Comprehensive intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography of anomalous left coronary artery from pulmonary artery: What to look for and where to look?

Anomalous origin of left coronary artery from pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) accounts for 0.4% of the congenital heart diseases. Comprehensive 2D and 3D transesophageal echocardiographic imaging of a well-collateralized subset of ALCAPA is described. A nonstandard short-axis view of both aorta and pulmonary arteries showed the origin of left coronary artery from the posterior sinus of the pulmonary artery and right coronary artery in its usual position. Pulse-wave interrogation of the coronary arteries showed the direction of flow in opposite directions. Using the real time-3D, the en-face views of the origins of both coronaries were also demonstrated.

Criteria for Postoperative Mechanical Ventilation After Thymectomy in Patients With Myasthenia Gravis: A Retrospective Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the criteria for postoperative mechanical ventilation after thymectomy in patients with Myasthenia Gravis. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Teritiary care centre. PARTICIPANTS: 77 Myasthenia gravis patients operated for thymectomy were studied. INTERVENTIONS: After obtaining clearance from Institutional ethics committee, medical records of 77 patients with MG, who were operated for thymectomy between January 2005 and December 2015 were reviewed in a retrospective manner. Perioperative variables collected from the patient records were demographic data, duration of the disease, Osserman and Genkin classification, Anti-acetylcholine antibody (AChR) positivity, preoperative daily dose of drug, history of preoperative myasthenic crisis, preoperative vital capacity, technique of anesthesia, drugs used for anesthesia, perioperative complications, and duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation. The patients were divided into two groups, group I and group II consisting of those who required postoperative ventilation for < 300 minutes and > 300 minutes, respectively. The determinants of prolonged postoperative ventilation were studied. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The requirement of mechanical ventilation was higher in patients with higher Osserman's grade of myasthenia gravis. Duration of the disease had no effect on the duration of mechanical ventilation in myasthenic patients post thymectomy (p = 0.89). The patients with a preoperative history of myasthenic crisis had a requirement for prolonged mechanical ventilation (p=0.03). Patients with preoperative vital capacity < 2.9 litres and preoperative CT scan showing thymoma had a requirement for prolonged mechanical ventilation with p values < 0.001 and 0.035, respectively. Patients who showed positivity for anti-acetylcholine antibodies had a prolonged mechanical ventilation (p=0.026). Preoperative dose of pyridostigmine and the choice of continuation or discontinuation of antcholinesterases on the day of surgery had no influence on the duration of mechanical ventilation (p value of 0.19 and 0.36 respectively). Epidural analgesia intra and postoperatively significantly reduced the requirement of mechanical ventilation (p=0.006). CONCLUSION: The predictors of postoperative ventilation in myasthenic patients undergoing thymectomy as per our study are: 1. Grade of myasthenia; 2. History of preoperative myasthenic crisis; 3. Anti-acetylcholine antibodies positivity; 4. Presence of thymoma; and 5. a vital capacity < 2.9 litres. Use of thoracic epidural as a part of combined anesthetic technique helps to reduce the need of mechanical ventilation in these patients.

Multiple unruptured aortic sinus of Valsalva aneurysms: A rare presentation.

Aneurysms of sinus of Valsalva, usually a rare presentation, account for 0.1%-3.5% of congenital heart defects. They rarely present unless rupture occurs. There are very few cases of unruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysms that presented with myocardial ischemia, symptomatic cardiac dysfunction, and conduction abnormalities. We present a case of multiple unruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysms with particular emphasis on the transesophageal echocardiography.

Effectiveness of ventilation of nondependent lung for a brief period in improving arterial oxygenation during one-lung ventilation: A prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Hypoxemia is common during one-lung ventilation(OLV), predominantly due to transpulmonary shunt. None of the strategies tried showed consistent results. We evaluated the effectiveness of ventilating the operated, non-dependent lung (NDL) with small tidal volumes in improving the oxygenation during OLV. METHODS: 30 ASA 1 and 2 patients undergoing elective, open thoracotomy were studied. After standard induction of anesthesia, lung seperation was acheived with left sided DLT. The ventilatory settings for two lung ventilation (TLV) were: FiO 2 of 0.5, tidal volume of 8-10ml/kg and respiratory rate of 10-12/min. After initiating OLV, the dependent lung alone was ventilated with the above settings for 15 minutes and an arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis was done. Then the NDL was ventilated with a separate ventilator, with FiO 2 of 1, tidal volume of 70 ml, I:E ratio of 1:10 and respiratory rate of 6/min for 15 minutes. The NDL ventilation was started early if the patients desaturated to <95%. ABG was done at 5 and 15 mins of NDL ventilation. We compared the PaO 2 values. RESULTS: The mean PaO 2 decreased from 232.2 ± 67.2 mm of Hg (TLV-ABG1) to 91.2 ± 31.7 mm of Hg on OLV (OLV-ABG1). The ABG after 5 minutes and 15 minutes after institution of NDL ventilation during OLV showed a PaO2 of 145.7 ± 50.2 mm of Hg and 170.6 ± 50.4 mm of Hg which were significantly higher compared to the one lung ventilation values.

Windsock deformity of interatrial septum.

Classical "Windsock deformity" is associated with ruptured aneurysmal sinus of Valsalva. The echocardiographic definition for Atrial septal aneurysm (ASA) in children based on dimensions is lacking. Rupture of an ASA, though uncommon, may lead to cardiac failure due to acute RV volume overload. An untreated ASA may be complicated with thrombus formation.

Warden repair for superior sinus venosus atrial septal defect and anomalous pulmonary venous drainage in children: Anesthesia and transesophageal echocardiography perspectives.

OBJECTIVE: Review of intraoperative anesthetic challenges and the role of transesophageal echocardiography in children with sinus venosus atrial septal defect and partial anomalous pulmonary venous drainage undergoing Warden repair. DESIGN: A retrospective observational case series. METHODOLGY: Pediatric patients who underwent Warden repair between October 2011-September 2015 were recruited. Their preoperative clinical details, anesthetic techniques, intraoperative TEE findings and postoperative events were recorded from the medical records. The categorical variables and the continuous variables were expressed as number (percentages) and mean ΁ SD respectively. RESULTS: A total of 35 patients were operated for Warden repair during the study period. Anesthesia was induced with the aim to prevent any fall in pulmonary vascular resistance. The right internal jugular vein was cannulated under ultrasound guidance using a short length cannula to monitor right superior vena cava pressure. Intraoperative TEE revealed the drainage of PAPVC high into RSVC in 22 patients. Persistent LSVC was found in 9 patients. After repair, TEE imaging detected a high gradient at Warden anastomotic site in 5 patients and 3 of them required revision of surgery. Rerouted pulmonary veins required surgical correction in 2 patients in view of obstruction. None of them had pulmonary venous and SVC obstruction in the postoperative period. CONCLUSION: The primary aim of anesthesia is to avoid any fall in PVR. Right IJV cannulation can be beneficial. The intraoperative TEE can help in delineating the anatomy of lesion and detecting anastomotic site obstruction.

Pulmonary edema following transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect.

We describe an incident of development of acute pulmonary edema after the device closure of a secundum atrial septal defect in a 52-year-old lady, which was treated with inotropes, diuretics and artificial ventilation. Possibility of acute left ventricular dysfunction should be considered after the defect closure in the middle-aged patients as the left ventricular compliance may be reduced due to increased elastic stiffness and diastolic dysfunction. Baseline left atrial pressure may be > 10 mmHg in these patients. Associated risk factors for the left ventricular dysfunction are a large Qp:Qs ratio, systemic hypertension, severe pulmonary hypertension and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.