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T Carrel

Publications and source records attributed to T Carrel.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

[New approaches in cardiac surgery for the therapy of congenital heart disease].

Recent developments in the field of pediatric cardiac surgery and pediatric cardiology have led to significant changes in the surgical approach to the various cardiac malformations. There is a clear trend towards surgical treatment at a younger age of the patient, towards complete correction of malformations instead of staged procedures with initial palliation and delayed correction. Perioperative cardioprotection has improved significantly as has postoperative management in specialized pediatric cardiac intensive care units. As a result of this, mortality and morbidity of pediatric cardiac surgery have been in steady decline, although complexity of cardiac surgery in even smaller children has increased. Preoperative diagnostic work-up of the cardiac malformation can nowadays be achieved in an always increasing number of patients without invasive cardiac catheterization and based exclusively on ultrasound findings alone. A new element comes from the possibilities of therapeutic cardiac catheterization, which now allows for a combined therapeutic approach using therapeutic catheter procedures either to perform preparatory interventions prior to surgery or to treat surgical complications in the postoperative course. Refinements in the use of surgical implants have led to new possibilities of correction of complex malformations early in life, especially with regard to the use of biological prosthesis for valvar or outflow tract replacement.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2001

[Challenging perioperative anticoagulation in a patient with Budd-Chiari syndrome and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia].

We report on a patient suffering from Budd-Chiari disease who developed heparin-induced thrombocytopenia preoperatively. Dorsocranial liver resection and hepatoatrial anastomosis were performed with the extracorporeal circulation and perioperative anticoagulation was achieved with r-hirudin. Surprisingly, thrombus formation was observed in the venous reservoir although intraoperative anticoagulation values were within the targeted level. An additional bolus of hirudin and rinsing the reservoir allowed unproblematic discontinuation of the cardiopulmonary bypass.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

The reversed and bidirectional elephant trunk technique in the treatment of complex aortic aneurysms.

BACKGROUND: The elephant trunk technique with a free-floating vascular prosthesis was originally developed to facilitate a subsequent operation on the downstream aorta. We present here our experience with further developments of this technique, which we call the reversed elephant trunk and bidirectional elephant trunk. METHODS: Between January 1, 1995, and December 31, 2000, 505 adult and adolescent patients underwent operations of the thoracic aorta. A reversed elephant trunk procedure in 13 patients and a bidirectional elephant trunk procedure in 4 patients was performed to facilitate either subsequent proximal or proximal and distal aortic replacement. Nine patients underwent subsequent aortic arch replacement with the reversed prosthetic portion after a mean interval of 8 +/- 5.5 months, and 2 patients received distal extension by use of the distal portion of the free-floating graft. RESULTS: There was no hospital mortality (30 days) in this small group of patients, and no patient had aortic rupture, malperfusion caused by the technique itself, or thromboembolic complications during the waiting interval between the first and the second operations. Five patients are still being observed until the contiguous aortic size is large enough to require an operation, and one 74-year-old patient declined a second-stage operation. CONCLUSION: The reversed and bidirectional elephant trunk techniques are interesting options that may be suitable for patients having complex abnormalities of the thoracic aorta and thoracoabdominal aorta when the proximal portion of the descending aorta has to be replaced before the aortic arch with or without the ascending aorta or the distal descending aorta with or without the thoracoabdominal aorta.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Short- and long-term mechanical cardiac assistance.

With the increase in high risk patients undergoing cardiac surgery and the substantial mortality among patients waiting for cardiac transplantation, the need for mechanical circulatory support is growing. Several devices are currently available, ranging from the intra-aortic balloon pump to fully implantable ventricular assist devices. Each system has its own features, and proper patient selection as well as the timing of implantation is sometimes difficult. Algorithms for stepwise management in subgroups of patients remain controversial and the concepts of weaning patients after myocardial recovery during mechanical circulatory support need further evaluation for their long-term effects. Future identification of valuable prognostic and risk factors may help in decision-making and allow for improved survival of these often very ill patients. In this report we review the concepts of mechanical circulatory support at our institution with emphasis on a detailed overview of technical features of extracorporeal life support.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation↗
PubMed2001

Differences in heart valve procedures between North American and European centers: a report from the Artificial Valve Endocarditis Reduction Trial (AVERT).

