Reoperation for isolated rheumatic tricuspid regurgitation.

BACKGROUND: The reoperation for isolated tricuspid regurgitation in rheumatic population is rare and still unclear and controversial because of the rarity of publications. The aim of this study was to analyze short and long-term results and outcome of tricuspid valve surgery after left-sided valve surgery in rheumatic patients. METHODS: Twenty six consecutive rheumatic patients who underwent isolated tricuspid valve surgery after left-sided valve surgery between January 2000 and January2017 were retrospectively registered in the study. The mean age was 48.2 ± 8.6 years with 8.3% as sex-ratio (M/F). EuroSCORE was 6.1 ± 5 (range 2.5 to 24.1). The mechanism of tricuspid regurgitation was functional and organic in respectively 14 (53.8%) and 12 cases (46.2%). Ten patients (38.5%) had previous tricuspid valve repair. Surgery consisted of 15 ring annuloplasty and 11 tricuspid valve replacement (5 bioprostheses and 6 mechanical prostheses). Follow-up was 96.1% complete, with a mean follow-up of 55.6 ± 38.8 months (range 1 to 165). RESULTS: The operative mortality rate was 15.4% (n = 4) and the cumulative survival at 1, 5 and 10 years was respectively 80% ± 8%, 75.6% ± 8.7% and 67.2% ± 11.1% with no significant difference at 8 years between tricuspid valve replacement (80% ± 12.6%) and repair (57.6% ± 16.1%) (p = 0.5). Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that ascites (HR, 5.8; p = 0.01), and right ventricular dysfunction (HR, 0.94; p = 0.001) were predictors of major adverse cardiac events. There were no recurrence of tricuspid regurgitation and no structural or non-structural deterioration of valvular prostheses. CONCLUSION: The reoperation of rheumatic tricuspid regurgitation should be considered before the installation of complications such as right ventricular dysfunction and major signs of right heart failure. Despite the superiority of repair techniques, tricuspid valve replacement should not be banished.

[Subaortic diaphragm surgery]. / La chirurgie du diaphragme sous aortique.

Subaortic diaphragm is characterized by a certain clinical latency and low morbi-mortality. Surgery remains the treatment of choice despite the real risk of long-term recurrence. Our study involved 18 patients with subaortic diaphragm operated between April 1994 and March 2011. The average age was 18.1 ± 9.7 years, 11 patients were male. The diaphragm was fibrous in 13 patients and fibromuscular in 5 patients. All patients underwent diaphragm resection associated with myectomy, aortic plasty, closure of ventricular septal defect and permeable ductus arteriosus ligation in 3, 3, 2 and 2 patients respectively. Operative mortality was zero and there were no cases of postoperative conduction disorder. With a median follow-up of 44.3±36.8 months, there was no late death. Two patients had a diaphragm recurrence which required reoperation with good evolution. The current trend in diaphragm surgery is towards early interventions and more extensive resections. However, the risk of recurrence requires a systematic and close ultrasound monitoring.

A case of subarachnoid hemorrhage revealed by an acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

The subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is definitely the best descriptive model of the interaction between cardiovascular system and cerebral damage. The underlying mechanism of cardiovascular alterations after SAH is linked to the adrenergic discharge related to aneurysm rupture. Cardiac and pulmonary complications are common after severe brain injury, especially the aneurismal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Acute neurogenic pulmonary edema is not exceptional; it may occur in 20% of cases and commonly follows a severe subarachnoid hemorrhage. Severe myocardial damage with cardiogenic shock may possibly reveal the SAH (3% of cases) and mislead to wrong diagnosis of ACS with dramatic therapeutic consequences. The contribution of CT and cerebral angiography is essential for diagnosis and treatment. Surgical or endovascular treatment depends on location, size and shape of the aneurysm, on patient's age, neurological status and existence of concomitant diseases. We report the case of a 58 years old patient, with a past medical history of diabetes and hypertension, admitted for acute pulmonary edema with cardiogenic shock. This case illustrates an unusual presentation of aneurismal SAH in a patient presenting with an acute coronary syndrome.