Edouard Kieffer

Dipyridamole-Thallium Scintigraphy and Gated Radionuclide Angiography to Assess Cardiac Risk before Abdominal Aortic Surgery

BACKGROUND Because many patients with atherosclerotic disease of the abdominal aorta also have coronary artery disease, assessment of cardiac risk before abdominal aortic surgery has received much attention. Our prospective study was designed to identify predictors of cardiac risk in consecutive patients evaluated preoperatively with dipyridamole-thallium single-photon-emission computed tomography (SPECT) to assess myocardial perfusion and radionuclide angiography to measure left ventricular ejection fraction. METHODS Clinical and scintigraphic data were collected prospectively during hospitalization in 457 consecutive patients undergoing elective abdominal aortic surgery. Adverse cardiac outcomes were predicted with multivariate analyses. RESULTS Eighty-six patients (19 percent) had one or more of the following postoperative complications: prolonged myocardial ischemia (61 patients), myocardial infarction (22), congestive heart failure (20), and severe ventricular tachyarrhythmia (2). Twenty patients died postoperatively (4.4 percent), half of them from cardiac causes. Information about myocardial perfusion obtained from dipyridamole-thallium SPECT did not accurately predict adverse cardiac outcomes. The best correlates of cardiac complications were definite clinical evidence of coronary artery disease (odds ratio, 2.6; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.6 to 4.3) and age greater than 65 years (odds ratio, 2.3; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.4 to 3.6). Measurement of the ejection fraction was useful only in the prediction of left ventricular failure. Age greater than 65 years was the only predictor of death (odds ratio, 26.4; 95 percent confidence interval, 3.5 to 200.0). CONCLUSIONS The presence of definite clinical evidence of coronary artery disease and older age were the most important preoperative predictors of an adverse cardiac outcome after abdominal aortic surgery. These results suggest that the routine use of dipyridamole-thallium SPECT and radionuclide angiography for screening before abdominal aortic surgery may not be justified.

In situ allograft replacement of infected infrarenal aortic prosthetic grafts: Results in forty-three patients *

PURPOSE Dissatisfaction with conventional methods of treatment of infected infrarenal aortic prosthetic grafts and excellent long-term results reported by heart surgeons after allograft replacement for management of infections involving the ascending aorta have prompted us to investigate allograft replacement in the management of arterial infections. METHODS From October 1988 to April 1992, 43 consecutive patients with infected infrarenal aortic prosthetic grafts underwent in situ replacement with preserved allografts obtained from cadavers as part of a program to retrieve multiorgan transplant tissue. Thirty-four patients had isolated prosthetic infections, whereas nine had aortoenteric fistulas. One patient had a concomitant below-knee amputation for septic arthritis of the ankle as a result of septic emboli. Nineteen patients had nonvascular-associated procedures, including 17 intestinal procedures. RESULTS Five patients (12%) died after operation: four of general causes and one of rupture of the native aorta as a result of persistent infection. Three patients successfully underwent repeat operation for allograft-related complications (one case each of occlusion, septic rupture, and graft-enteric fistula). All surviving patients were discharged after control angiography showed patent allografts. Two patients were unavailable for follow-up. The other 36 patients have been monitored with serial duplex and computed tomography scanning for a mean follow-up of 13.8 months (range 1 to 42 months). There were four late deaths: three were unrelated to the vascular operation, and one may have been caused by late persistent or recurrent infection. Nine patients (26%) have had pathologic changes in the allograft, with three (9%) requiring repeat operation. There were no early or late postoperative amputations in the entire series. CONCLUSIONS Although complete protection against persistent or recurrent infection has not been achieved and late deterioration may be expected, in situ allograft replacement seems to be a major advance in the management of infected infrarenal aortic prosthetic grafts.

Leiomyosarcoma of the Inferior Vena Cava: Experience in 22 Cases

From 1979 to 2004, 22 patients were seen with leiomyosarcomas of the inferior vena cava (IVC). Twenty were treated surgically. Involvement of the IVC included the infrarenal segment in 3 cases, the suprarenal and/or retrohepatic segment in 13, and the suprahepatic segment in 4. Nineteen patients underwent wide tumor resection followed by ligation of the IVC in 5 cases, replacement with a PTFE prosthesis in 13, and cavoplasty in 1. An intracardiac tumor extension was resected during hypothermic circulatory arrest in 1 patient. Vascular exclusion of the liver was used in 5 cases and simple clamping of the IVC in 13 cases. There were 1 intraoperative death due to cardiac failure and 3 postoperative deaths due to multiple organ failure, liver failure, and duodenal fistula after treatment of a bleeding ulcer. Fifteen of the 16 surviving patients underwent adjuvant chemotherapy associated with radiation therapy in 4 cases. One patient was lost from follow-up at 10 months. Four patients including one with metastasis are still alive with a mean follow-up of 18.3 months. Eleven patients died after a mean follow-up period of 43.7 months due to local recurrence and/or distant metastasis in 9 cases and complications of chemotherapy in 2. The 3- and 5-year mean actuarial survival rates in patients who underwent resection were 52.0% and 34.8%, respectively. Leiomyosarcoma of the IVC is a serious disease. Although surgical resection combined with chemotherapy is usually not curative, it can achieve reasonably long-term survival. We recommend aggressive operative management using the latest vascular surgery and oncology techniques.

