Hisato Ito

Effects of Nafamostat Mesilate on Coagulopathy With Chronic Aortic Dissection

A 65-year-old man with chronic aortic dissection experienced two massive subcutaneous hemorrhages. Laboratory data indicated disseminated intravascular coagulation, whereas a contrast computed tomographic scan revealed a dilatated aortic arch with a partial thrombosis at the false lumen. Because disseminated intravascular coagulation can be caused by chronic aortic dissection, and the aortic arch was 6 cm in diameter, we performed graft replacement from the ascending to the descending aorta in a single stage. Before graft replacement, nafamostat mesilate, a protease inhibitor, was administered and the disseminated intravascular coagulation improved. Nafamostat mesilate may be useful for managing disseminated intravascular coagulation associated with chronic aortic dissection.

Open surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm in the era of endovascular repair: comparison with long term results of endovascular repair using zenith stentgraft.

OBJECTIVE Our study focuses on the long term result of open surgery and endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) using the Zenith stentgraft. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 237 patients underwent elective abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair between April 1999 and December 2006. Nineteen patients underwent EVAR, whereas 218 patients underwent open surgery. The mean follow-up time for EVAR group was 73.8 ± 49 months (range; 25-150 months), and 69.7 ± 46 months (range; 1-156 months) for open surgery group. RESULTS One open surgery patient (1/218, 0.46%) died of aspiration pneumonia, whereas all the EVAR patients survived the operation. Remote complications requiring reintervention occurred in 8 patients (8/174, 4.6%) in open surgery group. Six EVAR patients (6/19, 31.6%) developed late aneurysm expansion, among whom four patients (4/19, 21.1%) required reinterventions after 3 or more years postoperatively. The need for reintervention persisted even at 11 years after initial EVAR. There was no significant intergroup difference in late mortality. CONCLUSIONS There was no statistically significant intergroup difference in early and long term mortality. Complications requiring reinterventions, however, were more frequent in EVAR than in open surgery, especially in the late period. Long term follow-up is mandatory for comparison of the clinical results between open surgery and EVAR.

Patch angioplasty and neo-ostium creation for intramural left coronary artery

Anomalous aortic origin of the coronary artery is a rare cardiac anomaly which induces myocardial ischemia and is associated with sudden death. We operated on a 25-year-old female with syncopal episodes who had an intramural left coronary artery. A neo-ostium was created in the left sinus but the initial neo-ostium seemed small because of the hypoplastic intramural segment of the left coronary artery. Therefore, saphenous vein patch angioplasty was added for ostial enlargement. The patient was symptom-free at one year follow-up and exercise stress test was negative for ischemia.

Determinants of recurrent tricuspid regurgitation following tricuspid valve annuloplasty during mitral valve surgery

The purpose of this study was to determine risk predictors for recurrent tricuspid regurgitation (TR) following tricuspid valve annuloplasty during mitral valve surgery.

The impact of global left ventricular afterload on left ventricular reverse remodeling after aortic valve replacement

Conventional indices such as prosthetic valve effective orifice area (EOA) or transvalvular pressure gradients (TPG) may be unreliable in predicting left ventricular (LV) reverse remodeling after aortic valve replacement (AVR). We hypothesized that the global LV afterload, including valvular and arterial impedance, could influence LV reverse remodeling after AVR.

Perforation of a Tricuspid Pouch Caused by Infective Endocarditis

A 61-year-old man was admitted because of infective endocarditis. Echocardiography revealed the bicuspid aortic valve and a tricuspid pouch bulging into the right ventricle. Color Doppler demonstrated mild aortic regurgitation and left-to-right ventricular shunt through the lower part of the pouch. We successfully performed an aortic valve replacement and closed the interventricular communication. Infective endocarditis of the bicuspid aortic valve appeared to have caused left-to-right ventricular communication at the lower part of the tricuspid pouch.

