Yasuhisa Fukada

Volume reduction rate by surgical ventricular restoration determines late outcome in ischaemic cardiomyopathy

Surgical ventricular restoration (SVR) effectively reduces left ventricular (LV) volume in ischaemic cardiomyopathy (ICM), but the recent Surgical Treatment of Ischemic Heart Failure (STICH) Trial questions its importance. We report 8‐year SVR experience in patients with ICM.

Indication of posterior restoration and surgical results in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy

OBJECTIVE Nontransplant surgery for dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) has been in the process of development. Anterior restoration for anterior akinesis has shown favourable outcome. Posterior restoration and surgical results are also discussed. METHODS At the Hayama Heart Center in Japan, between 2005 and 2009, posterior restoration for DCM was performed in 36 patients (10 with ischaemic and 26 with nonischaemic, including muscular dystrophy in three). There were 32 men and four women with a mean age of 53 years. The mean preoperative ejection fraction was 23% and the preoperative New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification was class III in 16 patients and class IV in 20 with eight emergent operations. To identify the posterior lesion before operation, speckle-tracking echocardiography was used, with a Vivid 7 ultrasound machine. The short-axis images from the middle level of the left ventricle (LV) were obtained to assess myocardial segmental viability. Based on the results of speckle-tracking echocardiography, posterior restoration was performed in patients with postero-lateral akinesis and septal kinesis. After the cardioplegic arrest, mitral plasty or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) was performed and the posterior LV muscle between bilateral papillary muscles was partially resected under beating heart. The LV apex was preserved and cryoablation was applied between the cut edge and the mitral annulus. All the patients were followed with cardiac echocardiography. RESULTS In addition to LV restoration, mitral plasty was successfully performed in all the patients. Concomitant CABG was performed in seven, tricuspid surgery in 11 and cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) in eight. Perioperative intra-aortic balloon pumping (IABP) was used in six and there was no hospital mortality, including eight emergent operations. After the operation, 29 patients (80.6%) improved their functional class into class I or II. In the late follow-up, there were two cardiac deaths and one noncardiac death and the 4-year survival rate was 85.8%. CONCLUSIONS The site selection with speckle-tracking echocardiography demonstrated the accurate akinetic lesion of the posterior LV wall. The posterior restoration with preservation of bilateral papillary muscles and LV apex based on the site selection improved operative and mid-term results in the selected patients with DCM.

Minimally Invasive Coronary Artery Bypass Grating Using Bilateral In Situ Internal Thoracic Arteries

When performing minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting (MICS CABG), it is difficult to access the right internal thoracic artery (ITA) under direct vision. We successfully performed off-pump MICS CABG using the bilateral in situ ITAs through a 8-cm left thoracotomy under direct vision for a 76-year-old man. His postoperative course was uneventful and all the grafts were patent. This novel, minimally invasive approach safely preserves the sternum and delivers the benefits of bilateral in situ ITA grafting, providing an alternative to conventional CABG and off-pump CABG.

Pre-Operative Left Ventricular Torsion, QRS Width/CRT, and Post-Mitral Surgery Outcomes in Patients With Nonischemic, Chronic, Severe Secondary Mitral Regurgitation

Summary The selection of appropriate candidates for mitral surgery among symptomatic patients with nonischemic, chronic, secondary severe mitral regurgitation (NICSMR) remains a clinical challenge. We studied 50 consecutive symptomatic NICSMR patients for a median follow-up of 2.5 years after mitral surgery and concluded that the pre-operative 2-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography-derived left ventricular torsional profile and QRS width/cardiac resynchronization therapy are potentially important prognostic indicators for post-surgery survival and reverse remodeling.

Tricuspid annuloplasty with the MC3 ring and septal plication technique

Background Functional tricuspid regurgitation is caused by annular dilation mainly in the posterior annulus. However, ring annuloplasty does not always prevent the recurrence of tricuspid regurgitation due to dilation of the septal annulus. We developed a septal plication technique with a 3-dimensional MC3 ring. Methods Between 2006 and 2011, 76 patients (male/female 30/46; mean age 68 ± 11 years) with functional tricuspid regurgitation received tricuspid ring annuloplasty. After placement of the annular sutures, the 3 commissural ring portions were fixed on the equivalent commissures to plicate the anterior and posterior annulus. The end of the septal ring portion was fixed at the optimal annular position to obtain minimal tricuspid regurgitation. All patients were followed-up for a mean of 47 ± 18 months; the longest duration was 79 months. Results Although there was no operative death, one patient died of sepsis during hospitalization (hospital mortality 1.3%). After implantation of the MC3 ring (mean size 31.0 ± 3.3 mm), additional edge-to-edge sutures were required for minor leakage in 5 (7%) patients. The degree of tricuspid regurgitation was significantly reduced at discharge (0.5 ± 0.6) and midterm (0.6 ± 0.6) compared to 2.5 ± 0.7 before the operation (p < 0.0001). Conclusions The surgical durability of the MC3 ring was satisfactory at early and midterm follow-up, suggesting that correct plication of the septal annulus is effective for tricuspid ring annuloplasty with a 3-dimensional MC3 ring.

