Pulmonary artery hypertension in severe aortic stenosis: incidence and mechanism

We investigated the incidence and mechanism of pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) in a consecutive series of patients with aortic stenosis who were undergoing diagnostic cardiac catheterization. Forty-five patients with severe aortic stenosis were divided into two groups: group 1 comprised 13 patients (29%) with PAH (pulmonary artery systolic pressure > 50 mm Hg); group 2 comprised 32 patients (71%) without PAH. Group 1 patients had a higher incidence of congestive heart failure, a lower left ventricular ejection fraction and cardiac index, and more mitral regurgitation as compared with group 2 patients. Of the 13 group 1 patients, 8 had a transpulmonary gradient (pulmonary artery mean pressure--pulmonary capillary wedge pressure) > or = 10 mm Hg, consistent with reactive PAH. We conclude that PAH frequently accompanies aortic stenosis and is often reactive.

Cementless total knee arthroplasty in patients over 65 years old

Many factors influence the decision to implant a knee prosthesis with or without cement. Implant retrieval studies have demonstrated that bone ingrowth into porous-coated devices is possible even in older age groups. Early clinical follow-up observations suggest that cementless total knee arthroplasty can be successful in patients over 65 years of age, and need not be reserved for younger patients.

The reliability and validity of two new tests of maximum lifting capacity

This study investigated the test-retest reliability and validity of the isokinetic and gravity/inertia modes of the Lido Lift (TM) and the Progressive Lifting Capacity II test (PLC II). Maximum lifting capacity tests were performed in the isokinetic and gravity/inertia modes on the Lido Lift and with the PLC II with 29 healthy male subjects. Pearson product-moment correlations were calculated to determine the test-retest reliabilities and to compare PLC II test values with isokinetic and gravity/inertia test values. The correlations for the isokinetic, gravity inertia, and the PLC II werer=.90, .82, and .91, respectively. The correlations between the isokinetic and gravity/inertia tests and the PLC II werer=.64 and .74 during the test andr=.72 and .81 during the retest. The results of this study support the reliability of both Lido Lift (TM) tests and of the PLC II, and the validity of the isokinetic and gravity/inertia tests when compared to the PLC II.

The value of preliminary traction in the treatment of congenital dislocation of the hip

In forty-one children who had forty-seven congenitally dislocated hips, the results of attempted closed reduction with general anesthesia, but without preliminary traction, were studied. Twenty (43 per cent) of the hips could not be reduced closed, and an open reduction was needed. After the reduction, all of the involved hips were immobilized in the so-called human position (marked flexion and slight abduction). At a minimum follow-up of two years, osteonecrosis of the femoral head had developed in only two hips (4 per cent). Patients who were more than one year old when the hip was reduced had a higher incidence of osteonecrosis of the femoral head and were more likely to need reconstructive procedures later. Patients who were more than eighteen months old at the time of the attempted closed reduction were more likely to need an open reduction of the hip. Treatment of congenital dislocation of the hip in young children remains an extremely complex problem. It has not been clearly established that the use of preliminary traction decreases the incidence of osteonecrosis of the femoral head or improves the outcome of treatment. In our experience, uncomplicated (non-teratological, postnatal) congenital dislocation of the hip has been safely treated with either open or closed reduction without preliminary traction in patients who were younger than two years old, provided that the reduction could be obtained without excessive force.

Treatment of acute vascular occlusions with intra-arterial urokinase

This study reviewed 57 patients with 71 vascular occlusions treated with urokinase from 1985 to 1988. Of these patients, 89% were candidates for urgent surgery. Total clot lysis was achieved in 73% of cases. The success rate rose with increasing experience (p less than 0.05), and recent occlusions had more favorable outcomes than older ones (p less than 0.05). The length and type of occluded conduit (graft or vessel), age, sex, other medical conditions, and concurrent use of heparin had no influence on success. Of 18 cases successfully lysed and not subjected to any adjunctive therapy directed at the cause of occlusion, 9 (50%) reoccluded within 1 to 88 days (mean: 25 days). Cases successfully treated with thrombolysis and surgery or dilation of the causative stenosis had poor 1-year patencies: 17%, 20%, and 55% for vein grafts, prosthetic grafts, and native arteries, respectively. With additional urokinase treatments, surgical operations, and percutaneous procedures, 1-year patencies were 22%, 45%, and 65%, respectively.

