Claudio Arretz V

Comportamiento clínico de los tumores cardíacos desde el feto hasta el adulto: serie multicéntrica de 38 pacientes

BACKGROUND Cardiac tumors are very uncommon at all ages. There are important clinical differences between children and adults in the behavior of these tumors. AIM To compare the behavior of primary and secondary cardiac tumors, from fetal age to adults. PATIENTS AND METHOD Multicentric retrospective analysis of 38 children and adults with cardiac tumors, evaluated with echocardiography between January 1995 and August 2001. Medical records, echocardiographic and radiological examinations, surgical protocols and pathologic examinations were reviewed. Follow-up was obtained through data on medical records or calling patients by telephone. RESULTS Tumors were diagnosed in 38 patients (13 children and 25 adults), from a total of 31.800 echocardiograms. In children the diagnosis was made by fetal, transthoracic or transesophageal echocardiography in 23.6% and 8% of cases, respectively. Eighty five percent were primary (10 benign and 1 malignant) and 15%, secondary tumors. Fifty four percent were rhabdomyomas and 75% regressed spontaneously. Seventy seven percent were symptomatic and 31% were treated with surgery. During a follow up of 44+/-35 months, 31% of patients died. In adults, 76% of tumors were diagnosed by transthoracic and 20% by transesophageal echocardiography. Seventy six percent were primary (18 benign and 1 malignant) and 24% secondary tumors. Fifty six percent were myxomas. Ninety two percent were symptomatic and 84% were treated surgically. Twenty percent of patients died in the early postoperative period. No adult patients had a follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Rhabdomyomas were solely found in children. In adults, myxomas are the predominant cardiac tumors. Primary and metastasic malignant tumors are observed both in children and in adults.Multicentric retrospective analysis of 38 children andadults with cardiac tumors, evaluated with echocardiography between January 1995 andAugust 2001. Medical records, echocardiographic and radiological examinations, surgicalprotocols and pathologic examinations were reviewed. Follow-up was obtained through data onmedical records or calling patients by telephone.

Mixoma cardiaco: Caracterización clínica, métodos diagnósticos y resultados alejados del tratamiento quirúrgico durante tres décadas de experiencia

Background: Cardiac myxoma is the most common primary cardiac tumor. Aim: To evaluate clinical aspects, diagnostic methods and surgical outcomes in patients with cardiac myxoma. Patients and Methods: All patients who underwent surgical resection of a cardiac myxoma between January 1973 and December 2004 at our institution, were identified and their medical records and diagnostic data reviewed. Results: Thirty seven patients identified (24 women), with a median age of 54 years (range 2-74). The most common symptom was dyspnea (51%), followed by embolism (24%) and cardiac murmurs (16%). The diagnosis was made by echocardiogram in 84% of patients. The mean tumor size was 4.9 ± 1.3 cm. The tumor was located in the left atrium in 83% of the patients, right atrium in 8% and left ventricle in 3%. Two patients had multiple tumors. Surgical approach was transeptal in 51%, left atriotomy in 22%, combined transeptal and roof of the left atrium in 19% and right atriotomy in 8%. The tumor and its attachment base were excised in one piece. There were two operative deaths and five late deaths. The mean follow-up was 11.5 years. The 5, 10, 15 and 20 years survival was 89%, 83%, 75% and 64%, respectively. Two patients had recurrence (5.4%), at 2 and 25 years after surgery, respectively, and the recurrence free survival at 10 and 25 years was 97% and 73%, respectively. Conclusions: Dyspnea was the most common symptom and echocardiogram the main diagnostic method. Surgical treatment was highly effective, with low mortality and recurrence rate, with good long term survival (Rev Med Chile 2008; 136: 287-95). (Key words: Echocardiography; Heart neoplasms; Myxoma)

Operación de Fontan: resultados inmediatos y a mediano plazo con anastomosis cavopulmonar total

Background: During the last five years, 65 patients with univentricular heart have been treated surgically in our institution, according to a protocol of staged operations that have been previously reported. Aim: To evaluate the early and mid-term outcome of those patients that have completed their staging protocol by means of a Fontan procedure. Patients and Methods: Between April 1996 and June 2001, 23 patients (age 16 to 223 months) underwent a Fontan procedure, 15 with an intracardiac lateral tunnel technique and 8 with an extracardiac conduit. A retrospective review of their clinical, surgical, echocardiographic, angiographic and hemodynamic data was performed, trying to identify risk factors for both mortality and functional capacity (FC). Follow up was complete in all survivors. Results: Three patients died early after surgery (13.04%). Excessive pulmonary blood flow was a risk factor for early death (p= 0.03). One patient died at 14 months. Follow up was 29.9 months (1-63). For those who survived the operation, five years survival was 93.3%. The majority of patients are in FC I or II, with no related risk factors. Conclusions: Our current results are comparable with those of larger series. Patients reach good FC and mid-term survival, irrespective of type of single ventricle or the surgical strategy (Rev Med Chile 2002; 130: 1217-26).

