The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Apr 1987
An evaluation of operative outcome in patients with funnel chest diagnosed by means of the computed tomogram.
A questionnaire survey of 66 patients with funnel chest who underwent corrective surgical procedures by the sternal elevation method, with or without the application of metal strut, demonstrated that the operative result was good in 60.6% and fair in 39.4%. None of the patients rated the result as unsatisfactory. A computed tomogram of the chest wall was performed to study the depression (b/c), asymmetry (b'/b), and flatness (a/b) of the chest wall, where a was the maximum transverse distance of the chest wall, b and b' were the maximum distance from the anterior to the posterior chest wall at the left and right sides (b greater than b'), and c was the perpendicular distance from the point of the anterior chest wall at its greatest deformity to the level of the anterior tip of the spine. ⋯ Moreover, 85.7% of the patients (6/7) with b/c over 3.0 before operation had a fair postoperative result. The degree of a/b was not corrected in patients with either good or fair postoperative results. We conclude that an operative approach to lengthen ribs would be necessary to improve the degree of a/b, that in patients with severely depressed funnel chest, expressed as a b/c value over 3.0 by computed tomography, a transient support with struts should be applied, and finally, that a more careful approach for correction of asymmetry should be undertaken to improve the operative results.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Mar 1987
Repair of ascending aortic dissection. Influence of associated aortic valve insufficiency on early and late results.
Operative treatment of dissections of the ascending aorta differs from that for the descending aorta, not only because of the need for cardiopulmonary bypass, but also because of the frequent occurrence of aortic valve insufficiency. To determine the early and late results of operative repair, we have reviewed the case histories of 121 consecutive patients who underwent repair of ascending aortic dissections between 1962 and 1985. Ages ranged from 16 to 79 years (mean 56 +/- 14 years); 54 patients had operation within 2 weeks of onset of symptoms (acute), and the remainder had later repair (chronic). ⋯ Eight patients undergoing aortic valve replacement had complications of their prostheses, including one periprosthetic leak and four mechanical failures. We conclude that resuspension or replacement of the aortic valve does not increase the risk of repair of ascending aortic dissections. Selective management of aortic insufficiency (with valve repair whenever possible) yields satisfactory long-term results.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 1987
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for respiratory and cardiac failure in infants and children.
Fifty-three neonates and seven pediatric patients were treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation from September 1983 until April 1986. Venoarterial bypass was achieved by cannulating the right atrium via the right internal jugular vein and the aortic arch via the right common carotid artery. In the neonatal group, 40 infants with acute respiratory failure were treated, and 36 (90%) survived. ⋯ It has also been useful in the support of infants with congenital heart disease and congenital diaphragmatic hernia. In pediatric patients one cannot expect to get results that are comparable to those found in neonates. Still, this modality can be useful in salvaging some moribund patients with pulmonary or cardiac failure, or both.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 1987
Influence of operations with cardiopulmonary bypass on polymorphonuclear leukocyte function in infants.
To determine the effect of operations with cardiopulmonary bypass on the immunologic function of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in infants, we studied polymorphonuclear leukocyte function and immunologic profile in 16 infants undergoing repair of congenital heart lesions. An oxygen/air/high-dose fentanyl anesthetic was used for all patients. Absolute neutrophil count increased significantly (p less than 0.05) after bypass and remained increased 48 hours afterward. ⋯ Serum opsonizing capacity to bacterial and fungal antigens was variably altered, and complement factors 3 and 4 decreased significantly after cardiopulmonary bypass. Total hemolytic complement decreased significantly immediately after cardiopulmonary bypass and returned to normal by 48 hours. These data suggest that operations with cardiopulmonary bypass in infants significantly affect the immunologic function of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and result in consumption of complement.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Jan 1987
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for postoperative cardiac support in children.
Prolonged circulatory support for cardiac failure has been increasingly successful in adults but has had very limited use in children. From January 1982 to December 1985, 13 children with postoperative cardiac failure refractory to conventional therapy were treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Ages ranged from 9 days to 17.6 years (mean = 3.8 years); weights ranged from 2.8 to 50 kg (mean = 13.8 kg). ⋯ There has been one late death 6 months after oxygenator support was withdrawn. At most recent examination, five children were well, with normal cardiac function 7 months to 4.3 years postoperatively (mean = 32 months). This series suggests that profound cardiac insufficiency in children after cardiac operations can be successfully managed with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation with excellent functional recovery, although major complications are common in this critically ill group of patients.