Surgery for primary cardiac tumors. Clinical experience and surgical results in 60 patients.

BACKGROUND: We reviewed our clinical experience with primary cardiac tumors, attempting to clarify the surgical management of these rare entities. METHODS: Between October 1978 and November 1999, we experienced 60 surgical cases of primary cardiac tumors. There were 23 male and 37 female patients (age range, 7 months to 84 years). Tumors included the following 3 groups: myxomas (n=49), nonmyxoma benign tumors (n=3), and malignant tumors (n=8). We reviewed the presenting symptoms, diagnostic data, anatomical findings, and surgical techniques, and evaluated the surgical RESULTS. Late follow-up was 95% complete (mean follow-up, 7.7+/-7.1 years). RESULTS: Tumors produced obstructive, embolic, and/or constitutional symptoms in most cases. Generally, echocardiography alone gave sufficient information for operation. Full-thickness excision was performed in 42 patients with myxoma. Complete excision was achieved in all of the nonmyxoma benign tumors and in none of the malignancies. Early mortalities in the 3 groups were 8.2% (4/49), 0% (0/3), and 12.5% (1/8), respectively. Late mortalities were 9.5% (4/42), 0% (0/3), and 100% (7/7), respectively. One patient with myxoma had recurrence, the cause of which was likely to be inadequate resection. The late deaths in patients with malignancies were due to metastasis or local recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Benign tumors are generally curable if surgically excised. Preoperative refractory cardiac dysfunction or embolism should be avoided by the accurate evaluation on echocardiography. The prognosis of malignant tumors is poor if they are only debulked. However, aggressive surgery that can palliate obstruction and allow time for adjuvant therapy should be carried out.

Tricuspid valve replacement with the St. Jude Medical valve: 19 years of experience.

OBJECTIVE: The choice of the valve substitute in the tricuspid position remains controversial. A St. Jude Medical valve is a choice of valve substitute and its lower thrombogenicity and excellent hemodynamic performance have been reported even in the tricuspid position. However, little is known of the long-term durability of the St. Jude Medical valve in the tricuspid position. Our long-term experience of tricuspid valve replacement showed the higher thrombogenicity than we had expected, therefore, this study was done to reconsider our strategy for valve choice. METHODS: This study reviewed 23 patient who underwent 25 tricuspid valve replacements with the St. Jude Medical valves from 1980 to 1997. The mean age was 40 years. Eleven patients (48%) were men. There were four in-hospital deaths (17%). The remaining 19 patients were all alive and followed from 2.2 to 19.0 years (mean 11.8 years). RESULTS: The overall survival, including hospital mortality, was 83%, 10 and 15 years after surgery. Valve thrombosis occurred in six patients. Freedom from valve thrombosis was 78 and 70%, 10 and 15 years after surgery, respectively. The linearized rate of the valve thrombosis was 2.9%/patient-years. Six patients required reoperation. The mean interval to reoperation was 9.5 years. Freedom from reoperation was 83% and 75%, 10 and 15 years after surgery, respectively. The linearized rate of the reoperation was 2.8%/patient-years. No structural valve deterioration was found. Echocardiographic study showed that the function of the St. Jude Medical valve without valve-related complications was well maintained. CONCLUSIONS: The higher thrombogenicity of the St. Jude Medical valve in the tricuspid position altered our choice of valve substitutes from the St. Jude Medical valve to a bioprosthesis which is lack of need for anticoagulant therapy except for juvenile patients who are able to maintain potent anticoagulant therapy.

Successful removal of an infected pacemaker electrode by open heart surgery under extracorporeal circulation.

A 33-year-old male with sick sinus syndrome, who had received a pacemaker implant 18 years earlier, was complicated with a generator infection. Although the infected generator was removed, he was suffered from the recurrent local infection associated with a retained pacemaker lead. After a new pacemaker system implantation from the other side of the subclavian vein, we attempted to remove the lead utilizing a pacemaker removal kit. However, this intervention procedure was unsuccessful, because fibrous adhesions had developed around the lead, accompanied by calcification along its course. As a last resort, we opened the heart under extracorporeal circulation and removed the lead under direct vision. The post-operative course was uneventful. In order to remove a long-term implanted pacemaker lead, the direct surgical procedure with extracorporeal circulation is a favorable mean alternative to conventional intervention techniques.

