Aortic Cannulation Research Articles

Humanoids for teaching and training coronary artery bypass surgery to the next generation of cardiac surgeons.

OBJECTIVESTechnical skills are an essential component of cardiac surgery, and the operating room is becoming an even more challenging environment for trainees who want to acquire such skills. Simulation, which partially overcomes this limitation, represents a valid adjunct to surgical education. We describe an original simulator and provide results in terms of trainees’ evaluations and ratings.METHODSWe used a humanoid that is a silicone replica of the chest of an adult human that provides a complete anatomical platform for hands-on skin-to-skin practice of surgical techniques in arrested heart coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery cases. Learners were residents in cardiac surgery. The teaching sessions included 2 full three-vessel CABG procedures using both mammary arteries and a hydrogel vein. Five board-certified cardiovascular surgeons scored the surgical activity of all trainees. The trainees were asked to complete an exit questionnaire to evaluate their course.RESULTSOverall, 16 residents participated in the simulation, including 5 women and 11 men, with a mean age of 30 ± 4 years, all of whom had at least 2 years of cardiac surgery training. All participants completed the 2 CABG operations. Three mammary arteries (4.6%) were seriously damaged during harvesting. In 1 case (3.1%), an aortic tear occurred during aortic cannulation. Each trainee performed overall 6 distal and 2 proximal coronary anastomoses. All participants agreed that the ‘humanoid reproduces real-life situations, the feeling is realistic, and they are now more confident in performing coronary anastomosis’.CONCLUSIONSTrainees involved in this simulation curriculum acquired and refined technical skills that could be applied directly to human patients. In addition, we were able to foster a higher level of teamwork within the operating room team.

Hemiarch replacement with aortic root preservation for acute type A aortic dissection

: Acute Type A aortic dissection (TAAD) is a surgical emergency requiring expeditious management. The surgical principles involve restoration of true lumen blood flow with obliteration of the primary tear thereby mitigating malperfusion and restoring valvular competency. At our institution 60% of TAAD patients are treated with a hemiarch and the other 40% are treated with a total arch replacement (TAR). All cases employ the use of cerebral protection. For hemiarch replacement, retrograde cerebral perfusion (RCP), via the superior vena cava (SVC), is utilized. Antegrade cerebral perfusion is utilized via brachiocephalic vessels during a TAR. Electroencephalogram (EEG) and somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) are used for neurocerebral monitoring with the aim of electrical silence before circulatory arrest. Key radiographic and clinical findings are used to adjudicate between these two procedures pre and intraoperatively. Patients with any of the following undergo a TAR at our institution: (I) aortic arch aneurysm, (II) primary or re-entry tear in the aortic arch or proximal descending aorta, (III) circumferential dissection of the aortic arch, or (IV) carotid body dissection or thrombosis. Irrespective of the procedure chosen, central aortic cannulation is routinely performed via modified Seldinger technique with transesophageal echocardiography guidance. The proximal aorta is addressed while the patient is systemically cooled to hypothermia. All effort is made to retain the native aortic root and valve where possible. However, in cases where the aortic root is dilated or has a tear, a valve sparing root replacement or a modified Bentall is performed. The operative strategy for a TAAD at our institution is predicated on a tear-based paradigm. However, the extent of aortic reconstruction may be different based on surgeon and center experience.

