Mid-term results of combined transmyocardial laser revascularization and coronary artery bypass

BACKGROUND: Transmyocardial laser revascularization is increasingly used to treat intractable angina in the absence of graftable vessels; however, its role in combination with coronary artery bypass grafting remains undefined. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the outcome of the combination therapy at mid-term follow-up. METHODS: Patients (n = 20) who had elective coronary artery bypass with one or more nongraftable coronary arteries were prospectively randomized to have either coronary artery bypass grafting alone or combination coronary artery bypass grafting plus transmyocardial laser revascularization with a holmium:YAG (yttrium-aluminum-garnet) laser to nongraftable areas. All patients had an exercise tolerance test preoperatively and at 6, 18, and 36 months follow-up. Stress echocardiography was performed on 17 patients at 18 months postoperatively, and regional wall motion score index was calculated in lased and nonlased nonrevascularizable myocardium of the left ventricle at rest and with dobutamine stress. RESULTS: Both groups of patients were similar in preoperative demographics and operative data. There was no perioperative death. There was no difference between the two groups in angina scoring at 6, 18, and 36 months follow-up. Exercise tolerance improved by a mean of 46.8 +/- 20.0 seconds in the coronary artery bypass grafting group versus 199.2 +/- 66.5 seconds per patient in the coronary artery bypass grafting plus transmyocardial laser revascularization group (p = 1.8 x10(-6)) at 6 months; this benefit was maintained at 18 months (157 +/- 46.3 versus 61 +/- 39.2 seconds; p = 4 x10(-4)) but was lost at 36 months (57.2. +/- 42.1 versus 68.1 +/- 46.7 seconds; p = 0.70). The mean values for wall motion score index in the lased and nonlased regions at each stage of dobutamine stress at 18 months after surgery were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of coronary artery bypass and transmyocardial laser revascularization improved exercise tolerance in patients in whom complete revascularization could not be achieved by bypass grafting alone in the short term, but this benefit was lost by 36 months postoperatively. The transient improvement in exercise tolerance cannot be explained by changes in contractility in the lased areas.     

Left ventricular rupture during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting

Left ventricular rupture is a highly lethal, but rare, complication of myocardial infarction. We report the first case of a postinfarction, intraoperative left ventricular apical rupture during an off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting due to the application of apical suction used to expose target vessels.     

Breast infarction due to calciphylaxis after coronary artery bypass grafting

The use of the internal mammary artery for coronary artery bypass grafting is common. We describe a patient with chronic renal insufficiency who had no need for dialysis, and who suffered from breast necrosis after coronary artery bypass grafting with internal mammary artery harvesting due to calciphylaxis. The histology report of the breast tissue showed mural vascular calcification and intima proliferation of small-sized to medium-sized vessels. This causes ischemic necrosis of the skin and septal panniculitis. We believe that this is the first case report of breast necrosis after coronary artery bypass grafting, due to calciphylaxis in a patient with known chronic renal insufficiency, without renal replacement therapy.     

Platelet transfusion associated with acute lung injury after coronary artery bypass grafting

Transfusion-related acute lung injury is a potentially fatal complication of blood and plasma transfusion; however, the incidence relating to platelet use in cardiac surgery is uncommon. In the presence of normal left ventricular function, an acute increase in pulmonary capillary permeability leads to a high protein content pulmonary edema, which leads to a dramatic reduction in pulmonary function due to acute lung injury and also intravascular fluid depletion. The clinical picture is acute and the condition is associated with considerable mortality. Although the exact mechanism of transfusion-related acute lung injury is unknown, it may be due to an antibody-mediated reaction caused by preformed leukocyte antibodies or activation of inflammatory mediators. The signs, diagnosis, and therapeutic interventions are discussed with reference to a case report.     

A rare case of coronary artery bypass grafting in a patient with left ventricular noncompaction

Ventricular myocardium noncompaction is a rare congenital cardiomyopathy resulting from an arrest in normal endomyocardial embryogenesis. Initially the noncompaction of the left ventricle was described in the pediatrics population with poor prognosis, but recent reports have noticed the presence of this pathology in the adult population. We describe a 54-year-old man with isolated noncompaction of the left ventricle who had ischemic heart disease and was successfully treated with bypass surgery.     

Ten-year follow-up after combined coronary artery bypass grafting and transmyocardial laser revascularization in patients with disseminated coronary atherosclerosis

Coronary artery disease involving heavily calcified lesions has been associated with worse short- and long-term outcomes including increased mortality. This paper aims to evaluate long-term survival benefit when CABG + transmyocardial laser revascularization (TMLR) are performed on the hearts of patients with disseminated coronary atherosclerosis (DCA). This novel retrospective study was conducted between 1997 and 2002 and followed 86 patients with ischemic heart disease and severe DCA who underwent TMLR using a Holmium:YAG laser and/or CABG. There were 46 patients who had CABG plus TMLR on at least one heart wall (“combined therapy group”) and 40 patients who had CABG or TMLR separately on at least one heart wall (“single therapy group”). For the whole group, actuarial survival at 10 years was 78.3% in the combined group compared to 72.5% in the single therapy group (p?=?0.535). Ten-year survival in the combined vs. single therapy group for the anterior heart walls was 100 vs. 72.2% (p?=?0.027). For the lateral and posterior heart walls were 73.7 vs. 73.3% (p?=?0.97) and 84.2 vs. 72% (p?=?0.27), respectively. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed benefit only for the anterior heart wall (F Cox test, p?=?0.103). Single therapy procedures on all heart walls (odds ratio 1.736, p?=?0.264) or on the anterior heart wall only (odds ratio 3.286, p?=?0.279) were found to be predictors of 10-year late mortality. Combined therapy (TMLR + CABG) provides benefit for perioperative mortality and long-term survival only when provided on the anterior heart wall. For patients with disseminated coronary atherosclerosis, cardiac mortality was found to be increased when followed up 6 years later, regardless of the therapy applied.