Multi-digit contracture release using medial sural artery perforator flap with syndactylization-desyndactylization method.

BACKGROUND: The medial sural artery perforator flap, with a long pedicle, has tremendous potential for applications in a variety of soft tissue defects. It can be used for reconstruction of multi-digit contractures of the palmar region. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We present herein the key features of the management of postburn multi-digit volar contractures, using medial sural artery perforator flaps with the syndactylization and desyndactylization method. We describe the use of the free medial sural artery perforator flap in two patients, to reconstruct complex composite hand defects including the second, third, fourth and fifth digits following thermal burns. RESULTS: Both flaps healed uneventfully. In both patients, the hand contractures released completely and adequate joint motion was achieved after a 3-month period of physiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: The thin medial sural artery perforator flap permits high accuracy of soft tissue reconstruction of the hand and reduces the morbidity at the donor site. The MSAPF is a useful flap in areas such as the hands, in the case of soft tissue deficiency and tendon exposition. Hippokratia 2015; 19 (4): 366-368.

Does cardiopulmonary bypass alter plasma level of tumor markers? CA 125 and carcinoembryonic antigen.

BACKGROUND: In addition to malignant diseases, acute and chronic inflammations may elevate plasma levels of tumor markers CA 125 and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) causes a generalized inflammatory response. In this study, we have investigated the effect of CPB on plasma levels of CA 125 and CEA. METHODS: We measured plasma levels of CA 125 and CEA in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with CPB (Group 1, n = 21), and in patients who underwent off-pump CABG, that is, without CPB (Group 2, n = 16). Blood samples were collected preoperatively, and on postoperative days 1, 6, and 12. RESULTS: Within both groups, CEA plasma levels were not significantly influenced in any samples. Comparing with preoperative values, CA 125 values elevated significantly on postoperative days 6 and 12 within both groups. It was observed that the elevation of CA 125 plasma levels in these samples were significantly higher in Group 1. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that CPB elevated plasma level of CA 125. However, clinical importance of this finding needed further evaluation.

Coronary artery bypass grafting in the conscious patient without endotracheal general anesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Over the past several years, considerable experience has accumulated in performing coronary anastomoses on the beating heart, and various aspects of minimally invasive approaches have been simplified. In an attempt to further simplify and decrease the "invasiveness" of this procedure, performing this operation without endotracheal general anesthesia was deemed feasible in certain subsets of patients. METHODS: Between October 1998 and June 1999, 5 patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting without endotracheal general anesthesia, using high thoracic epidural block to construct extension grafts with a short segment of radial artery, between the in situ left or right internal thoracic arteries and the left anterior descending (n = 4) or right coronary arteries (n = 1). There were 2 female and 3 male patients, with a mean age of 67.4 +/- 8.3 years. RESULTS: The perioperative course of the patients was uneventful. There was no perioperative morbidity or mortality. No patient was converted to general anesthesia or to conventional operation. Control angiograms revealed patent anastomoses in all patients. In 1 patient, spasm of the radial artery graft was observed that was relieved 3 weeks later spontaneously. Mean length of hospital stay was 2.2 +/- 0.4 days. All patients were symptom free and returned to normal daily life at the first postoperative month. CONCLUSIONS: Our initial experience confirms the feasibility of performing coronary bypass grafting in the conscious patient without endotracheal general anesthesia.

Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery: the subxiphoid approach.

BACKGROUND: This report describes mitral valve replacement using a unique subxiphoid approach with a lower ministernotomy and a skin crease incision and compares the operative and echocardiographic results to patients undergoing mitral valve replacements using previously described strategies. METHODS: Fifty-four patients underwent mitral valve replacement using a subxiphoid approach (group 1); 32 patients underwent mitral valve replacement, 11 patients underwent mitral valve replacement + tricuspid reconstruction, 2 patients underwent mitral valve replacement + tricuspid valve replacement, and 9 patients underwent mitral reconstruction. This group of patients was compared to 11 patients who underwent mitral valve replacement through a superior ministernotomy (group 2) and 29 patients who underwent mitral valve replacement with full median sternotomy (group 3, 22 mitral valve replacements, 2 mitral valve replacements + tricuspid reconstruction, 2 mitral reconstructions, and 3 mitral reconstructions + tricuspid reconstruction). RESULTS: There was no operative mortality in all groups. The operation lasted significantly longer in group 2 patients compared to group 1 and 3 patients (p < 0.01). Postoperative mediastinal drainage was significantly lower in groups 1 and 2 (p < 0.001). Pain assessment revealed no difference between the groups. Three patients in group 1 presented with pericardial effusion. Except for this complication, early postoperative echocardiographic findings of the patients were similar in all three groups. All patients were in New York Heart Association functional class I or II at the second postoperative month, irrespective of the surgical technique used. CONCLUSIONS: There was no prominent superiority of the ministernotomy approaches over the standard median sternotomy approach. However, the reliability of the subxiphoid approach is documented echocardiographically and any type of mitral replacement can be performed with this approach.

