are significant predisposing factors.

[The early ergometric test after myocardial revascularization]. / Test ergometrico precoce dopo intervento di rivascolarizzazione miocardica.

Ergometric tests (ET) were used to study 900 patients undergoing surgical myocardial revascularisation during the period between January 1983 and December 1989. ET was carried out without medical therapy between the 30th and 35th day post surgery. The test was positive in 193 subjects (21%); in 42 of the latter (5% of the total and 229 of positive subjects) symptoms of effort angina were found to persist. ET was negative in 557 patients (62%); 150 subjects (17%), although not positive, did not attain a sufficient heart rate to enable a 100% negative diagnosis to be made. No major complication was observed. Maximal short-term ET is a reliable and safe test for checking the efficacy of myocardial revascularisation and to assess functional recovery. In view of the relatively high percentage of positive tests due to ischemia but with the complete absence of symptoms, the authors affirm that the mere onset of anginous symptoms alone cannot be considered indicative of the success of cardiosurgery.

[The midterm clinical results of myocardial revascularization with the internal mammary artery]. / Risultati clinici a medio termine della rivascolarizzazione miocardica con arteria mammaria interna.

After a 3-year (1985-1988) experience of myocardial revascularization using internal mammary artery (AMI) grafts and after having excluded (1986) an higher operative mortality and morbidity, clinical medium-term results have been analysed. The first 144 patients discharged alive after AMI bypass surgery in 1985 were clinically evaluated, with a mean interval of 21 months from surgery (range: 5-29 months). Exercise electrocardiographic test was performed by 100 patients, and angiography repeated in 15. Actuarial survival function was estimated by Cutler-Ederer method: 2-year actuarial survival was 99.3 +/- 0.7% (94 +/- 1.8%, when operative deaths were included). Non fatal myocardial infarction occurred in 3 patients and, at follow-up, 26 were symptomatic for angina: 2 patients underwent re-operation and 2 angioplasty. Two years after AMI bypass surgery, actuarial estimate of ischemic event-free patients was 70.9 +/- 4.5% (67.7 +/- 4.5%, when operative deaths were included): 73 out of 100 exercise tests were negative for both angina and ischemia, although only 43 patients, reached maximal work load; 9 were positive for both angina and ischemia and 18 for ischemia only. All patients who underwent angiographic evaluation (15 patients, 11 of whom because of angina relapse) had AMI grafts open, while in only 4 patients all the implanted grafts were open.

Penetrating wound of the right ventricle with intracardiac retention of the foreign body.

The rare case of a penetrating cardiac wound with fortuitous outcome caused by a disintegrating rotating electric saw at the patient's home is described. The patient was successfully treated in two stages: Emergency treatment in the nearest hospital, where no extracorporeal circulation facilities were available, to stop the bleeding, followed by transport to, an cardiac surgery in university hospital, where a foreign body in the right ventricle was removed. Pathophysiology of heart wounds and their surgical treatment are discussed.

[Clinical results and modification of left ventricular function after emergency revascularization for acute myocardial infarction]. / Risultati clinici e modificazioni della funzione ventricolare sinistra dopo rivascolarizzazione d'emergenza per infarto miocardico acuto.

Results of emergency revascularization for evolving myocardial infarction have been evaluated in 43 consecutive patients operated between January 1985 and March 1988. Time interval between onset of symptoms and coronary bypass averaged 6.7 +/- 0.5 hours (0.75-48). Intravenous or intracoronary thrombolysis was attempted pre-operatively in 26 cases. Overall hospital mortality was 6.9% (3/43) but this decreased to only 2.7% if patients in cardiogenic shock were excluded. Follow-up averaged 20.6 +/- 9.5 months (4-42). Actuarial survival was 82.9 +/- 7.3% at 36 months. Of the 36 survivors, 28 were free from angina and reinfarction at control. Nineteen patients were evaluated with angiography at follow-up (averaging 10.1 +/- 5.7 months). Left ventricular and regional ejection fraction were calculated on pre- and post-operative angiograms; regional ejection fraction was determined with the centerline method. Left ventricular ejection fraction increased from 0.49 +/- 0.15 to 0.52 +/- 0.19 (NS), regional ejection fraction improved from 0.20 +/- 0.1 to 0.27 +/- 0.16 (35% increment, p less than 0.05). The analysis of left ventricular and regional ejection fraction variations with the time elapsed from the onset of symptoms to surgery identified two subgroups of patients: those operated within and after six hours. In the first subgroup, left ventricular ejection fraction increased from 0.52 +/- 0.16 to 0.62 +/- 0.13 (p less than 0.005) and regional ejection fraction from 0.19 +/- 0.08 to 0.36 +/- 0.14 (89% increment, p less than 0.0005). In the second subgroup, both left ventricular and regional ejection fractions decreased from 0.44 +/- 0.13 to 0.36 +/- 0.11 (NS) and from 0.20 +/- 0.13 to 0.12 +/- 0.08 (NS), respectively. These results lead to the conclusion that improved left ventricular performance may be achieved in selected groups of patients if they undergo surgery within six hours of the onset of pain.