Concentric wear of the Delrin disc in a Bjork-Shiley heart valve prosthesis: report of two cases.

We report herein the cases of two patients who received replacement of aortic Bjork-Shiley Delrin (BSD) valves that had been implanted for over 20 years following the development of aortic regurgitation (AR) resulting from wear of a Delrin disc. Case 1 was a 61-year-old woman in whom echocardiography revealed marked left ventricular dilatation and moderate AR 23 years after an aortic valve replacement (AVR) with a 21-mm BSD valve. Case 2 was a 51-year-old woman in whom echocardiography revealed marked dilation of the right atrium and moderate AR 23 years and 8 months after an AVR with a 21-mm BSD valve, as well as a mitral valve replacement with a 3M Starr-Edwards (SE) ball valve and tricuspid annuloplasty. In both patients, the BSD valves were replaced with other mechanical valves at reoperation. Examination of the explanted BSD valves showed that the Delrin discs contained increases in the radial gaps and strut indentation grooves on the inflow and outflow surfaces. The type and magnitude of the wear on the Delrin discs in these valves were consistent with data reported in the literature for this valve design after similar implant duration.

Prosthetic valve thrombosis after abdominal surgical procedures: a case report.

A 63-year-old woman with a prosthetic mitral valve who developed valve thrombosis after abdominal surgical procedures is reported. She had undergone mitral valve replacement with a Sorin-Bicarbon valve 3 years previously, and was referred for an operation due to rectal cancer with anal bleeding. On admission, the patient was on oral anticoagulant therapy with warfarin, and the intensity of anticoagulation was around 40% of Thrombotest. Doppler echocardiography showed that the prosthetic mitral valve function was normal. Low anterior resection of the rectum was uneventful. Management of the perioperative anticoagulation was peformed with heparin, however, the postoperative anticoagulation using intravenous infusion of heparin was imperfectly achieved. Consequently, thrombosis of the prosthetic mitral valve occurred 8 days after the operation. Replacement of the thrombosed prosthetic valve was performed with successful results. The imperfect postoperative anticoagulation with heparin may have been the cause of the valve thrombosis. The management of perioperative anticoagulation during noncardiac operations is discussed.

Valve detachment after aortic valve replacement--a successfully reoperated case with the Cabrol technique.

A 50-year-old Japanese male was admitted with a 1 month history of progressive shortness of breath, palpitations, and intermittent low-grade fever. On admission, a musical diastolic murmur (sea-gull murmur) was heard on the 3rd left sternal border. Blood studies showed an accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and positive C-reactive protein. Retrograde aortography revealed severe aortic regurgitation. At the operation, the aortic wall was remarkably thickened, and the aortic valve commissures between the right and left coronary cusps and between the left and non-coronary cusps had completely detached from the aortic wall. The aortic valve was replaced with a St Jude Medical valve using pledgeted sutures. Histologic studies of the aorta and aortic valve revealed no evidence of any pathologic changes. Echocardiography performed 82 days after aortic valve replacement showed severe paravalvular leakage and valve detachment. At the reoperation, the prosthetic valve was detached from the extremely edematous and fragile native aortic annulus. There was no vegetation or abscess formation. Aortic root replacement with the Cabrol technique was performed using a composite graft in which the prosthetic valve was placed 1 cm above the proximal extremity to reduce the tension on the suture line and the aortic annulus. Histologic study of the aorta after the reoperation showed non-specific inflammatory disease. The patient, who received steroid therapy, has recovered without any signs of graft detachment or pseudoaneurysm formation.

Reconstruction of the mitral annulus with porcine pericardium--report of a case with mitral annular disruption due to staphylococcal endocarditis.

