Bektas Battaloglu

Increased thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame counts in patients with isolated coronary artery ectasia

The Thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) frame count is a simple clinical tool for assessing quantitative indexes of coronary blood flow. This measurement has been significantly correlated with flow velocity measured with a flow-wire by several investigators during baseline conditions or hyperemia. In this study we aimed to evaluate the coronary flow in patients with isolated coronary artery ectasia by means of the TIMI frame count and to compare the results with those of patients with angiographically normal coronary arteries. The study population consisted of 37 patients with coronary artery ectasia only in the right coronary artery (RCA). The control group consisted of 31 patients with angiographically proven normal coronary arteries. Coronary artery ectasia was defined as nonobstructive lesions of the coronary arteries with a luminal dilatation 1.5-fold or more of the adjacent normal coronary segments. The TIMI frame count was determined for each major coronary artery in each patient according to the methods first described by Gibson et al. The TIMI frame count of RCA in the study group was significantly higher than in that of the control group (51 ± 17 vs 25 ± 8, P ≪ 0.0001). The TIMI frame counts of the study group for the left anterior descending and left circumflex coronary artery were also significantly higher than those of the control group (corrected TIMI frame count for LAD = 42 ± 11 vs 24 ± 7, P ≪ 0.001; TIMI frame count for LCx = 44 ± 15 vs 25 ± 9, P ≪ 0.001). In patients with coronary artery ectasia, the TIMI frame count of the RCA was higher than that of the left anterior descending and left circumflex coronary artery (51 ± 17 vs 42 ± 11 and 44 ± 15, respectively, P ≪ 0.05). We have shown increased TIMI frame counts in patients with isolated coronary artery ectasia and suggest that the pathophysiological mechanism of coronary artery ectasia is not a focal disease. TIMI frame counts can be regarded as an index of the severity of impaired coronary flow in patients with coronary artery ectasia.

Routine coronary arteriography before abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

BACKGROUND As cardiac complications constitute the principal cause of early and late morbidity and mortality after the surgical treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), a prospective study was planned to evaluate the effects of revascularization of coronary arteries on survival after AAA repair during early and long-term follow-up periods. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 125 patients underwent elective repair of AAA between 1986 and 1994. Coronary arteriography was performed in all cases. All cases with critical left anterior descending artery (LAD) lesions underwent a coronary artery bypass operation either simultaneously or shortly before AAA repair. In addition, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was performed for symptomatic and critical stenosis of arteries other than the LADs, or if noncritical but symptomatic stenosis of the LADs existed. Early and late follow-up data were obtained for all cases, and late-term cumulative survival rates were calculated. RESULTS Coronary artery lesions were found in 66 (53%) cases. In 24 cases, AAA repairs were performed 2.3 (mean) months after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), whereas in 4 cases both procedures were performed simultaneously. PTCA was performed in 4 cases 3 to 4 days prior to the abdominal surgery. Even though the coronary artery lesions were found inoperable in 7 cases, these patients underwent repair of AAA because of rapidly expanding and painful aneurysms. Early mortality rate was 4% (5 cases), in which 3 of these were from the group inoperable for CABG. A mean follow-up of 3.17 years (3 to 87 months) was achieved for all discharged patients. Cumulative survival rates for 6 months and 1, 2, 3, and 6 years were 99%, 99%, 95%, 93%, and 89%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study emphasize the importance of coronary artery revascularization for early, and especially for late, survival after AAA repair.

Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery: the subxiphoid approach

BACKGROUND This report describes mitral valve replacement using a unique subxiphoid approach with a lower ministernotomy and a skin crease incision and compares the operative and echocardiographic results to patients undergoing mitral valve replacements using previously described strategies. METHODS Fifty-four patients underwent mitral valve replacement using a subxiphoid approach (group 1); 32 patients underwent mitral valve replacement, 11 patients underwent mitral valve replacement + tricuspid reconstruction, 2 patients underwent mitral valve replacement + tricuspid valve replacement, and 9 patients underwent mitral reconstruction. This group of patients was compared to 11 patients who underwent mitral valve replacement through a superior ministernotomy (group 2) and 29 patients who underwent mitral valve replacement with full median sternotomy (group 3, 22 mitral valve replacements, 2 mitral valve replacements + tricuspid reconstruction, 2 mitral reconstructions, and 3 mitral reconstructions + tricuspid reconstruction). RESULTS There was no operative mortality in all groups. The operation lasted significantly longer in group 2 patients compared to group 1 and 3 patients (p < 0.01). Postoperative mediastinal drainage was significantly lower in groups 1 and 2 (p < 0.001). Pain assessment revealed no difference between the groups. Three patients in group 1 presented with pericardial effusion. Except for this complication, early postoperative echocardiographic findings of the patients were similar in all three groups. All patients were in New York Heart Association functional class I or II at the second postoperative month, irrespective of the surgical technique used. CONCLUSIONS There was no prominent superiority of the ministernotomy approaches over the standard median sternotomy approach. However, the reliability of the subxiphoid approach is documented echocardiographically and any type of mitral replacement can be performed with this approach.

Left main coronary artery compression by dilated pulmonary trunk in a patient with atrial septal defect.

