Altamiro Ribeiro Dias

Aneurysmal dilation of the reimplant segment of the visceral vessels after thoracoabdominal aneurysm correction

We present a case of aneurysmal dilation of the aortic residual segment, involving abdominal vessels in corrective surgeries for thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm, through the identification of risk groups for recurrent dilation, aiming at using a specific operative technique with a branched graft, to prevent aneurysm relapse.

Analysis of aortic root surgery with composite mechanical aortic valve conduit and valve-sparing reconstruction.

OBJECTIVE Comparative analysis of early and late results of aortic root reconstruction with aortic valve sparing operations and the composite mechanical valve conduit replacement. METHODS From November 2002 to September 2009, 164 consecutive patients with mean age 54 ± 15 years, 115 male, underwent the aortic root reconstruction (125 mechanical valve conduit replacements and 39 valve sparing operations). Sixteen percent of patients had Marfan syndrome and 4.3% had bicuspid aortic valve. One hundred and forty-four patients (88%) were followed for a mean period of 41.1 ± 20.8 months. RESULTS The hospital mortality was 4.9%, 5.6% in operations with valved conduits and 2.6% in the valve sparing procedures (P <0.05). There was no difference neither in survival (95% CI = 86% - 96%, P= 0.1) nor in reoperation-free survival (95% CI = 85% - 90%, P = 0.29). The survival free of complications such as bleeding, thromboembolism and endocarditis were favorable to the valve sparing operations, respectively (95% CI = 70% - 95%, P = 0.001), (95% CI = 82% - 95% P = 0.03) and (95% CI = 81% - 95%, P = 0.03). Multivariate analysis showed that creatinine greater than 1.4 mg/dl, Cabrol operation and renal dialysis were predictors of mortality, respectively, with occurrence chance of 6 (95% CI = 1.8 - 19.5, P = 0.003), 12 (95% CI = 3 - 49.7, P = 0.0004) and 16 (95% CI = 3.6 - 71.3, P = 0.0002). CONCLUSIONS The aortic root reconstruction has a low early and late mortality, high survival free of complications and low need for reoperation. During the late follow-up, valve sparing aortic root reconstructions presented fewer incidences of bleeding, thromboembolic events and endocarditis.

Modelo experimental de bandagem ajustável do tronco pulmonar para preparo rápido do ventrículo

OBJECTIVE: A device for pulmonary trunk (PT) banding with percutaneous adjustment was developed with the aim of inducing rapid hypertrophy of the subpulmonary ventricle. MATERIAL AND METHODS: It consists of a silicon cuff occluder which holds the pulmonary trunk; an extension tube that connects the cuff to an auto-sealing silicon button, in which water is injected percutaneously to inflate the cuff and adjust the systolic load to the subpulmonary ventricle. The hearts of seven young goats (average wt.: 8.7 kg) were submitted to systolic overload imposed by the device and assessed under hemodynamic, echocardiographic and morphologic aspects. Baseline myocardial samples of the right ventricular outflow tract were harvested for microscopic analysis (perimeter and area of the myocyte). The device was then placed on the PT. The pressures in the right ventricle (RV), PT and aorta were monitored. After convalescence, the protocol of insufflation of the banding device was initiated in order to achieve a RV systolic pressure 70% of the left ventricle systolic pressure. The hemodynamic and echocardiographic evaluations were performed every 24 hours. The RV systolic overload was maintained through a 96 hours period, with gradual insufflations of the cuff every 24 hours, according to the tolerance of the animal to the pressure load. After this period, the animals were killed for morphologic evaluation of the heart. Another nine goats (average wt.: 7.7 kg) were used as control group to compare the ventricle muscle weight. RESULTS: After 96 hours of RV systolic overload, it was observed an increase in systolic gradient RV/PT, from 10.1±4.3 mmHg to 60,0±11,0 mmHg and in the RV systolic pressure, from 22.4±4.1 mmHg to 71.0±10.0 mmHg (p<0.0001). Serial echocardiography showed an increase of the RV thickness, from 4.4±0.5 mm to 7.3±1.7 mm (p=0.001). Regarding RV weight, there was a 74% increase in the RV submitted to the systolic overload, when compared to the control group (p<0.0001). Under optic microscopy, a 27% increase in perimeter and 69% increase in area of the myocytes were observed (p=0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The device considered in this work is effective and easily adjustable percutaneously, suggesting that the prepare of the subpulmonary ventricle could probably be accomplished in a 96 hour period of systolic overload. Improvements in the adjustment of the PT banding may allow better results of the two-stage Jatene operation in patients with transposition of the great arteries.

