Osamu Matsuki

Extent of aortopulmonary collateral blood flow as a risk factor for Fontan operations

Between November 1987 and January 1990, 33 patients (tricuspid atresia, 9 patients; mitral atresia, 3; single ventricle, 15; others, 6) underwent Fontan operations. The rate of blood flow returning to the heart during aortic cross-clamping was measured as an indication of the extent of development of aortopulmonary collateral arteries. Percent cardiac return (calculated by dividing the blood flow rate returning to the heart by the cardiopulmonary bypass blood flow rate and expressing the value as a percentage), were 1% to 9%, 7 patients; 10% to 19%, 11; 20% to 29%, 9; 30% to 39%, 4; 40% to 49%, 1; and 50% to 59%, 1 patient. Percent cardiac return showed a significant correlation with postoperative mean systemic venous pressure (r = 0.6, p < 0.01). In those patients in whom percent cardiac return was more than 33%, the mean systemic venous pressure after operation was high (more than 17 mm Hg), and none of these patients survived. To predict percent cardiac return preoperatively, the conventional indices of systemic ventricular volume, pulmonary artery area index, arterial blood oxygen saturation, pulmonary blood flow index, and pulmonary vascular resistance were analyzed. None of these showed significant correlation with percent cardiac return. However, all the patients who had a high percent cardiac return (more than 30%) also had both high arterial blood oxygen saturation (more than 75% in room air) and small pulmonary artery area index (less than 55%). In addition, the age at operation showed good correlation (r = 0.6, p < 0.01) to percent cardiac return.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Double switch operation in cardiac anomalies with atrioventricular and ventriculoarterial discordance

Since June 1987, 10 of 19 consecutive patients with atrioventricular and ventriculoarterial discordance (average age 4 +/- 2 years) had undergone a double switch operation with the morphologically left ventricle used as a systemic ventricle. There were two combinations of procedures. Atrial switch combined with arterial switch was used in two patients who had a normal pulmonary valve. Atrial switch combined with ventriculoarterial switch by Rastellis procedure was used in eight patients with pulmonary stenosis or atresia and a large ventricular septal defect. One early death and two late deaths have occurred in a postoperative follow-up period of up to 4 years. Subsequent problems were mainly related to the results of atrial switch procedures in patients who had a small atrium because of low pulmonary flow, especially in patients with apicocaval juxtaposition. Our experience suggested that the double switch operation would open a new era of definitive surgical treatment in half of the patients with atrioventricular and ventriculoarterial discordance.

What factors affect ventricular performance after a Fontan-type operation

Postoperative conditions after a Fontan-type operation, particularly as they affect results in the early term, are thought to depend on factors such as the state of pulmonary circulation and ventricular function. In this study, we attempted to determine the factors that influence ventricular characteristics in the middle term after Fontan-type procedures. Catheterization was performed at a mean of 15 months after operation in 57 patients with univentricular atrioventricular connection who underwent the operation between 1.0 and 22.6 years of age. End-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, ejection fraction, and end-diastolic pressure of the systemic ventricle were analyzed together with an estimation of the systemic flow index. These parameters were influenced significantly by the presence of atrioventricular valve insufficiency. The morphologically left ventricle showed a better ejection fraction than did the morphologically right ventricle, whereas the systemic flow index was greater in patients undergoing total cavopulmonary connection than in those receiving an atriopulmonary connection. Young age was significantly associated with a better postoperative contractility, whereas the potential for impaired ventricular compliance was suggested in several patients undergoing operation after 4 years of age. On the basis of our results, we conclude that total cavopulmonary connection performed at a young age should be the surgical procedure of choice and that atrioventricular insufficiency must be treated properly at, and even after, the initial definitive repair.

Surgery for congential heart disease Unifocalization for pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries

To extend the indications for corrective operation in patients with pulmonary atresia, ventricular septal defect, and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries, surgical procedures were done to unify the blood sources for pulmonary perfusion. Since December 1985, 50 patients have undergone unifocalization at ages from 2 months to 26 years with a mean of 6 +/- 7 years. In total, 84 staged unifocalization procedures and 5 other palliative procedures were done in 49 patients. These included several operative procedures: simple ligation of major aortopulmonary collateral arteries in 8; pulmonary angioplasty in 29 including reconstruction of the pulmonary arterial tree by direct anastomosis or interposition between the central pulmonary arteries and the intrapulmonary arteries; construction of artificial central pulmonary arteries with use of a xenograft pericardial tube graft in 36 with no native central pulmonary arteries detected; and construction of supplemental central pulmonary arteries also with use of a pericardial tube graft in 10. The pericardial tube graft, if used, was anastomosed to the intrapulmonary arteries on one end and connected to a prosthetic tube on the other end so as to perfuse the reconstructed pulmonary arteries. The anastomosis was made inside the lung through the divided interlobar fissure. Five patients died after operation among those undergoing these 89 preparative operative procedures. Deaths were related either to bleeding caused by anticoagulation therapy administered to prevent thrombosis within the xenograft pericardial tube graft used or to progressive congestive heart failure as a result of an excessive amount of pulmonary blood flow. Twenty-six patients have undergone intracardiac repair after previous unifocalization. In 16 patients the artificial central pulmonary arteries surgically constructed were connected to each other and then an external conduit was placed. In another patient, intracardiac repair and unifocalization could be concomitantly achieved via a median sternotomy. The right ventricle to left ventricle systolic pressure ratio immediately after intracardiac repair in 27 patients ranged from 0.24 to 0.91 with a mean of 0.54 +/- 0.17. One patient (4%) died shortly after intracardiac repair because of thrombosis within the pulmonary arteries. Postoperative catheterization showed that pulmonary vascular resistance was correlated significantly with the number of pulmonary vascular segments functioning rather than with the condition of the central pulmonary arteries. We conclude that surgical unifocalization is a feasible procedure before subsequent intracardiac repair, even in patients with critically hypoplastic or absent central pulmonary arteries.

