Volume 2 - Número 2

The ventricular septal rupture (VSR) following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a rare and catasthrophic complication with a high mortality rate. Surgery is the only effective procedure to try to control this complication. However the surgical mortality is elevated and is closely related to the post-infarct period thus making the indication for the precise time for surgery one the fundamental aspects for its success. In a population of 48 patients with diagnosis of VSD following AMI, according to the criteria of the Myocardial Infarction Research United, we treated 32 (67%) with surgery. The diagnosis was confirmed by hemodynamic in all patients. The AMI was anterior in 18 cases (56%) and inferior in 14 (44%); the mortality rate is 6 (33%) and 4 (29%) cases respectively. Severe heart failure (Killip III and IV) was present in 26 cases (81%) and life threatening arrhythmias in 13 (41%). A Swan-Ganz catheter was introduced at bedside in 18 (56%) patients to confirm the diagnosis and provide a better therapeutic management. Angiographic studies were performed in 31 (97%). Cineangiography showed a critical lesion (obstruction equal or greater than 70% of the lumen) in one vessel in 22 patients (71%): left anterior descending coronary artery in 15 (68%), right coronary artery in 6 (27%) and left circunflex in 1 (5%). Nine cases (29%) had critical lesions in two vessels. The pulmonary artery pressure was always elevated in those patients in whom the pressure was measured. Clinical treatment was used in 16 (33%) cases and all died during hospitalization. Eight patients (25%) underwent the surgery within the first two weeks and 24 (75%) after this period; mortality rate was 6 (75%) and 4 (17%) cases respectively. Nine patients were re-catheterized in the post operative period and only one presented signs of significant shunt in the ventricular level. This patient who was the oldest of the group was reoperated later. Of the 22 patients discharged from the hospital 15 are long-term survivors. In 3 the follow-up was lost and 4 died. The accumulated data allows us to conclude that: 1) the attempt to postpone surgery by keeping the patients under medical treatment waiting for a more favorable time for surgery did not produce satisfactory results; 2) surgery should be performed in the acute phase (first two weeks) in spite of a still elevated mortality in this group; 3) after the first two weeks the results are good with low mortality rate for this kind of surgery; 4) VSD reappearence was infrequent. Keywords: ventricular septal defect, surgery; myocardial infarct, surgery

The authors present 6 cases of calcified aortic valves, removed from patients during aortic valve replacement, which underwent photodebridement with CO₂ laser. Radiographic, photografic weight and histopathological studies have shown extensive debridement, and the valves showing improved morphology and function. The advantages of the procedure made concerning valve replacement and clinical application is foreseen for the method. Keywords: laser, cardiac valve replacement; photodebridement, cardiac valves; cardiac valves, surgery

The coronary artery bypass surgery is frequently used to treat the residual lesion after myocardial infarction reperfusion. Patients may undergo surgery during the acute or late phase. This study analyses the results of 45/159 (28%) patients who underwent a coronary bypass surgery after successful myocardial reperfusion with streptokinase or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Patients were divided into two groups accordingly to the reperfusion technique: I) 27 (60%) reperfused with the use of streptokinase, intracoronary in 22 (81%) and intravenous in 5 (18%); II) 18 (40%) reperfused with the aid of PTCA, alone in 10 (55%) and following previous streptokinase in 8 (45%). Patientes were analysed at the moment of surgery, clinical evolution, late cinecoronariography and death, and were followed from 2 to 55 months. Authors analise the results and the capacity of bypass surgery complement successfull myocardial reperfusion during acute myocardial infarction. Keywords: myocardial infarct, surgery; myocardial revascularization, surgery

We report the immediate postoperative results of 98 patients who underwent surgical treatment for tetralogy of Fallot. A paliative operation was employed in 29 children and total correction was performed in 80 patients (109 operations). There were 2 postoperative deaths in the group of paliative treatment which occurred in the beggining of our experience and no deaths were found in the last 20 operations. In the group of patients who underwent total correction there were 9 deaths (11,2%), but only 2 of these deaths occurred in the last 42 patients operated. The presence of a previous shunt (8 patients) did not interfere with the postoperative result. The factors that determined a higher postoperative mortality were: age under 2 years, weight under 10 kg, presence of transannular patch of the right ventricle and some kinds of associated anomalies. Our combined operative mortality of 4.7% in the last 2,5 years, is the support of our current choice for 2-stage surgical correction. Keywords: tetralogy of Fallot, surgery, risk factors

