Use of thoracoscopy for thoracic sympathetic nerve block in primary hyperhidrosis.

Thoracic sympathetic nerve block (TSNB) has been widely used in the treatment of neuropathic pain. To reduce block failure rates, TSNB is assisted with several modalities including fluoroscopy, computed tomography, and ultrasonography. The present study describes our experience assessing the usefulness of thoracoscopy in TSNB for predicting compensatory hyperhidrosis before sympathectomy in primary hyperhidrosis. From September 2013 to October 2021, TSNB was performed under local anesthesia using a 2-mm thoracoscope in 302 patients with severe primary hyperhidrosis. Among the 302 patients, 294 were included for analysis. The target level of TSNB was T3 in almost all patients. The mean procedure time was 21 min. Following TSNB, the mean temperature of the left and right palms significantly changed from 31.5 to 35.3 °C and from 31.5 to 34.8 °C, respectively. With TSNB, primary hyperhidrosis was relieved in all patients. Pneumothorax occurred in six patients, in which no chest tube insertion was required. One patient developed hemothorax and was discharged the next day after small-bore catheter drainage. Transient ptosis developed in 10 patients and improved within a day in all patients. Our experiences showed that thoracoscopic TSNB is accurate, safe, and feasible to block the thoracic sympathetic nerve in patients with severe primary hyperhidrosis.

Repair of pectus excavatum in a patient with an Eloesser thoracostomy window: sequential extrapleural Nuss procedure and modified Ravitch procedure.

A 28-year-old man with a history of tuberculous empyema and pectus excavatum visited our hospital for progressive dyspnea and leg edema. The patient had undergone an Eloesser window operation for repetitive pleuro-cutaneous fistula due to chronic tuberculous empyema in the left thorax one year prior. Chest computed tomography demonstrated severe compression of the right ventricle and inferior vena cava and chronic empyema with the Eloesser window in the left thorax. Because conservative treatment had failed, the patient underwent a total extrapleural Nuss procedure, resulting in marked relief of compression and complete resolution of leg edema and congestive hepatopathy. However, he required ventilation support due to carbon dioxide retention. Therefore, the patient underwent a modified Ravitch procedure and was weaned off ventilation support. Herein, we represent the first report of a sequential extrapleural Nuss procedure and a modified Ravitch procedure in a patient with chronic tuberculous empyema with an Eloesser window.

Delayed diagnosis of thoracic esophageal rupture due to blunt abdominal trauma without chest trauma: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic esophageal rupture due to blunt trauma is very rare. Moreover, there have been no reports of thoracic esophageal rupture due to blunt abdominal trauma without chest trauma. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a rare case of esophageal rupture due to blunt abdominal trauma in a young female patient. Operation was delayed due to a misdiagnosis of chylothorax, and esophageal repair was performed six days after trauma. Postoperative esophageal leak developed and was treated with esophageal stent. She was discharged two months after surgery without sequelae. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to consider esophageal rupture as a differential diagnosis even in patients with only abdominal trauma, when in doubt.

