PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

W Khoury

Publications and source records attributed to W Khoury.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Cardiac surgery without transfusion in 2005].

PURPOSE: Between January 1991 and October 2003, 200 Jehovah Witnesses adult patients underwent elective cardiac surgery. To asses the impact on continuing progress of blood saving protocols and the increasing operative risk of patients proposed to surgery, we have re-assessed our results in this specific population. METHODOLOGY: Files of the first 100 patients operated upon between 1991 and 1998 were reviewed, and compared to the following 100 ones treated between 1998 to today. All patients were scored using the Euroscore model. RESULTS: In the latest series, patients are older (68 vs 51) and 13% underwent an iterative procedure, although there was none in the first series. Three deaths occurred after one month at the beginning of our experience, only one in the latest series. Operative risk factors had distinctly deteriorated, with more redux, and ejection fraction lower than 35%. Major progress to maintain morbi-mortality stability were multifactorial: preoperative erythropoietin in order to reach an haemoglobin minimal value of 14 g/dL, Cornell University protocol, mini-ECC, warm blood cardioplegia, ultra-early extubation. CONCLUSION: Cardiac surgery without transfusion can be realised with an equivalent risk to that of classical surgery, despite an operative risk aggravation, due to the association of recent conservative techniques.

Age Factors↗

Kidney allograft outcome in simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation.

BACKGROUND: In simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation, with both organs coming from the same donor, the addition of a pancreas to the kidney transplant does not jeopardize the kidney allograft outcome despite higher postoperative SPK morbidity. Pancreas allograft outcome has recently improved due to better organ selection and more accurate surgical techniques. OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the positive impact of SPK on kidney allograft outcome versus kidney transplantation alone in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients with end-stage renal failure. METHODS: We performed 39 consecutive SPKs in 14 female and 25 male IDDM patients with renal failure after an average waiting time of 9 months. Multi-organ donor age was 30 years (range 12-53). The kidneys were transplanted in the left retroperitoneal iliac fossa following completion of the pancreas transplantation; kidney cold ischemia time was 16 +/- 4 hours. Induction anti-rejection therapy was achieved with polyclonal antithymocytic globulin and methylprednisolone, and maintenance immunosuppression by triple drug therapy (prednisone, cyclosporine or tacrolimus, and azathioprine or mycophenolate mofetil). Infection and rejection were closely monitored. RESULTS: All kidney allografts produced immediate urinary output following SPK. Two renal grafts had mild function impairment due to acute tubular damage but recovered after a short delay. Three patients died from myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular event and abdominal sepsis on days 1, 32 and 45 respectively (1 year patient survival 92%). An additional kidney allograft was lost due to a renal artery pseudo-aneurysm requiring nephrectomy on day 26. Nineteen patients (49%) had an early rejection of the kidney that was resistant to pulse-steroid therapy in 6. No kidney graft was lost due to rejection. Patients with acute kidney-pancreas rejection episodes suffered from severe infection, which was the main cause of morbidity with a 55% re-admission rate. Complications of the pancreas allograft included graft pancreatitis and sepsis, leading to a poor kidney outcome with sub-optimal kidney function at 1 year. Kidney graft survival at one year was 89% or 95% after censoring the data for patients who died with functioning grafts. CONCLUSIONS: Eligible IDDM patients with advanced diabetic nephropathy should choose SPK over kidney transplantation alone from either a cadaver or a living source.

Adolescent↗

[Spontaneous regression of a false aneurysm of the ascending aorta following surgery for dissection].

We report the case of a 50-year-old man admitted to hospital for a type A aortic dissection. After conventional surgical repair, he was asymptomatic and underwent computed tomography imaging at 15 days, 3 and 6 months. The first CT scan showed a small perigraft circulating false aneurysm which totally disappeared on the last exam. This case emphasizes the potential role of CT scan in the follow-up of patient after aortic surgery and the likely favorable outcome of some false aneurysm.

Aortic Dissection↗

Ten-year experience with surgical treatment of partial atrioventricular septal defect: risk factors in the early postoperative period.

