Neonatal Patent Ductus Arteriosus Ligation Operations Performed by Adult Cardiac Surgeons

BACKGROUND: Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) ligation is usually performed by congenital cardiac surgeons. However, due to the uneven distribution of congenital cardiac surgeons in South Korea, many institutions depend solely on adult cardiac surgeons for congenital cardiac diseases. We report the outcomes of PDA ligations performed by adult cardiac surgeons at our institution. METHODS: The electronic medical records of 852 neonates at Chung-Ang University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea from November 2010 to May 2014 were reviewed to identify patients with PDA. RESULTS: Of the 111 neonates with a diagnosis of PDA, 26 (23%) underwent PDA ligation. PDAs were ligated within 28 days of birth (mean, 14.5±7.8 days), and the mean gestational age of these patients was 30.3±4.6 weeks (range, 26 to 40 weeks) with a mean birth weight of 1,292.5±703.5 g (range, 480 to 3,020 g). No residual shunts through the PDA were found on postoperative echocardiography. There was 1 case of 30-day mortality (3.8%) due to pneumonia, and 6 cases of in-hospital mortality (23.1%) after 30 days, which is comparable to results from other centers with congenital cardiac surgery programs. CONCLUSION: Although our outcomes may not be generalizable to all hospital settings without a congenital cardiac surgery program, in select centers, PDA ligations can be performed safely by adult cardiac surgeons if no congenital cardiac surgery program is available.

Application of Lidocaine Jelly on Chest Tubes to Reduce Pain Caused by Drainage Catheter after Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of lidocaine jelly application to chest tubes on the intensity and duration of overall pain, chest tube site pain and the required analgesics for postoperative pain relief in coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients. For patients in group L, we applied sterile 2% lidocaine jelly on the chest tubes just before insertion, and for patients in group C, we applied normal saline. Overall visual analogue scale (VAS), maximal pain area with their VAS were documented postoperatively, and the frequency that button of patient-controlled analgesia was pressed (FPB) and total fentanyl consumption were assessed. The number of patients who complained that tube site was the most painful site was significantly higher in group C than in group L (85% vs. 30% at extubation, P<0.001). The overall VAS score was significantly higher in group C than in group L (39.14+/-12.49 vs. 27.74+/-13.76 at extubation, P=0.006). After all of the tubes were removed, the VAS score decreased more in group C (5.74+/-4.77, P<0.001) than in group L (3.05+/-2.48, P<0.001). FPB and total fentanyl consumption were significantly higher in group C than in group L (73.00, 59.00-78.00 vs. 34.00, 31.00-39.25, P<0.001; 2,214.65+/-37.01 vs. 1,720.19+/-361.63, P<0.001, respectively). Lidocaine jelly application is a very simple way to reduce postoperative pain by reducing chest tube site pain after CABG. (Clinical Trials Registry No. ACTRN 12611001215910)

A Study of Aortic Vasculopathy after Cardiac Allograft / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: Chronic rejection after a cardiac allograft usually occurs about six months after the operation. Vasculopathy due to chronic rejection causes atherosclerosis in the coronary artery of the transplanted heart and then this causes myocardial injury. We intended to discover and document those findings that occur in a transplanted ascending aorta. MATERIAL AND METHOD: In rats weighting 200~300 gm (Spraque-Dawley rat), we carried out heterotopic heart allo-transplantation with the modified Ono-Lindsey method and then the rats were administrated cyclosporine (10 mg/kg/day). After three months survival, we acquired biopsy materials from the native ascending aorta and the allo-transplanted ascending aorta and we compared them. We classified each severity of 1) intimal thickening, 2) medial hyperplasia, 3) medial calcification, 4) medial inflammation and 5) chondroid metaplasia, which are specific biopsy findings for chronic rejection after a cardiac allograft. Each severity was classified, according to the opinion of one pathologist, in the native ascending aorta biopsies (n=9) and the allo-transplanted ascending aorta biopsies (n=13). The data of the control group and the study group were statistically analyzed with using the Mann-Whitney test (SPSS version 12.0 window). RESULT: The important changes of the allo-transplanted aorta were intimal thickening (p<0.0001), medial calcification (p=0.045), medial inflammation (p<0.0001) and chondroid metaplasia (p=0.045), but not medial hyperplasia (p=0.36). CONCLUSION: Cardiac allograft vasculopathy was seen in the transplanted ascending aorta, the same as was seen in the coronary artery, after allograft cardiac transplantation. We have reached the conclusion that chronic rejection also progresses in the aorta.

Infected Left Atrial Myxoma / 대한흉부외과학회지

Myxoma is the most common primary tumor of the heart. The common symptoms of myxoma can be similar to those of infective endocarditis, which include fever, weight loss, fatigue and arthralgia, but it is very rare for a myxoma to become infected. We report on a case of a 76-year-old male patient with fever and loss of consciousness, and he underwent an emergency operation after suffering shock state due to the infected myxoma.

Low Cardiac Output Syndrome Caused by a Coronary Artery Spasm following CABG / 대한흉부외과학회지

Coronary artery spasm immediately after the coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is rare but it can cause sudden and severe hypotension or a ventricular arrhythmia. We report a case of low cardiac output syndrome caused by a right coronary artery spasm following CABG that did not show any significant stenotic lesions on preoperative coronary angiography.