The Annals of thoracic surgery
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Glucose-insulin-potassium infusion for myocardial protection during off-pump coronary artery surgery.
The purpose of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study was to determine the effectiveness of an intravenous glucose-insulin-potassium (GIK) infusion in preventing myocardial damage and maintaining cardiac performance in patients undergoing "off-pump" myocardial revascularization. ⋯ A GIK infusion protocol commonly used as an adjunct to reperfusion therapy for acute myocardial infarction causes insulin-resistant hyperglycemia in elective off-pump coronary artery bypass patients with no demonstrable benefit. The finding of significant release of cardio-specific enzymes in individual patients implies an ongoing need to develop more effective strategies for myocardial protection during off-pump coronary artery bypass.
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Multicenter Study
Elimination of cardiopulmonary bypass improves early survival for multivessel coronary artery bypass patients.
Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery performed without cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is currently increasing in clinical practice. Decreased morbidity associated with off-pump (OP) CABG in selected risk groups examined in relatively small, single institution groups has been the focus of most recent studies. The purpose of this study was to determine the independent impact of CPB on early survival in all isolated multivessel CABG patients undergoing surgery in two large institutions with established experience in OPCABG techniques. ⋯ Elimination of CPB improves early survival in multivessel CABG patients. Rigorous attempts to statistically account for selection bias maintained a clear association between CPB and increased mortality. Larger multiinstitutional studies are needed to confirm these findings and determine the most appropriate application of OPCABG.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Improved patency in vein grafts harvested with surrounding tissue: results of a randomized study using three harvesting techniques.
The technique of harvesting the saphenous vein for coronary artery bypass grafting influences the fate of vein grafts. The patency rate of a novel "no-touch" technique in which the vein is harvested with a pedicle of surrounding tissue and not distended was compared with two other techniques. ⋯ We conclude that preservation of the surrounding tissue of the saphenous vein using this no-touch technique abolishes venospasm intraoperatively and plays an important role in maintaining vein graft function and patency.
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Review Case Reports
Delayed cardiac tamponade after coronary artery laceration.
Delayed cardiac tamponade after laceration of a coronary artery is unusual and uncommonly reported in the literature. We describe a patient in whom this potentially fatal complication developed 8 days after a stab wound to his chest. In our review of the English language literature we identified only one other report of delayed tamponade after coronary artery laceration.
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Postoperative cognitive dysfunction after cardiac surgery has been attributed both to embolic events and periods with reduced cerebral perfusion. We investigated whether cognitive dysfunction after coronary surgery is associated with changes in regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) using single photon emission computed tomography. ⋯ The significant decrease in CBF after coronary surgery was uniformly distributed and was not correlated to postoperative cognitive dysfunction.