Emergency caesarean section delivery and puerperium in a patient with severe idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension - a case report.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this paper is to describe the third pregnancy trimester, delivery and puerperium in patient with idiopathic pulmonary hypertension. CASE REPORT: a 30-year-old primigravida with idiopathic pulmonary hypertension was qualified for emergency Caesarean section. In the post partum period no improvement in managing pulmonary arterial hypertension was achieved. Because of progressive respiratory and circulatory failure as well as the pulmonary artery pressure exceeding the systemic pressure the AV ECMO was applied on postoperative day 6. During the ECMO period the emergency laparotomy due to bleeding was necessary. The further course of ICU treatment was uneventful. CONCLUSION: In described case things are left to chance or goodwill of specialists and final outcome depend on happy coincidences.

Predictors of early and medium-term outcome of 200 consecutive aortic valve and root repairs.

OBJECTIVES: Advantages of aortic valve repair and root reconstruction include maintenance of natural valve hemodynamic parameters and avoidance of prosthetic valve-related complications. However, general acceptance of valve reconstruction may be limited by paucity of long-term follow-up data from only a few centers. This report is intended to supplement existing outcome information for aortic valve repair. METHODS: Between 2003 and 2013, 200 consecutive patients (149 men, 51 women; mean age, 52.1 years) with significant aortic regurgitation and aortic root enlargement underwent aortic valve repair and associated root reconstruction. The same prospective selection criteria and systematic valve repair approaches were followed throughout the study. Root management consisted of either root remodeling or reimplantation with Dacron prostheses. Kaplan-Meier techniques were used to assess major end points of all-cause mortality, reoperation, and repair failure. Univariable log-rank testing was used to identify associations between risk factors and major events. RESULTS: Early mortality was 2% (4 patients), and early repair failure was 3% (6 patients). New York Heart Association functional class was found to be a risk factor for early mortality and morbidity (odds ratio, 3.3; P = .03), whereas crossclamp time and cardiopulmonary time were risk factors for early mortality (odds ratio, 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 1-1.07; P = .01 and odds ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 1-1.03; P = .02), respectively. Survival at a mean follow-up of 48.6 ± 34.3 months (median follow-up, 43.6 months; range, 17.8-78 months) was 94%, with a freedom from reoperation of 91%. Univariable risk factors for mortality were preoperative New York Heart Association functional class and requirement for root replacement. Repair failure and reoperation were associated with bicuspid valve anatomy, subcommissural annuloplasty, and complex leaflet repair. Freedom from repair failure was associated with aortic reimplantation. CONCLUSIONS: Data from a prospective cohort of patients undergoing aortic valve repair and root reconstruction reinforce the satisfactory medium-term results obtained with valve reconstruction. Further analysis of these patient outcomes is necessary to draw definitive conclusions on operative techniques.

Different techniques for aortic valve repair and the associated root reconstruction - prospective long-term follow-up of the first 100 patients.

INTRODUCTION: The advantages of aortic valve and aortic root reconstructive surgery include the provision of natural postoperative valve hemodynamics and the avoidance of prosthetic valve-related complications. A systematic approach based on functional classification of aortic regurgitation allows standardization and reproducibility. Its potential applicability, however, is limited by the relative lack of long-term follow-up data. AIM: To achieve the long term results of aortic valve and root repair in prospectively recruited group of 100 patients operated on during first seven years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between the years 2003 and 2013, 225 consecutive patients (175 male, 50 female, mean age 51.3 years) with severe aortic regurgitation and aortic root enlargement underwent aortic valve repair or sparing surgery. The first 100 patients operated between 2003 and 2009 were prospectively enrolled in the study in order to achieve a 105-month follow-up. They underwent aortic valve repair and associated aortic root reconstruction. This prospective study is aimed at assessing the major endpoints of overall survival and freedom from reoperation. Additionally, log-rank testing for the risk factors associated with overall mortality, reoperation, and aortic valve repair failure was performed. RESULTS: Among 225 patients, early mortality occurred in the case of 5 patients (2.2%), while 6 (2.5%) patients experienced early valve failure. In a prospective analysis performed on the first 100 patients, long-term results achieved with Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a survival rate of 93% and freedom from reoperation at the level of 91.3%. The risk factors for overall mortality included NYHA class, creatinine level, and perioperative root replacement as reimplantation. Redo operation was associated with bicuspid aortic valve and perioperative leaflet resection with pericardial patch repair. CONCLUSIONS: One hundred and five month follow-up data from this prospectively analyzed cohort of patients prove that aortic valve repair associated with aortic root reconstruction can be performed with satisfactory results.

Coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with relatively recent previous stent implantation: three years follow-up results.

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of patients who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting(CABG) have a history of coronary stent implantation. This study aims to assess perioperative and medium-term follow-up outcomes in patients in whom CABG was preceded by coronary stent implantation within two years before operation. METHODS: One hundred and sixty two patients undergoing CABG after previous stent placement (PCI + CABG group) were compared to 149 who had CABG without PCI in the past (CABG group). Clinical, angiographic and perioperative outcome data were compared. The three year follow-up comprised data on number of deaths and the presence of anginal symptoms. RESULTS: In both groups the extent of coronary artery disease was comparable, but more patients in the PCI + CABG group had a history of myocardial infarction. Perioperative outcome data did not differ between the groups except for a higher number of vessels considered infarct-related grafted in the CABG group. Patients operated on up to three months after PCI had more extensive coronary heart disease than those operated on later. They also had a significantly shorter operation time. This group also showed a trend towards less postoperative bleeding, less rethoracotomy and less low cardiac output syndrome. In a three year follow-up, 48 (30%) patients in the PCI + CABG group reported presence of angina compared to 28 (19%) in the CABG group (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Previous PCI does not significantly influence the CABG outcome. In mediumterm follow-up, freedom from anginal symptoms is less likely in patients in whom CABG was preceded by stent implantation.

Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery -- first experience in Poland.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive cardiac surgery has been introduced to treat various cardiac disorders, predominantly ischaemic heart disease. Its usage in valvular disorders has been only recently proposed. AIM: To assess safety and efficacy of minimally invasive mitral valve surgery. METHODS: The procedure was performed in 10 patients (6 females, 4 males, mean age 59+/-7 years). All but one had preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. Two patients underwent mitral valvuloplasty, and mitral valve replacement was performed in all remaining cases. One procedure was a redo surgery following mitral commisurotomy. RESULTS: In all patients the procedure was effective. Prolongation of cardiopulmonary bypass and aorta cross-clamping time did not increase the complication rate which included one wound infection, one repeated cannulation of the femoral vessels and one minor stroke. Rehabilitation process seemed to be shorter than after standard procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery is a safe and alternative method of treatment, and is associated with excellent cosmetic results.

Total arterial revascularization for multiple vessel coronary artery disease: with or without cardiopulmonary bypass.

BACKGROUND: To assess the usefulness of off-pump technique for more technically demanding coronary artery bypass procedures using exclusively arterial conduits. METHODS: Analysis of perioperative data of 324 consecutive patients in whom total arterial revascularization for multiple- vessel coronary artery disease was performed--181 cases on-pump and 143 cases off-pump. RESULTS: On average in the on-pump group 2.7 +/- 0.8 (range, 2-5) grafts per patient were constructed versus 2.4 +/- 0.7 (range, 2-4) grafts per patient in the off-pump group (P < .001). Of the total number of 490 anastomoses performed on-pump, 83 (17%) were side-to-side and of 349 anastomoses performed off-pump, 51(15%) were side-to-side, a nonsignificant difference (P = .4). The aorta was used as a site for proximal anastomosis of 1 or more arterial conduits in 105 patients (58%) who underwent on-pump surgery and in 57 patients (40%) who underwent off-pump surgery (P = .002). In the off-pump group, the right internal thoracic artery (RITA) was rarely (12%) routed through the transverse sinus to circumflex branches compared with the on-pump group (34%) (P = .017). RITA in off-pump patients was more often used to revascularize the anterior wall (47% versus 29%; P = .08). We observed no difference in mortality (1.7% versus 0%; P = .3), incidence of perioperative myocardial infarction (8.8% versus 7.7%; P = .8), stroke (1.7% versus 1.4%; P = .8), or atrial fibrillation (24% versus 19%; P = .3). We observed less inotropic support and less blood-product use in off-pump patients. CONCLUSION: Total arterial revascularization for multiple-vessel coronary artery disease may be safely performed off-pump. We observed tendency to somewhat smoother postoperative course in the off-pump group.