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Background: Cardiac pacemaker and defibrillator leads are inserted through extrathoracic subclavian venipuncture using ultrasound (US) guidance, but there can be complications. The purpose of this study was to investigate a safer and improved implanting procedure., Methods and Results: Venipuncture guided by US with a 7.5 MHz convex transducer was performed to implant 32 leads in 18 patients. US enabled identification and location of the vein and needle tip during puncture and clarified the reasons for unsuccessful venipuncture. Venipuncture was successful on the second attempt or within 2 min in 90.6% (29/32) and 84.4% (27/32) of lead placements, respectively, although the vein was small (mean, 7.8 mm), deep (mean, 22.7 mm), and required a large angle of entry (mean, 52.4). The subclavian artery or lung was adjacent to the vein in 50.0% and 27.8% of cases, respectively. The flexible wall of the vein interfered with the penetration of the needle in 33.3% of cases. It was often difficult to locate the needle tip because of poor visualization., Conclusions: Ultrasound guidance of subclavian venipuncture enables a safe and time-saving procedure by visualizing not only the needle but also the vein and surrounding structures, although further modifications of the needle are needed for better visualization.

A 75-year-old woman presented with superior mesenteric artery and celiac artery occlusion associated with acute type B dissection. Emergent bypass grafting by using the right gastroepiploic artery and the left radial artery for the superior mesenteric artery and the celiac artery was performed without bowel resection.

Background: Aortic dissection after femoral arterial perfusion has been reported as a dreadful complication. Apart from such a drastic event, using intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography we detected aortic dissection confined to the abdominal aorta that was associated with visceral malperfusion., Methods: We examined 11 consecutive patients with aortic dissection in whom the abdominal aorta was intact, and surgeries were performed with femoral perfusion. The abdominal aorta and visceral branches were examined for new development of dissection or malperfusion by means of transesophageal echocardiography before, during, and after cardiopulmonary bypass. These echocardiographic findings were then related to the postoperative assessment and midterm results., Results: Aortic dissection was found in 3 of 11 cases (27.2%). Unusual progression of metabolic acidosis (base excess < or =10 mEq/L) occurred, possibly as a result of malperfusion of visceral arteries, in 2 of these 3 cases, whereas none of the 8 cases presented with such findings. The presence of dissection was later confirmed by postoperative computed tomography in all but 1 case. In the midterm follow-up period, aneurysm formation was found in the infrarenal aorta and iliac arteries in 2 of the 3 cases with new aortic dissection but not in any of the remaining 8 cases., Conclusions: New development of aortic dissection after femoral arterial perfusion was found in 27% of the cases in this series. Although these occurred without dramatic symptoms, this event may be related to unusual metabolic acidosis during cardiopulmonary bypass or to subsequent aneurysmal formation of the infrarenal aorta or iliac arteries, or both.

Background: To explore an alternative to the systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI) for monitoring peripheral circulation in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU), the resistive index (RI) in the upper extremity arteries was measured by using surface Doppler ultrasound., Methods and Results: The correlation between RI and vascular resistance was assessed in vitro using a vessel phantom in a Donovan-type mock circulation system. In addition, 15 ICU patients who had undergone open-heart surgery were studied. Mean arterial pressure, central venous pressure and cardiac output were measured 30 times at 10 min intervals after patients returned to the ICU following surgery, and the SVRI was calculated from these parameters. At the same time points, 3 parts of the upper extremity arteries (brachial artery in the cubital fossa (BA), radial artery at the wrist (RA), and radial artery at the anatomical snuffbox (SB)) were scanned by Doppler ultrasound, and the resistance index (RI) for each artery region was calculated. In vitro, RI increased with higher vascular resistance, exhibiting a significant correlation (r = 0.982, p < 0.0001). In vivo, the average incidence angles at the BA and RA were larger than 60 degrees , while that at the SB was only 11.5+/-10.8 degrees. The overall correlation between SVRI and RI for all patients was not significant for the BA or RA, but was significant for the SB (p < 0.0001). In individual patients, the correlation of SVRI with RI at the BA or RA was significant in 3 patients only, whereas significant correlation for the SB was observed in all patients. Doppler waveform analysis at the SB revealed diastolic flow reversal with increased SVRI., Conclusions: Measurement at the SB provides an ideal ultrasound incidence angle for the measurement of blood flow velocity. Hence, RI measured in this way may serve as an indicator of peripheral vascular resistance, and may be effective for the evaluation of peripheral circulatory disturbance.

Isolated spontaneous dissection of the superior mesenteric artery is rare, and the surgical treatment is not established. We performed successfully total revascularization using arterial conduits (left radial artery and right epigastric artery) and present here the first report to our knowledge of a surgically treated case.

