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Biomedical subjects

M Villani

Publications and source records attributed to M Villani.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Results of total correction of tetralogy of Fallot performed in adults.

Today, total correction of tetralogy of Fallot is rarely performed in adults. In a 10-year period, 40 patients aged 20 to 67 years underwent intracardiac repair in our institution. Twenty-eight of them had had a palliative procedure 11 to 30 years earlier. Preoperatively, 23 patients were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Class II, 14 were in Class III, and 3 were in Class IV. Operative mortality was 2.5% (1/40). Follow-up ranged from 1 year to 11 years (average, 3 years). One patient died of a noncardiac cause 4 years after operation. Residual cardiac defects were observed in 4 patients. Postoperatively, 30 patients were in NYHA Functional Class I, 8 were in Class II, and 1 was in Class III. Major ventricular arrhythmias were recorded in 7 (35%) of 20 patients. Radionuclide angiography demonstrated impaired right ventricular function in 8 patients. Left ventricular impairment was present in 2. Total correction of tetralogy of Fallot can be performed safely in adults with low mortality and good functional improvement. The incidence of residual cardiac defects is low. The long-term importance of impaired ventricular function and arrhythmias remains to be ascertained.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Early thrombosis of a tricuspid valve prosthesis: two-dimensional echocardiographic demonstration.

We report on the case of a 35-year-old woman who had undergone tricuspid valve replacement with a Lillehei-Kaster prosthesis 7 weeks prior to admission to our institution. Real-time two-dimensional echocardiography indicated a large mass on the inferolateral surface of the right atrium, as well as a dense band of echoes on the atrial and ventricular surfaces of the prosthesis. The diagnosis, confirmed by angiography, was early, acute thrombosis of the tilting disc prosthesis. After an unsuccessful infusion of urokinase, the patient was taken to emergency surgery; at operation, a large thrombus was discovered on the inferolateral wall, and the valve replaced. The patient recovered uneventfully, with no recurrence of thrombosis. Our experience confirms that two-dimensional echocardiography is the preferred technique for identifying intracardiac thrombi, and that surgery with replacement of the prosthesis is the treatment of choice in cases such as this where the size and age of the clot contraindicate fibrinolytic treatment.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1987

Analysis of high-resolution atrial activation: report on 403 cases.

The findings of a study carried out on a sample of 403 P waves, selected over the 50 to 300 Hz frequency range, by a portable microcomputer system capable of averaging 512 P waves, are reported. Detailed analysis of P waves was attempted in healthy subjects and in patients affected by pathologic processes where atrial involvement had been observed. An attempt was made to individualize P wave parameters which may be associated with these pathologic conditions. On each atrial signal a 512-point fast Fourier transform was used. The original sample was divided into 18 classes, and the mean values of some parameters of each class were computed. The results of fast Fourier transform computing and of the mean values of parameters for both patients and healthy subjects show two different behaviors with respect to the amplitude-frequency relationships and mean peak-to-peak amplitude, respectively. The present results indicate that this technique may be useful for further detailed analysis of P waves.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Long term results (15-30 years) of surgical repair of aortic coarctation.

The late outcome in 226 patients who survived surgical repair of aortic coarctation was assessed 15-30 years after operation. Twenty six patients died during the follow up mainly from causes related to surgical repair or to associated cardiovascular anomalies. The survival rates of patients operated on between the ages of four and 20 years are 97%, 97%, 92% at 10, 20, and 30 years after operation. For patients operated on after the age of 20 the corresponding rates are 93%, 85%, and 68%. This difference is statistically significant from the fifteenth year of follow up onwards. The survival of patients operated on before the age of 20 is not significantly different from that of a comparable general Italian population. Recoarctation occurred in only 8% of patients who had end to end anastomosis, whereas it occurred in 35% of those who had other types of operation. Two thirds of the patients were hypertensive at the last visit. The actuarial curve shows that blood pressure was normal in most patients 5-10 years after operation, but 30 years after coarctation repair only 32% of patients are expected to be normotensive. Thus early repair of aortic coarctation appears to improve long term survival. Intervention in older patients and when blood pressure is high seem to be the most important predictors of late hypertension.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Diltiazem cold cardioplegia in coronary artery surgery: effects on myocardial function and ischemia.

