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L Mengarelli

Publications and source records attributed to L Mengarelli.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Multiple coronary artery bypass via mini left thoracotomy with conventional aortic occlusion.

BACKGROUND: Complete myocardial revascularization can be achieved through a mini left anterior thoracotomy. Our approach (West Coast Technique) takes advantage of the Port-Access (Heartport, Redwood City, CA) concept while utilizing conventional instrumentation. METHODS: Thirty-eight patients underwent multiple coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Aortic occlusion was performed using a transthoracic clamp, and all anastomoses were performed under a single cross-clamp. RESULTS: There were no deaths and no neurologic deficits. There was one perioperative myocardial infarction (MI), and one re-exploration for bleeding. Ten patients (26%) required blood transfusions, and five patients (13%) developed atrial fibrillation. The average number of grafts per patient was 2.9, and average hospital stay was 5.2 days. CONCLUSION: Multiple CABG can be accomplished safely through a minithoracotomy, which eliminates the need for endoaortic occlusion.

Aged↗

Arterial conduits in emergency coronary artery surgery.

The internal thoracic artery (ITA) is considered to be the conduit of choice for coronary bypass (CABG), but there has been some reluctance to utilize the ITA for revascularization in emergency situations. In a 9-year retrospective analysis from 1986 through 1993, 484 patients had emergency CABG, 237 were not associated with failed PTCA (noninstrumented) and 247 were within 24 hours of PTCA (instrumented). About 62% of noninstrumented and 49.3% of instrumented patients received one or more ITA grafts, the others receiving only saphenous vein grafts (SVGs). Those who received an ITA graft tended toward male sex, better ejection fraction, and a generally lower clinical risk score. Instrumented patients tended toward a lower incidence of diabetes and left main coronary disease, higher ejection fraction, and lower clinical risk score than noninstrumented patients. The postoperative results were not significantly different between ITA and SVG groups with respect to new Q waves, need for reexploration, sternal wound infection, respiratory complications, or stroke. However, ITA patients more often had an event-free postoperative course, received fewer blood transfusions, and experienced fewer cardiac deaths (2.7% vs 9.4%, p < 0.01). There were few obvious differences in postoperative results between instrumented and noninstrumented patients. These results indicate that the ITA can be used for emergency CABG in selected patients with good results.

Aged↗

Triple vessel revascularization: coronary angioplasty versus coronary artery bypass surgery: initial results and five-year follow-up. Comparative costs and loss of working days and wages.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare early and late outcomes in patients undergoing PTCA or CABG for triple vessel disease. BACKGROUND: Although early results of PTCA/CABG randomized trials have recently become available, at present little data exists on long-term medical and socioeconomic effects of these treatment modalities in patients with triple vessel revascularization. METHODS: During 1986-87, 76 patients undergoing triple vessel PTCA and 85 patients having triple vessel CABG were selected from a consecutive series of patients having multivessel revascularization. Initial results and 5 year outcome, hospital stay and charges and out-of-work time were assessed from prospectively collected data. RESULTS: Clinical and morphological factors were similar in the PTCA and CABG groups. Hospital success and complications were also similar, except for higher mortality in the CABG cohort (0 vs. 3.5%). Five year follow-up showed no differences in survival, nonfatal infarction and angina-free status; however, there was a difference in need for repeat revascularization (PTCA 55.4% vs. CABG 6.3%, p less than 0.001). Repeat PTCA accounted for 49% of the revascularization in the PTCA cohort. Crossovers were similar (PTCA[CABG 6.8%; CABG[PTCA 6.3%, pNS). Predictors of late death in the entire population were female gender (p less than 0.0001), diabetes (p<0.05) and depressed LVEF (p less than 0.05). The choice of revascularization procedure (PTCA vs. CABG) was not an independent predictor of late death or MI. Analysis of initial hospital charges showed a 2:1 advantage in favor of PTCA but this advantage was lost in late followup due to the need for repeat revascularization in the PTCA group. However, the PTCA cohort lost fewer working days than CABG patients (3017 vs 5874 days) and therefore, lost less wages ($7,022 vs. $14,685). CONCLUSIONS: The study shows that for selected triple vessel disease patients, PTCA and CABG results are comparable after 5 years, though repeat revascularization (mainly due to restenosis) was necessary in the PTCA group to maintain these favorable results. After 5 years, hospital charges are similar in the 2 groups, though out-of-work time and lost wages were 2:1 in favor of PTCA.

Absenteeism↗