Left ventricular venting during cardioplegic arrest

A technique is described for venting the left ventricle during ischemic arrest without cannulation of the ventricle. This approach is ideally suited for coronary revascularization.     

Importance of topical hypothermia during heterogeneous distribution of cardioplegic solution

Recent studies have suggested that topical hypothermia may be unnecessary during coronary bypass operations because of possible pulmonary complications resulting from phrenic nerve damage. This study was undertaken to determine whether topical hypothermia is necessary for optimal myocardial protection when distribution of the cardioplegic solution is heterogeneous because of coronary occlusions. Twenty pigs were subjected to 120 minutes of ischemic arrest with multidose potassium crystalloid cardioplegia (4 degrees C). During arrest, the mid-left anterior descending coronary artery was occluded with a snare that was released on reperfusion. Ten of these pigs received topical hypothermia and 10 others served as controls. Hearts protected with topical hypothermia had lower temperatures in the left anterior descending (7.0 degrees +/- 0.7 degree C versus 18.5 degrees +/- 0.5 degree C; p less than 0.05) and circumflex regions (8.9 degrees +/- 0.5 degree C versus 15.5 degrees +/- 0.5 degree C; p less than 0.05). The pH values were higher in hearts protected with topical hypothermia in both the left anterior descending (7.36 +/- 0.09 versus 6.73 degrees +/- 0.07; p less than 0.05) and circumflex regions (7.40 +/- 0.07 versus 7.05 +/- 0.07; p less than 0.05). Topical hypothermia also resulted in better preservation of postischemic stroke work index (0.64 +/- 0.06 versus 0.40 +/- 0.08 gm-m/kg; p less than 0.05) and wall motion scores (1.0 +/- 0.3 hypothermia versus 1.8 +/- 0.4 no hypothermia; p less than 0.05). We conclude that topical hypothermia affords maximal myocardial protection when coronary occlusions are present and should be used during all coronary operations.     

Use of the pulmonary artery for left ventricular venting during cardiac operations

Data relating to the hemodynamic efficaciousness and mechanism of action of a pulmonary artery catheter or vent used for left ventricular venting during cardiac operations are presented. The pulmonary artery vent is a plastic sump catheter that is introduced into the main pulmonary artery through a purse-string suture and connected via a roller pump to the venous reservoir of the heart-lung perfusion machine. Placement and removal require only a few minutes. The pulmonary artery vent retrieved 85% of a 99mtechnetium-labeled solution placed in the left atrium during aortic cross-clamping, and there was no detectable radioactivity in peripheral or aortic root blood samples. Pulmonary artery vent return during cardiopulmonary bypass in 10 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass averaged 12.5 L. The effectiveness of left ventricular decompression was evaluated in 20 patients also undergoing bypass grafting. Use of the pulmonary artery vent consistently and significantly decreased left heart pressures, compared to the control situation with the vent off, with the aortic cross-clamp applied, and in both the fibrillating and beating heart in the early postischemic reperfusion period. We reached the following conclusions: (1) The pulmonary artery vent withdraws left heart blood via the pulmonary vasculature, in addition to returning right heart spillover and retrieving bronchial flow. (2) Left heart pressures are reduced to levels which reduce oxygen demands and preserve endocardial perfusion, therefore protecting myocardium, during fibrillation and during coronary reperfusion of the beating heart. (3) Because of its effectiveness and safety, especially the impossibility of introducing air into the left ventricle, the pulmonary artery vent is recommended for routine left ventricular venting.     

Pulmonary artery versus left ventricular venting: a radioisotope study of left ventricular function

Radionuclide measurements of ejection fraction were used to assess immediate and late postoperative ventricular function after the use of either a pulmonary artery vent (group A) or a left ventricular vent (group B) in 20 patients undergoing aortic valve replacement for pure aortic stenosis. Ten patients were included in each group and anesthetic techniques, patient management, and septal temperatures were similar in all cases. No significant difference was found between the preoperative and immediate or 6-week postoperative ejection fractions, either taken overall or between the two groups (p greater than 0.05; Student's t test). No correlation was found between cross-clamp time, bypass time, or the occurrence of ventricular fibrillation and the immediate postoperative ejection fraction (p greater than 0.05; Student's t test). There was no significant difference in the incidence of ventricular fibrillation after each type of vent had been used (chi 1(0) = 3.32; p greater than 0.05). We did not demonstrate any abnormalities in regional wall motion associated with apical insertion of a left ventricular vent, and conclude that pulmonary artery and left ventricular vents are equally satisfactory in terms of postoperative ventricular performance.     

A simple and safe technique of left ventricular venting.