Objective: Although malposition of a catheter for selective cerebral perfusion can lead to postoperative neurologic complications, the clinical relevance or even an incidence of this event is not clear because there have been no measures to diagnose it. The purpose of this study is to report the results of intraoperative diagnosis of catheter malposition by means of near-infrared spectroscopy, orbital ultrasound, and transesophageal echocardiography., Methods: The 35 consecutive patients of aortic arch aneurysm undergoing total arch replacement (13 patients) or transaortic stent graft implantation (22 patients) were examined. The regional oxygen saturation in the frontal lobe was continuously monitored with near-infrared spectroscopy. When cerebral malperfusion was suspected with saturation drop and reduced blood flow in orbital ultrasound, blood flow in the cervical branches and catheter position were examined with transesophageal echocardiography., Results: Catheter malposition was detected in 4 of 35 cases (11.4%). The echo findings included: (1) reduced or absent flow and/or collapsed lumen in the common carotid artery despite an adequate perfusion rate; and (2) the balloon of catheter blocking the inflow to the common carotid artery. There was no unusual changes in parameters of other conventional monitors. After the catheter was withdrawn (three cases) or replaced (one case) based on the above diagnosis, cerebral perfusion was restored, confirmed by these three modalities. An accidental entry of catheter into the right common carotid artery was detected by transesophageal echocardiography in one case, in which there was no abnormal finding of oxygen saturation or orbital blood flow., Conclusions: Catheter malposition on the right side is not a rare event during selective cerebral perfusion. The catheter can migrate into the right subclavian artery or common carotid artery. Pressure monitoring cannot reliably detect an occurrence of catheter migration into the right subclavian artery. Combined use of near-infrared spectroscopy, orbital ultrasound, and transesophageal echocardiography can be useful for detecting this event and making an appropriate decision without delay to prevent irreversible brain damage.

Although identification of the key artery that perfuses the spinal cord is essential to avoid occurrence of paraplegia after surgery on the thoracoabdominal aorta, reliable and noncomplicated measures are not yet available. A new method of determining it by using echocardiography with a saline injection into the lumbar artery was evaluated for feasibility and adequacy in a canine model. In two mongrel dogs, the abdominal aorta was opened and saline was directly injected into the lumbar arteries while the spinal cord was visualized by echocardiography through the intervertebral disc. When the echogenic or Doppler signal was detected in the spinal cord, the particular lumbar artery was determined as "positive", or as "negative" when the signal was not detected. After the dog was sacrificed, red resin was injected into the "positive" arteries and blue resin into the "negative" arteries. In the extracted spinal cord, the anterior and posterior spinal arteries were filled with red resin, rather than with blue resin, to indicate that the key arteries were correctly identified. There were multiple "positive" arteries, which were mainly located on the left side and accounted for approximately one-third of the entire lumbar arteries. The "negative" arteries mainly perfused the muscles around the vertebra. Injected resin came out of the adjacent lumbar arteries of the same category, suggesting that communication is present among the positive arteries, but independently of that among the negative arteries. Echo-guided identification of key arteries is technically feasible and correctly determines the key arteries in this preliminary canine model.

Background: This study aims to clarify midterm results of chronic atrial fibrillation elimination after pulmonary vein isolation and provides an evaluation of factors influencing results., Methods: Forty-nine patients were enrolled in this study. We performed a simple pulmonary vein isolation with the aid of cryoablation or radiofrequency ablation directed towards the left posterior remnant of the posterior left atrium. Results were evaluated using elimination rates of atrial fibrillation during the postoperative follow-up for > 12 months. We also examined factors influencing the recurrence of atrial fibrillation., Results: There were no hospital deaths or serious complications among the 49 patients. The total follow-up duration was 137.2 patient years. Forty-seven patients (96%) were followed with serial consultations, but 2 patients were dropped from this study because of changes in residence. Thirty-five of 49 patients (71.4%) showed regular sinus or nodal rhythms at discharge. In 4 patients atrial fibrillation recurred during the follow-up period, whereas in another 4 patients sinus rhythm was restored, although they showed atrial fibrillation at discharge. The cumulative elimination rate was 70.2% (33 of 47 patients), which was determined at the last follow-up period. Large left atrial diameters, a long history of atrial fibrillation, and low-voltage fibrillatory waves in V1 leads were preoperative indicators of recurrence of atrial fibrillation., Conclusions: Pulmonary vein isolations were effective in the treatment of chronic atrial fibrillation patients and sinus rhythms were restored within the follow-up period.

Background: We report a method of intraoperative assessment of left internal thoracic artery (LITA) graft with transesophageal echocardiography regarding patency, stenosis, and presence of remnant branch artery., Methods: In 52 consecutive coronary artery bypass grafting surgery patients, blood flow velocity was measured at the origin of the LITA after coronary artery bypass grafting by means of transesophageal echocardiography. The flow pattern and velocity change at temporary clamping of the graft was examined and was compared with the postoperative angiographic findings., Results: The LITA was visualized in 47 of 52 cases (90.4%). The LITA flow was diastolic dominant, systolic dominant, or equivalent in 41, 3, and 3 cases, respectively. The anastomosis was stenotic in 2 of 6 cases of the latter two groups, but in none of the 41 cases with diastolic dominant flow (p = 0.0139). The branch artery was present in 4 of 6 cases of the latter two groups, but in only 2 of 41 cases with diastolic dominant flow (p = 0.0012). Remnant branch artery was found in all three cases with systolic dominant flow. The LITA flow was instantaneously reduced at clamping and recovered at declamping in every case with graft occlusion but one. The ratio of velocity change at clamping was less than 0.50 in all 41 cases without remnant branch, whereas it was more than 0.50 in 5 of 6 cases with a branch (p < 0.0001)., Conclusions: The transesophageal echocardiographic assessment with the clamp test is feasible intraoperatively in the majority of patients, enabling us to assess LITA graft patency, stenosis, or presence of a remnant branch.

A 75-year-old woman who had suffered type B dissection had coronary artery bypass grafting surgery using a mechanical aortic connector. Four days after the operation, she had a sudden syncope. CT demonstrated type A dissection, and an emergency operation was done, and postoperative course was uneventful. This case demonstrates that this connector should be used carefully in patients with a history of type B dissection.