Biventricular repair in cardiac isomerism ☆ ☆☆ ★ ★★: Report of seventeen cases

Ninety-three patients with cardiac isomerism were treated surgically from July 1985 to June 1991. Among them, three patients with right and 14 with left isomerism underwent biventricular repair. Ages ranged from 4 months to 41 years (mean 4.8 years). Anatomic repair was accomplished in 15 patients and functional repair with the right ventricle used as the systemic ventricle in two patients. Methods of atrial septation to separate pulmonary venous flow from systemic venous flow included atrial partition with a straight patch in seven patients, intraatrial rerouting with a tailored baffle in five, and a Mustard-type atrial switch in five. One hospital death (5.8%) and two late deaths (12%) occurred. Two patients required reoperation (12%), one reconstruction of a stenotic systemic venous connection and one mitral valve replacement because of incompetence. Surgically induced complete atrioventricular block was not observed in any of the patients. Optimal atrial septation offers the possibility of biventricular repair for patients with acceptable intraventricular structure.

A Bicuspid Pulmonary Valve Is Not a Contraindication for the Arterial Switch Operation

There are no obvious criteria concerning the optimal repair for complete transposition with bicuspid pulmonary valve if neither the organic changes in the valve nor the pressure gradient between the left ventricle and the pulmonary trunk are severe. Instead of intraatrial switching or intraventricular rerouting in such circumstances, we have proceeded to the arterial switch procedure in 6 patients with an adequate diameter of the pulmonary valve (greater than 100% of the calculated normal aortic orifice). Postoperative catheterization (at approximately 8 months after the procedures) showed no pressure gradient between the left ventricle and the neoaorta except for a finding of 34 mm Hg difference in 1 patient who had undergone simultaneous subpulmonary myotomy. Echocardiography (7 years later in the longest follow-up) has shown no more than slight regurgitation across the bicuspid neoaortic valve, with no progressive increase of blood velocity across the valve. From these results in the middle term, we conclude that the arterial switch procedure remains an option of choice for patients with initially bicuspid pulmonary valve, providing there is no severe subpulmonary stenosis.

New surgical technique for total-defect aortopulmonary window.

A new technique is described to repair aortopulmonary window with total defect in an 8-day-old baby. Because we expected the future growth of aorta, we used the anterior wall of the pulmonary artery as a large flap to reconstruct the posterolateral aortic wall. An equine pericardial patch was used to repair the defect in the pulmonary artery. This is a logically effective method for aortic reconstruction in a neonate with a large aortopulmonary septal defect.

A new surgical approach for preparation of candidates for the Fontan operation with acquired systemic-pulmonary collateral arteries

A new surgical technique is described to reduce the flow through acquired systemic-pulmonary collateral arteries, a complication which has been recognized as a risk factor in patients undergoing the Fontan operation. When systemic-pulmonary collateral arteries have developed subsequent to previous construction of an ipsilateral Blalock-Taussig shunt or a Glenn anastomosis, and are identified by angiography in advance of the Fontan operation, the technique is indicated as a preparative procedure. It consists of rethoracotomy aimed at isolating the lung from the thoracic wall (peeling), and wrapping of the upper half of the lung with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene sheets to avoid redevelopment of collateral vessels into the lung (wrapping). This decreases the systemic-collateral flow through small vessels which cannot be handled by conventional embolization using catheterization techniques, and permits the Fontan operation to be performed more safely.

New Compact Integrated Cardiopulmonary Bypass Unit (CICU) for Percutaneous Cardiopulmonary Support

The cardiopulmonary bypass technique has been used for circulatory support [1] and cardiac resuscitation [2]. Recently, percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (PCPS) with large-bore thin-walled cannulas has become valued because of its easy application in emergency cases [3,4], and because of its use for supported percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) [5,6]; it has rapidly achieved widespread popularity. Despite the increased clinical demands, a cardiopulmonary bypass unit specially designed for PCPS has not yet been developed. We have developed a new compact integrated cardiopulmonary bypass unit (CICU) for PCPS, and applied it clinically. Herein, we describe this unit and the results achieved with its initial clinical use.

A new method of assessing left ventricular function under assisted circulation using a conductance catheter

A new method of assessing left ventricular (LV) systolic function without terminating assisted circulation (AC) was investigated using a LV volume catheter (conductance catheter) in canine cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) (Group 1, n = 7) and left heart bypass (LHB) (Group 2, n = 5) models. The hearts were subjected to either 20 min of global ischemia (IS), with a subsequent 80 min of reperfusion under CPB, or regional IS under LHB. Instantaneous LV pressure-volume data acquisitions were repeated during transient (15 sec) acute volume loading without terminating bypass. The relationship between the stroke work (SW), determined as the area of the pressure-volume loop, and the end-diastolic volume (EDV), were highly linear at every study point (mean: r = 0.956-0.986 in Group 1, r = 0.974-0.987 in Group 2). The slopes of SW and EDV (preload recruitable stroke work: PRSW) significantly decreased after IS, in both Group 1 and Group 2. In conclusion, measurement of PRSW without terminating bypass seemed to be useful in evaluating LV systolic function in patients under AC.