Carpentier-Edwards bioprosthesis: a 7-year follow-up in 361 patients.

Three hundred sixty-one patients undergoing heart valve replacement with Carpentier-Edwards bioprostheses (CE) were evaluated: 169 patients underwent replacement of the mitral valve (MVR), 124 of the aortic valve (AVR), one of the tricuspid valve (TVR) and 67 of 2 or more valves (mVR). A total of 420 CEs were implanted. Overall operative mortality was 4.7% (7.1 for MVR, 1.6 for AVR, 4.5 for mVR). Early complications included hemorrhage (5 cases), thromboembolism (one case), paraprosthetic leak (one case). Actuarial survival rates at 5 years were computed for overall deaths, cardiac deaths and prosthetic deaths. In the 3 subgroups these 3 rates were respectively 78.7 +/- 5.6%, 82.9 +/- 5.4%, 96.4 +/- 1.6% for MVR, 88.9 +/- 3.3%, 94.2 +/- 2.3%, 98.7 +/- 1.3% for AVR, and 82.3 +/- 5.9%, 88.3 +/- 5.1%, 98.5 +/- 1.5% for mVR. Actuarial freedom from prosthetic complications at 7 years was 59.6 +/- 7.5%, 78.1 +/- 4.1% and 61.9 +/- 8.0% for MVR, AVR and mVR patients. Thromboembolism-free rates were 87.2 +/- 3.9% and 99.2 +/- 0.8% for MVR and AVR, while the thromboembolic linearized rate was 2.8% per patient-year and instantaneous risk of thromboembolism was 4.1% at one and instantaneous risk of thromboembolism was 4.1% at one year for MVR. Anticoagulant-related hemorrhage linearized occurrence was 1.0%, 1.2% and 0.8% per patient-year among the 3 subgroups. Prosthetic endocarditis occurred in 12 patients with a linearized rate of 1.1% per patient-year. Eleven of these patients were treated successfully. Three episodes of primary tissue failure were recorded (0.2% linearized rate per year, instantaneous risk 3.5% at the sixth year).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Postoperative histological diagnosis in two cases of unsuspected bioprosthetic endocarditis.

Two cases of preoperatively unsuspected porcine bioprosthetic endocarditis are presented. Both cases, thought to be a sterile thrombosis and a primary tissue failure respectively, were correctly diagnosed only with histological examination. Cultures and histological examination of the explanted tissue are necessary for a definite diagnosis in every case of prosthetic malfunction.

Ascending aortic aneurysms: composite conduit replacement.

From July 1980 to February 1984, 26 patients underwent composite replacement of ascending aortic aneurysm and aortic valve with coronary reimplantation. This group included 14 patients with dissecting aneurysm (ten and four respectively, belonging to Types I and II), and 12 patients with chronic aneurysm (six atherosclerotic aneurysms, two Marfan's syndrome and four annuloaortic ectasia cases). Hospital mortality was 35.7% (5/14) in the dissection subgroups and 16.6% (2/12) in the chronic aneurysm subgroup (difference NS). No operative risk factor was recognized. The 19 survivors have been followed up for a total of 393 patient-months (range 5 to 49 months). Controls included echocardiography and computed tomography scanning. Two patients died because of rupture of a persistently dissected aorta; another patient died of an unknown cause. Total actuarial survival rate at 4 years was 58.3 +/- 10.4% (83.3 +/- 10.7% for chronic aneurysms and 42.3 +/- 13.4% for dissecting aneurysms). Among late survivors, there were no paravalvular leaks, new dissections, or thromboembolisms, although two perigraft hematomas and a persistent dissection were later disclosed. When appropriate, composite conduit replacement of the ascending aorta can increase the survival rate, and can also be useful in high-risk patients.