THE ANESTHETIC MANAGEMENT OF EXTENSIVE AORTIC THORACIC ANEURYSM REPAIR WITH CLAMSHELL INCISION

Introduction Surgical repair of extensive thoracic aorta disease represents an interesting challenge, both surgical and anesthetic. We describe the surgical repair of an acute aortic dissection beginning in the aortic arch in relation with aortic coartation and a post coartation aneurism, and the aspects related to planning, management and perioperative care. The clamshell incision is associated with respiratory complications, bleeding and post-operative severe pain. Interruption of spinal cord blood supply is one of the causes of spinal cord injury after thoracic aortic aneurism repair. Aortic arch surgery requiring circulatory arrest bears significant risk of brain injury. Methods Descending aorta cannulation and perfusion, preservation of its posterior wall, lumbar paravertebral NIRS and femoral arterial invasive pressure monitoring were used as spinal cord protective strategies. Cerebral antegrade perfusion, initially unilateral and then bilateral, with BIS and cerebral NIRS monitoring were the key components of the cerebral protection strategy. A bilateral erector spinae plane block (BESPB) was performed to allow good pain control in the postoperative period, early extubation and rehabilitation. Intravenous antifibrinolytic, goal directed transfusion therapy and maintaining a coagulation friendly environment were the mainstays of the non-surgical hemostasis strategy. Results The patient was successfully extubated in the operating room presenting no neurological deficits. The surgical drains were removed on the fifth day; on the following day it was necessary to surgically remove part of the left thoracic drain, under combined anesthesia with the ipsilateral ESPB catheter. The remaining postoperative period was uneventful and the patient was discharged home in the 10th postoperative day. Discussion No subarachnoid catheter was placed (to drain cerebrospinal fluid to protect the spinal cord from ischemia), after discussing it in advance with the surgical team, given the risks associated with it and the protective strategy to be adopted: direct perfusion of the descending aorta, preservation of its posterior wall, lumbar paravertebral NIRS ant femoral arterial invasive pressure monitoring., in the intraoperative period, on table extubation and direct neurological monitoring, together with adequate systemic arterial pressures, in the immediate postoperative period. Good pain control with BESPB and on table extubation allowed for early rehabilitation

Antegrade Perfusion for Mini-Thoracotomy Mitral Valve Surgery in Patients with Atherosclerotic Burden

The relationship between retrograde arterial perfusion and stroke in patients with peripheral vascular disease has been widely documented. Antegrade arterial perfusion has been favoured as an alternative approach in less invasive mitral valve (MV) operations. We aimed to analyse our experience in patients with peripheral arterial disease undergoing MV surgery through a right mini-thoracotomy adopting antegrade arterial perfusion. A single-institution retrospective study on prospectively collected data was performed on patients undergoing right mini-thoracotomy MV surgery with antegrade arterial perfusion. Since 2009, indication for the latter was dictated by the severity of atherosclerotic burden. Preoperative screening included computed tomography, angiography, or both for the evaluation of the aorta and ileo-femoral arteries. Consecutive patients (n=117) underwent MV surgery through a right mini-thoracotomy with antegrade arterial perfusion, established either by transthoracic central aortic cannulation in 65 (55.6%) cases or by axillary arterial cannulation in 52 (44.4%). Mean logistic EuroSCORE was 11%±2.3%. Twenty-five (25) (21.4%) patients had undergone one or more previous cardiac operations. Operative mortality was 4.3% (n=5). Nonfatal iatrogenic aortic dissection occurred in one case (0.8%). The incidence of stroke was zero. Axillary or central aortic cannulation is a promising alternative route to provide excellent arterial perfusion in right mini-thoracotomy MV surgery, with a very low incidence of stroke and other major perioperative complications in patients with severe aortic or peripheral arterial disease.

Postcardiotomy Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: Does the Cannulation Technique Influence the Outcome?

Objectives: Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) may be cannulated using either central (cannulation of aorta) or peripheral (cannulation of femoral or axillary artery) access. The ideal cannulation approach for postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock (PCS) is still unknown. The aim of this study is to compare the outcome of patients with PCS who were supported with central vs. peripheral cannulation.Methods: This is a single-center retrospective data analysis including all VA-ECMO implantations for PCS from January 2011 to December 2017. The central and peripheral approaches were compared in terms of patient characteristics, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, hospitalization length, adverse event rates, and overall survival.Results: Eighty-six patients met the inclusion criteria. Twenty-eight patients (33%) were cannulated using the central approach, and 58 patients (67%) were cannulated using the peripheral approach. Forty-three patients (50%) received VA-ECMO in the operating room and 43 patients (50%) received VA-ECMO in the ICU. Central VA-ECMO group had higher EuroSCORE II (p = 0.007), longer cross-clamp time (p = 0.054), higher rate of open chest after the procedure (p < 0.001), and higher mortality rate (p = 0.02). After propensity score matching, 20 patients in each group were reanalyzed. In the matched groups, no statistically significant differences were observed in the baseline characteristics between the two groups except for a higher rate of open chests in the central ECMO group (p = 0.02). However, no significant differences were observed in the outcome and complications between the groups.Conclusions: This study showed that in postcardiotomy patients requiring VA-ECMO support, similar complication rates and outcome were observed regardless of the cannulation strategy.

