Volume 5 - Número 3

Keywords:

From January 1979 to October 1989, 7003 patients underwent myocardial revascularization and associated operations; there were 6511 patients under the age of 70, with early mortality of 2.5% (162/6511), in contrast to 492 patients 70 years of age or older with early mortality of 8,5% (42/492). Among these 492 patients, 410 underwent isolated myocardial revascularization with early mortality of 5.1% (21/410); 54 patients underwent associated operatins (left ventricle aneurysmectomy in 30 patients, valvular operation in 21 patients and carotid endarterectomy in 3 patients) with early mortality of 14.8% (8/54) and 28 patients were operated on early after acute myocardial infarction and the early mortality was 46.4% (13/28). The differences among these death-rates were significant. A 96.1% follow-up was obtained up to 127 months. The elderly patients are at severe risk mainly when they undergo associated operations besides myocardial revascularization, and there is a more significant risk when they are operated on early after myocardial infarction. Keywords: myocardial revascularization, surgery, elderly patients

In the period of January 1980 to December 1988, 44 patients with chronic aortic dissections and aortic insufficiency were operated on. This group of patients was analized in order to evaluate the evolution of those in which the aortic valve was preserved compared to the group of patients submitted to valvular replacement. The overall preoperative characteristics of these two groups were similar. Valvular replacement was the elected procedure in cases of valvular degeneration or of aortic annular ectasia. In cases of cusp prolapse with enlarged annulus a plastic procedure was used; in 48% of the cases it was possible to preserve the valve. In the 23 patients submitted to valve replacement, the Bentall and De Bono technique was utilized. In six patientes other surgical procedures were associated. Biological adhesives were utilized in every patient operated on from 1986 on. In 41 patients (93%) the proximal aorta was substituted and in the remaining three an aortoplasty was performed. Five patients (11%) had hospitalar deaths, three due to low-output syndrome, one due to bleeding and one on account of neurological complications. Late death occurred in two patients (4%). The follow-up of the 37 surviving patients varied from two to 108 months (mean: 18 months); of these, 78% were in fuctional class I, and the others in class II. Two patients that had their aortic valve preserved presented mild aortic insufficiency. Three patients with bioprosthesis were reoperated on due to dysfunction. One patient submitted to aortoplasdty and an aortic valve plastic procedure presenting redissection and aortic insufficiency after 60 months, was reoperated on using the Bentall technique. In the actuarial curve analysis, patients submitted to valvuloplasty procedures had longer survival rates than the valve replacement patients. It is possible to conclude that: 1) valvular resuspension is a satisfactory technique in patients with chronic dissection of the aorta, with low mortality and less complications than valvular replacement; 2) identification of the mechanism producing the valvular insufficiency is fundamental for the choice of the surgical procedure; 3) the use of biological adhesives render easy the handling of the aorta and lessen the intraoperative bleeding; 4) when valvular replacement is indicated, mechanical prostheses are preferred, since reoperations are more difficult in these patients; 5) aortoplasties are avoided due to the high incidence of aortic redissection. Keywords: aortic dissection, surgery; heart valves, aortic, surgery

Between April 1980 and March 1990 we performed eight surgical angioplasties of the left main coronary artery and/or its ostium and of the right coronary artery's ostium. There was no early mortality, and these patients were followed by a period of one to 109 months (medium of 43.2 months). We have observed improvement in the clinical symptoms and functional class. A new angiocardiography was performed in six patients, for angioplasty control and left ventricular (L V) function evaluation if there was an adequate anatomy on the surgical corrected site and an improvement on the L V contractility and ejection fraction. There were two late deaths. One patient died 39 of postoperative months in congestive heart failure and with angor pectoris, the other one in a car accident 109 months after the surgical correction. These results lead us to conclude that surgical angioplasty for ostium, right or left main coronary artery due to obstructive lesions, isolated or associated with other defects, is an optimal procedure to coronary revascularization. Keywords: myocardial revascularization, surgery

Although there have been a great improvement in valvular prosthesis we still have problems concerning durability and thrombosis. In this paper we describe the transposition of pulmonary valve to aortic position with reconstruction of the outflow tract with a pericardial valvular tube, with very good results, in one patient. Keywords: heart valves prostheses, biologic; pericardial valvular tube, surgery