Clinical significance of tumor necrosis and viability in non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: We included tumor necrosis (TN) and tumor viability (TV) in our prognostic assessment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and investigated their clinical significance. Methods: Medical records of all consecutive subjects who underwent a lobectomy with standard mediastinal lymph node dissection for NSCLC between 2015 to 2016, were reviewed retrospectively. We analyzed the associations of TN and TV with various parameters associated with prognosis as well as survival in NSCLC patients. All analyses were performed regarding neoadjuvant therapy status [the group without neoadjuvant therapy (WON) vs. the group with neoadjuvant therapy (WN)]. Results: A consecutive 154 patients (mean age: 65.0±10.1 years) were included into the present study. Fifteen patients underwent neoadjuvant therapy. Final pathologic stages were IA1 (n=13), IA2 (n=30), IA3 (n=32), IB (n=40), IIA (n=9), IIB (n=18), and IIIA (n=12). WN significantly showed higher TN (P=0.005) and lower TV (P<0.001) than WON. Tumors with vascular, lymphatic, and perineural invasion showed significantly lower TV and higher TN than cases without these features (P=0.014, P=0.019, and P=0.012 for TV; P=0.001, P<0.001, and P<0.001 for TN, respectively). Tumors with poorer differentiation had lower TV (P<0.001) and higher TN (P<0.001) than more differentiated tumors. There was a positive correlation between TN and tumor size (P<0.001) and a negative correlation between TV and tumor size (P=0.031). TN significantly increased as pathologic stage increased (P=0.001), and TV significantly decreased as pathologic stage increased (P=0.038). The group without TN survived significantly longer than the group with TN (P=0.016) in N0 disease and presence of TN and pT stage were independent prognostic factors for survival in N0 disease (P=0.037 and P=0.021, respectively). There was a positive correlation between TN and Ki-67 level (P=0.027). In WN, TN was significantly associated with differentiation (P=0.035), tumor size (P=0.008), and pT stage (P=0.031) but not overall pathologic stage or survival. Conclusions: Presence of histological TN was associated with prognosis of NSCLC, especially in N0 disease, and its usage as a diagnostic or prognostic tool and determination of resection extent could potentially provide prognostic information that can facilitate better management of NSCLC.

Effects of lower thoracic sympathicotomy on plantar hyperhidrosis.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether performing lower thoracic sympathicotomy (LTS) from T10 to T12 affects plantar hyperhidrosis in patients with palmo-plantar (PP) or palmo-axillary-plantar (PAP) hyperhidrosis. METHODS: Between January 2015 and January 2020, all consecutive patients with primary hyperhidrosis who underwent bilateral thoracoscopic sympathicotomy and met the inclusion criteria were included. Sympathicotomy was performed using one of the following two methods: the conventional upper thoracic vs. expanded thoracic sympathicotomy. In the expanded thoracic sympathicotomy, we expanded the level of sympathicotomy ranging from R5 to R12 in addition to the conventional upper thoracic sympathicotomy (R3 or R4). In cases of the expanded thoracic sympathicotomy, we defined the LTS as a sympathicotomy of the levels ranging from R10 to R12, which are related to plantar hyperhidrosis. RESULTS: A total of 103 subjects with PP (71 cases) or PAP (32 cases) hyperhidrosis were included. Palmar or axillary hyperhidrosis in all patients were alleviated after sympathicotomy. There was no difference in sweating decrease or CH according to the hyperhidrosis types or sympathicotomy techniques. In addition, no-LTS was performed in 77 cases and LTS was performed in 26 cases. In the no-LTS group, there were 65 and 12 cases of low and high degrees of CH, respectively. In the LTS group, there were 22 and four cases of low and high degrees of CH, respectively. There was no significant difference in CH between the no-LTS and LTS groups (P=0.981). Improvement in plantar hyperhidrosis in the no-LTS group was observed in 29 of 77 cases, while improvement in plantar hyperhidrosis in the LTS group was observed in 16 of 26 cases. The addition of LTS lead to significant improvement in plantar hyperhidrosis (P=0.034). CONCLUSIONS: Performing LTS is a safe and feasible procedure that improved plantar sweating more so than it did in cases that did not undergo LTS. Therefore, we cautiously suggest that adding LTS helps in the treatment of plantar hyperhidrosis combined with palmar hyperhidrosis. Further studies on LTS are needed to validate these findings and will be helpful in establishing management guidelines.

Heart rate variability as a potential diagnostic tool to predict compensatory hyperhidrosis after sympathectomy in patients with primary focal hyperhidrosis.