Surgical Risk Factors for Ischemic Stroke Following Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting. A Multi-Factor Multimodel Analysis.

Background: Ischemic stroke after coronary artery bypass (CABG) has been often linked to aortic manipulation during surgery.Objectives: The objective of the study was to estimate the rate of postoperative ischemic stroke within 30 days from CABG by surgical risk factors alone or in combination.Methods: The multinomial propensity score for multiple treatments was used to create six models with a total of 16,255 consecutive patients undergoing isolated CABG. For each model, a different classification variable was used to stratify patients.Results: Balance achieved in all models was substantial, enabling unbiased estimation of the treatment estimand. Both off-pump techniques with (0.009; 95% CI 0.006–0.011) or without proximal anastomoses (0.005; 0.005–0.003), and surgery performed on the beating heart using cardiopulmonary bypass with (0.009; 0.006–0.011) or without proximal anastomoses (0.024; 0.021–0.029) showed a mean stroke estimate significantly lower than the other techniques. Off-pump surgery and on-pump surgery without an aortic cross-clamp yielded nearly equal incidences of stroke (0.012; 0.008–0.015 and 0.018; 0.012–0.023, respectively). Using an aortic cross-clamp significantly increased the stroke estimate (0.075; 0.061–0.088), whereas using a side-biting clamp did not (0.039; 0.033–0.044). The number of aortic touches (0.029; 0.026–0.031) and the number of proximal anastomoses (0.044; 0.035–0.047) did not significantly increase the incidence of stroke.Conclusions: Aortic cross-clamping was found to be the primary cause of post-CABG ischemic stroke. Instead, additional aortic manipulation from a side-biting clamp, on-pump surgery, multiple aortic touches, number of proximal anastomoses, and aortic cannulation were found not to increase the estimate of stroke significantly. Further research on this topic is warranted.

Effect of cannulation site on emboli travel during cardiac surgery

BackgroundDuring cardiac surgery, micro-air emboli regularly enter the blood stream and can cause cognitive impairment or stroke. It is not clearly understood whether the most threatening air emboli are generated by the heart-lung machine (HLM) or by the blood-air contact when opening the heart. We performed an in vitro study to assess, for the two sources, air emboli distribution in the arterial tree, especially in the brain region, during cardiac surgery with different cannulation sites.MethodsA model of the arterial tree was 3D printed and included in a hydraulic circuit, divided such that flow going to the brain was separated from the rest of the circuit. Air micro-emboli were injected either in the HLM (“ECC Bubbles”) or in the mock left ventricle (“Heart Bubbles”) to simulate the two sources. Emboli distribution was measured with an ultrasonic bubble counter. Five repetitions were performed for each combination of injection site and cannulation site, where air bubble counts and volumes were recorded. Air bubbles were separated in three categories based on size.ResultsFor both injection sites, it was possible to identify statistically significant differences between cannulation sites. For ECC Bubbles, axillary cannulation led to a higher amount of air bubbles in the brain with medium-sized bubbles. For Heart Bubbles, aortic cannulation showed a significantly bigger embolic load in the brain with large bubbles.ConclusionsThese preliminary in vitro findings showed that air embolic load in the brain may be dependent on the cannulation site, which deserves further in vivo exploration.

High take-off right coronary artery in a patient with tetralogy of Fallot.

High take-off coronary artery anomaly is a quite rare anomaly which is usually seen in isolated form and diagnosed incidentally. Association with tetralogy of Fallot is also rare and it is not one of the well-known coronary anomalies seen in this disease. Here, we describe high take-off right coronary artery in a 10-month-old female patient with tetralogy of Fallot which was diagnosed during catheter angiography. It is very important to show this anomaly sometimes with additional imaging techniques as it alters all the surgical approach including aortic cannulation.

Modifications of the Langendorff Method for Simultaneous Isolation of Atrial and Ventricular Myocytes from Adult Mice

A single cardiomyocyte is a vital tool in the cellular and subcellular level studies of cardiac biology and diseases as a fundamental unit of contraction and electrical activity. Hence, isolating viable, high-quality cardiomyocytes from the heart is the initial and most crucial experimental step. Comparing the various protocols for isolating the cardiomyocytes of adult mice, the Langendorff retrograde perfusion is the most successful and reproducible method reported in the literature, especially for isolating ventricular myocytes. However, isolating quality atrial myocytes from the perfused heart remains challenging, and few successful isolation reports are available. Solving this complicated problem is extremely important because apart from ventricular disease, atrial disease accounts for a large part of heart diseases. Therefore, further investigations on the cellular level to reveal the mechanisms are warranted. In this paper, a protocol based on the Langendorff retrograde perfusion method is introduced and some modifications in the depth of aorta cannulation and the steps that may affect the digestion process to isolate atrial and ventricular myocytes were simultaneously made. Moreover, the isolated cardiomyocytes are confirmed to be amenable to patch clamp investigation.

