Simulating aortic root replacement for a surgical wet laboratory in a resource-limited setting: an economical innovation.

Traditional cardiac surgery residency programs rely mainly on teaching surgical skills in the operating room. The increasing complexity of cardiac surgical operations on high-risk patients and the time constraints placed on residents in this surgical discipline negatively impact the learning opportunities for those residents. Simulation models, though efficient, are very expensive. In Third World Countries, they are unavailable for trainees due to financial constraints. We have introduced an innovative and cost-effective way of simulating aortic root replacement in a wet laboratory by applying a hand-made valve conduit or 'pencil conduit' to a bovine heart. It is reproducible, easy to assemble, cost-effective and simple to use. It can help develop and enhance the surgical skills of residents and junior surgeons for this advanced operation, which requires a meticulous surgical technique performed within a limited time frame.

A rare case of diffuse ectasia in the coronary arteries and proximal aneurysm in the left anterior descending artery: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Coronary artery aneurysm is defined as dilatation of a segment of coronary artery, greater than 1.5 times the diameter of the largest normal coronary artery of the patient. Major cause of coronary artery aneurysm is coronary artery disease. Coronary artery aneurysm maybe an incidental finding during coronary angiography or it may present with symptoms including chest pain, myocardial infarction or even death. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a rare case of a 59-year-old gentleman, who had, previously, underwent multiple left heart catheterizations and percutaneous coronary interventions. He presented to us with symptomatic diffuse ectasia of the coronary arteries with proximal aneurysm in the Left Anterior Descending Artery. DISCUSSION: Coronary artery aneurysms are very rare with an incidence of about 0.02 %-0.04 % and a prevalence of 0.3 %-12 %. Right Coronary Artery is the principal site coronary artery aneurysms with a predominance of 83.8 %. The occurrence of multiple aneurysms is a very rare finding. About 73 % patients present with single aneurysms while only 27 % present with multiple aneurysms. Coronary artery aneurysms predispose to various complications including compression of the chambers, thrombosis and rupture. CONCLUSION: From the presented case it can be concluded that even though, conservative management is available, surgical repair is the gold standard treatment, especially in the presence of multiple, symptomatic and large aneurysms in order to avoid fatal ischemic complications.

Effect of peri-operative intra-aortic balloon pump in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting on outcomes in a resource limited setting.

INTRODUCTION: Intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) insertion for diminished myocardial function is standard of care in cardiac surgery. Previous studies have suggested a possible benefit to IABP support before surgery with regards to outcomes and complications. However, there are conflicts with other studies suggesting no significant benefit. Optimal time of insertion, whether preoperative or perioperative (intra-operative and post-operative), has yet to be defined. METHODOLOGY: A retrospective, hospital records-based chart review was conducted for patients admitted to our center from January 2015 to December 2019 for coronary bypass surgery necessitating IABP insertion. Cases were stratified according to the timing of insertion and analyzed according to surgical outcomes and complication rates. RESULTS: Out of 97 patients, 84.5% underwent preoperative IABP insertion while 15.5% of patients received perioperative (Intra-operative or post-operative) insertion. In-hospital mortality was significantly higher in patients with perioperative IABP insertion as compared to the preoperative group (60% vs 20.7%, p = 0.003). However, there were no significant differences between 30-day readmission rates in the two groups (9.8% vs 6.7%, p = 1.000). Length of stay was also higher in patients with preoperative insertion of IABP (p = 0.032), with no significant difference in ICU stay (p = 0.107). Perioperative IABP patients had higher rates of arrhythmias (46.7%, p = 0.042) and reopening of patient (33.3%, p = 0.028). CONCLUSION: Our study shows improved mortality in patients with preoperatively inserted IABP. This may be beneficial for high-risk patients undergoing CABG surgery. Expanding the use of IABP before CABG in third world countries such as Pakistan may improve overall survival for patients.

