Health-related quality of life and right ventricular function in the midterm follow-up assessment after tetralogy of fallot repair.

BACKGROUND: Few data are available on quality of life after surgical repair of tetralogy of Fallot (ToF), and on its relationship to right ventricle function. METHODS: Patients with at least 1 year of follow-up evaluation after surgery were studied. Right ventricle function was evaluated by the Doppler-derived myocardial performance index (MPI), and health-related quality of life (HRQL) was assessed by the Child Health Questionnaire, Parent Form-50. Findings were compared with those for an age- and sex-matched group of healthy children. RESULTS: The study enrolled 35 successfully repaired ToF patients with 4.9 years (range, 3-7 years) of follow-up evaluation after surgery and 36 healthy children. The MPI demonstrated right ventricle dysfunction in patients compared with controls (0.34; range, 0.26-0.49 vs 0.2; range, 0.13-0.27; p < 0.01), although HRQL for the psychosocial domain was similar between patients and healthy children (summary score, 47.9; range, 45-52 vs 47.5; range, 44.5-50; p = 0.17). A trend for poorer physical area results was observed in patients (summary score, 44; range, 31-52 vs 48.5; range, 45.7-51.7; p = 0.06). Neither physical nor psychosocial summary scores for HRQL had any correlation with right ventricle MPI. CONCLUSIONS: Right ventricle dysfunction is present in postoperative ToF patients. The psychosocial domain of HRQL is preserved after surgery. A trend for worse results was observed in the physical domain. The right ventricle function is not related to quality of life after surgical repair of ToF.

Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting does not reduce lymphocyte activation.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we test the hypothesis that off-pump coronary bypass surgery might result in less lymphocyte activation than on-pump coronary surgery. We also study the behavior of lymphocyte activation markers during and after surgery. BACKGROUND: Coronary artery bypass surgery is known to be associated with changes of inflammatory mediators, immune function, and early phase lymphocyte activation, which could cause postoperative lymphopenia and lymphocyte unresponsiveness. METHODS: We studied lymphocyte activation response in 28 patients randomized to off-pump (n = 13) or on-pump (n = 15) coronary artery bypass surgery. Expression of CD25, CD26, CD69, and DR on T (CD3+) and B (CD19+) lymphocytes on peripheral blood was assessed through flow cytometry. RESULTS: The response of T lymphocytes and their activation markers, as well as B lymphocytes and their activation markers, was similar after on- and off-pump surgery. Overall, T lymphocytes decreased to the lowest level 9 h after surgery and tended to increase later. For B lymphocytes, there was early reduction with increase on the 1st postoperative day. There was early activation of CD69+ and late activation of CD25+ on T lymphocytes. For B lymphocytes, there was early activation of CD69+ and late activation of DR+. CONCLUSIONS: (1) Compared to on-pump cardiopulmonary bypass, off-pump surgery does not reduce lymphocyte activation. (2) Coronary bypass surgery causes the early activation of lymphocytes, as evidenced by the increased expression of lymphocyte activation markers.

Partial left ventriculectomy: overall and late results in 44 class IV patients with 4-year follow-up.

BACKGROUND: This study reports long-term results of partial left ventriculectomy (PLV). METHODS: Forty-four patients with dilated cardiomyopathy were operated on in a 4-year study. Echocardiograms, catheterization, and stress tests with oxygen consumption (VO2) were performed. RESULTS: The survivors' preoperative ejection fractions of 22.1% +/- 4.9% improved to 30.9% +/- 9.4%, left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic diameter decreased from 79.4 +/- 9.3 mm to 61.9 +/- 8.2 mm, and maximum VO2 consumption improved from 8.8 +/- 3.9 mL/kg per minute to 15.8 +/- 6.1 mL/kg per minute at 22.6 months. These data also showed improvements in nonsurviving patients, according to the last evaluation before death. Seven of 12 survivors (58.3%) were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) I and II in December 1998. Twelve patients had elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) contraindicating heart transplant. In five patients the PVR returned to normal and one high-PVR patient was transplanted at the 16th postoperative month. Survival was 56.8%, 47.7%, 38.4%, and 35.9%, respectively, at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months, with a tendency to stabilize at 32.7% thereafter. Arrhythmias and heart failure were the main causes of death. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of improvement of ventricular function and quality of life of the survivors, high mortality is a limiting factor. PLV can be indicated as a bridge to heart transplantation in high-PVR patients or if ventricular assist devices or donor hearts are not available.

Holt-Oram syndrome revisited. Two patients in the same family.

