OBJECTIVES
Totally endoscopic aortic valve replacement (AVR) is still a challenging operation, and only a few series reports exist in the literature. The purposes of this study were to establish a method for endoscopic AVR and evaluate its initial results.
METHODS
A total of 47 patients (median age 76 years, 17 men) underwent endoscopic AVR. The main wound was created in the right anterolateral 4th intercostal space through a 4-cm skin incision. No rib spreader was used. A 3-dimensional endoscope was inserted at the midaxillary line. A 5.5-mm trocar was inserted in the 3rd intercostal space, thus creating a 3-port setting similar to that used for endoscopic mitral valve surgery. A standard prosthesis was used, and the sutures were tied using a knot pusher. Results were compared with those of 157 patients who underwent right transaxillary AVR with direct vision plus endoscopic assist.
RESULTS
Patient backgrounds did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. No deaths occurred in the entire series. There was no conversion to thoracotomy or sternotomy in the endoscopic AVR group. The complication rate did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. The total operating time was significantly shorter in endoscopic AVR (188–206 min); the cardiopulmonary bypass time (130–128 min) and the cross-clamp time (90–95 min) did not differ significantly (median, endoscopic AVR, right transaxillary AVR). Two patients underwent endoscopic double-valve (aortic and mitral) surgery under the same conditions.
CONCLUSIONS
Endoscopic AVR was possible through 3 ports created in the right anterolateral chest, similar to the procedure for endoscopic mitral valve surgery. By adopting a common approach for both the aortic and the mitral valve operations, endoscopic double-valve surgery can be performed seamlessly.
Irrespective of the longer CPB and cross-clamp time than for CMS, MICS had a shorter operation time, less bleeding, and resulted in quicker recovery. The 3PTER was safe and cosmetically excellent.
Background. Reports are few on the long-term patency of bilateral internal thoracic artery (BITA) grafts in patients with diabetes. We evaluated the relationship between the long-term patency of BITAs and the clinical outcomes in diabetes.Methods. We retrospectively identified 569 patients (321 with diabetes, 248 without diabetes) who underwent isolated BITA grafting for left-sided complete revascularization at our institution from 2000 to 2015. The primary end point was the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events comprising death, re-revascularization, and myocardial infarction. The secondary end point was the patency of the BITAs.Results. No differences were found in the major adverse cardiovascular event rate (10-year: diabetic group, 33.7%; nondiabetic group, 22.3%; p [ 0.15) or overall mortality rate (24.0% versus 12.2%, p [ 0.066) between the patients with and without diabetes. The incidence of cardiac death (3.3% versus 1.8%, p [ 0.80) or rerevascularization and myocardial infarction (11.4% versus 11.8%, p [ 0.67) was similar between the groups. The patency of free internal thoracic artery (ITA) grafts to the left circumflex artery was associated with greater patency in patients with diabetes than in patients without diabetes (4 years: 99.3% versus 95.5%, p [ 0.049); the patency of other ITA grafts did not differ between the groups.Conclusions. All-cause death, re-revascularization, and myocardial infarction showed no differences between patients with and without diabetes who underwent leftsided revascularization with the BITAs. Although diabetes did not affect the patency of the ITA, free ITA grafts to the left circumflex artery showed good long-term patency in patients with diabetes.
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