Neuroprotective effect of pressure-oriented flow regulation and pH-stat management in selective antegrade brain perfusion during total aortic arch repair

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to assess the safety and effectiveness of our selective antegrade brain perfusion (SABP) strategy, which is characterized by moderate hypothermic and low-pressure management under pH-stat using a completely closed cardiopulmonary bypass circuit with a single centrifugal pump. METHODS Forty-nine consecutive patients (median age, 74) underwent total aortic arch replacement using a 4-branched graft. SABP was conducted with individual cannulation in all arch vessels. The SABP flow rate was monitored, and the flow rates of each arch vessel were also measured in patients with available data. RESULTS One patient died of cerebral infarction, and 7 had transient neurological deficits without apparent findings on postoperative imaging studies and without residual sequels at hospital discharge. The operation, cardiopulmonary bypass, cardiac arrest, circulatory arrest and SABP times were 327 min (interquartile range, 292-381), 211 (184-247), 107 (84.8-138.3), 54.0 (48-68) and 137 (114-158), respectively. The total flow of the SABP was 18.1 ml/kg/min (15.7-20.9). The flow rates of the brachiocephalic, the left carotid and the left subclavian arteries were 9.5 ml/kg/min (7.7-11.5), 4.2 (2.8-5.7) and 4.5 (3.7-5.5), respectively. Only the flow rate of the brachiocephalic artery was significantly correlated with the total SABP flow rate (Spearman rank correlation coefficient, r = 0.58, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS The moderate hypothermic, high-flow, low-pressure SABP strategy with pH-stat management can be applied in adult aortic surgery; however, the feasibility and effectiveness of this concept need further evaluation in a prospective controlled study.

Emergency Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery for Patients on Preoperative Intraaortic Balloon Pump

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate early and long-term outcomes of patients with acute coronary syndrome preoperatively requiring intraaortic balloon pump support who underwent emergency off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery. METHODS One hundred and fifteen patients on preoperative intraaortic balloon pump receiving emergency off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery over an 11-year period were evaluated. The median age was 71 years (range, 33 to 87). Acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina were present in 54 patients (47.0%) and 61 patients (53.0%), respectively. Left main disease and triple-vessel disease without left main involvement were present in 74 patients (64.3%) and 33 patients (28.7%), respectively. RESULTS There were 3 perioperative deaths. Complete surgical revascularization was accomplished in 82 patients (71.3%), and in situ internal thoracic artery graft was used in 96 (83.5%). Late survival, freedom from major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events, and freedom from repeat revascularization rates at 5 years were 83.3%, 73.5%, and 84.2%, respectively. The Cox multivariate prognostic predictors of total mortality were preoperative renal impairment (hazard ratio [HR] 7.90; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.06 to 20.4) and low ejection fraction (HR 0.94, 95% CI: 0.88 to 0.99). The multivariate risk predictors of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events were preoperative renal impairment (HR 2.68, 95% CI: 1.00 to 7.19) and peripheral vascular disease (HR 2.81, 95% CI: 1.05 to 7.51), and complete revascularization was protective (HR 0.39, 95% CI: 0.19 to 0.81). The multivariate risk factor of repeat revascularization was previous percutaneous coronary intervention (HR 3.26, 95% CI: 1.14 to 9.33), and complete surgical revascularization was also protective (HR 0.30, 95% CI: 0.11 to 0.85). CONCLUSIONS Off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery is a feasible option for patients requiring preoperative intraaortic balloon pump support.

Total Arch Replacement in a Patient With an Unusual Vascular Anatomy

A 69-year-old man with a history of infectious abdominal aortic aneurysm, which had resulted in removal of the infrarenal abdominal aorta and bilateral axillofemoral bypass 9 years previously, underwent total arch replacement for an aortic arch aneurysm. The patient had the interrupted abdominal aorta and highly atherosclerotic proximal aorta, which precluded the possibility of endovascular stent grafting in combination with arch vessel debranching technique. Therefore, open arch repair was the only treatment option. The operation was successful with his axillofemoral bypass graft being exposed and used for arterial inflow during cardiopulmonary bypass, including integrated selective antegrade cerebral perfusion.

Combined coronary and femoral revascularization for the treatment of hypoplastic aortoiliac syndrome: Report of a case

The coronary artery and aortoiliac occlusive disease frequently coexist and in relatively rare instances, a complication of hypoplastic aortoiliac syndrome (HAIS) may occur. We herein present our experience with a 51-year-old female patient with HAIS and concomitant coronary artery disease. She underwent a successful simultaneous coronary and femoral revascularization. The left anterior descending artery was bypassed with the in situ gastroepiploic artery and a biaorto-external iliac artery bypass was performed with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene precuffed grafts. She had a good postoperative course, with no angina or intermittent claudication. The importance of the technical aspects of reconstructive surgery in patients with HAIS has been emphasized in many reports in the literature, and the surgical options for combined coronary and femoral revascularization are also discussed herein.