Resultados alejados de la cirugía reconstructora de la insuficiencia mitral

Background: Surgical repair is the procedure of choice for mitral insufficiency since it preserves better left ventricular structure and function. Aim: To assess the long term clinical and echocardiographic results of mitral valve reconstructive surgery. Material and methods: A review of clinical and echocardiographic data of 68 patients (34 male, age range 17 to 82 years), subjected to surgical mitral valve repair between December 1991 and March 1998. Preoperative functional capacity of these patients was 2.96 ± 0.7. Surgical repair was assessed using transesophagic echocardiography in all subjects. Results: The etiology of mitral insufficiency was degenerative in 43 patients, rheumatic in 10, infectious in 6, ischemic in 5 and miscellaneous in 4. The most frequent pathological findings were dilatation of the mitral ring in 42% of patients, chordae tendinae rupture in 32% and enlargement in 24%. A mitral anuloplasty was done in 90% of patients, a cuadrilateral resection of posterior leaflet in 52% and chordae tendinae transference in 12%. An additional surgical procedure was done in 34% of subjects. Three patients died during hospitalization (4.4%). During the follow up of 36.5 ± 22.3 months, five patients died and one required a mitral valve replacement. The actuarial survival probability was 95.3 ± 2.6% at one year and 83.5 ± 6.5% at five years. The reoperation free survival was 100% at one year and 97.4 ± 2.5% at five years. At the end of follow up the functional capacity improved to 1.25 ± 0.4. Echocardiography showed absence of mitral insufficiency in 48.4% of patients, minimal, mild and moderate insufficiency in 35.5, 14.5 and 1.6% of patients respectively. Conclusions: Surgical valve reconstruction in mitral insufficiency has satisfactory long term results and should be the procedure of choice for eligible patients.

Cirugía paliativa mediante operación de Norwood en distintas formas de corazón univentricular: resultados quirúrgicos inmediatos

: Norwood procedure is used as the first stage in thepalliative treatment of the hypoplastic heart syndrome and can be used, with some technicalmodifications, in other forms of univentricular heart with aortic stenosis or hypoplasia. Thesepatients have a high mortality (50%), derived from the procedure itself and from their abnor-mal physiological status.

Gemelos onfalópagos con síndrome de transfusión Gemelo-gemelar. Preparación y técnica para una separación exitosa en Chile

. Se los clasifica en ocho tipos segun el sitio de union (Figura 1 y Tabla 1). Su infrecuencia y la variabilidad entre ellos, determinan que su separacion constituya uno de los mayores desafios medico-quirurgicos, ya que existen pocos casos comparables entre si y ademas escasos profesionales con experiencia acumulada en el tema. Se trata de la primera separacion quirurgica de gemelos siameses onfalopagos con un Sindrome de Transfusion Gemelo-Gemelar (STGG) realizada en nuestro pais.Presentamos la preparacion, estudio y aspectos de la tecnica quirurgica de una separacion quirur-gica electiva de dos hermanos gemelos siameses onfalopagos con un sindrome de transfusion gemelo-

Morbimortalidad precoz y alejada del reemplazo valvular aórtico con prótesis mecánica y biológica durante la última década: El estándar de oro