Holt-Oram syndrome was first described in 1960 as an association of familial heart disease and musculoskeletal abnormalities. The most important findings include atrial septal defects, atrioventricular conduction abnormalities, vascular hypoplasia, and upper limb musculoskeletal deformities. We report two patients with this syndrome in the same family and discuss the variability of the musculoskeletal abnormalities and their association with the cardiac morphologic defects. Both patients in this study had associated eosinophilia, which has not been reported in the literature.

Estimulaçäo com adaptaçäo de freqüência controlada pelo sistema nervoso autônomo - uma avaliaçäo clínica / ANS controlled rate-adaptive pacing: a clinical evaluation

Para o tratamento da incompetência cronotrópica, marcapassos com adaptaçäo em freqüência baseados em diferentes sinais de sensores têm sido desenvolvidos, visando restaurar o mecanismo fisiológico em malha fechada e utilizando informaçäo fornecida pelo sistema nervoso autônomo (SNA). A medida da impedância cardíaca unipolar permite a monitorizaçäo do estado de contraçäo do coraçäo, diretamente relacionado ao tônus simpático. Marcapassos uni ou bicamerais com sistemas responsivos controlados pelo SNA foram implantados em 262 pacientes em vários centros clínicos. Protocolos de exercícios clíncos, monitorizaçäo por Holter, testes de estresse psicológico e estudos adicionais visando uma variaçäo intencional do tônus simpático confirmaram a resposta fisiológica em freqüência para os vários tipos de mudanças hemodinâmicas.

[Involvement of pulmonary function in patients treated with rotated chest muscle flap surgery for the treatment of sternal wound complications after heart surgery]. / Comprometimento da função pulmonar em pacientes submetidos à cirurgia de rotação de retalho do músculo peitoral para correção de complicações do esterno pós-cirurgia cardíaca.

PURPOSE: To evaluate pulmonary function of patients submitted to muscle flap for treatment of mediastinitis. METHODS: Fifteen patients operated with the muscle flap technique were compared with 26 consecutive patients submitted to heart surgery with extracorporeal circulation, that did not present wound complications. Both groups were evaluated for age, sex, body weight, height, surgery, forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in first second (FEV1) and the relation (FEV1/FVC) in absolute and percentual values, espirometry conclusions and clinical evidences of lung disease. RESULTS: There was no statistical difference between preoperative and postoperative period for FVC (p = 0.98), FEV1 (p = 0.68) and FEV1/FVC (p = 0.30) in the group with no sternal complications. In the control group, the median of FVC was 3907 +/- 1053.25 and in the study group was 2818 +/- 766.86 in absolute values (p = 0.0015). The median of FEV1, in the control group, was 2995 +/- 855.68 and in the study group was 2232 +/- 617.68 in absolute values (p = 0.0046). There was statistical difference, between groups, in FVC (104.78 +/- 21.73 and 82.04 +/- 21.16) and FEV1 (99 +/- 22.67 and 79.04 +/- 19.17) in percentual (p = 0.0026 and 0.0067) values. There was no statistical difference for the ratio FEV1/FVC. The study group had five patients diagnosed as having restrictive ventilatory insufficiency by espirometry against none in the control group (p = 0.0031). CONCLUSION: Patients with infectious complications of sternum and mediastinum, treated surgically with muscle flap rotation may present restrictive pulmonary insufficiency in moderate degree, that must be considered in this situation.

Estimulaçäo cardíaca atrioventricular sincrônica através de um eletrodo flutuante único (Modo VDD) / Synchronous atrioventricular stimulation of the heart with a single floating electrode (Mode VDD)

