Avoidance of sternal nonunion.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to J C Opie.
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Between 1990 and 1992, 346 consecutive patients underwent coronary artery bypass procedures. Ninety-eight patients (group A) from 1990 served as historical controls, and 248 patients (group B) from 1991 to 1992 served as a prospective, consecutive cohort for statistical comparison. The two groups varied in the type of myocardial protection used: intermittent cold crystalloid cardioplegia was used in group A and continuous warm blood cardioplegia in group B. (Two patients in group A received intermittent cold blood cardioplegia, and these 2 patients are grouped with the crystalloid group for the sake of convenience. The presence or absence of these 2 patients did not alter the group A statistics in any noticeable manner). Class IV high-risk groups demonstrated a 63% reduction in mortality (p = 0.07), and overall group B experienced a 28% reduction in mortality (4.4% versus 6.1%; p = not significant), an 86% reduction in perioperative myocardial infarction rate (1.6% versus 12.2%; p < 0.05), a 20% reduction in postoperative bleeding (275 versus 345 mL.day-1.m-2), and a marked reduction in reentry rates (p = 0.05). Also noted was a 32% reduction in postoperative ventilation requirements (25 versus 37 hours; p = 0.05). Less inotrope was required and intraoperative stroke was not seen in the patients with warm blood cardioplegia. Group B patients were less likely to have development of complex postoperative arrhythmias. Ventricular fibrillation at unclamping was noticeably rare (2.0% in group B versus 84% in group A; p < 0.05). The average group B heart resumed sinus rhythm 72 seconds after declamping.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Successful permanent endobronchial closure of a serious postpneumonectomy bronchopleural fistula is reported in a patient with a delayed diagnosis of Mycobacterium fortuitum-cheloni infection. Increasing experience, improved plugging agents, and a review of the literature suggest that in selected patients, this procedure can avoid complex repeat operations and reverse life-threatening situations. Although atypical mycobacterial infections occur with infrequency, they are difficult to treat and may lead, as in this patient, to a misdiagnosis. Operations on granulomatous tissues are prone to heal poorly, thus inviting tissue breakdown and chronic fistulas.
Surgically implanted intraaortic balloon catheters have a substantial potential to cause hemorrhage on percutaneous removal. Because of the unacceptably high incidence of uncontrollable hemorrhage in patients in a life-threatening situation, a new percutaneous surgical modification allowing removal of these balloons with low blood loss has been devised and has proved highly successful in hemorrhage control.
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Four patients' experience with two varieties of pericardial substitutes has been evaluated. Two patients received glutaraldehyde-preserved, formalin-fixed bovine bioprosthetic pericardial substitutes. These were associated with dense prosthesis-to-epicardium adhesions and the formation of a thick gelatinous peel. Two other patients received glutaraldehyde-preserved, ethanol-fixed bovine bioprosthetic pericardial substitutes. One patient had minimal prosthesis-to-epicardium adhesions, and the remaining patient demonstrated moderate prosthesis-to-epicardium adhesions with giant-cell and lymphocyte fibrosis. In all patients prosthesis-to-sternum adhesions were minimal. These observations suggest that careful washing is essential in all bioprosthetic implants to eliminate residual preservatives and fixatives. In addition, preservation in ethanol is associated with less prosthesis-epicardium reaction than is formalin preservation. Both products are successful in easing reentry, and no episode of infection has been associated with either prosthesis.
Sixty-one children and infants who had significant gastroesophageal reflux and associated complications underwent 73 surgical procedures to control the reflux. In order to evaluate the procedure, several esophageal manograms were obtained from each patient, before, during, and after the operation. Delayed follow-up reports were also obtained from follow-up visits, letter and telephone contact, in order to assess how the patient had progressed. The results were evaluated by actuarial analytic methods. Ninety-four percent of the patients remained alive over the 7-year follow-up period. At the completion of the seventh year, 62% of these patients (actuarially calculated) remained event free. All events occurred within 18 months of surgery. One patient could not be traced at long-term follow-up, which was therefore 92% complete. The 7-year actuarial probability of failure of the fundoplication at this institution is 24% when performed using this technique in these patients. These findings support that manometric calibration of the antireflux procedure tends to give uniform results in pediatric patients, but, compared with other published series has not proved to be superior to procedures that employ only a rubber bougie in the esophagus as an obdurator to prevent a repair that will be too tight.
