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Biomedical subjects

P G Kirchhoff

Publications and source records attributed to P G Kirchhoff.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

[Myxoma of the heart: symptoms masked by an atrial septal defect].

A 68-year-old woman, known to have a secundum atrial septal defect which had been asymptomatic, reported dyspnea and occasional chest pain for two years. Admission examination revealed orthopnea, cyanosis, polycythemia and inflow congestion of the upper part of the body. After some blood-letting, nifedipine and nitrates brought immediate relief of symptoms. Physical examination, chest x-ray and ECG were not different from previously known findings. All laboratory tests were normal. The findings on cross-sectional echocardiography raised the suspicion of a right ventricular tumor, which was then demonstrated by computed tomography. There were no metastases. Under extracorporeal circulation a right-ventricular benign myxoma, attached to the apical septum and the size of a tennis-ball, was removed. The postoperative course was without complications and the patient was discharged symptom-free.

Aged↗
PubMed1987

[Distribution of electric potentials in intra- and extracardiac defibrillation].

The implantable defibrillator is a device to treat refractory ventricular tachyarrhythmias. This study was done to evaluate the determinants of defibrillator performance which are not known completely. Different defibrillation electrodes were attached to beating and non-beating isolated pig-hearts (n = 15) and the electric field resulting from defibrillation measured over a distance of 3 mm. From 5 to 20 J a non-linear relation was found between delivered shock energies and the amplitudes of the recorded voltage waveforms. Using two patch electrodes maximal amplitudes were monitored apical in the right (4.6 +/- 0.5 V) and left ventricle (2.1 +/- 0.3 V). The atria only showed 10-25% of the maximal amplitudes. The combination of a patch and a catheter electrode showed similar efficiency. Two catheter electrodes reduced the apical (1.2 +/- 0.1 V) and increased the atrial amplitude (0.75 +/- 0.06 V). The recorded amplitudes in myocardium were half as much compared with blood-/sodium chloride indicating the twofold higher resistance of myocardial tissue. These experiments quantify the dependence of the efficiency of automatic implantable defibrillator systems on the sort and localization of the defibrillation electrodes.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

[Automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD) and antitachycardia pacemaker (Tachylog 651) in the treatment of ventricular tachyarrhythmias].

For the electrotherapy of refractory ventricular tachycardia the automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD) and antitachycardia pacemaker are available. The long-term use of antitachycardia pacing is still limited by the potential risk of acceleration to ventricular fibrillation. To combine the advantages of antitachycardia pacing with back-up defibrillation, we evaluated the use of an antitachycardia pacemaker with the automatic defibrillator. The AICD was implanted in 13 patients with a mean age of 62 years (from 46 to 75 years); six of them with recurrent ventricular tachycardia (170 +/- 16 per minute) which could reliably be terminated by overdrive pacing, received also an antitachycardia pacemaker (Tachylog 651). The underlying cardiac disease was coronary heart disease in 11 patients and cardiomyopathy in 2 cases. All patients had survived 1 to 6 cardiac arrests and had not responded to 6 +/- 1.5 antiarrhythmic drugs. For antitachycardia pacing we used burst stimulation with 4 to 6 stimuli and coupling intervals from 260 to 300 ms. During the follow-up period of 12 +/- 2 months, 83% of 744 tachycardias could be terminated by burst stimulation, according to the diagnostic data of the pulse generator. If the pacemaker failed to terminate or in case of acceleration (three patients), the automatic countershock of the AICD (5-42 per patient) restored sinus rhythm. In seven patients with high rate tachycardia, 2 to 69 AICD discharges occurred. No patient died suddenly, but three died due to underlying disease and one because of a pneumonia postoperatively. Future antitachycardia devices should be flexible with regard to detection and termination modes, combining antitachycardia pacing with back-up defibrillation.

Electric Countershock↗
PubMed1986

[Successful treatment of a massive pulmonary embolism after 90-minute external heart massage].

A 27-year-old woman sustained a massive pulmonary embolism (cause unknown) with circulatory arrest. She was intubated and ventilated while external cardiac massage was performed and urokinase was infused (1.5 X 10(6) U/h). These resuscitative measures were continued while she was transferred by helicopter to the nearest cardiothoracic surgical centre, 40 km away. Thrombectomy was successfully accomplished under extracorporeal circulation after (from its onset) 90 minutes of external cardiac massage. No neurological or other sequelae occurred. This case demonstrates that early and continuous resuscitative measures in a general hospital, followed by rapid transfer to a cardiothoracic surgical centre with immediate operation, can achieve a successful outcome.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Combination of antitachycardia pacemaker and automatic implantable cardioverter/defibrillator for ventricular tachycardia.