Um marcapasso bicameral que utiliza um eletrodo flutuante único para estimulaçäo no modo VDD foi implantado em 25 pacientes com distúrbios da conduçäo intra-cardíaca do tipo bloqueio atrioventricular total (21 pacientes) ou de 2o. grau (4 pacientes). Presumiu-se funçäo sinusial normal através do eletrocardiograma convencional e da história clínica. As etiologias dos distúrbios de conduçäo foram a miocardioesclerose (22 pacientes), cirúrgica (2 pacientes) ou a doença de Chagas (1 paciente). O eletro flutuante único SL 60 (Biotronik), dotado de dois sensores atriais situados a 13 cm da extremidade que contém o eletrodo ventricular unipolar, foi introduzido por via transvenosa. As medidas eletrofisiológicas (média +/_ erro padräo) no implante foram onda P de 2,87 +/_ 0,27 mV, QRS de 10,97 +/_ 0,92 mV e linmiar de estimulaçäo ventricular de 0,51 +/_ 0,04 V. O gerador de pulsos Dromos SL (Biotronik) foi mantido na programaçäo padräo. Após implante os pacientes realizaram teste ergométrico e/ou eletrcrdiograma ambulatorial de 24 horas. As complicaçöes registradas foram a perda da sensibilidade atrial em dois pacientes (8 por cento), requerendo reposicionamento do eletro, insuficiência cronotrópica ao exercício por bradicardia sinusal em um (4 por cento) e estimulaçäo de músculo peitoral ou inibiçäo temporária do gerador por miopotenciais em um (4 por cento), solucionada por reprogramaçäo. Em até 6 meses de seguimento, 24 pacientes (96 por cento) apresentam sincronismo atrioventricular adequado graçs estimulaçäo procuzida pelo marcapasso implantado. O implante de um marcapasso atrioventricular sequencial com eletrodo flutuante único é simples e a estimulaçäo VDD é efetiva em pacientes com bloqueios cardíaco e funçäo sinusal normal. Seu uso em pacientes chagásicos deve ser avaliado, pois miopotenciais cardíacos reduzidos podem comprometer a sensibilidade atrial.

Cardioversor-desfibrilador implantável. Nova opçäo terapêutica para as arritmias ventriculares malignas

As arritmias ventriculares malignas por definiçäo säo: taquicardia ventricular monomórfica sustentada (>30s); taquicardia ventricular polimórfica sustentada (sem desencadeantes agudos - IAM, hipóxia, distúrbios metabólicos, etc); sobreviventes de parada cardíaca por fibrilaçäo ventricular (sem desencadeantes agudos - IAM, hipóxia, distúrbios metabólicos, etc); taquicardia ventricular näo-sustentada (<30s - causando deswquilíbrio hemodinâmico). Estatísticas apontam que acometidas de morte súbita de igem cardíaca apenas nos Estados Unidos, a maior parte destes episódios causados por arritmias ventriculares malignas.

[Surgical myocardial revascularization in young patients]. / Cirurgia de revascularização miocárdica em pacientes jovens.

PURPOSE: To determine early and late results of surgical myocardial revascularization (SMR) in young patients. METHODS: We studied retrospectively 73 patients aging less than 40 years and submitted to SMR between 1975 and 1989. The method used was patient card review and thelephone contact with the patient or his physician. RESULTS: Follow-up was obtained in all cases in a period of 2 to 185 (59.9 +/- 41.0) months. Of the coronary risk factors smoking was the most frequent. One vessel coronary artery disease was observed in 16 (21.9%) patients, 2 and 3 vessel coronary artery disease in 26 (35.6%) and 32 (43.8%) patients respectively. SMR was considered complete in 68 (93.2%) patients. An associated procedure was performed on 10 cases: Left ventricular aneurysm repair in 9 (12.3%) and mitral valve replacement in one (1.4%). Perioperative myocardial infarction occurred in 7 (9.5%) patients and one of them died (operative mortality: 1.4%). During follow-up, 6 (8.3%) patients died with an actuarial survival rate of 89.1% at 15 years. An event free survival rate of 68.3% was observed at 10 years. From 66 survivors, 53 (80.3%) were asymptomatic at late follow-up and 48 (72.7%) patients returned to work. CONCLUSION: Surgical myocardial revascularization in young patients associated with medical treatment, has good early and late results with a high percentage of patients asymptomatic and reemployed at a late follow-up.

Cirurgia de revascularização miocárdica em pacientes jovens / Surgical myocardial revascularization in young patients

Objetivo - avaliar os resultados imediatos e tardios da cirurgia de revascularizaçäo em pacientes jovens. Métodos - foram estudados retrospectivaemnte 73 pacientes com idades inferiores a 40 anos e submetidos a cirurgia de revascularizaçäo miocárdica no período de 1975 a 1989, utilizando-se a revisäo dos prontuários e o contato telefônico com os pacientes e/ou médicos-assitentes. Resultados - todos os pacientes foram acompanhados por um período de 2 a 185 (média 59, 9 +/- 41,0) meses. Dentre os fates de risco, o tabagismo foi o mais frequente (89,0 por cento). Dezesseis (21,9 por cento) pacientes apresentavam lesäo coronariana uniarterial, 26 (35,6 por cento) tinham doença biarterial e 32 (43,8 por cento) apresentavam doença triarterial. A revascularizaçäo foi considerada completa em 93, 2 por cento dos casos, sendo que 12,3 por cento foram também submetidos à aneurismectomia do ventrículo esquerdo. Desenvolveram infarto agudo do miocárdio perioperatório 7 (9,5 por cento) doentes, tendo ocorrido móbito hospitalar (1,3 por cento). Tardiamente, 6 (8,3 por cento) pacientes faleceram perfazendo probabilidade de sobrevida de 89, 1 por cento em 15 anos e probabilidade de sobrevida livre de eventos de 68,3 por cento em 10 anos. Encontram-se assintomáticos 80,3 dos pacientes, sendo que 72,7 por cento retornaram ao trabalho. Conclusäo a cirurgia de revascularizaçäo miocárdica em pacientes jovens, associada ao tratamento clínico, mostrou bons resultados a curto e longo prazo, com lata percentagem de pacints sobreviventes, assintomáticos e reassumindo suas atividades trabalhísticas.

