Erkmen Böke

Atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass surgery: predictors and the role of MgSO4 replacement.

Abstract Background: Supraventricular arrhythmias continue to complicate the postoperative course of patients undergoing myocardial revascularization. The aim of the study was to identify factors associated with atrial fibrillation (AF) and to determine the efficacy of postoperative magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) replacement on the incidence of AF after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) operation. Methods: Fifty patients undergoing CABG were studied prespectively. Consenting patients with good left ventricular function and without any documented arrhythmias were randomly divided into two groups of 25 patients each in a double‐blind fashion. The clinical characteristics of both groups were similar. In the study group, 200 mEq MgSO4 was given for the first 5 postoperative days, in the control group, placebo was given instead of MgSO4. Results: Five (20%) patients in the control group and one (4%) patient in the MgSO4 group experienced AF. There was no significant relationship between the development of AF and the following variables: age; sex; diabetes mellitus; hypertension; previous myocardial infarction; smoking; extension of coronary artery disease; aortic cross‐clamp time; number of grafts; cardiopulmonary bypass time; postoperative pericarditis; and anemia. Conclusion: The use of MgSO4 in early postoperative period is effective in reducing the incidence of AF after CABG in patients with good ventricular function.

Carotid artery stenting and endarterectomy have different effects on heart rate variability

OBJECTIVE Due to their close proximity to the carotid sinus baroreceptor region, carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid angioplasty/stenting (CAS) carry an inherent risk of affecting baroreflex-mediated regulation of the heart rate. Variations in the heart rate can be studied by measuring heart rate variability (HRV), in which distinct frequency bands in the power spectrum represent sympathetic and parasympathetic modulations on sinus node pacemaker activity. We aimed to investigate the influence of CEA and CAS on HRV. METHODS One-hour recordings of R-R intervals on ECG were obtained before and after CEA (10 patients) or CAS (12 patients). The power spectrum of the R-R time series was estimated using the FFT technique. The power in low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF) bands were computed and normalized to their total power (TP). The LF/HF ratio, an index of sympathovagal balance, was calculated. RESULTS Compared to preoperative levels, LF/HF exhibited 85%, 96%, and 70% increase on the second, third, and fourth days after CEA, respectively. In contrast, LF/HF decreased by 26%, 32%, and 26% on the respective days following CAS; the difference between groups was significant (p=0.0069). Normalized LF increased after CEA and decreased after CAS, while the opposite was observed for normalized HF (p=0.0217). There was no significant change in TP. CONCLUSIONS CEA and CAS have differential effects on the sympathovagal balance on the heart. The relative increase in sympathetic modulation after CEA and parasympathetic modulation after CAS are likely mediated by alterations in the sensitivity of carotid sinus baroreceptors. Altered cardiac autonomic modulation may play a role in the occurrence of cardiac disturbances following carotid interventions.

Cervical aortic arch with aneurysm formation

Cervical aortic arch is a very rare anomaly presented as a pulsatile mass on the neck and usually with symptoms of dysphagia, cough and hoarseness. Rarer than the cervical aortic arch, is the aneurysm formation and, despite the equal sex distribution of cervical aortic arch, aneurysm formation always occurs in young females with only nine cases reported. We report herein a 24-year-old woman, diagnosed as cervical aortic arch with aneurysm formation due to basophilic degeneration, treated successfully with surgical intervention. To our knowledge no similar case has been reported.