BACKGROUND: Primary focal hyperhidrosis (PFH) is associated with autonomic nervous activity, and studies investigating this association in patients with PFH are very important. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a simple and noninvasive electrocardiographic test showing activity and balance in the autonomic nervous system, which consists of sympathetic and parasympathetic components. The aims of this study are to investigate associations between autonomic nervous activity and hyperhidrosis characteristics using HRV and to investigate the association between HRV findings and compensatory hyperhidrosis (CH) after sympathectomy. METHODS: From March 2017 to March 2020, 105 subjects with PFH who underwent preoperative HRV tests and sympathectomy were analyzed. All subjects underwent bilateral thoracoscopic sympathectomy. T2 sympathectomy was conducted for craniofacial hyperhidrosis, and T3 sympathectomy was conducted for palmar hyperhidrosis. The following HRV parameters chosen to investigate the association between hyperhidrosis and autonomic nervous activity were measured by time and frequency domain spectral analysis: (I) time domain: standard deviation of normal-to-normal interval (SDNN) and square root of mean squared differences of successive normal-to-normal intervals (RMSSD), (II) frequency domain: total power (TP) of power spectral density, very low frequency (VLF), low frequency (LF), and high frequency (HF). HRV parameters were analyzed according to hyperhidrosis type (craniofacial vs. palmar type), sweat reduction, and CH after sympathectomy. In addition, the independent HRV parameters influencing CH after sympathectomy were investigated with multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Craniofacial hyperhidrosis was significantly more prevalent in the old age group (P<0.001). Sweat reduction after sympathectomy was significantly more prominent in palmar hyperhidrosis (P=0.037), and CH after sympathectomy was more prominent in craniofacial hyperhidrosis (P<0.001). Palmar type patients exhibited significantly larger SDNN, RMSSD, TP, LF, and HF than craniofacial type patients (all P<0.001). There were no significant differences in any HRV parameters according to sweat reduction after sympathectomy. Low-degree CH was associated with significantly larger SDNN, RMSSD, TP, LF, and HF than high-degree CH (P<0.001, P<0.001, P=0.002, P=0.001, and P<0.001, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that HF and age group were associated with CH after sympathectomy (P=0.007 and P=0.010, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that HRV can provide useful insight into the pathophysiology of PFH and enhance preoperative risk stratification of CH. Large-scale, prospective studies are required to determine the predictive value of HRV in patients at risk for subsequent CH after sympathectomy.

Conservative treatment for recurrent secondary spontaneous pneumothorax in patients with a long recurrence-free interval.

BACKGROUND: Although recurrence is included in surgical indications, there is no definitive guideline for managing recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax (SP) according to characteristics of recurrence, such as the type [primary SP (PSP) or secondary SP (SSP)] and recurrence-free interval (RFI). Actually, some patients with early cessation of air leak after closed thoracostomy tubes, a long RFI, or medical comorbidities are often managed conservatively without surgery. However, the validity of this management is unclear. The aims of the present study are to analyze treatment outcomes for recurrent SP according to the type of SP and RFI, and to check the validity of conservative treatment for patients according to type of SP and RFI. METHODS: We included 1,250 consecutive cases (624 right sided and 626 left side cases for the first episode) who were hospitalized and treated from January 2012 to June 2018. To investigate recurrence according to treatment modality (surgical or conservative treatment), we estimated RFI in each group during the observation period. RFI was measured from the completion of treatment to recurrence or last follow-up. We divided patients into two groups [the early (EG) and the late (LG) recurrence group] according to 1-year. Recurrence was defined as a subsequent episode of an ipsilateral SP, while a contralateral SP was regarded as an independent case in the present study. RFI between subgroups was compared using the Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test. A P value less than 0.05 (two-sided) was regarded as statistically significant. RESULTS: Recurrence occurred in 47 cases after surgical intervention for the first episode (585 cases). Recurrence occurred in 265 cases after conservative treatment for the first episode of SP (665 cases). For the first episode, the surgical group (SG) had a significantly longer RFI than the conservative group (CG), regardless of the type (both, P<0.001). Conservative treatment and surgical intervention for the second episode after conservative treatment for the first episode were performed in 98 and 167 cases, respectively. For the second episode after conservative treatment for the first episode, SG also had a significantly longer RFI than CG, regardless of the types (PSP P<0.001, SSP P=0.031). To check the validity of conservative treatment for patients with a long RFI, we analyzed recurrence by dividing patients into two groups according to one-year RFI. For PSP, the early recurrence group (EG, RFI ≤1 year) had 99 cases and the late recurrent group (LG, RFI >1 year) had 67 cases. SG had a significantly longer RFI than CG in both EG and LG (EG, P<0.001 and LG, P=0.001). In addition, for SSP, there were 67 cases of EG and 32 cases of LG, SG had significantly longer RFIs than CG in EG (P=0.007). However, there was no significant difference in RFI between SG and CG in LG (P=0.748). CONCLUSIONS: The present study revealed diversity of management outcomes according to characteristics of recurrence and provides some evidences of the validity of conservative treatment in recurrent SSP with a long RFI. Further large-scale prospective randomized trials are required to validate these findings.

