Sachin Talwar

Tubercular pseudoaneurysms of aorta

BACKGROUND Tubercular pseudoaneurysm of aorta is a rare but important complication of tuberculosis. With worldwide resurgence of tuberculosis due to increasing incidence of drug-resistant tuberculosis and its association with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, the tubercular pseudoaneurysm has become a real clinical entity. METHODS In the past 3 years, 5 young patients (22 to 40 years) presented with tubercular pseudoaneurysm. Site of involvement included ascending aorta, distal aortic arch, proximal descending thoracic aorta, distal descending thoracic aorta, and infrarenal abdominal aorta. Two patients had macroscopic focus of tuberculosis in the nearby vicinity, and all 5 patients had evidence of active/treated pulmonary pericardial tuberculosis. All patients either had received antitubercular therapy previously or were receiving it at the time of presentation. Rapid deterioration in the clinical status was the most marked clinical feature. All patients underwent operation. Graft interposition was performed in 2, patch repair in 2, and direct closure of the rent was performed in 1 patient. All 5 patients received antitubercular therapy in the postoperative period. RESULTS All patients survived the operation and were discharged from the hospital. One patient developed recurrence at the original site after 8 months and died at reoperation. The remaining patients are symptom free at 18 to 36 months postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS A combination of chemotherapy and operation yields gratifying results for the treatment of tubercular pseudoaneurysm.

Anatomic repair for congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries

OBJECTIVE Anatomic repair is being actively evaluated as the preferred option for congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries. We present our 13-year experience with this approach. METHODS Between May 1994 and September 2007, 68 patients with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries underwent anatomic repair. Thirty-one patients (group 1, mean age of 94.8 +/- 42.3 months) underwent a combined Rastelli and atrial switch operation. Thirty-seven patients (group 2, mean age of 36.1 +/- 46.9 months) underwent an arterial switch operation and atrial rerouting. Eight patients in group 2 had an intact ventricular septum. RESULTS Group 1 had 5 early deaths (17%) but no late deaths. Three patients underwent conduit revision at a mean follow-up of 62 months. Group 2 had 5 early deaths (13.5%). There were 4 late reoperations (2 pulmonary baffle revisions, 1 mitral valve replacement, and 1 permanent pacemaker implantation) and 4 late deaths (1 secondary to progressive left ventricular dysfunction, 2 secondary to uncontrolled atrial tachyarrhythmia, and 1 secondary to pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular failure). In group 2, 4 patients have a left ventricular ejection fraction less than 40%, 5 patients have moderate aortic incompetence, 5 patients have symptomatic tricuspid incompetence, 1 patient has tricuspid stenosis, 1 patient has superior cava obstruction, and 3 patients are receiving antiarrhythmic therapy. CONCLUSION The occurrence of left ventricular dysfunction indicate that anatomic repair in the arterial switch group is still fraught with imperfections. The Rastelli group required conduit revisions but has otherwise performed well.

Parasternal intercostal block with ropivacaine for postoperative analgesia in pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery: a double-blind, randomized, controlled study.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of 0.5% ropivacaine used for parasternal intercostal blocks for postoperative analgesia in pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery. DESIGN A randomized, controlled, prospective, double-blind study. SETTING A tertiary care teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS Thirty children scheduled for cardiac surgery with a median sternotomy. INTERVENTIONS A 0.5% ropivacaine injection with 5 doses of 0.5 to 2.0 mL on each side in the 2nd to 6th parasternal intercostal space with a total dose of ropivacaine below 5 mg/kg or the same volume of saline before sternal wound closure. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS The time to extubation was significantly lower in patients administered the parasternal blocks with ropivacaine than in the control group; the mean values were 2.66 hours and 5.31 hours, respectively (p < 0.001). The pain scores were lower in the ropivacaine group compared with the saline group; mean values were 2.20 for the ropivacaine group and 4.83 for the saline group on a scale of 10. The cumulative fentanyl dose requirement over a 24-hour period was higher in the saline group than the ropivacaine group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Parasternal blocks with ropivacaine appear to be a simple, safe, and useful technique of supplementation of postoperative analgesia in pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery with a median sternotomy.

Sewing Needle in the Heart

An unusual case of a sewing needle in the heart is reported for its rarity. The relevant literature is briefly reviewed.

Pedicled omental transfer for limb salvage in Buerger’s disease

We performed pedicled omental transfer in 62 patients with Buergers disease at the Department of Surgery, J.L.N. Hospital, Ajmer between January 1990 and December 1996. All were male and had evidence of limb ischaemia. Post-operative results in these patients consisted of relief of intermittent claudication in 92%, disappearance of rest pain in 94%, disappearance of limb coldness in 83%, disappearance of discolouration in 82%, and healing of ischaemic ulcers in 83%. Tissue oxygen saturation in the affected limb improved from a mean of 84.8+/-3.6% in the preoperative period, to 89+/-1.5% at 12 h, 93.1+/-1.8% at 72 h and 96+/-1.2% at the end of 2 months of follow-up. Claudication distance improved from a mean of 75+/-20 m in the pre-operative period to 1000+/-110 m at 2 months of follow-up in 57 of 62 patients. Major amputations were not required in any patient, thus conserving the limb. We conclude that pedicled omental transfer offers promising results in patients with limb ischaemia due to Buergers disease.