Posterior Restoration of Left Ventricle and Mitral Valve Repair in Patients With Muscular Dystrophy

BACKGROUND Congestive heart failure (CHF) is major risk factor for survival among patients with muscular dystrophy (MD). The degenerative postero-lateral wall of the left ventricle (LV), which results in systolic dysfunction and functional mitral regurgitation (MR) at the time of CHF, is not well described in MD. METHODS We restored the LV and repaired the mitral valves of 6 patients (mean age, 43 ± 9 years) during emergency and elective procedures. Two and 4 patients were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classes III and IV, respectively. One patient required emergency preoperative intraaortic balloon pump support. Before operation, speckle-tracking echocardiography was applied to detect the myocardial lesion. The postero-lateral LV wall that is critically affected in MD was excluded during posterior restoration. Functional MR was repaired using a combination of ring annuloplasty, papillary muscle approximation, and chordal cutting. The LV myocardium between the end of the LV incision line and the mitral annulus was cryoablated to prevent late ventricular arrhythmia. RESULTS All patients survived (100%) for a mean follow-up of 59±39 (range; 5 to 101) months. The NYHA functional classes improved to I and II (n=3 each). Left ventricular end-diastolic diameter significantly decreased from 77±13 to 59±4 mm (p=0.0088), whereas ejection fraction did not significantly improve (0.24±0.1 vs 0.29±0.11, p=0.2451), although MR severity was significantly eliminated (3.5±0.5 vs 0.5±0.6, p=0.0003). No cardiac events were associated with CHF or arrhythmia during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Posterior restoration of the LV and mitral repair are useful for treating CHF in patients with MD, and improve survival.

Surgical Ventricular Restoration for Ischemic Cardiomyopathy with Functional Mitral Regurgitation

Ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) is defined as diffuse akinesis of the ventricle after myocardial ischemia1). A subset of patients with ICM develop progressive heart failure as a consequence of adverse left ventricular (LV) remodeling, leading to a depressed ejection fraction, a dilated LV, a large akinetic region of the myocardium, an abnormal globular shape to the ventricular chamber, and functional mitral regurgitation (MR)2-5). Although a dilated LV with poor cardiac function is a risk by itself, coexisting functional MR worsens the prognosis of ICM6,7). Thus, for patients with ICM and functional MR, it is very important to repair the geometric changes of LV remodeling and to decrease the extent of functional MR. For patients with ICM, surgical ventricular restoration (SVR) is an established treatment to reduce ventricular size and restore the elliptical shape of the LV8-12). Anatomical restoration by SVR may decrease the severity of MR, through various mechanisms, including reduction of ventricular dimensions, lowering of end systolic volumes, and restoration of blood flow to the ischemic region of the mitral subvalvular apparatus13,14). However, concomitant procedures for the mitral valve are required for further reduction of functional MR. In this chapter, our therapeutic strategy for patients with ICM is demonstrated, and we describe the details of the surgical techniques of SVR and mitral valve surgery.

Tricuspid surgery for tricuspid regurgitation: review.

The tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is so-called ‘functional’ rather than organic. And therefore, it was originally thought that in most patients with secondary TR, surgical treatment of the left side heart valve would correct the problems of the TR. However, in recent study, the residual or recurrent TR showed poor prognosis after the surgery and the tricuspid valve is called ‘forgotten’ valve. The anatomy and pathophysiology of the tricuspid valve are shown as three-dimensional structure which is different from the “saddle-shaped” mitral annulus, and the finding suggests that an annuloplasty for TR is different from that for mitral regurgitation. The indication of tricuspid annuloplasty (TAP) for TR is not only the degree of TR but also annular dilatation without TR at the time of surgery. Tricuspid annuloplasty shows better long-term results after surgery than replacement and additional procedure may be required to prevent recurrence of TR after TAP. In this review, indication, the therapeutic procedures and prognosis depend on surgical procedure with or without ring or additional procedures are reviewed.

Sutureless technique for recurrent pulmonary vein stenosis after pericardial patchplasty in an adult

Postoperatively, posterior leaflet tethering tended to be ameliorated, just as was the anterior leaflet tethering. AML, Anterior mitral leaflet; PML, posterior mitral leaflet; LA, left atrium; LV, left ventricular; LVDd, left ventricular diastolic diameter; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction;MR,mitral regurgitation; NS, not significant; PA, pulmonary artery; PG, pressure gradient. Surgical Techniques

Experimental study of a new operative procedure for nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy: overlapping cardiac volume reduction operation.

AbstractPurpose: To assess a newly devised procedure for cardiac volume reduction without resecting any cardiac muscle and evaluate its effectiveness in an experimental settings. Methods: Ten beagle dogs underwent a rapid pacing leading to heart failure for 3 weeks and then underwent left ventricular reduction by a procedure called the overlapping cardiac volume reduction operation (OLCVR), which consisted of a longitudinal incision in the left ventricular (LV) free wall, sutures from the left margin to the septal wall, and the right margin to the LV free wall. A slope of the linear preload recruitable stroke work relationship (Mw), with an X-intercept (Vo) were calculated as precise indicators of the LV systolic function. The constant of isovolumic pressure decay (Tau) and the peak filling rate (PFR) were also calculated as indicators of the LV diastolic function. Results: The LV end-diastolic dimensions significantly decreased by OLCVR (43 ± 2 to 25 ± 1 mm). Fractional shortening significantly improved by OLCVR (11% ± 2% to 30% ± 4%). Mw (erg · cm−3 · 103) also significantly improved (21 ± 2 to 33 ± 3 (P < 0.001)), whereas Vo, Tau, and PFR did not show any significant changes. Conclusion: The OLCVR significantly increased the early LV systolic function without any detrimental effects on the diastolic function. This procedure may therefore be a useful therapeutic option for end-stage cardiomyopathy.