Open heart surgery after renal transplantation.

AIM: to evaluate the strategy for open heart surgery after renal transplantation performed in a single institution in Japan. METHODS: we reviewed 6 open heart surgeries after renal transplantation in 5 patients, performed between January 1992 and December 2012. The patients were 3 men and 2 women with a mean age of 60 ± 11 years (range 46-68 years). They had old myocardial infarction and unstable angina, aortic and mitral stenosis, left arterial myxoma, aortic stenosis, and native valve endocarditis followed by prosthetic valve endocarditis. Operative procedures included coronary artery bypass grafting, double-valve replacement, resection of left arterial myxoma, 2 aortic valve replacements, and a double-valve replacement. Renal protection consisted of steroid cover (hydrocortisone 100-500 mg or methylprednisolone 1000 mg) and intravenous immunosuppressant infusion (cyclosporine 30-40 mg day(-1) or tacrolimus 1.0 mg day(-1)). RESULTS: 5 cases were uneventful and good renal graft function was maintained at discharge (serum creatinine 2.1 ± 0.5 mg dL(-1)). There was one operative death after emergency double-valve replacement for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-associated prosthetic valve endocarditis. Although the endocarditis improved after valve replacement, the patient died of postoperative pneumonia on postoperative day 45. CONCLUSIONS: careful perioperative management can allow successful open heart surgery after renal transplantation. However, severe complications, especially methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection, may cause renal graft loss.

Is physiologic annular dynamics preserved after mitral valve repair with rigid or semirigid ring?

BACKGROUND: Various rings are available to achieve more physiologic mitral valve repair from viewpoints of physiologic mitral annular structure or dynamics. We evaluated preoperative and postoperative mitral annular structures and dynamics. METHODS: Thirty-six patients underwent mitral valve repair for degenerative mitral insufficiency. Carpentier-Edwards Physio II ring (semirigid [Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA]), St. Jude Medical Rigid Saddle Ring (RSR [St. Jude Medical, St. Paul, MN]), and MEMO 3D ring (semirigid [Sorin SpA, Milan, Italy]) were implanted in 13, 12, and 11 patients, respectively. Intraoperative real-time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography was performed before and after repair. RESULTS: The postoperative anteroposterior diameter reduction rate from end diastole to end systole was significantly (p<0.0001) larger in MEMO (9.58%±2.91%) than in Physio II (0.98%±1.04%) and RSR (1.94%±1.95%). There were no significant differences in the commissure-to-commissure diameter reduction rates among the groups: 0.81%±1.98% for Physio II, 0.12%±0.53% for RSR, and 0.51%±1.98% for MEMO. The postoperative end-systolic annular height commissure width ratio was significantly (p<0.0001) larger in both Physio II (17.9%±3.0%) and RSR (18.5%±1.6%) than in MEMO (13.6%±3.0%). The postoperative annular height commissure width ratio increase rate from end diastole to end systole was significantly larger in MEMO (5.1%±2.3%) than in Physio II (0.1%±0.6%) and RSR (0.3%±0.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Physio II and RSR could restore the physiologic three-dimensional annular shape, but the annular motion was diminished. Conversely, MEMO could preserve both the anteroposterior movement and folding dynamics, but no three-dimensional restoration of the mitral annulus was obtained.

Evaluation of closed cardiopulmonary bypass circuit for aortic valve replacement.

Since 2005, we have used a novel technique based on the closed cardiopulmonary bypass system without cardiotomy suction (minimal cardiopulmonary bypass [mini-CPB]) for aortic valve replacement (AVR). In this study, we investigated the clinical advantages of this approach. We prospectively studied 32 patients who underwent isolated AVR using the mini-CPB (group M, n = 13) or conventional CPB (group C, n = 19). We compared the hemodilution ratio, serum interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 levels, and blood transfusion volume between the two groups. The characteristics, duration of CPB, and aortic cross-clamping time did not differ between the two groups. The hemodilution ratio was significantly lower in group M just after starting CPB (M vs. C: 14% +/- 2% vs. 25% +/- 3%, p = 0.0009). IL-6 levels increased significantly after surgery in both groups, but the postoperative levels were significantly lower in group M at 6 (84.9 +/- 24.9 pg/ml vs. 152 +/- 78 pg/ml, p = 0.042) and 12 (72.7 +/- 36.1 pg/ml vs. 123 +/- 49.6 pg/ml, p = 0.029) hours after CPB. There were no differences in IL-8 or blood transfusion volume after CPB. Mini-CPB offers an alternative to conventional CPB for AVR and has some advantages regarding hemodilution and serum IL-6 levels. However, it is unlikely to become the standard approach for AVR because there are no marked clinical advantages of mini-CPB.

Aortic valve replacement in a patient with a retrosternal gastric tube and porcelain aorta.

A 66-year-old man with severe aortic stenosis had previously undergone esophagectomy with retrosternal gastric tube (GT) reconstruction for esophageal cancer. A chest computed tomography scan demonstrated severe aortic calcification, and we treated him with median sternotomy. A small upper laparotomy was made, and the surface of the GT was detected. The posterior and right sides of the GT were dissected, and the pericardium was then opened. An aortic cross clamp was performed in the least calcified lesion of the ascending aorta, and an aortotomy was performed just above the sinotubular junction. The aortic valve was successfully replaced with a mechanical valve.