The risk of stroke in patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis undergoing cardiac surgery: a follow-up study

During a 7-year period, 4047 patients underwent a battery of noninvasive carotid tests before cardiac surgery. Two thirds of the patients with abnormal studies underwent carotid angiography. One hundred fifty-three patients (3.8%) had significant carotid disease, narrowing the luminal diameter by greater than 50%. The incidence of transient ischemic attack or cerebrovascular accident following cardiac surgery was 1.9% in those patients with no carotid disease and 9.2% in those patients with carotid lesions. The incidence of transient ischemic attack or cerebrovascular accident in 32 patients with inoperable (occluded) carotid vessels was 15.6% and in 121 patients with operable (stenotic) lesions was 7.4%. In the group of patients with stenosis, 57 patients underwent carotid operation with an 8.8% incidence of neurologic deficit. During the last 1 1/2 years, no patient with asymptomatic carotid stenosis underwent simultaneous carotid and coronary surgery. Four of 64 patients with combined lesions but no carotid surgery (6.3%) had a neurologic deficit, one of which was severe and permanent. The highest incidence of neurologic dysfunction occurred in patients with unilateral occlusions and contralateral stenosis. Four of 12 patients in this group had a deficit (three of seven patients underwent operation; one of five did not), one of which was permanent. The operative mortality rate after cardiac surgery was three times higher in patients with carotid disease than in those patients with normal carotid arteries. Combined carotid and coronary surgery is currently reserved for patients with neurologic symptoms and severe cardiac disease.

Femorofemoral grafts for lower limb ischemia caused by intra-aortic balloon pump

From January 1975 to December 1985, 1454 patients had an intra-aortic balloon inserted for cardiac assistance. Eighty balloon-dependent patients had severe limb ischemia and required a femorofemoral graft (FFG) (5% of the total group of patients). Twenty-nine of the 80 patients with grafts (or 36%) left the hospital and 28 were followed up for an average of 40 months to determine late complications associated with the crossover grafts. All grafts remained patent. The 28 patients were classified into five groups according to the degree and type of lower limb ischemia. Group I consisted of 13 asymptomatic patients (46%); group II had four (14%) patients with mild claudication caused by preexisting peripheral arteriosclerosis; group III comprised four patients (14%) without preexisting disease but claudication subsequent to the FFG; group IV had five patients with irreversible ischemic sequelae before grafting ending in amputation, foot drop, or persistent paresthesia; and group V consisted of two patients with graft infection (7%). The perioperative mortality rate of the balloon-dependent patients with an FFG (64%) reflects the gravity of the cardiac condition. Placement of an FFG to relieve limb ischemia in these patients is followed by few immediate or late complications in the survivors and any persistent limb changes were related to the prolonged ischemia present before revascularization. Our data suggest that in balloon-dependent patients with limb-threatening ischemia, aggressive use of the FFG is limb-saving, durable, and allows continuation of balloon support.

Migration of a Greenfield filter to the pulmonary artery: a case report

A case of Greenfield filter migration to the left pulmonary artery is presented and the pertinent literature reviewed. Technical points are made regarding the prevention and the management of proximal filter migration.

Carotid endarterectomy and completion contact arteriography

Intraoperative angiography in carotid extracranial surgery demonstrates technical defects in 5% to 8% of patients. A simple and safe method of completion contact angiography (CCA) has been perfected by adapting dental x-ray equipment, small dental film cassettes, and a "shoe box" type of developing unit. The method is not technician dependent, requires only 5 ml of contrast medium, has a completion time of less than 5 minutes, and produces no measurable radiation to the operating team. CCA was performed with no complications in 40 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy. Two unsuspected internal carotid artery defects (5%) were discovered: in one a stenosis was immediately repaired, and in the other small thrombi that were seen but not removed were probably the cause of a postoperative transient ischemic attack. Two complete occlusions and one prominent intimal flap in the external carotid artery were also identified. We believe that CCA after carotid surgery should be used routinely because it is safe and simple and reveals unsuspected operative defects that can be corrected immediately.