Antitachycardia pacing for ventricular tachycardia (VT) is associated with the possibility of fibrillating the heart; on the other hand, the frequency of VT and patient discomfort can limit treatment with the automatic implantable cardioverter/defibrillator (AICD). To contribute to the further development of a universal pacemaker, we evaluated the combined use of the antitachycardia pacemaker ("tachylog") and the AICD in five patients with recurrent VT. In the automatic mode, the "tachylog" worked as a bipolar VVI pacemaker. For antitachycardia pacing, a burst of rapid ventricular pacing was delivered at about 80% of the cycle length. During a follow-up period of 5 +/- 2 months (range, 3 to 8) two to 291 successful interventions of antitachycardia pacing were counted from diagnostic data which had been collected by the pulse generator during the course of treatment. When the antitachycardia pacemaker failed to terminate VT, the AICD was activated. In the individual case, between 0 and 41 discharges of the AICD were delivered. The high pulse energy of the AICD did not damage the antitachycardia pacemaker; no interference of the two devices was observed. Future antitachycardia systems should be more flexible with regard to detection and termination modes, combining antitachycardia pacing with back-up defibrillation.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

[A rare pacemaker complication of a perforation by a ventricular screw electrode causing hemothorax].

The myocardial perforation of a pacemaker electrode is an extremely rare complication associated with the danger of cardiac tamponade. We report on a perforation of a ventricular screw-in electrode with migration through the pericardium and bleeding in the left thoracic cavity. Two-dimensional echocardiography in combination with clinical, electrocardiographic and X-ray examination permits a reliable non-invasive diagnosis.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

[Antitachycardia pacing therapy in supraventricular tachycardia using the microcomputer-guided Tachylog 651 pacemaker].

Microprocessor-controlled antitachycardia pacemaker expand the automatic detection of the tachycardia and incorporate multiple, different termination modes. We report our results in the long-term therapy of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia with the antitachycardia pacemaker "Tachylog 651". The system was implanted in 10 patients with a mean age of 48 years (from 20 to 68 years): Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome 4 patients, paroxysmal AV nodal reentrant tachycardia 6 cases. The rate of the reentrant tachycardia was 162 +/- 23/min. The system reliably differentiated between paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia and sinus tachycardia, including 4 patients with a tachycardia rate of less than 150/min. Burst overdrive pacing was effective in 6 patients and the "self-search system" in 3 patients. During follow-up of 9 +/- 4 months 104 +/- 93 successful interventions per patient were observed; change of the termination mode became necessary in 4 patients and of the detection mode in 3 patients. The incorporation of programmable detection and multiple termination modes in the microprocessor-controlled antitachycardia systems allows the effective long-term antitachycardia pacing. The multiprogrammable "Tachylog 651" pacemaker is an advancement in the electrotherapeutic treatment of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardias, including the automatic treatment of tachycardias with low rates.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

[Clinical aspect and noninvasive diagnosis of cardiac myxomas].

The alteration of cardiac function in the presence of intracardiac tumors varies considerably according to their localization, size, and mode of insertion. Various cardiovascular diseases can be mimicked, e.g., primary valve dysfunction, cardiomyopathy, intracardiac shunts. Embolic events are frequent secondary symptoms. However, subtle noninvasive techniques such as M-mode and sector echocardiography, pulsed Doppler echocardiography, digital video subtraction angiography (DVSA), and computed tomography permit a thorough diagnosis of intracardiac tumorous masses without heart catheterization and catheter angiography. In this paper, myxomas within the left atrium (LA) and the right ventricle (RV) are described. Leading symptoms were systemic embolism and mitral stenosis (LA localization), low cardiac output and right to left shunt (RV localization). First suspicion of intracardiac tumor was raised by M-mode and sector echocardiography, whereas the diagnosis of LA myxoma was in one case missed by computed tomography and the RV myxoma was missed by right ventricular catheterization. In that case, only the four-chamber subxiphoidal sector echogram substantiated the diagnosis and explained the hemodynamic constellation of very low pulmonary pressures combined with right to left shunt. By the new technique of DVSA, all three tumors were plainly visualized. Nevertheless, echocardiography proved to be the most reliable technique of detecting intracardiac tumors.

Aged↗
PubMed1981

Aortico-left ventricular tunnel.

Aortico-left ventricular tunnel (ALVT) is a very rare cardiac malformation with only 25 cases having been reported in the literature. This paper describes another 5 cases with surgical repair at the ages of 4, 5, 6, and 14 years, respectively. (A fifth case in an 11-year-old boy was operated upon just recently and is described separately in the addendum). The anatomical and clinical findings and diagnostic procedures including angiocardiography are reviewed. The surgical management is discussed, and the late results after follow-up periods of 5, 11, 13, and 16 years are presented. Three patients are doing well although showing clinical signs of mild aortic valve insufficiency, and one patient required aortic valve replacement 13 years after operation because of massive aortic regurgitation. Early surgical repair is recommended as soon as the diagnosis is established by angiocardiography in order to prevent secondary aortic valve lesion by dilatation of the aortic ring and aneurysmatic dilatation of the ventricular septum.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Patch enlargement of the aortic and the mitral valve rings with aortic-mitral double-valve replacement.

