II Diretriz Brasileira de Transplante Cardíaco

Universidade de São Paulo Faculdade de Medicina Hospital das ClínicasIIHospital de Messejana Dr. Carlos Alberto Studart GomesUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de MedicinaInstituto Dante Pazzanese de CardiologiaUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais Hospital das ClínicasFaculdade de Medicina de São José do Rio PretoPontifícia Universidade Católica do ParanáIHospital Israelita Albert EinsteinInstituto Nacional de Cardiologia, Fundação Universitária do Rio Grande do Sul Instituto de CardiologiaReal e Benemérita Sociedade de Beneficência Portuguesa, São PauloHospital Pró-Cardíaco do Rio de JaneiroSanta Casa do Rio de JaneiroUNIFESP, EPMSciEL

Video-assisted thoracic surgery for atrial fibrillation ablation using bipolar radiofrequency: Feasibility, Safety and initial results

INTRODUÇÃO: A prevalência da fibrilação atrial, os gastos com o sistema de saúde e a elevada morbidade e mortalidade associados a ela, têm justificado a procura por um melhor entendimento de suas bases fisiopatológicas e por novas abordagens terapêuticas. O objetivo deste manuscrito é avaliar a exeqüibilidade, a segurança e os resultados em três meses da cirurgia vídeo-assistida para a ablação da fibrilação atrial com radiofreqüência bipolar. MÉTODOS: Dez pacientes (90% homens) com fibrilação atrial sintomática e refratária à terapia medicamentosa foram submetidos ao procedimento cirúrgico proposto no Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia, Rio de Janeiro, no período de Maio 2007 a Maio de 2008. Foram analisadas variáveis de peri e pós-operatório. Além da avaliação clínica dos sintomas, todos os pacientes foram submetidos a um ecocardiograma e Holter de 24horas antes e três meses após a cirurgia. Realizou-se também uma angiotomografia de veias pulmonares no terceiro mês de seguimento pós-operatório. RESULTADOS: O procedimento foi realizado conforme planejado em todos os pacientes. Cem por cento das veias pulmonares direitas e 90% das esquerdas tiveram o isolamento elétrico confirmado. Não houve lesão iatrogênica de estruturas intra-torácicas ou óbitos. Dois pacientes apresentaram pneumonia pós-operatória e longo tempo de permanência hospitalar no início da experiência clínica. Nove dos dez pacientes saíram do centro cirúrgico em ritmo sinusal. Houve uma recorrência da fibrilação atrial em três meses (11,1%). No total, 80% dos pacientes estão livres de fibrilação atrial em três meses. Houve melhora significativa da função diastólica avaliada ecocardiograficamente pela relação E/E após a cirurgia (9,0 ± 2,23 para 7,7 ± 1,07; p=0,042) que se associa a uma melhora dos sintomas de insuficiência cardíaca classe funcional da New York Heart Association (2,4 ± 0,5 para 1,6 ± 0,7; p=0,011). Não houve evidência de estenose de veias pulmonares à angiotomografia nesta série. CONCLUSÃO: A cirurgia torácica vídeo-assistida para o tratamento da fibrilação atrial é exeqüível e segura mas a incorporação desta nova técnica à prática clínica requer uma curva de aprendizado da equipe envolvida. A melhora dos sintomas de insuficiência cardíaca está relacionada à melhora da função diastólica do ventrículo esquerdoBACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation prevalence, its health system cost and the high morbidity and mortality associated with it have justified the search for a better understanding of its pathophysiology and new therapeutic management. The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility, the safety and the three months results of the video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for the ablation of atrial fibrillation using bipolar radiofrequency. METHODS: Ten patients (90% male) with symptomatic and refractory atrial fibrillation underwent the proposed surgical procedure at the National Institute of Cardiology, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from May 2007 to May 2008. Peri and post-operative data were collected for analysis. Besides clinical evaluation, all patients have been submitted to an echocardiogram and a 24h Holter monitoring before and three months after the procedure. A pulmonary veins angiotomography was also performed three months after surgery. RESULTS: The surgical procedure was done as planned in all patients and 100% of the right pulmonary veins were isolated. Ninety per cent of the left pulmonary veins were confirmed to be electrically isolated. There was no surgical injury to any intra thoracic organ or death in this series. Two patients had post-operative pneumonia that required prolonged in hospital stay early in the experience. Nine of ten patients were in sinus rhythm just after surgery. There was one recurrence of atrial fibrillation within the three months follow up (11,1%). In general, eighty per cent (80%) of the patients are free of atrial fibrillation three months after surgery. There was a significant improvement in diastolic function measured by the relation E/E on the echocardiogram before and after the procedure (9,0 ± 2,23 to 7,7 ± 1,07; p=0,042). This was associated to an improvement of heart failure symptoms of New York Heart Association (2,4 ± 0,5 to 1,6 ± 0,7; p=0,011). There was no pulmonary vein stenosis in this cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for the treatment of atrial fibrillation is feasible and safe although it requires a learning curve to incorporate this new technique to clinical practice. The improvement on heart failure symptoms is associated to an improvement on diastolic left ventricular functio

