Warm heart surgery.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to T A Salerno.
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Injuries to the coronary sinus during cardioplegic arrest are rare but potentially lethal. We herein present case reports of injuries to the coronary sinus occurring during retrograde continuous normothermic blood cardioplegia, and emphasize preventive measures and treatment.
The technique of warm heart surgery is defined as continuous warm blood cardioplegia and normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass. Although the systemic effects of traditional myocardial protection are well known, the effects of warm heart surgery are not. In a prospective trial, 204 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting were randomized to the warm heart surgery technique (normothermic group) or traditional intermittent cold blood cardioplegia and cardiopulmonary bypass (hypothermic group). The groups had similar heparin sodium requirement, activated clotting times, urine output, hematocrit, and blood product utilization. There were no differences in hemodynamics immediately after cardiopulmonary bypass. The normothermic patients had a higher incidence of spontaneous defibrillation at cross-clamp removal (84%) than the hypothermic patients (33%) (p less than 0.01). An increase in the flow rate of low K+ cardioplegia was necessary to eradicate electrical activity during aortic occlusion more often in the normothermic patients (20%) than in the hypothermic patients (3%) (p less than 0.01). When low K+ cardioplegia was ineffective, high K+ cardioplegia was necessary to eradicate electrical activity in 31% of the normothermic patients compared with 10% of the hypothermic patients (p less than 0.05). The total cardioplegia volume delivered to the normothermic group (4.7 +/- 1.9 L) was higher than that delivered to the hypothermic group (2.6 +/- 0.8 L) (p less than 0.01). Although urine output was similar in both groups, the serum K+ levels were higher in the normothermic group (5.7 +/- 0.8 mmol/L) than in the hypothermic group (5.3 +/- 0.8 mmol/L) (p less than 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Patients who have had the Bentall-DeBono procedure using a composite conduit with a tissue valvular prosthesis pose a great challenge when problems develop with the tissue prosthesis. We herein report the surgical management of one such case, in which the valvular prosthesis was removed and replaced without replacement of the conduit.
Coronary artery bypass surgery can be performed without cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Bleeding obscuring the operative field and hemodilution of shed blood with irrigating saline are some of the drawbacks of this technique. We report the use of a newly developed surgical blower-humidifier (custom made [Research Medical, Inc.]) for improved visualization and facilitation of coronary artery surgery without CPB.
Renal artery perfusion is usually unnecessary during resection of an abdominal aortic aneurysm, because most of these aneurysms are situated below the renal arteries. The authors report the interesting case of a patient with a solitary functioning kidney, who had undergone previous bypass grafting from the right iliac artery to the right renal artery and in whom the kidney was perfused with the Biomedicus pump during the repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. This technique may be useful in special situations in which any period of renal ischemia might be hazardous to renal function.
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Although patients with severe ventricular dysfunction have improved long-term survival times after coronary bypass procedures, operative morbidity and mortality rates remain high. This study was designed to identify the contemporary risk factors for isolated coronary artery bypass grafting in this high-risk subgroup. Between January 1982 and December 1990, a total of 12,471 patients underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting. The 9445 patients with preoperative ejection fractions greater than 40% had a lower operative mortality rate (2.3%) than that of the 2539 patients with ejection fractions between 20% and 40% (4.8%) and that of the 487 patients with ejection fractions less than 20% (9.8%; p less than 0.001). However, patients with ejection fractions of less than 20% were demographically distinct from those with higher ejection fractions. This group was older, with fewer women, a higher frequency of left main stenosis, and more frequent requirement of urgent operation for unstable angina. The risk factors for operative death also varied with preoperative ejection fraction. The traditionally accepted risk factors--urgency of operation, left main coronary artery stenosis, reoperation, sex, and age--were predictive of risk of operative death for patients with ejection fractions greater than 40%. The risk of operative death for patients with ejection fractions between 20% and 40% was predicted by urgency of operation, reoperation, sex, myocardial protection, and age. The only predictor of risk of operative death for patients with ejection fractions less than 20% was urgency of operation. Patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting who have severe ventricular dysfunction are therefore a highly selected, high-risk subgroup of patients who risk depends on the urgency of operation. Strategies to improve the results in these patients should be focused on patient selection, improvement of myocardial protection, and more aggressive preoperative treatment of myocardial ischemia.
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This report presents the results in our first clinical series of patients receiving continuous warm blood cardioplegia through the coronary sinus. Warm oxygenated blood cardioplegia has certain theoretical advantages, such as continuously supplying oxygen and substrates to the arrested heart while avoiding the side effects of hypothermia. Retrograde infusion of cardioplegia also offers certain advantages (eg, in valve operations and in patients with severe coronary artery disease) that are complementary to warm blood cardioplegia. Retrograde warm blood cardioplegia was used in 113 consecutive patients (85 men and 28 women with a mean age of 61 years) undergoing various procedures. Three percent of the patients died, 7% needed transient intraaortic balloon pump support, 6% had evidence of perioperative myocardial infarction, and 96% had spontaneous return of rhythm. There were no coronary sinus injuries. This new technique of retrograde continuous warm blood cardioplegia is a simple, safe, and reliable method of myocardial protection that may change the way we currently protect the heart intraoperatively.
