Indian Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery最新文献

A newly identified left atrial (LA) mass on a post-repair intraoperative transoesphageal echocardiogram (TEE), following a left ventricle (LV) thrombectomy, will make the surgical team wonder-whether a part of the thrombus has been dislodged into the LA or what else could it be? This report is about a 34-year-old male who underwent LV thrombectomy, for whom the post cardiopulmonary bypass intra-operative TEE showed a new LA mass that turned out to be an inverted left atrial appendage on exploration.

Objective: Antegrade cardioplegia may cause maldistribution in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease. Surgically bypassing large epicardial vessels before the cross-clamp and then administering cardioplegia from both the aortic root and the anastomosed grafts significantly prevent maldistribution and provide better cardiac protection.

Methods: This study included 80 patients, all older than 70 years with an ejection fraction between 25 and 35%. Patients were equally divided into two groups. Distal anastomoses to some of large epicardial coronary arteries were performed before the cross-clamp was placed. Grafted veins were attached to multi-perfusion set ports. Then, cross-clamping was performed, and the multi-perfusion set was disconnected from the aortic cannula and attached to the cardioplegia route. Antegrade cardioplegia was administered to both the aortic root and saphenous vein grafts. After all distal anastomoses were completed, the cross-clamp was removed, and the multi-perfusion set was connected to the aortic cannula again. Conventional coronary bypass techniques were used in group 2 patients.

Results: Inotropic agents were administered in 12 patients in group 1 and 29 patients in group 2 (p < 0.001). The average troponin I value in coronary sinus blood was 1.05 ± 0.8 ng/mL in group 1 and 3.12 ± 0.7 ng/mL in group 2 (p < 0.001). The average lactate value in coronary sinus blood was 1.15 ± 0.55 mmol/L in group 1 and 3.7 ± 2.4 mmol/L in group 2 (p < 0.001). Six patients died in the early postoperative period in group 2 (p = 0.028).

Conclusion: The current technique considerably reduces cross-clamping time and allows better distribution of the cardioplegic solution, preserving myocardium. Reduced coronary sinus lactate and troponin I levels also indicate better myocardial protection.

The Nordic Aortic Valve Intervention-2 (NOTION-2) trial is the first randomized controlled trial to compare transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in low-risk patients, specifically focusing on relatively younger patients and those with bicuspid valves. It randomized 370 patients (mean age 71 years) to assess outcomes at 1 year. Results indicated a higher composite primary endpoint rate for TAVI (10.2%) compared to SAVR (7.1%) in the overall cohort, with even more pronounced differences in patients with bicuspid valves (14.3% for TAVI vs. 3.9% for SAVR). The risk of death or disabling stroke at 1 year was also three times higher with TAVI.

Background: The introduction of endoscopic saphenous vein harvesting (ESVH) has been reported to reduce wound pain and infection, compared with open saphenous vein harvesting (OSVH) techniques. There are still controversies regarding this technique. The aim of our study is to investigate the endothelial preservation of saphenous vein (SV) grafts harvested by different techniques. Further observations were made for harvesting and closure time, incision length and effect of pressure distension of the veins to the vein endothelium.

Methods: Prospective observational study of sixty human saphenous vein grafts was performed to evaluate endothelial preservation by haematoxylin-eosin and Cluster of Differentiation 31 (CD 31) staining. Saphenous vein was harvested endoscopically either by closed CO₂ (carbon dioxide) ESVH, open CO₂ ESVH or OSVH harvesting technique. Demographic data and intra-operative data were collected. Two saphenous vein samples were collected from each patient to compare differences before and after distension of the veins. Both haematoxylin-eosin and immunohistochemistry slides were imaged by a high-resolution slide scanning system.

Results: Open CO₂ ESVH group showed the highest number of endothelial detachments. Mean scoring of the immunohistochemistry method using the CD31 antibody was much lower in the open CO₂ ESVH group (33.25% ± 28.71, P < 0.0003). This represents a more poorly preserved endothelial cells in the Open CO₂ ESVH than the closed CO₂ ESVH. Closure time and incision lengths were significantly shorter in both ESVH groups compared to the OSVH group. Significant low scores of immunohistochemistry for samples were seen in distended veins (39.0% ± 30.08, p = 0.004). The OSVH in random sample B, which represents the conduit that will be used, had a far better endothelium preservation and less endothelial detachment when compared to ESVH.

Conclusion: We observed more endothelial detachment in the open CO₂ ESVH group, due to lack of subcutaneous tissue separation, poor visualization and traction stress across the wall of the saphenous vein. The closed CO₂ ESVH group had more endothelial cells preserved, but the OSVH group fared the best with the least number of endothelial cell detachment and a higher score of CD31 antibody.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12055-024-01752-3.

Left ventricular (LV) pseudoaneurysms are uncommon, with traumatic cases being particularly rare. We present a case of a 26-year-old male with a delayed presentation of a traumatic LV pseudoaneurysm, 2 years post-blunt chest trauma. The patient experienced New York Heart Association (NYHA) grade 2 dyspnea, which prompted the investigation. Imaging studies, including X-ray, echocardiogram, and cardiac computed tomography (CT), revealed a large pseudoaneurysm arising from the LV apex, containing intramural thrombus. The surgical intervention involved the closure of the communicating orifice and on-lay pericardial patch placement. This case emphasizes the diagnostic challenges and successful management of traumatic LV pseudoaneurysms. Early detection through imaging and prompt surgical intervention led to a favorable outcome. This report contributes to understanding post-traumatic pseudoaneurysms and underscores the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in their management. Further studies are needed to refine diagnostic and treatment strategies for this rare condition.

Hazard modeling in cardiothoracic surgery, crucial for understanding patient outcomes, utilizes survival analysis like the Cox proportional hazards model. Kaplan-Meier curves are employed in survival analysis to represent the probability of survival over time. While Cox assumes proportional hazards, the Fine-Gray model deals with competing risks. Parametric models (e.g., Weibull) specify survival distributions, unlike Cox. Bayesian analysis integrates prior knowledge with data. Machine learning, including decision trees and support vector machines, enhances risk prediction by analyzing extensive datasets. However, it is important to note that whatever new approaches one may adopt will enhance the quality of risk assessment and not the risk assessment as such. Preprocessing is vital for data quality in complex cardiovascular datasets, alongside robust validation methods like cross-validation for model reliability across patient cohorts.