Axillary artery cannulation reduces early embolic stroke and mortality after open arch repair with circulatory arrest

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of axillary artery cannulation for early embolic stroke and operative mortality, we retrospectively compared the outcomes between patients with or without axillary artery cannulation during open aortic arch repair with circulatory arrest. METHODS: Between January 2004 and December 2017, 468 patients underwent open aortic arch repair with circulatory arrest using antegrade cerebral perfusion and were divided into 2 groups according to the site of arterial cannulation: the axillary artery (axillary group, n = 352) or another site (nonaxillary group, n = 116) groups. Embolic stroke was defined as a physician-diagnosed new postoperative neurologic deficit lasting more than 72 hours, generally confirmed by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: After propensity score matching, the patients' characteristics were comparable between the groups (n = 116 in each). The incidences of acute type A dissection, aortic rupture, shock, or emergency operation were similar between groups. The incidence of early embolic stroke was significantly lower in axillary group (n = 3 [2.6%] vs n = 10 [8.6%]; P = .046). Also, 30-day mortality (n = 3 [2.6%] vs n = 10 [8.6%]; P = .046) and in-hospital mortality (n = 3 [2.6%] vs n = 11 [9.5%]; P = .027) occurred significantly lower in the axillary group. CONCLUSIONS: Axillary artery cannulation reduced the early embolic stroke and early mortality after open arch repair with circulatory arrest. Axillary artery cannulation as the arterial cannulation site during open arch repair with circulatory arrest may be helpful in preventing embolic stroke and reducing early mortality.ope

Spontaneous Recovery of Renal Function after Off-pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Chronic Renal Failure Patients

Background: Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) has shown better outcome in chronic renal failure (CRF) patients by avoiding the effects of cardiopulmonary bypass. We evaluated renal function after OPCAB in CRF patients. Material and Method: 656 patients underwent OPCAB between January, 2001 and December, 2004. Data were collected in 26 CRF patients (Cr > 1.7 mg/dL). Preoperative/postoperative creatinine (Cr) levels, creatinine clearance and postoperative data were evaluated. We divided the patients into group 1 (Cr < 3 mg/dL) and group 2 (Cr ≥ 3 mg/dL). Result: Three patients started dialysis after surgery. Preoperative mean creatinine level (4.19±3.4 mg/dL) was elevated to 4.36±2.7 mg/dL at the third postoperative day and decreased below Preoperative level at the fifth postoperative day. In group 1 (mean Cr level=1.87±0.25 mg/dL), Cr level reached its peak level of 2.19±0.52 mg/dL at the fourth postoperative day (p=0.017), with subsequent decrease. Patients without pre- or postoperative dialysis (n=15) showed peak Cr elevation on postoperative day four (p=0.017) and subsequent decrease (p=0.01). Postoperative creatinine clearance showed reverse correlation with creatinine level. Conclusion: Creatinine level was elevated at third/fourth postoperative day, but decreased 5 days after surgery. Thus, if urgent dialysis is not indicated, postoperative renal replacement therapy in CRF patients may be better to be considered after four days observation.ope

Effect of postoperative constrictive physiology on early outcomes after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Constrictive pericarditis after coronary artery bypass surgery has been known to affect cardiac output by limiting diastolic ventricular filling. We aimed to assess the influence of postoperative constrictive physiology on the early outcomes of patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2008 and July 2011, 903 patients underwent an isolated OPCAB and postoperative transthoracic-echocardiography. The patient cohort was classified into two groups: group A, constrictive physiology and group B, control group without constrictive physiology. Early outcomes were analyzed between the two groups. RESULTS: Of the total 903 patients, group A consisted of 153 patients (16.9%). The amount of blood loss in group A during the postoperative 24 hours was greater than that of group B, but this was not statistically significant (p=0.20). No significant differences were found in the mortality rates (group A, 0.6%; group B, 1.4%; p=0.40) and 30-day major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs; group A, 3.3%; group B, 6.1%; p=0.42). CONCLUSION: Postoperative constrictive physiology does not affect 30-day MACCEs or other major complications after OPCAB. The results of this study suggest that patients with early postoperative constrictive physiology do not need medical or surgical treatment, and that conservative care is sufficient.ope

Surgical Treatment of Coronary Artery Disease

The main goals of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) are to relieve chest pain and to improve quality of life by bypassing all coronary artery segments with severe stenosis. It is a common surgical procedure on the heart. Until recently, most surgeons have used cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) to provide a motionless and bloodless operation field to accomplish optimal microvascular anastomoses. However, CPB may have adverse sequelae, such as cerebrovascular accident, renal failure, and higher intellectual impairment, because of an inflammatory response caused by the blood circulating through the extracorporeal circuit and the formation of microemboli. In recent years, advances in retractor-stabilizer systems and in operative techniques that allow an access to all coronary artery segments have brought a growing attention to beating heart surgery without CPB (offpump coronary artery bypass grafting, OPCAB). OPCAB significantly lowers in-hospital morbidity and mortality compared with CABG. Heart failure after myocardial infarction poses a growing medical challenge as the life expectancy continues to increase. Recently it affects 0.4~1% of the overall population and 5% of elderly subjects. Although cardiac transplantation, a gold standard surgery for heart failure, provides excellent therapeutic outcomes in some patients with terminal stage of the disease, the overall outcomes are limited by the scarcity of donor organs, reduced long-term survival, and co-morbid conditions. Recently the efficacies of left ventricular volume reduction surgery, mitral valve repair, and bone marrow cell transplantation in improving the heart function in infracted myocardium of a failing heart have been extensively evaluated and were shown to result in good outcomes.ope