Assessment of the Radial Artery and Hand Circulation by Computed Tomography Angiography: A Pilot Study

OBJECTIVES The radial artery (RA) is increasingly being used as a coronary bypass graft. Results of a previous study using Doppler ultrasound and histopathologic examinations indicated that the RA has a higher incidence of preexisting intimal hyperplasia, medial calcification, and atherosclerosis than the internal thoracic artery. The aims of this study were to evaluate the use of computed tomographic angiography (CTA) to display hand collateral circulation, to define the criteria for an abnormal CTA test result, and to demonstrate usefulness of CTA as an alternative to conventional angiography for evaluation of the radial artery. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixteen patients scheduled for coronary artery bypass grafting entered this study. We performed 32 examinations of forearm and hand arterial anatomy in these patients. CTA was performed in patients with a normal Allen test result, except 1 patient who had a persistent median artery. Soft tissue density forehand roentgenography was performed in all patients before the CTA evaluation. There was no selection of patients in relation to patient characteristics. As a risk factor for radial artery calcification, 6 of the patients had diabetes mellitus, 6 had aortofemoral occlusive disease, and 4 had a history of smoking. RESULTS Bilateral forearm arteries were visualized in all patients. Severe RA calcification was found in 1 patient, and distal occlusion was found in another patient. Focal RA calcification was noted in 2 patients. In the remaining patients no radial artery calcification or occlusion was noted. Anatomic variation of the upper limb arteries was shown in 2 patients; these variations were persistent median artery with absence of the radial and ulnar arteries and high bifurcation of the radial artery from the brachial artery. CONCLUSION CTA is useful and safe for detection of radial artery calcific disease and assessment of the forehand circulation and its anatomic variations. Preoperative imaging of the RA is a means to avoid unnecessary forearm exploration or inadvertent use of a diseased conduit in coronary artery bypass candidates with multiple risk factors such as diabetes mellitus.

Iatrogenic brachial and femoral artery complications following venipuncture in children.

INTRODUCTION Catheter- or noncatheter-related peripheral arterial complications such as arterial pseudoaneurysm, embolus, or arteriovenous fistula may be seen in the pediatric age group. The most common etiologies defined for arterial complications are peripheral arterial puncture performed for a routine arterial blood gas analysis, arterial catheters placed for invasive monitorization of children, or catheterization performed for diagnostic purposes through the peripheral arterial system, most commonly the femoral artery. MATERIALS AND METHODS Nine children with peripheral arterial complications, whose ages varied between 2 months and 2.5 years, were enrolled in this study. All patients were treated surgically. Following physical examination, Doppler ultrasonography, computed tomography angiography, magnetic resonance angiography, or digital subtraction angiography were used as diagnostic tools. We studied thrombophilic panels preoperatively. Six patients had brachial artery pseudoaneurysms that developed accidentally during venipuncture, I had a brachial arteriovenous fistula that developed after an accidental brachial artery puncture during routine peripheral blood analysis. In the remaining 2 patients, peripheral arterial embolic events were detected. One had a left brachial arterial embolus and the other had a sudden onset right femoral artery embolus that was detected via diagnostic interventions. RESULTS No morbidity such as amputation, extremity loss, or mortality occurred due to the arterial events or surgery. All patients were discharged from the hospital in good clinical condition. In all patients, follow-up at 3 or 6 months revealed palpable peripheral artery pulsations of the ulnar and radial arteries at wrist level. CONCLUSION Because the incidence of peripheral arterial complications is relatively low in children compared to adults, the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are extrapolated from the adult guidelines. We proposed that early diagnosis and surgical approach prevented the complications from further developing in the affected extremity in these particular cases.

Successful Endovascular Treatment of a Left Common Carotid Artery Aneurysm Following Failed Surgery of a Right Common Carotid Artery Aneurysm

Aneurysm of the common carotid artery is a rare and serious disease requiring prompt treatment in order to avoid neurologic complications. A 39-year-old man presented with voice impairment and a pulsatile mass at the right side of his neck and was found by color Doppler examination to have bilateral common carotid artery aneurysms of unknown origin. The right-sided large aneurysm was treated with placement of an 8 mm interposition Gore-Tex graft between the right common and internal carotid arteries. The surgical graft thrombosed 7 days after the surgery but the left-sided aneurysm was successfully treated by a Jostent peripheral stent-graft. Color Doppler examination showed a patent stent and no filling of the aneurysm on his first and sixth-month follow-up. Bilateral common carotid artery aneurysm is an exceptionally unusual condition and endovascular treatment of carotid artery aneurysms with covered stents may become an effective treatment alternative for these lesions.

