The Annals of thoracic surgery
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Comparative Study
Midterm ventricular performance after Norwood procedure with right ventricular-pulmonary artery conduit.
Midterm and long-term results of patients who underwent a Norwood procedure with a right ventricular-pulmonary artery conduit remain unclear. This study aimed to compare the midterm ventricular performance of the Norwood procedure with right ventricular-pulmonary artery conduit and the Norwood procedure with systemic-pulmonary shunt. ⋯ The midterm ventricular performance of the right ventricular-pulmonary artery conduit group was comparable with the systemic-pulmonary shunt group in terms of ventricular efficiency. However, after bidirectional Glenn procedure and total cavopulmonary connection, contractility in patients who underwent a Norwood procedure with a right ventricular-pulmonary artery conduit was inferior to that of patients who underwent a Norwood procedure with a systemic-pulmonary shunt.
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Despite significant improvement in survival after stage 1 Norwood, interim mortality before the second-stage operation remains significant. On the basis of reports of improved circulatory stability associated with the use of a right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit, the difference between two physiologically different sources of pulmonary blood flow on interim mortality was investigated. ⋯ The use of a right ventricle to pulmonary artery shunt decreases the incidence of interim mortality among hospital survivors after stage 1 Norwood for hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Aortic atresia, the use of a modified Blalock-Taussig shunt, and perioperative dysrhythmias are independently associated with a higher mortality before superior cavopulmonary connection.
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For lobectomy patients at considerable risk of developing a postoperative bronchopleural fistula, the bronchial stump reinforcement with an intercostal muscle flap is sometimes performed. This procedure usually requires a standard thoracotomy, even if video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is better for the patient. ⋯ No postoperative complications were observed. This procedure is applicable to patients who are candidates for VATS lobectomy.
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A 68-year-old woman with concentric left ventricular hypertrophy, prosthetic valve endocarditis with aortic root abscess, and sepsis had aortic root replacement with an aortic allograft. On weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass, she had hemodynamic instability caused by systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve, which resulted in a left ventricular outflow tract obstruction; the peak pressure gradient across the left ventricular outflow tract was 130 mm Hg, and there was moderately severe (3+) mitral regurgitation. After reinstitution of cardiopulmonary bypass, a central Alfieri edge-to-edge stitch was placed between the anterior and posterior leaflets of the mitral valve. This reduced the gradient across the left ventricular outflow tract to 10 mm Hg and eliminated the mitral regurgitation, which enabled successful separation from cardiopulmonary bypass.
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Renal dysfunction is a predictor of increased morbidity and mortality after coronary artery bypass grafting, whether it is dialysis-dependent or not. Several studies have shown the efficacy of off-pump technique in reducing morbidity and mortality in patients with renal dysfunction. However, the actual effect of renal dysfunction in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting has not been well understood. ⋯ Early outcomes of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with renal dysfunction were comparable to those in patients with normal renal function. Renal dysfunction is not a predictor of poor early outcomes after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.