Objectives: Although endovascular stent-grafting is available for atherosclerotic thoracic aneurysms, it is unknown whether the excluded thrombosed aneurysms shrink. We evaluated serial changes in distal aortic arch or proximal descending aortic aneurysms excluded space after transaortic stent-grafting., Methods: Thirty-four patients with true distal aortic arch or proximal descending thoracic aortic aneurysms were treated by stent-grafts introduced via proximal arch aortic incisions. Follow-up included computed tomographs (CT) every 6 months in 31 patients. The maximum dimensions for excluded space and aneurysmal diameters were measured and evaluated to determine whether the aneurysmal space had decreased or shrunken following this alternative procedure., Results: Two hospital deaths (5.9%) were caused by a cerebral embolism and a peri-operative myocardial infarction. Another case died from pneumonia a year after surgery. Thirty-one cases (91%) survived during follow-up, but one case suffered from paraplegia (2.9%). The follow-up period ranged from 10 to 72 months (average 39.3+/-27.2 months). There were no aneurysmal ruptures during follow-up. Post-operative serial CTs showed a disappearance or a significant shrinkage of the excluded aneurysmal space in 30 of the 31 cases (97%); one case suffered endoluminal leakage., Conclusions: Transaortic endovascular stent-grafting is feasible for distal aortic arch or proximal descending aortic aneurysms. The excluded aneurysmal space disappears or shrinks after successful stent-graft placement.

We present a new technique, which is the distal perfusion first technique, for chronic dissection with dilatation of the aorta. Using a "side-ways-tau shaped" incision, this technique allows single-staged repair, full-time antegrade perfusion, less possibility of mesenteric malperfusion and cerebral embolism.

When a patient with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) presents with a vascular emergency, performing life-saving surgery can be difficult because of the profound fragility of the arterial tissue. We report the case of a 27-year-old woman with EDS in whom a spontaneous arterial rupture was successfully treated with transcatheter embolization. The patient was brought to our hospital in shock, with left lower abdominal pain. She had been diagnosed with EDS type IV following a colonic rupture 8 years earlier. An emergency angiogram revealed rupture of the left external iliac artery. The active bleeding was managed by transarterial embolization of the ruptured artery using stainless steel coils, which took 30 min to achieve. The patient has not suffered any further vascular complications during the year since this procedure. Transcatheter coil embolization may be a reliable option for treating sudden arterial rupture in patients with this syndrome.

We developed a simple cooling method for spinal cord protection against ischemic injury during aortic surgery. The neuroprotective effects of our method were investigated using an animal study. Selective spinal hypothermia was produced by means of originally-designed cooling pads placed over the lower thoracic and lumbar vertebral column. Spinal cord ischemia was induced by cross-clamping the thoracic aorta for 60 min in beagle dogs. The neuroprotective effects were evaluated by a multi-modal study. The motor-evoked potentials of the spinal cord resulting from transcranial electric stimulation (MEPs) were recorded during both the ischemic and reperfusion periods. Hindlimb motor function was graded with the Tarlov score, and a histologic examination of the spinal cord injury was performed, at 24 hours after ischemia in animals undergoing hypothermia (hypothermia group: n = 7) or a sham (control group: n = 7). The spinal cord temperatures at the lower thoracic (T10) and lumbar (L3) levels decreased by -9.1 degrees C per hour and -8.1 degrees C per hour, respectively. The amplitude of the MEPs decreased during ischemia in both groups of animals, and significantly recovered during the early phase of aortic reperfusion in the hypothermia group. The Tarlov scores in the hypothermia and control groups were 3.3 +/- 1.0 and 1.1 +/- 1.5 (mean +/- SD, p = 0.015), respectively. Histopathologic study revealed that ischemic injury of the lumbar cord was reduced in the animals undergoing hypothermia. Trans-vertebral regional cooling reduced ischemic spinal cord injury in a canine study. The current method is potentially feasible for clinical use, especially in view of its technical simplicity and few procedure-related complications.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the midterm results of transaortic stent-grafting for distal aortic arch aneurysms or proximal descending aortic aneurysms and the feasibility of this method for thoracic aortic aneurysm repair., Methods: Twenty-three patients with true distal aortic arch aneurysms or proximal descending thoracic aortic aneurysms were repaired with the stent-graft introduced through the incision on the proximal arch aorta. Follow-up computed tomography was performed every 6 months in 21 surviving patients. The maximum dimension of the excluded aneurysmal space and the maximum aneurysmal diameter were measured and evaluated to determine whether the aneurysmal space decreased or disappeared after this alternative procedure., Results: There was 1 hospital death (4.3%) due to cerebral embolism. Another patient died of pneumonia 1 year after surgery. Twenty-one patients (91%) survived during the follow-up period, but 1 patient (4.3%) suffered from paraplegia. The follow-up period ranged from 12 to 62 months (average, 34.3 +/- 15.2). There were no instances of aneurysmal rupture during the follow-up period. Postoperative serial computed tomography scans showed disappearance or significant shrinkage of the excluded aneurysmal space in 20 of 21 patients (95%), except for the one patient with endoluminal leakage., Conclusions: Transaortic endovascular stent-grafting was an effective alternative approach to treating distal aortic arch aneurysms or proximal descending aortic aneurysms. The excluded aneurysm disappeared or shrunk after successful placement of the stent-graft.