BACKGROUND There is a growing interest in alternative techniques for aortic valve replacement (AVR). Therefore it is important to have updated results of conventional AYR as a valid comparative standard. AIM To evaluate both perioperative and late morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing conventional AVR, with either mechanical (RVAm) or biological (RVAb) prostheses. PATIENTS AND METHODS Retrospective review of medical records and operative protocols of patients undergoing AVR between January 1995 and December 2005. Patients with previous cardiac surgery, aortic balloonplasty or simultaneous cardiovascular procedures were excluded. RESULTS During the study period, 788 patients underwent AVR and 317 met the inclusion criteria. Of the latter, 175 patients aged 13 to 83 years (63% males) were subjected to AVRm and 142 patients aged 49 to 87 years (64% males), were subjected to AVRb. Five (1.6%) patients died during the perioperative period (one AVRm and four AVRb). All were older than 65 years. Perioperative complications were recorded in 29 and 25% of patients in AVRm and AVRb groups, respectively (NS). During a median follow-up of six years, complications were recorded in 12 and 4% of patients in AVRm and AVRb groups, respectively (p <0.05). The actuarial survival for AVRm group at 1, 5 and 10 years, was 96, 92 and 87%, respectively. The figures for AVRb group were 95, 86 and 83%, respectively (NS). The 10 year reintervention free survival was 97% for the AVRm group and 84% for the AVRb (p <0.05). CONCLUSIONS Perioperative mortality and rates of complications of AVR in this series of patients are low, which compares favorably with other series.

Ciruguía reparadora de la válvula aórtica bicúspide insuficiente

Background: Surgical valve repair is a good alternative for correction of incompetent bicuspid aortic valve. Aim: To report the early and late surgical, clinical and ecochardiographic results of surgical repair of incompetent bicuspid aortic valves. Patients and methods: Retrospective review of medical records of 18 patients aged 19 to 61 years, with incompetent bicuspid aortic valve in whom a valve repair was performed. Four patients had infectious endocarditis and 17 were in functional class I or II. Follow up ranged from 3 to 113 months after surgery. Results: A triangular resection of the prolapsing larger cusp, which included the middle raphe, was performed in 17 cases; in 13 of these, a complementary subcommisural annuloplasty was performed. In the remaining case, with a perforation of the non-coronary cusp, a pericardial patch was implanted; this procedure was also performed in 2 other cases. In 3 cases large vegetations were removed. Postoperative transesophageal echocardiography showed no regurgitation in 11 patients (62%) and mild regurgitation in 7 (38%). There was no operative morbidity or mortality. There were no deaths during the follow-up period. In 3 patients (17%) the aortic valve was replaced with a mechanical prosthesis, 8 to 108 months after the first operation. Reoperation was not needed in 93%±6,4% at 1 year and 85%±9,5% at 5 years, these patients were all in functional class I at the end of the follow-up period. 60% had no aortic regurgitation, 20% had mild and 20% moderate aortic regurgitation on echocardiographic examination. A significant reduction of the diastolic diameter of the left ventricle was observed, but there were no significant changes in systolic diameter or shortening fraction. Conclusions: Surgical repair of incompetent bicuspid aortic valves has low operative morbidity and mortality and has a low risk of reoperation (Rev Med Chile 2005; 133: 279-86)

Experiencia clínica: Quilotórax en cirugía cardiovascular pediátrica

El quilotorax es una complicacion infrecuente de la cirugia cardiovascular (CCV). Los estudios pediatricos son escasos y las cifras de incidencia y mortalidad son variables. En una revision retrospectiva de 314 pacientes postoperados cardiacos identificamos 15 casos de quilotorax. La complicacion se asocio tanto a procedimientos extrapericardicos como intrapericardicos y se manifesto antes de una semana luego de iniciada la alimentacion enteral. En 11/15 pacientes fue suficiente el tratamiento con dieta pobre en grasa; en 3/15 fue necesario emplear nutricion parenteral total. El tratamiento medico fue efectivo en las primeras 2 semanas. Solo un paciente requirio tratamiento quirurgico; este caso presentaba trombosis de vena cava superior. La presencia de quilotorax se asocio a periodos mas prolongados de ventilacion mecanica y de hospitalizacion en la unidad de cuidados intensivos, sin observarse mortalidad. El quilotorax es una complicacion poco frecuente de la CCV y de buen pronostico; la gran mayoria de los casos mejora con tratamiento medico exclusivo. Esta complicacion puede aumentar los costos de la CCV al prolongar los periodos de hospitalizacion en unidades de alta complejidad

Tratamiento de la coartacion aortica en el nino mediante plastia con arteria subclavia

Sixty five paitients with aortic coarctation were submitted to aortoplasty with left subclavian artery flap between November 1977 and January 1985. Their age range at surgical repair was 7 days to 10 years and 58%of them had another associated cardiac malformation. The operative mortality was 3% and it was always due to respiratory complications. Recoarctation occured in only two patients, both were less than 3 months old at the time of operation. Muscular atrophy and slower growth rate of the left upper limb were detected in only one patient in this series. This surgical procedure is our first choice in pediatiic patients with coarctation of the aorta because of its low mortality rate and few late complications. (