Partial atrioventricular septal defects are electively repaired with good results. However, recent reports suggest that such repair is potentially a high-risk surgical procedure. Our aim was to determine the risk factors of adverse outcome early after surgical treatment of atrioventricular septal defects in our hospital. A retrospective study was done in 100 consecutive patients from 2 months to 50.6 years old (median 3.6 years) who underwent surgical correction between January 1984 and December 1993. An intermediate form of the lesion was noted in 31% of cases. Congestive heart failure occurred in 50% of cases. Preoperative left atrioventricular valve incompetence (moderate to severe) was present in 63% of patients. Severe abnormalities of left subvalvular apparatus were noted in 28% of patients. The cleft of the left atrioventricular valve was closed in 76% of cases. The study was done to determine risk factors associated with hospital mortality (13%), postoperative residual left atrioventricular valve incompetence (23%), and early reoperation (14%) within the first 30 postoperative days. Univariate analysis showed that age at the date of operation and cleft closure were not related to an early adverse outcome. A stepwise logistic regression with variables selected by univariate analysis identified infections and severe abnormalities of left subvalvular apparatus as predictive factors of early death (odds ratio, 28.07 and 6.18, respectively), preoperative left atrioventricular valve regurgitation as a predictive factor of residual postoperative left atrioventricular valve regurgitation (odds ratio, 5.34), and severe abnormalities of left subvalvular apparatus as a predictive factor of early reoperation (odds ratio, 5.27). These results emphasize the importance of the severity of the morphologic features of the left subvalvular apparatus, the occurrence of early postoperative infections, and the presence of residual left atrioventricular valve regurgitation as risk factors in the early period after surgical correction of partial atrioventricular septal defects.

Adolescent↗

Pedicled pericardium for repair of right ventricular outflow tract and pulmonary arterial stenoses in tetralogy of Fallot: a six-year experience.

From June 1988 through June 1994, 20 children with symptomatic tetralogy of Fallot, associated with hypoplastic or stenotic pulmonary arteries in 19 cases, were operated on in our institution. Mean age at operation was 49.5 +/- 43 months (ranging from 10 months to 12.5 years). Mean weight was 13.5 +/- 6.5 kg (range 6.2 to 30 kg) and mean body surface area was 0.6 +/- 0.2 m2. Mean preoperative hematocrit value was 47.6% +/- 11.1%, and mean preoperative arterial oxygen saturation ratio was 75.7 +/- 9.5. Six patients (30%) had prior systemic-pulmonary arterial shunts. Pulmonary arterial stenoses were congenital or iatrogenic (or both) and were located principally on the left pulmonary artery (63%), on the pulmonary bifurcation (15%), or separately on the left and right pulmonary arteries (21%). In all children the pulmonary arterial tree was repaired with the patient's own pedicled pericardium. Mean follow-up is 36 +/- 25.2 months (range 1 to 71 months). Hospital mortality rate was 0%. There was one late death, and two children were lost to long-term follow-up. No child required reoperation. Seventeen children returned for evaluation, consisting of physical examination, electrocardiogram, chest roentgenogram, and Doppler echocardiogram, and 11 underwent late catheterization or magnetic resonance imaging of the chest to evaluate the pulmonary arterial repair. All children were in New York Heart Association class I or II. Right ventricular function was normal by echocardiography in 100% with a mean right ventricular systolic pressure of 39.37 +/- 8.4 mm Hg. Mild to moderate pulmonary regurgitation was present in the majority of patients. The results of pulmonary arterial repair were good in 100%. There was no residual stenosis, and we observed uniform enlargement of the repaired pulmonary arteries over a 5-month to 6-year follow-up period. These results are of particular interest inasmuch as other materials previously used for repair of pulmonary arteries do not grow and may even shrink, resulting in residual stenosis.

Body Surface Area↗

Donor-recipient size matching in pediatric heart transplantation: a word of caution about small grafts.