This study was undertaken to evaluate the myocardial preservation obtained by adding a calcium channel blocker, diltiazem (200 mcg/kg of body weight) to cold potassium cardioplegia in 24 patients with coronary artery disease who underwent myocardial revascularization, and were randomly divided into a treated Group D and a Control Group C. No significant differences were noted between the groups in cardiac electrical arrest and recovery time, recovery rhythm, mechanical function recovery, inotropic support, stroke index, or cardiac index. After cardiopulmonary bypass, the stroke index decreased by 13.1% in Group D and by 20.7% in Group C; cardiac index increased in both--18.6% and 14.0%, respectively--but the results were possibly from compensatory heart rate increases. Peripheral deltaP/deltat and endocardial viability ratios decreased in both groups. Coronary sinus enzymes and serum CK were slightly lower in the treated group. Serum CK-MB, however, was significantly higher in the Control Group. Electrocardiographic ischemic changes occurred in four patients, all in Group C (p =.046). Hyperkinetic arrhythmias occurred in five of the controls, but in none of the treated patients (p =.018). One perioperative myocardial infarction was diagnosed in the Control Group. These data suggest that diltiazem has no negative side effects on hemodynamics or cardiac rhythm and does not reduce impairment of myocardial function due to ischemia, but it does decrease the incidence of ischemic lesions in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass procedures.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1984

Absent pulmonary valve syndrome with associated anomalies of the pulmonary blood supply.

We report four cases of so-called absent pulmonary valve syndrome associated with absence or anomalous origin of the left pulmonary artery. The fate of the patients with this condition appears to be affected mainly by the occurrence of pulmonary complications (three of our patients died of pulmonary causes, two of them after surgery). The proper timing of corrective surgery is still uncertain. Preoperative investigations should strive to obtain a clear-cut identification of the pulmonary arteries, particularly the left one or, in its absence, of the anomalous vascular supply to the lung. Right ventriculography, as employed by us, is insufficient. Pulmonary angiography, aortography and pulmonary vein "wedge" angiography may be needed.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

VSD formation in corrected TGA. Management of a previously undescribed complication after tricuspid valve replacement.

Disruption of the membranous ventricular septum following replacement of the tricuspid systemic atrioventricular valve in corrected TGA has not, to our knowledge, been reported in the literature. Our experience with this uncommon complication, which we observed and treated in two patients, is therefore presented. In the first case the native value anulus was large in relation to the largest available prosthetic valve. VSD formation occurred on the fifth postoperative day, probably due to "push and pull" forces acting on the membranous ventricular septum during the cardiac cycle. Fixation of the prosthetic sewing ring to the atrial tissue well above the adjacent membranous ventricular septum may invalidate the push and pull forces and thus be a preventive measure. In the second case the membranous ventricular septum remained intact following the primary valve replacement. When the outgrown prosthesis was excised 11 1/2 years later, disruption of the membranous septum resulted from attempts to widen the native valve anulus. This complication may be avoided if part of the sewing ring is cut away from the prosthetic valve and left in situ along the adjacent membranous ventricular septum. Sutures can be placed through the remnant of the sewing ring with minor or no risk of ventricular septal disruption.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

[Surgical treatment of the tetralogy of Fallot with a single pulmonary artery].

Eleven patients with Tetralogy of Fallot and congenital or acquired absence of one pulmonary artery (PA) have been operated upon at the Department of Cardiac Surgery of Ospedali Riuniti-Bergamo-Italy. Eight children had agenesis of the left PA, one of the right PA and two had complete occlusion of the right PA after a palliative operation. Four patients had only a palliative procedure (one Blalock-Taussig, two Waterston, three PTFE shunts) with one operative death. Two patients underwent a two-staged procedure, that is an initial shunt (one Blalock and one PTFE shunt) followed by subsequent total correction. Five patients underwent primary total correction. No operative death occurred among the patients who had total correction. Right ventricular outflow reconstruction has been accomplished with an infundibular patch in one patient, an external valved conduit in two patients, and a transanular patch plus orthotopic bioprosthesis in 4 patients. One patient with a valved conduit died one year postoperatively in right heart failure caused by pulmonary hypertension. The pulmonary vascular disease was probably due to pulmonary microembolization following the severe hemolysis that lasted for twenty days in the early postoperative period. The nine surgical survivors are in good general condition with maximum follow-up of 7 years. The surgical approach either in case of palliation or in case of corrective surgery is finally discussed. In our experience TOF with unilateral absence of a PA is a congenital anomaly that can be corrected with results comparable to those of uncomplicated TOF.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1983

Meningeal melanocytoma of Meckel's cave associated with ipsilateral Ota's nevus.