New sympathicotomy for prevention of severe compensatory hyperhidrosis in patients with primary hyperhidrosis.

BACKGROUND: Primary hyperhidrosis (PH) is characterized by excessive and uncontrollable secretion in the eccrine sweat glands of the craniofacial region, armpits, hands, and feet. Sympathicotomy is the most effective treatment for severe PH; however, compensatory hyperhidrosis (CH) remains the most devastating postoperative complication. The purpose of the present study was to suggest a new sympathicotomy method for PH to prevent severe CH. METHODS: From March 2014 to December 2018, a total of 212 patients were included in the study. R2 (53 cases) sympathicotomy for craniofacial hyperhidrosis and R3 (79 cases) or R4 (80 cases) sympathicotomy for palmar hyperhidrosis using the thoracoscopic technique were performed, respectively. Sympathicotomy was performed using two different methods (conventional 145 cases and new 67 cases). Expanded sympathicotomy was performed as the new method (67 cases), which was divided into two groups (partial- and full-expanded sympathicotomy). Operative effectiveness was evaluated by a reduction in percentage of post-operative sweating compared with pre-operative sweating and groups were divided into complete and incomplete sweat reduction characteristics. Complete sweat reduction was defined as sweat reduction ≥80% compared with preoperative sweating. The degrees of CH were classified as negligible, mild bothering (tolerable), and severe bothering (intolerable). Data on preoperative subject characteristics, disease status, operative technique, and postoperative outcomes were gathered using medical records and telephone surveys. RESULTS: According to sympathicotomy techniques, the conventional procedure (non-expanded sympathicotomy) was performed in 145 cases and the new expanded sympathicotomy procedure was performed in 67 cases (partial-expanded sympathicotomy 28 cases; full-expanded sympathicotomy 39 cases). Craniofacial hyperhidrosis was significantly more prevalent in the older group and in female patients (P<0.001 and P=0.007, respectively). Sympathicotomy was significantly more effective in palmar hyperhidrosis than craniofacial hyperhidrosis (P<0.001). CH was significantly more severe in craniofacial hyperhidrosis than palmar hyperhidrosis after sympathicotomy (P<0.001). In craniofacial hyperhidrosis, there was no significant difference in sweat reduction and CH between conventional and the expanded sympathicotomy techniques (P=0.177 and P=0.474, respectively). In palmar hyperhidrosis, there was no significant difference in sweat reduction between the conventional and the expanded sympathicotomy (P=0.178), however, degree of CH in the conventional technique was significantly more severe than in the expanded technique (P=0.001). Regarding comparison between partial- and full-expanded sympathicotomy, there was no significant difference in sweat reduction between partial-, and full-expanded sympathicotomy; however, CH was significantly more severe in partial-expanded sympathicotomy (craniofacial hyperhidrosis P=0.006; palmar hyperhidrosis P<0.001). Irrespective of hyperhidrosis types, there was no significant difference in sweat reduction between full-expanded and the others (non-expanded and partial-expanded sympathicotomy), however, full-expanded sympathicotomy showed a significantly less degree of CH than non-expanded and partial-expanded sympathicotomy (craniofacial, P=0.002; palmar, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Full-expanded sympathicotomy is a safe and feasible treatment that shows a significant decrease in the degree of CH with the same effect in sweat reduction in both craniofacial and palmar hyperhidrosis. Importantly, no severe CH developed after a full-expanded sympathicotomy without any major postoperative complications.

