BACKGROUND: Recently, percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (PCPS) has been widely used to rescue patients in cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest. However, patients with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) weaning failure during open heart surgery still have very poor outcomes after PCPS. We investigated clinical results and prognostic factors for patients who underwent PCPS during open heart surgery. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From January 2005 to December 2008, 10 patients with CPB weaning failure during open heart surgery underwent PCPS using the CAPIOX emergency bypass system (EBS(R), Terumo Inc, Tokyo, Japan). We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of those 10 patients. RESULT: The average age of the patients was 60.2+/-16.5 years (range, 19~77 years). The mean supporting time was 48.7+/-64.7 hours (range, 4~210 hours). Of the 10 patients, 6 (60%) were successfully weaned from the PCPS While 5 (50%) were able to be discharged from the hospital. Complications were noted in 5 patients (50%). In univariate analysis, long aortic cross clamp time during surgery, mediastinal bleeding during PCPS and high level of Troponin-I before PCPS were significant risk factors. All of the discharged patients are still surviving 34+/-8.6 months (range, 23~48 months) post-operatively. CONCLUSION: The use of PCPS for CPB weaning failure during open heart surgery can improve the prognosis. More experience and additional clinical studies are necessary to improve survival and decrease complications.
Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Emergencies ; Extracorporeal Circulation ; Heart ; Heart Arrest ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Shock, Cardiogenic ; Thoracic Surgery ; Tokyo ; Troponin I ; Weaning

BACKGROUND: Open surgical repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms was initiated by Dubost in 1952. Despite the rapid expansion of percutaneous endovascular repair, open surgical repair is still recognized for curative intent. We retrospectively analyzed surgical outcome, complications, and mortality-related factors for patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms over a 6 year period. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We analyzed 18 patients who underwent surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysms between March 2002 and March 2008. The indications for surgery were rupture, a maximal aortic diameter >60 mm, medically intractable hypertension, or pain. RESULT: The mean age was 66.6+/-9.3 years (range, 49~81 years). Twelve patients (66.7%) were males and 6 patients were females. Extension of the aneurysm superior to the renal artery existed in 6 patients (33.3%), and extension to the iliac artery existed in 13 patients (72.2%). Five patients (27.8%) had ruptured aortic aneurysms. The mean maximal diameter of the aorta was 72.2+/-12.9 mm (range, 58~109 mm). Surgery was performed by a midline laparotomy, and 6 patients underwent emergency surgery. The mean total ischemic time from aorta clamping to revascularization was 82+/-42 minutes (range, 35~180 minutes). The mortality rate was 16.7%; the mortality rate for patients with ruptured aneurysms was 60%, and the mortality rate for patients with unruptured aneurysms was 0%. The postoperative complications included one each of renal failure, femoral artery and vein occlusion, and wound infection. The patients who were discharged had a long-term survival of 34+/-26 months (range, 4~90 months). Rupture and emergency surgery had a statistically significant mortality-related factor (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Emergency surgery for ruptured aortic aneurysms continues to have a high mortality, but unruptured cases are repaired with relative safety. Successfully operated patients had long-term survival. Even though endovascular aortic repair is the trend for abdominal aortic aneurysms, aggressive application should be determined with care. Experience and systemic support of each center is important in the treatment plan
Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, Ruptured ; Aorta ; Aorta, Abdominal ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal ; Aortic Rupture ; Constriction ; Emergencies ; Female ; Femoral Artery ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Iliac Artery ; Laparotomy ; Male ; Postoperative Complications ; Renal Artery ; Renal Insufficiency ; Retrospective Studies ; Rupture ; Veins ; Wound Infection

As living-donor liver transplant techniques develop, variations in the portal vein are seen in approximately 20% of the population. However, congenital absence of the horizontal segment of the left portal vein is very rare and has not been reported in Korea. We present a case with a congenital absence of the horizontal segment of the left portal vein that was detected during an evaluation for a living donor liver transplantation, with a review of the relevant literature.
Humans ; Korea ; Liver ; Liver Transplantation ; Living Donors ; Portal Vein ; Transplants

