Valve Plasty Research Articles

Infective endocarditis appearing with meningeal signs

The authors present the case of a 12-year old girl with infective endocarditis. Following an initial three-day period of malaise, she was admitted to the hospital with meningeal signs. The clinical symptoms and the results of the laboratory examinations, lumbar puncture and hemoculture supported the diagnosis of Staphylococcus sepsis and meningitis. The initiation of antimicrobial therapy resulted in temporary improvement while a systolic cardiac murmur appeared. Transthoracal echocardiogram raised the diagnosis of mitral valve endocarditis. Due to the subsequent deterioration in her condition, the patient was referred to the Pediatric Heart Center of the Gottsegen György National Institute of Cardiology where transoesophageal echocardiogram confirmed the diagnosis. The vegetations were removed by extracorporeal cardiac surgery including mitral valve plasty. Retrospectively, septic embolisation caused multiplex brain infarcts were identified by cranial MRI scan as the underlying cause of the initial clinical symptoms and liquor results. Following her recovery, patient remained well with some mild residual mitral regurgitation and without any residual neurological symptoms.

Heart valve surgery in patients with the antiphospholipid syndrome: analysis of a series of nine cases

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a rare coagulation disorder associated with recurrent arterial and venous thrombotic events. Heart valve abnormalities are commonly found in patients with APS. From March 1998 to March 2007, nine patients with APS underwent heart valve surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass. We retrospectively reviewed their clinical data, operative and postoperative courses and the long-term results. The mean age was 43.6+/-10.4 years, six were female and three male. Four patients underwent mitral valve replacement, three went through aortic valve replacement, one underwent combined mitral-aortic valve replacement and another aortic valve plasty. The syndrome was primary in seven patients and associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in two. Follow-up was 8 days to 8 years (median 66 months). Two patients died in the early postoperative period: both due to an acute cerebrovascular accident. Four patients presented an uneventful late postoperative course. One patient experienced an ischaemic stroke 5 years after mitral valve replacement (MVR) and developed refractory congestive heart failure requiring heart transplantation three years postoperatively. Heart valve surgery in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome may carry considerable early and late mortality and morbidity. Thrombo-embolic complications are the most common complications. Mechanical prostheses have been used at our Institution in the previous years; however, today, after reviewing our historical results, we reconsider our general strategy and believe that tissue heart valve prostheses are the possible ideal substitutes, minimising the risks of morbidity and mortality due to the hypercoagulable state of APS.

Nursing of 13 patients assisted with ECMO combined with left ventricular valve surgery

Objective To investigate the nursing of 13 patients assisted with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) combined with left ventricular valve surgery. Methods 13 patients with small left ventricu-lar valves were fully prepared through pre- operative, intraoperative care, and the post- operative complications were treated. 5 cases of mitral valve replacement and 8 cases of valve replacement were treated under ECMO, meanwhile, 2 cases with coronary artery bypass grafting, 7 cases with tricuspid valve plasty, 3 cases with left atrial placation were practiced. Results 4 cases were dead, 9cases were successfully recovered and dis-charged. Conclusions Effective monitering could enhance the recover rate of ECMO, improve the success rate of surgery and long- term survival rate. Key words: Small left ventricle; Valvular heart disease; Perioperative; extracorporeal membrane oxy-genation

Evaluation of Left Ventricular Diastolic Function after Edge-to-Edge Mitral Valve Plasty

Edge-to-edge mitral valve plasty technique has been widely used to treat bileaflet prolapse. This procedure anchors the correspondence leaflets to create a double-orifice mitral valve. The original mitral valve anatomy is changed, and the opening of mitral valve is restricted. Little is known whether this procedure affects the left ventricular diastolic function. Thirty patients with mitral regurgitation were included in this study. Fifteen with posterior leaflet prolapse received quadrangular resection (group 1), 15 with anterior or bileaflet prolapse underwent edge-to-edge procedure (group 2). Acute hemodynamics was monitored with a Swan-Ganz catheter (Edwards Lifesciences LLC, Irvine, CA, USA). Left ventricular diastolic function was also evaluated with echocardiography in 28 patients with sinus rhythm. The ratio of peak E velocity and A velocity (E/A), the ratio of early diastolic peak flow velocity to early diastolic mitral annular movement velocity (E/Em), and the ratio of early diastolic mitral annular velocity to late diastolic mitral annular velocity (Em/Am) were measured before operation and one week after operation. Mitral valve area and mitral regurgitate grade decreased significantly after operation. There was no significant change in pulmonary artery wedge pressure between two groups and in each group before and after operation. Echocardiography evaluation showed there was no significant difference in E/A, E/Em, and Em/Am before and after operation between two groups and in each group. Edge-to-edge mitral valve plasty procedure has no significant impairment on left ventricular diastolic function. A double-orifice mitral valve has similar hemodynamic behavior with a physiological valve.

