Background: For years, septal myectomy has been considered the best available treatment for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In Bangladesh, however, this technique is only nascent. We present a case series of septal myectomy with outcomes after 1 to 6 years at the National Heart Foundation Hospital & Research Institute. Methods: For this study, 21 patients who underwent septal myectomy from 2014 to 2019 were monitored retrospectively. Evidence was collected from the hospital database and followed up via telephone conversations using a structured questionnaire. Patients’ preoperative, postoperative, and follow-up clinical data were collected and analyzed. Results: The results reveal that after septal myectomy, there were significant improvements in terms of left ventricular outflow gradient (P ≤ .01), septal thickness (P ≤ .01), left ventricular ejection fraction (P = .001), pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (P ≤ .01), mitral regurgitation (P ≤ .01), systolic anterior motion (P ≤ .01), and New York Heart Association class (P ≤ .01). Conclusion: This study suggests that septal myectomy be offered to symptomatic hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy patients, as its survival benefits and symptoms relief are excellent. This study suggests that septal myectomy that dynamic obstruction at the left ventricular outflow tract is the major hemodynamic problem. We hope that with appropriate measures, new myectomy programs in our country can provide extended longevity and restore the quality of life.

Aim: To evaluate the relationship of abnormal Liver Function Tests (LFTs) to outcomes in patients with heart failure due to reduced ejection fraction (HFREF) at the time of diagnosis in the heart failure clinic. Methods:We undertook a retrospective analysis of all patients diagnosed with HFREF in the heart failure outpatient clinic of a tertiary teaching hospital from 2007 to 2011. Ninety-five patients with abnormal LFTs at presentation were compared with 127 contemporaneous randomly chosen patients with normal LFTs and their outcomes were analyzed. Time to event data mortality and admission rates, as well as length of hospital stay during admissions were assessed. Results:Of 222 patients 69% were Male. The mean age across both the groups was 69.2 ± 13.2 years. The major ethnic group was of white background (78%). Majority of patients were in NYHA class 2 (54.5%). On multivariate analysis, low albumin at the time of diagnosis was the strongest predictor of all cause death (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.15-1.35, p<0.0001). Patients in the abnormal LFT group had a longer in-hospital stay compared to those in the normal LFT group (25.9 ± 29.1 days vs. 17.2 ± 20.5 days, p=0.01). Low albumin and elevated alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were the strongest predictors of increased length of in-hospital stay following heart failure related admissions on multivariate analysis (OR -0.583, CI -1.119, -0.046, p=0.035 and OR 0.033, CI 0.005, 0.061, p=0.02, respectively). Every unit increase of albumin resulted in reduction of in hospital stay by 0.875 days. Time to event analysis showed more deaths in the abnormal LFT group when compared to the normal LFT group (log rank test p=0.012). Although an elevated ALP was seen to be associated with readmission, multivariate analysis found this to be a trend only, with none of the LFTs being predictive. Conclusion:Abnormal LFTs in the outpatient setting in patients with HFREF was associated with higher mortality in this study. Low Albumin was independently associated with mortality and length of hospital stay due to heart failure. An elevated alkaline phosphatase also seems to be important in predicting length of stay in hospital. Triaging acute heart failure patients due to Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction (LVSD) using abnormal LFTs as biomarkers for more intensive treatment and monitoring would seem advisable. However, this is a retrospective analysis of a relatively small number of patients and the conclusions must be seen in that light.

Dialysis catheters are commonly used tools for patients requiring hemodialysis. A dilator with a large caliber is used to insert such a catheter, which in turn can result in serious vascular injury leading to rare complications like hemothorax. Common treatment options for such vascular injuries comprise surgical repair by thoracotomy or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and endovascular repair. We herein report a case of a brachiocephalic vein injury and massive right-sided hemothorax following the insertion of a tunneled dialysis catheter in the right internal jugular vein, treated successfully by our team at Square Hospitals Ltd.

Ellis-Van Creveld (EVC) syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder. Around 150 cases are described in published literature and in Bangladesh, it is even rare.  The patient usually comes with short stature, dental deformity, and cardiac deformity. Here, we present the case of a patient with ostium primum atrial septal defect (ASD) with moderate mitral regurgitation who underwent surgical repair of ASD and mitral valve replacement.

BackgroundDespite ample evidence of continuing preoperative aspirin to improve coronary artery bypass surgery outcomes, practice for the routine continuation of preoperative aspirin is inconsistent due to concern for increased postoperative bleeding. The purpose of this study was to investigate preoperative aspirin use and its effect on postoperative bleeding after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG). MethodologyThis cohort study involved patients (n = 74) who underwent OPCABG at a single center between August 2017 and January 2018. After considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the patients were divided into two groups: one (n = 37) received tablet aspirin 75 mg till the day of the surgery, and for the other group (n = 37) aspirin was stopped five days before the surgery. Postoperative bleeding was recorded in both groups. After considering preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative variables, statistical analysis was performed. ResultsThere was no significant difference between the two groups concerning peroperative and postoperative variables. In addition, no significant difference was observed between the two groups in chest tube drainage at one, two, three, twenty-four, forty-eight, and seventy-two hours (p = 0.845, 0.126, 0.568, 0.478, 0.342, and 0.717, respectively). No significant difference was seen in the transfusion requirement of blood and fresh frozen plasma (FFP). ConclusionsContinuation of preoperative aspirin till the day of the surgery is neither associated with an increase in chest tube drainage, reoperation for bleeding complications nor transfusion of blood and FFP.