Surgical treatment is becoming accepted as the best means of dealing with acute bacterial endocarditis in many clinical settings. The continuing changes in diagnosis, bacteriology and clinical picture of this disease must be accounted for by the surgical teams. Definition of the rules for management of this severe condition has been a matter of concern for us in the last years. From November 1983 to November 1986, 6.7% of the valvar substitutions in our Service were due to active infection (32 of 477 patients). The site of infection was the mitral valve in six patients, aortic valve in 12 patients (one death) mitral and aortic valves in six patients (two deaths), mitral prostheses in two patients (one death) aortic prostheses (three deaths), mitral, aortic and tricuspid valves in one patient (one death) and the wall of the left ventricle in one patient. Age varied from 10 to 56 years (m=29.2 years). Seven patients were females and 24 males. All patients were white. Analysis of the pathologic findings allowed us to define three subgroups: In subgroup A, 11 operations were done for simple valvar lesions. All patients left the hospital. Fifteen patients were in the subgroup of extensive valvar or perivalvar lesions, five of which died. Among the six prosthetic infections there were four deaths. The favorable outcome of the patients operated on for simple valvar lesions and the high risk of those who presented extensive tissue destruction or prosthetic infection makes us to prefer immediate surgical treatment if there is no clear response to antibiotics within 24 to 48 hours. Keywords: endocarditis, infective, surgery

The authors present the innitial experience with 27 patients, submitted to orthotopic heart transplantation, during the period of 23 months (march 85 to february 87), at the Heart Institute, University of São Paulo Medical School. Indications were idiopathic cardiomiopathy in 12 cases (44.5%), ischemic cardiomiopathy in 10 cases (37%), Chagas' cardiomiopathy in 4 cases (14.8%) and rheumatic heart valve disease in 1 case (37%). The early mortality was 37% (1 case), caused by inespecific graft failure long distance hearvesting and the late mortality was 7.4% (2 cases), caused by rejection and infective endocarditis. The 24 surviving patients were (70.3%) in NYHA class I, 1 patient (37%) is in functional class II and 4 patients are in early post-operative period. Keywords: heart transplantation, orthotopic

The surgical experience in the treatment of 72 patients with proximal aortic dissections was analized to identify the determinants of high operative risk. Thirty-seven patients were operated upon in the acute stage and the dissection was restrict to ascending aorta in 9. The most common surgical procedure was the interposition of Dacron graft in the ascending aorta associated to obliteration of false lumen. The aortic arch was approached only in 5 patients. The overall operative mortality was 27.7% and patients with acute dissections had mortality rate of 43.5%. There was a direct relationship between the causes of death and preoperative complications in 45% of these cases. The following factors were considered predictors of high operative risk: previous neurologic compromise, cardiac tamponade, persistent shock, acute myocardial ischemia and renal dysfunction. Involvement of innominate or carotid arteries by dissection, presence of intimal tear in aortic arch, mesenteric ischemia and only in the acute cases, moderate or severe aortic valve incompetence were also correlated with a higher operative mortality. In conclusion, the operative risk of the treatment of proximal aortic dissection has a relationship with preoperative clinical condition. Better results in the acute stage could be improved by early diagnosis and adequate medical therapy during investigation period. Keywords: thoracic aorta, surgery, risk factors

The authors make a revision in the techniques for aortic aneurysm surgery with aortic valve lesion. They shown the results with 11 patients operated by BENTALL and DE BONO techniques with an open bovine pericardium IMC tubular and valvular graft without dead due to technic or due to the graft utilized. 8 patients, were male, age between 31-65 years old (mean 50) 3 were female, age between 20-53 (mean 38); two surgeries were made in urgency and 9 in emergency. Two patients have associated mitral lesion associated with valvar change by IMC biological prosthesis. Just one patient needed a saphenous vein graft to right coronary artery because there was lesion in its ostium. The histopatologic showed mixomatosis degeneration in 4 cases, fibroses in 4, reumatic disease in 2, and pancarditis in 1. After discourse about the methods complications and difficulties, we deduced that the thecnique employed is the choice from the treatment of this disease and pericardium valvar bovine graft turns the surgery more easy because it is flexible and hemostatic and doesn't need an hemostatic preparation before implantation. Keywords: ascending aorta, surgery; aortic valve, prosthesis; valvar tube graft

The author presents a case of a 13-year old girl with pulmonary trunk dissection and rupture with a cardiac tamponade. There was a ductus arteriosus persistent and a non stenotic bicuspid pulmonary valve. A plexogenic pulmonary arteriopathy and severe process of injury and repair in the elastic vessels are present. The significance of medionecrosis in the pathogenesis ot pulmonary dissection is discussed. An analysis of reports in dissecting pulmonary aneurysm reveals a fatal outcome in the vast majority of them, due either to arterial rupture or obstruction. Keywords: pulmonary artery, dissection; patent ductus arteriosus