Modified Blalock-Taussig Shunt in Neonates: Determinants of Immediate Outcome

Forty-six neonates with various conditions of low pulmonary blood flow received a modified Blalock-Taussig shunt with a polytetrafluoroethylene graft. Ages ranged from 2 to 30 days (mean, 14.1 days). Hospital mortality was 10.9%. Shunt block requiring reoperation occurred in 3 patients. Incremental risk factors for early mortality were found to be restrictive atrial septal defect, univentricular physiology, and postoperative reintervention. It was found that a Blalock-Taussig shunt could be performed in the neonatal period with a predictable outcome. Single-ventricle physiology and restrictive atrial septal defect were the major determinants of outcome in this subgroup.

The anomalous origin of the branch pulmonary artery from the ascending aorta

The anomalous origin of one pulmonary artery branch from the aorta (AOPA) is rare. We report our single-institution surgical experience with this condition. Between January 1994 and February 2011, 17 patients (age: 1 month-25 years) with AOPA underwent surgery at our institute. Thirteen patients had an anomalous origin of the right pulmonary artery (RPA) while four had an anomalous origin of the left pulmonary artery (LPA) from the aorta. In patients with anomalous RPA, 11 patients had the proximal type and two patients had the distal type of AOPA. Four patients had associated Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). In 14 patients, direct implantation into the main pulmonary artery was performed, while three patients required interpositon of a graft. There was one operative death due to persistent hypoxia in a 7-month old child with TOF and an anomalous LPA from the aorta. At a median follow-up of 36.5 months (range: 2-192 months), all 16 survivors were asymptomatic. On echocardiography, two patients showed a gradient of 25 and 30 mmHg across the anastomosis and are being followed up. In our experience, early repair of AOPA results in acceptable haemodynamic and anatomic results. Long-term survival can be expected with a low incidence of re-operation or re-intervention.

Abdominal tuberculosis in children: an Indian experience.

The hospital records of 125 children, aged 14 years or less treated for abdominal tuberculosis (TB) at Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College and Hospital, Ajmer, India between January 1987 and December 1996, were studied to analyse the various patterns of abdominal TB in children and to evaluate the role of various investigations in researching a diagnosis. Abdominal pain was the presenting symptom in 100 (80 per cent) patients. Detectable ascites was present in 55 (44 per cent) and visible peristalsis in 45 (36 per cent) cases. Laboratory investigations and radiographs were not conclusive in the majority of the patients. In 45 (36 per cent) patients in whom no tissue diagnosis was available, the diagnosis was based on a dramatic clinical response to anti-tuberculous chemotherapy. Fifty (40 per cent) patients were treated conservatively with anti-tuberculous drugs alone; the remaining patients underwent laparotomy for diagnosis and relief of bowel obstruction. There were no post-operative deaths and on follow-up, good recovery was observed in these patients. Abdominal TB in children is of a non-specific nature and defies diagnosis with non-invasive investigations; laparotomy is required for a definitive diagnosis in the majority of the patients. However, if a high index of suspicion is maintained in endemic areas, a therapeutic trial of anti-tuberculous chemotherapy is justified.

Unidirectional valved patch closure of ventricular septal defects with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Delayed presentation of ventricular septal defect (VSD) is common in developing countries. Such patients often have severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), which increases post-operative morbidity and mortality. To address these problems, we used our technique of unidirectional valved patch (UVP) for closure of VSD. Between January 2006 and December 2010, 17 patients (age 2-23 years, median 9 years) with a large VSD and severe PAH underwent VSD closure with UVP. Pre-operative mean indexed pulmonary vascular resistance (PVRI) was 10.9 ± 2.2 Wood units and mean pre-operative systemic saturation was 93.4 ± 2.6%. Shunt was bidirectional in 15 patients and predominantly right to left in two. After VSD closure, intra-operative transoesophageal echocardiography revealed a right to left shunt across the patch in three patients 2, 7 and 9 years of age who had pre-operative PVRI of 9.5, 9.8 and 11.1 Wood units, respectively. There were no in-hospital deaths and all patients had uneventful recovery. Mean follow-up was 30 ± 14.7 months and all patients are well without cyanosis. Echocardiography showed no shunt across the patch and all have systemic saturation >95%. We conclude that UVP is a promising technique in patients with large VSD and severe PAH.

Diaphragmatic palsy after cardiac surgical procedures in patients with congenital heart.

Paralysis of diaphragm on one or, exceptionally, both sides is a common cause of delayed recovery and excessive morbidity following pediatric cardiac surgery. The consequences of this complication after all forms of congenital heart surgery in newborns and young infants can be potentially serious. The impact of diaphragmatic palsy on the physiology after single ventricle palliations is particularly significant. It is necessary for all professionals taking care of children with heart disease to be familiar with the etiology, diagnosis, and management of this condition. Early recognition and prompt management of diaphragmatic palsy can potentially reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation and intensive care in those who develop this complication. This review summarizes the anatomy of the phrenic nerves, reasons behind the occurrence of diaphragmatic palsy, and suggests practical guidelines for management.