A case of meningeal melanocytoma of the left Meckel's cave associated with ipsilateral Ota's nevus in a 43-year-old woman, was studied by light and electron microscopy. The cells of the tumor were characterized by the presence of dendritic cytoplasmic processes, melanosomes and premelanosomes; hence, they were deemed as neoplastic melanocytes. Moreover, the tumor was lacking in histologic and ultrastructural features of pigmented meningioma, melanotic Schwannoma and primary meningeal melanoma. The prolonged clinical course was different from primary and metastatic malignant melanomas of the meninges. The best treatment appears to be radical excision, when possible; otherwise, the local or partial enucleation followed by radiation therapy has been found to be the best curative to date. On the whole, meningeal melanocytoma cannot be considered as entirely benign, given its morphologic patterns that resemble those of uveal melanoma, and its potential for recurrence. The association of this tumor with Ota's nevus is referred to as having a common origin from an arrested migration of melanoblasts at different stages.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Surgical treatment of tetralogy of Fallot. Recent experience using a prospective protocol.

Two hundred eighteen consecutive patients with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) underwent surgical treatment under a prospective protocol during a three-year period (January 1978 to December 1980). No patient was refused the operation. Eighty-three patients had palliative operations without hospital deaths (50% less than 1 year of age). One hundred thirty-five had total correction with 5 hospital deaths (3.7%; 70% C.L. = 2.0 to 6.2). Thirty-five of them had had palliation in the first year of life (one hospital death at time of correction). Incremental risk factors were young age (p less than 0.0002), transannular patch (p = 0.13) and primary repair (p = 0.38). Significant stenosis in the pulmonary artery branches were eliminated utilizing an original table of relationship between the diameter of the expected normal pulmonary valve annulus and the calculated diameter of the branches. The immediate post-repair peak systolic pressure ratio between right and left ventricles (Prv/lv) was only 0.39 and the incidence of transannular patches was remarkably low (34%). It is concluded that surgical management of tetralogy of Fallot can be achieved, today, with a very low hospital mortality reserving a two-stage procedure only for small infants (less than 1 year of age). Accurate criteria for the reconstruction of the right ventricle outflow tract (RVOT) can easily allow very low rates of transannular patches and postoperative RV hypertension with an ultimate better preservation of the RV function.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Surgical treatment of non-critical right ventricular outflow tract obstruction with intact ventricular septum in patients over one year of age.

Between March 1966 and May 1982, 257 patients with clinically noncritical right ventricular outflow tract obstruction with intact ventricular septum (RVOTO/IVS) underwent elective open-heart correction, with an overall early mortality of 3.9%. Age ranged from 13 months to 48 years (mean 6.6 +/- 6.5 - median 5). We describe three different anatomical types, for which a standardized surgical approach is suggested. When one or more of the following features--small right ventricular cavity; rigid infundibular stenosis; hypoplastic pulmonary annulus and trunk; dysplastic cusps--were present, the mortality (10.6%) was significantly higher than in isolated valvular stenosis (2.2%) or in valvular plus dynamic infundibular stenosis or isolated low-lying stenosis (2.5%). In a series of 159 consecutive patients operated upon since September 1974 the cumulative early mortality was 1.3%. Late results on 202 patients (mean follow-up period of 25.6 +/- 22.6 months) are good in 90.6% and fair in 8.9% of the cases. One patient died of encephalitis 2 years after the operation. We believe that a more precise characterization of the underlying lesions and a more liberal use of different surgical techniques to minimize residual gradients, iatrogenic pulmonary incompetence and impairment of right ventricular contractility, may decrease early mortality and improve overall results.

Heart Defects, Congenital↗