A 52-year-old man, presenting with exertional chest pain was investigated to explain his chest pain. Echocardiographic examination revealed he had the ostium secundum type of atrial septal defect, dilated right heart chambers, dilated pulmonary artery, and pulmonary artery systolic pressure of 65 mm Hg calculated from tricuspid regurgitation, but his chest pain could not be explained with these findings. Therefore, cardiac catheterization and coronary angiograph were performed Coronary angiography revealed severe stenosis of the left main coronary artery and otherwise normal vessels. Angiographic images made us think that there might be an external compressing structure on the left main coronary artery. For further evaluation, contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance images of the heart were taken. These images showed that the markedly dilated pulmonary artery was compressing the left main coronary artery.

Axillary Artery Perfusion in Acute Type A Aortic Dissection Repair

Abstract  Background: We evaluated our experience with axillary artery perfusion technique in acute type A aortic dissection repair. Methods: Between September 2000 and July 2006, 41 consecutive patients with acute type A aortic dissection underwent surgical repair. In 35 of 41 patients (85.4%), arterial perfusion was performed through right axillary artery and in the remaining six patients (14.6%), arterial perfusion site was femoral artery. Indication for femoral artery perfusion was cardiac arrest and ongoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation in one and pulslessness of right upper limb in five patients. Mean age was 54.9 ± 15.3 (16 to 90 years) and 28 were male. Unilateral antegrade cerebral perfusion (perfusate temperature 22 to 25 °C) through axillary artery was performed in all axillary artery perfused patients and in three patients who had femoral artery perfusion. Results: Five patients died postoperatively (hospital mortality 12.2%). All of them had evidence of single or multiple organ malperfusion preoperatively. We did not experience any new transient or permanent neurologic deficit after the procedure in the unilateral antegrade cerebral perfusion patients. Complications related to axillary artery cannulation were observed in two patients (5.3%). One patient with femoral artery cannulation experienced femoral arterial thrombosis, postoperatively. Conclusions: Right axillary artery cannulation for repair of acute type A aortic dissection is a simple and safe procedure. In the case of pulslessness of right upper limb, femoral artery is still the choice of cannulation site.

Aberrant Right Subclavian Artery and Axillary Artery Cannulation in Type A Aortic Dissection Repair

Currently, right axillary artery cannulation and unilateral antegrade cerebral perfusion through the same cannula are preferred choices for acute type A aortic dissection repair. However, the existence of an aberrant right subclavian artery can jeopardize cerebral perfusion through the right axillary artery cannula. In this study, we intended to explain the repair of acute type A aortic dissection using right axillary artery cannulation in a patient with aberrant right subclavian artery.

Anomalous LAD and CX Artery Arising Separately from the Proximal Right Coronary Artery—A Case Report of Single Coronary Artery with Coronary Artery Disease

Abstract  Coronary artery anomaly has been reported at a rate of 0.6% to 1.3% in routine angiographic series. Moreover, single coronary artery is one of the rarest anomalies among coronary anomalies. Eventhough patients with coronary anomalies are usually asymptomatic, they may also be associated with myocardial ischemia, ventricular fibrillation, syncope, congestive heart failure, and sudden death. In this article, we report a case of single coronary artery anomaly with the left anterior descending (LAD) and left circumflex (LCx) coronary artery arising separately from the proximal right coronary artery. Since the presented case was associated with ischemic heart disease, coronary artery bypass grafting was carried out. He is currently well.

Aorto-pulmonary artery fistula: An unusual complication of ascending aortic aneurysm

We report an unusual outcome of an ascending aorta aneurysm ruptured into the main pulmonary trunk. After successful emergency repair, an acute respiratory distress syndrome developed perioperatively and complicated the postoperative period. The patient could not be weaned from mechanical ventilation for a long time. The patient was discharged on the 62nd day of admission in good condition.

Urgent revascularization of a liver allograft with a saphenous vein interposition graft between the hepatic artery and the recipient splenic artery after late hepatic artery thrombosis

Hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) after liver transplantation is a severe complication which may lead to graft infarction and subsequent graft loss. It complicates 2–12% of adult liver transplantations (1, 2) and subsequently leads to retransplantation in 50–75% of patients (3). Fortunately, innovations in Doppler ultrasonography and digital angiography technologies have provided an accurate and rapid method for detecting HAT before ischemic damage of the allograft (4). Revascularization procedures that can be performed once the diagnosis of HAT has been confirmed include thrombectomy alone, intrahepatic arterial thrombolysis with thrombolytic agents, creation of a new anastomosis between a more proximal part of the recipient artery and a more distal part of the donor hepatic artery, and introduction of an interposition graft (3). Early diagnosis is a prerequisite for these revascularization strategies. Weeport here the case of a patient with previous orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) and splenectomy in whom hepatic arterial reconstruction using saphenous vein graft between the splenic artery and the transplant hepatic artery following HAT was performed.

On-pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery in High-risk Patients Aged Over 65 Years (EuroSCORE 6 or More): Impact on Early Outcomes

The results of on-pump coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery in 166 high-risk elderly patients (EuroSCORE 6 or more; over age 65 years [mean 71.8 years]) were compared with 176 low-risk elderly patients (EuroSCORE below 6; over age 65 years [mean 68.8 years]). There was no significant difference in hospital mortality or number of grafts between the two groups. Rates of inotropic agent use, intra-aortic balloon pump insertion and atrial fibrillation, and the duration of intensive care unit and hospital stay were significantly higher in high-risk than low-risk patients. There were no significant differences in the incidence of major complications between the two groups. The results suggest that, in selected patients, on-pump CABG can be safely performed in high-risk patients over 65 years old with no effect on mortality.