Nitrogen Oxide-Added Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Treating Critical Acute Heart Failure after Cardiac Surgery.

The aim of the study was to test the use of gaseous nitric oxide added to the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) system for treating critical acute heart failure after cardiac surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Venoarterial ECMO with addition of nitric oxide into the extracorporeal circuit was used for treating a 52-year-old patient after two-step cardiac surgery for acute dissection of the thoracic aorta and aortic valve insufficiency. After the Bentall-de Bono procedure, a technical error was revealed: that was a non-functioning anastomosis to the right coronary artery, which caused massive ischemic myocardial injury. An emergency myocardial revascularization was performed with the help of the cardiopulmonary bypass converted into ECMO; the patient's condition improved and he was transferred to the ICU. RESULTS: Considering the sharp decrease in heart contractility and the extremely high level of myocardial damage markers, it was decided to supply nitric oxide (40 ppm) to the ECMO circuit. A positive effect was noted within 8 h from the start of the procedure: the concentration of creatine phosphokinase-MB decreased almost 4 times and the concentration of troponin I decreased twofold. The most pronounced changes were observed by the end of day 1: a significant decrease in the concentration of myocardial damage markers, a decrease in the VIS indicator by 7.5 times; an improvement in the contractile function. Further on, the patient's condition gradually stabilized: the manifestations of acute heart failure and multiple organ failure stopped, and then ECMO was discontinued after 82 h of work. The patient was decannulated and he continued to show stable hemodynamic parameters. He was discharged from the clinic on day 18 after surgery. CONCLUSION: For the first time, venoarterial ECMO with supply of gaseous nitric oxide into the extracorporeal circuit was used to support blood circulation after cardiac surgery. This made it possible to ensure the survival of the patient with critical ischemia-reperfusion injury developed after the surgery.

Modified Mitral Valve Repair with Its Insufficiency of Ischemic Genesis.

The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of modified mitral valve repair in comparison with traditional methods of correcting ischemic mitral regurgitation. Materials and Methods: The results of surgical treatment of 80 patients with coronary artery disease complicated by ischemic mitral regurgitation were analyzed. The mean age of the patients was 58.95±8.36 years; the ratio of men and women was 67:13. Heart failure of FC II (according to the NYHA classification) was detected in 6 patients (7.50%), FC III - in 69 (86.25%) patients, FC IV - in 5 (6.25%) patients.Echocardiographic examination was used to determine the significance and genesis of mitral regurgitation in the preoperative period. 57 patients (71.25%) were detected with grade II mitral regurgitation, 23 (28.75%) had grade III.Annuloplasty was chosen as the operation for the correction of the valve apparatus. The patients of group 1 (n=23) underwent reconstructive surgery on the mitral valve using an autopericardial strip according to the technique, which we have developed, in combination with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), the patients of group 2 (n=26) underwent plastic surgery using a support ring in combination with CABG, patients of group 3 (n=31) had myocardial revascularization without correction of the valve apparatus. Results: The patients of group 2 underwent restrictive mitral annuloplasty performed with rigid support rings, group 1 - with an autopericardial strip as a soft support ring, the patients of group 3 underwent CABG alone.One patient from group 2 died in the early postoperative period due to acute perioperative myocardial infarction.The most common complications were pleurisy, acute cardiovascular failure, acute respiratory failure, and cardiac arrhythmias. The smallest number of complications was noted in the group 3, where patients underwent CABG alone. After surgery, all the patients showed a decrease in mitral regurgitation, which was most pronounced in the groups with annuloplasty.When analyzing the immediate results of the operations, it was revealed that the patients of groups 1 and 2, who underwent combined interventions, had a higher percentage of complications, and the length of their stay in the ICU increased. However, these groups showed a significant improvement in mitral valve functioning. Plasty of the mitral valve with an autopericardial strip according to the technique, which we have developed, demonstrated a good hemodynamic effect, the absence of significant regurgitation in the postoperative period.