Is preoperative serum creatinine a reliable indicator of outcome in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery?

ObjectiveEvaluating renal function by calculating creatinine clearance as an alternative measure to serum creatinine may give a better estimation of postoperative renal function in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.MethodsUsing our database, we conducted a retrospective review of the records of all 11,884 patients aged 21 years or older undergoing pure bypass grafting who required cardiopulmonary bypass. Preoperative renal function was categorized as normal renal function (serum creatinine ≤1.1 mg/dL and creatinine clearance > 60 mL/min), occult renal insufficiency (serum creatinine ≤ 1.1 mg/dL and creatinine clearance ≤ 60 mL/min), mild renal insufficiency (1.1 mg/dL < serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL and creatinine clearance ≤ 60 mL/min) or moderate renal insufficiency (serum creatinine > 1.5 mg/dL and creatinine clearance ≤ 60 mL/min).ResultsOut of 11,884 patients in the sample, 7856 (66.1%) had normal renal function, and 706 (5.9%) had occult renal insufficiency. The rate of postoperative mortality, renal failure, atrial fibrillation, prolonged ventilation, intra-aortic balloon pump usage, and prolonged hospital stay (>7 days) was higher in patients with occult renal insufficiency than in the normal group in univariable analysis. Multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated that patients with occult renal insufficiency compared with the group with normal renal function were at higher risk for mortality (odds ratio = 2.59, 95% confidence interval 1.15–5.86; P = .022) and prolonged hospital stay (>7 d) (odds ratio = 1.30, 95% confidence interval 1.08–1.57; P = .005).ConclusionsTo identify higher-risk patients requiring special intensive care, and in whom new interventions can be performed to improve outcome, we recommend the preoperative calculation of creatinine clearance, especially in older women with a lower body mass index

Total myocardial revascularization for situs inversus totalis with dextrocardia: a case report

We report our experience of two patients suffering from severe coronary artery disease and situs inversus totalis with dextrocardia. The surgeon, standing on the right side of the patients, performed coronary artery bypass grafting by harvesting the right internal mammary artery in lieu of the left one

Anomalous right-sided pulmonary venous connection to the superior vena cava

Over the years, different techniques have been introduced for the repair of sinus venosus atrial septal defect (ASD) with anomalous right-sided pulmonary venous connection to the superior vena cava. We report the case of a 9- year-old girl, who presented with dyspnea and peripheral cyanosis. Preoperative echocardiography and angiography findings suggested a partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection. On cardiopulmonary bypass, the ASD was dilated, and the anomalous pulmonary vein was anastomosed to the right atrium and redirected to the left atrium using an intraatrial baffle and a tube graft. The intraoperative and postoperative periods were uneventful, and the patient is currently in good health at 4.5 years’ follow-up

The Effect of Preoperative Creatinine Clearances on Postoperative Oxygenation in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: A Cohort Study

 End-stage kidney disease has a high prevalence in patients undergone Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) and could cause a wide spectrum of morbidities, due to deep water and electrolyte or acid-base impairments. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of low Creatinine Clearances (ClCr) on arterial oxygenation defect, as common post-CABG morbidity. The study was conducted as a prospective cohort, the pure on pump CABG patients were grouped based on their preoperative ClCr to groups A (ClCr≥60) and B (ClCr<60). Postoperatively, the PaO2/FiO2 values in 1 hour after ICU admission and 4 hours after extubation, intubation time duration, duration of ICU stay and high concentration oxygen demand were compared. Among 229 patients who remain in the study, 121 were in group A, and 108 in B group. Except for age, weight, height, BMI, and pump time, other demographic and independent variables were similar between two groups. The higher values of PaO2/FiO2 and PaO2, 1 hour after ICU admission and 4 hours after extubation in group B, were not statistically significant, while SpO2 value, 1 hour after ICU admission was higher in group B (98.19±1.37) in compare with group A (97.78±1.57) (P=0.040). Intubation time duration (10.85 in A vs. 12.79 in B; P=0.306), duration of ICU stay (39.04 in A vs. 43.09 in B; P=0.114) and high concentration oxygen demand (2.5% in A vs. 3.8% in B; P=0.089) were similar between groups of study. Lower Preoperative ClCr values do not deteriorate post-CABG arterial oxygenation

Treatment of large cutaneous facial hemangioma with ropranolol in a child with biliary atresia and esophageal varices

Introduction: Biliary atresia (BA) is the most common cause of neonatal jaundice, for which surgery is indicated. It may lead to portal hypertension and esophageal varices. Sometimes, BA is related to other congenital anomalies and malformation, while a coexistence of BA with facial hemangioma has not been reported, yet. Infantile hemangioma is a childhood benign vascular tumor. Beta blocker has an effect on hemangioma and esophageal varices. Case Report: A 30-day-old girl with an infantile hemangioma was referred to Amirkola Children's Hospital. According to intraoperative cholangiography and liver biopsy information, BA was diagnosed. Also, she had a large infantile cutaneous hemangioma on her face. Portal hypertension and esophageal varices were diagnosed in her under observation. So, propranolol was prescribed for her. A year after that, her facial hemangioma was gradually getting better. Conclusions: association of BA with infantile cutaneous hemangioma is rare and cutaneous hemangioma can be treated by propranolol

Late Diagnosis of Large Left Ventricular Pseudoaneurysm after Mitral Valve Replacement and Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery by Real-Time Three-Dimensional Echocardiography