This investigation was performed in order to evaluate the degree of myocardial protection in a group of 20 dogs. They were submitted to myocardial anoxia by cross-clamping of the ascending aorta for sixty minutes under extracorporeal circulation, followed by reperfusion for 120 minutes. Hemodynamic changes of the myocardium were studied, and the protection to anoxia offered by cardioplegic solutions and hypothermia was evaluated. The animals were divided in four groups with five dogs in each. In the first and second group, called control-group, myocardial anoxia was induced in normothermia and hypothermia (28ºC). In the third and fourth groups, besides the 28ºC systemic hypothermia, coronary infusions of cardioplegic solutions with and without blood were performed. In each group of dogs a significant lowering of cardiac output was observed at 30 minutes of myocardial reperfusion. Followed 120 minutes, group III and IV dogs showed cardiac output recovevy, and the lack of elevation in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, indicating preservation of its mechanical function. This was not observed in other animals, in which cardioplegia was not used. Both cardioplegic solutions used protect efficiently the myocardial cells against anoxia in functional aspects. It was not possible, however, to demonstrate any superiority of the blood solution over an acellular solution. Keywords: myocardial protection, cardioplegia

The right coronary artery, during your course in the right atrioventricular sulcus, can sometimes penetrate the right atrial cavity. This anatomical variety can modify the surgical tactics in aortocoronary by-pass surgery. In this paper we present a patient in whom the by-pass with saphenous vein graft to the right coronary artery was made in right intracavitary position. Keywords: coronary artery, revascularization; myocardial revascularization, surgery

Five-hundred and three patients, with age equal or above 80 years, were surgically treated at the Heart Institute from January 78 to July 90. Aiming to characterize this octogenarian population submitted to myocardial revascularization, data were retrospectively pursued. This study analyzed clinical,radiological, hemodynamic, operative and postoperative factors; there was no statistical analysis of the material. Hospital mortality was 2/15 (13.33%) and in a mean follow-up of 24.7 months (5-50) five patients evoluted to death due to hemorrhagic vascular cerebral accident, urinary tract infection, mesenteric thrombosis, pulmonary infection and diabetis dysfunction, secondary to urinary tract infection. All of the survivals improved as to the sintomatology related to angina and cardiac insufficiency. Observations based on the data collected reveal that 1) there was no operative death; 2) hospital mortality was related to infectious processes; 3) in late follow-up the great majority of patients referred improvement as to the sintomatology and therefore in the quality of life, and 4) isolatedly, age did not represent a risk factor for surgical treatment. Keywords: myocardial revascularization, elderly patients

From January 1983 to December 1988, 131 patients with ages iqual or less than 15 years old were submitted to valve surgery; 74 (56%) were of acquired ethiology and 57 (44%) were congenital. In 100 (76.3%) patients operation was performed in only one valve. There were 63 valve replacements (re-replacement in six), 103 conservative procedures and in three valve exereses was performed. Among the 63 prosthesis, 59 (93.6%) were biological and 4 (6.3%) mechanical. Twenty-one patients (16%) were reoperated upon, 17 (81%) of them due to prosthesis dysfunction. The average time of calcification was 40 months (3.3 years). Hospitaly mortality was 7.5% and late mortality was 2.2%. In the follow-up of 2787 months/patient all of them were in fuctional class I or II (NYHA). Keywords: heart valves, surgery, children; heart valves, surgery, adolescent patients

This paper presents psychological and emotional characteristics that were found common to patients that underwent a first coronary angioplasty at Instituto Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologia. We studied 84 patients of both sexes, with mean age of 55 years. Two semi-directed interviews were conducted by the psychology team, and during each of them the State-Trait - Anxiety Inventory STAI and the Hamilton Scale were applied. Such interviews were conducted immediately before PTCA and repeated one day after it, at patient's discharge. We concluded that most patients had a type A personality, typical of patients with coronary artey disease, high constitutional stress and anxiety-trace higher than the average population. There was also a high incidence of tension, depression, competitivity and humor lability. Keywords: myocardial revascularization, psychological profile of patients; angioplasty, coronary, psychological profile of patients; psychological profile, coronarian patients