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (PCPS) has the potential to rescue patients in cardiogenic shock who might otherwise die. PCPS has been a therapeutic option in a variety of the clinical settings such as for patients with myocardial infarction, high-risk coronary intervention and postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock, and the PCPS device is easy to install. We report our early experience with PCPS as a life saving procedure in cardiogenic shock patients due to acute myocardial infarction. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From January 2005 to December 2006, eight patients in cardiogenic shock with acute myocardial infarction underwent PCPS using the CAPIOX emergency bypass system (EBS(R), Terumo, Tokyo, Japan). Uptake cannulae were inserted deep into the femoral vein up to the right atrium and return cannulae were inserted into the femoral artery with Seldinger techniques using 20 and 16-French cannulae, respectively. Simultaneously, autopriming was performed at the EBS(R) circuit. The EBS? flow rate was maintained between 2.5~3.0 L/min/m2 and anticoagulation was performed using intravenous heparin with an ACT level above 200 seconds. RESULT: The mean age of patients was 61.1+/-14.2 years (range, 39 to 77 years). Three patients were under control of the EBS? before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), three patients were under control of the EBS? during PCI, one patient was under control of the EBS after PCI, and one patient was under control of the EBS(R) after coronary bypass surgery. The mean support time was 47.5+/-27.9 hours (range, 8 to 76 hours). Five patients (62.5%) could be weaned from the EBS(R) after 53.6+/-27.2 hours (range, 12 to 68 hours) of support. All of the patients who could successfully be weaned from support were discharged from the hospital. There were three complications: one case of gastrointestinal bleeding and two cases of acute renal failure. Two of the three mortality cases were under cardiac arrest before EBS(R) support, and one patient had an intractable ventricular arrhythmia during the support. All of the discharged patients are still surviving at 16.8+/-3.1 months (range, 12 to 20 months) of follow-up. CONCLUSION: The use of EBS(R) for cardiogenic shock caused by an acute myocardial infarction could rescue patients who might otherwise have died. Successfully recovered patients after EBS(R) treatment have survived without severe complications. More experience and additional clinical investigations are necessary to elucidate the proper installation timing and management protocol of the EBS? in the future.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Catheters ; Emergencies ; Femoral Artery ; Femoral Vein ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Arrest ; Heart Atria ; Hemorrhage ; Heparin ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Shock, Cardiogenic ; Tokyo

BACKGROUND: Descending necrotizing mediastinitis (DNM) is a serious disease originating in odontogenic or oropharyngeal infection with high mortality despite adequate antibiotics and aggressive surgery. We analyzed results of treatment for DNM. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We studied 8 cases diagnosed as DNM from 1998 to 2007. All patients received emergent surgical drainage and debridement with broad spectrum antibiotics just after diagnosis. Antibiotics were changed after bacterial susceptibility testing. The surgical approach included 2 cases of cervicotomy, 6 cases of cervicotomy, and a thoracotomy. RESULT: The interval between symptom onset and hospitalization was 4.6+/-1.8 days (1~9 day). DNM originated in 4 cases of odontogenic infection (50%), 2 cases of oropharyngeal infection (25%), and 2 cases of unknown origin (25%). Causative organisms were found in 6 cases; Streptococcus in 4 cases, Staphylococcus in 1 case, and Klebsiella in 1 case. The Endo DNM classification was type I (2 cases), IIA (3 cases), and IIB (3 cases). The incidence of thoracotomy was 75%. The surgical mortality rate was 25% (2/8). The cause of death was multiple organ failure caused by septic shock. All mortality cases received only cervicotomy and aggravated infections after initial drainage. CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis, immediate surgical drainage, and adequate antibiotics, including covered anaerobes, are required. Thoracotomy should be performed with cervicotomy even for localized DNM.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Cause of Death ; Debridement ; Drainage ; Early Diagnosis ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Incidence ; Klebsiella ; Mediastinitis ; Multiple Organ Failure ; Necrosis ; Shock, Septic ; Staphylococcus ; Streptococcus ; Thoracotomy

Malperfusion of a major organ with aortic dissection has various clinical features according to the involved aortic branch. The morbidity and mortality rate can increase without suspicion especially during the intraoperative and postoperative period. Surgical outcomes and prognosis are influenced by early detection and active treatment, and expeditious diagnostic and therapeutic measures are mandatory for successful treatment. The authors report four successful cases of acute aortic dissection with malperfusion of various organs, such as the brain, kidney, and the lower extremities.
Brain ; Kidney ; Postoperative Period ; Prognosis

