Mitral and aortic valve replacement with tricuspid annuloplasty in a patient suffering from hereditary spherocytosis

A 51-year-old woman was admitted with increasing shortness of breath. Preoperative evaluation disclosed MSr + ASr + TR. She had been undergone a splenectomy at 35-year-old for hereditary spherocytosis (HS). The patient underwent successful mitral valve replacement with a No. 25 Bj?rk-Shiley (BS) valve, aortic valve replacement with a No. 21 BS valve, and tricuspid valve annuloplasty by means of membrane oxygenator (COBE). Haptoglobin and poloxamer 188 were used for prevention of hemolysis during extracorporeal circulation. No significant hemolysis occurred intra-or postoperatively. A very rare case of open heart surgery associated with HS was reported.     

Mitral valve repair in a patient with previous percutaneous annuloplasty with a CARILLON device

A 67-year-old female patient was referred to our clinic for coronary artery bypass graft and severe mitral regurgitation (MR) treatment. The patient had a history of coronary disease and MR treated in 2007 with a CARILLON device. Left mammary and saphenous vein were used to graft the diseased coronaries. MR was corrected with a saddle ring; however, we had some difficulties anchoring ring sutures to the mitral annulus caused by the protruding CARILLON. The ring was finally stitched, and the patient was weaned from bypass. A transoesophageal echo showed a competent valve. The patient was transferred to the intensive care unit on moderate catecholamines.     

Alternative technique for implanting an epicardial cardioverter defibrillation patch during a tricuspid valve replacement for arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy

Transvenous endocardial cardioverter defibrillator lead implantation is contraindicated in patients with prosthetic tricuspid valves (TVs). A 61-year-old male was hospitalized due to right heart failure, severe TV regurgitation, and non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT), which required Sotalol. The patient received an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) using an epicardial cardioverter defibrillation patch during a TV replacement (TVR) for VT and severe TV regurgitation because of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. There were no complications and the stimulation thresholds were stable. ICD implantation with the use of an epicardial cardioverter defibrillation patch serves as a safe, easy and effective therapy for patients undergoing TVR complicated with ventricular arrhythmia.     

Mitral valve repair in a patient with acromegaly

We report on a successful mitral valve (MV) repair and modified Cox maze procedure in a 35-year-old male patient with acromegaly, associated with severe mitral regurgitation and atrial fibrillation. He underwent a transsphenoidal adenomectomy, 7 months after the cardiac operation, and IGF-I level was normalized postoperatively. Valvular disease in patients with acromegaly is associated with hormonal activity, and control of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor I excesses is important in the long-term durability of mitral valve repair.     

Mitral valve repair in a patient with myelodysplastic syndrome

Open heart operations for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) are associated with infective and bleeding complications. We report a 67-year-old woman with rheumatic, severe mitral regurgitation and mitral stenosis associated with MDS who underwent a mitral valve (MV) repair. Commissurotomy was performed in the anterior commissure. Autologous pericardial patch treated with glutaraldehyde solution was prepared. The anterior leaflet was completely detached from the posterior to the anterior commissure. The anterior leaflet was augmented by autologous pericardial patch treated with glutaraldehyde solution and three pairs of artificial chordae were implanted. Postoperative transesophageal echocardiography showed an increase in the MV orifice and less than trivial mitral regurgitation. Two years after the operation, the patient has normal sinus rhythm with no deterioration of the MV lesion by transthoracic echocardiography. Although the feasibility of MV repair is low in patients with restrictive pathology due to rheumatic disease, MV repair may be preferred in patients with MDS.     

Follow-up of patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy dysplasia.

OBJECTIVE: The enlargement of data on the natural course and management of patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia (ARVC/D). DESIGN: Retrospective and partly prospective observational study. SETTING: Cardiac Unit, Wentworth Hospital, Durban--the only unit in KwaZulu-Natal providing an arrhythmia and electrophysiology service. STUDY POPULATION: Those included were: (i) patients referred for palpitations, unexplained syncope, or ventricular tachycardia and in whom ARVC/D was diagnosed according to multiple criteria; and (ii) family members of patients with ARVC/D in whom the disease was documented using the same criteria. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASUREMENTS: Diagnosis, management, morbidity and mortality were analysed. RESULTS: Twelve patients were diagnosed with ARVC/D over a period or 6 years. At the end of follow-up for 3.4 +/- 3.2 years, 7 of them were well and alive on anti-arrhythmic medication, 2 were asymptomatic, and 3 had died. One death was sudden, 1 patient died due to left ventricular failure, and 1 patient died due to a low cardiac output syndrome 3 months after right ventricular isolation, i.e. the mortality rate was 25%. ARVC/D was found in all racial groups and was familial in 5 patients (42%). In all but one patient the correct diagnosis was not suspected by the referring institution, physician or cardiologist. CONCLUSIONS: ARVC/D needs to be included into a differential diagnosis of unexplained syncope, palpitations, or ventricular tachycardia by all health service providers. Its management remains a complex challenge with varying results.     