Left ventricular venting has many physiologic and practical benefits. A venting technique is described that employs a simple, closed system which allows the perfusionist to monitor left ventricular distention. By monitoring the left ventricular volume the perfusionist can regulate the degree of negative pressure on the vent and thus reduce the chance of air entering the heart.     

Heterogeneous distribution of cardioplegic solution in pigs

Septal dyskinesia in the left ventricle is detected frequentlyin many patients after open-heart surgery. The present studywas designed to determine whether the antegrade delivery ofcardioplegic solution to the regional wall categorized in echocardiographyis homogeneous, and whether the distribution to the septal walldiffers from that to the lateral wall in the absence of coronaryartery disease. To assess these hypotheses quantitatively, radioactivemicrospheres were mixed into the cardioplegic solution and infusedby an antegrade method in eight normal pigs. The cardioplegicdistribution to the septal wall was significantly less thanto the lateral wall close to the base of the left ventricle(P<0.05). Therefore, antegrade perfusion of cardioplegicsolution was non-uniformly distributed to the regional and transmuralwall of normal pig hearts. Absence of functional correlationwas a limitation of this study. However, these findings suggestthat inadequate protection of the ventricular septum by antegradecardioplegia might be an explanation for the abnormalities ofseptal wall motion after open-heart surgery. Br J Anaesth 2001; 86: 427–30     

Enhanced functional recovery with venting during cardioplegic arrest in chronically damaged hearts

Thirty dogs with experimental myocardial infarction underwent cardiopulmonary bypass, hypothermic asanguineous K+ cardioplegia (1 hour), and reperfusion (30 minutes). Ten hearts were vented throughout, 5 only during arrest, and 5 only during reperfusion; 10 were not vented. Left ventricular (LV) performance and compliance were assessed by isovolumic (LV balloon) indexes before bypass and after reperfusion. Vented hearts recovered 116 +/- 8.3% of prearrest developed LV systolic pressure (DLVSP) and 131 +/- 13.6% of prearrest rate of rise of LV pressure (dP/dt). Nonvented hearts allowed to develop pressure during arrest (11.6 +/- 1.6 mm Hg) and reperfusion (65 +/- 4 mm Hg) recovered 50 +/- 3.9% of prearrest DLVSP and 55 +/- 5% of prearrest dP/dt (p less than 0.05). Reduction in LV compliance was comparable in both groups. Mitochondrial architecture (electron microscopy) was preserved in vented hearts, but was modestly disrupted in nonvented hearts, thus suggesting slight metabolic impairment. Functional recovery was nearly complete in hearts vented only during reperfusion (DLVSP, 94 +/- 10.4%; dP/dt, 89 +/- 12.6%), but venting only during arrest led to functional depression (DLVSP, 50 +/- 6.6%; dP/dt, 51 +/- 8%; p = 0.01). We conclude that venting chronically infarcted hearts during cardiac operations affords better myocardial protection by avoiding the damage that occurs during nonvented reperfusion.     

Calcium-induced ventricular contraction during cardioplegic arrest

Cardiac arrest induced by hyperkalemic perfusion is generally considered to represent a state of complete electromechanical arrest. However, high-energy phosphate concentrations and ventricular function decrease with increasing cardioplegic calcium concentrations, possibly because of elevated resting muscle tone produced by calcium influx. We examined isolated rat hearts containing an isovolumic intraventricular balloon for the presence of contractile activity during the administration at 10 degrees C of a cardioplegic solution containing potassium, 20 mEq/L. Significant left ventricular pressure was developed (35.6% +/- 4.3% of prearrest systolic pressure) during administration of a solution containing a calcium concentration of 1.0 mmol/L and far less (9.7% +/- 1.6% of prearrest systolic pressure) with a calcium-free cardioplegic solution. The muscle contraction diminished with repeated doses, was increased by increasing cardioplegic calcium content, and was inhibited by magnesium. Adenosine triphosphate and creatine phosphate concentrations were 9.0 +/- 1.4 and 7.0 +/- 0.9 nmol/mg dry weight immediately after infusion of 15 ml of a hypoxic cardioplegic solution containing calcium, versus 13.3 +/- 1.3 (p less than 0.02) and 31.9 +/- 3.5 nmol/mg dry weight (p less than 0.0001) after a hypoxic acalcemic solution was given. When repeated doses of a hypoxic cardioplegic solution containing calcium in a concentration of 1.0 mmol/L were given at 15 minute intervals at 10 degrees C, ischemic contracture (a sustained development of ventricular pressure, mean 51% +/- 4% of prearrest systolic pressure) resulted within 1 hour. Coronary vascular resistance was increased during the muscle contractions induced by calcium-containing solutions, markedly so during contracture. Calcium-related mechanical activity was also observed during hypothermic cardioplegic arrest in five of six isolated isovolumic canine hearts. We conclude that hearts remain potentially active mechanically during cold hyperkalemic arrest and undergo energetically wasteful contraction when stimulated with calcium-containing hyperkalemic cardioplegic solutions.     