BACKGROUND: The increased shortage of donor organs led centers to extend the conventional donor criteria, particularly regarding donor-recipient size mismatching. Little information is available in the pediatric age group. METHODS: Between December 1987 and May 1994, 73 pediatric orthotopic heart transplantations were performed. Indications for heart transplantation included congenital heart defect (29 patients), cardiomyopathy (40 patients), valvular disease (1 patient), and retransplantation (3 patients). Patients ranged in age from 9 days to 18 years (mean: 5.7 +/- 5 years). The following factors were evaluated: cardiomyopathy, congenital heart disease, age, pretransplantation pulmonary hypertension, previous sternotomy, status at transplantation, donor to recipient weight ratio, graft ischemic time, degree of donor inotropic support, ABO compatibility, gender mismatch. RESULTS: The overall mortality rate before discharge (7 days to 4.5 months) was 27.4%. Donor heart failure occurred in 31.5%. Donor heart failure and early mortality were strongly correlated (p = 0.0002). Risk factors for donor heart failure were pretransplantation pulmonary hypertension (p = 0.024), donor/recipient ratio (p = 0.033), and major donor inotropic support (p = 0.034). Donor heart failure rate was 50% in donor/recipient ratio less than 1, 33% in donor/recipient ratio between 1 and 1.6, and 7% in donor/recipient ratio more than 1.6. Donor/recipient ratio less than 1 was the only significant risk of postoperative death by univariate (p = 0.0045) and multivariate (p < 0.01) analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Donor heart failure remains the main cause of early mortality in pediatric heart transplantation. The use of oversized donor may be beneficial, particularly in patients with pretransplantation pulmonary hypertension. The use of undersized donor grafts should be strongly discouraged.

Adolescent↗

Sarcoid cardiomyopathy precipitated by pregnancy with cocaine complications.

We report the case of a 27-year-old previously healthy multiparous black woman who developed congestive heart failure 5 days postpartum. It was initially diagnosed and treated as idiopathic peripartum cardiomyopathy. Five weeks later, pulmonary sarcoidosis was diagnosed by transbronchial biopsy specimen, and steroid therapy was begun. An endomyocardial biopsy specimen 1 month later indicated cardiac sarcoidosis. She responded well to steroid therapy; however, 16 months later, she had a cardiac arrest and died. Autopsy confirmed the diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis.

Adult↗

Surgical treatment of multiple ventricular septal defects using a biologic glue.

The closure of multiple ventricular septal defects remains a surgical challenge. Mortality and morbidity are high. Left ventricular incision and multiple patches or stitches impair septal motion and function. We searched for a method that would cause minimal left ventricular and septal dysfunction. The use of fibrin seal for closing ventricular septal defects was considered. The method was first tested in animals so as to assess the internal resistance of the fibrin seal to stretching and fragmentation in addition to its adhesiveness and hence the absence of left-to-right embolization of the fibrin seal clot and the long-term success of the ventricular septal defect closure further to complete resorption of the ventricular septal defect clot. This experimental work was very satisfactory. Between April 1986 and September 1991, 15 children were operated on with the use of this technique. The overall hospital mortality rate was 6%. There were no reoperations for residual ventricular septal defects. All the long-term survivors (n = 13) were in excellent clinical condition with no or trivial residual shunt attested by color flow mapping investigation. This experimental and clinical experience suggests that satisfactory results can be achieved with the use of fibrin seal for the closure of multiple muscular ventricular septal defects.

Animals↗

Pediatric cardiac transplantation for congenital heart defects: surgical considerations and results.

