Edward Woods

Efficacy and Cost-Effectiveness of Preoperative IABP in Patients with Ejection Fraction of 0.25 or Less

BACKGROUND The purposes of this study are to determine whether patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction benefit from prophylactic insertion of an intraaortic balloon pump and to evaluate its cost-effectiveness. METHODS Between January 1991 and December 1995, 163 consecutive patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction of 0.25 or less underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting. An intraaortic balloon pump was inserted before operation in 37 patients (group A). The remaining 126 patients underwent operation without preoperative insertion of the device (group B). Preoperatively, 91.9% (34/37) of group A patients and 54.8% (69/126) of group B patients were in New York Heart Association functional class III or IV (p < 0.001). RESULTS The 30-day mortality rate was 2.7% (1/37) and 11.9% (15/126) for groups A and B, respectively (p < 0.005). All deaths occurred in patients in functional class III or IV. In group B, 28 patients (22.2%) required an intraaortic balloon pump after cardiotomy for low cardiac output, 42.9% (12/28) of whom died. Median postoperative hospital stay was 9.9 days and 12.0 days, and mean hospital charges were

Which Is the Graft of Choice for the Right Coronary and Posterior Descending Arteries? Comparison of the Right Internal Mammary Artery and the Right Gastroepiploic Artery

50,627 and

Does Preoperative Platelet Function Predict Bleeding in Patients Undergoing Off Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

54,818 for survivors in groups A and B; respectively (p = not significant). CONCLUSIONS Our experience suggests that patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting may benefit from preoperative intraaortic balloon pump insertion, especially patients in functional class III or IV. This approach improved survival significantly, reduced hospital stay, and was more cost-effective.

Purposeful delay in the repair of a traumatic rupture of the aorta with coexistent liver injury

BACKGROUND The graft of choice for the left anterior descending coronary artery is the left internal mammary artery because of superior long-term patency. However, controversy exists regarding the graft of choice for the right coronary artery and for the posterior descending branch. METHODS AND RESULTS Two types of pedicled arterial grafts were used for the right coronary and the posterior descending arteries in patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery between January 1991 and September 1994. Group A comprised 114 patients with a right internal mammary artery (RIMA) graft, and group B consisted of 127 patients with an in situ right gastroepiploic artery (R-GEA) graft. Mean age was 56.9 years in group A and 63.3 years in group B; 7.9% (9 of 114) and 33.9% (43 of 127) were diabetics in groups A and B, respectively. Overall mortality was 2.6% (3 deaths) for group A and 3.9% (5 deaths) for group B (P = NS). However, the prevalence of perioperative myocardial infarction in the right coronary artery distribution was significantly higher for group A (5.3%, or 6 of 114) than for group B (0.8%, or 1 of 127; P < .05), and the reoperation rate for graft failure (from 0 to 12 months after surgery) was significantly higher for the RIMA (4.4%, or 5 of 114) than for the R-GEA (0%; P < .05). Also, the prevalence of deep sternal wound infection in diabetics was significantly higher in group A (22.2%, or 2 of 9) than in group B (4.6%, or 2 of 43; P < .05). CONCLUSIONS Our preliminary results suggest that the failure rate of the RIMA graft is significantly higher, especially if used as a pedicled graft to the posterior descending artery. The risk of sternal wound complications is greater in diabetics if both internal mammary arteries are used for grafting. Therefore, the R-GEA graft is preferred in diabetics and whenever the posterior descending artery is the target vessel.

Coagulation management of a patient with factor V Leiden mutation, lupus anticoagulant, and activated protein C resistance: a case report

OBJECTIVE We sought to examine the relationship between preoperative platelet function and perioperative bleeding in patients undergoing CABG. BACKGROUND There are many ways to measure platelet aggregability. Little is known about their correlations with one another, or with bleeding. METHODS We prospectively studied 50 patients undergoing a first isolated off-pump CABG. Thirty-four were exposed to a thienopyridine prior to surgery; 16 were not. Preoperative platelet function was measured by VerifyNow®, TEG®, AggreGuide™, Plateletworks®, vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) phosphorylation, and light transmission aggregometry. Bleeding was assessed 2 ways: drop from pre- to nadir postoperative hematocrit, and chest tube drainage. Correlation coefficients were calculated using Spearmans rank-order correlation. RESULTS Mean age was 62 years. Patient characteristics and surgical details were similar between the thienopyridine-exposed and non-exposed patients. The correlation coefficients between the 4 point-of-care platelet function measurements and hematocrit change ranged from -0.2274 to 0.2882. Only Plateletworks® correlated with drop in hematocrit (r = 0.2882, P = 0.0470). The correlation coefficients between each of the 4 point-of-care platelet function tests and the chest tube drainage were also poor, ranging from -0.3073 to 0.2272. Both AggreGuide™ (r = -0.3073, P = 0.0317) and VASP (r = -0.3187, P = 0.0272) were weakly but significantly correlated with chest tube drainage. The correlation among the 4 point-of-care platelet function measurements was poor, with coefficients ranging from -0.2504 to 0.1968. CONCLUSIONS We observed little correlation among 4 platelet function tests, and between those assays and perioperative bleeding defined 2 different ways. Whether any of these assays should be used to guide decision making in individual patients is unclear.

Use of platelet gel and its effects on infection in cardiac surgery.

Purposeful delay in the repair of traumatic aortic injury by appropriate medical management is indicated when the risk of immediate thoracotomy is high. A grade V liver injury implies parenchymal disruption of greater than 75% of a hepatic lobe. We report the successful management of a patient with a class IB proximal descending aortic transection and concomitant grade V liver injury that precluded aortic repair until its resolution.

Annuloplasty and aortoplasty as modifications of the Ross procedure for the correction of geometric mismatch.

Although patients undergoing cardiac surgery often present with diverse comorbidities, those with coagulation derangements are especially challenging. The present report describes the management of a patient who presented with a Factor V Leiden mutation, lupus anticoagulant, and acquired activated protein C resistance. A 42-year-old female presented with acute shortness of breath and chest pain. She was otherwise healthy 1 month prior to admission when she presented with dysfunctional uterine bleeding, resulting in the transfusion of three units of packed red blood cells. Coagulation evaluation revealed that the patient had lupus anticoagulant, factor V Leiden mutation and an activated protein C resistance. The patient presented with an acute myocardial infarction and was found to have 90% stenosis of her left main coronary artery, moderate mitral and tricuspid regurgitation, and a left ventricular ejection fraction of 25%. An emergent off-pump coronary artery bypass procedure with placement of a vein graft to the left anterior descending artery was completed. Intraoperative thrombophilia was encountered as evidenced by both an elevated thromboelastograph™ coagulation index (=3.6) and an acquired antithrombin-III deficiency. Postoperatively, the patient was placed on low molecular weight heparin, but developed heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and was switched to a direct thrombin inhibitor, argatroban. The following case report describes the coagulation management of this patient from the time of admission to discharge 43 days later, and the unique challenges this combination of hemostatic defects present to the clinicians.