Risk Factor Analysis of Hospital Mortality in Patients with Endocarditis with Ring Abscess

Abstract  Background: Endocarditis associated with ring abscess is a pathology with high morbidity and mortality. Aim of the study: The purpose of this study was to analyze hospital mortality risk factors in patients with ring abscess due to endocarditis. Methods: From January 1982 to December 2000, 104 patients underwent surgical intervention at the Heart Institute of the University of São Paulo Medical School for valve endocarditis with ring abscess. The age ranged from 6 years to 73 years, with an average of 40.3 years and 72.1% were male. According to NYHA functional class (FC), 12 (11.5%) were in FC II, 62 (59.6%) in FC III, and 30 (28.9%) in FC IV. Seventy‐seven (74.0%) patients had endocarditis on a bioprosthesis, 58 (55.8%) in the aortic position and 19 (18.3%) in the mitral position. Twenty‐nine (26.9%) patients had atrioventricular blockage prior to the operation. Univariate analysis was performed comparing variables and hospital mortality with a level of significance of 5%. Multivariate analysis was performed by logistic regression. Results: The hospital mortality was 19.2% (20 patients). Univariate analysis showed that atrioventricular blockage, age, and prosthetic valve endocarditis significantly influenced hospital mortality. Multivariate analysis identified atrioventricular blockage as an independent predictor of hospital mortality. Conclusions: Preoperative atrioventricular blockage is an independent risk factor for hospital mortality in the surgical treatment of endocarditis with ring abscess.

Surgical treatment of active infectious endocarditis: a study of 361 surgical cases

OBJECTIVE: To report on the experience achieved with the surgical treatment of 361 patients with acute infectious endocarditis who were operated on in the Heart Institute of the University of Sao Paulo. METHOD: The ages of the patients ranged from 3 to 81 years, with an average age of 38 ± 8.3 years. There were 230 male patients. It was possible to identify the etiologic agent in 311 (86.20%) patients. The diagnosis of acute infectious endocarditis was obtained by clinical, echocardiographic and microbiological evaluations. Two hundred and five patients had lesions of heart valves and 156 patients had lesions of cardiac valvular prostheses. Ninety had annular abscesses and 11 had fistulae. Of the group of diseased native valves, 104 (50.73) were operated on because of severe heart failure and 87 (42.44%) because of progressive sepsis. All natural aortic valves (136) were replaced by artificial valves. There were 107 diseased native mitral valves. In this group partial resections of infected tissue (vegetations) were carried out in 13 patients while maintaining the valvar apparatus. Of the 16 infected tricuspid valves, 8 were replaced. All the prostheses were substituted. The abscesses were cleaned and closed when their diameter was less than 10 mm. The larger abscesses were cleaned and closed with a pericardial graft, which was the support for the artificial valve. RESULTS: There were 75 (20.78%) hospital deaths, most of which caused by heart problems and their complications. There were 15 cases of postoperative endocarditis, 10 of which were re-operated on. The late follow-up showed good functional and clinical results, with 222 (77.62%) patients as NYHA Class I. CONCLUSIONS: When indicated, the surgical treatment must be instituted as early as possible. All diseased and infected tissue must be removed to achieve good results.