Improvement of Diaphragmatic Function by a Thoracic Extradural Block After Upper Abdominal Surgery

The effects on diaphragmatic function of a thoracic epidural block were assessed in 13 patients after upper abdominal surgery (UAS). Lung volumes and tidal changes in chest wall circumferences and gastric (ΔPgas) and esophageal (ΔPes) pressures were measured pre- and postoperatively. Volume displacement of the abdomen divided by tidal volume (ΔVAB/VT) and ΔPgas/ΔPes were taken as indices of the diaphragmatic contribution to tidal breathing. These respiratory variables were obtained in the postoperative period, before and after epidural injection of 0.5% plain bupivacaine to achieve a block up to the T4 segment. UAS was constantly associated with a decrease in VT, ΔVAB/VT ΔPgas/ΔPes, and forced vital capacity (FVC). Epidural block was associated with an increase in VT, ΔVAB/VT, and FVC. ΔPgas and ΔPgas/ΔPes returned to their preoperative values. It is concluded that: 1) diaphragmatic dysfunction observed after UAS is partialy reversed by thoracic epidural block; and 2) that inhibitory reflexes of phrenic activity arising from the abdominal compartment (abdominal wall and/or viscera) could be involved in this diaphragmatic dysfunction.

Aberrant subclavian artery: Surgical treatment in thirty-three adult patients

PURPOSE Because of the scarcity of large series in the literature, our experience with surgery for aberrant subclavian arteries (aSA) in adults was reviewed. METHODS During the last 16 years we have surgically treated 33 adult patients with aSA. Twenty-eight patients had a left-sided aortic arch with a right aSA whereas five had a right-sided aortic arch with a left aSA. Eleven patients (group 1) had dysphagia caused by esophageal compression by a nonaneurysmal aSA; five patients (group 2) had ischemic symptoms caused by occlusive disease of a nonaneurysmal aSA; 10 patients (group 3) had aneurysms of the aSA with or without symptoms caused by esophageal compression or arterial thromboembolism; and seven patients (group 4) had an aSA arising from a diseased (usually aneurysmal) thoracic aorta. In all cases the divided aSA was revascularized, most often by direct transposition into the ipsilateral common carotid artery. Nine of the 16 patients in groups 1 and 2 underwent operation with a cervical approach alone. In the remaining seven, the cervical approach was combined with a median sternotomy (six cases) or a left thoracotomy (one case). In the 17 patients in groups 3 and 4, either a cervical approach (two cases), a median sternotomy (four cases), or a two-staged approach combining a supraclavicular incision on the side of the aSA with a posterolateral thoracotomy on the side of the aortic arch (11 cases) was used. Aortic cross-clamping was required in 12 of these patients to perform the transaortic closure of the origin of the aSA with patch angioplasty (three cases), or prosthetic replacement of the descending thoracic aorta (nine cases). Cardiopulmonary bypass was used in six patients (including three with hypothermic circulatory arrest). RESULTS Four patients, all in groups 3 and 4, died after operation: two of multiorgan failure, one of heart failure, and one of esophageal rupture. Satisfactory clinical and anatomic results were obtained in the remaining 29 patients. CONCLUSIONS The surgical approach to aSA must be flexible and adapted to the anatomic conditions found. We recommend routine reconstruction of the aSA to avoid ischemic complications in the vertebrobasilar territory or upper extremity. Provision should be made for cardiopulmonary bypass in patients with aneurysm of aSA or associated aortic aneurysm.

Preoperative spinal cord arteriography in aneurysmal disease of the descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aorta: preliminary results in 45 patients.