Portal-systemic encephalopathy after Fontan-type operation in patient with polysplenia syndrome

An 18-year-old patient, who had polysplenia and single ventricle, presented with altered mental status 9 years after a Fontan-type operation and pacemaker implantation. He underwent replacement of common atrioventricular valve and aortic valve plasty 1 year previously and has been placed on multiple medications including beta-blocker for his poor ventricular function. Blood chemistry revealed hyperammonemia of 2420 microg/l as a cause of this altered mental status disturbance. Superior mesenteric arteriography revealed large portal-systemic shunts in venous phase as a cause of hyperammonemia. To control blood ammonia level, we placed him on low protein diet, oral polymixin B, and lactulose instead of closing shunt with device. This case illustrates that portal-systemic shunt may result in hyperammonemia leading to altered mental status long after a Fontan-type operation.

Mid-term results of right axillary incision for the repair of a wide range of congenital cardiac defects☆

We evaluated the mid-term results of the right axillary incision used for the repair of various congenital heart defects. All the patients who were operated with this incision between March 2001 and December 2007 were reviewed. There were 123 patients (median age 4.7 {0.4-19.4} years and median weight 16.6 {3.8-62} kg) undergoing atrial septal defect (ASD) closure (62), repair of partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection (PAPVC) (22), correction of partial atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) (19), and restrictive perimembranous ventricular septal defect (VSD) (20). Additional procedures involved tricuspid valve plasty (10), mitral annuloplasty (3), reduction plasty of the aortic sinus (2), resuspension of the aortic valve cusp (2), sub aortic membrane resection (1), or reimplantation of Scimitar vein (1). The surgical technique involved peripheral (groin) and central (SVC+/-aorta) cannulation for institution of cardiopulmonary bypass. Fibrillatory arrest was used for repair of ASDs and cardioplegic arrest for repairs involving the atrioventricular valves as well as VSDs. The median CPB and aortic clamp times were 72 (35-232) and 0 (0-126) min, respectively. There was no need for conversion to another approach in any patient. Early morbidity included transient paresis of left upper arm (1), stenting of SVC after repair of a sinus venosus defect (1) and revision for bleeding (1). Follow-up echo showed no residual defect in 116 patients and minor residual defects in 7 patients: tiny ASD (2), tiny VSD (1) and mitral regurgitation (4). One patient developed stenosis in the right external iliac artery used for cannulation, necessitating surgical intervention. All the patients are in excellent condition after a median follow-up of 4.1 (0.4-7.1) years. The incision healed well and the thorax and the breast showed no deformity on follow-up. The right axillary incision provides a quality of repair for various congenital defects similar to that obtained by using standard surgical approaches. Because of its deceitful location, and the camouflaging effect of being hidden by the resting arm, it has superior cosmetic appeal compared to conventional incisions. The incision does not interfere with subsequent development of the thorax or the breast (in case of females).

Original Papillary Muscle Sandwich Plasty for Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation

Mitral valve plasty for functional ischemic mitral regurgitation (MR) is still a controversial procedure. The present study was a review of 23 patients who underwent an original technique known as "papillary muscle sandwich plasty" in which the mitral valve is approached via either the left atrium or left ventricle. The heads of the papillary muscles of the anterior leaflet and leaflets are plicated using Teflon-pledgeted 3-0 Ticron sutures in both the anterolateral and posteromedial commissural portions. Postoperative residual mild MR occurred in 1 patient (4%), but moderate or severe MR was not observed. In the follow-up study, prominent MR occurred in 1 patients and the MR-free rate at 2 years after surgery was 93%. Late cardiac death was significantly (P<0.05) fewer in patients without prominent MR than that in patients with MR. "Sandwich plasty" is an effective technique for patients requiring left ventricular plasty and may improve the prognosis of ischemic heart failure.

