OBJECTIVE: To compare the mid- and long-term outcomes of patients receiving mitral valve replacement through robotically assisted and conventional median sternotomy approach. METHODS: The data of 47 patients who underwent da Vinci robotic mitral valve replacement in our hospital between January, 2007 and December, 2015 were collected retrospectively (robotic group). From a total of 286 patients undergoing mitral valve replacement through the median thoracotomy approach between March, 2002 and June, 2014, 47 patients were selected as the median sternotomy group for matching with the robotic group at a 1:1 ratio. The perioperative data and follow-up data of the patients were collected, and the quality of life (QOL) of the patients at 30 days and 6 months was evaluated using the Quality of Life Short Form Survey (SF-12). The time of returning to work postoperatively and the patients' satisfaction with the surgical incision were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: All the patients in both groups completed mitral valve replacement successfully, and no death occurred during the operation. In the robotic group, only one patient experienced postoperative complication (pleural effusion); in median sternotomy group, one patient received a secondary thoracotomy for management of bleeding resulting from excessive postoperative drainage, and one patient died of septic shock after the operation. The volume of postoperative drainage, postoperative monitoring time, ventilation time, and postoperative hospital stay were significantly smaller or shorter in the robotic group than in the thoracotomy group ( CONCLUSIONS Robotically assisted mitral valve replacement is safe and reliable. Compared with the median sternotomy approach, the robotic approach is less invasive and promotes faster postoperative recovery of the patients, who have better satisfaction with the quality of life and wound recovery.
COVID-19/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Mitral Valve/surgery* ; Quality of Life ; Retrospective Studies ; Robotic Surgical Procedures ; Sternotomy ; Thoracotomy ; Treatment Outcome

Right heart failure is a relatively common complication after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. Severe right heart failure can be managed by temporary right ventricular assist device (RVAD) implantation. However, trans-sternal RVAD insertion requires a subsequent third sternotomy for cannula removal. Herein, we present a case of RVAD insertion via a left anterior mini-thoracotomy after LVAD implantation in a patient with alcohol-induced cardiomyopathy.
Cardiomyopathies ; Catheters ; Heart Failure ; Heart-Assist Devices ; Humans ; Sternotomy ; Thoracotomy

A 55-year-old man was admitted to the trauma center after a car accident. Cardiac tamponade, traumatic aortic injury, and hemoperitoneum were diagnosed by ultrasonography. The trauma surgeon, cardiac surgeon, and interventional radiologist discussed the prioritization of interventions. Multi-detector computed tomography was carried out first to determine the severity and extent of the injuries, followed by exploratory sternotomy to repair a left auricle rupture. A damage control laparotomy was then performed to control mesenteric bleeding. Lastly, a descending thoracic aorta injury was treated by endovascular stenting. These procedures were performed in the hybrid-angio room. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 135, without complications.
Aorta ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Cardiac Tamponade ; Heart ; Hemoperitoneum ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Laparotomy ; Middle Aged ; Resuscitation ; Rupture ; Shock ; Stents ; Sternotomy ; Trauma Centers ; Ultrasonography

To study the methods and principles for simultaneous treatment in the children with pectus excavatum (PE) combined with congenital cardiothoracic diseases.
 Methods: The medical records of all children, who underwent simultaneous repair of PE combined with congenital cardiothoracic diseases, were retrospectively reviewed in Hunan Children's Hospital from January 2007 to September 2018. The patients were divided into a PE combined with congenital heart disease (CHD) group (n=17) and a PE combined with thoracic disease group (n=10). The repair with a custom-made sternal lifting device, a Nuss repair, were performed in the treatment of PE, and the correction of the CHD was performed by heart open surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass (through sternotomy or right infra-axillary thoracotomy) or by transcatheter closure under echocardiography or X-ray-guided percutaneous intervention in the PE combined with CHD group. The children in the PE combined with thoracic disease group underwent thoracic surgery plus Nuss procedure concurrently.
 Results: All 27 pediatric patients underwent simultaneous repair of the PE combined with congenital cardiothoracic diseases. In the PE combined with CHD group, the duration of hospital stay ranged from 8.0 to 25.0 (13.2±4.8) days. Two patients had delayed healing of the surgical wound and 1 patient developed a small left pleural effusion postoperatively. In the PE combined with thoracic disease group, the duration of hospital stay ranged from 10.0 to 34.0 (19.9±7.5) days. One patient was complicated with chylothorax and 2 patients were complicated with pleural effusionin. The treatment for the patients in the 2 groups was satisfactory. No severe complications like surgical death, severe bleeding, chest organ injuries, and implant rejections were observed.
 Conclusion: According to the characteristics of patients, individualized programs should be selected in order to correct children's PE combined with congenital cardiothoracic diseases in the same period, which are safe, effective and can avoid the risk of multiple operations and anesthesia, and can reduce the financial burden of family.
Cardiac Surgical Procedures ; Child ; Funnel Chest ; surgery ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Humans ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; Retrospective Studies ; Sternotomy ; Treatment Outcome

