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Biomedical subjects

K Ala-Kulju

Publications and source records attributed to K Ala-Kulju.

28 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Polydioxanone in cardiovascular surgery.

Polydioxanone (PDS) suture material was used in vascular anastomoses in patients submitted to femoropopliteal bypass (10 patients), aortoiliac endarterectomy (5 patients), and aortocoronary bypass (5 patients). Clips of this material and conventional metallic clips were compared in vitro for holding-in-place properties, and PDS clips were used in ligation of branches of the autologous vein grafts in femoropopliteal bypass (10 patients) and aortocoronary bypass (10 patients). There were no complications related to the PDS material either intraoperatively or during the follow-up from 3 to 6 months. The PDS clips did not slip when burst-tested in vitro. The material is suitable and advantageous in cardiovascular operations where autologous tissue is handled.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Late aneurysms after patch aortoplasty for coarctation of the aorta in adults.

Sixty-eight patch aortoplasties were performed for coarctation of the aorta (CoA) in adult patients from 1967 to 1978 in our hospital. The mortality was 1.5% and the immediate result of the surgical repair seemed good. Long-term follow-up of 2 to 14 years later revealed aneurysm formation at the repair area in 27% of the 62 patients for whom sufficient follow-up data are available. Two aneurysms had ruptured with a fatal outcome. Other repair methods used for coarctation in 106 patients were free from aneurysm complication. Thirteen patients with an aneurysm underwent reoperation without mortality. The etiology of these unexpected aneurysms is discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Pseudoaneurysm of the left ventricle following mitral valve replacement. Report of two cases and review of the literature.

Two cases of left ventricular (LV) pseudoaneurysm following mitral valve replacement (MVR) are presented. In one patient the false aneurysm developed after an initially successful correction of intraoperative left ventricular wall rupture while the other case resulted from an apparently uncomplicated MVR performed because of staphylococcal endocarditis. Both cases were detected by combined 2-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography. The operative treatment was similar in both patients. After extirpation of the old prosthesis, the orifice of the pseudoaneurysm was closed from inside the heart, either with a Dacron patch or using interrupted sutures supported by a teflon pledget. One of the patients died one month postoperatively but the other one recovered and is clinically well 6 months after repair. She has, however, a residual communication between the LV and the pseudoaneurysm.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy on patency of femorotibial bypass grafts.

In a retrospective study, 210 autogenous femorotibial saphenous vein grafts inserted during the 15 years from 1967 to 1982 were followed-up for a mean period of 62.3 +/- 5.7 months. Seven patients, who had had eight grafts died in hospital. The remaining 202 grafts fell into three groups: (1) Sixty grafts in patients who received 325 mg of dipyridamole and 1.0 g of acetylsalicylic acid daily, starting on the second postoperative day and continuing for six months. (2) One hundred and two grafts in patients on no antithrombotic therapy. (3) Forty grafts in patients on warfarin therapy to maintain the prothrombin time (prothrombin-proconvertin method) within the therapeutic range (0.10 to 0.20). Medication was continued for six months. This group included more high-risk patients than the other two groups. The mean ages and the incidence of risk factors did not vary significantly between the groups. The patency rates in three groups at five years were 62.5%, 44.0% and 26.0% and at ten years 48.5%, 25.0% and 21.5% for the dipyridamole and acetylsalicylic acid, no therapy and warfarin groups, respectively. The limb salvage rates were 100%, 96% and 85% in the dipyridamole and acetylsalicylic acid, no therapy and warfarin groups respectively. Thus, the best results were seen in the aspirin/dipyridamole group.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Polydioxanone in coronary vascular surgery.

We have used polydioxanone (PDS) in 50 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. The anastomoses consisted of suturing an autologous vein graft to the coronary artery (122 operations), a vein graft to the aorta (63 operations) and the internal mammary artery to the coronary artery (33 operations). The recipient coronary artery was subjected to endarterectomy in 28 instances. The anastomoses proved to be reliable in the early postsurgical period; no bleeding was attributed to the PDS suture. Clinical follow-up for a maximum of two-and-half years, completed using control coronary angiograms in selected cases, demonstrated good results. The practical properties of PDS were evaluated to be at least as good as those of polypropylene. Experiments have clearly shown that small artery anastomoses heal more favourably after the use of absorbable sutures than after the use of nonabsorbable sutures. Because of this finding and on the basis of our clinical experience, we believe the application of PDS in coronary surgery should be recommended as an alternative treatment.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Femorotibial bypass grafting for lower limb ischaemia.

The results of 305 femorotibial bypass grafts performed in 246 patients are presented. Of these operations 246 were primary and 58 secondary or tertiary. A total of 66 diabetic patients were in the series. An autogenous saphenous vein graft was employed in 196 primary operations, the other grafts used being PTFE, human umbilical cord vein graft, venous allograft and knitted dacron velour graft. Hospital mortality was 8 patients (2.6%), while late mortality was 73 patients, 39 of them having had patent grafts. There were 89 (29.2%) immediate or early hospital failures. Two-hundred-sixteen grafts were followed for a mean observation time of 62.3 +/- 5.7 months. The cumulative patencies were analyzed using the life-table method. One, five, and ten year overall patencies for saphenous vein grafts as indicated by claudication were 73%, 53% and 35%, respectively. In rest pain, the patency rates were 62%, 46% and 40% at similar intervals. In impending gangrene the patencies were 43%, 35% and 20%, respectively. The patencies for arterial substitutes were generally poor, i.e., 35% and 15% at one and five years. None of the graft substitutes were followed for up to ten years. Diabetic patients had a significantly lower patency rate than nondiabetics (p = 0.002). The impact was remarkable if impending gangrene co-existed. In all these situations the early graft failure ensued. Both the run-off and inflow status affected the patency rates. This was significantly lower (p = 0.001) when only one distal branch was visualized in angiography.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Management of vascular complications in thoracic outlet syndrome.

Arterial complications of thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) were surgically treated in 11 patients (12 limbs) and venous complications in five (6 limbs). Arteriography showed total occlusion or significant stenosis of the subclavian artery in eight patients (bilateral in 1), with complicating peripheral thrombosis in three. Two patients had unilateral subclavian artery aneurysm: One was the patient with bilateral subclavian occlusion, and the other also had brachial artery embolism. Yet another patient had brachial thrombosis. Treatment included reconstructive surgery (3 limbs), thoracic sympathectomy (3) or decompression alone (6). Of the five patients with venous TOS complications, four were found at phlebography to have subclavian thrombosis and one had significant bilateral subclavian obstruction. Treatment was transaxillary first-rib resection (4 cases) or division of soft-tissue bands and hypertrophied anterior scalene muscle (1 case). After follow-up averaging 9 years, eight of the nine survivors in the arterial group were working and seven were asymptomatic. All five in the venous group were working and only two had slight, strain-related symptoms. Impaired arterial flow in TOS can usually be managed with decompression, but direct surgery (bypass or thrombectomy) or thoracic sympathectomy is required in cases with severe ischemia with proximal occlusion and after resection of a subclavian aneurysm or in cases with unilateral Raynaud's phenomenon or thrombosis of small arteries. For venous symptoms decompression alone suffices.

Adult↗