Mitral valve repair in a patient with Ter Haar Syndrome

Ter Haar Syndrome is one of the most deteriorating disorders defined in the medical era. Up to date only ten patients were reported. We present a living patient with Ter Haar Syndrome who has undergone successful mitral valve repair.     

Mitral and tricuspid valve repair in patients with previous mediastinal radiation therapy

Background

The purpose of this study was to evaluate outcomes of mitral and tricuspid valve repair after mediastinal radiation therapy.

Methods

From 1976 to 2001, 22 patients (mean age 61 ± 14 years) underwent mitral (n = 14), tricuspid (n = 6), or both (n = 2) valve repairs 15 ± 9 years after mediastinal radiation therapy. Concomitant procedures included coronary artery bypass graft, 11 patients; valve replacement, 6 patients (4 aortic, 3 mitral, 1 tricuspid, and 1 pulmonary); and pericardiectomy, 4 patients.

Results

Total follow-up was 82.5 patient-years (mean 3.7 ± 3.3 years). Early mortality was 3 patients. There were 7 late deaths, 4 of which were of cardiovascular origin. Of the 19 early survivors, 2 required subsequent valve replacements, and 1 required cardiac transplantation 3.4 ± 2.8 years after valve repair. One patient died after reoperation. In 4 patients who did not undergo reoperation, echocardiographic examinations showed progressive deterioration of their repaired valve function. Overall survival, freedom from cardiac death, and freedom from valve reoperation or cardiac transplantation at 5 years for early survivors was 66%, 85%, and 88%, respectively. New York Heart Association functional class at follow-up was I or II in 8 of the 12 late survivors.

Conclusions

Functional status was good in two-thirds of late survivors. However, severe dysfunction of the repaired valve developed in 32% of early survivors and 16% required further surgery. Valve repair is technically feasible in selected patients after mediastinal radiation therapy; however, the limited durability of repairs after mediastinal radiation in this series suggests that valve replacement might be preferable.     

Mitral valve repair in a patient with a porcelain ascending aorta

A 78-year-old patient with heavily calcified ascending aorta underwent mitral valve repair for mitral valve regurgitation. Chordal replacement with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) loop technique was done under endo aortic clamp with a balloon catheter. He was discharged from the hospital on the 24th postoperative day without any major complications. Endo aortic clamp is thought to be a useful technique for a case with heavily calcified aorta.     

Tricuspid annuloplasty and right ventricular function in mitral valve disease

From 1985 to 1987, we examined relationship between the lesion of tricuspid valve and right ventricular function in 31 patients (male: 9, female: 22) with mitral valve disease. The median age at operation was 52 years (range 37-69 years). Group I consisted of 17 patients (MS: 10, MSR: 5, MR: 2) accompanied with tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and Group II 14 patients (MS: 12, MSR: 2) without TR. In all cases of Group I tricuspid annuloplasty (TAP) were performed correctly. De Vega methods were done in 12 cases and Carpentier rings were used in 5 cases. Cardiac catheterization was done before and after operation. And right ventricular volume was measured by right ventricular angiography. In both groups pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, pulmonary artery pressure and cardiac index were improved postoperatively. Pulmonary artery resistance (PAR) and total pulmonary resistance (TPR) in Group I were significantly higher before operation but there were no difference between two groups postoperatively. Right ventricular end-diastolic volume index (RVEDVI) and right ventricular end-systolic volume index (RVESVI) in Group I were significantly improved postoperatively, but in Group II these were within normal range both pre- and postoperatively. Preoperative PAR was correlated inversely with postoperative right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF). It means that patients with severe pulmonary vascular lesion had postoperative lower right ventricular function. In both groups, RVESVI was in inverse correlation with RVEF pre- and postoperatively. In both groups, there was an inverse correlation between the per cent change of RVESVI and that of RVEF. This means that RVESVI influenced right ventricular pump function.     

Transvenous right ventricular pacing in a patient with tricuspid mechanical prosthesis

Torsion of remaining lobes after pulmonary resection is a potentially serious complication with high reported morbidity and mortality. A range of additional procedures has been described, we have used a simple, effective, quick and easy to reproduce minor procedure to prevents torsion.     

Postoperative death in a patient with unrecognized arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia syndrome

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia is an inherited disease causing fatty replacement of heart tissue. This disease often presents as T-wave inversion in the anterior leads of the electrocardiogram (ECG) with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. In older patients, progressive right and left ventricular failure can develop. This is a case report of postoperative death occurring in a 59-yr-old woman with undiagnosed arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia after hepatic cystectomy. The patient had T-wave inversion in the inferior ECG leads and no history of arrhythmias. During general anesthesia, cardiovascular collapse occurred in the absence of arrhythmias that was unresponsive to resuscitation.     

Mitral valve repair in a transplanted heart via right thoracotomy

With increasing longevity of many heart transplant recipients, the need for cardiac surgery upon the transplanted heart will become more common Herein is presented an illustrative case that reinforces the utility of a right-side thoracotomy to approach valve repair in the transplanted heart.