Modifications of the Langendorff Method for Simultaneous Isolation of Atrial and Ventricular Myocytes from Adult Mice

A single cardiomyocyte is a vital tool in the cellular and subcellular level studies of cardiac biology and diseases as a fundamental unit of contraction and electrical activity. Hence, isolating viable, high-quality cardiomyocytes from the heart is the initial and most crucial experimental step. Comparing the various protocols for isolating the cardiomyocytes of adult mice, the Langendorff retrograde perfusion is the most successful and reproducible method reported in the literature, especially for isolating ventricular myocytes. However, isolating quality atrial myocytes from the perfused heart remains challenging, and few successful isolation reports are available. Solving this complicated problem is extremely important because apart from ventricular disease, atrial disease accounts for a large part of heart diseases. Therefore, further investigations on the cellular level to reveal the mechanisms are warranted. In this paper, a protocol based on the Langendorff retrograde perfusion method is introduced and some modifications in the depth of aorta cannulation and the steps that may affect the digestion process to isolate atrial and ventricular myocytes were simultaneously made. Moreover, the isolated cardiomyocytes are confirmed to be amenable to patch clamp investigation.

Epiaortic Ultrasound-Guided True Lumen Cannulation of Ascending Aorta in Acute Aortic Dissection Type A

Background: The choice of arterial inflow for acute Stanford type A aortic dissection repair remains controversial. The axillary artery should be considered as first choice for cannulation, but this technique is time-consuming. The ascending aortic cannulation provides antegrade perfusion and can be performed rapidly but there are several concerns such as aortic rupture, extension of dissection, and false lumen cannulation. Objective: To compare the establishment time of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and postoperative outcomes of the two cannulation techniques that provide antegrade perfusion, which was direct true lumen cannulation on the dissected ascending aorta using epiaortic ultrasound-guided and axillary artery cannulation in Siriraj Hospital. Materials and Methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed all the 30 cases of acute aortic dissection type A using two different cannulation methods performed between February 2011 and May 2017. Direct true lumen ascending aortic cannulation was performed using the epiaortic ultrasound-guide with Seldinger technique in 12 patients, and axillary artery cannulation was performed in 18 patients. Results: The direct true lumen ascending aortic cannulation was safely performed in all patients. None of them had aortic rupture. Skin incision to CPB time was significantly faster in the epiaortic ultrasound-guided ascending aortic cannulation group at 29±8 versus 49±14 minutes (p&lt;0.001). The 30-day mortality and postoperative adverse events, such as ischemic stroke, acute kidney injury, visceral organ and limb malperfusion showed no statistically significant difference from the axillary artery cannulation method. Conclusion: Epiaortic ultrasound-guided true lumen cannulation of ascending aorta in the treatment of acute aortic dissection type A is safe and feasible. Skin incision to CPB time can be performed faster and provided good outcome compared to the axillary artery cannulation technique. Keywords: Acute aortic dissection, Ascending cannulation, Epiaortic ultrasound

Plasma Concentrations of Cefazolin in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery

Background:The guideline for antibiotic prophylaxis in pediatric cardiac surgery is currently unavailable, and the effects of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) may result in low plasma cefazolin concentrations and subsequent postoperative surgical site infections (SSIs).Aims:To demonstrate the calculated-unbound plasma concentrations of cefazolin during uncomplicated pediatric cardiac surgery.Settings and Design:A prospective observational study that included 18 patients <seven years of age, undergoing elective cardiac surgery with CPB.Materials and Methods:An intravenous infusion of cefazolin (25 mg.kg-1) was administered to patients over 30 minutes within 1 hour before skin incision (first dose). Another 25 mg.kg-1 infusion was administered to the CPB prime volume (second dose). Blood samples were obtained at eight time points: 15 minutes after the first dose (T1); before aortic cannulation (T2); immediately after CPB initiation (T3); 30 (T4), 60 (T5), and 120 (T6) minutes after CPB; 15 minutes after CPB discontinuation (T7), and at skin closure (T8). The total plasma cefazolin concentrations were measured using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.Results:The unbound cefazolin concentrations were calculated assuming 80%-protein binding. The median cefazolin levels were 18.1 (range 4.3-27.0), 11.9 (2.8-24.1), 31.4 (18.3-66.1), 23.4 (13.7-35.9), 20.2 (15.4-24.9), 17.7 (14.8-18.0), 15.6 (9.8-26.2), and 13.3 (8.3-24.6) μg.mL-1 from T1-T8, respectively. The cefazolin levels remained four times above the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for Methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) and S. epidermidis in most patients, but they were inadequate for Enterobacter and E. coli.Conclusion:This regimen produced adequate plasma cefazolin concentrations for common organisms that cause SSIs after cardiac surgery.

Sustained results of robotic mitral repair in a lower volume center with extensive minimally invasive mitral repair experience.

The literature for robotic mitral repair is dominated by a small number of large volume institutions, and intermediate-term outcomes out to 5years are rare. Whether and under what circumstances a lower volume institution could obtain durable outcomes is not known. A retrospective review was performed on all 133 patients undergoing robotically assisted mitral repair from 2011 to 2019 at a single institution. Mean volume of robotic mitral repair was 16 ± 7 cases per year, while mean institutional total volume of mitral repair was 116 ± 16 cases per year. Mean age was 58 ± 12years, 77% were men, and mitral etiology was prolapse in 90%. Comorbidity was infrequent with atrial fibrillation in 20% and moderate tricuspid regurgitation in 14%. Central aortic cannulation was used in 97% with concurrent tricuspid operation in 5% and concurrent maze in 14%. Median clamp time, pump time, and length of stay were 146min, 265min, and 5days, respectively, but none improved with experience. There were no deaths or stroke. At 5years, the cumulative incidence of moderate mitral regurgitation was 18 ± 6% (prolapse patients 11 ± 5%), severe regurgitation 4 ± 3%, and mitral replacement 9 ± 5% (prolapse patients 5 ± 3%). 5-year survival was 96 ± 3%. At centers with significant mitral repair volume, a volume of 16 robotic mitral cases/year can yield good clinical outcomes durable out to 5years. A case volume of 16 cases per year was not sufficient to improve pump time or length of stay over time.

Comparative study between aortic valve replacement through full sternotomy versus mini-sternotomy

Background: The superiority of minimally invasive aortic valve replacement (AVR) over the standard approach is the subject of ongoing research. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of AVR through full sternotomy versus mini-sternotomy.&#x0D; Methods: We included 60 patients who had AVR; 30 patients underwent AVR through J- or T-shaped mini-sternotomy, and 30 patients had a full sternotomy. We included patients who had isolated AVR and excluded patients who had a concomitant cardiac procedure, redo surgery, or those who needed annular dilatation. All patients had aortic and right atrial cannulation for cardiopulmonary bypass. Study endpoints were operative times, postoperative complications and duration of ICU and hospital stays.&#x0D; Results: There were no differences between the two groups preoperatively. Cardiopulmonary bypass time was longer in the mini-sternotomy group (median: 100 (range: 65- 170) vs. 85 (55-160) min, respectively; p= 0.024). Operative time was non-significantly longer in the mini-sternotomy group 5 (4-6) hours vs. 4.5 (4-6) hours in the full sternotomy group (p=0.62). Ventilation time was 10 (4- 50) hours in the mini-sternotomy group vs. 14 (8- 45) hours in the full sternotomy group (p&lt;0.001). ICU stay was shorter in the mini-sternotomy group (2 (1-6.5) vs. 2.5 (1-7) days, respectively, p= 0.014). The total mediastinal drainage was 100 (50 400) ml in the mini-sternotomy group vs. 275 (50- 1000) ml in the full sternotomy group (p= &lt;0.001). There was no difference in wound infection (p= 0.35), tamponade (p˃0.99), and hemothorax (p˃0.99) between both groups.&#x0D; Conclusion: Mini-sternotomy AVR had longer cardiopulmonary bypass times; however, there were no differences in the postoperative complications compared to the full sternotomy approach. Mini-sternotomy could be a safe alternative approach to the full median sternotomy for aortic valve replacement.