Aortic root reconstruction through valve-sparing operation: critical analysis of 11 years of follow-up

INTRODUCTION The composite mechanical valve conduit replacement is the standardized operation for aneurysms of the aortic root. The objective of this study is to evaluate the long-term surgical results of aortic valve-preserving procedures to the root reconstruction. METHODS From 1996 to 2008, 54 consecutive patients underwent two different techniques of valve-sparing aortic root operation (40 Yacoub operations and 14 David operations). Mean age was 48 +/- 14 years (range 17 to 74). 36 patients (66.7%) were male and 16 (29.6%) experienced Marfans syndrome. The mean Euroscore was 4 +/- 1.25. The mean follow up time was 4.1 years (from 49 days to 10.9 years). Clinical and echocardiographic parameters were analysed. T-Student paired test, the McNemar Non Parametric test and the Kaplan-Meyer Outcome Curves have been used. RESULTS The hospital mortality was 5.6% and the average hospitalization time was 9+/-4 days. One non related late death (2%) was reported. The actuarial survival and freedom from reoperation were respectively 94.4% and 96% within 11 years of follow-up. There were benefits in reduction of functional class (P=0.002; 78% CF I), in reduction of aortic regurgitation (P<0.001; 78% with or without discrete reflux), in reduction of systolic and diastolic diameters, end-sytolic and end-diastolic volumes of left ventricle (respectively P=0.004; P<0.0001; P=0.036 and P<0.001). Two (3.9%) patients required aortic valve replacement due to severe aortic regurgitation during this same period. No thromboembolic, endocarditis or bleeding events were reported during the follow-up. CONCLUSION The valve-sparing operation for aortic root aneurysms is an effective alternative to the use of a mechanical valve conduit replacement.

Immediate and long term evolution of valve replacement in children less than 12 years old

OBJECTIVE The aim of this work was the follow-up and evaluation of valve replacement in children under 12 years of age. METHODS Forty-four children less than 12 years old were underwent valve replacement at INCOR-HCFMUSP between January 1986 and December 1992. Forty (91%) were rheumatic, 39 (88.7%) were in functional classes II or IV, 19 (43.2%) were operated upon on an emergency basis, and 6 (13.6%) had atrial fibrillation. Biological prostheses (BP) were employed in 26 patients (59.1%), and mechanical prostheses (MP) in 18 (40.9%). Mitral valves were replaced in 30 (68.7%), aortic valves in 8 (18.2%), a tricuspid valve in 1 (2.3%), and double (aortic and mitral) valves in 5 (11.4) of the patients. RESULTS Hospital mortality was of 4.5% (2 cases). The mean follow-up period was 5.8 years. Re-operations occurred in 63.3% of the patients with BP and in 12.5% of those with MP (p=0.002). Infectious endocarditis was present in 26.3% of the BP, but in none of the cases of MP (p=0.049). Thrombosis occurred in 2 (12.5%) and hemorrhage in one (6.5%) of the patients with a MP. Delayed mortality occurred in 5 (11.9%) of the patients over a mean period of 2.6 years; four had had BP and one had a MP (NS). Actuarial survival and re-operation-free curves after 10 years were respectively, 82.5+/-7.7 (SD)% and 20.6+/-15.9%. CONCLUSION Patients with MP required fewer re-operation, had less infectious endocarditis and lower late mortality rates compared with patients with bioprostheses. The former, therefore, appear to be the best valve replacement for pediatric patients.

Influência da lidocaína na proteção miocárdica com solução cardioplégica sangüínea

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this research is to evaluate the efficacy of the lidocaine in myocardial protection with normothermic antegrade blood cardioplegia. METHOD: Twenty six dogs were studied divided at random into two groups of ten and one group of six, depending on which cardioplegic solution they had received. Group I received a cardioplegic solution induction of lidocaine 5mg/kg, 41,6mEq/l of KCl and 180ml of normothermic blood. Group II received the same solution except for the lidocaine and group III received only 180ml of blood. Every 20min 120ml of normothermic blood was reinfused. All dogs underwent cardiopulmonary bypass, two hours of myocardial ischemia and three hours of reperfusion. These dogs were evaluated through operative mortality, myocardial enzymes such as cardiac troponin I and creatine kinase, lactate production, hemodynamic performance measured by ejection fraction and cardiac output, and morphometrics mitochondrial ultrastructural changes. Statistical analysis tests used to compare the results were the Fisher exact test and the two-way Anova. RESULTS: The results have shown that the animals from group I in comparison to those of group II, had no mortality (p=0,08), a lower production of creatine kinase (p<0,05), lower mitochondrial ultrastructural changes (p=0,036) and had no difference with cardiac troponin I production, lactate production and hemodynamic performance. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion it can be said that lidocaine offered an additional protection to the ischemic myocardial during cardiopulmonary bypass and that animals from groups I and II, with time, showed significant changes, compatible with cellular damage, for all the subjects evaluated.