A 60-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for investigation of dyspnea and disorientation with right hemiplegia. Echocardiography showed thickened mitral valve leaflets with vegetations and severe mitral regurgitation. Blood cultures grew Staphylococcus aureus. During the operation, perforation and destruction of the mitral valve leaflets and vegetations were confirmed. Debridement of the infected tissues resulted in segmental disruption of the posterior mitral fibrous annulus. Reconstruction of the mitral annulus with porcine pericardium treated with glutaraldehyde and mitral valve replacement were successful. The patient's postoperative course was complicated with metastatic cerebral and splenic abscesses. After splenectomy on the 8th postoperative day, he gradually recovered without major neurologic sequelae. We believe that reconstruction of the mitral valve annulus with pericardium, especially autologous pericardium, is reliable and useful for the treatment of patients with disruption of the mitral valve annulus.

Obstruction of mechanical valve prostheses: clinical diagnosis and surgical or nonsurgical treatment.

Twenty patients underwent nonsurgical and/or surgical treatment for obstruction of mechanical prosthetic valves. The obstructed prosthetic valve was in the aortic position in 11 patients, in the mitral position in 5, and in the tricuspid position in 4. Twelve patients had a bileaflet valve (3 aortic, 5 mitral, 4 tricuspid), and 8 had a tilting disk valve (all aortic). The diagnosis of prosthetic valve obstruction was made by cineradiography and echocardiography. Thrombolytic therapy was instituted in a series of our 10 most recent patients (11 cases), except for one patient with acute renal failure, regardless of the position of the obstructed prosthetic valve. Successful thrombolysis was achieved in 6 cases (54.5%). Six patients required surgical treatment subsequent to either failed or incomplete thrombolysis, and one patient died of congestive heart failure 1 month after surgery. Nonfatal neurologic events occurred in 2 cases (18.2%). A total of 16 patients underwent surgical treatment. Two (12.6%) of the 16 patients died of causes unrelated to the operative procedures before discharge from the hospital. These results suggest that thrombolytic therapy appears to be an attractive nonsurgical alternative for valve thrombosis when the patient's clinical condition is not critical, and thus surgical treatment should only be performed in an emergency on seriously ill patients.

Aortic dissection after aortic valve replacement. Report of a case with an aortocameral fistula.

A 58-year-old Japanese woman who had a history of aortic valve replacement for congenital bicuspid valve, was admitted for investigation of facial edema and of pulselessness of the right leg. Physical examination disclosed the patient suffering from a superior vena cava syndrome. On auscultation, a continuous murmur was heard at the left lower sternal border. Computed tomographic scans revealed aortic dissection extending from the ascending aorta to the bifurcation. Echocardiography showed an intimal flap in the dilated ascending aorta, but not abnormal blood flow from the aorta to the right atrium was detected. Cardiac catheterization and aortography, however, allowed a correct diagnosis of aortic dissection with fistula to the right atrium and with obstruction of the right common iliac artery. The patient received emergency aortic root replacement and reconstruction of the coronary arteries and then recovered uneventfully.

Long-term results of mitral valve repair for non-rheumatic mitral regurgitation.

The durability of mitral valve repaired with reconstructive techniques is variable. If the durability continues to be good, mitral valve repair may be the procedure of choice in many patients with mitral regurgitation. Between December 1970 and June 1993, 54 patients had mitral valve repair for non-rheumatic mitral regurgitation. There were 38 men and 16 women with a mean age of 46.8 (range 19-68) years. The pathology which required surgical treatment was torn chordae in 38 patients, elongation of the chordae in five, valve prolapse without elongation or rupture of the chordae in six, infective endocarditis in three, and annular dilatation in two. Forty-four patients had triangular or quadrangular resection of the mitral leaflet, and seven had annuloplasty alone. Choral reconstruction was performed on three patients. There were no operative deaths. Five patients (9%) died late after operation. The actuarial survival rate and the valve-related death-free rate at 10 years were 83.9% and 90.0%, respectively. Seven patients (13%) required reoperation. Freedom from reoperation at 10 years was 84.5%. Improper evaluation of residual regurgitation during operation and suture dehiscence were the principal causes of reoperation. It was concluded that mitral valve repair for non-rheumatic mitral regurgitation showed low operative mortality and stable long-term results. It is suggested that intraoperative transoesophageal colour Doppler echocardiography provides accurate assessment of mitral valve competence and may be helpful in reducing the need for reoperation.

Total aortic replacement in a patient with mega aorta syndrome--a case report.