A four-year experience with preoperative noninvasive carotid evaluation of two thousand twenty-six patients undergoing cardiac surgery

From January 1979 through December 1982, 2026 patients scheduled to undergo open heart surgery were evaluated by a preoperative battery of noninvasive carotid tests including phonoangiography, oculopneumoplethysmography, pulse-timing oculoplethysmography, periorbital Doppler examination, and during the last 12 months, continuous-wave Doppler ultrasonography with spectral analysis. The incidence of hemispheric neurologic deficit following cardiac surgery in the 47 patients with carotid disease was 14.9%; the incidence in patients with no carotid disease was 1.9% (p less than 0.001). Fourteen of the 47 patients were not candidates for carotid surgery because of unilateral occlusion in 13 and bilateral occlusion in one. Three of the 14 (21.4%) had intraoperative strokes on the appropriate side. Thirty-three of the 47 had operable carotid disease. Four with unilateral stenosis had no carotid surgery; one had a postoperative deficit on the side referable to the nonstenotic artery. Eighteen with unilateral stenosis underwent simultaneous cardiac and carotid surgery; one (5.6%) had a transient deficit. Seven patients with bilateral stenosis underwent cardiac and unilateral carotid surgery; no deficits occurred. Four patients with unilateral stenosis and contralateral occlusion underwent combined surgery; one had a transient ischemic attack and one a fatal stroke, both referable to the hemisphere ipsilateral to the occlusion. It appears that the presence of carotid disease increased the risk of stroke during heart surgery. Proof that carotid endarterectomy lowers this risk awaits a prospective randomized trial.

Bepridil for chronic stable angina pectoris: results of a prospective multicenter, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging study in 77 patients

Bepridil, a new calcium-channel blocking agent with an extended plasma elimination half-life of greater than 50 hours, was compared to placebo in 77 patients with confirmed coronary artery disease and chronic stable angina pectoris. The effects of bepridil were compared with those of placebo on angina frequency, nitroglycerin tablet use, the resting ECG and hemodynamics at rest and maximal exercise using a study design comprising 5 sequential 2-week single-blind treatment phases. After 2 weeks of placebo (phase 1), bepridil was given for 3 phases (2, 3 and 4) at total daily dosages of 200, 300 and 400 mg, respectively; the study was completed after a final reintroduction of placebo (phase 5). Within each phase once- and twice-daily regimens of bepridil were randomly compared. Bepridil (300 mg/day) reduced anginal frequency 68%, from 8.5 +/- 1.1 (standard error of the mean) to 2.7 +/- 0.7 attacks/week and nitroglycerin tablet use 76% (p less than 0.001). Bepridil improved exercise duration 26%, from 6.9 +/- 0.4 to 8.7 +/- 0.5 minutes (p less than 0.001) and exercise work 52%, from 2.7 +/- 0.3 to 4.1 +/- 0.4 kpm X 10(-3) (p less than 0.001) on a standardized treadmill protocol. Resting and peak exercise heart rate and blood pressure were unaffected by bepridil. The antianginal effects were similar with either once- or twice-daily treatment schedules. Minor side effects of nausea, epigastric discomfort and tremor were infrequent and there were no major side effects. The results of this large but preliminary, single-blind and short-term study suggest that bepridil is an effective and well tolerated antianginal agent when administered once daily.