Mediastinal seminoma in a pediatric patient managed with multi-modality treatment approach: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Mediastinal seminomas arise due to abnormal migration of the totipotent stem cells during development. They occur very occasionally and makes up about 0.5-5 % of all mediastinal tumors. These usually occur in middle aged men, between 20 and 40 years. In pediatric age group, it is considered as an extremely rare finding, accounting for 3 %-7 % of all primary germ cell tumors. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a rare case of a 16-year-old boy with biopsy proven seminomatous type of germ cell tumor in anterior mediastinum who presented with productive cough and progressive dyspnea. The occurrence of mediastinal seminoma especially in pediatric population is a very infrequent finding, hence, very little literature is found in this regard as per our knowledge. DISCUSSION: The incidence of primary mediastinal germ cell tumors is approximately around 3 %-6 % of all the germ cell tumors in pediatric population. Diagnosis of mediastinal seminomas need a multipronged approach and treatment is associated with multidisciplinary procedures including chemotherapy combined with subsequent surgical resection for long term survival benefits. CONCLUSION: From the above presented case, it can be safely concluded that multimodality treatment approach of chemotherapy combined with surgical resection could ensure long-term survival benefits in extra-gonadal mediastinal seminomas.

An unusual case of multiple aspergillomas in the right lower lobe of the lung: A case report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Aspergilloma is a pathological condition that affects the pulmonary tissues, and it is usually associated with Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis, Aspergillus fumigatus being the most common causative pathogen. The presence of multiple asperillomas in a single lung lobe is an unusual manifestation of Aspergilloma and therefore very little literature can be found regarding this. CASE PRESENTATION: Below we report a rare case of numerous pulmonary cavities containing aspergillomas, about 15-16, as an atypical presentation of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis, all of which were present in a single lung lobe of the patient. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: The most common clinical presentation of pulmonary aspergilloma is hemoptysis. It can manifest as a single aspergilloma or multifocal aspergillomas, which usually occur in unilateral lung cavities or bilateral lung cavities. The predominant site being the upper lung lobe, therefore, the appearance of several aspergillomas in a single lung lobe, with unusual manifestation in the lower lobe, is a very rare finding. Surgical resection is considered gold standard treatment in the form of lobectomy. According to various reports, the patient mortality rate after surgical intervention for aspergilloma is reported to be 0 %-22.6 %. CONCLUSION: From the discussed case report, the conclusion can be made that even though, surgical resection holds a certain amount of risk, since there no effective alternate treatment yet, hence surgical resection of the affected segment still remains the Gold-standard treatment in both single and multiple aspergillomas.

Late presenting partially displaced atrial septal closure device: Surgical vs percutaneous correction? A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) is one of the most common congenital cardiac defect. Even though surgical repair of ASD is the current method of choice but percutaneous device closure is rapidly gaining popularity as it is less invasive. Dislodgment and embolization of the device may occur requiring urgent surgical retrieval. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of 54-years-old female patient with a history of ASD device closure 4 years ago, presenting with progressive shortness of breath for past 2 months. She had a partial dehiscence of an ASD device causing a residual ASD of 17 mm. She underwent urgent surgical repair of an ASD with a bovine pericardial patch without ASD device being explanted. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Management of a dislodged ASD device may be percutaneous or surgical. Dislodged ASD devices that present months after deployment may become fibro-adhered to the site of embolization. Hence its retrieval can be challenging even via open surgical method. Our case describes a novel method to repair a residual ASD and prevent complications associated with dislodgement of device without completely explanting the device. CONCLUSION: In this case, the late presentation of the patient with a partially dehisced device makes it a distinctive case with a novel way on how to treat such a presentation surgically, ensuring that the device doesn't embolize further causing fatal complications.

Coronary artery to pulmonary artery fistula: Catheter or scalpel? A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Coronary artery fistula (CAF) is an abnormal connection between coronary artery and a major vessel or cardiac chamber with left to right shunt having an incidence of 0.002 % in recent literature. Fistulous communication of coronary artery with pulmonary artery (PA) is a rare subtype and comprises of about 17 % of all the CAF cases. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of a middle-aged gentleman, known case of asymptomatic CAF for the last 20 years. He presented to us with 6 months history of chest pain on exertion. On coronory angiogram he was diagnosed to have a preexisting CAF of proximal LAD to main PA and severe coronary artery disease in left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). He was managed surgically and underwent ligation of the fistula along with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Management of CAF is medical, percutaneous or open-heart surgery. Due to rarity of the disease no international guidelines exists and treatment is controversial. Complications of CAF include endocarditis, early atherosclerosis, rupture, hemopericardium, pulmonary hypertension and myocardial ischemia, hence early correction is warranted. Our case emphasizes on the natural course of this rare disease and how to change management plan accordingly in the better interest of patient. CONCLUSION: Our case presents the natural course and management of a rare congenital cardiac disease. Surgery was chosen as an appropriate option due to CAD involving proximal LAD and concomitant coronary artery to PA fistula.

