Ricardo Mazzieri

Carotid artery inflow in operations to correct aortic diseases (ascending, arch and descending)

OBJECTIVE: Femoral artery cannulation has been used as the preferred option in operations to correct ascending aorta and aortic arch aneurysms and dissections. The axillary artery is an alternative site for cannulation. We have used arterial inflow via the common carotid artery in nine patients. METHOD: Nine patients were operated on with ages ranging from 46 to 80 years (mean 62.1 ± 12.54), six were male. Four patients had true aneurysms, three had aortic dissections and two a combination of dissections and true aneurysms. Five patients had undergone previous cardiovascular operations. Deep hypothermia with circulation arrest was used in two patients and in seven, antegrade cerebral perfusion was used. RESULTS: All nine patients awoke from the operation without cerebral damage. Two patients died, one on the 7th postoperative day due to respiratory failure and the other one on the third postoperative day due to a rupture of a thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm. CONCLUSION: The carotid artery can be a safe alternative of arterial inflow in operations to correct ascending aorta and aortic arch diseases. This strategy allows antegrade cerebral perfusion during the operation even during arch resection and reconstruction.

Correlation between gallium-67 imaging and endomyocardial biopsy in children with severe dilated cardiomyopathy

Fourty-four patients (aged 10 months to 15 years) were assessed in a double-blind study to observe the correlation between myocardial uptake of 67-gallium and endomyocardial biopsy in the detection of moderate to severe myocardial inflammation. The sensitivity and specificity of gallium-67 imaging were 87 and 81%, respectively. Based on these findings, immunosuppressive therapy can be assigned to children with dilated cardiomyopathy and positive myocardial uptake, since moderate and severe myocardial inflammation may be detected by this non-invasive method.

Cirurgia de revascularização do miocárdio associada a endarterectomia de carótida

There are still controversies about the treatment of associated coronary artery disease and carotid artery obstruction. Between 1979 and 1994, 10940 patients were operated on for myocardial revascularization. Combined operations (myocardial revascularization and carotid endarterectomy) were done in 46 (0.43%) patients, during the same period. Patients age ranged from 48 to 76 years with an average of 65.2 yrs; 80.4% were male; 23 had had previous myocardial infarction. Associated diseases were diabetes mellitus in 10 patients, chronic renal insufficiency in 5; 29 were in functional class 111 or IV for angina; 4 patients had congestive cardiac insufficiency: left main carotid obstruction, and in 4 of them one carotid artery was completaly obstructed; 23 patients had had transient cerebral ischemic attack and 2 had had stroke with sequelae. Hospital mortality was 8.6% (4/46). Permanent stroke did not occur in the operative period; 3 of the 4 deaths occurred in patients 70 years or older. Carotid endarterectomy was done just before cardiopulmonary bypass in 42 patients and in 4 patients with one of the carotid arteries occluded, done after cardiopulmonary bypass was established and the patient temperature was 25oC. Considering that no patient had perioperative stroke, we think that this strategy is adequate for this association of diseases.

Tratamento cirúrgico dos aneurismas toracoabdominais da aorta

Five patients have been operated on of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms. The mean age was 53 years (range 31-71) and three were women. All the patients were symptomatic, three of them had arteriosclerotic aneurysms, and the other two had dissecting aneurysms. Three patients had been operated on previously. The exposure of aneurysm was made through a thoracoabdominal incision, in four patients clamps were placed above and below the aneurysm and it was incised longitudinally. Bypass between left atrium and left femoral artery with hypothermia and circulatory arrest was used in the other patients, since the proximal thoracic aortic clamping was impossible. A woven Dacron graft of adequate size was used to substitute the aorta, intercostals and visceral arteries were reimplanted. Paraplegia occurred in one patient. There was no intraoperative death. Two patients died in the immediate postoperative period, one of them on the 3rd day, by neurologic coma caused by cardiac arrest during the operation, and the other patient on the 12th postoperative day, suddenlly. Three patients were followed up. Two patients are doing well, 13 and 72 months after operation, and the other one has the limitation of the paraplegia.

Cardiomiopatia periparto. Análise crítica da imunossupressão

The authors review the literature about peripartum cardiomyopathy and describe a case of a white woman, 31 years old, primipara, who developed myocardial failure six hours after caesarian operation, with good results after immunossupressive therapy.

Aneurisma em ponte de veia safena para artéria coronária marginal esquerda, roto para o brônquio esquerdo

A patient who suffered two previous myocardium revascularization surgeries, ten and twenty years ago, respectively, showed a history of dyspnea, chest pain and hemoptysis suddenly. In the folllowing examinations, a big saphenous vein bypass graft aneurysm was observed to the left marginal artery, partially broked up in the left bronchus. The aneurysm was corrected sucessfully, but the patient died 15 days after the surgery due to a pulmonary infection.

Aneurismas da aorta

Among 212 patients undergoing operation for aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection between January 1979 and January 1992, 97 were operated on for aneurysms. The aneurysms were localized in: ascending aorta in 46 patients, transverse aortic arch in 8, descending aorta in 8, thoracoabdominal aorta in 8, abdominal (infrarenal) aorta in 21, descending and abdominal aorta in 2, ascending and thoracoabdominal aorta in 2, ascending and descending in 1, ascending, transverse arch and descending aorta in 1. Hospital mortality was 14,4% being 27,7% (5/18) among patients over 70 years old an 11,3% (9/79) among patients under 70 years of age. Our experience suggests that: secondary and tertiary operations, advanced age, associated diseases, respiratory infection and acute renal failure increase early mortality.