In Takayasu's arteritis (TA), both atypical coarctation (CO) and brachiocephalic involvement are common features that occasionally require operative correction. A combination of these abnormalities could duplicate underlying illness in patients, posing an increased risk of operative morbidity. We present, herein, two TA patients in which hypertensive heart disease secondary to CO was surgically corrected. Both patients had multi-vessel brachiocephalic disease. One patient who showed occlusion of all brachiocephalic arteries underwent aorto-aortic bypass, while another with two-vessel lesion underwent axillo-bifemoral bypass grafting. Subclavian reconstruction was supplemental to each procedure, resulting in relief of neurologic stigmata. Strategies to avoid intraoperative cerebral ischemia played an important role in the surgical repair of such TA-related extensive vascular lesions.

Objective: Although the Allen test is crude and subjective, an objective color Doppler method has yet to be established in the assessment of hand circulation before radial artery harvesting. Doppler studies so far have neglected the Doppler principle that the insonation angles should be less than 30 degrees and have not been compared with any standard except the crude Allen test. We therefore introduced the snuffbox technique, measuring the radial artery at the anatomic snuffbox, which is the most distal area after harvesting. Color Doppler methods were compared with the stump pressure as a criterion standard., Methods: Maximal flow velocity and Doppler angles of the snuffbox, palmar artery, and ulnar artery were measured in 20 hands before and after radial artery harvesting. Stump pressure was measured during surgery., Results: Maximal flow velocity in the snuffbox decreased with radial artery compression and after radial artery harvesting. All the flow patterns in the snuffbox technique showed simultaneous reversal. Maximal flow velocity in the ulnar artery increased with radial artery compression and after radial artery harvesting. Maximal flow velocity in the palmar artery did not change significantly with radial artery compression or after radial artery harvesting. Doppler angles were 20.9 degrees +/- 6.0 degrees in the radial artery of the snuffbox, 82.5 degrees +/- 6.1 degrees at the palmar artery, and 81.0 degrees +/- 7.6 degrees at the ulnar artery. The changes in the snuffbox technique were highly correlated with the stump pressure ratio (P <.001)., Conclusions: Among various color Doppler methods, the snuffbox technique was precise and reliable.

Extra-anatomic bypass is preferred for revascularization after removal of infected vascular grafts. The obturator canal technique has been used to bypass an infected field in the groin, although this method has not always been definitive because of several drawbacks. We present a unique method of extra-anatomic revascularization for use in such a situation. An autogenous graft is placed just below the sartorius muscle in the thigh and penetrates the iliacus muscle near the lateral end of the inguinal ligament. Limb loss and recurrent infection are prevented postoperatively. This retro-sartorius bypass technique may be a useful alternative to obturator bypass grafting in selected patients.

Unfavorable incidents during cardiac operations due to inadequate cerebral perfusion can be avoided by the utilization of noninvasive blood flow monitoring methods. The purpose of this study was to evaluate monitoring systems for cebrovascular perfusion. We compared currently available blood flow monitoring devices including transcranial Doppler (TCD), central retinal artery color Doppler (CRAD) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). The maximum flow velocity (Vmax) of the right central retinal artery was measured with a 7.5 MHz Doppler system. The Vmax of the right middle cerebral artery was measured with a TCD system. Regional tissue oxygen saturation (rSO2) was continuously measured with a NIRS system. The total number of individual data for each monitoring method collected from 25 patients was 184. The CRAD-Vmax was correlated more closely with the corresponding maximum blood pressure than the TCD-Vmax (r = 0.742 and 0.607, respectively). No missing data were seen in CRAD, but 20 missing data were seen in TCD, mostly during the period of cardiopulmonary bypass with lowered blood pressure. All 184 data were divided into two groups: Group 1 (rSO2 > or = 60 %, n=175) and Group 2 (rSO2 <60 %, n=9 data). The CRAD-Vmax was significantly lower in Group 2 (5.2+/-2.4 cm/s versus 3.0+/-0.4 cm/s, p<0.001). However, there was no significant difference in the TCD-Vmax between these two groups. Thus, CRAD may be superior to TCD in detecting insufficiency of cerebral blood flow correlating to rSO2, and could be used as the first choice monitoring system of cerebral blood flow during cardiac surgery.

We have experienced a surgically treated case of midventricular obstruction. A simple mitral valve replacement was effective to relieve the obstruction and to increase the cavity of the left ventricular outflow tract without a myectomy through the aortic valve.

Background: This clinical study was undertaken to evaluate changes in motor evoked potentials (MEPs) during cold blood infusion into a thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm. We also determined the efficacy of this infusion method for predicting spinal cord injury during thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysmal surgery., Methods: We monitored descending evoked spinal cord potentials (ESCPs), segmental ESCPs, and MEPs during the prosthetic replacement phase of thoracoabdominal aneurysmal surgery. We perfused cold blood (4 degrees C, 300 to 450 mL) into aneurysms after clamping the aorta, while monitoring spinal cord potentials in 6 cases of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm. If the spinal cord potentials decreased during infusion of cold blood, we reconstructed the intercostal arteries in the aneurysm. If the potentials did not change during the infusion of cold blood and after the aneurysmectomy, we did not reconstruct the intercostal arteries and ligated all of them., Results: Postoperative paraplegia did not occur in any case. The MEPs decreased in amplitude after infusion of cold blood in 3 cases, but amplitude recovered after reconstruction of the intercostal arteries. The other 3 cases did not show any change after infusion of cold blood, and all of the intercostal arteries in the aneurysm were ligated., Conclusions: Cold blood infusion into the aneurysm while monitoring MEPs was a useful adjunct to detect the presence of critical intercostal arteries and to facilitate thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysmal surgery.