Tática de canulação em miniesternotomia superior para o tratamento cirúrgico de cardiopatias congênitas Cannulation tatics in upper ministernotomy for the surgical treatment of congenital heart disease

INTRODUÇÃO: Descreveremos a técnica com a miniesternotomia superior em "L invertido" com canulação central para o tratamento de cardiopatias congênitas simples e apresenta os resultados iniciais. MÉTODOS: Foram operados 10 pacientes (idade média: 7 ± 4,2 anos; peso médio: 29,1 ± 13,5 kg), entre janeiro de 2006 e julho de 2007. RESULTADOS: Todos os defeitos foram corrigidos sem a necessidade de conversão para esternotomia total. Não ocorreu nenhum óbito ou complicação que necessitasse de reintervenção. CONCLUSÃO: A referida técnica demonstrou ser aplicável e segura na correção de determinadas cardiopatias congênitas com benefício estético e expectativa de menor deformidade torácica no futuro.<br>INTRODUCTION: The present report describes the technique for "inverted L" upper ministernotomy with central canulation for the treatment of simple congenital cardiopathies and presents the initial results. METHODS: Ten patients (mean age: 7 ± 4.2 years; mean weight 29.1 ± 13.5 kg) were operated on between January 2006 and July 2007. RESULTS: All defects were corrected. No death was observed and no complication that required reintervention occurred. CONCLUSION: The described technique showed to be feasible and safe for the correction of certain congenital cardiopathies, with less surgical trauma, besides the aesthetic benefit and an expectation of diminished thoracic deformity in the future

Tática para cirurgia de correção da coarctação da artéria pulmonar sem uso de circulação extracorpórea Approach for surgical correction of pulmonary artery coarctation without cardiopulmonary bypass

A coarctação de artéria pulmonar é comum em pacientes com atresia pulmonar. A correção tem sido com CEC e no período neonatal, quando influencia o desenvolvimento das artérias pulmonares e o prognóstico. Foram corrigidos três pacientes por esternotomia mediana com atresia pulmonar dependentes do ducto arterioso (PCA) sem uso de CEC. O PCA mantinha a saturação durante a confecção do Blalock Taussig na artéria pulmonar contralateral. Arterioplastia foi realizada com sutura de pericárdio autólogo com PDS 7-0 e saturação mantida pelo Blalock. Todos pacientes tiveram boa evolução e alta hospitalar com avaliação de controle demonstrando bom alargamento da área coarctada.<br>Pulmonary artery coarctation often happens in patients with pulmonary atresia. The correction has been usually performed using cardiopulmonary bypass and during the neonatal period, influencing pulmonary artery development and prognosis. Three patients with pulmonary atresia with PDA underwent correction using median sternotomy without cardiopulmonary bypass. The PDA maintained the arterial saturation during Blalock Taussig anastomoses upon the contralateral pulmonary artery. Arterioplasty was performed using an autologous pericardium with 7-0 PDS running suture and saturation was maintained by Blalock shunt. All patients presented good follow-up and where discharged with good enlargment of coarctation area

Ruptura subaguda da parede livre do ventrículo esquerdo pós-infarto agudo do miocárdio: relato de caso e revisão de literatura Post-infarct sub-acute left ventricular free wall rupture: case report and review of the literature