A 64-year-old woman without manifestations of Marfan syndrome was referred for the close investigation of a pulsatile abdominal mass. Computed tomographic scans and magnetic resonance images revealed aneurysmal dilatation of the entire aorta, including the ascending aorta and extending to the bifurcation of the aorta, as well as tortuousness of the thoracoabdominal and abdominal aorta. Digital subtraction angiography also showed aneurysmal dilatation of the entire aorta and trivial aortic regurgitation. However, aortic annular dilatation was not found by echocardiography or aortography. The entire aorta was replaced in two stages. First, graft replacement of the ascending aorta, except for the sinus segment, and the aortic arch was performed using an elephant trunk technique under hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass with selective cerebral perfusion. Twelve weeks later, the remaining aorta, including the descending aorta and extending to the common iliac artery on the right side, and to the common femoral artery on the left side, was replaced with a partial cardiopulmonary bypass using femoral artery and vein cannulation. We believe that patients with mega aorta syndrome are best treated by total aortic replacement. The results in the present case indicate that the elephant trunk technique is useful for extensive aortic replacement in stages, and greatly facilitates the second stage operative procedures.

Long-term results of valve replacement with the St. Jude Medical valve.

Between 1980 and 1992, 908 patients underwent single aortic (n = 178), single mitral (n = 577), or double aortic and mitral (n = 153) valve replacement with the St. Jude Medical valve at our hospital. There were 392 male patients and 516 female patients whose ages ranged from 1.2 to 74 years (mean, 52 years). The early mortality rate was 5.0% (45 patients). A 94% complete follow-up was accomplished for 863 patients who were discharged from the hospital (4682.3 patient-years). Sixty-nine of these patients died, for a late mortality rate of 8.0%. Fifty-two patients, including four patients (0.3%/100 patient-years) had anticoagulant-related hemorrhage, 4(0.1%/100 patient-years) had prosthetic valve endocarditis, 11 (0.2%/100 patient-years) had nonstructural valve dysfunction, and 16 (0.3%/100 patient-years) underwent reoperation. There were no structural valve failures in this series. The total number of valve-related deaths was 22. Of those patients who survived, 98% were in New York Heart Association functional class I or II at the date of the last follow-up. The probabilities of freedom from thromboembolism and anticoagulant-related hemorrhage at 10 years were 94% +/- 2% and 97% +/- 2% in aortic valve replacement, 89% +/- 2% and 98% +/- 4% in mitral valve replacement, and 89% +/- 6% and 92% +/- 6% in double valve replacement, respectively. Significant hemolysis related to the St. Jude Medical valve occurred in 8 of the 577 patients who received mitral valve replacement in our early experience, and modifying the valve orientation appeared to play an important role in reducing hemolysis. The event-free rate, including all complications and late deaths, at 10 years was 75% +/- 7%, 74% +/- 3%, and 81% +/- 6% in aortic valve replacement, mitral valve replacement, and double valve replacement, respectively. On the basis of these results, the St. Jude Medical valve seems to be an excellent mechanical valve in terms of durability and low thrombogenicity and remains our prosthetic valve of choice when valve replacement with a mechanical valve is indicated.

[Mitral valve surgery using combined superior-transseptal approach to the left atrium].

We performed mitral valve surgery in 5 patients using the combined superior-transseptal approach to the left atrium. Exposure of the mitral valve was excellent, and postoperative arrhythmias related to the operative procedures were not seen in all patients. The operative technique and indications are discussed in this paper.

Aortic root replacement with a composite graft: results of 69 operations in 66 patients.

Between December 1973 and December 1992, 66 patients underwent aortic root replacement at our hospital. The mean age of the patients was 42.5 years (range, 20 to 71 years); 44 patients were male and 22 were female. Of the 66 patients, 34 (51.5%) had clinical stigmata of Marfan's syndrome. The aortic pathology requiring aortic root replacement was annuloaortic ectasia in 59 patients, aortic dissection in 5, and progressive dilatation of the ascending aorta after aortic valve replacement in 2. Twelve of the 59 patients with annuloaortic ectasia also had aortic dissection. The operative techniques used were the Bentall technique in 36 operations, the Cabrol technique in 21, the aortic button technique in 3, and other miscellaneous techniques in 9. The hospital mortality rate for the primary operation was 10.6% (7 patients), and the late mortality rate was 20.3% (12 patients). Four of the late deaths were related to the graft valve prosthesis, and 6 were related to the progression of aneurysmal diseases on the remaining aorta. The survival rate was 71.0% at 10 years. Pseudoaneurysm at the suture lines was detected in 7 patients, 6 of whom had been treated with the Bentall technique, and 5 patients also had Marfan's syndrome. No patients having aortic root replacement with the Cabrol technique have required reoperation for pseudoaneurysms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Surgical treatment of aneurysms of the aortic arch using a simplified selective cerebral perfusion technique.

