Aortic arch repair: let it beat!

Objective aortic arch repair (AAR) on the beating heart may reduce cross-clamping times and offer improved postoperative cardiac function.Methods A single-center review of all patients (n = 24) who underwent surgical AAR during biventricular repair between 01/2006 and 01/2008 was done. All patients were operated on under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) with antegrade cerebral perfusion (ACP). During AAR, 13 patients (group 1) received cardioplegic arrest, and were compared to 11 patients (group 2) who underwent a beating-heart modification with selective myocardial perfusion. Seventeen patients had additional intracardiac lesions and underwent simultaneous correction during the procedure.Results Durations of CPB, AAR and ACP did not differ statistically between groups. Cardioplegic arrest time was significantly lower in group 1 (34 ± 13 vs. 76 ± 11 min, p = 0.02) and resulted in a subsequent reduction of myocardial ischemic damage as borne out by lower postoperative levels of troponin T and CK-MB (2.5 ± 0.7 vs. 7.1 ± 1.4 ng/mL, p = 0.02; 68.7 ± 11.5 vs. 149.1 ± 27.2 U/l, p = 0.03). We observed an enhanced patient recovery with shorter inotropic and ventilatory support times (p < 0.05).Conclusion Pediatric aortic arch correction on a CPB beating heart with selective myocardial perfusion is technically feasible and safe. The reduction of the myocardial ischemic time is effective and results in less myocardial damage.

The Norwood procedure - does the type of shunt determine outcome?

BACKGROUND: Stage I palliation of hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) and its variants is usually performed by a Norwood operation. The management of pulmonary blood flow during this procedure remains controversial. The RV-to-PA conduit (RVPAC) has been proposed as the better alternative compared to a systemic-to-pulmonary shunt (SPS). METHODS: A retrospective single center chart review of consecutive patients who underwent a Norwood I procedure between 01/1997 and 09/2006 was performed. All patients were operated in deep hypothermia, with or without circulatory arrest, using different shunt modifications according to surgeon's preference. Patients were divided into two groups depending on surgical management for pulmonary blood flow (modified BT shunt [BT] and non-valved RVPAC [Sano]). RESULTS: Fifty-four patients were included in the study (BT: 31 patients vs. Sano: 23 patients). Diastolic blood pressure during the first 24 hours postoperatively was significantly lower in the BT group (BT: 38.6 +/- 6.9 mmHg vs. Sano: 42.4 +/- 7.2 mmHg; P < 0.01) with a trend towards a higher systolic blood pressure (BT: 74.1 +/- 13.5 mmHg vs. Sano: 69.8 +/- 12.1 mmHg; P = 0.08). Mean circulatory arrest time in the BT group was significantly longer compared to the Sano patients (BT: 41 +/- 21 min vs. Sano: 25 +/- 23 min; P < 0.01). The mean hospital stay was 18.5 days for BT patients and 20 days for Sano patients ( P = 0.45). Early mortality for the total cohort was 14.8 % (n = 8) (BT 19.4 % [n = 6] vs. Sano 8.7 % [n = 2]; P = 0.12). There was no significant difference in inter-stage mortality between the two groups (BT: 18.2 % vs. Sano: 21.1 %; P = 0.47). CONCLUSION: The results for both established surgical methods (BT and Sano) for the palliation of HLHS and its variants have improved over time and are reaching acceptable early mortality rates. There was a trend towards a favorable early outcome for Sano patients, which did not reach statistical significance in this study due to the low patient numbers.

Surgery of the thoracic aorta. Recent experience at Groote Schuur and Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospitals, Cape Town.

Between September 1984 and June 1988, 46 patients (8 traumatic rupture, 10 acute and 11 chronic dissection, 17 true aneurysms) with lesions of the thoracic aorta were managed surgically. Four patients died after surgery for acute dissection, 2 after management of chronic aneurysm and 1 after replacement of the descending aorta for a chronic degenerative aneurysm. In 2 patients the operation was complicated by paraplegia.

Heart transplantation at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town. Twenty years' experience.

Human allogeneic heart transplantation was started at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town in 1967. Since then 110 hearts (61 heterotopic and 49 orthotopic) and 12 heart-lung transplantations have been performed in the unit. Ten procedures were retransplantations including 2 third interventions. The patients fall into three groups according to their immunosuppressive therapy: group A (N = 55) from 1967 to 1982 received the so-called 'conventional treatment' (azathioprine, methylprednisolone and antithymocyte globulin (ATG)); group B (N = 15) from 1983 to 1984 received cyclosporin A in high dosage, together with methylprednisolone; and group C (N = 30) received quadruple drug therapy of low-dose cyclosporin A, together with azathioprine, methylprednisolone in lower dosages and antithymocyte globulin (for the first 4-6 days and rescue-ATG for severe rejection). The results have improved significantly over the years. The actuarial survival rate after heart transplantation within the last 12 months is 94%. Several important steps have been inaugurated: in 1973 heterotopic heart transplantation was initiated and in 1984 hormonal therapy of brain-dead organ donors was started. Radionuclide scanning, in combination with endomyocardial biopsies, has proved to be a very sensitive means of monitoring rejection.