One of the most serious complications of mitral valve replacement is left ventricular rupture and pseudoaneurysm formation, which is rare but potentially lethal. We herein present a late type of post mitral valve replacement and coronary artery bypass surgery pseudoaneurysm in a 74-year-old female, who was admitted to our hospital with a recent history of exertional dyspnea. She had the above-mentioned operation 10 months before. The diagnosis was made via two-dimensional and real-time three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography. The prosthetic mitral valve was removed, and the large orifice of the pseudoaneurysm was closed by surgery. At one year's follow-up, the patient was in good condition

Central Venous Line and Acute Neurological Deficit: A Case Series

Central venous catheter (CVC) insertion is a practical way to assess patients hemodynamic specially in cardiovascular surgery but this relatively simple junior level procedure is not risk free and its common reported complications include; pneumothorax, hydrothorax, hemothorax, local hematoma, cardiac tamponade, vascular injury, thrombosis, embolism, and catheter disruption. Here in this article we are going to present 6 patients with very unusual presentation of CVC complication which was neurological deficit presented by agitation , unconsciousness, disorientation to time and place and  hemiparesis. All patients undergone neurologic consult and brain computed tomography. Final diagnosis was brain ischemic damage and finally we kept them on conservative management; fortunately we did not have any permanent damage

Passion for Life: Lived Experiences of Patients after Coronary Artery Bypass Graft

Background: Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) improves the quality of life, increases survival, and influences the patient's mental and emotional aspects. Little information is available on the lived experience of Iranian patients after this surgery. Understanding the lived experiences of patients will help health professionals with better provision of high quality care. Methods: This hermeneutic phenomenological study aimed to understand the lived experience of patients after CABG.  Van Manen's method was used to conduct the study. A semi-structured, face-to-face interview technique was employed to explore the experiences of the patients following surgery. Seven men and 4 women between 49 and 80 years old were interviewed. Results: Passion for life was the main theme extracted from the participants’ interviews. This theme comprised the three sub-themes of receiving attention from family, being hopeful, and being spiritually oriented. Conclusion:  The results showed that the participants experienced passion for life after their surgery. This finding reveals that patients tend to find a new perspective on life and their health after surgery

Potential Effect of L-Carnitine on the Prevention of Myocardial Injury after Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

Background: L-carnitine has been demonstrated to confer cardiac protection against ischemia reperfusion injury in animals. This study evaluates the effects of L-carnitine administration on cardiac biomarkers after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Methods: One hundred thirty-four patients undergoing elective CABG surgery, without a history of myocardial ischemia or previous L-carnitine treatment, were enrolled and randomly assigned to an L-carnitine group ([n = 67], 3000 mg/d, started 2 days preoperatively and continued for 2 days after surgery) or a control group (n = 67). CK-MB (creatine kinase, muscle- brain subunits) and troponin T (TnT) levels were assessed in all the patients before surgery as baseline levels and at 8 and 24 hours postoperatively. Results: Our study included 134 patients (99 [73.8%] males) at a mean ± SD age of 59.94 ± 8.61 years who were candidates for CABG and randomized them into control or L-carnitine groups. The baseline demographic characteristics, including age (60.01 ± 9.23 in the L-carnitine group vs. 59.88 ± 7.98 in the control group) and sex (54 [80.6%] in the L-carnitine group vs. 45 [67.2%] in the control group) did not show any significant differences (p value=0.93 and 0.08, respectively). Patients in the L-carnitine group had lower levels of CK-MB (mean ± SD, 25.06 ± 20.29 in the L-carnitine group vs. 24.26 ± 14.61 in the control group), but the difference was not significant (p value = 0.28). TnT levels also showed no significant differences between the two groups (399.50 ± 378.91 in the L-carnitine group vs. 391.48 ± 222.02 in the control group; p value = 0.34). Conclusion: In this population of intermediate- to high-risk patients undergoing CABG surgery, L-carnitine did not reduce CK-MB and TnT levels

Screening of Carotid Artery Stenosis in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Patients

Background: We sought to evaluate the routine echo-Doppler screening of carotid artery stenosis in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.Methods: A total of 2179 consecutive patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting alone or with other cardiacsurgery at Tehran Heart Center, Tehran-Iran, between January 2005 and January 2006 were included in this retrospective study. Carotid Doppler was performed for 1604 (81.48%) of these patients.Results: The patients’ age ranged between 20 and 84 years (mean: 58.33, SD: 10.08 years). Of the 1604 patients studied,1186 (73.9%) were men, 592 (36.9%) had diabetes, 598 (37.3%) were smokers, and 194 (12.1%) cases had significant left main stenosis. Twenty-one (1.3%) patients had significant carotid stenosis (> 60% stenosis), which constituted 0.9% of all the bypass surgery candidates. Post-operative cerebrovascular accident was not detected in any of the patients with significant carotid stenosis, but cerebrovascular accident occurred in 22 (1.4%) of the patients without carotid stenosis. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) was conducted in 15 patients. In our univariate analysis, female gender (p value = 0.023),hypertension (p value = 0.055), peripheral vascular disease (p value < 0.001), and age (p value = 0.001) were significantin the development of carotid stenosis.Conclusion: Pre-operative duplex carotid screening seems to be necessary in patients when there is hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, female gender, and advanced age