Fifty consecutive coronary artery bypass grafting (Group I) and 50 single valve replacement (Group II) procedures were compared with 50 coronary artery bypass grafting with valve replacement (Group III) procedures and 50 multi-valve procedures (Group IV) to determine the frequency of neurological complications after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The possible risks and aetiological implications were studied. The overall surgical mortality rate was 7.5%, being 0%, 4%, 6% and 20%, respectively for the different groups. The neurological event was not the primary cause of death in any of the patients. After CPB, neurological manifestations occurred in 4% of the patients in Gr. I, in 6% in Gr. II, in 4% in Gr. III, and in 8% in Gr. IV. Three patients had peripheral nerve paresis. The age of the patients and the duration of the CPB operation were not factors in the risk of neurological complications. Previous neurological events seemed to increase the frequency of postoperative neurological disorders, whereas combined procedures were no more dangerous in this respect.
Background and Aims: This study was undertaken in order to evaluate the usefulness of the Euroscore in the choice and outcome of mitral valve procedures undertaken at the Helsinki University Central Hospital. Material and Methods: Data from 378 patients was collected. Predicted mortalities were calculated for all patients using the European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation and different mitral valve procedures were compared with 30-day mortality, length of hospital care and rate of post-operative complications. Results: The mortality rate in the mitral valve repair (MVP) group decreased gradually from 5.9% (in 1999) to 2.2% (2003). The variation of annual mortality was higher in the mitral valve replacement (MVR) group. The predicted mortality given by EuroSCORE increased over the years in both groups. The mortality in the MVR group was nearly four times higher than in the MVP group. The length of both intensive and overall hospital stay decreased in patients with mvp procedures. Post-operative survival was 89% in the MVP patients and 74% in MVR patients after three years. Discussion: The results of mitral valve operations have improved. This is observed as decreased mortality rates and lengths of hospital care in the MVP group, although the predicted mortality rate was increased.
We have used polydioxanone (PDS) in 50 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. The anastomoses consisted of suturing an autologous vein graft to the coronary artery (122 operations), a vein graft to the aorta (63 operations) and the internal mammary artery to the coronary artery (33 operations). The recipient coronary artery was subjected to endarterectomy in 28 instances. The anastomoses proved to be reliable in the early postsurgical period; no bleeding was attributed to the PDS suture. Clinical follow-up for a maximum of two-and-half years, completed using control coronary angiograms in selected cases, demonstrated good results. The practical properties of PDS were evaluated to be at least as good as those of polypropylene. Experiments have clearly shown that small artery anastomoses heal more favourably after the use of absorbable sutures than after the use of nonabsorbable sutures. Because of this finding and on the basis of our clinical experience, we believe the application of PDS in coronary surgery should be recommended as an alternative treatment.
Twenty of 569 consecutive patients (3.5%) undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty required emergency coronary artery bypass grafting for acute closure of the dilated vessel. In seven patients an intracoronary autoperfusion balloon catheter was inserted to ensure antegrade blood flow across the injured zone of the coronary artery. The time needed for completion of the bypass grafts ranged from 100 to 399 minutes (mean 180 minutes). An average of 1.9 coronary artery bypasses was inserted. In total, 11 of the 20 patients (55%) developed new Q waves and had elevated CK-MB levels. However, the myocardial infarction rate was only 14% in those with a perfusion balloon catheter as against 77% in those without one. The insertion of a ball-out catheter permitted greater utilization of the internal mammary artery as a bypass graft. Angiographic follow-up was conducted after a mean of 28 months (19 patients). The patency rate of the bypass grafts placed in the emergency setting was relatively good (91%). Thallium tomography revealed a scar of variable size in all 17 patients studied and a reversible exercise perfusion defect requiring coronary reangioplasty in three patients. In conclusion, the insertion of a perfusion balloon catheter after abrupt coronary occlusion during coronary angioplasty solved the problems of acute myocardial ischemia and markedly lowered the definite myocardial infarction rate. This technique ensures favourable haemodynamic conditions for emergency myocardial revascularization.
Objective To assess the behavior of internal thoracic artery (ITA) grafts versus venous grafts in repeated angiograms up to 20 years. Summary Background Data Use of ITA grafts to bypass left anterior descending artery stenosis has been shown to be associated with improved survival in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods Sixty-one consecutive patients who received one or two ITA grafts and who underwent surgery from Oct. 5, 1971, to Dec. 18, 1973, in Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland, were included in this prospective follow-up series. Fifty-six of the patients (92%) also received at least one venous graft. The number of distal anastomoses was 157, of which 47.7% (75) were performed with ITA grafts. The median age of the patients was 47.7 years (range 30.0 to 63.1), and 85% (52) were men. Results After 20 years of follow-up, 18/20 (90%) of the survivors underwent angiography; the patency rate was 88.9% for ITA grafts and 47.8% for venous grafts. Cumulative graft patency at 20 years, using all the information obtained from repeated angiographic examinations and autopsies, was also calculated to eliminate selection bias. The cumulative 20-year patency rate was 81% for ITA-left anterior descending artery anastomoses, 53.8% for venous graft-right coronary artery anastomoses, and 48.5% for venous graft-left circumflex artery anastomoses. In paired comparisons between anastomoses, the patency time of the ITA-left anterior descending artery anastomoses was on average 2.8 years longer than the venous graft-left circumflex artery patency time and 2.6 years longer than the venous graft-right coronary artery. Conclusions Internal thoracic artery grafts, especially in left anterior descending artery anastomoses, should be considered as a primary solution in coronary artery bypass grafting surgery in patients with >10 years of life expectancy; if venous grafting is preferred, further evidence is needed.
A primary malignant melanoma of the oesophagus was surgically treated in a 71-year-old man. Maximally radical excision of the tumour was performed, with broad 'safety' margins and radical ablation of the paraoesophageal tissue at tumour level, without touching the tumour. When oesophagoscopy shows a tumour strongly suggestive of melanoma, confirmation should be made with fine-needle aspiration biopsy in preference to histologic biopsy, to avoid explosive spread of the tumour.
