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Biomedical subjects

J Somerville

Publications and source records attributed to J Somerville.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1979

Long-term results of pulmonary autograft for aortic valve replacement.

Eighty-five survivors who left hospital after pulmonary autograft replacement for severe aortic regurgitation have been followed critically. Five patients died in the first five years and 80 were followed for six to 11 years. Important aortic regurgitation occurred only early and was always related to technical malpositioning of one autograft cusp. Seven patients with fascial pulmonary valves had problems, requiring removal in four. There was a small (2%) morbidity from the right sided homograft and six were removed five to seven years later for progressive calcification; three of these had been irradiated. Despite a high incidence of trivial diastolic murmurs this valve replacement is still preferred for young patients without dilated aortic roots since the survivors remain well, with excellent, maintained relief of outflow obstruction, without problems from haemolysis and thromboembolism, and without deteriorating autograft function or need for anticoagulants. Histology of five autografts examined up to seven years after operation has shown normal living architecture.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Changing form and function in one ventricle hearts.

Postnatal changes in morphology of hearts with one functioning ventricle influence physiology, natural history and physical signs. The most important and early changes relate to the acquiring of subpulmonary or subaortic stenosis. For this to occur, the basic anatomy has to be of particular arrangement; investigators should be aware of the problems and search for gradients both at rest and on Isuprel stimulation when the anatomy is appropriately disturbed. Atrio-ventricular valve regurgitation and calcification may also develop. Many changes are predictable from study of the basic pathology and knowledge of them helps to plan management at the correct time in the living patient.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Ebstein's anomaly: late results of surgical correction.

Between 1969 and 1976, 10 severely disabled patients with Ebstein's anomaly were operated on at the National Heart Hospital using replacement of the tricuspid valve with mounted aortic homografts [9] or dura mater valve [1], plication of the atrialized right ventricle [10], and closure of an associated interatrail communication. 7 survivors have been followed up from 2 to 9 yr. 5 are asymptomatic. Symptomatic tricuspid regurgitation developed in 2 patients; from a paravalvar leak of the tricuspid homograft in one, and in the other calcification with stenosis in an irradiated homograft, 2.5 and 7.5 yr later. Permanent pacemakers were needed in 2 patients, 3 wk and 18 mth after surgery for symptomatic heart block. Despite corrective surgery for the structural abnormalities in Ebstein, late results remain influenced by disorders of rhythm and conduction disturbances, degenerative changes in the valves used for replacement and the intrinsic primary myocardial disease. Such "corrective" procedures in patients with Ebstein's anomaly can result in maintained symptomatic improvement but must be regarded as palliative surgery.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Prolapsed mitral cusps in atrial septal defect. An erroneous radiological interpretation.

Forty patients with simple atrial septal defect had left ventriculograms using cineangiography and/or Elema or Sircam still films. All had open heart surgery and careful scrutiny of the mitral valve by experienced surgeons. Prolapse of the posterior cusp was diagnosed from angiography in 28 patients but was confirmed at operation in only 5. Another 5 had a different mitral valve abnormality and the remaining 18 had no clinical signs to suggest mitral valve dysfunction after operation. It is concluded that though true ballooning or prolapse of the mitral cusps may coexist with simple atrial septal defect, its presence is overdiagnosed from the appearances of left ventriculography on anteroposterior, lateral, and right anterior oblique views. Left ventriculography was equally unreliable in the exact recognition of other anatomical abnormalities of the mitral valve in secundum defect, but accurate when the mitral valve was pronounced to be structurally normal.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Complex pulmonary atresia with congenital systemic collaterals. Classification and management.

80 patients with pulmonary atresia and subaortic ventricular septal defect had complete angiography with right ventricular, aortic and selective arterial angiograms to delineate the anatomy of the central pulmonary arteries and the systemic supply to the lungs, as correct management of the patient depends on this. In 67 (85 p. 100) there were 1-5 large congenital systemic collateral arteries mainly arising at or below the aortic isthmus. This group, referred to as "complex pulmonary atresia" with right aortic arch in 30, had variable central pulmonary artery development, either completely absent in 17, hypoplastic in 33 (49 p. 100) appearing as a "seagull" (une mouette) in the mediastinum on late films or large well developed vessels in 17. Patients with hypoplastic central arteries require special management. We now perform a two stage procedure, initially placing a conduit containing a homograft aortic valve between the right ventricle and small central pulmonary arteries in order to develop them and leaving the ventricular septal defect open. Initial results in 6 patients treated this way are encouraging and it is proposed to close the defect later after enlargment of the pulmonary arteries has occurred.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Hemiplegic spasticity: neurophysiologic studies.

The excitability of segmental reflex pathways in normal subjects and in patients with hemiplegia has been examined by conditioning the monosynaptic H reflex with a 200 msec burst of vibration applied to the tendo Achilles. In 6 normal subjects, the burst of vibration produced a short-latency facilitation of soleus motoneurons (attributed to monosynaptic excitation) which was followed by a longer-latency inhibition. A similar response was observed in 8 patients with hemiplegia, but the late inhibition was significantly less. The loss of an inhibitory mechanism may contribute to the exaggerated reflexes observed in patients with hemiplegia.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Transposition of the great arteries: logical anatomical arterial correction.

In a 20-month-old child with classic transposition of the great arteries the pulmonary artery, coronary arteries, and aorta were successfully retransposed at arterial level. It was difficult to reimplant the coronary arteries in the dilated pulmonary artery root without damaging the attachments of the valve cusps, and it may be better to divide the pulmonary artery first to avoid this hazard. Retransposition at arterial level will not be suitable for all patients with transposition of the great arteries, and many questions about long-term outcome remain to be answered.

Aorta, Thoracic↗
PubMed1976

'Isolated' pulmonary valve stenosis as part of more widespread cardiovascular disease.

In 25 patients aged 6 days to 9 years presenting as 'isolated' pulmonary valve stenosis, histology of the myocardium of right and left ventricles, coronary arteries, and ascending aorta has shown abnormality in one or all these areas. Myocardial necrosis, old and recent, unrelated to coronary occlusion was frequent. Myocardial 'dysplasia' involving both ventricles, and resembling hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HOCM, ASH) was found in 10 and a relation of this to myocardial injury in the fetus is postulated. Varying degrees of coronary occlusion were frequently seen in both right and left coronary arteries. The histology of the ascending aorta was abnormal showing 'higgledy-piggledy' disorder of smooth muscle components in 12 (48%). In a different series of 53 patients who had pulmonary valvotomy for apparent 'isolated' pulmonary valve stenosis there were 14 with clinical evidence of left ventricular abnormality consistent with the pathological changes described, 2 with the same aortic histological changes, and 2 with macroscopical left ventricular hypertrophy. Two of them developed classical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy years later. It is suggested that when pulmonary valve stenosis presents with a thick tricuspid poorly mobile valve, particularly in infants or in patients with evidence of other congenital stigmata, it may be part of a more widespread cardiovascular abnormality. This should be recognized and considered in the evaluation of surgical patients and late survivors who may show unexpected clinical features.

Aortic Diseases↗