The response of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-10 (IL-10), interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), macrophage colony stimulating factor (MCSF), white blood cell (WBC), platelet (Plt), lactic acid (LAC) to cardiopulmnary bypass (CPB) were studied until 48 hours after aortic declamping in 11 patients who underwent elective CABG (n = 4), mitral valve plasty or replacement with modified maze procedure (n = 5), and both procedures (n = 2). The highest levels of the cytokines IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and IL-1ra were observed after the removal of the cross clamp. These cytokines just after the aortic declamping are likely to be occurred not only by an interaction of the blood components with the artificial surfaces, but also by ischemia-reperfusion injury upon discontinuation of the aortic clamping. MCSF increased gradually in the late post-CPB phase and reached a peak at 48 hr after aortic declamping. MCSF may play an important role in regulating hematopoiesis on the postoperative days 1 and 2 in patients. In conclusion, the therapy based on the kinetics of these cytokines would be useful for patients undergoing CPB.

We report the case of a patient with a rare papillary fibroelastoma on the pulmonary valve visualized before surgical intervention. The tumor was an encapsulated, rounded mass. The gelatinous membrane on the surface tore easily, and multiple fronds appeared. This case emphasizes that when there is an encapsulated mass attached to a valve, the initial excision of valve tissue should be as minimal as possible. To avoid unnecessary injury to the valve, it is simple and practical to confirm that the tumor has the appearance of a sea anemone, thus identifying it as a papillary fibroblastoma, a benign tumor.

Objective: Cytokine induction can occur routinely in cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. We have studied the relationships between the kinetics of pro-inflammatory cytokine release and the postoperative organ function., Methods: Ten adult patients (6 men and 4 women) undergoing elective cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, at Hiroshima University Hospital were studied. Patients with acute infection, insulin-dependent diabetes, acute or chronic respiratory failure, renal or hepatic failure, acute cardiogenic shock, and emergency patients were not included. The age of the patient ranged from 44 to 78 years (mean 69 +/- 2.0 years). The type of surgical intervention performed was coronary artery bypass grafting in four patients, mitral valve plasty or replacement with modified maze procedure in another five patients, and both procedures in the other one patient. Plasma cytokine levels until 48 hours after aortic declamping were measured in blood samples. The Respiratory Index and the serum levels of choline esterase and creatinine were also measured. The plasma levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6 and interleukin-8) were measured., Results: The highest interleukin-6 levels were significantly correlated with hepatic dysfunction (r = -0.80, p = 0.006) and with renal dysfunction (r = 0.78, p = 0.009). The highest interleukin-8 levels were significantly correlated with respiratory dysfunction (r = 0.86, p = 0.001)., Conclusion: The highest proinflammatory cytokines levels at 1 hour after aortic declamping were related to damage to postoperative organ functions, involving the lung, kidney and liver.

We treated a patient with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and sustained ventricular tachycardia by an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). He then suffered from inappropriate ICD shocks triggered by paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). We successfully performed pulmonary vein orifice isolation to eliminate paroxysmal AF. The pulmonary vein orifice isolation was a simple and useful procedure for eliminating paroxysmal AF in patient with decreased left ventricular (LV) function after ICD implantation.

Several authors have suggested that periodic activation is related to maintenance of atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of this study was to examine periodic electrical activations in both atria that may lead to the generation and maintenance of AF associated with valvular diseases by means of fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis. Atrial electrograms (AEGs) were analyzed in 15 persistent AF patients, who underwent pulmonary vein orifice (PVO) isolation with mitral valve surgery. Intraoperatively, AEGs of 4 seconds duration were acquired at 48 epicardial sites, 24 each from the right and left atrium (RA, LA). Dominant peaks (DPs) examined using FFT were present in 26% of all sampling points (380/1440). Prominent clustering of DPs was mostly observed on the LA. The mean AF cycle length (mAFCL) estimated from DP frequency was significantly shorter in LA than that in RA (178 +/- 32 msec vs 247 +/- 58, p = 0.0003). The shortest AF cycle length in each patient was mainly found in the LA. The PVO isolation procedures successfully eliminated AF in 87% of patients (13/15). In cases of recurred AF (2/15), the difference in mAFCL between bilateral atria was significantly smaller than in the case of successful AF elimination (17 +/- 7 msec vs 76 +/- 56, p = 0.042). FFT analysis of intraoperative mapping data clarified that periodic activity was present predominantly in LA. It may be possible to predict the efficacy of surgical procedures for eliminating AF using this technique.

There is evidence of angiogenesis being induced after transmyocardial laser revascularization (TMLR), although the precise mechanism has not been fully elucidated. This study was designed to examine whether or not blood flow from the left ventricle through the channels is essential for angiogenesis following TMLR. Ten dogs underwent the creation of two types of laser channels in the left ventricle: 1) a transmural channel (TMC), which penetrates the myocardium, and 2) a non-transmural channel (NTMC), which does not open to the epicardium. The animals were sacrificed on the 28th postoperative day and the vascular density was examined. Vessels with smooth muscle media were seen within or around the channel remnant. The vessel density was compared between TMC and NTMC. The outer and inner halves of the myocardium in the TMC region were compared in the same way. The density of vessels within and around the channel remnants was significantly higher in TMC than in NTMC (1.439 versus 0.685 vessels/microscopic visual field (mvf=40X); p=0.0025). The vascular density was significantly higher in the region adjacent to TMC than in a distant region (>3 mm from the channel center). The vascular density was significantly higher in the outer half than in the inner half of the myocardium (1.730 versus 1.180 vessels/mvf: p=0.0459). These findings demonstrate that communication to the left ventricular lumen enhances angiogenesis of TMLR, although blood flow in the channel did not exist 4 weeks after TMLR and angiogenesis tended to be more highly enhanced in the outer half than in the inner half of the myocardium.

