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Biomedical subjects

H E Sanchez

Publications and source records attributed to H E Sanchez.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

Valve replacement in children.

The performance of the St. Jude prosthetic valve is reviewed in 81 patients aged 3 to 15 years. All 66 mitral (2 re-replacements), 8 aortic and 9 double valve replacements between February 1979 and August 1984 are included. The early mortality was 3.7% and actuarial analysis shows a 90% event free survival up to 5 years. Anticoagulant therapy was used in most patients, but comparison between groups receiving warfarin or aspirin or no therapy reveals no differences in the complication rate. The valve is well suited for use in children since the early degeneration seen with heterograft valves does not occur, and anticoagulation is not essential.

Actuarial Analysis↗

Blalock-Taussig shunts and modified Blalock-Taussig shunts.

Between January 1981 and December 1983, 53 systemic-to-pulmonary artery shunts, Blalock-Taussig shunts (BTSs) and modified Blalock-Taussig shunts (MBTSs) were carried out either as a preliminary procedure before complete correction of heart defects or as a means of permanent palliation. Central shunts continue to pose early and late problems and we seldom use them. Fifteen patients underwent a BTS and 38 an MBTS with a 5 mm polytetrafluoro-ethylene (PTFE) graft. Their ages ranged from 3 days to 11 years; 21 patients were less than 3 months old and of these 15 had an MBTS; 36 patients were less than 1 year of age and 27 of them had an MBTS. Three patients were receiving prostaglandin at the time of surgery. The overall early hospital mortality was 5,6% (3 cases); these were babies less than 2 months old. The late mortality was 3,7% (2 cases); these deaths were not shunt-related and were in babies less than 4 months old. There were 4 cases of shunt failure (7,5%) at 6, 22, 26 and 27 months after operation; a second shunt was performed in all these patients. The 48 survivors have been followed up for an average of 23 months (range 5-41 months); 6 have already undergone a complete repair. Long-term results are difficult to assess accurately because of problems with follow-up. Eight of the 53 patients had mild congestive heart failure which responded to digitalis. Because of the reliability and excellent late patency of the PTFE prosthesis, we consider it to be superior to the Waterston shunt for relief of cyanosis in the neonate and infant and as reliable as the BTS.

Child↗

Pulmonary artery banding.

Between January 1981 and December 1983 22 children underwent pulmonary artery banding at the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, Cape Town. The indications for banding in this group were control of pulmonary overperfusion and severe congestive cardiac failure. The underlying cardiac defects were tricuspid atresia with ventricular septal defect (VSD), transposition of the great arteries and univentricular heart, large or multiple VSDs, double-outlet right ventricle, atrioventricular canal defect, persistent truncus arteriosus and the VSD-patent ductus arteriosus-coarctation syndrome. Three children died (13,6%) in the first 30 days postoperatively and another 3 died 5-7 weeks after surgery.

Blood Pressure↗

Surgical management of congenital heart disease. A review of 7 years' experience.

This is a review of the results of surgical treatment of congenital heart disease in children aged less than 12 years over the period 1975 - 1981 (1254 cases). The patients are divided into two groups, those treated between 1975 and 1979 (903 cases) and those treated in 1980 and 1981 (351 cases). Only 19,7% of the patients in the first group were under the age of 1 year, but 26,5% in the second group were in this age group. This reflects a change in policy and an attempt at surgical correction at a much younger age than was previously the case. Our present policy in cardiac emergencies in infants will be discussed. Despite the higher percentage of infants aged under 1 year who were treated in 1980 - 1981, the mortality rate was lower than that for the period 1975 - 1979. This probably reflects greater experience in the post-operative management of patients under the age of 1 year.

Age Factors↗

The significance of femoral pulses in coarctation of the aorta.

Between January 1974 and December 1981, 80 patients aged between 1 and 13 years underwent surgical correction of coarctation of the aorta. At pre-operative examination 45 patients had absent femoral pulses (group A) and 35 had palpable femoral pulses (group B). Nineteen patients were lost to late follow-up; the remaining 61 (76%) were followed up for between 3 months and 7 years. Of the patients in group A 89% had systolic and 87% diastolic hypertension, while in group B the respective figures were 80% and 77%. At follow-up after surgery, systolic hypertension was present in 36% of patients in group A and in 16% of those in group B. Diastolic hypertension was present in 73% of patients in group A but only in 19% of those in group B (P less than 0,0001). It would appear that children with coarctation of the aorta and absent femoral pulses are more likely to continue to have diastolic hypertension after surgical correction of the anomaly than are children in whom the femoral pulses are palpable. Early operation might reduce the incidence of hypertension in this group.

Adolescent↗

Valve replacement in patients over 70 years of age.

Between 1 August 1975 and 31 October 1982, 76 patients aged between 70 and 82 years (mean 73,4 years) underwent elective (71) or emergency (5) valve replacements. Fifty patients underwent aortic valve replacement (including 5 with additional coronary artery bypass grafts), 19 mitral valve replacement including 3 with coronary artery bypass grafts, and 7 double valve replacements. There were 3 early deaths (3,9%) and 9 late deaths (11,8%) during the follow-up periods of 1 month - 86 months (mean 29 months). Actuarial analysis showed a survival rate of 95% at 1 year, 89% at 2 years, and 77% at 5 years. The clinical result of operation was judged to be good or excellent in all patients except one. It is concluded that valve replacement in patients over 70 years carries a low operative risk, statistically similar to that for younger patients at our institution, and is accompanied by a satisfactory result.

Age Factors↗

Coarctation of the aorta in infants under 1 year of age.

Untreated coarctation of the aorta in infants is associated with a high mortality, reaching up to 90%. During a period of 7 years 26 infants underwent surgical repair of this condition, the youngest being 6 days old and the oldest 11 months. Two underwent emergency surgery after catheterization, while the rest had an elective or semi-elective operation. Associated anomalies were present in 85% of the whole group; of the 22 patients with anomalies, a ventricular septal defect (VSD) and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) were present in 11 patients, a PDA in 7, a VSD in 6, transposition of the great arteries in 3, an atrial septal defect in 3, a single ventricle in 1, a hypoplastic aortic arch in 1, a hypoplastic left ventricle in 1 and a partial anomalous pulmonary venous defect in 1. Four patients (15%) had no other associated anomaly. The surgical techniques used were coarctectomy and end-to-end anastomosis in 61,5%, subclavian flap aortoplasty in 27%, and Dacron patch aortoplasty in 11,5%. Additional pulmonary artery banding was performed in 6 patients; in 2 patients lung biopsies were also carried out in order to establish the severity of pulmonary hypertension. The overall hospital mortality was 30,7%. No patients with uncomplicated coarctation died.

Aortic Coarctation↗

The advantage of heterotopic cardiac transplantation over orthotopic cardiac transplantation in the management of severe acute rejection.

The major problems with organ transplantation are rejection of the allograft and the side effects of antirejection therapy. This report describes the successful treatment of a patient in whom rejection of the donor heart developed 10 months after implantation. The recipient's own heart had been left intact and was able to support the circulation during the period of rejection. Indications are that the "rest" period of 10 months was beneficial to the myopathic left ventricle of the recipient's heart.

Adult↗

Fistula of the sinus of Valsalva.

Operative repair of sinus of Valsalva aneurysms and fistulas was performed in 10 patients between 1960 and 1976. Associated cardiac defects were corrected in 6 patients. There were no postoperative deaths, and the 8 patients observed to date are still alive and well. Only 2 patients required a second operation. The employment of a transchanber or a transaortic approach or both continues to be a matter of individual preference.

Adolescent↗