Purpose - To determine early and late results of surgical myocardial revascularization (SMR) in young patients. Methods - We studied retrospectively 73 patients aging less than 40 years and submitted to SMR between 1975 and 1989. The method used was patient card review and thelephone contact with the patient or his physician. Results - Follow-up was obtained in all cases in a period of 2 to 185 (59.9±41.0) months. Of the coronary risk factors smoking was the most frequent. One vessel coronary artery disease was observed in 16 (21.9%) patients, 2 and 3 vessel coronary artery disease in 26 (35.ó%) and 32 (43.8%) patients respectively. SMR was considered complete in 68(93.2%) patients. An associated procedure was performed on 10 cases: Left ventricular aneurysm repair in 9 (12.3%) and mitral valve replacement in one (1.4%). Perioperative myocardial infarction occured in 7 (9.5%) patients and one of them died (operative mortality: 1.4%). During follow-up, 6 (8.3%) patients died with an actuarial survival rate of 89.1 % at 15years. An eventfree survival rate of 68.3% was observed at 10 years. From 66 survivors,53 (80.3%) were asymptomatic at late follow-up and 48 (72.7%) patients returned to work Conclusion - Surgical myocardial revascularization in young patients associated with medical treatment, has good early and late results with a high percentage of patients asymptomatic and reemployed at a late follow-up

[Adequacy of of pacemakers responsive to the volume-minute ventilation rate in heart transplantation patients]. / Adequação de marcapasso com resposta de freqüência por volume-minuto respiratório em pacientes submetidos a transplante cardíaco.

PURPOSE: To evaluate in the late post-operative period (PO) the chronotropic response to exercise of patients submitted to orthotopic cardiac transplantation (CT) and the implant of a cardiac pacemaker (PM). METHODS: A rate response ventricular PM (VVI+R) which uses minute ventilation (MV) as a sensor was implanted in five patients in the early PO of CT due to chronotropic incompetence. The patients were 31 to 64 years old and the indication to implant of PM was low ventricular escape rhythm following atrial taquicardia/bradycardia (one case) or sinus bradycardia (4 cases). The study was performed by means of paired exercise tests using Naughton protocol in order to compare the heart rate in VVI (prefixed heart rate) and VVIR+MV (rate response) mode. The duration of the exercise was compared between the two modes of stimulation. RESULTS: In VVI mode the heart rate was significantly lower than in VVIR+MV mode for comparable periods of exercise (101 +/- 12 ppm vs 132 +/- 4 ppm; p < 0.05); in VVIR+MV mode the patients had a prolonged time of exercise as compared to VVI mode (15 +/- 7 min vs 12 +/- 7 min; NS). CONCLUSION: The MV rate response PM provided patients with satisfactory heart during exercise and may be an adequate option to patients submitted to CT who present chronotropic incompetence.

Side-to-side carotid-subclavian anastomosis for interrupted aortic arch.

A simple technique is proposed for restoring aortic flow in an interrupted aortic arch simulating a type B interruption that does not require aortic cross-clamping, circulatory arrest, or the ligation of major aortic branches. Side-to-side anastomosis between the left carotid and subclavian arteries together with division of the ductus arteriosus and pulmonary artery banding proved effective for relieving aortic arch stricture in that location.