Between April 1989 and October 1993, 35 patients underwent aortic arch reconstruction for aneurysms using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) with selective cerebral perfusion (SCP). Of the 35 patients, the initial 19 (Group P) consecutively received simplified SCP (partial brachiocephalic perfusion; PBP), and the next 16 (Group S) were consecutively treated with standard SCP. For cerebral protection, blood was supplied to the right axillary artery in Group P, and to the right axillary and the left common carotid arteries in Group S. The aneurysms was aortic dissection in 24 patients, and was secondary to arteriosclerosis in the remaining 11. Partial replacement of the aortic arch together with the ascending aorta was the most commonly performed procedure in both groups. The cardiopulmonary bypass time and the cardiac arrest time were not significantly different between the two groups. The overall cerebral perfusion time was significantly longer in Group S (100 min) than in Group P (65 min); however, when 2 patients with an accidental prolongation of the cerebral perfusion time in Group S were excluded, there was no significant difference in the cerebral perfusion time between the two groups. Early death occurred in 3 patients (15.8%) in Group P, and 2 patients (12.5%) in Group S, however, there were no deaths related to the selective cerebral perfusion technique, and there were no late deaths in either group. Cerebral complications were seen in 1 patient in each group (6.3% vs. 6.7%, not significant). These results suggest that the simplified SCP (PBP) under hypothermic CPB provides as satisfactory cerebral protection as standard SCP, so long as the patency of the circle of Willis is confirmed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

False aneurysm of the ascending aorta with fistula to the right atrium. Noninvasive diagnosis by computed tomographic scan and two-dimensional echocardiography with successful repair.

A 57-year-old Japanese man presented with symptoms of congestive heart failure 9 years after aortic valve replacement. On auscultation, a continuous murmur was heard at the left lower sternal border. Chest radiograph showed moderate cardiomegaly and a widened upper mediastinum. Computed tomographic scans showed a dilated ascending aorta, in which there was no intimal flap, and also showed a large mass which compressed the right atrium. Two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography revealed abnormal continuous blood flow directed from the dilated ascending aorta to the right atrium and no periprosthetic leak. At operation, a false aneurysm of the ascending aorta which originated from the aortotomy suture line and a fistula from the aorta to the right atrium were confirmed. The fistula was closed with pledgeted sutures, and the ascending aorta was replaced with a collagen-coated double woven velour dacron graft. The patient recovered uneventfully. Computed tomographic scan and two-dimensional echocardiography are complementary techniques for reliable non-invasive assessment of the complexity of an aortic aneurysm.

Tricuspid valve replacement with the St. Jude Medical valve.

A study was conducted on 20 patients who underwent tricuspid valve replacement (TVR) with the St. Jude Medical (SJM) valve. Isolated TVR was performed on 9 patients, and additional mitral, or mitral and aortic valve replacements were performed on 11 patients. Four patients (20%) died in the early postoperative period, but there were no deaths related to the SJM valve in the tricuspid position. The mean follow-up period of the 16 survivors was 74.4 months, and there have been no deaths during the follow-up period. The postoperative actuarial survival rate was 80%, 10 years after surgery. Three patients, representing 0.25%/patient-months, developed valve thrombosis, the valve thrombosis-free rate being 72.8%, 10 years after surgery, while entrapment of a leaflet by endothelial pannus was found in one patient, representing 0.08%/patient-months. Thus, the incidence of all prosthetic valve-related complications was 0.34%/patient-months, and the postoperative complication-free rate was 65.3%, 10 years after surgery. The medium-term follow-up study of TVR with the SJM valve revealed no prosthetic valve-related deaths and a relatively low incidence of prosthetic valve-related complications. However, as with other mechanical valves, valve thrombosis was a major risk posed by the SJM valve in the tricuspid position.