Changes in natriuretic peptides following passive containment surgery in heart failure patients with dilated cardiomyopathy

To evaluate the influence on circulating plasma levels of natriuretic peptides following passive containment surgery in heart failure patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, thirteen patients with dilated cardiomyopathy subjected to cardiac surgery received the Acorn Cardiac Support Device. Patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (n=7) underwent coronary artery bypass surgery receiving 2-3 bypass grafts. In the idiopathic cardiomyopathy group (n=6), mitral valve plasty was performed in five patients while one patients received the Cardiac Support Device only. Circulating plasma atrial natriuretic peptide, brain natriuretic peptide and C-type natriuretic peptide were measured in all patients before surgery and 12 months postoperatively. Following surgery there was a significant decrease in circulating plasma levels of brain natriuretic peptide (0.14+/-0.04 ng/ml vs. 0.06+/-0.03 ng/ml, P<0.05). No significant changes were seen in circulating plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptide or C-type natriuretic peptide. NYHA functional class improved (2.7+/-0.1 vs. 1.8+/-0.2, P<0.001). The 6-min-walk increased (354+/-35 m vs. 473+/-31 m, P<0.01). There was a decrease in left ventricular end diastolic diameter (73+/-2 mm vs. 65+/-2 mm, P<0.001) and left ventricular end systolic diameter (65+/-2 mm vs. 56+/-3 mm, P<0.01). Following passive containment surgery using the ACORN Cardiac Support Device functional improvement and reversed remodelling is accompanied by decreased BNP levels.

Cardiogenic Shock in Patient with Posterior Postinfarction Septal Rupture-Successful Treatment with Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) as a Ventricular Assist Device

We present the case of a 62-year-old female patient admitted to our center for cardiogenic shock due to large inferior myocardial infarct. Echocardiography revealed dysfunction of left ventricle, dilation of right ventricle, mitral valve insufficiency, and a large posterior ventricular septal defect (VSD). Coronary angiography showed occlusion of the right coronary artery. An attempt of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of right coronary and posterior descending artery was not successful due to old thrombi. Despite inotropes and intraaortic balloon pump (IABP) there was severe hemodynamic instability. Therefore, we commenced veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as a ventricular assist device (VAD). Immediately we obtained the stabilization of the patient and the improvement of the clinical conditions. The third day after implantation, the closure of the defect, mitral valve plasty, and bypass to posterior descending artery were performed. The patient was discharged from the hospital 59 days after the operation. Six months after the operation, the patient was in good condition.

Experiences on surgical treatment of severe aortic valve stenosis: a report of 171 cases

To analyze the experiences on surgical treatment of severe aortic valve stenosis. From December 1990 to December 2006, 171 patients with severe aortic valve stenosis underwent aortic valve replacement (AVR). There were 135 males and 36 females aged from 10 to 75 years old, with a mean of (45.8 +/- 15.6) years old. The intervals between the first episode of exertion dyspnea and administration to operation were 2 months to 52 years. The pathological lesions of the group were rheumatic aortic valve stenosis in 75 cases, calcified aortic stenosis in 66 cases, bicuspid aortic valve in 26 cases and other congenital aortic valve stenosis in 4 cases. One hundred and twenty-four patients underwent AVR, 7 AVR combined with replacement of the ascending aorta, 5 AVR with coronary artery bypass grafting, 19 AVR with mitral valve plasty (MVP), 8 AVR with plasty of the ascending aorta and 8 AVR with enlargement of the aortic root. The averaged operation time was (4.4 +/- 0.6) h. Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time was (124.7 +/- 38.5) min and the aorta clamp time was (78.3 +/- 21.7) min. The averaged blood loss during operation was (754.5 +/- 518.4) ml. All the procedures were successfully performed and all patients were weaned off CPB uneventfully. The indication of early complications was 12.3% (21/171), including low cardiac output syndrome in 7 cases, multi-organ failure in 3 cases, endocarditis in 1 case, renal dysfunction in 4 cases, ventricular fibrillation in 1 case, excessive bleeding in 2 cases, III atrial-ventricular block in 2 cases, and mediastinal infection in 1 case. The total mortality was 5.8% (10/171) with the main causes as cardiac failure for 4 cases, arrhythmia for 1 case, multi-organ failure for 4 cases, and infectious endocarditis for 1 case. Successful management of severe aortic valve stenosis requires sophisticated surgical techniques and experienced peri-operative care. Satisfactory results can be achieved if valve replace surgery is performed adequately.

