The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · May 1985
Cardiovascular and thoracic battle injuries in the Lebanon War. Analysis of 3,000 personal cases.
This report comprises 3,000 casualties of the Lebanon War whom I operated upon for cardiovascular-thoracic injuries in twelve Lebanese hospitals between January, 1969, and July, 1982. These patients were studied retrospectively through 1978 and prospectively thereafter. The logistics, weapons, wounds, and operative results in this study were unique. ⋯ The mortality for injury to the aorta was 60% (12 deaths), contrasted with 1% (three deaths) for injury to extremity vessels. Hemorrhage and cardiac rupture were the most frequent causes of death. Early, proficient, open surgical control after or concomitant with intensive resuscitation proved successful in this special military conflict.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Mar 1985
Comparative StudyIn vivo hemodynamic comparison of porcine and pericardial valves.
The bovine pericardial valve and the SupraAnnular valve have been developed to improve the hemodynamic function of tissue valves. Hemodynamic performances of the standard Carpentier-Edwards porcine valve, the Carpentier-Edwards SupraAnnular valve, and the Carpentier-Edwards bovine pericardial valve were compared in the aortic position. One hundred patients undergoing aortic valve replacement were studied intraoperatively. ⋯ At the same flow rate, the 23 mm pericardial valve had larger valve orifice areas, higher performance indices, and lower gradients than the 23 mm SupraAnnular valve. The SupraAnnular valve is hemodynamically superior to the standard Carpentier-Edwards porcine bioprosthesis. The Carpentier-Edwards pericardial valve, however, is less obstructive in the aortic position than either of the porcine valves.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 1985
Indications for ultrafiltration in the cardiac surgical patient.
Ultrafiltration is an extracorporeal technique that employs the principle of convective solute transport across a semipermeable membrane and by which plasma water is removed from blood. Ultrafiltration has been employed in 74 cardiac surgical patients intraoperatively, preoperatively, and postoperatively. In 55 patients with clinical evidence of excess body water, the ultrafilter was employed at the start of cardiopulmonary bypass. ⋯ One patient underwent slow continuous ultrafiltration for severe, diuretic-resistant congestive heart failure postoperatively. After 9 days of ultrafiltration, there was an 8 kg weight loss, an improvement in congestive heart failure, and a return of the response to diuretics. From this experience my colleagues and I have developed the following indications for ultrafiltration in the cardiac surgical patient: during cardiopulmonary bypass to prevent further fluid accumulation in the patient with clinical evidence of excess body water; during bypass to prevent excess fluid balance in a patient whose bypass time will be greater than 2 hours; during bypass when the pump reservoir volumes are excessive and/or the hematocrit is less than 18%; preoperatively or postoperatively to increase caloric intake in the fluid-overloaded patient; and preoperatively or postoperatively to reverse severe congestive heart failure in the diuretic-resistant patient.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 1985
The surgical treatment of atrial myxomas. Clinical experience and late results in 33 patients.
Thirty-three patients (28 female and five male) from 17 to 70 years of age (mean age 48 years) underwent excision of left atrial myxomas between 1957 and 1981 at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Twenty-four patients presented with congestive heart failure, three with tachyarrhythmias, two with syncope, and one each with angina, peripheral embolization, hemoptysis, and recurrent pleural effusions. Symptoms were present from 1 to 72 months before operation (mean 11.2 months). ⋯ Altogether, 24 patients have been studied by two-dimensional echocardiography up to 20 years after operation (mean 4.0 years). In this series, excellent results were obtained by simple excision of the tumor, with or without a margin of normal atrial septum. Long-term clinical and echocardiographic follow-up is recommended since late recurrence, although rare, has been reported.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 1985
Modified Blalock-Taussig shunt in infants and young children. Clinical and catheterization assessment.
The effectiveness of 19 modified Blalock-Taussig shunts performed with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene was evaluated clinically and by cardiac catheterization with angiography 4 to 24 months after operation. Fifteen patients underwent operation in infancy. Conduit diameters included 4 mm (nine cases), 5 mm (eight cases), and 6 mm (two cases) sizes. ⋯ There were no deaths. Thirteen children underwent more complete elective cardiac repair 5 to 24 months later. Although the modified Blalock-Taussig procedure is an effective short-term alternative to the classic Blalock-Taussig shunt, the effectiveness of the 4 mm diameter conduit may be limited without postoperative anticoagulant therapy.