Lower hemisternotomy: infrequently used but versatile.

A lower hemisternotomy is an infrequently used approach in cardiac surgery. This single center report evaluates applicability and clinical outcomes of procedures performed through a lower hemisternotomy. The institutional database was reviewed. From 2014 to 2019, 55 consecutive patients had undergone minimally invasive procedures through a lower hemisternotomy (median follow-up 34 months). Demographic as well as outcome data were retrieved from our prospectively maintained institutional database. Performed procedures included mitral and tricuspid repairs, aortic valve replacement as well as coronary artery bypass grafting. The median patient age was 72 years. Out of the 55 patients, 55% were male. Predominantly mitral valve procedures (11 isolated, 30 combined) had been performed. Mitral valve procedures (N.=41) consisted of 36 repairs and 5 replacements. Repair rate for degenerative mitral insufficiency was 97.6%. Median EuroScore II was 3.4% (2.1-6.0). Median cross-clamp time was 67 (44-99) min. Median procedural length was 169 (138-201) min. Reoperation rate for bleeding was 1.8%. Major vascular complications occurred in two patients. Freedom from valve related reoperation was 96.1% during follow-up. Thirty-day mortality and overall mortality during follow-up was 3.6% and 10.9%. In properly selected cases the lower hemisternotomy allows for a variety of cardiac procedures. It permits central aortic cannulation and a direct vision of intracardiac structures and therefore should be kept in mind as an alternative minimally invasive approach.

Comparison of high aortic arch and other arterial cannulation types in ascending aortic pathologies

Background/Aim: Various cannulation techniques are used for different aortic pathologies during aortic surgery. High aortic arch cannulation is an easy technique which does not require a second incision. The aim of this study is to compare high aortic arch cannulation with other arterial cannulation techniques and assess its safety and risks profile. Methods: This retrospective study included sixty consecutive patients (23 female and 37 male) who underwent elective surgery for ascending aortic aneurysm between July 2011 and June 2014. Patients were divided into Group 1 (aortic arch cannulation) and Group 2 (femoral artery, axillary artery, innominate artery cannulations) according to the location of arterial cannulation. Preoperative, operative, and postoperative data of patients with or without arch cannulation were compared. Results: Ascending aorta was replaced with a graft in all patients. High aortic arch cannulation was performed in thirty-eight patients (63.3%) while the cannulation site was axillary artery in 9 (15%), femoral artery in 8 (13.3%) and innominate artery in 5 (8.3%) patients. There were no differences between the two groups in terms of preoperative demographic factors, concomitant cardiac pathologies, additional surgical procedures, and intraoperative parameters (P>0.05). Moreover, there was no difference between postoperative complications with the one exception of complications related to the cannulation site which was significantly more frequent in cannulation techniques other than arch cannulation (P=0.04). We observed no complications related to the cannulation site in patients with arch cannulation. Conclusion: Our study showed that high aortic arch cannulation in patients with ascending aortic aneurysms is an easy, fast, and safe technique with low complication rates. It can be the technique of first choice for those with ascending aortic aneurysms limited to ascending aorta with no place for cannulation, cross clamp and anastomosis but still can be repaired with single cross-clamping without total circulatory arrest.

Femoral arterial cannulation remains a safe and reliable option for aortic dissection repair.

BackgroundThe optimal cannulation site for repair of type A aortic dissection remains controversial. The concern for Malperfusion syndrome has initiated a national trend away from femoral cannulation to axillary artery and direct ascending aortic cannulation. The purpose of this study was to report a single center experience with femoral artery cannulation for the repair of a type A dissection.MethodsA retrospective study was performed on 52 patients who underwent surgical repair for a type A dissection between January 1st, 2012 and June 30th, 2019 at a single institution. Of the 52 patients analyzed, 35 (67.3%) underwent femoral artery, 11 (21.2%) direct ascending aortic, and 6 (11%) axillary artery cannulation for arterial access. Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest was used in all the patients. Rates of postoperative complication and mortality were reported.ResultsThe mortality and bleeding rates for all the patients undergoing repair of the type A dissection repairs were 27% (14/52) and 19% (10/52), respectively. Cardiopulmonary bypass was established in 100% of the patients that had femoral arterial cannulation. There were no complications specifically related to femoral arterial cannulation nor the axillary or direct aortic approach. Specifically, there was no episodes of malperfusion syndrome, bleeding, or injury with femoral artery cannulation. Bleeding rates were higher in cases that proceeded with a femoral (13%) versus alternate (6%) approach however; neither of the bleeding was related to the cannulation site. None of the mortalities identified were directly attributable to the cannulation approach in each case.ConclusionsDespite the recent shift away from femoral cannulation, the results of the study show that femoral artery cannulation is safe and produces excellent results for establishing cardiopulmonary bypass. The concerns for malperfusion syndrome related to femoral cannulation were not seen.