Deterioration of chest wall depression causing congestive hepatopathy after an open thoracostomy window in a patient with pectus excavatum and tuberculosis empyema.

A 27-year-old man with severe pectus excavatum, dextrocardia and spinal scoliosis underwent thoracoscopic pleural decortication due to failure of 1-month medical treatment for tuberculous empyema. One month after the pleural decortication, he again underwent open thoracostomy window for repetitive pleuro-cutaneous fistula with tuberculosis empyema. He was subsequently referred to our clinic for progressive dyspnea and bilateral leg edema 4 months after the open thoracostomy window. Evaluations revealed deterioration of the chest wall depression and further compression of the inferior vena cava, which were considered an aggravation of the pectus excavatum after the open thoracostomy window. Herein, we present an extremely rare case of deterioration of chest wall depression causing congestive hepatopathy after an open thoracostomy window in a patient with pectus excavatum and tuberculosis empyema.

Serum lactate dehydrogenase activity and its isoenzyme patterns in patients with pectus excavatum.

BACKGROUND: In previous study, we found elevated serum total lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) before correction of pectus excavatum and a decrease in total LDH after the deformity correction. In the present study, we analyzed total LDH activity and its isoenzyme patterns to investigate the causes of these laboratory findings in patients with pectus excavatum. METHODS: Between March 2014 to December 2018, 85 patients with pectus excavatum who had undergone the Nuss procedure (NP) and bar removal (BR) were included into this study. We analyzed (I) total LDH and its isoenzyme patterns before the correction, (II) relationships of total LDH and its isoenzymes with age at time of NP, sex, severity of pectus excavatum, and pectus morphology types, and (III) post-corrective changes. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 13.6 (±6.5) years at the age of NP and the mean interval between NP and BR was 2.2 (±0.42) years. Seventy-one males and 14 females were included. The pectus types included 54 symmetric and 31 asymmetric cases. The mean Haller index before NP and BR were 3.8±1.45 and 2.7±0.4, respectively. The mean of total LDH before NP (pre-correction) and BR (post-correction) were 404.2±80.8 and 369.2±79.3 IU/L, respectively. Before correction, total LDH was significantly higher than normal values, irrespective of age [the young group (<10 years old), P=0.006, and the old group (≥10 years old), P<0.001]. The proportion of LDH5 was significantly higher than that of LDH4 (P<0.001). Total serum LDH was significantly associated with age at time of NP and Haller index (P<0.001 and P=0.030). There was no significant correlation between severity and total LDH. However, the value of only LDH5 among all isoenzymes had a significant positive correlation with severity (P=0.006) and the proportion of only LDH5 in the severe group was significantly higher (P=0.003). After correction, proportions of each isoenzyme were all within the reference range, however, there were significant decreases in values of LDH1-LDH4, except LDH5 (P=0.020, P<0.001, P<0.001, and P=0.029). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that pectus excavatum is a muscular disease entity and that laboratory findings are associated with compression of internal organs, which was explained by post-corrective changes in LDH activity and its isoenzyme patterns. This study will provide a deeper and wider comprehension of pectus excavatum.

Influence of cannula positioning on brain injury during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

BACKGROUND: In veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-A ECMO), a patient is cannulated using either an atrio-aortic technique (central type ECMO; cECMO) or a femoro-femoral technique (peripheral type ECMO; pECMO). The direction of the pump flow at the aortic arch is anterograde from the ascending aorta in cECMO and retrograde from the descending aorta in pECMO. Hemodynamic differences from the position of the cannulas may influence the brain differently. To evaluate the effect of ECMO cannula positioning on the brain, hemodynamic data and plasma biomarkers were collected. METHODS: Eight pigs were randomly divided into the cECMO group (n=4) or pECMO group (n=4). ECMO was administered for 6 hours at a pump flow rate based on the mean flow of the ascending aorta. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), mean arterial flow (MAF), energy equivalent pressure (EEP), and surplus hemodynamic energy (SHE) were measured in the brachiocephalic artery every 30 minutes. During ECMO treatment, plasma was collected for analysis of interleukin-6 (IL-6), S100B, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and neuron-specific enolase. The data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U tests, and repeated measures ANOVAs; significance was set at P<0.05. RESULTS: MAP and EEP at 1 and at 3 hours, MAF at all measured times, and SHE at 1 hour and 6 hours were significantly higher in the pECMO group. There was no significant difference in the levels of brain injury biomarkers between cECMO and pECMO groups. CONCLUSIONS: The hemodynamic data showed that pECMO was superior to cECMO. Based on the biomarker data, neither pECMO nor cECMO for 6 hours caused evidence of brain injury.

