If one word is used to describe the development of congenital heart disease surgery in China, "hardship" would be the most appropriate. Generations of pioneers have used their ingenuity to overcome obstacles and promoted the development of the discipline. Seventy years of efforts have established the world's largest congenital heart disease treatment system. However, the huge number of potential patients, low early diagnosis rate and over-screening as well as the uneven developed diagnosis and treatment capabilities hinder the future development. The overall improvement of treatment of congenital heart disease in China lies on more efforts from our fellow experts. The publication of the "Chinese expert consensus on surgical treatment of congenital heart diseases" undoubtedly provides theoretical and practical guidance for the improvement of treatment.
Abstract: Objective To investigate changes of left ventricularregional systolic function after surgical treatment of left ventricular aneurysm (LVA) by realtime threedimensional echocardiography (RT-3DE). Methods From February 2009 to February 2010, 14 consecutive patients who were diagnosed to have coronary artery diseases with LVA underwent surgical repair and coronary artery bypass grafting (LVA group) in our hospital. All patients of the LVA group were followed up for a mean period of 4 months. Twodimensional echocardiography (2DE) and RT-3DE were performed before operation and during the follow-up. Left ventricular regional ejection fraction (EF) was acquired by Qlab software analysis. At the same time, 12 healthy persons were included as controls (control group). Statistical analyses were carried out to compare left ventricular regional EF between the LVA group (before operation and 4 months after operation) and the control group. Results Contrary to the control group, preoperative regional EF of the LVA group increased from apex to base. In addition to the inferior basal segment, lateralinferior basal segment and anteriorinferior basal segment, regional EF in the remaining 14 segments were significantly lower than that of the control group (P＜0.05). At postoperative followup, regional EF recovered the increase from base to apex, and there was no significant difference between anteriorinferior segment and lateral segment regional EF of the LVA group and those of the control group (P＞0.05), while regional EF of other segments in the LVA group was lower than that in the control group (P＜0.05). Conclusion RT-3DE is an effective method to assess left ventricular regional systolic function in patients with LVA. After LVA repair and coronary artery bypass grafting, regional systolic function will restore to the normal direction of progressive increase, and some nonaneurysm segments systolic function will go back to normal.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the feasibility of using acellular bovine pericardium as a viable tissue engineering vascular patch.MethodsFresh bovine pericardium was treated by enzyme detergent cell extraction, then they were used as vascular patches, ovine jugular vein segments were harvested, separated into endothelial and myofibroblast cells, expanded in cell culture, sequentially seeded onto acellular bovine pericardium patches (3cm×3cm). After 7 days of in vitro culture, the autologous cell/patches as experimental group ( n =5) were used to replace partial pulmonary artery wall. Animals were sacrificed at 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24 weeks. The acellular bovine pericardium patches without autologous cells were used as control group ( n =3). Animals were sacrificed at intervals of 4, 12 and 24 weeks. Explanted patches were evaluated by macroscopic and histologic examinations, assayed for calcium, elastin and collagen content.ResultsAll animals were survived without complications of thrombosis and aneurysm before sacrificed; there was no significant difference in calcium content in two groups; elastin ratio assay showed progressive increase over 4 to 24 weeks, similar to normal pulmonary artery wall, suggesting an ongoing tissue remodeling.ConclusionThe acellular bovine pericardium patch with or without autologous cell seeded to a certain extent can be changed into viable vascular wall tissue after being used to replace partial ovine pulmonary artery wall.
Objective Engineer heart tissue (EHT) was constructed with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and poly lacticacidCOglycolic acid (PLGA), and grafted onto the surface of myocardial infarction rats. We hypothesized that great omentum wrapping would increase EHT blood supply and ameliorate EHT microenvironment which is in favor of cardiac collagen remodling and heart function. We hope that omentun wrapped EHT could provide a valuable strategy for surgically myocardial infarction therapy. Methods MSCs were isolated from SD rats.Eight weeks after SD rats were subjected to left anterior descending (LAD) ligation, 18 rats were enrolled and divided into three groups, group A(n=6): great omentum wrapped MSCsPLGA EHT implantation; group B (n=6):MSCsPLGA EHT implantation; control group (n=6): the myocardial infarction; the sham group (n=6): only opened and closed chest, underwent LAD ligation, but no EHT implantation. Four weeks after transplantation, the following variables were evaluated: specimen stained with picrosirius red, left ventricle function evaluated by echocardiography, infarction ventricular wall motion by color kinesis (CK). Results Hearts of group A showed significantly less fibrosis than group B and control group (Plt;0.05). Infarction ventricular wall motion assessed by CK indicated significantly improvement in group A compared with group B and control group (Plt;0.05). Four weeks after transplantation, cardiac echocardiography showed left ventricle ejection fraction was lower in control group and group B compared with group A (Plt;0.05). Conclusion Transplantation of MSCsPLGA EHT with great omentum wrapping ameliorated infarction ventricular collagen remodeling, ameliorated infarction ventricular wall motion and preserved left ventricular function.