Angiographic Outcome of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafts: The Radial Artery Database International Alliance

Background. We used a large patient-level data set including 6 angiographic randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on coronary artery bypass conduits to explore incidence and determinants of coronary graft failure. Methods. Patient-level angiographic data of 6 RCTs comparing long-term outcomes of the radial artery and other conduits were joined. Primary outcome was graft occlusion at maximum follow-up. The analysis was divided as (1) left anterior descending coronary (LAD) distribution and (2) non-LAD distribution (circumflex and right coronary artery). Mixed-model multivariable Cox regression including all baseline characteristics with stratification by individual trials was used to identify predictors of graft occlusion. Results. Included were 1091 patients and 2281 grafts, consisting of 921 left internal mammary arteries, 74 right internal mammary arteries, 710 radial arteries, and 576 saphenous veins. All left internal mammary arteries were used on the LAD, the other conduits were used on the non-LAD distribution. Mean angiographic follow up was 65 +/- 29 months. Occlusion rates were 2.3% for the left internal mammary arteries, 13.5% for the left internal mammary arteries, 9.4% for the right internal mammary arteries, and 17.5% for the saphenous veins. At multivariable analysis, type of conduit used, age, female sex, left ventricular ejection fraction of less than 0.50, and use of the Y graft were significantly associated with graft occlusion in the non-LAD distribution. Conclusions. Our analyses showed that failure of the left internal mammary arteries-to-LAD bypass is a very uncommon event. For the non-LAD distribution, the nonuse of radial artery, age, female sex, left ventricular ejection fraction of less than 0.50, and use of the Y graft configuration were significantly associated with midterm graft failure.ope

Effects of preemptive cerebrospinal fluid drainage on spinal cord protection during thoracic endovascular aortic repair

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is reported to occur in 3-12% of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) cases, but is a potentially preventable complication of TEVAR for thoracoabdominal pathologies. Although many strategies have been devised to reduce the incidence of SCI, the effectiveness of prophylactic cerebrospinal fluid drainage (CSFD) and left subclavian artery (LSA) revascularization remains controversial. METHODS: From 2012 to 2014, 162 patients underwent TEVAR at a single institution. We prospectively collected and retrospectively reviewed the data of 81 patients who underwent preoperative CSFD among the 162 patients. LSA revascularization was routinely used when LSA need to be covered. Preoperative characteristics, intraoperative variables, and outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: The mean (SD) age of the patients was 60.6 (12.5) years, and 57 patients (70%) were male. Twenty-five patients (31%) presented with degenerative aneurysm; 48 (59%), type B dissection; 5, (6%) penetrating aortic ulcer; and 3 (4%), intramural hematoma. Thirty-six patients (44%) underwent LSA revascularization before TEVAR. Two (2.5%) of the patients who underwent preoperative CSFD had SCI, of whom one recovered ambulatory status at discharge after hypertensive therapy and another had a permanent disability. Prior abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair tended to relate to SCI (P=0.065), and preoperative aortic rupture was a significant independent risk factor of SCI (P=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Preemptive CSFD as an adjunctive procedure to TEVAR proved to be more effective than selective use of CSFD in other prior reports of SCI cases. Preoperative CSFD is recommended as a prophylactic procedure in patients at high risk of SCI during TEVAR.ope

Locally delivered growth factor enhances the angiogenic efficacy of adipose-derived stromal cells transplanted to ischemic limbs

Ischemia is a potentially fatal medical event that is associated with as many as 30% of all deaths. Stem cell therapy offers significant therapeutic promise, but poor survival following transplantation to ischemic tissue limits its efficacy. Here we demonstrate that nanosphere-mediated growth factor delivery can enhance the survival of transplanted human adipose-derived stromal cells (hADSCs) and secretion of human angiogenic growth factors per cell, and substantially improve therapeutic efficacy of hADSCs. In vitro, in hypoxic (1% oxygen) and serum-deprived conditions that simulate in vivo ischemia, fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2) significantly reduced hADSC apoptosis and enhanced angiogenic growth factor secretion. In vivo, hADSCs delivered intramuscularly into ischemic hind limbs in combination with FGF2 resulted in significant improvements in limb survival and blood perfusion, as well as survival of the transplanted hADSCs and secretion of human angiogenic growth factors (i.e., vascular endothelial growth factor, hepatocyte growth factor, and FGF2). Interestingly, the majority of transplanted hADSCs were localized adjacent to the microvessels rather than being incorporated into them, suggesting that their major contribution to angiogenesis might be to increase paracrine secretion of angiogenic growth factors. This study demonstrates the potential of hADSCs in combination with growth factors for use in the treatment of ischemia.ope