Minimally invasive replacement of ascending aortic aneurysms: intermediate term results.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive techniques have gained recent interest in the realm of cardiac surgery. This report describes our initial experience with graft replacement of ascending aortic aneurysms using a superior mini-sternotomy approach. METHODS: Between March 1997 and October 1997, four patients underwent operation for ascending aortic aneurysm via superior mini-sternotomy approach. There were two female and two male patients, ranging in age from 52 to 62 years (mean 53.7 +/- 7.6). All patients had the stigmata of Marfan's syndrome. Mean diameter of the ascending aortas was 6.1 +/- 0.9 cm. Composite graft replacement with coronary reimplantation was performed in all cases. In one patient hemiarch replacement was performed under total circulatory arrest. There was no hospital (30-day) mortality. Mean aortic cross clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass times were 63 +/- 14.1 minutes (range 44 to 78) and 116.7 +/- 43.3 minutes (range 81 to 177), respectively. One patient was re-explored for bleeding. RESULTS: Lengths of hospital stay ranged from 5 to 7 days (mean 5.5 +/- 1). Patients were followed-up for at least 18 months. One patient suffered a fatal stroke in her third postoperative month. All surviving patients were in NYHA Class I at the sixth postoperative month and thereafter. CONCLUSIONS: Minimally invasive graft replacement of ascending aortic aneurysms can be performed safely and effectively. Long term results are likely to be similar to those of conventional cases performed through a full median sternotomy.

Coronary artery bypass grafting on the beating heart without the use of extracorporeal circulation: review of 2052 cases.

OBJECTIVE: A total of 2052 patients operated on with the off-pump technique (coronary artery bypass grafting on the beating heart without the use of extracorporeal circulation) between June 1993 and March 1996 are retrospectively reviewed. Predictors for early mortality, perioperative myocardial infarction, and low cardiac output state were statistically analyzed. METHOD: Our indications for an off-pump procedure were either patients with technically suitable coronary lesions (the vast majority) or patients who could not tolerate cannulation, hypothermia, or cardiopulmonary bypass because of the poor left ventricular function (198 patients) and/or associated diseases or conditions (73 patients). RESULTS: Overall operative mortality was 1.9% and perioperative myocardial infarction occurred in 59 patients (2.9%). According to logistic regression analysis, associated bronchial asthma (p = 0.0001), hypertension (p = 0.05), poor quality of the left anterior descending artery (p = 0.02), and ungrafted circumflex coronary artery disease (p = 0.007) were the early mortality predictors. Nonbypassed circumflex disease was also associated with a high incidence of perioperative myocardial infarction and low cardiac output state. No homologous blood or packed red cell transfusion was required in 74.2% of the patients. CONCLUSION: On the basis of the presented data, off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting appeared to be a safe and effective technique in selected patients with appropriate coronary lesions.

Long-term results of reconstructions of the left anterior descending coronary artery in diffuse atherosclerotic lesions.

UNLABELLED: One hundred twenty patients who had diffuse atherosclerotic lesions necessitating reconstruction of the left anterior descending artery with or without open endarterectomy and coronary artery bypass grafting were investigated retrospectively and compared with 130 patients who underwent conventional bypass grafting in the same time frame. METHODS: Sixty-one endarterectomies were performed with long arteriotomies (group I) and 59 patch reconstructions were placed over stenosing plaques without an endarterectomy (group II). Patients having only conventional coronary bypass constituted group III. RESULTS: Hospital mortalities were 6.5%, 5.1%, and 1.5% in group I, group II, and group III, respectively (p = not significant). Five patients in group I (8.1%), six in group II (10.1%), and two in group III (1.5%) had perioperative myocardial infarction (group II vs group III, p = 0.016). Angiographic restudy of grafts to the left anterior descending system revealed a patency rate of 81.5% in group I, 79.1% in group II, and 94.4% in group III patients after mean periods of 6.3, 5.7, and 6.1 years, respectively (p = not significant). Actuarial survivals at 7 years were 94% +/- 5.0%, 74.8% +/- 16%, and 90.9% +/- 7.4% in groups I, II, and III, respectively (group I vs group II, p = 0.007; group II vs group III, p = 0.008). Freedom from recurrent angina at 7 years was 42.7% +/- 15.6% in group I, 33.5% +/- 19% in group II, and 71.9% +/- 14.2% in group III (group I vs group III, p = 0.03; group II vs group III, p = 0.0001). Thirty-four percent of patients in group I, 24% in group II, and 60.4% in group III were working actively in the late postoperative period (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Extended revascularizations of the left anterior descending coronary artery increase surgical risk, although not to a statistically significant degree, and should be performed only of necessity. However, once needed, revascularization is a lifesaving procedure with acceptable early and long-term results.