Risk factors for open heart surgery in hemodialysis patients.

PURPOSE: There have been many reports on open heart surgery in hemodialysis patients; however, the mortality rates in these patients are higher than those in nonhemodialysis patients. The purpose of this study was to identify the risk factors for mortality following open heart surgery in hemodialysis patients. METHODS: We evaluated 76 consecutive patients (76/2030 total open heart surgeries, 3.7%) who required hemodialysis before open heart surgery between January 1990 and January 2008. There were 46 men and 30 women (mean age 63 +/- 11 years). The mean duration of hemodialysis was 9 years 5 months (8 months to 30 years). Chronic glomerulonephritis (25 cases, 33%) and diabetic nephropathy (17 cases, 22%) were the most common diseases leading to a requirement for hemodialysis. Operations included 36 coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) cases (48%; emergency/elective 22: 14), 24 aortic valve replacements (AVR) (34%), and 9 cases of concomitant AVR plus CABG (12%). Multivariate logistic analyses were performed to identify the risk factors. No patient was lost during follow-up. RESULTS: The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 17.1% (13/76). The 5-year survival rate was 39% +/- 8%. Univariate logistic analysis showed that age (>70 years), low-output syndrome (ejection fraction <40% and/or intraaortic balloon pump support), and concomitant surgery were significant risk factors for mortality. Multivariate logistic analysis suggested that only concomitant surgery was the significant risk factor (odds ratio 4.37, P = 0.007). CONCLUSION: Concomitant surgery is a significant risk factor for mortality following open heart surgery in hemodialysis patients.

Patient-prosthesis mismatch after aortic valve replacement in the elderly.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of patient-prosthesis mismatch (PPM) on survival and left ventricular mass regression in elderly patients after aortic valve replacement (AVR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data on patients >65 years old who underwent isolated AVR from 1990 and 2007 were analyzed retrospectively. A bioprosthesis was used in 42 cases and a mechanical valve in 59. The mean follow-up period was 3.1 years (0.1-14.2 years). The indexed effective orifice area (i-EOA) was determined from echocardiographic data in clinical reports in the literature and indexed to body surface area (cm2/m2). Mild PPM was defined as an i-EOA between 0.65 and 0.85. We also evaluated the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification and the left ventricular mass (LVM) index. RESULTS: A total of 34 patients (33.6%) had PPM. No patient had an i-EOA <0.65. Freedom from valve-related death was 86.3% +/- 6.7% in the PPM-negative group and 85.7% +/- 7.9% in the PPM-positive group at 5 years after AVR. The mean LVM index (g/m2) decreased significantly (P < 0.01), from 239.2 to 167.4 in the PPM-negative group and from 229.1 to 154.4 in the PPM-positive group, respectively. NYHA functional status was excellent at late follow-up in both groups. CONCLUSION: Mild PPM occurred in a large proportion of elderly patients undergoing AVR but did not affect midterm survival or LV mass regression.

Beneficial effects of mini-cardiopulmonary bypass on hemostasis in coronary artery bypass grafting: analysis of inflammatory response and hemodilution.

We compared the inflammatory response, hemodilution, and blood loss in patients who underwent mini-cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) or conventional CPB during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Ninety-eight consecutive patients with ischemic heart disease were randomly assigned to mini-CPB (n = 34) or conventional CPB (n = 64). Interleukin (IL) -8 and neutrophil elastase levels were measured before and after surgery. Hemodilution during CPB, blood loss during and after surgery were also evaluated. Compared with the conventional group, the mini-CPB group had lower levels of IL-8 on postoperative day 1 (8.3 +/- 6.4 vs. 19 +/- 11 pg/mL, p = 0.016) and of neutrophil elastase on postoperative days 1 (127 +/- 52 vs. 240 +/- 100 microg/L, p = 0.013) and 2 (107 +/- 17 vs. 170 +/- 45 micro/L, p = 0.0001). The mini-CPB group also has less blood loss during (620 +/- 595 vs. 978 +/- 658 mL, p = 0.012) and after the operation (578 +/- 310 vs. 1,002 +/- 651 mL, p = 0.0034) and a hemodilution ratio of 14 +/- 2 vs. 25% +/- 3%, p < 0.0001. Thus, mini-CPB attenuated the inflammatory response and hemodilution, resulting in blood conservation in patients undergoing CABG.

Simple method of left ventricular assist system exchange from a BVS-5000 to a Toyobo: case report of a patient with fulminant myocarditis.

We implanted a BVS-5000 biventricular assist system in a 29-year-old woman in cardiogenic shock due to fulminant myocarditis. Exchange of the left ventricular assist system (LVAS) from the BVS-5000 to a Toyobo LVAS and weaning from the right ventricular assist system were performed successfully without cardiopulmonary bypass. This simple, less invasive method may be useful for patients requiring LVAS exchange for long-term ventricular support.