A ruptura da parede livre do ventrículo esquerdo é uma complicação potencialmente fatal e de tratamento essencialmente cirúrgico. A correção cirúrgica é o tratamento de escolha, mas o manejo pré-operatório e as técnicas de correção ainda não estão claramente definidos, sendo determinados conforme as condições clínicas do paciente. Há carência na literatura de grandes séries envolvendo este tipo de afecção e os relatos são baseados nas experiências individuais, com pequeno número de pacientes. São apresentados dois casos de ruptura subaguda da parede livre do ventrículo esquerdo como complicação da evolução do infarto agudo do miocárdio. Discute-se a abordagem cirúrgica completa, com revascularização miocárdica concomitante e a utilização de circulação extracorpórea. A opção de correção do defeito por meio da sutura epicárdica com retalho de pericárdio bovino e a revascularização completa do miocárdio, sobretudo sem circulação extracorpórea, parece ser a melhor estratégia para um grupo de pacientes que apresentam ruptura subaguda da parede livre do ventrículo esquerdo pós-infarto agudo do miocárdio.<br>Post-infarction left ventricular free wall rupture is life threatening and not uncommon. Surgical experience is largely anecdotal with different techniques being used since the first successful surgical treatment was described. Here we present two patients with subacute left ventricular rupture that were managed using different perioperative strategies. Although the aim of surgical intervention is first and foremost to remove the threat to life by relieving of tamponade and closure of the ventricular defect, longer-term goals were those of conventional coronary operations, i.e., to prevent or limit the development of angina postoperatively and to improve the prognosis. These latter goals are controversial, and are discussed. The small number of patients involved prevent us to determine which approach is best but some surgeons, like us, advocate the concomitant procedure, whenever feasible, which achieves revascularization early and avoids the risk of repeat infarctions in the early postoperative period and the difficulties of early pericardial adhesions at reoperation. Combining the epicardial patch repair and complete myocardial revascularization appears to be the most attractive option for some patients that present with subacute left ventricular free wall rupture

Surgical Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Rheumatic Valve Disease

Abstract Objective: To assess heart rhythm and predictive factors associated with sinus rhythm after one year in patients with rheumatic valve disease undergoing concomitant surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation. Operative mortality, survival and occurrence of stroke after one year were also evaluated. Methods: Retrospective longitudinal observational study of 103 patients undergoing rheumatic mitral valve surgery and ablation of atrial fibrillation using uni- or bipolar radiofrequency between January 2013 and December 2014. Age, gender, functional class (NYHA), type of atrial fibrillation, EuroSCORE, duration of atrial fibrillation, stroke, left atrial size, left ventricular ejection fraction, cardiopulmonary bypass time, myocardial ischemia time and type of radiofrequency were investigated. Results: After one year, 66.3% of patients were in sinus rhythm. Sinus rhythm at hospital discharge, lower left atrial size in the preoperative period and bipolar radiofrequency were associated with a greater chance of sinus rhythm after one year. Operative mortality was 7.7%. Survival rate after one year was 92.3% and occurrence of stroke was 1%. Conclusion: Atrial fibrillation ablation surgery with surgical approach of rheumatic mitral valve resulted in 63.1% patients in sinus rhythm after one year. Discharge from hospital in sinus rhythm was a predictor of maintenance of this rhythm. Increased left atrium and use of unipolar radiofrequency were associated with lower chance of sinus rhythm. Operative mortality rate of 7.7% and survival and stroke-free survival contribute to excellent care results for this approach

European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging/Cardiovascular Imaging Department of the Brazilian Society of Cardiology recommendations for the use of cardiac imaging to assess and follow patients after heart transplantation

