Perioperative airway management strategy and posttransplant successful tracheal resection and reconstruction in a heart transplant candidate with post-intubation stenosis.

Post-intubation tracheal stenosis (PTS) is an important clinical situation. It is estimated to occur in approximately 5% to 20% of intubated or tracheostomized patients. PTS most commonly occurs after prolonged intubation, and the treatment options have been well discussed in the literature. However, in solid organ transplantation, the necessity of administering high doses of corticosteroids as well as immunosuppressive therapies may compromise the healing processes following tracheal resection and reconstruction, requiring different treatment strategies for simultaneous PTS. We present a patient suffering from end-stage heart failure and post-intubation tracheal stenosis along with our treatment strategy.

Ischemic necrosis of the right colon in a patient with a ventricular assist device system.

Despite improvements in medical therapy, the annual high mortality rate from end-stage heart failure continues. Although cardiac transplantation is a successful treatment for these patients, the shortage of donor hearts has led surgeons to seek other options. Ventricular assist device (VAD) technology is applied to a broader population of heart failure patients, and clinicians are confronted with the specialized perioperative and chronic care of patients who receive these devices. VAD implantation is now an acceptable means of bridging to heart transplantation. We report a case of isolated right colon necrosis in a patient with VAD, who was successfully treated with right hemicolectomy and ileocolostomy.

Pulsatile roller pump perfusion is safe in high risk patients.

In this study, controllability, safety, blood cell depletion, and hemolysis of a pulsatile roller pump in high-risk patients was evaluated. Sarns 8000 roller pump (Sams, Terumo CVS, Ann Arbor, MI, USA) with a pulsatile control module was used as arterial pump in a clinical setting. Forty patients undergoing elective open heart surgery with high-risk either having chronically obstructive pulmonary disease or chronic renal failure were randomly included in the study to be operated on using pulsatile perfusion or non-pulsatile perfusion. Blood samples were withdrawn at induction of anesthesia, at the time of aortic clamping and de-clamping and at 1 hour and 24 hours following cessation of the bypass. Hematocrit and plasma free hemoglobin values were measured. We observed that the pulsatile roller pump perfusion and the extracorporeal circuit used in the clinical study is safe in high-risk patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass. We did not face any emboli, hemolysis, or technical problems. Pulsatile roller pump perfusion with Sarns 8000 heart-lung machine is a simple and reliable technique and can be easily applied during open heart surgery.

Optimization of synchronization delay in latissimus dorsi dynamic cardiomyoplasty.

BACKGROUND: Optimal synchronization delay (SD) for triggering the implanted cardiomyostimulators in patients undergoing latissimus dorsi dynamic cardiomyoplasty has not been clearly defined. Generally a synchronization delay time of 45 to 60 ms is used in the current practice, in which the implanted cardiomyostimulator stimulates the latissimus dorsi muscle 45 to 60 ms after mitral valve closure acquired with M-mode echocardiography. We investigated the effect of shortening or prolonging the delay time on cardiac functions. METHODS: We studied 10 patients who were in their first 2 years postoperatively. Three values for SD (SD = 0 ms, 45 to 60 ms, and 150 to 160 ms) were echocardiographically evaluated for their influence on both systolic and diastolic left ventricular parameters. RESULTS: Ejection fractions were 0.27 +/- 0.07, 0.28 +/- 0.07, and 0.32 +/- 0.06; peak aortic velocities were 0.85 +/- 0.8, 0.86 +/- 0.11, and 0.92 +/- 0.8 m/s; and velocity-time integrals were 0.16 +/- 0.03, 0.16 +/- 0.03, and 0.19 +/- 0.03 m for the SD values of 0, 45 to 60 ms, and 150 to 160 ms, respectively. Diastolic parameters were also measured. Isovolumetric diastolic relaxation time was 97.5 +/- 49, 97.20 +/- 44, and 111.8 +/- 49 ms; deceleration time was 83.67 +/- 32, 88.48 +/- 35, and 92.68 +/- 34 ms; and ratio or velocity-time integral of e wave to velocity-time integral of a wave was 3.09 +/- 0.98, 2.48 +/- 0.69, and 2.38 +/- 0.65 for the SD values of 0, 45 to 60 ms, and 150 to 160 ms, respectively. Systolic functions were better when SD was set at 150 to 160 ms, but there was a diastolic compromise. On the other hand, diastolic parameters were more favorable when SD = 0 (i.e., cardiomyostimulator triggered without delay) but the systolic assist was suboptimal. Systolic and diastolic parameters seemed relatively well-balanced with the current practice of setting the synchronization delay at 45 to 60 ms. CONCLUSIONS: The most favorable systolic effects were obtained with a prolonged delay of synchronization (150 to 160 ms), at some expense of diastolic functions. On the other hand, with a short or absent delay, diastolic parameters were improved but systolic parameters became suboptimal. Therefore, the current practice of setting the SD between 45 and 60 ms after echocardiographic mitral valve closure is suggested for the optimal timing for cardiomyostimulator stimulation in patients who have undergone latissimus dorsi dynamic cardiomyoplasty. Yet a great deal of individualization is necessary, and fixed preset values cannot definitely be determined because one setting does not fit all patients.

A comparison of the early and midterm results after dynamic cardiomyoplasty in patients with ischemic or idiopathic cardiomyopathy.

OBJECTIVE: The main goal of this study is to determine the efficiency of the cardiomyoplasty procedure on patients with cardiomyopathy of different origins (ischemic and idiopathic origins). METHOD: Between June 1993 and August 1995, 24 patients underwent dynamic cardiomyoplasty with the left latissimus dorsi muscle in our institution. Early and midterm results, as well as the changes in hemodynamics and functional status during follow-up, were compared. RESULTS: Early mortality rate was 20.8% (five patients). Concomitant coronary revascularization, a preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction below 20%, and a functional capacity of class IV (intermittently) were associated with early mortality. The mean follow-up time was 17.3 months. Survival analysis (including early mortality) extending to the twenty-fourth month revealed no difference between the ischemic and idiopathic groups (55% vs 85%, respectively, p = 0.09). Functional status improved in the both groups. Ejection fractions were improved after cardiomyoplasty in all patients, regardless of their cause. Cardiac indices were higher 6 months after the operation. Changes in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, peak pulmonary artery pressure, and left ventricular end-diastolic volume were not significant. CONCLUSION: Although cardiomyoplasty improves functional capacity and hemodynamics in patients with both idiopathic and ischemic cardiomyopathy, the idiopathic group is thought to achieve optimal benefit with regard to lower complication rates and lower early mortality expectancy owing to the absence of concomitant coronary revascularization.

Comparative study on cardiomyoplasty patients with the cardiomyostimulator on versus off.

BACKGROUND: A major concern in evaluating dynamic cardiomyoplasty has been whether the synchronous stimulation of latissimus dorsi muscle is essential for benefit or not. We studied 10 patients to determine the efficacy of the systolic augmentation generated by the synchronous electrical stimulation of the latissimus dorsi muscle. METHODS: Left ventricular ejection fraction, end-systolic and end-diastolic volume indexes, and stroke volume index obtained during resting, peak exercise, and recovery periods ("on" values) were compared with those obtained 1 week after cessation of electrical stimulus ("off" values). Double product and estimated total body oxygen consumption at peak exercise were also calculated and compared. RESULTS: Higher ejection fractions (0.36 +/- 0.07 versus 0.33 +/- 0.06 at rest, 0.40 +/- 0.07 versus 0.33 +/- 0.07 at peak exercise, and 0.37 +/- 0.06 versus 0.31 +/- 0.06 at recovery).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)