Gilberto Venossi Barbosa

Tratamento agressivo com retalho muscular e/ou omentopexia nas infecções do esterno e mediastino anterior em pós-operatório de esternotomia

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of an aggressive treatment approach using muscle flaps or omentopexy in infections of the sternum and anterior mediastinum following sternotomy on mortality, as compared to that of a conservative treatment approach. METHODS: Data were collected prior to, during and after the surgical procedures. Group A (n = 44) included patients submitted to conservative treatment-debridement together with resuture or continuous irrigation with polyvinylpyrrolidone-iodine solutions, or even with second-intention wound healing (retrospective data). Group B (n = 9) included patients in whom infection was not resolved with conservative treatment, and who therefore underwent aggressive treatment (intermediate phase). Group C (n = 28) included patients primarily submitted to aggressive treatment (prospective data). RESULTS: Postoperative hospital stays were shorter in the patients submitted to aggressive treatment (p < 0.046). There were 7 deaths in group A, 1 in group B, and 2 in group C. However, the classical level of significance of α = 0.05 was not reached. CONCLUSION: Aggressive treatment also proved to be effective when the infection was not resolved with conservative treatment. These findings demonstrate that the proposed treatment provides excellent results.

Tratamento endovascular dos aneurismas de aorta abdominal: experiência inicial e resultados a curto e médio prazo

Objective: The purpose of this study is to present the short and medium-term results of the endovascular treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). This is an initial experience of a multidisciplinary team. Method: Between July 2003 and October 2005, 42 patients (25 of whom suffered from AAAs) were treated with endovascular therapy for aortic diseases. The mean patient age was 74 ± 10.2 years with 92% men. The endovascular procedures were performed by a multidisciplinary team in the Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre and Hospital Luterano (ULBRA). In twenty-four of the AAA patients, bifurcated grafts were used and only one had a straight graft. In all patients the procedure was carried out by femoral artery dissection in a catheterization laboratory. There was no need to convert to open repair. Results: There were no operative or postoperative deaths. The survival rate free from re-interventions is 96% after two years and three months. One (4%) patient needed a new endovascular procedure for a type I endoleak one year after, and three extensions were used successfully. Two other patients needed femoro-femoral bypasses, one at the same time as the endovascular procedure and the other one 24 hours later because of lower limb ischemia. Conclusion: The endovascular treatment of AAAs represents a new less invasive alternative to conventional surgery, especially for high risk patients. Further prospective and randomized studies to evaluate the long term outcomes are needed. Excellent results in the short and medium-terms can be obtained by multidisciplinary teams in our country.

Ultrastructural study of the myocardium using cardioplegic crystalloid solution with and without procaine in patients undergoing aortic valve replacement

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to assess whether the presence of procaine in crystalloid cardioplegic solution increases myocardial protection at the ultra structural level. METHODS Eighteen patients that underwent aortic valve replacement in the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre over a 10-month period were studied. They were randomly allocated into two groups: group A--eight patients receiving cardioplegia without procaine; group B--ten patients receiving cardioplegia with procaine. Myocardial biopsies were performed in three different periods: 1st--before ischemic arrest, 2nd--at the end of ischemic arrest, and 3rd--15 minutes after reperfusion. RESULTS The ultra structural analysis comparing the groups in the three moments did not show any statistically significant difference. The mean score in group A at moment I, II and III was 0.1 +/- 0.2; 0.4 +/- 0.3; 0.4 +/- 0.4, and group B 0.2 +/- 0.2; 0.4 +/- 0.3; 0.7 +/- 0.2. Comparative analysis of CK-MB was similar. The spontaneous return to sinus rhythm after aortic declamping in group B occurred in 70% and in group A 12.5% (p=0.024). CONCLUSION Both cardioplegic solutions tested were equally effective in myocardial preservation, and we could not demonstrate at the ultrastructural level any benefit when procaine was added. The spontaneous return to sinus rhythm after aortic declamping was significantly greater when procaine was added.

Rejection and indirect revascularization of glycerin-preserved tracheal implant.