Abstract: Objective To investigate the clinical application of a novel modified aortic and pulmonic translocation in surgical repair of transposition of great arteries(TGA) with ventricular septal defect(VSD) and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction(LVOTO). Methods Five patients received surgical repair of the TGA with VSD and LVOTO at our heart center. The surgical technique used was a modification of the Nikaidoh procedure by which the native pulmonary root was preserved and translocated to reconstruct the right ventricular outflow tract. Two patients with atrioventricular discordance required a Senning procedure. Results All patients survived the operation and were discharged from the hospital. There were no major complications. At a median follow-up of 5.40 months, the echocardiography demonstrated normal ventricular function in all patients. No residual aortic stenosis or insufficiency was found in all the patients. Two patients had mild pulmonary insufficiency. Conclusions The novel modification of the Nikaidoh procedure may have excellent early results with minimal postoperative pulmonary insufficiency. The procedure may also allow growth of the pulmonary root and therefore decrease the need for reoperation. However, this has to be further investigated and long-term follow-up studies are warranted.
Atrial fibrillation （AF） is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and associated with incremental morbidity and mortality. It is implicated that multiple reentry circuits have been the dominant mechanism of AF. The classical surgical treatment for medically refractory AF is the maze procedure composed of aultiple cuts and sutures within the atrial walls to disrupt the abnormal reentry circuits. Although the maze procedure is recognized as the most effective treatment of AF, it is complicated, time consuming and much invasive. New surgical ablation therapy, applying alternate energy sources （cryothermy, radiofrequency, microwave） have evolved to simplify the maze procedure without cut and suture and demonstrated promising success rates. The optimal lesion set has not yet been defined, Modification of lesion sets and techniques that ensure continuous and transmural lesions may improve the outcomes of ablation therapy and recover rate of sinus rhythm.
Objective To summarize the experience of emergency coronary artery bypass grafting(CABG) on serious myocardium ischemia in early post CABG. Methods Between 1998 and 2002, emergency redo CABG was performed in 13 patients with serious early post operative myocardium ischemia. The causes included vein graft embolize(4 cases),uncompleted revascularize(3 cases), graft spasm(1 case) and anastomose stenosis or occlusion (5 cases). The grafts was 1 3(1.8±0.9) during redo CABG. Results There were 6 deaths, the mortality was 46%. The mean follow up was 31 months. There was no recurrence of angina. NYHA function was Ⅰ Ⅱ. Conclusion Emergency CABG is an important method in saving the patients with severe myocardium ischemia in early post CABG. The perioperative prevention and early treatment should be emphasized.