In 1 patient, patch enlargement of the aortic valve ring was accomplished by extending the aortic incision into the anterior mitral leaflet. The pericardial patch broke from the aortic leaflet of the mitral valve on the fourth postoperative day. The resultant acute mitral incompetence necessitated mitral valve replacement also. An aortic-mitral double-valve replacement with attendent enlargement of both the aortic and mitral valve rings ensued. To our knowledge, enlargement of the aortic and mitral valve rings with aortic-mitral double-valve replacement has not been described in the literature.

Aortic Valve↗
PubMed1980

Fontan procedure and surgical modification in tricuspid atresia.

Nineteen patients with tricuspid atresia and reduced lung perfusion (valvular-and/or subvalvular pulmonary stenosis, transposition of the great arteries and/or single atrium) were operated in the period 1975--1979. The surgical procedures employed varied according to the additional cardiac defects. The age of the patients was between 2 and 18 years. Eleven children received a contuit with a Hancock valve, 8 children a valveless conduit. In 9 patients it was possible to connect the conduit to the right ventricle using the pumping action of the right ventricle with an anatomically intact pulmonary valve. Six patients died (4 early deaths, 2 late deaths, early mortality rate 21%). In this study, the postoperative courses, which were complicated in several cases, are related to the hemodynamical findings. Thirteen children were examined between 1 and 38 months following the operation. Cardiac catheterization was performed in 10 patients. Of the 13, 10 had fully saturated arterial blood. A remnant atrial defect was demonstrated in one child, and 2 displayed intrapulmonary shunts attendant to Glenn anastomoses which had been in place for 10 to 12 years. Among the patients the right atrial pressure ranged from 10 to 20 mmHg with a mean value of 14.5 +/- 0.9 mmHg. An increase in size of the right ventricle was demonstrated angiographically in the case of 2 patients who had valve-bearing conduits to the right ventricle.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

[Computer tomography of aorto-coronary bypass (author's transl)].

Computer tomography is a non-invasive method for demonstrating occlusion or patency of an aorto-coronary bypass. The early results of computer tomographic investigations of 77 bypasses in 51 patients are described. CT diagnosis of bypass patency is well established, but further work will be required to determine the accuracy of computer tomographic diagnosis of bypass occlusion.

Arterial Occlusive Diseases↗
PubMed1980

[Late results after Rastelli correction in transposition of the great arteries (author's transl)].

From 1974 to 1978, 11 patients underwent a Rastelli correction in transposition of the great arteries with VSD and obstruction to the pulmonary artery. 2 patients died, a mortality of 18%. All patients received a Hancock-conduit. On the average of 30 months after the operation, a complete heart catheterisation was performed. In 6 patients--55%--there was no or only a mild gradient between the RV and AP (Gradient under 40 mm Hg). 3 patients (27%) developed a considerable obstruction to the pulmonary artery (gradient over 70 mm Hg) proximal, valvular, or distal. Subaortic obstruction was not observed. 3 of the 9 patients had a residual VSD, detectable by oxymetry, 1 with a flow ratio of 1.8, which required surgery (successfully closed).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

[Coarctation of the aorta: surgical management in infancy--results in 72 patients (author's transl)].

Early and late results of a total of 72 infants operated for coarctation of the aorta are reported. Operative repair included various methods (End-to-End, Vossschulte, Clagett, Shumaker, Waldhausen, Blalock). Isolated coarctation was present in 6 infants, 17 also had patent ductus arteriosus, 39 patients had additional associated cardiac anomalies, part of which were combined with PDA. Out of the 72 infants 17 died (early mortality: 11, late mortality: 6). The highest mortality rate was found among the 0 to 3 months age group (11 patients). Fourteen out of the 17 deceased patients had additional cardiac anomalies. Out of the 55 survivals, 37 patients showed good results, restenosis was found in 13 patients, 5 patients had to be reoperated due to severe restenosis.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1978

[Corrected transposition of the great arteries: surgical treatment of associated cardiac defects (author's transl)].

Corrected transposition of the great arteries is often associated with other cardiac anomalies. We report our experience with the correction of the associated cardiac defects in 13 cases: ventricular septal defect with pulmonary hypertension (5 cases), ventricular septal defect with obstruction of pulmonary outflow tract (5 cases), obstruction of pulmonary outflow tract (2 cases), ostium primum defect (1 case). The possible surgical approaches for repair of the cardiac anomalies are described and the results of the operative correction are communicated. Precise diagnosis, the knowledge of the unusual disposition of the conducting tissues and new surgical approaches are prerequisite for successful correction.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

[Supporting the pumpfunction of the right atrium. A new therapeutic concept after physiological repair of tricuspid atresia (author's transl)].

A new indication for the External Conterpulsation (ECP) is demonstrated. Due to the venous augmentation a "pulse wave" is created in the V. cava inferior and in the right atrium and the ECP acts as a "peripheral pumpventricle", thus increasing pulmonary blood flow and left ventricular enddiastolic pressure. This new application of ECP is of valve in cases with low output syndrome after physiological repair of tricuspid atresia as demonstreated in a case report.

Adolescent↗