Predictiveness of different preoperative risk assessments for postoperative bleeding after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery.

AIM: Postoperative bleeding is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Studies have been conducted, and guidelines have been published regarding patient blood management and aiming to prevent blood loss in the perioperative period. Various bleeding risk assessments were developed for preoperative period. We aimed to examine the correlations of scoring systems in the literature with the amount of postoperative bleeding in patients undergoing first time coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and to show the most suitable preoperative bleeding risk assessment for coronary artery bypass graft patients. METHODS: The study included 550 consecutive patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft operation. The inclusion criteria were considered as patients to be older than 18 years old and to undergo elective or emergent myocardial revascularization using cardiopulmonary bypass. All variables required for scoring systems were recorded. The initial results of the study were determined as the amount of chest tube drainage, the use of blood products, the change in hematocrit level, reoperation due to bleeding, duration of ventilation, duration of intensive care unit stay, and hospital stay. Mortality which occurred during first 30 days after operation was considered as operative mortality. Operative mortality was accepted as the primary endpoint. Secondary endpoints were massive bleeding and high amount of transfusion. RESULTS: Data were obtained from a series of 550 consecutive patients treated with isolated coronary artery bypass graft. It was seen that PAPWORTH and WILL-BLEED risk assessments responded better for E-CABG grade 2 and 3 bleeding compared to other risk assessments. TRACK, TRUST, and ACTA-PORT scales were found to have low ability to distinguish patients with E-CABG bleeding grade 2 and 3. CONCLUSION: Predicting postoperative bleeding and transfusion rates with preoperative risk scores in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery will provide valuable information to physicians for establishing a proper patient blood management protocol and this will decrease excessive transfusions, unnecessary reoperations as well as improve postoperative outcomes.

Approach to an unusual cardiac mass: mitral annulus caseoma

Abstract Caseous calcification of the mitral annulus (CCMA) is known to be a rare variant of mitral annulus calcification, a chronic and degenerative process of the mitral valve fibrous ring. It usually carries a benign prognosis. The following case demonstrates a huge mitral annulus caseoma that complicated with severe mitral regurgitation and was treated with a successful surgery. The common consensus on the optimal management of CCMA is conservative medical management and avoiding unnecessary surgery. Therewithal, the current indications for surgical intervention include mitral valve dysfunction, strokes and uncertain diagnosis. Aggressive debridement, risk of left ventricular perforation and exposure of caseous debris to the systemic blood flow may increase the risk of a standard mitral valve surgery. Mitral valve replacement should be preferred compared with mitral valve repair.

Approach to An Unusual Cardiac Mass: Mitral Annulus Caseoma.

Caseous calcification of the mitral annulus (CCMA) is known to be a rare variant of mitral annulus calcification, a chronic and degenerative process of the mitral valve fibrous ring. It usually carries a benign prognosis. The following case demonstrates a huge mitral annulus caseoma that complicated with severe mitral regurgitation and was treated with a successful surgery. The common consensus on the optimal management of CCMA is conservative medical management and avoiding unnecessary surgery. Therewithal, the current indications for surgical intervention include mitral valve dysfunction, strokes and uncertain diagnosis. Aggressive debridement, risk of left ventricular perforation and exposure of caseous debris to the systemic blood flow may increase the risk of a standard mitral valve surgery. Mitral valve replacement should be preferred compared with mitral valve repair.

Unusually located left ventricular outflow myxoma: a brief review of the literature.

Among all myxomas, left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) myxomas are very rare. This article reports an LVOT myxoma in a 67-year-old woman presenting with palpitations and weight loss. Surgical excision of the LVOT myxoma was performed.

Does delayed correction interfere with pulmonary functions and exercise tolerance in patients with tetralogy of fallot?

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To assess exercise tolerance and determine the distinct role of cardiac, respiratory, or peripheral factors on it after delayed surgical repair in patients with tetralogy of Fallot. DESIGN: The aerobic exercise capacity of 15 adult patients (mean [+/- SD] age, 21 +/- 6; age range, 9 to 30 years) undergoing successful total correction at a mean age of 12 +/- 5 years (patients) was compared to healthy, matched control subjects by using right ventricle echocardiography, resting spirometry, and cardiopulmonary exercise tests at a mean postoperative time of 7.5 +/- 4.6 years. SETTING: Tertiary care referral centers. PATIENTS: Fifteen adult patients (mean age, 21 +/- 6 years; age range, 9 to 30 years) undergoing successful total correction at a mean age of 12 +/- 5 (patients) and 15 healthy, matched volunteers (control subjects). RESULTS: There was evidence for a slight right ventricular diastolic dysfunction in the patients. Mean FVC (88 +/- 9% vs 109 +/- 12% predicted, respectively) and FEV1 (89 +/- 9% vs 109 +/- 12% predicted, respectively), although being within the normal range, were also decreased in comparison to those of control subjects (p < 0.0001). Maximal oxygen consumption (V(O2max) decreased in both groups (55 +/- 16% vs 61 +/- 23% predicted, respectively; p = 0.5); however, there were more individuals with severely decreased values among the patients (p = 0.05). V(O2) at the anaerobic threshold was also decreased in patients (33 +/- 15% vs 51 +/- 8% predicted, respectively; p = 0.004). The maximum tolerable exercise time was 17.3 +/- 4.5 min in patients vs 21.2 +/- 6.4 min in control subjects (p = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: The exercise capacity after delayed repair was good in general compared to matched control subjects; however, exercise capacity may be slightly limited by ventilatory dysfunction, low anaerobic threshold, and lack of physical fitness despite New York Heart Association class improvement after undergoing the operation.