A 48-year old male patient visited our hospital with uncontrolled hypertension and pain of the left leg. CT angiography shows atherosclerotic occlusion of both renal artery orifices and the left common iliac artery. Despite of medical treatment for 2 months, the clinical condition of the patient worsened. We performed the surgical revascularization with both renal arteries and aorto-left femoral artery bypass with using an 8 mm artificial vascular graft. He lived well without hypertension with using only angiotensin receptor blocker and an anticoagulant for 10 postoperative months. Using surgical revascularization for renovascular hypertension has decreased due to the development of intervention technology and medication, but this surgery is indicated in cases of renovascular hypertension with extensive atherosclerotic lesions. We report here on a case of surgical revacularization for medically intractable atherosclerotic renovascular hypertension together with left common iliac artery occlusion.
Angiography ; Angiotensins ; Atherosclerosis ; Femoral Artery ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertension, Renovascular* ; Iliac Artery* ; Kidney ; Leg ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Renal Artery ; Transplants

A 59-year old female patient was admitted due to massive hemoptysis. 6-months previously, we performed ascending aorta graft interposition for terating Debakey type 1 acute aortic dissection. Chest CT scan showed the fistula between the descending thoracic aorta and the left lower lobe. We performed descending thoracic aorta graft interposition under cardiopulmonary bypass. She recovered well without any postoperative problems. Distal aorto-bronchial fistula after a previous aortic operation is very rare. We report here the good results of treating aorto-bronchial fistula because we recognized this lesion early and performed an early operation.
Aorta* ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Bronchi ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Female ; Fistula* ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Transplants*

A 40 year-old male patient admitted for dyspnea and edema of the lower extremities. A pulsatile abdominal mass with a bruit was palpable in the right lower quadrant. Four months previously, he had underwent left partial laminectomy (L4~5) and discectomy at the L4 level due to disc protrusion. Computed tomography showed an ilio-iliac AV fistula with pseudoaneurysm at the L5 level. Because massive bleeding occurred when the aneurysm was entered, we closed the aneurysm and performed resection and suture of the aorta and both iliac arteries very near the aneurysm. After exclusion of the arterial side, we performed reduction angioplasty at the aneurysm and aorto-biiliac reconstruction with an artificial graft. Twenty-four months after operation, he is doing well and hasn't had any complications on the follow-up.
Adult ; Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, False ; Angioplasty ; Aorta ; Arteriovenous Fistula* ; Diskectomy ; Dyspnea ; Edema ; Fistula ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Iliac Artery ; Laminectomy* ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Sutures ; Transplants

We experienced a case where extracorporeal membrane oxygenation ECMO was used for a cardiac arrest that occurred during spinal anesthesia. An 84-year-old man underwent total hip replacement surgery. The patient developed sudden cardiac arrest at around 40 minutes after the administration of spinal anesthesia. The cardiac arrest was difficult to manage with ordinary CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and went on to complete cardiac arrest. ECMO (venoarterial ECMO from the right femoral artery to the right femoral vein) was immediately applied while performing cardiac massage. Heparin was infused with ACT (activated coagulation time) monitoring during ECMO. We also found multiple rib fractures and hemothorax resulting from the chest massage as seen on a chest X-ray. On the third day after resuscitation, communication with the patient was possible. Hemodialysis was performed due to acute renal failure on the same day. On the seventh day, the vital signs became stable. The flow of the pump was lowered and the patient was weaned from ECMO. However, the patient could not be weaned from ventilatory support due to the hemothorax caused by the CPR. Thereafter, weaning from ventilatory support was delayed due to a decline of pulmonary function. The patient organ functions (kidney, lung, liver, heart) were gradually getting worse. The patient expired due to multiple organ failure on day 92. ECMO can be considered in case of cardiac arrest due to reversible causes.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anesthesia, Spinal* ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation* ; Femoral Artery ; Heart Arrest* ; Heart Massage ; Hemothorax ; Heparin ; Humans ; Liver ; Lung ; Massage ; Membranes* ; Multiple Organ Failure ; Renal Dialysis ; Resuscitation ; Rib Fractures ; Thorax ; Vital Signs ; Weaning