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Survival and event-free rates of 47 polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) (Gore-Tex) shunts for severe cyanotic congenital heart defects were studied in 42 children from April, 1981, to March, 1983. Retrospective actuarial analysis was conducted over the 27 months of the study in 3-month intervals of the follow-up. The estimated actuarial patient survival at two years was 86% with an estimated actuarial event-free rate of 57.2%. The grafts were found to be patent in 89% (42/47) of the grafts. Complications associated with PTFE grafts were thrombosis, infections, heart failure, shunt stenosis, and deformity of the pulmonary arteries. Polytetrafluoroethylene grafts for systemic-pulmonary shunts offer good palliation, but the frequency of complications indicates that close follow-up is mandatory to avoid or treat serious sequelae of the complications.
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Three infants with absent pulmonary valve syndrome were treated between 1977 and 1980. All infants were in critical cardiorespiratory failure refractory to medical therapy. Pulmonary artery banding was performed to reduce the volume occupied by the large pulsating pulmonary artery in a limited mediastinal space. The band reduced tracheobronchial compression and increased effective cardiac output. All three infants survived the procedure and, at follow-up, significant improvement in cardiorespiratory function has been noted, with satisfactory growth. This experience suggests that pulmonary artery banding has a place in the initial management of absent pulmonary valve syndrome, allowing survival so that total correction can be undertaken more safely at a later stage.
To evaluate the usefulness of toe temperature warm-up patterns in predicting survival in a group of pediatric patients after cardiac surgery, the condition of 70 children [age 3.9 years + / - 3.8 yr] was evaluated for 24 hours postoperatively by direct and indirect cardiac monitoring, including toe temperature, while in a heat controlled environment. Two groups were identified 60 survivors and 10 nonsurvivors. The volume balance, pH and urine output of all patients were maintained within acceptable values, but nonsurvivors had a persistently lower blood pressure. Systemic vascular resistance separated survivors from nonsurvivors but cardiac index did not. A toe temperature that did not reach 32 degrees C within 4 hours of operation was associated with increased mortality. With peripheral warm-up patterns a nomogram was constructed, its predictive accuracy was identified [99% valid] and the tow temperature trends were correlated with traditional monitoring techniques. The authors conclude that measurement of tow temperature is a useful, inexpensive and noninvasive addition to established methods of monitoring after open-heart operations.
A neonate presented at this institution in September, 1978, with interrupted aortic arch complex, including ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, and patent ductus arteriosus. Additional anomalies included bilateral cleft lip and palate, low set ears, and bilateral colobomas. One-stage total correction of the interrupted aortic arch complex was undertaken with standard hypothermic techniques. The repair was completed within a 65 minute period of circulatory arrest at 18 degrees C, perfusion was re-established, and the patient was returned to normothermia. Tetanic contracture of the myocardium, stone heart, was evident at 27 degrees C. Cardiac action did not resume despite several therapeutic maneuvers, and the infant died on the operating table. Extensive calcium flooding was a notable feature on histological sections of the heart, associated with myofibrillar degeneration (contraction bands). This complication has never been reported before in a neonate with congenital heart disease. Deep hypothermia did not prevent ischemic contracture of the myocardium, and this complication must now be added to an already lengthy list of complications of neonatal heart surgery.
From July to December 1977, 217 patients underwent open heart surgery at this institution. From this group, 125 internal jugular venous lines (JVL) were collected, cultured and the organisms identified. Nose, throat, urine and sternotomy wounds were also cultured. Notable findings included a JVL contamination rate of 65%. The commonest infecting organism (90%) was Staphylococcus epidermidis (albus). This organism was also found in the nares in 74% of cases, but was not isolated from other sites. Postoperative pyrexia, but no morbidity or mortality, could be related to the JVL contamination. It was concluded that the source of the JVL contamination was the patient's neck skin, which itself is contaminated by the patients' noses.
Seventy patients admitted to Waikato Hospital between 1964-74 with acute pancreatitis have been reviewed. Biliary tract disease and alcohol are the most common aetiological agents. The disease is most common in middle age. Europeans and Polynesians have similar incidence rates. The diagnosis is frequently not made at admission and most admissions are in the afternoon or early evening. Radiology is helpful in the diagnosis although nonspecific. Abnormal biochemistry is discussed and related to mortality. Additional tests, serum catalase/methaemalbumin are promoted to assist in the diagnosis and indicating the severity of the disease. Glucagon and Trasylol are discussed as being beneficial in this disease and combination therapy is suggested. The role of surgery is discussed.