The protective effect of the low power helium-neon (He-Ne) laser against the damage of human erythrocytes in whole blood was examined in a perfusion model using an artificial heart-lung machine. Preserved human whole blood was diluted and perfused in 2 closed circuits with a double roller pump. The laser irradiated one of the circuits (laser group), and none the other (control group). In the laser group, erythrocyte deformability and erythrocyte adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels were significantly higher, and free hemoglobin levels were significantly lower than those in the control group. Subsequent morphological findings by means of scanning electron microscope were consistent with these results. Low power He-Ne laser protected human erythrocytes in the preserved diluted whole blood from the damage caused by experimental artificial heart-lung machines. The clinical application of low power laser treatment for extracorporeal circulation is suggested.

Background: Endovascular stent-grafting is an innovative procedure; we have developed a novel approach to treat distal arch aortic aneurysm through a small incision in the aortic arch., Methods: Eight patients with thoracic aortic aneurysms were treated with an endovascular stent-graft that was introduced into the thoracic aorta through a small incision in the aortic arch. Of these patients, 7 had distal arch aortic aneurysms, and 1 had chronic aortic dissection of Stanford type B. Four of these patients had received concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting, and 1 patient had undergone tricuspid valvular annuloplasty. The stent-graft was introduced into the distal arch aorta and descending aorta through a small incision in the aortic arch, under selective cerebral perfusion and hypothermic circulatory arrest., Results: The selective cerebral perfusion time ranged from 52 to 86 minutes (mean, 68 minutes) and the operating time from 289 to 422 minutes (mean, 318 minutes). There was no endoluminal leakage into the aneurysm. Seven patients survived and were discharged, but 1 patient suffered a cerebral infarction and died during the follow-up period., Conclusions: Placing an endovascular stent-graft through the aortic arch is an acceptable alternative treatment for distal arch aortic aneurysms.

Percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (PCPS) has come to be applied for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and in the management of severe respiratory failure as well as severe heart failure. We investigated cerebral tissue oxygen saturation during PCPS in a canine model of respiratory failure using near-infrared spectroscopy. Animals were mechanically ventilated with 10% oxygen to make a respiratory failure model. Perfusion with PCPS was performed via the left femoral artery and switched to that via the right axillary artery. Cerebral tissue oxygen saturation was 54.2 +/- 3.4% during PCPS via the femoral artery and was 82.3 +/- 4.6% during PCPS via the axillary artery (p = 0.001). Hepatic tissue oxygen saturation was not significantly different. LV dP/dt max increased significantly after switching to the axillary blood supply (p = 0.001). Conventional PCPS may not have the capability of supporting cerebral circulation under severe respiratory failure without organic heart disease.

We report a case of ventricular septal defect with acquired rupture of sinus Valsalva induced by infectious endocarditis. After irrigati on of all infectious tissues, the defect was closed twice using two different patches. One was an autologous pericardial patch from the right ventricle and the other was a composite patch made of an autologous pericardium and axenologous pericardium from the left ventricle. As a result, the xenologous pericardium was sandwiched between autologous pericardiums. We thought that this "sandwiched patch" would compensate for the shortcomings of each type of pericardium and resist left ventricular pressure and infection. Despite the development of antibiotic therapy, infectious endocardit is (IE) is still one of the most difficult disease to cure. In the case of a rupture of sinus Valsalva, because of the rapid spread of infection into any of the cardiac chambers, surgical intervention is necessary. In this report, we describe a case treated successfully.

We have produced an eccentric roller type total artificial heart (ERTAH). As the first step in the development of this ERTAH, we conducted simulations such as a numerical simulation, a mock test, and an acute animal experiment using DeBakey roller pumps to analyze the left-right balance during its operation. The next step was redesigning the blood chambers to improve energy efficiency and implanting the ERTAH with an interatrial shunt into an animal for evaluation of the in vivo performance of the device. In the simulations, shunt flow through the bronchial arteries was approximately 500-600 ml/min, and the interatrial resistance was varied from 2.9-7.7 mmHg.min/liter. Redesigning the blood chambers resulted in the mock test in a 20% increase in energy efficiency, about a two-fold increase in cardiac output and improved durability compared to the previous type in the mock test. In the animal experiment the ERTAH operated with a left flow rate of 6.0 liters/min and a right flow rate of 5.4 liters/min. The interatrial shunt flow rate was 250-400 ml/min. Creating an interatrial shunt is a useful method for balancing the blood flow between the left and right heart of the ERTAH. A decrease in friction resistance and the prevention of backward flow resulted in an increase in energy efficiency, cardiac output, and improved durability, in spite of downsizing the blood chambers.