Comparison of the early results of coronary artery bypass grafting with and without extracorporeal circulation.

To compare the safety and efficacy of coronary artery bypass grafting without using extracorporeal circulation with standard cardiopulmonary bypass technique, based on certain early postoperative criteria, we designed a fully randomized and prospective study on two similar groups of 25 patients (off-pump and on-pump groups). The groups were compared for hemodynamic data (cardiac index, systemic vascular resistance, left- and right-ventricular stroke-work indices, inotropic and mechanical support needs) and enzyme levels (CK-MB and SGOT), as well as mortality, perioperative infarction rate, homologous transfusion requirements, and the symptomatology in the first follow-ups. There was no mortality or perioperative myocardial infarction in either group. Inotropic (25% vs. 4%) and mechanical (4% vs. 0) support requirements and homologous blood consumption (percentages of patients that needed no transfusion: 20% vs. 72%) were greater in the on-pump group. Results were otherwise similar. It is concluded that, in technically suitable cases, off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery is as safe and efficient as the standard on-pump technique and can be used in particular when cannulation, hypothermia, or cardiopulmonary bypass must be avoided. With these properties, this technique could take an important place in the cardiac surgeon's armamentarium.

Risk factors of reoperations for prosthetic heart valve dysfunction in the ten years 1984-1993.

From January 1984 to December 1993 a total of 154 patients (89 men and 85 women) required 160 reoperations for prosthetic heart valve dysfunction. Four patients required a second, two patients a third reoperation. Age was (mean +/- SD [range]) 38.8 +/- 10.2 (17 to 64) years. The primary operation was mitral valve replacement in 105 patients, aortic valve replacement in 20, and both aortic and mitral valve replacement in 29. The time interval between initial valve replacement and reoperation was 66.4 +/- 40 (3 to 288) months for the mechanical prostheses and 68.7 +/- 32 (24 to 140) months for bioprostheses; the difference was not statistically significant. Primary tissue failure was the most common cause of the reoperation for bioprostheses and valve thrombosis for mechanical prostheses. The hospital mortality rate was significantly higher in the replacement of mechanical prostheses (14/58 = 24.1% vs. 7/102 = 6.8%, p = 0.004). Low preoperative functional capacity and valve thrombosis were linked to higher mortality rates. It is discussed that monoleaflet mechanical valves yielded the highest operative mortality and that, excluding these, the risk of mortality in prosthetic valve reoperations today does not differ much from that in primary valve replacements.

Complicated retinal migraine.

Retinal migraine is not uncommon, but permanent sequelae are rare. We describe the case of a 23-year-old woman who had suffered from retinal migraine for five years. After a typical migraine attack a left nasal quadranopsia persisted. Fluorescein angiography showed a branch retinal arterial occlusion. Other causes were ruled out by appropriate laboratory techniques. Her visual field defect has persisted for eleven months.

Treatment of congenital venous avalvulosis using a surgically created autogenous vein valve.

A patient with venous valve hypoplasia resulting in chronic venous insufficiency is presented and a method of surgical correction by creation of an autogenous femoral vein valve described. A saphenous vein segment was opened posteriorly and inverted cephalad into the common femoral vein to construct a monocuspid vein valve. At 1 month after operation the patient experienced significant symptomatic improvement. The valve was patent and competent when assessed by Doppler venous examination but slight incompetence was shown by Valsalva's manoeuvre. This procedure appears to be a useful technique for the correction of deep vein reflux caused by venous valve aplasia and hypoplasia but requires further short- and long-term investigation.

Low-dose anticoagulant management of patients with St. Jude Medical mechanical valve prostheses.

Between February 1984 and December 1990, 622 St. Jude Medical valves were implanted in 548 patients. There were 382 males (69.7%) and 166 females (30.3%) with a mean age of 32.3 +/- 11.9 years (range 9-68 years). Sixty-eight percent of the patients were referred from rural areas. Three hundred and forty patients underwent aortic valve replacement (AVR), 134 had mitral valve replacement (MVR), and 74 had aortic and mitral valve replacement (DVR). The hospital mortality was 4.7% (16/340) for AVR, 6.7% (9/134) for MVR and 10.8% (8/74) for DVR. Follow-up period ranged from 1.1 to 7.2 years. Total follow-up was 1317.3 patient-years (py). All patients received 2.5 mg warfarin, 225 mg dipyridamole, and 250 mg aspirin daily, regardless of prothrombin time and cardiac rhythm. Thromboembolism was observed in 10 patients (0.75 py); there were 3 mortalities (0.22% py). Valve thrombosis occurred in 4 patients (0.30% py): 3 in the MVR group (0.94% py) and 1 in the AVR group (0.11% py). Hemorrhage occurred in 19 patients (1.44% py) with 11 fatal outcomes (0.83% py). It is concluded that a random daily dose of 2.5 mg warfarin with 225 mg dipyridamole and 250 mg aspirin is sufficient for safe anticoagulation without the need for serial prothrombin-time adjustments.

