Mini-sternotomy for the treatment of aortic valve lesions.

OBJECTIVE: To compare inverted-L mini-sternotomy performed above the sternal furcula with conventional sternotomy in patients with aortic valve diseases who undergo surgical treatment. METHODS: We operated upon 30 patients who had aortic valve lesions that had clinical and hemodynamic findings. All patients underwent inverted-L sternotomy, which extended from above the manubrium of the sternum to the 3rd right intercostal space, without opening the pleural cavity. Their ages ranged from 32 to 76 years, and 18 were males and 12 were females. We used negative pressure in a venous 1/4-inch cannula, and the patients were maintained in Trendelemburg's position. Twenty-seven patients received bioprostheses with diameters ranging from 23 to 29mm. Three patients underwent only removal of the calcifications of the aortic valve leaflets and aortic commissurotomy. RESULTS: The mean duration of anoxic cardiac arrest was 63.11min. Access was considered good in all patients. One death was due to pulmonary and renal problems not related to the incision. All patients had a better recovery in the intensive care unit, got out of bed sooner, coughed more easily, and performed prophylactic physiotherapeutic maneuvers for respiratory problems more easily and with less pain in the incision. Early ambulation was more easily carried out by all patients. CONCLUSION: Mini-sternotomy proved to be better than the conventional sternotomy because it provided more comfort for the patients in the early postoperative period, with less pain and greater desire for early ambulation and all its inherent advantages.

[The relationship between left ventricular function and the precipitation of symptoms in severe chronic aortic insufficiency]. / Relação entre função ventricular esquerda e desencadeamento de sintomas na insuficiência aórtica crônica severa.

PURPOSE: To study the relationship between symptoms and left ventricular function in 68 patients with severe chronic aortic regurgitation using echocardiogram and radionuclide left ventriculography at rest. METHODS: Three stages of natural history are assumed: the 1st, at the beginning of the study, when all patients were asymptomatic (clinical stage 0); the 2nd, at the end of 36 month persistence of asymptomatic (clinical stage 1), consisting of 45 patients (group AA); the 3rd, on occasion of manifestation of the symptoms during this period of time (clinical stage 2), consisting of 21 patients (group AS-PRE), with two fatalities not related to valvopathy. RESULTS: The comparison between the groups resulted in similarities in the mean ages, mean time of knowledge of the disease, predominance of males and rheumatic etiology. The profile analysis showed that the significant initial differences between the average of all echocardiographic variables (diastolic diameter, systolic diameter, shortening fraction, final systolic stress, volume-mass ratio, contractility index) and of the ejection fraction of the left ventricle obtained by the radionuclide ventriculography at rest, remained during the study. CONCLUSION: Development of symptoms grouped patients with more advanced excentric hypertrophy, did not coincide with any immediate change in the laboratory markers studied at rest and it was used as a referential for surgical therapy.

[Valvular surgical treatment concurrent with myocardial revascularization]. / Tratamento cirúrgico valvar concomitante à revascularização do miocárdio.

PURPOSE: To study the morbidity and mortality due to valvar surgical treatment performed concomitantly to myocardial revascularization. METHODS: From 1650 patients submitted to mitral or aortic valve surgical treatment, 103 (6.24%) had it associated to myocardial revascularization. Coronary insufficiency was associated to aortic valvar lesion in 66 (64.0%) patients, group I, with mean age of 62.3 +/- 8 years; and in 37 (35.9%) patients with mitral valve lesion, group II, with mean age of 57.8 +/- 5.8 years. Diagnosis was based upon the anamnesis, physical examination and confirmed by cine-coronarographic findings. RESULTS: I-Complications at the immediate postoperative; a) mortality 11 (10.6%) patients, 6 (9.09%) from group I: by low cardiac output 3, uncontrolled arrhythmia 1, mediastinitis 1; acute infarction with cardiogenic shock 1, and 5 (134.5%) of group II: uncontrolled hemorrhage 2, sudden death 1, saphenous vein graft occlusion, respiratory insufficiency and sepsis 2; b) controlled intercurrences that increased the time of hospitalization: mental disorder 5 patients; CVA 7, diabetes decompensation 2, worsening of chronic renal insufficiency 1, upper level digestive hemorrhage 1 and respiratory insufficiency 3 patients. II-late postoperative complications of 77 (83.6%) patients which could be followed up during a period of 60 months: 1) mortality: 3 (3.89%) patients; 2 due to cardiomyopathy and 1 by acute myocardial infarction; 2) late evolution-functional capacity III (NYHA) by cardiomyopathy 6; I/II 68 patients; mild angina 6 patients, 2 underwent revascularization at the end of final 36-42 months. CONCLUSION: The clinical improvement and mortality indexes statistically similar to the isolate surgical acts stimulate us to keep up with such associate procedures.

[Hemorrhagic infarction due to myocardial reperfusion. Report of 4 cases]. / Infarto hemorrágico conseqüente à reperfusão miocárdica. Relato de quatro casos.

Four different clinical cases in which the myocardial reperfusion occurred after acute myocardial infarction, and was followed by significant hemorrhagic ventricular damage. We discuss some possible etiologic mechanism of the problem and present some methods of myocardial protection which are meant to lessen those negative effects of the reperfusion. We conclude setting the difficulty to determine the critical moment after which the myocardial reperfusion turns inefficient or even harmful.

Tratamento cirúrgico conservador, na correçäo da insuficiência aórtica / Conservative, surgical treatment, in the correction of aortic insufficiency

Vinte pacientes com IAo foram tratados conservadoramente através de plástica dos folhetos. Os defeitos concomitantes foram corrigidos. Todos apresentavam insuficiência cardíaca que apresentou melhora após a cirurgia. Conclui-se que: 1) a correçäo conservadora da IAo é eficaz, sendo opçäo válida. 2) no período de estudo - de 3 a 5 anos - näo houve desapeptaçäo da funçäo do VE apesar de permanecerem sinais auscultatórios de IAo

Clinical results of valve replacement by the Starr-Edwards prosthesis.

Heart valve replacement has initiated special research efforts and has led to debate among surgeons from different surgical services. It is in this area of cardiac surgery that complications are frequent. This paper is a summarized review of the problems related to valve replacement by the Starr-Edwards prosthesis at the University of Sao Paulo Medical School Heart Institute. It describes the difficulties which led the authors to abandon its use in 1971. Clinical experience is from July 1958 to January 1974.