Comparison of in vivo antibacterial and antithrombotic activities of two types of pulmonary artery catheters in pig.

BACKGROUND: During pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) implantation, inaccurate measurements of hemodynamic parameters due to infection or thrombosis of PAC can result in severe complications. METHOD: In order to develop a new PAC material, we evaluated the antibacterial and antithrombotic activities of the two types of PAC (Swan Ganz catheter and prototype catheter) in 14 pigs. RESULTS: In the 3-day group, bacterial infection rate was not different between the two types of PAC. In the 7-day group, bacterial infection rate of the prototype catheter was twice as elevated as that of the Swan-Ganz catheter. In the 3-day group, thrombus formation rate of the prototype catheter was twice as elevated as that of the Swan-Ganz catheter. In the 7-day group, thrombus formation rate was the same for the two types of PAC. CONCLUSION: Here, we report an experimental pig model that confirms differences in antibacterial and antithrombotic activities.

A non-randomized retrospective observational study on the subcutaneous esophageal reconstruction after esophagectomy: is it feasible in high-risk patients?

BACKGROUND: Esophageal reconstruction after esophagectomy is a complex procedure with high morbidity and mortality. Anastomotic leakage is more severe and frequent in patients with preoperative comorbidities and may present with septic conditions. Considering the possibility of an easier management of such cases, we evaluated the safety and feasibility of subcutaneous esophageal reconstruction in patients with high operative risks. METHODS: We performed a non-randomized retrospective observational study on the 75 (subcutaneous: 21, intrathoracic: 54) esophageal cancer patients who underwent esophageal reconstruction either through subcutaneous or intrathoracic route between January 2003 and February 2015. Preoperative data including the estimated reasons for the selection of the subcutaneous route were obtained from medical charts. Clinical outcomes were evaluated and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The mean postoperative hospital stay was longer in the subcutaneous group than the overall group. Anastomotic leakage occurred more frequently in the subcutaneous group [10 (47.6%) vs. 7 (13%), P=0.004]. Three major leakages resulted in chronic cutaneous fistula, but were successfully treated by lower neck reconstruction using radial forearm fasciocutaneous free flap (RFFF). There was no in-hospital mortality in the subcutaneous group. CONCLUSIONS: Subcutaneous esophageal reconstruction in high-risk patients showed a higher rate of anastomotic leakage. However, easier correction without fatal septic conditions could be obtained by primary repair or flap reconstruction resulting in lower perioperative mortality. Therefore, esophageal reconstruction through the subcutaneous route is not recommended as a routine primary option. However, in highly selected patients with unfavorable preoperative comorbidities or intraoperative findings, especially those with poor blood supply to the graft, graft hematoma or edema, or gross tumor invasion to surrounding tissues, esophageal reconstruction through the subcutaneous route may carefully be considered as an alternative to the conventional surgical techniques.

Concomitant off-pump coronary artery bypass and non-cardiovascular surgery.

