Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Valle

Publications and source records attributed to M Valle.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

The effect of sequential versus single vein aortocoronary bypass surgery on resting left ventricular function.

To study the effectiveness of sequential vein grafts in coronary bypass surgery, left ventricular (LV) function was serially estimated in 28 patients with sequential grafts and compared with that in 24 patients with multiple single vein grafts. Early patency of sequential grafts was 98% vs. 94% for single veins. Late patency (mean 28 months after operation) of sequential veins was 97% vs. 85% for single vein grafts (mean 32 months after operation). Various parameters of resting LV function (pressure, volumes, ejection fraction, regional contraction score, mean velocity of fiber shortening) showed only slight and non-significant changes during the angiographic follow-up in the sequential vein graft group, with the exception of LVEDP, which was significantly lower at the late follow-up (p less than 0.05). There was an apparently spurious highly significant decline in fiber shortening velocity in the sequential graft group (p less than 0.001). Division of the series into subgroups of complete or incomplete revascularization did not improve the predictive power of resting LV function. The data reveal that sequential vein grafts are comparable to multiple single vein grafts as far as the influence on LV function at rest is concerned.

Adult↗

Patency of sequential versus single vein grafts in coronary bypass surgery.

The patency and graft flow of sequential (seq. SVBG) and single saphenous vein bypass grafts (single SVBG) in coronary bypass surgery were compared angiographically (mean follow-up 26 months) in 76 patients with 36 seq. SVBG (75 distal anastomoses) and 85 single SVBGs. The late patency of all seq. SVBGs anastomoses (94.7%) was higher than that of single SVBGs (80.0%). No early or late graft occlusions were seen in the side-to-side (SSA) anastomoses of the seq. SVBGs. The cine-angiographically determined mean volume flow in the proximal segments of the seq. SVBGs was significantly higher (p less than 0.001) than that in the distal segments of the seq. SVBGs or in the single SVBGs at both early and late follow-up. Despite the higher late patency rate (88.9% vs 80.0%) in the end-to-side anastomoses (ESA) of the seq SVBGs, the mean graft flow was significantly lower in the distal segments of seq SVBGs than in the single SVBGs (71 ml/min vs. 109 ml/min, p less than 0.05).

Adult↗

Red cell flexibility and oxygen affinity in patients with angina pectoris and normal coronary arteries.

Plasma viscosity, haemoglobin-oxygen affinity and red cell flexibility were determined in 16 patients who had angina pectoris but no objective evidence for spasms or obstructions in the coronary arteries. Reference data were obtained from healthy controls and from a group of patients with angina pectoris and multivessel coronary artery disease. In the non-coronary angina group mean plasma viscosity (+/- SD) was in the normal range (1.3 leads to 0.06 centipoise). The same was true for haemoglobin-oxygen affinity (P50: 25.9 +/- 1.7 mmHg). Both red cell rigidity (71 +/- 20 mmHg) and red cell fragility (142 +/- 95 mg/l) were significantly higher (p les than 0.0025) than in the control group (54 +/- 10 mmHg and 63 +/- 29 mg/l, respectively). The group with coronary artery obstructions did not differ from the controls. Thus rigid red cells appear to be related to the syndrome of angina pectoris despite normal coronary arteries. In the light of previous findings of local perfusion abnormalities in these patients, inflexible erythrocytes could be an additional factor compromising myocardial capillary flow.

Adolescent↗

A follow-up study of coronary bypass patients without patent grafts.

A series of 295 coronary bypass patients who had early and late postoperative coronary angiography included 6 cases (2%) whose grafts had all become occluded. These patients were followed up using both functional classification and repeated exercise testing. In three patients the functional classification improved early after surgery (less than or equal to 1 year) with improved exercise capacity in two. Two of these patients had perioperative myocardial infarction. During follow-up (3--8 years after surgery) only one of the patients who improved initially retained the improved capacity. There were three deaths. It is concluded that some unsuccessfully revascularized patients exhibit initial improvement which is only exceptionally maintained over longer periods. The likely explanation for pain relief is perioperative myocardial infarction.

Adult↗

Survival with total occlusion of the left main coronary artery. Significance of the collateral circulation.