Combined surgery for ischemic cardiomyopathy: Report of a case

A 65-year-old female with catecholamine-dependent ischemic cardiomyopathy was admitted to our hospital. Preoperative examination revealed severe triple vessel coronary artery disease, severe mitral valve regurgitation and left ventricular (LV) dilatation associated with low ejection fraction. Coronary artery bypass grafting with four distal anastomoses, mitral valve plasty using original papillary muscle application method, LV volume reduction using overlapping method and biventricular pacing were performed. Postoperative course was uneventful and quality of life at 2 years after surgery was good. Active combined surgery has the possibility of improving the outcome of patients with severe ischemic cardiomyopathy.

Pulmonary valve replacement using mechanical prostheses and additional right ventricular volume reduction plasty – an option to restore right ventricular outflow tract in congenital patients?

Aims: The use of allografts or xenografts is the treatment of choice for pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) in congenital heart disease.In contrast, this prospective clinical study evaluated mid-term results after alternative optional PVR with a mechanical valve and additional right ventricular volume reduction plasty (aRVVRP) to restore right (RV) ventricular geometry.

Active Infective Endocarditis Management and Risk Analysis of Hospital Death From 24 Years' Experience

This study was performed to identify risk factors for hospital death in patients with acute and active infective endocarditis (AAIE) after surgical intervention. From 1980 to 2004, 94 patients underwent surgery for AAIE (age range, 3-77 years; 76% males). Congestive heart failure (CHF) was present in 44 patients, as well as vegetations in 64, septicemia in 16, abscesses in 17, and emboli in 22; 16 patients had prosthetic valve endocarditis. Streptococci were the most common bacteria (34 patients), followed by staphylococci (17 patients). Mechanical valves were selected for 73 patients and bioprosthetic valves for 16. Mitral valve plasty was performed in 4 patients. Aortic root or aorto-mitral discontinuity was repaired in 17 patients, including Manouguian's double valve replacement in 6 and aortic root replacement in 4. Overall hospital mortality was 15% (14 patients). Univariate analysis identified CHF (p=0.016), abscess (p=0.014), and prosthetic valve endocarditis (p=0.043) as risk factors. However, multivariate analysis only identified CHF (p=0.019) as an independent risk factor. In AAIE, early surgical intervention is advisable before the occurrence of complications such as root abscess and CHF, particularly before the onset of CHF.

重度僧帽弁閉鎖不全症仁対して僧帽弁形成術を行ったキャバリア・キング・チャールズ・スパニエルの1例

A seven-year-old neutered male cavalier King Charles spaniel presented with exercise intolerance, cough anddyspnea.A grade 5/6 cardiac systolic murmur was audible in the area of the left cardiac apex.On a thoracicradiograph, the cardiac silhouette was remarkably enlarged and pulmonary edema was observed.Echocardiographyshowed marked mitral regurgitation and an enlarged left atria (LA/Ao: 3.5).Based on these findings, the dog was diagnosed with severe mitral regurgitation, following a rupture of the chordae tendineae.The mitral regurgitation was treated with mitral valve plasty using cardiopulmonary bypass.Two months aftersurgery, the dog was clinically normal and an echocardiography revealed that mitral regurgitation was conspicuouslyreduced.This case suggested that mitral regurgitation in cavalier King Charles spaniels can betreated with mitral valve plasty.

Perforated Mitral Valve Aneurysm Associated with Libman-Sacks Endocarditis

The perforation of a mitral valve aneurysm is a rare disease which induces acute mitral regurgitation and is usually induced by infective endocarditis; however, in this case report, acute heart failure was caused by a perforated mitral valve aneurysm that was speculated to be due to Libman-Sacks endocarditis with systemic lupus erythematosis and secondary anti-phospholipid syndrome. Mitral valve plasty was performed and thereafter heart failure improved.

A case report of surgical correction for congenital mitral regurgitation with subvalvular apparatus abnormality

We report a successful complex mitral valve plasty using port access minimally invasive cardiac surgery for congenital mitral regurgitation that presented as an abnormality of the subvalvular apparatus. A 16-year-old male patient received a diagnosis of mitral regurgitation resulting from tethering of the anterior mitral leaflet and posterior mitral leaflet caused by an abnormality in papillary muscle insertion and a hypoplastic chordae tendineae. The posterior leaflet was closely tethered to the tips of the papillary muscle with essentially no chordae tendineae. The flexibility of the leaflet was restored by surgically removing the abnormal chordae, and reconstruction of chordae tendinae of the anterior leaflet was carried out using three loops and of the posterior leaflet using one loop with a loop technique method. As an additional procedure for persistent regurgitation, an edge-to-edge technique to the posterior commissure side was performed, after which the mitral regurgitation disappeared.