Estudo experimental em cães da ação protetora de solução cardioplégica de lidocaína e potássio

INTRODUCTION: The action of a cardioplegic solutions with lidocaine and potassium. Was studied experimentally in dogs. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fourteen dogs, divided en two groups, were operated. The group 1 was composed of 5 dogs, who were submitted to 120 minutes of myocardial anoxia, through cross clamping of the ascending aorta under cardiopulmonary bypass, without any myocardial protection. The group 2 were treated in the same way, but received cardioplegic protection. The technique of cardioplegia consisted of two phases: a) Induction phase the induction was achieved by the injection of 100mg of lidocain and 2.5 mEq of potassium, diluted in 60 ml of blood from the arterial line. This first injection was in bolus. After this, blood was injected from the arterial line during 30 seconds. The heart immediately had an arrest. b)The second phase was called maintaining phase. This phase consisted of repeated injections of blood from the arterial line, during 30 seconds each, and repeated every 20 minutes during the ischemic period. RESULTS: All animals of this protected group survived after the release of the cross clamping of the aorta and all the dogs of the non protected group died after the end of the ischemic time. Echocardiographic evaluation were performed in 3 different moments of the experiment. The first was control, before cardiopulmonary bypass and the measures of delta D and ejection fraction were normal in all animals. The second was done about one hour after the reperfusion, in the group 2 animals. This measurement showed a decrease of 30% when compared with the control values. The third echocardiographic evaluation was done 5 hours after the end of the perfusion and showed a restoring to normal values in all 9 dogs of the group 2 dogs. All 14 hearts were studied with optical and electronic morphological exams. The group 1 dogs showed intense myocardial damage, while the group 2 animals showed inexpressive morphological findings. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that the cardioplegia technique utilized in group 2 animals was effective in myocardial protection action, with good echocardiographic performance after perfusion and almost no morphological alterations in anatomopathological studies.

Tratamento cirúrgico da endocardite em prótese valvular cardíaca

No periodo de janeiro de 1983 a marco de 1988, 1.512 pacientes foram submetidos a substituicao valvar, no Instituto do Coracao, sendo 28 (1,85%) deles por endocardite em protese valvular. Dezessete doentes eram do sexo masculino e a idade variou de 18 a 67 anbs, com media e desvio padrao de 36,7 ± 12,9. A avaliacao da classe funcional (CF.) revelou 11 pacientes em CF. IV, 12 em C. F. III e 5 em CF . II. Oito (28,5%) pacientes foram operados em condicoes de emergencia. Um paciente era portador e valvula mecânica e 27, de valvula biologica. As hemoculturas foram positivas em 14 (50%) pacientes; o agente mais encontrado foi o Streptococcus viridans em 5 casos. O ecocardiograma realizado no pre-operatorio em 27 pacientes mostrou correlacao com os achados cirurgicos em 26 (96,2%). Na cirurgia, 17 doentes apresentavam vegetacao na protese e 11, abscesso no anel. Na retroca, foram utilizadas bioproteses em 27 (96,4%) pacientes. A mortalidade imediata foi de 28,5% (8 doentes), ocorrendo 1 obito tardio. A analise da associacao obito e tempo de aparecimento da endocardite, condicao cirurgica e resultado da cultura foi feita pelo teste de Qui-Quadrado (χ2). Podemos concluir que as condicoes clinicas pre-operatorias interferem, decisivamente, no resultado cirurgico; a cirurgia de emergencia tem resultados piores, devido as condicoes mais criticas dos doentes; as endocardites mais precoces sao mais graves; a manipulacao de focos infecciosos em pacientes com protese valvular deve ser cuidadosa e precedida de antibioticoterapia e, nos doentes sobreviventes a operacao, a evolucao a longo prazo apresenta melhora significativa da classe funcional.