Objective: To assess the utility of spinal cord monitorings for prediction of spinal cord ischemia, we investigated the role of both motor evoked potentials and sensory evoked potentials during thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm surgeries., Methods: We monitored two kinds of sensory evoked potentials; descending evoked spinal cord potentials from the lumbar enlargement after cervical spinal cord stimulation and segmental evoked spinal cord potentials at the lumbar enlargement elicited by peroneal nerve stimulation, and motor evoked potentials from the lumbar enlargement elicited by direct subcranial stimulation in 9 thoracoabdomonal aortic aneurysm surgeries., Results: Postoperative paraplegia occurred in one case in which the patients died during the perioperative period. One case showed transient paraparesis, but recovered following rehabilitatation. These cases showed a decrease in the amplitude of descending evoked spinal cord potentials and motor evoked potentials., Conclusion: The recovery of the amplitude of the motor evoked potentials and the descending evoked spinal cord potentials after declamping correlated with the neurologic outcome.

We hypothesized that the central retinal artery color Doppler (CRAD) technique can be used as an alternative monitoring method to the conventional transcranial Doppler (TCD) technique which does not consistently provide good signals during cardiopulmonary bypass. This is the first study to compare CRAD with TCD during cardiac surgery. Twenty patients without stroke were examined at the seven preset stages of the two procedures. The maximum flow velocity (Vmax) of the right central retinal artery was measured with a 7.5-MHz Doppler system. The Vmax of the right middle cerebral artery was measured with a TCD system. To estimate the relationship between Vmax and maximum blood pressure (BPmax), CRAD-Vmax (6.6 +/- 2.2 cm/s), TCD-Vmax (44.0 +/-14.8 cm/s), and BPmax (114 +/- 28.5 mmHg) obtained at the initial stage were normalized. The Vmax values of CRAD were successfully obtained, at each of the seven study stages, in all 20 patients. The Vmax values of TCD were obtained at 125 points, and 15 missing values were seen during the stages of cardiopulmonary bypass. CRAD-Vmax was correlated to TCD-Vmax (r = 0.775, P < 0.0001). The normalized values of both TCD- and CRAD-Vmax were correlated to the normalized BPmax (r = 0.766, P < 0.0001) (r = 0.787, P < 0.0001). The accuracy of CRAD was confirmed by the significant correlation with TCD.

A right atrial separation procedure was performed for the ablation of chronic atrial fibrillation in four cases, concomitant with the repair of the atrial septal defect. After the operation, chronic atrial fibrillation disappeared in three of them and left atrial tachycardia occurred in the other one. Left atrial tachycardia is an arrhythmia encountered after a right atrial separation procedure.

An 82-year-old man underwent thoracoabdominal aortic replacement under cardiopulmonary bypass with left femoral artery cannulation. Lumber descending evoked spinal cord potentials and segmental evoked spinal cord potentials were monitored simultaneously for detecting spinal cord damage. When the cardiopulmonary bypass was terminated, a peripheral nerve ischemia pattern was evident. Left peroneal nerve paralysis was present at emergence from anesthesia. This monitoring system revealed that peroneal nerve paralysis can occur due to leg ischemia caused by femoral artery cannulation. This is, to our knowledge, the first report that segmental evoked spinal cord potential monitoring reveals peroneal nerve ischemia during thoracoabdominal surgery.

This report presents a case of occult constrictive pericarditis and mitral valve insufficiency following chest radiotherapy. A 44-year-old man had received radiotherapy for the treatment of Hodgkin's disease 8 years ago. At age 40 years, effusive pericarditis occurred and he was treated with intrapericardial drainage. Biopsy revealed a fibrotic and thickened pericardium. He developed congestive heart failure 3 years later. The patient was found to have occult constrictive pericarditis and mitral valve insufficiency. He underwent mitral valve replacement, tricuspid annul plasty, and pericardiectomy. Although there is the benefit of cure for the Hodgkin's disease, the prognosis after treatment is affected by radiotherapy-induced heart disease. After radiotherapy of the chest and mediastinum, long-term cardiological follow-up is recommended in order to detecting patients with radiation-induced heart disease, such as the present case.

Reconstruction of several intercostal arteries is inevitable in surgical treatment of thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm. A Dacron inverted-Y shaped graft was fashioned by cutting one of two graft legs and making an elliptical patch, like a cobra-head. Once the elliptical patch was sutured to the orifices of the intercostal arteries (usually from T9 to T12) with running sutures, selective intercostal arterial perfusion was initiated. After completion of aneurysmectomy, the distal end of the elliptical patch graft was sutured to the main tube graft. This method is easier and faster and results in a decreased incidence of spinal cord injury.

We have made an eccentric roller type total artificial heart (ERTAH). The ERTAH is a positive-displacement device comparable to a DeBakey roller pump. Its left and right outputs are determined by the size of its blood chambers, and the ratio of its left and right output is almost constant. We focused on an interatrial shunt to achieve left-right balance. We have conducted numerical simulation, a mock test, and an acute animal experiment to analyze left-right heart balance during ERTAH operation. Numerical simulation was performed under conditions in which the flow of the left artificial heart was fixed at 6 L/min, the flow of the right artificial heart was varied from 4.8 to 6 L/min, and the interatrial resistance was also varied. The relationship between the interatrial shunt flow rate and the output of the left and right artificial hearts was balanced when the flow of the right artificial heart was at 5.45 L/min. In a mock test, 2 DeBakey roller pumps were connected to the left and right sides of a Donovan mock circulatory system, and an interatrial shunt was created between the inlet ports of the left and right roller pumps. The interatrial resistance of the mock system was varied from 7.7, to 4.3, and to 2.9 mm Hg x min/L when the inner diameter of the interatrial shunt was 6, 8, and 10 mm, respectively. As in the mock test, 2 roller pumps were used to bypass the right and left hearts of a goat weighing 60 kg. The flow rate of the left heart was almost constant (4.7 L/min). The flow of the right heart was approximately 4.1 L/min when the interatrial shunt flow rate was zero. A leading consideration was that the left to left shunt through the bronchial arteries in this goat was approximately 0.6 L/min. In developing the ERTAH, we considered that creating an interatrial shunt between the inlet ports of the ERTAH as well as making a difference between the chamber volumes might be effective in balancing the left-right sides of the artificial heart.