Abstract： Objective To analyze risk factors for perioperative mortality in the arterial switch operation (ASO), in order to provide better operation and decrease the mortality rate. Methods We enrolled 208 ASO patients including 157 males and 51 females at Fu Wai Hospital between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2007. The age ranged from 6 h to 17 years with the median age of 90 d and the weight ranged from 3 kg to 43 kg with the median weight of 5 kg. Among the patients, 127 had transposition of great artery (TGA) with ventricular septal defect (VSD), and 81 patients had TGA with intact ventricular septum (IVS) or with the diameter of VSD smaller than 5 mm. Coronary anatomy was normal (1LCX2R) in 151 patients and abnormal in the rest including 15 patients with single coronary artery, 6 with intramural and 36 with inverse coronary artery. Preoperative, perioperative and postoperative clinical data of all patients were collected to establish a database which was then analyzed by univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis to find out the risk factors formortality in ASO. Results There were 24 perioperative deaths (11.54%) in which 12 died of postoperative infection with multiple organ failure (MOF), 10 died of low cardiac output syndrome, 1 died of pulmonary hypertension, and 1 died of cerebral complications. Among them, 20 patients (18.30%) died in early years from 2001 to 2005, while only 4 (4.00%) died in the time period from 2006 to 2007, which was a significant decrease compared with the former period (Plt;0.05). The univariate analysis revealed that cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time was significantly longer in the death group than in the survival group（236±93 min vs. 198±50 min, P=0.002）, and occurrence of major coronary events (33.3% vs. 2.2%, P=0.000) and unusual coronary artery patterns（33.3% vs. 6.5%,P=0.000） were much more in the death group than in the survival group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that early year of [CM(159mm]operation (OR=7.463, P=0.003), unusual coronary artery patterns (OR=6.303,P=0.005) and occurrence of majorcoronary events (OR=17.312, P=0.000) were independent predictors for perioperative mortality. Conclusion The ASO can be performed with low perioperative mortality in our hospital currently. Occurrence of major coronary events, unusual coronary artery patterns and year of surgery before 2006 are independent predictors for perioperative mortality.
Objective To study the development of a physiologic fixation method and investigate the effect of physiologic fixation method on porcine aortic root and aortic valve leaflets. Methods Physiological fixer of aortic root was manufactured in a factory. The fixers with different diameter were made of organic glass. Porcine aortic root with ascending aorta and anterior leaflet of mitral valve and partial ventricular septum were dissected out from the fresh heart. The roots were attached to appropriately sized inflow and outflow spigots. Physiologic fixation was utilized to maintain aortic root and leaflets natural anatomical shape, the aortic root was pressurized to the inflow and outflow portions simultaneously, and the leaflets floated freely at zero-pressure differential with in the pressurized root. Results The process of physiologic fixation retained the properties of a native valve. The leaflets were much softer and extensible than those from valves fixed under low pressure. The results of pulsatile flow testing indicated that the effective orifice areas of predilation at 80mmHg were significantly greater than those of predilation at 40 mmHg（P〈0.05）, while mean pressure differences were found to be lower comparatively（P〈0.05）. This difference translates into a mode of valve function that more closely approximates that of the native aortic valve. Conclusion Physiologic fixation process retains the valve＇s natural anatomical shape as well as the underlying structure of the leaflets, providing improved flow characteristics.
Objective To investigate the surgical indications and the mid and long term results of morphologic tricuspid valve replacement for corrected transposition of the great arteries（cTGA）. Methods From September 1997 to September 2007, 18 cases with cTGA were treated in Fu Wai Hospital. There were 15 male and 3 female, aged from 16 to 51 years（33.3±12.8 years）, and weighed from 47 to 90 kg(60.9±14.7 kg). There were 10 cases with isolated morphologic tricuspid valve insufficiency, 3 complicated with ventricular septal defect, 2 complicated with ventricular septal defect and pulmonary valve stenosis, 2 with morphologic tricuspid valve insufficiency after septal defect repair, and 1 with mechanical valve dysfunction after morphologic tricuspid valve replacement. The preoperative mean morphologic right ventricle ejection fraction was 562%±11.6%. Of the 18 cases, 12 were in grade Ⅱ and 6 were in grade Ⅲ according to New York Heart classification（NYHA）.All the cases had undergone morphologic tricuspid valve replacement. Postoperative indices such as cardiac function and morphological right ventricle ejection fraction were followed up. Results One patient died of postoperative low cardiac output syndrome. Two had pervavlvular leak, which were cured by pervavlvular leak repair at 7th and 30th day after operation, respectively. Sixteen were followed up with a followup time of 57.0±407 months. There was no statistical significance between preoperative and postoperative mean morphologic right ventricle ejection fraction（52.8%±9.2% vs.56.2%±11.6%; t=2.062, Pgt;0.05）. The followup showed that 12 were in NYHA grade Ⅰ or Ⅱ, and 4 were in NYHA grade Ⅲ. There was no statistical significance between preoperative and postoperative percentage of cases in NYHA grade Ⅲ（χ2=1.532，Pgt;0.05）. Conclusion Morphologic tricuspid valve replacement can prevent the further damage to morphologic right ventricular function caused by morphologic tricuspid valve insufficiency. The mid and long term results were satisfying. During the followup, the morphologic right ventricle can function appropriately.