CPK-MM, one of the CPK-isozyme, is divided into the three subbands (isoform) MMa, MMb, MMc. It has reported that in acute myocardial infarction serum MMa and MMa/MMc increased earlier than other myocardial intracellular enzyme, such as CPK-MB. In this study, we measured serum CPK, CPK isozyme, and CPK isoforms during and after open heart surgery and examined whether CPK isoforms would serve as a marker for myocardial damage during open heart surgery. CPK-MB peaked at 153.3±85.1IU six hours after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was taken off and subsequently decreased. On the other hand, MMa/MMc peaked at 5.6±2.2 immediately after CPB was taken off. Moreover, we found that there was a statistically significant positive correlation (Y=24.46X+16.68, r=0.63, p<0.05) between MMa/MMc immediately after CPB was taken off and CPK-MB six hours after CPB was taken off. The maximum value of CPK-MB correlates with the degree of myocardial damage. Therfore, it is reasonable to suggest that the maximum value of MMa/MMc immediately after CPB is taken off also correlates with the degree of myocardial damage. We concluded that serum CPK isoform, especially MMa/MMc served as a marker to estimates the degree of myocardial damage in open heart surgery at an early stage.

A 59-year-old man underwent an aorto-bifemoral bypass operation for aorto-iliac arteriosclerotic occlusive disease. The total aortic occlusion time was 38min. Soon after the operation, the patient was found to have motor and sensory loss between right L₂ and S₁, which did not improve. We considered that spinal cord damage was caused by occlusion of the lumbar artery as a result of side clamping of the atherosclerotic abdominal aorta. Therefore, side clamping of the atherosclerotic aorta should be avoided to prevent this serious complication.

Thrombomodulin is an endothelial cell membrane protein that is released into the blood in soluble forms in response to endothelial damage. We evaluated thrombomodulin in blood samples taken from the femoral vein before, during and after elective surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm in 9 patients. Thrombomodulin was measured using an ETA assay. Thrombomodulin decreased significantly just before aortic declamp from before surgery (p<0.001), and remained unchanged just after and 1 hour after aortic declamp. Three hours after aortic declamp, thrombomodulin increased significantly from 1 hour after aortic declamp (p<0.01), peaked at 6 hours after aortic declamp and then decreased. These data suggest that thrombomodulin did not increase significantly during surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Anastomotic false aneurysm (AFA) of the aorta or iliac artery is a rare but life-threatening complication of prosthetic grafts. We report a surgical case involving AFA of the right external iliac artery which developed at the site of peripheral anastomosis of the temporary bypass procedure used during prosthetic reconstruction of the descending aorta for dissecting aneurysm (DeBakey IIIb) 15 years previously. A 60-year-old woman was hospitalized with rapidly growing right lower abdominal mass. Computed tomography and angiography revealed that the mass was an anastomotic external iliac artery false aneurysm and surgery was performed. The AFA was exposed transperitoneally and resected with a part of the intact external iliac artery without complication. Anatomical reconstruction was completed with a prosthesis. The postoperative course was uneventful. We conclude that patients with retroperitoneal grafts require lifelong routine periodic follow-up and if an AFA is discovered, it should be resected.

We experienced unusual dilatation of gelatin-impregnated knitted Dacron prostheses after abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery. Therefore, we investigated dilatation of gelatin impregnated knitted Dacron grafts compared with other types of Dacron grafts after abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery. Eighteen grafts inserted after abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery were studied for to evaluate dilatation. Enhance CT was used to determine the external diameter of the most dilated portion of the abdominal aortic grafts and high speed plain CT was used to determine the most dilated internal diameter. The gelatin-impregnated knitted Dacron grafts dilated from 25% to 43.8% (mean 31.8±7.2%), significantly more than collagen impregnated woven Dacron grafts (p=0.0003). Moreover, high fever was frequently noticed after these grafts implantation (66.7%). Therefore, caution must be used concerning these implantation in aortic lesions and careful follow-up study should be performed after implantation.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of intraoperative autologous blood salvage during elective abdominal aortic aneurysm repair with Cell Saver 4 (Heamonetics Inc.). Fifty patients prospectively received intraoperative autologous transfusion (Group CS; n=50, 1991-94) and 25 received no intraoperative autologous transfusion (Group NCS; n=25, 1983-91). Only 7 patients in Group NCS received no homologous blood (28%), while 43 in Group CS received autologous blood transfusion (86%). There was no difference between the groups with respect to postoperative platelets counts or serum concentrations of total protein, albumin, BUN and LDH. We conclude that the use of the Cell Saver 4 reduces perioperative homologous blood during elective aortic aneurysm repair.