Experimental Mitral Valve Plasty under the Beating Heart Guided by Real-Time 3-Dimensional Echocardiography

This study examines whether real-time 3-dimensional echocardiography can provide an image resolution to serve as a substitute for optical visualization in performing mitral valve plasty. Three pigs were used in this study. A 3-dimensional echocardiographic system was evaluated on an epicardial surface. Beating heart mitral valve plasty was performed with a surgical stapler inserted from the apex of the left ventricle using only 3-dimensional echocardiographic visualization. The high-quality images of the mitral valve were obtained with the probe at the epicardial position. However, by inserting the surgical instrument into the left ventricle, an acoustic shadow developed on the images. The images became indistinct because of the acoustic shadow, and operation became difficult. For the mitral valve plasty, an edge-to-edge mitral valve repair was carried out using a stapler (10 mm) under the beating heart. The stapler was confirmed to seize both leaflets evenly in only 1 of the 3 pigs. Real-time 3-dimensional echocardiography provided clear 3-dimensional images of the mitral valve; however, when a surgical instrument was inserted into the left ventricle, an acoustic shadow appeared on the image and made detailed confirmation difficult. Lessening or eliminating the acoustic shadow would be a key point to improve this procedure.

Report of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy Occurring During Cardiopulmonary Bypass

On weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass, a 59-yearold Japanese woman with mitral valve plasty suddenly showed a greatly increased heart rate, and an electrocardiogram revealed elevated ST-segments. There was also abnormal wall motion in the inferior region and apical ballooning of the left ventricle. We diagnosed the condition as takotsubo cardiomyopathy (acute left ventricle apical ballooning syndrome), possibly caused by catecholamine release and regional stress-induced ischemia. We believe this to be the first case report of takotsubo cardiomyopathy observed during heart surgery. We hypothesize that the condition was mediated by regional myocardial stunning and that it could be prevented by administration of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors before surgery and by the use of superior biocompatible cardiopulmonary bypass components. Once takotsubo cardiomyopathy occurs, we recommend mechanical circulatory assistance during weaning from the bypass.

Surgical ventricular restoration based on evaluation of myocardial viability with delayed-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging

We examined whether the determination of myocardial viability by preoperative delayed-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DE-MRI) would be useful for planning surgical ventricular restoration (SVR). Eight consecutive patients with poor cardiac function (ejection fraction < 30%) due to ischemic cardiomyopathy underwent surgical treatment based on findings of preoperative cine-MRI and DE-MRI. Our surgical strategy consisted of (1) complete revascularization on viable segments; (2) SVR in a patient with extensive nonviable segments; and (3) mitral valve plasty in a patient with a more than moderate degree of mitral regurgitation. Based on the MRI assessments, four of the patients (group A) underwent isolated coronary bypass surgery, and the other four (group B) underwent SVR and mitral valve plasty concomitantly with coronary bypass surgery. Perioperative changes in ventricular function were quantitatively assessed in each group. The mean end-diastolic volume index was reduced from 115 +/- 29 ml/m2 to 95 +/- 14ml/m2 in group A and from 163 +/- 35ml/m2 to 125 +/- 28ml/m2 in group B. The mean end-systolic volume index was reduced from 91 +/- 25ml/m2 to 68 +/- 16ml/m2 in group A and from 135 +/- 36ml/m2 to 98 +/- 28 ml/m2 in group B. The mean ejection fraction increased from 20% +/- 6% to 28% +/- 9% in group A and from 17% +/- 6% to 22% +/- 5% in group B. The mean New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class was reduced from 3.0 +/- 0.8 to 1.8 +/- 0.6 in group A and from 3.5 +/- 0.5 to 2.2 +/- 0.2 in group B. DE-MRI was highly effective in helping to select which patients and which areas of the left ventricle are indicated for SVR, which contributed to excellent early clinical outcomes.

僧帽弁形成術における大動脈遮断下での僧帽弁逆流評価法―Ｒｅｔｒｏｇｒａｄｅ ｃａｒｄｉｏｐｌｅｇｉｃ ｂｅａｔｉｎｇ ｔｅｓｔ：ＲＣ‐ｂｅａｔｉｎｇ ｔｅｓｔ―

僧帽弁形成術における大動脈遮断下での僧帽弁逆流評価法―Ｒｅｔｒｏｇｒａｄｅ ｃａｒｄｉｏｐｌｅｇｉｃ ｂｅａｔｉｎｇ ｔｅｓｔ：ＲＣ‐ｂｅａｔｉｎｇ ｔｅｓｔ―