Revascularization procedures after recent myocardial infarction are associated with higher mortality and morbidity compared with elective coronary artery bypass grafting. Traditional methods of myocardial protection impose a further ischemic insult on already compromised myocardium. Continuous cold blood cardioplegia may eliminate ischemia but may still leave the heart anaerobic. Theoretically, warm aerobic arrest addresses both of these issues and may become an attractive alternative to standard hypothermic ischemic arrest in this setting. In 115 nonrandomized patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting within 6 hours to 7 days of an acute myocardial infarction, myocardial protection was provided with continuous cold (4 degrees C) or continuous warm (37 degrees C) blood cardioplegia. Fifty-one patients (after 1988) protected with warm blood cardioplegia were compared with a historical cohort of 64 patients (before 1988) protected with cold blood cardioplegia. Results indicate that the warm cardioplegia group had no mortality versus 10.9% for the cold group (p less than 0.05), a myocardial infarction rate of 2.0% in the warm versus 9.3% in the cold group, and use of intraaortic balloon pump of 0% versus 12.5%, respectively (p less than 0.05). It is concluded that continuous warm aerobic arrest may minimize ischemia and anaerobic metabolism during the operative procedure, and may be of benefit to patients who have a limited tolerance to ischemic insult.
A technique is described for improved visualization during the creation of coronary artery anastomoses employing a catheter-directed constant stream of oxygen to remove blood from the operative field. This technique is especially helpful when continuous blood cardioplegia is employed for myocardial protection.
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The recent development of normothermic myocardial preservation and systemic perfusion during bypass has questioned the fundamental need for hypothermia during cardiac operations. The antegrade technique of almost continuous perfusion by the aortic root and vein grafts has been supplemented by continuous normothermic blood cardioplegia through the coronary sinus. Recently, great interest has been shown in this technique. It is important to describe the method in detail along with its potential shortcomings and dangers. This communication describes the technical details, pitfalls, and shortcomings of retrograde continuous warm blood cardioplegia.
Hypertrophied right ventricle presents a sensitive state that may not be adequately protected by modern cardioplegic methods. Cardiac metabolism, performance, and ultrastructure were measured in response to 1 hour of cardioplegic arrest in 15 pigs with right ventricular hypertrophy using intermittent hypothermic crystalloid, blood, and Flusol DA 20%-based cardioplegia. Reperfusion time was 1 hour. One hour after a 60-minute cross-clamp period, there were no differences in light microscopy. Total energy stores increased in 4 of 5 animals given blood cardioplegia compared with 1 of 5 for each of the other groups. Cardiac performance data also showed better results for animals treated with blood cardioplegia. After 30 minutes of reperfusion, animals receiving blood cardioplegia recovered 131% +/- 42% of preoperative systolic performance compared with 106% +/- 49% for Fluosol-treated animals and only 82% +/- 27% recovery for the crystalloid-treated group. After 60 minutes of reperfusion, the blood group showed 119% +/- 20% recovery compared with 89% +/- 23% and 85 +/- 50% recovery for Fluosol- and crystalloid-treated hearts, respectively. In conclusion, blood cardioplegia provided better protection than did crystalloid or Fluosol DA 20% cardioplegia when animals with right ventricular hypertrophy underwent 1 hour of cardioplegic arrest. It may have repaired damaged myocardium, leaving better hearts after cross-clamping than before.
Although hypothermic cardioplegic arrest prolongs the period of ischemic arrest by reducing oxygen demands, it leaves the heart dependent solely on anaerobic metabolism for its energy demands and exposes it to the detrimental effects of hypothermia. Consequently, myocardial protection is compromised, and safe aortic occlusion time is limited to 120 minutes. As electromechanical arrest accounts for 90% of myocardial oxygen consumption, we hypothesized that an ideal state of the heart might be chemically arrested and perfused with warm blood, ie, aerobic arrest. We applied this approach to myocardial protection in 308 consecutive procedures. To assess the adequacy of this method, we reviewed the results in a group of 22 patients in whom the aortic cross-clamp time was, of necessity, greater than or equal to 3 hours (mean time, 204 minutes; range, 180 to 393 minutes). Nineteen of the patients represented a high operative risk with grade 3 or 4 left ventricular function and New York Heart Association class III or IV. All hearts resumed spontaneous normal sinus rhythm without defibrillation, and 21 patients were easily weaned from bypass within minutes of removal of the aortic cross-clamp without inotropic or intraaortic balloon pump support. Mortality was 4.5%, low-output syndrome occurred in 4.5%, and there were no perioperative myocardial infarctions. Our results suggest that warm aerobic arrest is safe and effective in prolonged high-risk procedures, virtually eliminating the period of ischemia, limiting the period and injury of reperfusion, and abolishing the detrimental effects of hypothermia.
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The risk associated with surgical revascularization for unstable angina is critically dependent upon the clinical presentation of the patient. For this study, between January 1982 and December 1987, clinical, angiographic, operative and hospital outcome data were collected prospectively for 6539 patients undergoing surgery for unstable angina. Urgent surgery was performed in 1523 patients (23.3%), while 5016 (76.7%) underwent semielective revascularization. The mean age was 58.9 +/- 9.2 years and 805 patients (12.3%) were aged 70 years or above. The male:female ratio was 3.6:1. Depressed left ventricular function (left ventricular ejection fraction less than 40%) was present in 27.2% of the population. Preoperative myocardial infarction (within 30 days of surgery) had occurred in 588 patients (9.0%). Operative mortality was 4.6% (301 deaths). Stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the independent predictors of operative mortality. The following variables were selected in descending order: urgent surgery (P less than 0.001), coronary reoperation (P less than 0.001), depressed left ventricular (P less than 0.001), female gender (P less than 0.001), increasing age (P less than 0.001), left main stenosis (P = 0.002), and preoperative myocardial infarction (P less than 0.001). Predicted operative mortality varied between 0.5 +/- 0.3% and 82.6 +/- 12.7%. The most important determinant for patients with a preoperative myocardial infarction was left ventricular dysfunction, whereas urgent surgery for unstable angina was the most important risk variable in those without preoperative necrosis.