Between 1985 and 1988 45 patients with descending thoracic or thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms underwent selective arteriography of the intercostal and lumbar arteries to delineate preoperatively the artery of Adamkiewicz and the thoracic radicular artery. Identification of these vessels failed in five patients (11%), was considered complete in 31 patients (69%) and incomplete in nine (20%). Selective arteriography classified these patients into four groups: groups A and B--the artery of Adamkiewicz arose respectively above and below the zone of operation; group C--the artery arose directly from the segment to be operated; and group D--origin could not be determined. All 30 patients in group C underwent a spinal cord revascularization procedure (complete in 20 cases, incomplete in 10). Spinal cord complications occurred in 9/45 patients (20%). No spinal cord complications occurred in groups A and B; their incidence was 5% in group C when revascularization was complete, and 50% when revascularization was incomplete; and 60% had complications in group D (p less than 0.01). Spinal cord complications were more frequent (p less than 0.05) when the artery of Adamkiewicz arose from an intercostal or lumbar artery obliterated at its aortic origin but filled through collaterals or when spinal cord circulation was interrupted for more than 45 minutes. This study confirms the importance of preserving arterial supply to the spinal cord during repair of descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aneurysms. The information obtained from spinal cord arteriography allows the prediction of complications and informs the choice of the appropriate surgical technique.

Risk factors for Acute postoperative renal failure in thoracic or thoracoabdominal aortic surgery : A prospective study

Acute postoperative renal failure is a common complication of thoracic aorta, thoracoabdominal aorta, or aortic arch surgery.To identify variables associated with acute postoperative renal failure, we prospectively studied 475 consecutive patients undergoing thoracoabdominal aortic surgery over a 12-yr period, including those requiring emergent surgery. One hundred twenty-one (25%) patients developed acute postoperative renal failure, and 39 (8%) required hemodialysis. Using multivariate analysis, acute postoperative renal failure was significantly associated with the following variables: age >50 yr (odds ratio [OR] 2.90 [95% confidence interval 1.52-5.53]), preoperative serum creatinine >120 micro mol/L (OR 2.76 [1.70-4.48]), duration of left kidney ischemia >30 min (OR 2.01 [1.27-3.17]), packed red cells administration >5 units (OR 2.04 [1.24-3.37]), and Cell-Saver administration >5 units (OR 2.31 [1.34-1.96]). Reimplantation of visceral, renal arteries and the Adamkievicz artery; duration of visceral, spinal, and right kidney ischemia; requirement for fresh frozen plasma; administration of aprotinin; extracorporeal circulation; and procedures with circulatory arrest and profound hypothermia were not predictive of postoperative renal failure. In addition, age >50 yr (OR 5.59 [1.31-23.91]), requirement for packed red blood cells >5 unit (OR 3.91 [1.58-9.67]), and preoperative serum creatinine concentration >120 micro mol/L (OR 2.26 [1.13-4.53]) were independent factors for acute renal failure requiring hemodialysis. In conclusion, acute renal failure is often observed after thoracic aortic surgery. Numerous predictive factors must be considered when evaluating the etiology of this complication. Implications: Acute postoperative renal insufficiency is a common complication of thoracic aortic surgery. This study found that age >50 yr, preoperative renal dysfunction, duration of renal ischemia, and amount of blood transfusion are significant predictors of this complication. (Anesth Analg 1997;85:1227-32)

Effects of thoracic extradural block on diaphragmatic electrical activity and contractility after upper abdominal surgery

BackgroundUpper abdominal surgery (UAS) induces diaphragmatic dysfunction. Thoracic extradural block (TEB) using 0.5% bupivacaine improves some pressure and motion indices of diaphragmatic function. However, no direct information on diaphragmatic activity is available after UAS. The aim of this study was to assess diaphragmatic electrical activity (Edi) after UAS before and after TEB. MethodsA postoperative electromyogram was obtained, using intramuscular electrodes inserted by the surgeon in the costal and crural parts of the diaphragm, in 14 patients undergoing abdominal aortic surgery. Tidal changes in abdominal (VAB) and rib-cage (VRC) volumes, and gastric (ΔPgas), esophageal (ΔPes), and transdiaphragmatic (ΔPdi) pressures were used to measure tidal volume (VT) and respiratory rate and to provide indirect indices of diaphragmatic activity from the two ratios VAB/VT and ΔPgas/ΔPdi. These respiratory variables were obtained preoperatively. Postoperatively, measurements including Edi were obtained before and after a seg-mental epidural block, reaching a T4 level was achieved with 0.5% plain bupivacaine. ResultsUpper abdominal surgery induced an increase in respiratory rate (+28 ± 15%; P <.01), associated with a decrease in VAB/VT (from 0.75 ± 0.11 to 0.07 ± 0.08; P <.01), ΔPgas/ΔPdi (from 0.3 ± 0.08 to 0.01 ± 0.19; P <.05), and VT (30 ± 14%; P<.01). After surgery, all patients exhibited electrical diaphragmatic activity that increased with TEB by 48 ± 28% (P <.01) and 60 ± 22% (P <.001) for the cural and costal segments, respectively. The ratio ΔPdi/Edi, used to evaluate diaphragmatic contractility, was not modified by TEB. Tidal volume, respiratory rate, and ΔPgas/ΔPdi returned to preoperative levels, whereas VAB/VT increased but remained different from preoperative values. ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that TEB produces an increase in diaphragmatic activity, identical for the two segments of the muscle. Interruption of afferents that produce an inhibitory effect on diaphragmatic activity appears the most attractive hypothesis to explain the consequences of TEB after UAS.