Spinal surgery of the anterior aspect of the cervicothoracic junction is difficult and has technological challenges because of the kyphotic alignment of the upper thoracic spine. This approach requires knowledge of the cervicothoracic regional anatomy. Surgery in this region is rare because of its indications; despite this rarity, surgeons must be prepared to expose this region. In addition, surgery in this region demands extensive opening of the surgical field and results in severe postoperative pain. Therefore, a less invasive procedure must be considered. Six cases of cervicothoracic lesion operation have been reported. The patients were successfully treated using an anterior modified approach (J-type manubriotomy). Anterior reconstruction and instrumentation of the cervicothoracic junction offers a distinct advantage of a stable anterior implant bone construction while preserving the posterior osseo-ligamentous tension band. Moreover, the modified anterior approach (J-type manubriotomy) provides the same exposure of the cervicothoracic junction without a full median sternotomy and avoids injury to subclavian vessels during resection of the clavicle or sternoclavicular junction. Therefore, the anterior cervical approach combined with J-type manubriotomy allows extensive exposure of the cervicothoracic junction and causes less complications. We performed preoperative radiological evaluation to identify the cases in which J-type manubriotomy was necessary.
Anatomy, Regional ; Clavicle ; Humans ; Pain, Postoperative ; Spine ; Sternotomy ; Surgeons

Median sternotomy is the most popular approach in cardiac surgery. Post-sternotomy wound complications are rare, but the occurrence of a deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) is a catastrophic event associated with higher morbidity and mortality, longer hospital stays, and increased costs. A literature review was performed by searching PubMed from January 1996 to August 2017 according to the guidelines in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. The following keywords were used in various combinations: DSWI, post-sternotomy complication, and sternal reconstruction. Thirty-nine papers were included in our qualitative analysis, in which each aspect of the DSWI-related care process was analyzed and compared to the actual standard of care. Plastic surgeons are often involved too late in such clinical scenarios, when previous empirical treatments have failed and a definitive reconstruction is needed. The aim of this comprehensive review was to create an up-to-date operative flowchart to prevent and properly treat sternal wound infection complications after median sternotomy.
Length of Stay ; Mortality ; Plastics ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; Software Design ; Standard of Care ; Sternotomy ; Sternum ; Surgeons ; Thoracic Surgery ; Wound Infection ; Wounds and Injuries