A 47-year-old man with acute retrograde aortic dissection (Stanford type A) was treated with total aortic arch replacement and endoluminal stent-grafting for an intimal tear in the descending aorta. A stent-graft was introduced into the descending aorta via the transected arch aorta and the entry of the dissecting aneurysm was closed. Open endovascular stent-grafting via the arch aorta is an alternative for repair of acute type A aortic dissection with an intimal tear in the descending aorta, in cases where direct closure of the intimal tear is difficult.

A 67-year-old man with severe discomfort was diagnosed with a rupture of the thoraco-abdominal aneurysm, a distal arch aneurysm and triple coronary artery disease. After emergency surgery for a thoracoabdominal aneurysm, a scheduled surgery for coronary artery bypass grafting and endoluminal stent-grafting for the distal arch aneurysm was performed simultaneously. A stent-graft was introduced into the descending aorta via a small incision on the arch aorta. Open endovascular stent-grafting via the arch aorta is an alternative for repairing a distal arch aneurysm with coronary artery bypass grafting.

Prevention of cardiac and vascular dysfunction with pretreatment has been accepted as an important factor in heart transplantation. Ginsenosides (GS) have been reported to have some beneficial effects on the cardiac and vascular system. We hypothesized that pretreatment with GS would result in an improvement of functional recovery after a 12 hour (hr) rat heart preservation. A Langendorff apparatus was applied to estimate the cardiac and vascular function in an isolated rat heart preparation. The hearts were preserved in University of Wisconsin solution at 0 degree C for 12 hr, after pretreatment with 0.9% sodium chloride or GS 100 mg/kg, respectively, in control (n = 9) and GS (n = 14) groups. After storage, the cardiac function, myocardial water content, and coronary vasodilatory response were evaluated. The GS group showed a significantly higher recovery percentage of cardiac function compared with the control group: aortic flow 81.4 +/- 21.4% versus 57.2 +/- 11.0% (p = 0.0052); coronary flow 81.4 +/- 14.5% versus 57.2 +/- 6.0% (p = 0.0001); +/- dp/dt max 72.5 +/- 16.1% and 66.0 +/- 16.1% versus 53.7 +/- 4.1% and 51.4 +/- 7.1% (p = 0.0027 and p = 0.0189) respectively. The GS group showed a lower increase in myocardial water content. With Langendorff perfusion, the endothelial and vascular smooth-muscle cell function were evaluated by an increasing percentage of coronary flow in response to acetylcholine chloride (0.3 x 10(-7) mol/liter) and nitroglycerin (0.5 x 10(-5) mol/liter). It was significantly higher in the GS group than that in the control group (19.2 +/- 8.8% and 28.0 +/- 14.1% versus 9.9 +/- 4.7% and 14.7 +/- 8.1%, p = 0.008 and p = 0.0187, respectively) at the first minute. These results suggest a protective effect on ventricular and coronary vascular function in the rats pretreated with Ginsenosides, indicating potential benefits for long-term heart preservation.

Focal regular activations were sometimes observed during chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) associated with mitral valve disease. We present a 58 year-old male diagnosed with mitral valvular stenosis and regurgitation with chronic atrial fibrillation. Intraoperative mapping of both atria was performed during mitral valvular surgery. Regular and repetitive activations around the left superior pulmonary vein were observed, in contrast to irregular and chaotic activations of the right atrium. This regular activation was supposed to be the focus of chronic AF. Surgical ablation of the posterior left atrium was successfully performed and eliminated the chronic AF, concomitant with mitral valve replacement.

To examine the significance of complement in discordant cardiac xenograft rejection, morphological changes in the rejection reaction were investigated following administration of FUT-175 (FUT), an anticomplement reagent. Guinea pigs were the cardiac donors, and Wistar rats were the recipients. Four groups of rats were constituted as follows: Group 0 was the control group. FUT of 40 mg/kg was injected intraperitoneally in group I. It was followed by continuous intravenous infusion (20 and 40 mg/kg/hr) in groups II and III. In one series, the effects of FUT on complement suppression was examined. In the FUT groups of rats (groups I to III), the serum levels of CH50 and ACH50 were measured at 0, 1, 2 and 4 hr following injection of FUT. In the second series of rats with identical treatments, the graft heart beating time following cardiac transplantation was measured. Cardiac transplantation into untreated rats was also performed as a control (group 0). In another series, the graft hearts in the FUT groups were extracted after 15, 30, 60 and 90 min of coronary reperfusion for morphological examination with scanning electron microscopy. The complement levels decreased significantly in the FUT-treated rats in a dose-dependent manner. Although the graft heart beating times in the FUT-treated groups were significantly longer than in group 0 (103, 106, and 112 min versus 14.7 min, p < 0.01), there was no significant difference in the graft heart beating time or in the morphological changes among the three FUT groups. Our results suggest the presence of factors other than complements contribute to the cardiac xenograft rejection.