Temporary epicardial pacing wires in isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Graft: Necessity or force of habit?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of Temporary epicardial pacing wires usage and its predictors in the immediate postoperative period in isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery. METHODS: The longitudinal study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from September 2019 to August 2020, and comprised adult patients of either gender who underwent isolated coronary artery bypass graft in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Demographic, peri-operative and post-operative Temporary Epicardial Pacing Wires use data was extracted from patient's files and the institutional electronic database. Logistic regression models were built to explore predictors of Temporary epicardial pacing wires usage. Data was analysed using SPSS 22. RESULTS: Of the 322 cases evaluated, 27(8.4%) required the use of Temporary Epicardial Pacing Wires. Mean age of the patients requiring temporary epicardial pacing wires was 66.3±8.9 years compared to 58.7±8.9 years in those who did not require it (p<0.001), while the left ventricular ejection fraction percentage was 44.1±12.8 and 48.9±12.8 respectively (p=0.032). After adjusting for clinically plausible demographics and peri-operative variables, increasing age and low left ventricular ejection fraction were significantly associated with the use of temporary epicardial pacing wires in post-operative period of isolated coronary artery bypass graft patients (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of temporary epicardial pacing wires usage in the post-operative period of coronary artery bypass graft was found to be low.

Assessing the Adherence of Operative Notes for Laparoscopic Appendectomy with the Royal College of Surgeons Guidelines.

 Objective: To determine the frequency of adherence of laparoscopic appendectomy operative notes with the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) guidelines at the tertiary care centre.  Study Design: A clinical audit report. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi between January and June 2018. METHODOLOGY: Operative notes of laparoscopic appendectomy, written by residents of general surgery from trainee levels R1 to R5 during the study period, were included in the study. Each component from RCS guidelines, was assessed. The response to every question in proforma was marked either as Y=Yes or N=No. Overall score of more than 70% was chosen arbitrarily as a qualifying standard for an adequate operative note. Data were analysed by using SPSS (version 21). A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: A total of 74 operative notes relating to laparoscopic appendectomy were reviewed during the study period. Most of these, i.e. 46% notes, were written by year one residents; 47.1% operative notes showed adequacy of practice in concordance with RCS guidelines. The most lacking component in operative notes was mentioning of the operative time, port sites, intraoperative complications and details of specimen removed. Stratified analysis of operative notes did not reveal any association between age, gender and level of training of residents to affect the adequacy of operative note documentation.    Conclusion: Only a quarter of the studied documentation fulfilled the criteria for adequacy of practice. Residents need to be educated and familiarised with these guidelines to improve documentation of operative procedures. Strategies need to be formulated and tested to improve the performance.           Key Words: Operative notes, Good medical practice, Acute appendicitis, Laparoscopic appendectomy, RCS guidelines.

Acute necrotizing pancreatitis: Has conservative management replaced surgery? Perspective from a tertiary care centre in Pakistan: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The main purpose of this study was to review the trends in management of patients presenting with acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP) over the last seven years and its effect on morbidity and mortality. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on all patients presenting with the diagnosis of acute necrotizing pancreatitis to the Aga Khan University Hospital in between the year 2008-2015. The study population was broadly categorized in to two groups based on the way these were managed. The first group consisted of patient who underwent surgery for acute necrotizing pancreatitis while the second group was composed of those patients with necrotizing pancreatitis who were conservatively managed. Patient outcomes were assessed in terms of hospital stay, complication rates and in-hospital mortality. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Comparison of outcomes between two groups was done using chi-square test, Fischer exact test or t-test wherever applicable. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of n = 110 patients were included in the study with 68% (n = 75) males and 32% (n = 35) females. Nasojejunal route was found to be the most commonly utilized route of feeding in these patients consisting of around 49% (n = 54) patients with forty percent (n = 44) tolerating direct oral diet. The outcomes in both these groups in terms of hospital stay, complication rate, and in hospital mortality were not found to be statistically significant. The conservative group however was significant in terms of cost-effectiveness which was shown by a p value of (0.035). The management of this clinically important disease over the years showed an increased trend towards conservative approach in our institute. CONCLUSION: Our study further substantiates the recent global trend of conservative approach towards managing patients with acute necrotizing pancreatitis as reflected in the recent available literature. Therefore surgeons of the developing world need to evolve and adapt to these new measures for better outcomes in patient management.

