Asian cardiovascular & thoracic annals
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Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann · Aug 2008
Case ReportsRetrieval of broken paravertebral catheter by video-assisted thoracic surgery.
A paravertebral catheter was placed in a 34-year-old man to provide analgesia after a right upper lobectomy. On removal, the catheter broke within the chest wall. Although bedside exploration and computed tomography scanning failed to locate it, the 13-cm long retained fragment was easily retrieved by video-assisted thoracic surgery, using a single-port technique.
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Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann · Jun 2008
ReviewCardioprotection with volatile anesthetics in cardiac surgery.
Myocardial ischemia during the perioperative period is a major cause of morbidity and mortality after surgery. Experimental data indicate that clinical concentrations of volatile anesthetics protect the myocardium from ischemia and reperfusion injury, as shown by decreased infarct size and more rapid postoperative recovery of contractile function. ⋯ Implementation of such cardioprotection during surgery may provide an additional tool in the treatment and prevention of ischemic cardiac dysfunction in the perioperative period. This review discusses the clinical studies that have focused on the potential cardioprotective effects of volatile anesthetic agents.
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Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann · Apr 2008
ReviewCurrent status of off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery.
The expanding indications for angioplasty coupled with the successful short and mid-term results of randomized controlled trials of drug-eluting stents have already had an unquestionable impact on the practice of coronary revascularization operations. However, coronary artery bypass grafting remains a major mode of therapy for coronary artery disease. ⋯ Concerns regarding morbidity associated with conventional surgical myocardial revascularization on cardiopulmonary bypass have led to a resurgence of interest in off-pump bypass surgery during the last decade, with the expectation that it would be safer if cardiopulmonary bypass could be avoided. This review summarizes the impact of off-pump bypass surgery in reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with conventional coronary artery bypass on cardiopulmonary bypass by evaluating the current best-available evidence from randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses comparing off-pump surgery with conventional bypass grafting.
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Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann · Apr 2008
Comparative StudyCardiac troponin I vs EuroSCORE: myocardial infarction and hospital mortality.
Perioperative myocardial infarction is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in cardiac surgery. It occurs in 8% to 35% of patients. The primary aim of this prospective study was to determine the level of cardiac troponin I that indicates perioperative myocardial infarction in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass. ⋯ Values of cardiac troponin I > 12.9 ng.mL(-1) at 8 hours postoperatively predicted perioperative myocardial infarction with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 93.2%. Compared to patients who survived, those who suffered hospital death were significantly older (74 +/- 7 vs 63 +/- 10 years), had significantly higher levels of cardiac troponin I at 24 hours (9 +/- 17 vs 27.3 +/- 16 ng.mL(-1)) and 48 hours (6.9 +/- 19 vs 30.3 +/- 24 ng.mL(-1)) postoperatively, and a significantly higher EuroSCORE (9 +/- 2 vs 4 +/- 3). At 8 hours postoperatively, cardiac troponin I led to an earlier diagnosis of perioperative myocardial infarction, while EuroSCORE was the strongest independent predictor of hospital death.
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Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann · Apr 2008
Management of malignant pleural effusion associated with trapped lung syndrome.
Management of recurrent malignant pleural effusion associated with trapped lung syndrome remains problematic. An alternative treatment using a pleural catheter has been advocated. Between August 1999 and August 2002, 127 patients underwent thoracoscopy for malignant pleural effusion. ⋯ Mean length of hospital stay was 3 days (range, 1-16 days). Median survival was 126 days (range, 10-175 days). We conclude that long-term placement of a pleural catheter provides effective palliation for malignant pleural effusion associated with trapped lung syndrome.