Effects of methylprednisolone in cardioplegic solution during coronary bypass grafting.

The effects of adding 500 mg. of methylprednisolone to each liter of cardioplegic solution were studied in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafts. Patients were randomly assigned to control (12 patients) or steroid-treated groups (10 patients). The cardioplegic solution was identical in the two groups except for the added methylprednisolone. Contractile element velocity (VCE and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) were recorded immediately before and after perfusion in the operating room. There were no differences between the two groups with respect to these two variables or the postoperative courses. Thus this study fails to demonstrate a beneficial effect of methylprednisolone when added to cardioplegic solutions.     

Is left ventricular venting necessary in open heart surgery?

In this study we intended to clarify the benefits of left ventricular venting by comparing the surgical results and clinical courses of 19 adult patients who underwent open heart procedures with venting and those of 44 adult patients who had open heart procedures without venting. All of the patients of both groups underwent operations for acquired heart diseases. The hospital mortality was 10.5% in the vent group and 2.3% in the no-vent group (NS). None of the deaths occurred due to the postoperative low output syndrome in either group. The incidence of spontaneous defibrillation was not different in the two groups, and no patients required postoperative IABP support in either group. The number of patients who needed catecholamine infusion for longer than 24 hours postoperatively were not statistically different in the two groups, and incidence of ventricular arrhythmias was not different in the two groups. The cardiac index determined 6 hours postoperatively was significantly higher in the no-vent group. The left atrial pressure in the no-vent group did not exceed 10 mmHg during cardiopulmonary bypass, if the central venous pressure was maintained below 7 mmHg. It was suggested that distension of the left ventricle and myocardial injuries do not occur during cardiopulmonary bypass without left ventricular venting, provided the central venous pressure is maintained below 6 or 7 mmHg.     

Ventricular fibrillation without left ventricular venting. Observations in humans.

Pressures were measured in the heart and great vessels of 52 patients who underwent coronary revascularization. In 25 patients the left ventricle was vented during fibrillation; in the others a vent was not used. Samples for blood gas analysis were obtained twice during fibrillation from the aorta, left atrium, pulmonary artery, and right atrium. Left ventricular venting was found to be effective in keeping mean left heart pressure below 10 mm Hg, although temporary incompetence of the aortic valve or malfunction of the vent occasionally caused higher pressures. Vent use led to air embolism in the aorta in 16% of the patients. In the nonvented patients mean left heart pressures remained between 10 and 20 mm Hg. However, higher values were frequently observed. Blood gas analysis demonstrated that without venting, retrograde pulmonary flow occurred during fibrillation. No abnormality was encountered that could be related to nonventing.     

Fatal cerebral embolus - a complication of left ventricular venting.

A 3-year-old child died following a routine tetralogy of Fallot repair. Death was caused by a cerebral embolus. Injury to the left ventricle during left ventricular venting resulted in an apical myocardial infarct. The embolic source was a mural thrombus covering the area of infarction. A technique is described whereby left ventricular venting can be avoided during open-heart surgery in small patients.     

Effect of venting on myocardial protection by hypothermic cardioplegic arrest

Myocardial rewarming between cardioplegic (CP) infusions is in part attributable to blood circulating through the heart from collateral channels. This experiment was performed to determine if the type of left ventricular (LV) venting affects myocardial temperature (temp) or alters myocardial protection. Twelve dogs underwent cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) at 37 degrees C and were subjected to 100 min of cardioplegic arrest by intermittent coronary infusion of 300 ml 0-4 degrees C CP solution. Arterial, central venous, left atrial, and LV pressures; cardiac output; systemic, septal (S), right ventricular (RV), and LV temp; myocardial ATP and glycogen were measured; LV pressure/volume curves and LV dp/dt were calculated. Group A (6 dogs) had an LV vent during CPB, and Group B (6 dogs) had the aorta vented via the CP line. CP infusion lowered LV temp to 8 degrees C in Group A vs 13 degrees C in Group B (P less than 0.000002); S temp was lowered to 7 degrees C in Group A vs 11 C in Group B (P less than 0.00007); and RV temp was lowered to 16 degrees C in Groups A and B. Ten minutes after CP, LV and S temp increased to 20-21 degrees C in Groups A and B, and RV temp to 24-25 degrees C in Groups A and B. Twenty minutes after CP all temperatures were the same. Hemodynamics and myocardial metabolic studies were similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Hearts vented via the LV cooled to a lower temperature vs those vented via the aorta. Venting did not affect myocardial rewarming, myocardial metabolites, or ventricular function.