No abstract

These results demonstrate that preserving pleural integrity has beneficial effects on the postoperative blood loss. Postoperative blood loss and transfusion requirements were higher in patients with pleurotomy. Left pleural effusion, atelectasis, and mechanical ventilatory stay were significantly reduced in patients with preserved pleural integrity.

Ten patients underwent replacement of ascending aorta and/or aortic arch with aneurysm or dissection, using hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA) with retrograde cerebral perfusion (RCP). RCP was administered through the superior vena cava cannula continuously during HCA (15 degrees C to 20 degrees C). Mean HCA time was 32 minutes (range, 18-45 minutes). To assess the metabolic changes during RCP, blood samples were taken from carotid arteries and the superior vena cava cannula simultaneously, five minutes after the onset and five minutes prior to termination of continuous retrograde cerebral perfusion (CRCP) for analysis of blood gas and glucose level. One patient died intraoperatively due to left ventricular failure. Nine patients survived their operations and all except one with stroke due to partial intimal flap obstruction of innominate artery awoke neurologically intact within four to six hours. One patient died on the postoperative fifth day due to septic shock following resection of ischaemic bowel due to dissection involving the mesenteric artery. Oxygen saturation, pH and glucose level were all found to be lower in blood back-bleeding from the carotid arteries than in blood perfused through the superior vena cava cannula at all sampling times during HCA and CRCP (p < 0.05). Although oxygen and glucose extraction is not only from brain tissue, these data demonstrate the efficacy of CRCP in supplying substrates for brain protection. CRCP is a reliable method as an adjunct to HCA for brain protection.

In this report we describe the surgical treatment of a 27-year-old patient with complete Cantrell's syndrome, i.e. multiple ventricular septal defect, left ventricular diverticulum, dextrorotation of the heart, an anterior diaphragmatic defect, and a midline supraumbilical abdominal wall defect with tetralogy of Fallot. Resection of the diverticulum was combined with correction of the tetralogy of Fallot and thoracoabdominal defects. The postoperative period was uncomplicated. We have have found only one previous report describing resection of the diverticulum combined with correction of Fallot's tetralogy and thoracoabdominal defects in an adult. One-stage repair of these complex anomalies is technically feasible and should be the treatment of choice.

Hypothermic circulatory arrest with retrograde cerebral perfusion was not an independent predictor of neurological morbidity on multivariate analysis, even if the arrest period was more than 60 minutes. Lengths of circulatory arrest periods and clinical presentations of the patients are important determinants of mortality.

Reports of tricuspid endocarditis have increased in frequency during the past 2 decades (1,2). The growing number of patients addicted to intravenous (IV) drugs and those with long-term IV catheters or with antiarrhythmic devices, such as implantable defibrillators and pacemakers, have considerably increased the number of patients at risk of right-sided endocarditis. The case presented had no predisposition. We report a patient with tricuspid valve infective endocarditis who underwent surgical valve repair. At surgery, the leaflets weren't completely excised and annuloplasty was performed. The patient had a good postoperative recovery. Postoperative echocardiography showed mild tricuspid regurgitation. The patient has been followed up for two months in our outpatient clinic. Tricuspid valve repair rather than valvulectomy or replacement is preferred in cases of right-sided endocarditis with single-leaflet involvement, because repair enables eradication of the infection without implantation of prosthetic material.

No abstract

Retrograde cerebral perfusion under deep hypothermic circulatory arrest is a simple and useful adjunct in aortic surgery and is performed by many surgeons in the treatment of aortic arch pathology. In recent years, this technique has been recommended in the surgery of distal arch and proximal descending aortic lesions through a left thoracotomy inclusion. The aim of the technique is to increase the right atrial pressure for retrograde cerebral perfusion. After cooling using femorofemoral bypass, circulatory arrest is initiated. The right atrial pressure is increased to 20 mmHg, and retrograde cerebral circulation results. In this article, five patients with distal aortic arch and proximal descending thoracic aortic lesions who were operated on by using this technique were evaluated. It is suggested that this technique can be used with a lateral thoracotomy approach that is suitable for procedures on a distal aortic arch and proximal descending aorta.