BACKGROUND: Reports on concomitant cardiac and non-cardiovascular surgeries have noted disadvantages in the use of extracorporeal circulation. We assessed the results of concomitant off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) and non-cardiovascular surgery, and compared them with isolated OPCAB results. METHODS: Of 2,439 patients who underwent OPCAB between 1999 and 2014, 115 patients underwent concomitant OPCAB and non-cardiovascular surgery. Combined non-cardiovascular diseases included 63 malignant and 52 benign diseases. Concomitant non-cardiovascular surgeries performed were general (n=62), thoracic (n=47), orthopedic (n=3), urologic (n=2) and otolaryngologic surgeries (n=1). Operative results were compared between the OPCAB patients who underwent concomitant non-cardiovascular surgeries (group 1, n=115) and isolated OPCAB patients (group 2, n=2,251). Because preoperative characteristics of the two groups were different, a 1:2 propensity score-matched analysis was performed and operative results of the two matched groups were compared. RESULTS: Operative mortality rates were 0.9% (1/115) in group 1 and 1.0% (22/2,251) in group 2 (P=0.909). Although there were differences in preoperative patient characteristics, postoperative complications, including atrial fibrillation (36.5% vs. 28.8%), perioperative myocardial infarction (MI) (4.3% vs. 5.2%), acute renal failure (1.7% vs. 4.9%), mediastinitis (0.9% vs. 0.8%), bleeding reoperation (0.9% vs. 2.9%), and respiratory complications (2.6% vs. 2.1%), did not show significant differences between the two groups. After a 1:2 propensity score-matched analysis, there were no statistical differences in operative complications between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant OPCAB and non-cardiovascular surgeries were not associated with increased mortality and postoperative morbidities when compared with isolated OPCAB.

Equivalency of Saphenous Vein and Arterial Composite Grafts: 5-Year Angiography and Midterm Clinical Follow-Up.

BACKGROUND: We compared 5-year graft patency rates and midterm clinical outcomes of saphenous vein (SV) composite grafts with those of total arterial (TA) composite grafts in patients who underwent off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery (OPCAB). METHODS: Three hundred sixty-three patients who underwent OPCAB using composite grafts based on the left internal thoracic artery were studied. The SV was used as a second (connected to the left internal thoracic artery) or a third (connected to the second arterial graft) composite graft in 90 patients (SV group); TA composite grafting was performed in 273 patients (TA group). Follow-up was complete in 96.4% of patients (350 of 363), with a median follow-up of 82 months. Five-year graft patency rates and long-term clinical outcomes were compared. A propensity score-matched analysis was also performed to minimize differences in preoperative and intraoperative variables (n = 69 in each group). RESULTS: There were no differences in operative mortality and postoperative complications between the SV group and TA group. Actuarial 5-year patency rates of the venous and arterial composite grafts were 89.3% and 89.5%, respectively (p = 0.958). Those were also similar between the two propensity score-matched SV and TA groups (90.5% and 89.3%, respectively; p = 0.759). Five-year overall survival and freedom from major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events were 88.5% and 85.6%, respectively. Those were similar between the two groups before and after propensity score matching. CONCLUSIONS: The SV composite grafts were equivalent to arterial composite grafts in terms of 5-year graft patency rates and midterm clinical outcomes.

Single and multiple valve surgery in native valve infective endocarditis.

BACKGROUND: Surgical treatment of infective endocarditis (IE) remains a challenge, especially in cases of multiple valve surgery. We evaluated the clinical outcomes of native valve IE and compared the outcomes of single valve surgery with those of multiple valve surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1997 to 2011, 90 patients underwent surgery for native valve IE; 67 patients with single valve surgery (single valve group) and 23 patients with multiple valve surgery (multiple valve group). The mean follow-up duration was 73.1±47.4 months. RESULTS: The surgical mortality in the total cohort was 4.4%. The overall survival (p=0.913) and valve-related event-free survival (p=0.204) did not differ between the two groups. The independent predictor of postoperative complications was New York Heart Association class (p=0.001). Multiple valve surgery was not a significant predictor of surgical mortality (p=0.225) or late mortality (p=0.936). Uncontrolled infection, urgent or emergency surgery, and postoperative complications were identified as independent predictors of valve-related morbidity, excluding multiple valve surgery (p=0.072). CONCLUSION: In native valve IE, multiple valve surgery as a factor was not an independent predictor of mortality and morbidity. The number of surgically corrected valves in native IE seems to be unrelated to perioperative and long-term outcomes.