The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Jan 1987
Prosthetic heart valve replacement in children. Results and follow-up of 273 patients.
We report the results and long-term follow up in 273 children (aged 2 to 16 years) who underwent prosthetic valve replacement. Mechanical valves (mostly Starr-Edwards) were used in almost all, and in 62 children more than one valve was replaced. Operative mortality was 4.7%. ⋯ Thus valve replacement can be performed with low mortality in children, and with satisfactory long-term survival. Thromboembolism remains a significant problem, although it appears to be less common than in adults. In this study, treatment with antiplatelet drugs only did not carry a higher rate of thromboembolic events than did treatment with warfarin.
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The records of 165 patients with diaphragmatic injuries seen at Detroit Receiving Hospital from July 1980 through June 1985 were reviewed. Causes included gunshot wounds in 89 patients, stab wounds in 65, and blunt trauma in 11. Mortality rates were 18%, 5%, and 27%, respectively, deaths being caused primarily by bleeding from associated injuries. ⋯ However, even in these high-risk patients, if resuscitation raised the initial operating room blood pressure to more than 70 mm Hg, reduced the shock time to less than 30 minutes, and kept blood loss below 10 units, the mortality was only 8% (1/12). In contrast, if none of these conditions could be met, the mortality in this high-risk group was 100% (16/16). Thus more aggressive resuscitative efforts and earlier control of bleeding seem to provide the best chance for improved survival.
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Between 1953 and 1984, 53 patients (40 male and 13 female) underwent thoracotomy for treatment of pulmonary aspergilloma. The median age was 58 years (range 4 to 86 years). Either underlying lung disease or immunologic risk factors were present in 49 patients (92%). ⋯ Although operative mortality in patients with complex aspergilloma was high, 67% of the survivors had a good long-term result in terms of absence of symptoms, but they frequently died of underlying disease. In contrast, operation in patients with simple aspergilloma was done with low risk, and approximately 90% of survivors had a good late result. Late appearance of contralateral disease did occur and argues for rigorous postoperative surveillance.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Oct 1986
Resection of thoracic and abdominal teratoma in patients after cisplatin-based chemotherapy for germ cell tumor. Late results.
Fifty-one patients with primary testicular (N = 46) or mediastinal germ cell cancer (N = 5) were treated from April, 1975, through May, 1981, and had teratoma resected from residual disease after cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy. All patients had normal serum markers before resection of pulmonary (N = 12), mediastinal (N = 5), thoracoabdominal (N = 8), supraclavicular (N = 1) or abdominal disease (N = 25). Teratoma was classified as mature teratoma (N = 29), immature teratoma (N = 15), or immature teratoma with non-germ cell elements (N = 7). ⋯ According to a multivariate analysis, primary tumor site at the mediastinum is the most significant adverse factor predictive for both relapse and survival (two of five patients survived). This study appears to support the various preclinical models that demonstrate multipotential capabilities of teratoma. Complete surgical excision of teratoma remains the most effective treatment with continued close follow-up recommended for high-risk patients (immature teratoma with non-germ cell elements, large tumor burden, or primary mediastinal tumors.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Oct 1986
Eleven-year experience with composite graft replacement of the ascending aorta and aortic valve.
Between September, 1974, and December, 1985, 127 patients had replacement of the ascending aorta and aortic valve with a composite graft. Annuloaortic ectasia was the most common indication for operation (69 patients), followed by aortic dissection (51 patients). Twenty-four patients (19%) had the Marfan syndrome. ⋯ The actuarial survival rate at 7 years for the entire group was 65%; for the patients with annuloaortic ectasia, 70%; for those with aortic dissection, 61%; for the patients with the Marfan syndrome, 57%. Actuarial freedom from operation on the remainder of the aorta at 7 years was 89%, but it was 78% for the subgroup with the Marfan syndrome. The satisfactory results with extended follow-up support the continued use of the composite graft technique as the preferred method of treatment for patients with annuloaortic ectasia or recurrent aneurysms of the sinuses of Valsalva and for patients with aortic dissection who require aortic valve replacement.