The objective of the following study was to evaluate antigenicity, malacia and revascularization in glycerin-preserved canine tracheal allografts. Trachea with six cartilage rings (2.4 to 3.1 cm) were distributed in three study groups: autograft (21), allograft (18) and glycerin-preserved (22). We implanted two segments from different groups in the greater omentum of dogs. After 28 days, latex was injected in the canine aorta before the segments were harvested. We evaluated number of sectors with functional vessels, number of vessels dyed in the submucosa, acute arteritis score, incidence of acute rejection, cartilage lesion score, and malacia. The autograft group had a larger number of dyed vessels than the glycerin-preserved group. The autograft group also had a higher average number of quadrants with functional vessels than the allograft group and the glycerin-preserved group. The allograft group had a higher mean score for acute arteritis than the autograft group and more acute rejection than the glycerin-preserved group. The cartilage lesion score did not show any significant difference between groups. Malacia was not observed in any tracheal segment. Overall, the glycerin-preserved tracheal implant had low antigenicity and good rigidity, but showed incomplete revascularization.

Estimulação cardíaca com variação de freqüência em sistema de alça fechada e sensor de contractilidade miocárdica: avaliação tardia em estudo multicêntrico

INTRODUCTION: The treatment of bradycardias with bicameral pacemakers (PM) with frequency response (DDD,R) has motivated the search of an ideal sensor. We did a late re-evaluation (3 years) the frequency response of those PM with myocardial contractility sensor in closed loop system. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty patients (pts) of the initial study done in 1997, who presented binodal disease and 3-year implantation were evaluated, being 60% male, ages between 17-87 (average = 61). Their heart frequency (HF) was observed through a 24 Holter monitoring and MP frequency histogram on the daily activities, plus 6-minute walk and going up and downstairs tests. Chronic pacing thresholds were determined as well as atrial (A) and ventricular (V) sensitivity, checking them against those obtained in the implantation and immediate post-operative periods. RESULTS: The average threshold in the intra-operative, 30 days and 3 years were as follows: A pacing (0.8, 1.4 and 1.1V) and V (0.5, 1.1 e 1.0V), A sensitivity (2.3, 2.8 e 2.6mV) and V (10.6, 6.3 and 6.3mV). The HF at the 3rd year increased for daily activities (physical and mental) from 33 to 91%, and for physical exercises tests from 21 to 130%, similarly to the results obtained in 30 days (test t student and variation analysis). This contractility sensor kept at the 3rd year the same good results obtained at the 30th day, presenting the following adverse effects: high-energy consumption in 2 pts and difficulty of sensor adjustment in other 2.

Substituição isolada da valva aórtica em pacientes com função ventricular deprimida

To evaluate the prognostic value of resting left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) a series of 210 consecutive patients with aortic valve disease operated upon between May 1981 and October 1988 was studied retrospectively. All patients had their aortic valve replaced by Omniscience or Meditronic prosthesis; 112 formed the study group because they have complete follow up and cineangiocardiographic data. Based on pre-operatory left ventricular ejection fraction the patients were divided in two groups: Group 1 = 52 patients with LVEF > 40%, 39 ± 12 years, NYHA functional class 2.8, and EF 58 ± 10%. Group 2 = 60 patients with LVEF < 40, 48 ± 17 years, NYHA functional class 3.6, and LVEF of 27 ± 12%. During surgery moderate hypothermia and hemodilution were utilized, with dubble oxygenator and cardioplegia With St. Thomas cardioplegic solution. Mean extracorporeal circulation and cardiac arrest time were respectively 82 ± 18 and 49 ± 7 minutes in Group 1 and 96 ± 11 and 55 ± 6 minutes in Group 2. The size of the prosthesis were 25.2 ± 1.8 mm in Group 1. The short term mortality was 3.8% in Group 1 and 5.8 in Group 2. The long-term mortality was 4.0% in Group 1 and 8.7% in Group 2. In Group 1 there was a significant association between mortality and left ventricular systolic function. In the follow-up evaluation, among patients in Group 1, 65% were in class I, 28% were in functional class II, 5% in class III, and 2% in class IV. Among patients in group II 46% were in class I, 25% in class II, 13% in class III, and 16% in class IV. The 7 year survival rate was 88 ± 2% in Group 1 and 76 ± 4% in Group 2. Thus, patients with LVEF less than 40% had higher short and longterm mortality and worse clinical course. For better surgical results patients with aortic valve disease should be operated upon before the reduction of left ventricular systolic function.