Surgical treatment for acute aortic dissection and coexistent degenerative aortic aneurysm. Report of three cases.

Acute aortic dissection occurring in an aorta previously afflicted with degenerative, atherosclerotic is unusual. We report three cases with acute aortic dissection (DeBakey type III-b) occurring in an aorta which had a preexistent degenerative aortic aneurysm. Two of the three patients had acute aortic dissection originating from the distal end of the degenerative aneurysm, and the remaining one had the acute aortic dissection and degenerative aneurysm at different segments of the aorta. Since the risk of rupture is likely to be much higher in the patients with coexistence of acute aortic dissection and degenerative aortic aneurysm, compared with patients with DeBakey type III acute aortic dissection alone, we believe that a prompt and aggressive surgical approach is essential to prevent rupture, and that digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is more helpful in making a correct diagnosis and in helping to decide surgical procedures and supportive methods than other noninvasive diagnostic procedures.

Obstruction of the St. Jude Medical valve--diagnostic and therapeutic values of cineradiography.

Between 1984, and 1992, we observed 8 patients with an obstructed St. Jude Medical (SJM) valve. Of these, 1 had an obstructed SJM valve in the aortic position, 3 in the mitral position, and 4 in the tricuspid position. Diagnosis of obstruction of the SJM valve was made by cineradiography combined with echocardiography in all 8 patients. Restriction or absence of movement of the leaflet of the SJM valve was observed by cineradiography in all of the 8 patients. Normal range of leaflet mobility of the SJM valve was measured by conventional cineradiography in 70 patients with a normal SJM valve, and the results were compared with the leaflet mobility obtained from the 8 patients with an obstructed SJM valve. In this study, leaflet function in the obstructed SJM valve was strikingly abnormal, with both opening and closing angles, and leaflet motion clearly outside the normal range. Of the 8 patients, 4 underwent urgent prosthetic valve replacements after cineradiography and echocardiography were carried out. Thrombolysis using urokinase was performed in 4 patients, and this treatment was successful in 1 patient. Efficacy of thrombolytic therapy was evaluated by repeat cineradiography. Three of the 4 patients who received thrombolysis showed no significant improvement of leaflet mobility after at least 72 hours of thrombolytic therapy, and finally required surgical correction for the obstructed SJM valve. We believe that cineradiography combined with echocardiography is the optimal method for the diagnosis of obstruction of the SJM valve, and to follow the effect of thrombolytic therapy on prosthetic valve function.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Doppler echocardiographic evaluation of St. Jude Medical valves in the tricuspid position.

Sixteen of 20 patients who underwent tricuspid valve replacement with a St. Jude Medical valve at our hospital were followed for three to 164 months. Doppler echocardiographic and cineradiographic examinations of the replacement device were performed in 13 patients. There were six males and seven females in the study, with a mean age of 41.9 years. A St. Jude Medical prosthesis had also been implanted in the mitral or mitral and aortic positions of eight of these thirteen patients. Ten patients had normally functioning valves in the tricuspid position and three were diagnosed as malfunctioning. The peak velocity in those patients with normally functioning tricuspid valves was 1.3 +/- 0.2 m/sec. The calculated peak and mean pressure gradients were 6.7 +/- 1.9 mmHg and 2.6 +/- 1.1 mmHg, respectively, and the mean pressure half-time was 120 +/- 22 msec. All normally functioning valves in the tricuspid position had peak velocities of less than 1.55 m/sec, and peak and mean pressure gradients of less than 9.6 mmHg and 5 mmHg, respectively, with the pressure half-time being less than 140 msec in all cases, except for one of the three Doppler studies performed in one patient. However, three Doppler studies performed in two patients with a malfunctioning tricuspid valve revealed peak velocities, peak and mean pressure gradients and pressure half-times which were above these values. After replacement of the malfunctioning valve, or thrombolysis, all of the Doppler-derived values returned to the range found in normally functioning valves.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)