The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Mar 1994
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyComplications of neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Collective experience from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization.
Since 1973, 7667 neonates have been treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for severe respiratory failure and their cases reported to the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization Registry. The overall survival was 81% in these neonates, who were thought to have a survival of 20% without extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. A total of 4322 mechanical complications (0.56 +/- 0.84 per case) and 13,827 patient complications (1.80 +/- 2.12 per case) were reported overall. ⋯ The incidence and survival with seizures (6% and 89% venovenous versus 13% and 61% venoarterial) or cerebral infarction (9% and 69% venovenous versus 14% and 46% venoarterial) was significantly lower with the venovenous method and appeared to have a substantial impact on overall survival. The correlation of patient complication rate and total complication rate with survival was highly significant, however, causality cannot be established. Explanations for the increase in complications, relative to a decrease in survival, despite a growing nationwide experience include (1) increased complexity of cases as many programs expand entry criteria (more premature infants, infants with grade 1 or 2 intracranial hemorrhage, and complex congenital diaphragmatic hernia), (2) a growing number of programs with fewer cases per program, yet greater accessibility, (3) less reluctance to report complications encountered during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as group experience grows, and (4) changes in the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization data form to be more inclusive of more minor complications.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Mar 1994
Lobectomy by video-assisted thoracic surgery with mediastinal node sampling for lung cancer.
This study was undertaken to determine whether a complete lung cancer operation can be done by video-assisted thoracic surgery and to evaluate the postoperative course. Forty-five patients (44 to 82 years of age) with clinical stage 1 lung cancer underwent video-assisted thoracic surgery for lobectomy or pneumonectomy with mediastinal lymph node sampling or dissection. ⋯ Six patients stayed in the hospital for more than 7 days for pneumonia (n = 1), air leak (n = 3), or serous drainage (n = 2). Five of the seven patients who were 80 to 82 years of age were discharged by the fourth postoperative day.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Mar 1994
The effects of dynamic cardiac compression on ventricular mechanics and energetics. Role of ventricular size and contractility.
The purpose of this study was to determine the role of ventricular size or contractility in the effectiveness of dynamic cardiac compression in terms of the pressure-volume relationship and myocardial oxygen consumption. In 10 isolated cross-circulated dog hearts, the ventricle was directly compressed during systole. For the volume run, measurements for slope of the end-systolic pressure-volume relation, pressure-volume area, external work, coronary blood flow, and myocardial oxygen consumption were achieved before and during a fixed amount of dynamic cardiac compression. ⋯ Despite the significant differences in the native left ventricular contractility, the increases in slope of the end-systolic pressure-volume relation, pressure-volume area, and external work did not differ among the three groups. We conclude that dynamic cardiac compression enhances left ventricular systolic function independent of ventricular contractility and without affecting coronary blood flow or myocardial oxygen consumption. Mechanical enhancement is more effective in the dilated heart.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Mar 1994
Multicenter StudyLong-term outcome of myocardial revascularization in patients with Kawasaki coronary artery disease. A multicenter cooperative study.
The long-term outcome of myocardial revascularization by coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with severe coronary obstruction caused by Kawasaki disease is largely unknown. A multicenter follow-up study was performed in 1991. A total of 168 patients with Kawasaki disease (127 male [75.6%] and 41 female patients [24.4%]) who had undergone coronary bypass grafting were enrolled. ⋯ Late death was strongly related to the absence of an internal thoracic artery graft (p < 0.003) and to the age at the time of operation (p < 0.05). The actuarial patency rate was significantly higher for arterial grafts (77.1% +/- 1.1%, n = 151) than for vein grafts (46.2% +/- 6.3%, n = 126) 85 months after the operation (p < 0.003). Arterial grafts were used for the non-left anterior descending coronary arteries in only 41 of 155 grafts (26.5%); in contrast, vein grafts were used in 85 of 133 grafts (63.9%) (p < 0.005 to 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Mar 1994
Comparative StudyInfluence of arterial coronary bypass grafts on the mortality in coronary reoperations.
From 1988 through 1991, 1663 patients underwent a first reoperation for isolated coronary bypass grafting with 62 (3.7%) in-hospital deaths. At the primary operation, 575 patients had received at least one internal thoracic artery graft and 489 patients had at least one patent internal thoracic artery graft present at the time of reoperation. At reoperation, 1014 patients received at least one internal thoracic artery graft, 10 received an inferior epigastric graft, and 37 received a gastroepiploic graft. ⋯ Furthermore, the presence of an atherosclerotic vein graft to the left anterior descending coronary artery a factor shown to increase in-hospital risk in previous studies did not increase risk during these years. We attribute the observation that patent internal thoracic artery and atherosclerotic vein grafts do not appear to be factors specifically increasing the risk of reoperation to the use of retrograde cardioplegic solution and increased surgical experience. The use of internal thoracic artery grafts at a primary operation does not increase the risk of a reoperation, and the use of internal thoracic artery grafts at reoperation does not increase in-hospital morbidity or mortality.