H-repair in supravalvular aortic stenosis.

H-repair in supravalvular aortic stenosis.

Anesthetic management of pulmonary artery replacement for idiopathic dilatation of the pulmonary artery with a Kommerell\u2019s diverticulum: a case report

BackgroundIdiopathic dilatation of the pulmonary artery (IDPA) is a rare condition in which the pulmonary artery dilates without an obvious cause. Pulmonary artery replacement is indicated in severe cases to prevent serious complications.Case presentationA 59-year-old man was diagnosed with an IDPA of 64 mm and Kommerell’s diverticulum (aortic aneurysm located at the aberrant left subclavian artery). A computed tomography scan revealed slight compression of the aneurysm to the trachea, although not interfering with airway management. The surgical approach was a median sternotomy, and cardiopulmonary bypass was established through aortic and bicaval cannulations. The perioperative course was uneventful.ConclusionsTo prevent injury to the dilated pulmonary artery, a strategy for cardiopulmonary bypass and a surgical approach should be discussed beforehand. As dilatation of the pulmonary artery is often complicated by anatomic abnormalities, preoperative evaluation should be aimed at appropriate assessments using imaging modalities.

Novel use of new parameters in nirs cerebral oximetry in cabg surgery to display changes in brain perfusion

Introduction The use of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to monitor continuous rSO2 values for the brain is well established (1,2). However the separation of oxygenated & deoxygenated components of NIRS is novel. We report a case of these parameters in CABG surgery. Methods A 68 year old diabetic male underwent CABG. Anaesthesia was induced with etomidate, fentanyl and rocuronium and maintained with air oxygen and isoflurane to a sedation index of 30. The surgery proceeded uneventfully. Some new observations were noted: The effect of increased CMRO2 and rising PSI: At 1042 the effect of increased EEG activity and MAP (85mmHg) leads to a rise in the Sedline PSI which increases delta O2HBi as the oxygen requirements of cerebral activity increase. Autoregulation in vivo. Venous (IVC) and aortic cannulation take place uneventfully cardiopulmonary bypass is commenced at 1052. Effect of CPB, hemodilution and non pulsatile flow: As flow switches from pulsatile to non pulsatile flow and CPB starts, there is an immediate reaction in the delta cHbi values. Haemodilution takes place as pump prime enters the circulation, so the haematocrit falls. O3 values fall but we see a large decrease in delta cHbi because of a reduction in delta O2Hbi as clear pump prime is being administered. Then as oxygenated blood from the CPB pump enters the circulation the delta cHbi recovers as oxygenated blood returns to the head. Note the marked reduction in cHbi and delta O2Hbi values that remains throughout subsequently, and which never recovers. This is the effect of non pulsatile blood flow and the effect it has on cerebral autoregulatory capacity. At this point the MAP is 78. Results: Discussion Principles of NIRS: As oxygenation in cerebral tissue changes, the wavelengths of light absorbed by tissue also change, forming the basis for measurement of regional cerebral oxygen saturation, rSO2. With these indices, we can display information about the changes in the underlying components calculating rSO2 values. δO2Hb is an index representing changes in the oxyhemoglobin component of rSO2. δHHb is an index representing changes in the deoxyhemoglobin component of rSO2. These indices provide visibility into changes in underlying oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin components of rSO2. The relative contribution of each component to a patient's overall rSO2 was observed and the use of these additional monitoring indices may allow earlier detection of changes in the blood supply to the brain such as during commencement of cardiopulmonary bypass and the effects of raised CMRO2 and its effects on flow, and hence allow earlier corrective intervention. This may be of value in preventing impending cerebral injury in those patients who may be susceptible.