Among 54 children who underwent 55 heart transplantations, 24 (44%) (mean age, 4.9 +/- 4.8 years; range, 9 days to 18 years) had congenital defects with the following diagnoses: single-ventricle variants (6), hypoplastic left heart syndrome variants (5), transposition complex (6), and miscellaneous defects (7). Twenty patients (83%) had undergone 43 prior operations. Additional surgical procedures included repositioning of transposed great arteries (11), reconstruction of the aortic pathway (4), reconstruction of the pulmonary pathway (8), correction of situs inversus (1), and correction of anomalous pulmonary (1) or systemic (1) venous drainage. Reconstructive procedures were performed using donor or recipient tissue or both. There were six early deaths (hyperacute rejection, 1 patient; pulmonary hypertension, 1; graft failure, 2 patients; infection, 2) and six late deaths (sudden death, 2; chronic rejection, 2; nonspecific graft dysfunction, 1; lymphoproliferative disease, 1). The survival rate was 43% +/- 12% at 3 years. No deaths were related to surgical technique. Survival was not significantly different in pediatric recipients with cardiomyopathy (67% +/- 9%; p = 0.22). Accelerated coronary artery disease was noted in 4 operative survivors (22%; 70% confidence limits, 12% to 36%). All late survivors were free from cardiac symptoms after a mean follow-up of 34 +/- 24 months (range, 6 to 71 months). Based on this study, we reached three conclusions. (1) Careful planning of both harvesting and transplantation procedures allows heart transplantation in recipients with congenital heart diseases. (2) The surgical technique may be demanding, but the early risk is not increased.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

Heart transplantation in children: risk factors of early and late mortality.

In order to identify predictive risk factors of poor outcome following heart transplantation in children, we performed a retrospective analysis of our pediatric recipient population: 31 children, aged 15 days to 15 years (mean = 5.2 +/- 4.9 years). The preoperative diagnosis was cardiomyopathy in 17 (55%), congenital heart disease in 13 (42%) and end-stage valvular disease in 1 (3%). There were 5 operative deaths: hyperacute rejection (2), low cardiac output syndrome (3); 4 in-hospital deaths: infection (2), multiorgan failure (2) and 4 late deaths: acute rejection (1), chronic rejection (1), lymphoma (1), unknown (1). The actuarial probability of survival (+/- SE) was 62% +/- 10% at 1 year and 53% +/- 12% at 2 years. Univariate analysis was used to evaluate the following risk factors: age, diagnosis, hemodynamic decompensation, previous cardiac surgery, ischemic time of the graft, technique of graft preservation, preoperative pulmonary artery pressure, occurrence of postoperative low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS) with pulmonary hypertension (PHT). The occurrence of early LCOS with PHT significantly increased both early and late mortality (78% early mortality, 100% overall mortality). This syndrome occurred in 9 patients (29%) and was attributed to primary graft failure in 2, increased pulmonary vascular resistances in 6 and multiple factors in 1. Although not significant, two factors may increase early survival: young age (less than or equal to 1 year) at operation and improved technique of graft preservation.

Adolescent↗

[Cavo-bipulmonary anastomosis. Apropos of 3 cases].

Cavo-bipulmonary anastomosis (CBPA) in an anastomosis between the superior vena cava and the right pulmonary artery in continuity with the left pulmonary artery. This shunt is used in complex cyanotic congenital heart disease with pulmonary stenosis. It is the first stage of a total cavo-pulmonary shunt (TCPS). Thirty patients underwent this procedure at Laënnec Hospital between April 1988 and April 1990. The surgical indications were retained when TCPS appeared to be too risky, mainly because of the associated malformations, the correction of which was performed at the same time. There were to early deaths; one patient was lost to follow-up and 27 patients have been followed up for an average period of 12 +/- 6 months. The surgical result was judged according to the degree of cyanosis; a poor result was defined as systemic saturation of less than 75% and a haematocrit of over 55%. One child died 5 months after surgery; there were 16 good results and 10 poor results. Seven patients were reoperated to carry out the second stage of the TCPS. The average gain in saturation was 9.7% in our series. Analysis of the patients who died or who had poor surgical results showed an anatomic cause in 11 of the 13 cases (pulmonary arteriovenous fistula, stenosis of the branches of the pulmonary artery, regurgitation of an atrioventricular valve) or a physiopathological cause (mean pulmonary artery pressure greater than 20 mmHg, or ventricular failure). The CBPA is a palliative procedure to reduce ventricular load, repair stenosis of the right pulmonary artery and to prepare the patient for a total cavopulmonary shunt.

Adolescent↗

[Retroperitoneal duodenal rupture during closed abdominal trauma].