The cohort of long-term survivors of heart transplant is expanding, and the assessment of these patients requires specific knowledge of the surgical techniques employed to implant the donor heart, the physiology of the transplanted heart, complications of invasive tests routinely performed to detect graft rejection (GR), and the specific pathologies that may affect the transplanted heart. A joint EACVI/Brazilian cardiovascular imaging writing group committee has prepared these recommendations to provide a practical guide to echocardiographers involved in the follow-up of heart transplant patients and a framework for standardized and efficient use of cardiovascular imaging after heart transplant. Since the transplanted heart is smaller than the recipient's dilated heart, the former is usually located more medially in the mediastinum and tends to be rotated clockwise. Therefore, standard views with conventional two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography are often difficult to obtain generating a large variability from patient to patient. Therefore, in echocardiography laboratories equipped with three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) scanners and specific expertise with the technique, 3DE may be a suitable alternative to conventional 2D echocardiography to assess the size and the function of cardiac chambers. 3DE measurement of left (LV) and right ventricular (RV) size and function are more accurate and reproducible than conventional 2D calculations. However, clinicians should be aware that cardiac chamber volumes obtained with 3DE cannot be compared with those obtained with 2D echocardiography. To assess cardiac chamber morphology and function during follow-up studies, it is recommended to obtain a comprehensive echocardiographic study at 6 months from the cardiac transplantation as a baseline and make a careful quantitation of cardiac chamber size, RV systolic function, both systolic and diastolic parameters of LV function, and pulmonary artery pressure. Subsequent echocardiographic studies should be interpreted in comparison with the data obtained from the 6-month study. An echocardiographic study, which shows no change from the baseline study, has a high negative predictive value for GR. There is no single systolic or diastolic parameter that can be reliably used to diagnose GR. However, in case several parameters are abnormal, the likelihood of GR increases. When an abnormality is detected, careful revision of images of the present and baseline study (side-by-side) is highly recommended. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) is a suitable parameter to diagnose subclinical allograft dysfunction, regardless of aetiology, by comparing the changes occurring during serial evaluations. Evaluation of GLS could be used in association with endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) to characterize and monitor an acute GR or global dysfunction episode. RV size and function at baseline should be assessed using several parameters, which do not exclusively evaluate longitudinal function. At follow-up echocardiogram, all these parameters should be compared with the baseline values. 3DE may provide a more accurate and comprehensive assessment of RV size and function. Moreover, due to the unpredictable shape of the atria in transplanted patients, atrial volume should be measured using the discs' summation algorithm (biplane algorithm for the left atrium) or 3DE. Tricuspid regurgitation should be looked for and properly assessed in all echocardiographic studies. In case of significant changes in severity of tricuspid regurgitation during follow-up, a 2D/3D and colour Doppler assessment of its severity and mechanisms should be performed. Aortic and mitral valves should be evaluated according to current recommendations. Pericardial effusion should be serially evaluated regarding extent, location, and haemodynamic impact. In case of newly detected pericardial effusion, GR should be considered taking into account the overall echocardiographic assessment and patient evaluation. Dobutamine stress echocardiography might be a suitable alternative to routine coronary angiography to assess cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) at centres with adequate experience with the methodology. Coronary flow reserve and/or contrast infusion to assess myocardial perfusion might be combined with stress echocardiography to improve the accuracy of the test. In addition to its role in monitoring cardiac chamber function and in diagnosis the occurrence of GR and/or CAV, in experienced centres, echocardiography might be an alternative to fluoroscopy to guide EMB, particularly in children and young women, since echocardiography avoids repeated X-ray exposure, permits visualization of soft tissues and safer performance of biopsies of different RV regions. Finally, in addition to the indications about when and how to use echocardiography, the document also addresses the role of the other cardiovascular imaging modalities during follow-up of heart transplant patients. In patients with inadequate acoustic window and contraindication to contrast agents, pharmacological SPECT is an alternative imaging modality to detect CAV in heart transplant patients. However, in centres with adequate expertise, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in conjunction with coronary angiography with a baseline study at 4-6 weeks and at 1 year after heart transplant should be performed to exclude donor coronary artery disease, to detect rapidly progressive CAV, and to provide prognostic information. Despite the fact that coronary angiography is the current gold-standard method for the detection of CAV, the use of IVUS should also be considered when there is a discrepancy between non-invasive imaging tests and coronary angiography concerning the presence of CAV. In experienced centres, computerized tomography coronary angiography is a good alternative to coronary angiography to detect CAV. In patients with a persistently high heart rate, scanners that provide high temporal resolution, such as dual-source systems, provide better image quality. Finally, in patients with insufficient acoustic window, cardiac magnetic resonance is an alternative to echocardiography to assess cardiac chamber volumes and function and to exclude acute GR and CAV in a surveillance protocol