Four patients with total occlusion of the left main coronary artery are described. Angina pectoris was severe (NYHA class 3--4) and had lasted 20 months to seven years. Three patients had experienced a myocardial infarction. All displayed large collaterals arising from a nearly normal right coronary artery and feeding both the left anterior descending and the left circumflex arteries. The left ventricular ejection fractions ranged from 20% to 65%, and all patients had varying degrees of left ventricular asynergy. Coronary artery bypass surgery resulted in a marked improvement in three patients; one patient who underwent an aneurysmectomy died two months after the operation. The data show that total occlusion of the left main coronary artery is compatible with survival if adequate collateral supply develops from the right coronary artery. In this rare angiographic subset collateral circulation is clearly functionally significant.

Adult↗

Persistence of improved exercise tolerance and degree of revascularization after coronary bypass surgery. A prospective randomized study.

Exercise tolerance was repeatedly determined over a 2-year period in a series of 100 patients with coronary heart disease randomly allocated for medical therapy and coronary bypass surgery. The surgical group had a consistently better exercise tolerance than the medical group during the whole follow-up. Completeness of the revascularization, assessed by repeated graft and native vessel angiography, resulted in a marked improvement whereas incompletely revascularized patients exhibited only a marginal improvement which, nevertheless, to some degree exceeded the result of medical management alone. It is concluded that coronary bypass surgery and medical therapy, when indicated, result in markedly better exercise tolerance than medical management alone. This improvement persists up two years after the operation and is largely dependent on the completeness of the revascularization.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

Work status after coronary bypass surgery. A prospective randomized study with ergometric and angiographic correlations.

The rate of return to work was assessed in a series of patients with coronary heart disease randomly allocated to medical and surgical treatment groups of 50 patients each. Sixteen of the medical and 19 of the surgical patients were already retired at entry and did not resume work later. Only 9 patients (26%) on medical therapy were working at 2-year follow-up in contrast to 18 (60%) working after bypass surgery (p less than 0.05). Functional classification of angina pectoris and exercise tolerance on ergometry were significantly better in the surgical group, especially in the surgical subgroup at work. Repeated postoperative anigographies of the inserted grafts and native vessels disclossed that completeness of revascularization was related to work status after bypass surgery. The data suggest that a combination of coronary bypass surgery and medical therapy, when indicated, is superior to medical therapy alone in influencing the rate of working in coronary heart disease.

Adult↗

Radiologic demonstration of Meckel's diverticulum.

A case of bleeding Meckel's diverticulum with a positive barium meal examination, selective mesenteric arteriography and 99mTc-pertechnetate scanning is presented. Complementary radiologic examinations are needed in the visualization of Meckel's diverticulum due to difficulties in making the correct diagnosis.

Adult↗

TruCutR needle biopsy in asbestosis and silicosis: correlation of histological changes with radiographic changes and pulmonary function in 41 patients.

A percutaneous needle biopsy was performed with a TruCut needle on 41 patients with suspected pneumoconiosis. Patients selected for biopsy tended to have brief or unusual dust exposure, as well as questionable radiographic opacities. Sixteen had been exposed to asbestos, 13 to silica and 12 to mixed dust containing quartz, coal, iron, asbestos and talc. All patients in the asbestos group and most in the other two groups had a reduced transfer factor. Most patients in the asbestos group and about 25% of the other patients had restrictive ventilatory impairment. Chest radiographs were assessed according to standard films of the ILO U/C International Classification (International Labour Office, 1972). In 25 patients radiographic opacities were absent or acanty (categories 0--1/1). The dominant radiographic feature of many patients exposed to asbestos was a ground-glass appearance or a bilateral elevation of the diaphragm, or both, features difficult to assess according to the ILO U/C scheme. Most histological changes were those usually seen in pneumoconiosis. However, in only two patients with silicosis were silicotic nodules detected. The specimens of seven patients showed a granulomatous inflammation. The severity of alveolar wall involvement correlated well with the transfer factor value but poorly with radiographic changes. The profusion of radiographic opacities also correlated poorly with functional impairment. As a diagnostic tool the needle biopsy was valuable in asbestosis and slightly less so in mixed-dust fibrosis. The biopsy specimens showed changes compatible with asbestosis in 75% of the suspected cases and in 86% of those in which asbestosis was the final diagnosis. In the mixed-dust group pneumoconiosis was confirmed in 67% and 80%, respectively. In the diagnosis of silicosis an open biopsy is probably more reliable than a percutaneous one, particularly if radiographic changes are minimal. Histological changes in the needle biopsy specimen were compatible with silicosis in only 36% of the suspected cases and in 63% of those in which the final diagnosis was silicosis.

Adult↗