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Biomedical subjects

B J Heath

Publications and source records attributed to B J Heath.

33 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Primary pulmonary hemangiopericytoma in a 3-year-old child.

Hemangiopericytoma is an uncommon and potentially malignant mesenchymal tumor that apparently arises from spindle-shaped pericytes. The tumor usually grows insidiously until considerable size has been reached, at which point symptoms may indicate invasion of the chest wall, mediastinum, or pleura. Because of its malignant potential, hemangiopericytoma must be distinguished from other vascular tumors. While this tumor has been reported in adolescents and adults, it has never before, to our knowledge, been reported in a small child. We present, within the context of a brief review, a case of apparently benign primary pulmonary hemangiopericytoma in a 3-year-old child. Postoperatively, our patient showed no evidence of disease at 9-month follow-up evaluation. However, long-term follow-up is needed in cases of hemangiopericytoma because recurrence over several decades has been shown.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1991

Comparison of supraannular and subannular pledgeted sutures in mitral valve replacement.

Ten fresh canine hearts were used to compare the peak left ventricular pressure required to disrupt prosthetic mitral valves sutured in place with horizontal mattress sutures with either subannular or supraannular pledgets. Each group consisted of 5 animals. A 29-mm Medtronic mitral valve was secured in the mitral position with ten pledgeted sutures. The aorta was cannulated and normal saline solution was infused into the left ventricle until valvar disruption occurred. The peak pressure and the location and mechanism of disruption were then noted. At the peak left ventricular pressure required for valvar disruption, no individual sutures were broken. Instead, in all specimens a subannular myocardial rupture occurred in the posterior portion of the mitral annulus along the extent of the atrioventricular groove. In addition, the posterior wall of the left atrium dissected upward subsequently. Significantly greater pressures were required in the group with subannular suture placement as compared with the supraannular group (354 +/- 37 versus 236 +/- 33 mm Hg; p less than 0.0007). These data suggest that placement of horizontal mattress sutures with pledgets in the subannular position is superior to the currently recommended method of supraannular suture placement in mechanical valves.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Mitral valve replacement: techniques to eliminate myocardial rupture and prevent valvular disruption.

Twenty fresh canine hearts were used to compare the peak left ventricular pressures required to disrupt prosthetic mitral valves sutured in place with horizontal mattress sutures using either subannular or supraannular placed pledgets. Separate groups were developed to determine the effect of leaving the whole mitral valve apparatus or only the posterior leaflet apparatus intact and what effect, if any, each had on the ventricular pressure required to disrupt the implanted prosthetic mitral valve. Group 1 consisted of 10 hearts with the entire mitral apparatus left in place (5 valves implanted with supraannular pledgets and 5 with subannular pledgets). Group 2 consisted of 10 hearts with only the posterior leaflet apparatus left in place (5 valves implanted with supraannular pledgets and 5 with subannular pledgets). A 29-mm Medtronic mitral valve was secured in the mitral position with a fixed number of ten pledgeted sutures in each annulus. The aorta was cannulated and normal saline solution infused into the left ventricle until end-point rupture occurred. The peak pressure and mechanism of any disruption were then noted. No specimen exhibited subannular myocardial rupture or left atrial wall dissection. Similar protection was provided by leaving the posterior leaflet only or the entire mitral valve. In each case peak left ventricular pressure resulted in only paravalvular leaking around the limited number of sutures as the end point. In each of these four groups the peak left ventricular pressures required for end-point rupture were not significantly different.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Pregnancy after Fontan repair of tricuspid atresia.

We have described a patient who had a cyanotic congenital heart disease (type Ib tricuspid atresia), with initial palliation accomplished in childhood via a Glenn procedure. In 1985, she had a Fontan repair with the Bjork modification; 3 years later she achieved her first pregnancy at age 27. Maternal Doppler echocardiography in early pregnancy showed good flow through the constructed conduit, with normal left ventricular size and function. Fetal echocardiography at 22 weeks' gestation via two-dimensional, M-mode, pulsed Doppler, and color flow mapping revealed no evidence of fetal cardiac disease. At 25 weeks' gestation recalcitrant preterm labor developed, and the infant was delivered spontaneously. Labor, delivery, and puerperium were uncomplicated, and the newborn (though too premature to survive) was of appropriate weight for gestational age, without evidence of congenital heart disease or other anomalies. We believe this is the first report of pregnancy and spontaneous delivery in a patient who has had Fontan repair of a congenital heart defect.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Single- and double-lung transplantation. Problems and possible solutions.

There is a resurgence of interest in single- and double-lung transplantation for end-stage disease. An experience with six double-lung and three single-lung transplants is reported. The lungs were procured from a distance of up to 600 miles and the heart was shared with another team for transplantation in seven of nine instances. The operative mortality rate was 33%. Early transplant infections of donor origin were lethal. Late transplant pneumonitis was well tolerated and recovery was the rule. Three of nine cases had significant tracheal suture line stenosis and were managed conservatively. A technique of bronchial artery implantation using a conduit tailored from donor aorta is described. Transplant rejection was easily diagnosed and treated. Other notable complications included occasional massive pleural fluid loss, temporary space problem, and a delay in the 'resetting' of chemoreceptors resulting in moderate post-transplant hypercarbia accompanied by episodes in which the patient felt hypoxemic despite the maintenance of excellent levels of blood gases. A comprehensive rehabilitation program begun before operation is essential for success.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Quadricuspid aortic valve with centrally fenestrated leaflets causing aortic insufficiency.

