David E. Lammermeier

Predicted pulmonary function and survival after pneumonectomy for primary lung carcinoma

Between 1982 and 1987, 139 patients with primary carcinoma of the lung were treated with pneumonectomy. Thirty-nine patients (28%) were in clinical stage I, 10 (7%) were in clinical stage II, and 90 (65%) were in clinical stage III. Overall actuarial 3-year survival was 33%. Actuarial 3-year survival for patients in clinical stage I was 44%; for those in clinical stage II, 48%; and for those in clinical stage III, 28%. Risk factors for operative mortality examined included preoperative forced vital capacity (FVC) of 2.13 L or less and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) of 1.65 L or less, percent predicted FVC of 64% or less and FEV1 of 65% or less, predicted postoperative FVC of 1.31 L or less and FEV1 of 0.89 L or less, and predicted postoperative percent predicted FVC of 41% or less and FEV1 of 34% or less. Operative deaths occurred only in clinical stage III patients (7/90 or 8%). Patients with compromised pulmonary function based on one or more of the examined risk factors were at increased risk for death (2/10) compared with patients with better pulmonary function (5/80 or 6.25%). Actuarial 3-year survival for high-risk clinical stage III patients ranged from 0% to 16% compared with 28% for other clinical stage III patients. Thirty-day mortality for pathological stage III patients was 6.3% (5/79), and 3-year actuarial survival was 24%. No patient in pathological stage III who was at high risk survived beyond 3.1 years. Select individuals with adequate pulmonary function and stage III disease can achieve substantial long-term survival after pneumonectomy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effect of prior cardiac surgery on survival after heart transplantation.

We conducted a retrospective analysis of 182 adult orthotopic heart transplant patients who underwent operations at our institution between July 1982 and October 1987 to determine whether prior cardiac operation affects survival. Group I included the 72 patients (39.6%) who had undergone a previous cardiac operation or operations and group II, the 110 (60.4%) who had not. The mean age of the patients in group I was 52.1 +/- 8.1 years and in group II, 46.1 +/- 10.2 years (p less than 0.01). The incidence of ischemic heart disease was 86.1% in group I and 29.1% in group II (p less than 0.01). All patients received cyclosporine-based immunosuppression. More patients in group I than in group II required reoperation for bleeding after transplantation: 18 (25.0%) versus 9 (8.2%) (p less than 0.01). The actuarial 1-year and 3-year survival rates were 77.6% and 66.5%, respectively, for group I and 77.1% and 66.3%, respectively, for group II. Because both groups had similar survival rates, we believe that prior cardiac operation in heart transplant recipients does not compromise long-term survival.

Improved immunosuppression for heart transplant patients using intravenous doses of cyclosporine

Inducing immunosuppression in heart transplant patients with intravenous doses of CsA may decrease the incidence of severe rejection in the 1st month after operation. In our initial series, 16 consecutive patients (group A) who had no contraindications to this type of therapy received an i.v. dose of CsA, 1 mg/kg/day, postoperatively, which was then increased by 1 mg/kg every 24 hr until a full maintenance dose of 4 mg/kg/day was achieved (total time, 72 hr). The gradual increase in dosage was designed to prevent nephrotoxicity associated with higher doses of CsA. Intravenous administration was continued for 2 weeks, at which time oral administration of CsA, 14 mg/kg/day, was begun. In a subsequent series, 21 similar patients (group B) received the same amount of CsA, except that doses were increased every 12 hr, so that the full maintenance dose was achieved 36 hr postoperatively. In group B, the i.v. dose of CsA was continued for only 1 week, at which time oral administration of CsA, 14 mg/kg/day, was begun. All patients received the same standard steroid taper (30 mg/day by day 10). Patients from both groups who were greater than or equal to 55 years old and had serum creatinine greater than or equal to 1.5 mg/dl and patients from group B who had creatinine clearance less than or equal to 55 ml/min also received azathioprine, 2 mg/day, which was adjusted to maintain the white blood cell count at a level greater than or equal to 5000/cc. There was a similar number of such patients in both groups. Severe rejection was defined by endomyocardial biopsy with frequent foci of myocyte degeneration. Three (18.7%) patients in group A experienced severe rejection, and 2 (9.4%) in group B did. No patients developed renal failure. All patients survived the 1st month. The overall survival rate for group A at 12.2 +/- 1.5 months was 94%, and for group B it was 86% at 7.5 +/- 1.4 months. Both these groups compared favorably with our historical control group of patients who received oral doses of CsA to induce immunosuppression, in which 59 of 165 (35.8%) had severe rejection in the 1st month, with a 1-year actuarial survival rate of 76%. Based on this experience, we believe that i.v. administration of CsA enhances the induction of immunosuppression, thereby reducing the incidence of severe rejection. This protocol is likely to be effective because it minimizes the problems of oral absorption in the perioperative period.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Modified total cavopulmonary connection: an alternative approach in the presence of left superior vena cava.

Abstract A technical modification to the total cavopulmonary connection in the presence of left superior vena cava (LSVC) is described. Systemic venous to pulmonary artery continuity is achieved by direct anastomosis of the right superior vena cava (RSVC) to the right pulmonary artery. Blood from the inferior vena cava (IVC) is diverted by an intraatrial baffle to the coronary sinus. The LSVC is then anastomosed to either the left pulmonary artery or the main pulmonary artery in an end‐to‐side or side‐to‐side manner. By using this technique, we maintain the basic principle of excluding the right atrial chamber from the systemic venous circuit, thereby reducing the potential obstructive complications that have been noted with other forms of complex intraatrial baffles. We have used this technique successfully in three patients with various forms of complex congenital cardiac defects.

Heterotopic heart transplantation for selected high-risk patients

Since July 1982, 349 patients have undergone heart transplantation at the Texas Heart Institute; 15 of those had heterotopic heart transplantations. Their indications were pulmonary hypertension (PH) in 11 patients, body-weight mismatch in 3, and pulmonary hypertension with compromised donor heart in one. The one-year actuarial survival rate for the heterotopic group is 82% compared with 77% for the orthotopic group. In the heterotopic group, 8 patients had right pleural effusions and 4 of them required thoracentesis. After an early recovery period, these patients tolerated further therapy. Angina of the native heart was experienced in two. This symptom disappeared after the native heart lost its function. Only one patient experienced a reversible neurologic problem caused by an embolism, in spite of anticoagulant therapy. Patients with a high risk condition such as PH may have a successful transplantation with the heterotopic technique. Heterotopic heart transplantation is technically more demanding, and postoperative management differs from that after orthotopic transplantation. From our experience, however, these problems are readily manageable and resolved without permanent sequelae. The heterotopic heart transplant procedure is a reliable surgical option for well-selected highrisk patients.