BACKGROUND: Propofol induced a decline in the left ventricular (LV) systolic performance in non-cardiac surgery. We tested the hypothesis that propofol decreased the LV contractile function by dose dependent manner in cardiac surgery patients. METHODS: Anesthesia was maintained with target-controlled infusions of propofol and remifentanil in cardiac surgery patients. With a fixed effect-site concentration (Ce) of remifentanil (20 ng/mL) after sternotomy, the Ce of propofol was adjusted to maintain a Bispectral index of 40–60 (Ce1). Mitral annular Doppler tissue image tracings and other echocardiographic variables, including end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes, stroke volume, and mitral inflow pulse wave Doppler profile at Ce1, were recorded using transesophageal echocardiography. Echocardiographic recordings were repeated after the Ce-values of propofol were doubled and tripled at 10-minute intervals (defined as Ce2 and Ce3, respectively). Serial changes in echocardiographic variables for each Ce of propofol were assessed using generalized linear mixed effect modeling. The pharmacodynamic relationship between the Ce of propofol and peak systolic mitral annular velocity (Sm) was analyzed by logistic regression using non-linear mixed effect modeling (NONMEM). RESULTS: Means of Ce1, Ce2, and Ce3 were 0.8, 1.6, and 2.4 μg/mL, respectively, and their means of Sm (95% confidence interval) were 9.7 (9.3–10.2), 8.7 (8.2–9.1), and 7.5 cm/sec (7.0–8.0), respectively (P < 0.01). Ce values of propofol and Sm showed a significant inter-correlation and predictability (intercept, 10.8; slope–1.0 in generalized mixed linear modeling; P < 0.01). Ce values producing 10% and 20% decline of Sm with 50%-probability were 1.4 and 2.1 μg/mL, respectively. CONCLUSION: Propofol reduces LV systolic long-axis performance in a dose-dependent manner. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01826149
Anesthesia ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Logistic Models ; Propofol ; Sternotomy ; Stroke Volume ; Thoracic Surgery

PURPOSE: FDG-PET/CT has the potential to play an important role in the diagnosis of sternal wound infections (SWI). The purpose of this study was to analyze the diagnostic accuracy of FDG-PET/CT for SWI in patients following sternotomy.METHODS: We performed a single-center, retrospective analysis of patients who had undergone median sternotomy and FDG-PET/CT imaging. The gold standard consisted of positive bacterial culture and/or the presence of purulent material at surgery. Qualitative patterns of sternal FDG uptake, SUV(max), and associated CT findings were determined, and an imaging scoring system was developed. The diagnostic performances were studied in both the recent (≤ 6 months between sternotomy and imaging) and remote surgery phase (> 6 months).RESULTS: A total of 40 subjects were identified with 11 confirmed SWI cases. Consensus interpretation was associated with a sensitivity of 91%and specificity of 97%. Combination of uptake patterns yielded an AUC of 0.96 while use of SUVmax yielded an AUC of 0.82.CONCLUSION: Results suggest that FDG-PET/CT may be useful for the diagnosis of SWI with optimal diagnostic accuracy achieved by identifying specific patterns of uptake. SUV(max) can be helpful in assessing subjects with remote surgery, but its use is limited in the context of recent surgery. Further studies are required to confirm these results.
Area Under Curve ; Consensus ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sternotomy ; Wound Infection ; Wounds and Injuries

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) aneurysms are rare and often fatal. A 72-year-old man had previously been admitted to the emergency room with epigastric pain and heart murmur. The echocardiographic diagnosis was vegetation on the aortic and mitral valves, with moderate regurgitation from both valves due to infective endocarditis. No aneurysm was detected on abdominal computed tomography, and emergency double-valve replacement was performed. On postoperative day 25, the patient experienced abrupt abdominal pain, and computed tomography revealed a mycotic SMA aneurysm. Open surgical repair of the SMA aneurysm was performed using the femoral vein, and the patient's postoperative course was uneventful.
Abdominal Pain ; Aged ; Aneurysm* ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Endocarditis ; Femoral Vein* ; Heart Murmurs ; Humans ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior* ; Mitral Valve ; Sternotomy

We report the case of a patient with mitral regurgitation complicated by type B dissection and Marfan syndrome (MFS) who was managed successfully with minimally invasive mitral valve repair. Without type A aortic dissection or aortic root dilation, MFS patients may develop mitral valve regurgitation, as in this case, and need valve surgery to improve their symptoms and long-term survival. However, it is not clear that a full sternotomy and prophylactic aortic surgery are necessary. Although retrograde perfusion to the dissected aorta is controversial, our approach minimizes the risk of future anticipated aortic surgery in MFS patients.
Aorta ; Female ; Humans ; Marfan Syndrome ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; Mitral Valve Annuloplasty ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; Mitral Valve ; Perfusion ; Sternotomy