Neurophysiological studies of sensory gating in mania: comparison with schizophrenia

The action of central nervous system mechanisms involved in sensory gating was assessed in acutely psychotic manic patients. An early positive component of the auditory average evoked response, recorded at the vertex 50 msec after a click stimulus, was studied. Stimuli were delivered at 10-sec intervals to establish a base-line response. Sensory gating mechanisms were then tested using a conditioning-testing paradigm to assess the change in response to a second stimulus following the first at either 0.5-, 1.0- or 2.0-sec intervals. A similar paradigm had been used previously to assess deficits in this function in acute and chronic schizophrenics. We found a deficit in sensory gating in acutely manic patients. similar to that found in schizophrenics, although the variability in response was more marked in the manic patients. We followed these patients during their treatment on lithium carbonate and found a return of these neuronal functions towards normal values which corresponded to their clinical improvement. A series of stable euthymic bipolar patients were found to have responses indistinguishable from normal controls. The data suggest that deficits in neuronal gating functions, similar to those found in schizophrenia, can be seen during acute mania but these deficits return to normal as the acute psychosis abates.

An argument for increased use of subtotal colectomy in the management of carcinoma of the colon

Subtotal colectomy (STC) is a safe operation because operative mortality rates are as good as, if not better than, conventional segmental colon resections. It is no more difficult to perform than conventional segmental resections. Suture line complications, such as fecal fistulas and suture line recurrences, are not as common before as they are after colocolic anastomoses. In addition to being used in cases with known synchronous carcinomas, and carcinoma associated with polyps, STC should be considered in selected patients with obstructing or partially obstructing lesions of the sigmoid or left colon when complete evaluation of the proximal colon has not been possible. STC can be combined with a preliminary transverse colostomy for obstructing left colon lesions when appropriate evaluation demonstrates suitable indications for the resection of the colostomy as a one-stage procedure with ileocolic anastomosis. It also should be considered if there is significant distal sigmoidal diverticular disease associated with proximal carcinomas. Statistically, STC does not appear to be indicated as a prophylactic operation to avoid the development of metachronous colon cancer when the entire colon can be surveyed colonoscopically to assure that there is no associated neoplasm.

A 12-year experience with femorofemoral crossover grafts

One hundred thirty-three patients with unilateral iliac artery obstruction were treated with crossover femorofemoral grafts and followed up for one to 12 years. Cumulative patency was 73.3% at five years and 63.6% at ten years. There were 17 early closures with ten unsuccessful revisions and 22 late failures between three and 122 months. Inability to establish adequate runoff was the primary cause of early failure, and the progression of distal disease was the major cause of late failures. In only five cases did progressive disease of the donor artery cause failure of the graft. Operative morbidity and mortality were low (6%), and the results compare favorably with alternative methods of treating unilateral iliac artery occlusions.

Clinically recognized limb ischemia in the neonate after umbilical artery catheterization

During a 4 year period, 1,461 critically ill neonates were admitted to the newborn intensive care unit of the Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, and 507 (35 percent) had umbilical artery catheters inserted for physiologic monitoring. In five patients (1 percent) clinically significant limb ischemia developed as a result of catheter complications. Frank gangrene was observed in three patients; two died from the primary illness soon after the onset of gangrene and the third survived after leg amputation. The other two infants had advanced ischemia that responded favorably to catheter removal and heparinization. Irreversible limb ischemia in this setting is infrequent, and milder forms are usually unrecognized or undocumented. High placement of the catheter or the length of time it is in place were not related to complications. Limb ischemia occurred soon after catheter insertion rather than after its protracted use. Major complications may be reduced by placement of the catheter in the lower abdominal aorta or internal iliac artery, clinical awareness and observation and frequent noninvasive monitoring. Immediate catheter removal and intravenous anticoagulation are warranted if ischemia persists. From this study, we believe that the benefits derived from judicious umbilical artery catheterization outweigh any inherent risk.

Infected aneurysms of the abdominal aorta

Infected aneurysms of the abdominal aorta are relatively uncommon, but potentially lethal if improperly managed. Two case reports emphasize the importance of the preoperative aortogram for accurate diagnosis. We stress the principles of total excision of infected tissue and revascularization in uninfected tissue planes. A useful vascular reconstructive technique consisting of unilateral axillofemoral bypass and an ilioiliac anastomosis was used in both patients.