Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery
-
Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Jun 2009
Case ReportsTension pneumocephalus complicating Pancoast tumor resection.
A case of tension pneumocephalus following Pancoast tumor resection is presented. Conservative management was successful. The presenting symptoms and signs, diagnostic methods and options for treatment are discussed and reviewed.
-
Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Jun 2009
Comparative StudyCardiac output by arterial pulse contour: reliability under hemodynamic derangements.
Pulse contour methods (PCM) for the measurements of cardiac output (CO) are gaining popularity in intensive care settings but their reliability during hemodynamic instability has been questioned. Pressure-recording-analytical-method (PRAM) is a newly developed uncalibrated hemodynamic monitor and its capability in measuring CO during hemodynamic instability is still under investigation. Dobutamine (2.5 and 5 microg/kg/min), vasoconstriction (arginine-vasopressin 4, 8 and 16 IU/h), hemorrhage (-10%, -20%, -35%, and -50% of the theoretical volemia), and volume resuscitation were induced in eight swine. ⋯ CO(TEE): r(2)=0.38, bias=0.4 l/min, precision=+/-1.42 l/min, limits of agreement=-0.99+1.79 l/min, and percentage error=62%. PRAM resulted to be accurate in measuring CO during hemodynamic stability, tachycardia, and vasoconstriction. When volemia was reduced by >35%, disagreement between methods was observed.
-
Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Jun 2009
Comparative StudyClinical and hemodynamic factors associated with the outcome of early extubation attempts after right heart bypass surgery.
Fast-track anesthesia with early extubation (EE) is playing an increasingly important role in pediatric cardiac surgery. We examined the pre- and intra-operative factors contributing to successful EE, and outcomes after right heart bypass surgery (RHB). We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 71 consecutive children (median age=14 months) admitted over a 4-year period to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of our university-based hospital, after RHB. ⋯ EE was correlated with fewer postoperative respiratory complications (OR: 0.09; 95% CI, 0.02-0.57; P=0.01) and shorter stay in the PICU (OR: 0.88; 95% CI, 0.76-1.03; P=0.12). Our data suggest that EE after RHB could be facilitated in patients with a preserved cardiac function and lower pulmonary vascular resistance. EE could be followed by fewer postoperative pulmonary complications.
-
Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Jun 2009
Clinical application of an ultrasonic scalpel to divide pulmonary vessels based on laboratory evidence.
The Harmonic Ace ultrasonic scalpel (Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc, Cincinnati, Ohio), has been widely used in endoscopic surgery to divide systemic vessels, but not pulmonary vessels. We describe our initial clinical experience of using it for pulmonary vessel division. The Harmonic Ace was used to divide pulmonary vessels 5 mm or less in diameter, secured with a proximal single ligation, in 20 patients who underwent video-assisted major lung resection between September 2007 and April 2008. ⋯ There was no postoperative bleeding. In the pig model, the bursting pressure of sealed pulmonary arteries (PA) was >75 mmHg. Pulmonary vessels can be safely divided using the Harmonic Ace with proximal single ligation unless multiple or large pulmonary vessels are held within the blade jaw.