Duodenal retroperitoneal wound after blunt abdominal trauma, is a well known, and a classical entity. Most of the patients are operated with delay and this lesion could easily be missed at laparotomy if not searched for. Mortality and morbidity are much higher if the diagnosis is delayed more than 24 hours. These lesions should be strongly suspected after any blunt abdominal trauma, and repeated clinical assessment is mandatory in the conscious patient. Gastrografine upper GI study and CT Scan are interesting diagnosis procedures when the patient is unconscious or should be anesthesized. At laparotomy, the presence of a central retroperitoneal hematoma should guide the surgeon to explore the duodenum. Treatment depend on the time of diagnosis, the severity of the wound, and the associated pancreatic lesions.

Abdominal Injuries↗

Extrathoracic heart (ectopia cordis). Report of two cases and review of the literature.

We report 2 cases of extrathoracic heart (ectopia cordis) operated on a few hours after birth at Laennec Hospital, Paris. The first patient had an associated diastasis of the rectus muscles. The second one, in whom diagnosis was made by ultrasound during fetal life, had a normal abdominal wall. In both cases it was possible to accommodate the heart in the left pleural cavity after a wide dissection of the posterior mediastinum. Both babies, however, died soon after the operation. Double outlet right ventricle was found in both. We have reviewed those cases previously described and discuss the importance of prenatal echocardiographic diagnosis in this rare condition.

Female↗

Anomalous left coronary artery arising from the pulmonary artery: a series of 27 infants undergoing operation in the first years of life.

Between 1977 and 1987, 27 infants (aged 3 to 54 months) underwent surgical treatment for correction of an anomalous left coronary artery arising from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA). All had a direct aortic reimplantation. The overall operative mortality was 18.5% (five deaths). The follow-up period was from 2 months to 8 years (mean, 38 months). No late deaths occurred. During the 10 years, modifications of the surgical procedure and myocardial preservation were introduced (ie, complete resection of the pulmonary trunk made anastomosis easier; since 1982, cardioplegia in both coronary systems has been used, and left atrial-to-aortic assistance was introduced). The latter was carried out when surgical repair was associated with acute cardiac failure and a high left atrial filling pressure at the end of cardiopulmonary bypass. In view of the results during the latter part of this series, it is felt that surgery should not be restricted in younger patients (< 12 months). If medical treatment is unsuccessful, surgery aims to avoid irreversible left ventricular dysfunction and development of severe endocardial fibroelastosis.

Cardiac Surgical Procedures↗

[The autologous pericardial tube-flap. A new technic for restoring the continuity between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery].

Re-establishing continuity between the right ventricle and the division of the pulmonary trunk may prove difficult in surgical correction of transposition of the great vessels. Although prosthetic tubes, which had many drawbacks, have been replaced by direct anastomoses, partial reconstruction of the pulmonary arterial wall is still often necessary. The materials commonly used are segments of gore-tex, stored pericardium and fresh or glutaraldehyde-treated pericardium. However, retractions may develop in these reconstructions resulting in pulmonary stenosis. These complications have revived the debate on the best technique for re-establishing continuity, and it is mandatory to use a growing tissue to keep pace with the child's development. We report here an original technique used in an infant. Previous studies have shown that the autologous pericardial flap, transformed here into a tube, retains its potential for growth.

Blood Vessel Prosthesis↗

[Reconstruction of pulmonary artery branches with pedicled flaps from the autologous pericardium].

A new reconstruction technique using pedicled flaps from autologous pericardium was applied in a case of long hypoplastic segments of the two branches of the pulmonary artery in a 6-year old child. The pericardial sac was incised vertically on the midline, and two rotating flaps, one on the left, the other on the right, were created to bring the pericardium in front of the corresponding arterial branches. Each branch was split open all along its hypoplastic segment which was then widened to normal diameter, using the pericardial flap for reconstruction. Control echocardiography, performed one year later, showed that the excellent post-operative results persisted. This is of particular interest as it is well known that all other materials previously utilized to reconstruct the pulmonary artery do not grow or even shrink, resulting in progressive stenosis.

Child↗