Wet labs: A useful tool in training surgical residents in a third world country.

•Wet labs are a useful, cost-effective and safe tool in teaching of Cardiothoracic Surgery residents.•In a third world country where advance real life simulators are not available.•It improves resident's tissue handling and surgical skills.•Allows faculty members to give continuous feedback to their residents.

A rare case of constrictive pericarditis as initial manifestation of paediatric anaplastic large cell lymphoma requiring urgent pericardiectomy.

Constrictive pericarditis (CP) is a rare end stage inflammatory disorder affecting both parietal and visceral pericardium leading to a right heart failure. Malignancy is the least common cause of CP. Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) accounts for 10-15% of all Non-Hodgkin lymphomas in children. Very few case reports have reported ALCL that is involving the heart and only two have been published involving pericardium but all were managed medically. We present an interesting case of an 11 year old child who presented with an effusive CP that required urgent Pericardiectomy for managing right heart failure. His histopathology was positive for ALK + ALCL.

A rare case of three years disease free survival in a locally advanced parathyroid carcinoma successfully excised by complete surgical resection.

Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is one of the rarest malignancies making approximately 0.005% of all cancers. It may arise sporadically or less commonly, in conjunction with genetic endocrine syndromes. Due to the rarity of the disease, no general consensus or definitive guidelines exist for its pre-operative diagnosis, management, or follow up. Surgical tumor removal is the gold standard treatment to prevent its recurrence. Parathyroid carcinoma has a high recurrence rate ranging from 40 to 60% in recent literature. We report a case of a seventy-year-old elderly female with locally advanced parathyroid carcinoma successfully surgically excised completely with a 3 year disease free survival period without adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Aberrant right subclavian artery with atrial septal defect: Simultaneous repair via median sternotomy.

INTRODUCTION: Aberrant right subclavian artery, also known as arteria lusoria, is one of the rarer congenital vascular malformations of the left sided aortic arch which arises distal to the left subclavian artery, following a retroesophageal course to the right side causing compression of the trachea or esophagus and resulting in a variety of symptoms most commonly dysphagia. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We report a case of a two and a half year old child who was diagnosed as having as having an aberrant right subclavian artery with an ostium secundum atrial septal defect and underwent simultaneous repair of both conditions via a median sternotomy. DISCUSSION: Aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA) has a prevalence of 1.8 % and most commonly presents in fourth or fifth decade of life. Various surgical approaches have been described to repair this anomaly over the past years, each with its own limitations and complications. However, the median sternotomy approach provides adequate exposure during division and re-implantation of the vessel and simultaneously allows repair of any intra-cardiac defect. CONCLUSION: We believe that the best exposure for the correction of aberrant right subclavian artery is via a median sternotomy, especially in pediatric patients associated with other cardiac anomalies.

Ectopic Thyroid Mass Separately Present in Mediastinum and Not a Retrosternal Extension: A Report of Two Cases.

Retrosternal extension of goiter is one of the most common types of masses in the superior mediastinum. These types of goiters classically present with compressive symptoms such as dyspnea, dysphonia, dysphagia, or sleep apnea. Surgical treatment with a total thyroidectomy and complete removal of the intrathoracic portion of thyroid is the gold standard treatment. These cervicomediastinal lesions at times may not be continuous, and a sternotomy may be required for complete and safe excision of the mediastinal mass to achieve decompression of the surrounding structures and preventing the hemorrhagic complications if attempted from cervical incision. We present a summary of two cases that gave an initial impression of retrosternal extension of thyroid gland, however intraoperatively were found to be separately encapsulated and required sternotomy for its safe and complete excision.

Case reports and their importance in Medical Literature.

It is important to appreciate how case reports have paved the way for modern research. They are still largely considered the first line of evidence. Indeed global endemics such as HIV and Zika Virus have been traced back to initial case reports. Strictly speaking; case reports are anecdotes - a factual story telling about nature's own experiment. Case reports can be characterized by two huge advantages, their ability to present novel, rare cases in a manner that can lead to the expansion in research of such cases and their use in generating new, innovative hypothesis that can be used to direct further research. The aim of this article is to identify the place and purpose of case reports in the current research setting with a focus on highlighting its merits and limitation amongst other things.