Pseudoaneurysm Formation in Surgically Treated Behçet's Syndrome A Case Report

Behçets syndrome is a multisystem disorder with unknown etiology. Clinically it is mostly seen as a systemic vasculitis; almost 30% of the patients have vascular involvements, and most of these are venous thrombosis and arterial aneurysms. Obstructions of the femoral and tibial arteries have also been reported in the literature. The authors present here a patient with Behçets syndrome who had pseudoaneurysms on both femoral arteries after aortobifemoral bypass surgery.

The changes and effects of the plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor after coronary artery bypass surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

BACKGROUND Systemic inflammatory response after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is thought to result from contact of cellular and humoral blood components with the synthetic material of the extracorporeal circulation system, leukocyte and endothelial activation caused by ischemia and reperfusion or endotoxins, or by surgical trauma. Proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-8, play an important role in the inflammatory processes after CPB and may induce cardiac and lung dysfunction. This study examined the association of the increased release of TNF-alpha with increased myocardial and lung injury after CPB and its effect on postoperative morbidity. METHODS Twenty patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) were included in the study. Four intervals of blood samples were obtaind and assayed for TNF-alpha, white blood cells, C-reactive protein, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. RESULTS All patients were similar with regards to preoperative and intraoperative characteristics, and clinical outcomes were comparable. Plasma levels of TNF-alpha rose more than 20 pg/mL during and after standard CPB in 13 patients (group 1), whereas the plasma levels were less than 20 pg/mL in the remaining 7 patients (group 2) after CPB. The patients of the first group had increased mediastinal bleeding and prolonged intubation time compared to the other group. CONCLUSION Cardiac surgery and CPB stimulate systemic inflammatory processes characterized clinically by changes in cardiovascular and pulmonary function. Significant morbidity is rare, but most patients undergoing CPB exhibit some degree of organ dysfunction due to activation of the inflammatory response. This study showed that there were no major clinical results of TNF-alpha and white blood cell level, C-reactive protein, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate after the operation, but in patients with a high level of TNF-alpha (more than 20 pg/mL), increased mediastinal bleeding and longer orotracheal intubation time was observed. A number of studies have shown the increase of TNF-alpha after open heart surgery; however, the specific level of TNF-alpha was first described as 20 pg/mL in this study.

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm with Inferior Vena Cava Obstruction: Case Report

Behçets syndrome, a multisystem disorder, is characterized by recurrent oral and genital aphthous ulcerations, eye lesions, and skin changes. Other manifestations, although rare, may affect the nervous, gastrointestinal, or loco- motor system, as well as veins and arteries. Vascular lesions occur in approxi mately 30% of reported cases. Although thrombosis in the larger veins is frequent, arterial thrombosis is somewhat less likely to occur. Only a few cases of arterial aneurysm have been documented in the literature. This report describes a patient who had suffered from Behçets syndrome for fifteen years and in whom a complete obstruction of the inferior vena cava was demonstrated. An aortailiac bypass was performed successfully, and the patient had had a good clinical recovery at long-term follow-up.

Peripheral Gangrene Associated with Kawasaki Disease and Successful Management Using Prostacycline Analogue: A Case Report

We report a case of child-onset Kawasaki disease that presented as a prolonged fever and manifested with coronary aneurysms and peripheral gangrene of the lower limbs. Therapy with intravenous immunoglobulins, corticosteroids, aspirin, anticoagulants, and ilomedine, a prostacyclin analogue, resulted in rapid improvement in the patients condition without extremity loss. Those treating patients with Kawasaki disease must be aware of possible vascular ischemia in the disease process that is reversible by early intervention treatments, including the use of a prostacycline analogue, that improve quality of life.