Late outcome of unsupported annuloplasty for rheumatic mitral regurgitation.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate medium- and long-term (range 4 months to 17 years) clinical results in a series of patients treated surgically by unsupported mitral annuloplasty. BACKGROUND: Mitral valve regurgitation has usually been treated by valve replacement or ring annuloplasty. A few series have reported plastic repair procedures without annular support or remodeling. Furthermore, in rheumatic lesions the results have been inferior to those in degenerative mitral insufficiency, and the majority of previous reports have provided information on short- or medium-term follow-up. METHODS: One hundred fifty-four patients were operated on (55 male [36%] and 99 female [64%]). The mean age +/- SD was 36 +/- 16 years (range 5 to 73). Associated lesions comprised 47 aortic and 21 tricuspid valve lesions and 2 atrial septal defects. Patients with concomitant mitral stenosis were not included. Preoperative functional class was I or II in 19% and III or IV in 81%. The cardiothoracic ratio was 0.61 +/- 0.10. All patients underwent an unsupported mitral annuloplasty procedure in which the mural portion of the annulus was reduced by applying two buttressed mattress sutures at the commissures without compromising the width of the septal leaflet. When necessary, additional chordal procedures were performed. No patients received ring or posterior annular support. RESULTS: The early mortality rate was 1.9% (three patients; one of the three died of myocardial failure and two of pulmonary thromboembolism). The late mortality rate was 5.8% (nine patients; three of the nine died of myocardial failure, one each of septicemia, pulmonary thromboembolism and sudden arrhythmic death and three of unknown causes). Twenty-eight patients (18.2%) were reoperated on because of mitral valve dysfunction and 2 (1.3%) because of prosthetic aortic valve dysfunction. A residual late systolic murmur was present in 48% of patients. Late complications were systemic thromboembolism in 5.8% (one third with an aortic valve prosthesis), infective endocarditis in 1.3% and pulmonary thromboembolism in 0.6%. Postoperative functional class was I or II in 84% and III or IV in 16%. Cardiothoracic ratio was 0.58 +/- 0.10. Actuarial probability of late survival was 79.5 +/- 5.3% at 10 years and 71.0 +/- 7.4% at 14 years. Event-free survival was 67.9 +/- 8.9% at 10 years and 56.1 +/- 11.7% at 14 years. CONCLUSIONS: Rheumatic mitral regurgitation can be effectively treated by annuloplasty without prosthetic annular support, with late results comparable to those obtained with more complicated procedures. This observation is particularly important for treatment of children and young adult patients.

Surgical repair of ventricular aneurysms. Early results with Cooley's technique.

Using bovine pericardium instead of Dacron for grafting, we performed ventricular endoaneurysmorrhaphy (Cooley's technique) in 13 patients with postmyocardial infarction left ventricular aneurysm. Twelve patients were men and 1 was a woman; their ages ranged from 38 to 67 years (mean, 51.2 +/- 11.4 years). Eight patients had large anterolateral aneurysms, 4 had apical aneurysms, and 1 had a false inferior aneurysm. Postoperatively, the mean cardiac index increased from 2.07 +/- 0.50 to 3.09 +/- 0.99 L/min/m2 (p < 0.05), with a mean percentage increase of 50.17% +/- 37.03%. No patient required postoperative mechanical circulatory assistance, and pharmacologic support could be withdrawn soon after surgery. All patients had uncomplicated recoveries and were asymptomatic upon discharge, at a mean time of 9.0 +/- 2.3 days after surgery. We conclude that ventricular endoaneurysmorrhaphy provides excellent initial results, and we believe, through subjective analysis of ventriculograms, that the use of bovine pericardium for grafting produces better functional results than does the use of Dacron.

[The use of a rate-responsive pacemaker after heart transplantation]. / Uso de marcapasso com resposta de freqüência após transplante cardíaco.

PURPOSE: The indications and the results of pacemaker implant following orthotopic cardiac transplantation. METHODS: Four patients implanted a cardiac pacemaker (PM) in the early post-operative period (PO) of orthotopic cardiac transplantation (from 10th to 16th PO day). The patients were 33 to 55 year-old and the indications to PM were supraventricular arrhythmia (atrial fibrillation or flutter) associated with atrioventricular block in three, and complete atrioventricular block in one patient. Previous to PM implant, patients were submitted to endomyocardial biopsy, which was normal in two patients, evidenced mild rejection in one and moderate rejection in the remaining. A ventricular rate responsive pacemaker was implanted in all patients, with sensors responsive to muscular activity in one patient, and to minute ventilation in three. RESULTS: One patient died in the 20th PO due to acute allograft rejection not controlled by immunosuppressive drugs. Three other patients had satisfactory evolution and the pacemakers were programmed during exercise testing, previous to hospital discharge. Recent evaluation revealed that these patients are in good clinical condition at the 6th, 14th and 24th PO months. Adequate pacemaker function was insured by exercise testing and ambulatory electrocardiographic recording. CONCLUSION: A ventricular rate responsive pacemaker represented a satisfactory mode of pacing, in patients with severe bradycardia, following heart transplantation.