Investigating the Impacts of Preoperative Steroid Treatment on Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha and Duration of Extubation Time underwent Ventricular Septal Defect Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Cardiopulmonary bypass is known to cause inflammatory events. Inflammation occurs due to many known important biological processes. Numerous mechanisms are known to be responsible for the development of inflammatory processes. Currently, there are many defined mediators as a tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) playing an active role in this process. AIMS: This research was to investigate the effects of pre-operative steroid use on inflammatory mediator TNF-α and on time to extubation postoperatively in ventricular septal defect patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Controlled clinical study. METHODS: This study included 30 patients. These patients were assigned into two groups, each containing 15 patients. 5 micrograms/kg methylprednisolone was injected intravenously 2 hours before the surgery to Group I, whereas there was no application to the patients in Group II. TNF-α (pg/mL) level was measured in arterial blood samples obtained at four periods including: the preoperative period (Pre TNF); at the 5(th) minute of cross-clamping (Per TNF); 2 hours after termination of cardiopulmonary bypass (Post TNF); and at the postoperative 24th hours in cardiovascular surgery intensive care unit (Post 24 h TNF). RESULTS: The mean cross-clamp time was 66±40 and 55±27 minutes in Group I and Group II respectively. No significant difference was found between the groups in terms of cross-clamp time (p>0.05). The mean time to extubation was 6.1±2.3 hours in Group I and 10.6±3.4 hours in Group II. Group I extubation time was significantly shorter than Group II. Group I TNF-α levels at Post TNF and Post24h TNF was lower than Group II. These differences are also statistically significant (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: There is a strong indication that preoperative steroid treatment reduced the TNF-α level together with shortens duration of postoperative intubation and positively contributes to extubation in ventricular septal defect patients operated in cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: TCTR20150930001).

Atrial septal defect closure: comparison of vertical axillary minithoracotomy and median sternotomy.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to evaluate whether or not the method of right vertical axillary minithoracotomy (RVAM) is preferable to and as reliable as conventional sternotomy surgery, and also assesses its cosmetic results. METHODS: Thirty-three patients (7 males, 26 females) with atrial septal defect were admitted to the Cardiovascular Surgery Clinic of Cukurova University from December 2005 until January 2010. The patients' ages ranged from 3 to 22. Patients who underwent vertical axillary minithracotomy were assigned to group I, and those undergoing conventional sternotomy, to group II. Group I and group II were compared with regard to the preoperative, perioperative and postoperative variables. Group I included 12 females and 4 males with an average age of 16.5±9.7. Group II comprised 14 female and 3 male patients with an average age of 18.5±9.8 showing similar features and pathologies. The cases were in Class I-II according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) Classification, and patients with other cardiac and systemic problems were not included in the study. The ratio of the systemic blood flow to the pulmonary blood flow (Qp/Qs) was 1.8±0.2. The average pulmonary artery pressure was 35±10 mmHg. Following the diagnosis, performing elective surgery was planned. RESULTS: No significant difference was detected in the average time of the patients' extraportal circulation, cross-clamp and surgery (p>0.05). In the early postoperative period of the cases, the duration of mechanical ventilator support, the drainage volume in the first 24 hours, and the hospitalization time in the intensive care unit were similar (p>0.05). Postoperative pains were evaluated together with narcotic analgesics taken intravenously or orally. While 7 cases (43.7%) in group I needed postoperative analgesics, 12 cases (70.6%) in group II needed them. No mortality or major morbidity has occurred in the patients. The incision style and sizes in all of the patients undergoing RVAM were preserved as they were at the beginning. Furthermore, the patients of group I were mobilized more quickly than the patients of group II. The patients of group I were quite pleased with the psychological and cosmetic results. No residual defects have been found in the early postoperative period and after the end of the follow-up periods. All of the patients achieved functional capacity per NYHA. No deformation of breast growth has been detected during 18 months of follow-up for the group I patients, who underwent RVAM. CONCLUSION: To conclude, the repair of atrial septal defect by RVAM, apart from the limited working zone for the surgeon in these pathologies as compared to sternotomymay be considered in terms of the outcomes, and early and late complications. And this has accounted for less need of analgesics and better cosmetic results in recent years.

Endobronchial hamartoma in a case with neurofibromatosis.

A 60-year-old male patient with neurofibromatosis type 1 presented with a right pulmonary mass. Bronchoscopic evaluation revealed an endobronchial mass on the right upper lobe.He was operated on after a bronchial biopsy and a fine-needle aspiration biopsy revealed non-specific findings. Pathological evaluation of right upper lobectomy material was compatible with an endobronchial hamartoma and right upper lobar abscess.Hamartoma is a component of neurofibromatosis syndrome. However, endobronchial hamartoma, as found in our patient, is a rare condition and is the reason for presenting this case.

Systemic pulmonary shunt performed with Shelhigh internal mammary artery: early results.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate early findings for aortopulmonary shunts using bovine internal mammary artery grafting. METHODS: Bovine internal mammary artery grafts biomodified with glutaraldehyde and the Shelhigh No-React process were used between May 2005 and April 2006 in our clinic for 20 cases of aorta-pulmonary artery shunts. We implanted 2 sizes of grafts, either a graft with 4-mm proximal and 5-mm distal diameters or a graft with 5-mm proximal and 6-mm distal diameters. Patients were between 20 days and 7 years of age, and the sex distribution was 55% female and 45% male. A Blalock-Taussig shunt with left thoracotomy was performed in patients 2 years of age and older, and a central shunt with sternotomy was performed for patients younger than 2 years. Eight patients underwent operation under emergency conditions. Nine patients had tetralogy of Fallot and/or pulmonary atresia (PA); 3 had transposition of the great arteries, ventricular septal defect, and pulmonary stenosis (PS); 3 had tricuspid atresia; 3 had PS and double-inlet left ventricle; and 2 had PA. RESULTS: After the operation, immediate recovery of oxygen saturation and partial oxygen pressure was observed in all patients. Pulse oximetry measurements showed patient oxygen saturation to be between 84% and 100%. One patient underwent reoperation at the third postoperative hour because of bleeding. Two patients died from causes unrelated to the graft. The hospitalization period was between 7 and 29 days. Echocardiography evaluations showed no shunt obstruction for the early (first postoperative week) or middle (postoperative week 24) period. CONCLUSION: With this study, we assessed the use of the Shelhigh internal mammary artery graft instead of synthetic (polytetrafluoroethylene) tubular grafts in shunt operations for congenital heart diseases with decreased pulmonary blood flow and no evidence of calcification. Further investigation involving a larger number of cases and longer-term results for patency are needed to confirm our findings.

A novel approach for off-pump atrial septostomy applications.

Atrial septostomy or septectomy are required to enable atrial mixture in various congenital cardiac lesions. The aim of this article was to introduce a technique where atrial septostomy application could be employed off pump with the aid of a new device. To our knowledge this is the first report for this technique in the literature. We report the results of 7 patients for whom we employed our technique successfully using a new combined device as an alternative to traditional methods. The major advantage of our approach was avoiding detrimental effects of cardiopulmonary bypass applications.