The Clinical Outcomes of Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in the Octogenarians

Background: With the increasing age of the population, coronary artery bypass grafting in the elderly patients is becoming common. Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) has been proven to be less morbidity and to facilitate early recovery. The elderly patients may have benefits by avoiding the adverse effects of the cardiopulmonary bypass. The purpose of this study is to evaluate our results of OPCAB in elderly patients. Material and Method: A retrospective chart review was carried out for 12 patients aged over 80 years who underwent isolated OPCAB from January 2001 and March 2004. Data were collected risk factors for disease, extent of coronary disease, and in-hospital outcomes. Postoperative graft patency was evaluated in 9 patients by multi-slice computed tomography. Result: Eleven patients had triple vessel disease or left main disease. Four patients were suffered from preoperative CVA, and 4 patients had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Two patients had myocardial infarction (MI), among them 1 patient was suffered from pulmonary edema after preoperative MI. There was no perioperative death, perioperative MI, and no ventricular arrhythmia. Also there was no perioperative stroke and renal failure. But there was one deep sternal infection who recovered by treating of muscle flap. Atrial fibrillation was newly developed in 1 patient, but was well controlled by medication. Mean intubation time was 15.9±4.4 (8∼20 hrs) hrs and mean ICU stay was 2.9±0.8 (2∼4 days) days. Mean hospital day was 21.6±14.3 (13∼56 days) days. Postoperative mean CK-MB was 11.3±14.1 ng/mL. Early postoperative graft patency rate was 100% (24/24). Follow-up was completed in all patients. In this time, there was no patients with angina or death. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that OPCAB reduces morbidity and favors hospital outcomes. Therefore, OPCAB is safe, reasonable and might be preferable operative strategy in elderly patients.ope

Comparison of the radial artery and saphenous vein as composite grafts in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting in elderly patients: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Arterial grafts have a better long-term patency rate than saphenous vein (SV) when used in off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB). However, arterial grafts in elderly patients are often diseased. We sought to compare the early outcomes achieved by using the two different types of composite grafts. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We conducted a randomized trial to compare radial artery (RA) and SV composite grafts based on the in situ left internal mammary artery in 60 elderly (>70 years old) patients, who were scheduled to undergo OPCAB. Clinical outcomes and 1-year postoperative CT angiography results were compared. The quality of the conduit was evaluated by employing vascular ultrasonography, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and histologic examination. RESULTS: No differences in immediate postoperative morbidity and mortality were observed between the two groups. Early postoperative CT angiography revealed a SV patency rate of 100%, which was not different from that of RA composite grafts (99.1%). CT angiography after a year showed an overall patency rate of 96.3%. The overall patency rate of the SV group at 1 year was 94.7%, which was similar to that of the RA group (97.4%). Also, there was no difference in overall survival rate between the two groups. Vascular ultrasonographic images showed strong correlations between OCT and histopathology. CONCLUSION: Our analysis of early outcomes revealed that the SV could be used as an alternative composite graft to the RA in elderly patients. Vascular ultrasonography is an accurate, real-time, and reproducible method for assessing the quality of the RA conduit.ope

Assessment of Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Patency Using Three Dimensional Coronary Biography by Electron Beam Tomography

Backgrounds : The development of a noninvasive, accurate imaging technique for assessing coronary artery bypass graft patency is of major clinical importance because increasing numbers of patients have undergone coronary artery bypass surgery. The electron beam tomography, by virtue of its rapid data acquisition time and good spatial resolution, may be useful in this regard. The purpose of this study is to determine the accuracy of three-dimensional coronary angiography by electron beam tomography (EBT) in the assessment of patency of coronary artery bypass grafts. Methods Twenty-five patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery were included. All patients underwent EBT and conventional coronary an o a h for the evaluation of the status of bypass grafts. Three dimensional reconstruction of the heart and bypass grafts were performed and compared with selective angiography of the bypass grafts. Results : Fifty-seven saphenous vein grafts (SVG) and 22 left internal mammary artery (LIMA) were evaluated for occlusion or patency. The sensitivity and specificity of EBT in the evaluation of LIMA patency were 80%, 82.4%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of EBT in the evaluation of SVG patency were 91.7% and 91.1%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of EBT in the evaluation of SVG according to the coronary territory were : 1) SVG to left anterior descending artery 100%,100% ; 2) SVG to diagonal branch 100%,100% ; 3) SVG to left circumflex artery 100%, 88.9% ; 4) SVG to right coronary artery 75%, 85.7%. Conclusion : Three-dimensional coronary angiography by electron beam tomography is a promising, useful and relatively accurate diagnostic technique for the evaluation of graft patency in patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery.ope