Congenital coronary artery fistulas. Diagnostic and surgical considerations.

Between 1974 and April, 1988, 9 patients with congenital coronary artery fistulas underwent surgical repair. Of these, 4 were female and 5 male, ranging in age from 6 to 50 years (mean 28.2 +/- 18.9). Seven patients were symptomatic (congestive heart failure and/or angina), whereas in 2 patients the diagnosis was established through the investigation of an asymptomatic continuous murmur. The origin of the fistula was the left main coronary artery in 1, left anterior descending artery (LAD) in 2, circumflex artery (Cx) in 3, Cx + LAD in 2 and LAD + right coronary artery in 1 patient. The sites of termination of the fistulous tract were the pulmonary artery in 6, the right atrium in 1, the right ventricle in 1 and the left ventricle in 1 patient. In 2 cases the fistulous tracts were ligated without utilizing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). In 7 cases CPB was instituted and in 6 of these the fistulous communications were closed from within the termination chamber, in 1 patient the fistula was closed through a coronary arteriotomy during elective ventricular fibrillation. There was no operative mortality and long term follow-up was uneventful after a mean follow-up of 5.4 +/- 5.2 years, with 8 patients still completely asymptomatic. Surgical therapy is recommended for patients having coronary artery fistulas in order to prevent fistula-related complications. In those cases requiring CPB, closure of the fistula from the involved chamber only is suggested.

Heparin need of the patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease during cardiopulmonary bypass. Comparison of cyanotic, acyanotic, rheumatic and atherosclerotic subjects.

Four groups of patients were studied. Group I: Congenital cyanotic heart disease (CCHD), consisting of 24 subjects aged 5 to 28 (1.4); 18 males and 4 females. Group II: Acyanotic congenital heart disease (ACHD), consisting of 34 patients aged 5 to 42 (20.1); 17 males and 17 females. Group III: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD), consisting of 30 patients aged 11-54 (42.4); 9 males and 21 females. Group IV: Atherosclerotic heart disease (AHD), consisting of 35 patients aged 36 to 65 (49.2); 33 males and 2 females. The haematocrit value (Hct) was the highest in the CCHD group. Total amount of heparin (mg/kg) used during cardiopulmonary bypass was 5.4 in CCHD, 4.66 in ACHD, 4.8 in RHD and 4.6 in AHD group. Mean protamine values was 4.02; 4; 4.03; and 4 respectively. Although the difference of Hct value was statistically different between CCHD and RHD group (p less than 0.001), heparin need was not (p less than 0.1). One-way analysis of variance (F test) showed no difference for heparin need between the four groups (F3.119 = 0.64). Prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) showed a positive correlation (r = 0.36 and r = 0.25) with heparin need in CCHD group but no correlation was found in RHD group.

The association of lower extremity peripheral vascular disease in patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery.

The association of lower extremity peripheral vascular disease (PVD) in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass (CAB) has been studied in two groups of patients who have been operated upon between January and May 1987. Group 1 consists of 125 cases in which only resting ankle-arm pressure index (AAPI) were evaluated. Group 2 consists of 50 cases where both resting and after exercise AAPI were recorded. In total, 17 cases of one extremity and in 10 both lower extremity resting AAPI were below 0.9 (15.4%). In Group 2 comparison of resting and after exercise AAPI on both sides showed no statistically significant difference. However in Group 2, 13 cases (26%) had after exercise AAPI below 0.9 and in 26 (52%) cases after exercise AAPI were lower than the resting AAPI. This study showed that, although the coexistence of PVD in patients undergoing CAB is not as high as the coexistence of CAD in patients undergoing peripheral vascular procedures, this percentage can increase when the presence of PVD is evaluated with an exercise test whenever possible.

In vitro thrombolysis of thrombosed valve prostheses: therapeutic considerations of left-sided thrombotic lesions.

Six thrombosed Bjørk-Shiley mitral valve prostheses which had been removed in emergency reoperations between November 1985 and December 1986 underwent in vitro thrombolysis with urokinase. After a mean period of 14 +/- 3 h of in vitro fibrinolysis, lysis of thrombus was observed, but large fragments of organized thrombus were released into the medium, suggesting that thrombolytic therapy should not be used for thrombotic occlusions on the left side of the heart, as the risk of systemic embolization is high.