The Annals of thoracic surgery
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The public's and surgeons' perception of minimally invasive operations are frequently at odds. Nevertheless, real or perceived benefits may result from limiting skin and skeletal trauma. ⋯ On the basis of this initial experience, we attempt all congenital cardiac and isolated adult valve operations through ministernotomy.
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Comparative Study
Mechanisms of cardiomyoplasty: comparative effects of adynamic versus dynamic cardiomyoplasty.
The apparent paradox seen in patients who have undergone dynamic cardiomyoplasty and shown substantial clinical and functional improvements with only modest hemodynamic changes may be due to inappropriate end points chosen for study, a result of incomplete understanding of mechanisms involved. The purpose of this study was to compare the relative role of the passive "girdling effect" and the dynamic "systolic squeezing effect" of the wrapped muscle in cardiomyoplasty. ⋯ By reducing myocardial stress, both the passive girdling effect and the dynamic systolic squeezing effect have complementary roles in the mechanisms of dynamic cardiomyoplasty.
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Bleeding remains a complication of certain complex surgical procedures, particularly those cardiac operations associated with long bypass times and profound hypothermia. Clinical and novel experimental strategies to reduce bleeding and the need for blood and blood-product transfusions are the focus of this review. Preoperative assessment of the patient will identify drug-induced, acquired, or inherited coagulation defects that may contribute to this problem. ⋯ Finally, modern molecular biology has led to the recent development of an inhibitor for factor IXa that competitively replaced IXa in the intrinsic complex and blocked the conversion of factor X to factor Xa. This compound is under investigation in animal studies. These have so far shown efficacy in reducing blood loss after bypass in comparison with standard heparin anticoagulation.
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Comparative Study
Impact of ultrafiltration on blood use for atrial septal defect closure in infants and children.
Infants and children undergoing open cardiac operations have a high incidence of blood product transfusion. Ultrafiltration has been shown to reverse hemodilution and improve myocardial function and hemodynamics after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). ⋯ Elective atrial septal defect repair was performed with no blood product transfusion without increased morbidity or hospital stay. Ultrafiltration can be used to reverse hemodilution resulting from a bloodless CPB prime without an increase in hospital charge.
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We used transmyocardial laser revascularization to treat accelerated cardiac allograft atherosclerosis in 2 patients. One patient received transmyocardial laser revascularization as sole therapy, the other as an adjunct to coronary artery bypass grafting. The systolic function improved in both patients, although the patient who had adjunctive transmyocardial laser revascularization died of systemic infection and renal failure on postoperative day 55. ⋯ We discuss 4 other patients who received transmyocardial laser revascularization treatment elsewhere in the United States. Transmyocardial laser revascularization has the potential to become important in the treatment of transplant atherosclerosis. Randomized clinical trials are warranted to assess the efficacy of transmyocardial laser revascularization in this setting.