Perioperative Activation of Hemostasis in Vascular Surgery Patients

BackgroundPerioperative activation of hemostasis could play an important role in the occurrence of postoperative cardiac events. The authors conducted a prospective study to assess platelet function, coagulation, and fibrinolysis status during and after infrarenal aortic surgery. MethodsSeventeen patients were studied. Excluded were patients with preoperative coagulopathies or liver disease, or cardiac or renal insufficiency; patients receiving anticoagulant treatment, antiplatelet agents, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents, fresh frozen plasma, or platelet concentrates; and patients undergoing reoperation and septic patients. Blood samples were drawn before induction (T1), 1 h after incision (T2), 1 h after extubation (T3), 24 h postoperatively (T4), 48 h postoperatively (T5), and at day 7 (T6). The following tests were performed: platelet count, platelet aggregation, platelet flow cytometry for CD62 and CD63, usual coagulation tests, thrombin–antithrombin complexes, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1. ResultsA significant increase of adenosine diphosphate–induced platelet aggregation was observed postoperatively at T4 and T5. This was not associated with a change of flow cytometry profile. No increase of thrombin–antithrombin complex levels was observed. A higher fibrinogen rate was detected at T5 and T6. Greater amounts of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 were detected at T3 and T4. Thus, thrombin generation was limited and fibrinolysis was impaired postoperatively. Platelets were not activated in the postoperative period, as shown by flow cytometry, but were prone to be activated, as shown by aggregation studies. ConclusionThe association of more easily activated platelets with a higher fibrinogen rate and a temporary shut down of fibrinolysis during the early postoperative period may indicate an increased thrombotic risk in patients undergoing major vascular surgery.

Takayasu Arteritis in France: A Single-Center Retrospective Study of 82 Cases Comparing White, North African, and Black Patients

We conducted a single-center retrospective study to compare the characteristics of Takayasu arteritis (TA) among white, North African, and black patients in a French tertiary care center (Hospital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris). Eighty-two patients were studied (82.9% female) during a median follow-up of 5.1 years (range, 1 mo to 30 yr). Among these 82 patients, 39 (47.6%) were white, 20 (24.4%) were North African, and 20 (24.4%) were black patients. Median age at diagnosis was 39.3 years (range, 14-70 yr) in white patients vs. 28.4 years (range, 12-54 yr) in North African (p = 0.02), and 28.0 years (range, 13-60 yr) in black patients (p = 0.08). Patients aged >40 years at TA onset were more frequently white than non-white (40.0% vs. 18.6%, p = 0.03). North African patients had more frequent occurrence of ischemic stroke (p = 0.03) and poorer survival (p = 0.01) than white patients. Type V of the Hata classification was the most frequent type among white (38.5%), North African (65.0%), and black patients (40.0%). Corticosteroids were used in 96.1% of patients. Fifty-three percent of white and North African patients, and 44% of black patients required a second line of immunosuppressive treatment (p = 0.60). Vascular surgical procedures were respectively performed in 46.1%, 50.0%, and 55.0% of white, North African, and black patients, p = 0.81. The 5-year and 10-year survival rates were 100% and 95.0%, respectively, in white patients; 67.4% at both 5 years and 10 years in North African patients; and 100% at both 5 years and 10 years in black patients. This study is one of the first direct comparisons of TA profiles among patients of distinct ethnic backgrounds. Our data support the idea that late-onset TA or an overlap between TA and large-vessel giant cell arteritis may be observed in white patients. North African patients have a higher occurrence of ischemic stroke and poorer survival than white patients. Abbreviations: ACR = American College of Rheumatology, CRP = C-reactive protein, CT = computed tomography, ESR = erythrocyte sedimentation rate, FDG = 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose, HIV = human immunodeficiency virus, MRI = magnetic resonance imaging, PET = positron emission tomography, TA = Takayasu arteritis, TNF = tumor necrosis factor.