The occurrence of a quadricuspid aortic valve with single, central leaflet fenestrations causing aortic insufficiency has not previously been reported. We recently encountered these features during aortic valve replacement for severe aortic regurgitation in a 20-year-old man who had had a history of aortic insufficiency since age 2 years. The patient's late increase in symptoms was probably due to the fact that 1 of the 4 leaflets was somewhat flail, allowing incomplete coaptation and producing regurgitation over and above that caused by the central fenestrations.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1987

Poststernotomy mediastinitis treated by omental transfer without postoperative irrigation or drainage.

Mediastinitis is an infrequent but life-threatening complication after cardiac operations. We reviewed our experience in treating eight select patients in whom this complication developed. Diffuse mediastinitis was verified at operation, and all patients were treated with the same surgical procedure by the same surgeon. The technique consisted of sternal bone débridement, mediastinal fat and connective tissue excision, pericardiectomy, and transfer of the greater omentum into the mediastinum on a vascular pedicle for obliteration of dead space. The sternum and sternal fascia were closed completely and the skin was closed loosely in each case. Postoperative drainage was not provided and postoperative irrigation was not performed. The mortality rate was 12.5% and the hospital stay averaged 27 days, comparable to other series in which irrigation has been used. We conclude from this review that the approach of omental transfer provides an alternative to prolonged irrigation and drainage of the mediastinum in the surgical management of these critically ill patients. This is neither a radical nor a disfiguring procedure, but is simple and easily done by the cardiac surgeon. Early ambulation, because of a lack of cumbersome irrigation and drainage apparatus, results in improved pulmonary function. Dead space is obliterated with tissue that has demonstrable ability to resist infection. Also, loose closure of the skin allows for primary healing with a good cosmetic result.

Drainage↗
PubMed1985

Functional and histologic changes in vein grafts exposed to crystalloid potassium cardioplegic solution.

A canine external jugular vein to iliac artery interposition model was devised to evaluate the potential deleterious effects of cold potassium cardioplegic solution exposure to saphenous vein grafts during aortocoronary bypass procedures. The right jugular vein was harvested from 11 animals and halved, one segment being perfused with 1 liter of normal saline solution (NS) at 4 degrees C over a period of 31.7 +/- 2.5 min at a perfusion pressure of 50.5 +/- 2.6 mm Hg, and the other segment perfused with 1 liter of crystalloid potassium cardioplegic solution (CP) at 4 degrees C over a period of 24.8 +/- 3.2 min at a perfusion pressure of 53.0 +/- 1.5 mm Hg. The measured differences in the perfusion times and pressures were not significant at P less than 0.05. The grafts were then interposed into the iliac artery systems of their respective animals, and transgraft pressure gradients were measured by direct needle puncture technique and found to be 12.6 +/- 5.9 mm Hg for the CP-treated grafts and 19.9 +/- 9.6 mm Hg for the NS-treated grafts. At the time of graft harvest 7.4 +/- 0.23 months later transgraft pressure gradients were again measured and found to be 2.5 +/- 1.8 mm Hg for the CP-treated and 2.9 +/- 1.7 mm Hg for the NS-treated grafts.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Potassium-induced cardioplegia in patients undergoing correction of congenital heart defects.

Beginning in July 1977, cold potassium-induced cardioplegia has been used in 60 consecutive patients undergoing correction of congenital heart defects in whom the aorta was cross clamped. Ages ranged from 4 weeks to 18 years (mean 5.8 years); 40 percent were less than 24 months of age. Surgery included correction of ventricular septal defect (32), tetralogy of Fallot (16), atrioventricular canal (6), transposition of great arteries (1), double outlet right ventricle (1), aortic valvotomy (3), and aortic valve replacement (1). Three patients (2 TOF, 1 AVC) died postoperatively, one most likely due to technical error, and two unexplained. We have been impressed by the incidence of spontaneous defibrillation (75 percent), the decreased need for intraoperative inotropic support (3.3 percent), the normal immediate postoperative cardiac index (mean = 2.85 L/min/M2), as well as by the improved operative exposure provided by this technique.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Local anesthesia for mediastinoscopy: experience with 450 consecutive cases.

Mediastinoscopy has been widely applied in the evaluation of patients with suspected bronchogenic carcinoma over the past decade. Though there remain those who feel that such findings should not play a significant role in determining resectability, we have found a number of patients who have been saved from exploratory thoracotomy in obviously incurable situations. We have had a relatively high degree of success in the diagnosis of benign diseases. Wtih no mortality and a morbidity of 1.1%, we feel that mediastinoscopy under local anesthesia is applicable in many clinical circumstances in which the requirement for general anesthesia would preclude such evaluation. Though it is not necessary that local anesthesia be exclusively applied, we feel that our experience with over 450 cases in the last six years has demonstrated safety and efficacy in universal application of local anesthesia for cervical mediastinal exploration.

Anesthesia, Local↗