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: Differences in heart valve procedures between North American (NA) and European (EU) centers were evaluated in a multicenter trial. METHODS: Between July 1998 and January 2000, 807 patients from 12 NA (n = 446) and seven EU centers (n = 361) were randomized to receive either Silzone or conventional valves in the Artificial Valve Endocarditis Reduction Trial (AVERT). Subanalysis was performed to compare demographics, patient risk profile, surgical techniques and perioperative management of patients in NA and EU centers. RESULTS: Mean age was significantly younger and body mass index higher in NA. Patients' risk profiles showed significantly higher incidences of previous myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, angina, prior cardiovascular surgery, and history of smoking in NA. A different distribution of implant position was observed between groups: aortic valve/mitral valve/double valve replacement in 54.0, 35.7 and 10.3% in NA, and 64.5, 27.4 and 8.0% in EU (p <0.01). Concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting was performed in 31.6% of NA patients and 19.4% of EU patients (p <0.001). Timing of surgery showed a higher incidence of urgent procedures in NA centers. Distribution of valve sizes and perioperative complication rate were similar, but length of hospital stay was longer in EU centers. CONCLUSION: Surprisingly, surgeons in NA and EU centers are faced by different patient populations requiring mechanical heart valve replacement. NA patients were younger, but required more extensive surgery. Surgical technique and perioperative management appear to differ in NA and EU centers. These differences in reporting heart valve procedures might have been influenced by variable interpretations of definitions and different patient expectations, although a uniform study protocol with consistent definitions was used at all sites.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

The X-linked mouse mutation Bent tail is associated with a deletion of the Zic3 locus.

Bent tail (BN:) is a spontaneous, semi-dominant mutation on the mouse X chromosome that produces tail deformities and, rarely, open neural tube defects. Analysis of 292 normal male and affected male and female progeny from an intraspecific back-cross involving BN: supports a gene order of cen-DXMit89-18.5 +/- 2.3 cM-DXMit166-1.4 +/- 0.7 cM-BN:-1.0 +/- 0.6 cM-DXMit140 -4.8 +/- 1.3 cM-DXBay6-tel. A high frequency of sex chromosomal non-disjunction, unrelated to the BN: mutation, was also identified in the background strain. Refined genetic and physical mapping of the BN: critical region demonstrate that the mutation is associated with a <170 kb submicroscopic deletion that includes the anonymous microsatellite marker DXMit208 as well as the entire Zic3 locus. Human mutations in ZIC3 are associated with left-right axis malformations (MIM 306955, 208530, 207100). Abnormalities of abdominal and thoracic situs were also detected in viable BN: males and females. The presence of anal and spinal abnormalities in some of the human patients and the deletion of Zic3 in BN: mice support a key role for this gene in neural tube development and closure.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Pediatric cardiac surgery after exclusively echocardiography-based diagnostic work-up.

This study was performed to evaluate the accuracy of exclusively non-invasive preoperative diagnostic work-up based on echocardiography and to assess the safety of cardiac surgery using this diagnostic approach in children with heart disease. During a 3. 5-year period, accuracy of preoperative (invasive and non-invasive) diagnostic work-up was prospectively tested by comparison with the intraoperative findings obtained by surgical inspection and transoesophageal echocardiography. Included were all consecutive 358 children undergoing cardiac surgery (except pulmonary artery bandings and ductus ligations) during the study period at our institution. Of the patients, 44% were operated on in infancy, 84% of procedures were on cardiopulmonary bypass. Echocardiography as the only preoperative imaging modality was used in 231 patients (65%), in the other children, a diagnostic catheter was done. Diagnostic errors occurred in 3.9% (n=5) of patients after diagnostic catheter and in 6.9% (n=16) of patients with echocardiography only. Major diagnostic errors (resulting in prolongation of cardiac bypass time) were observed at equal frequency in both groups (1.7% or four children in the echo-only group and 1.6% or two patients in the catheter group). In no case was the outcome affected by the previously unrecognized findings. It was shown that diagnostic cardiac catheterization could be avoided in a majority of pediatric patients prior to surgical palliation or correction of cardiac defects, without increasing the risk of complications or the overall outcome.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Rare presentation of cardiac hemangiomas.

Cardiac hemangiomas are exceptionally rare tumors with an incidence of 1% to 2% of all detected benign heart neoplasms. The clinical appearance of the tumor varies considerably and may mimic other pathological findings of definite heart structures. We report two cases of cardiac hemangiomas presenting with an unusual location and clinical course.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Anti-Galalpha1-3Gal IgM/IgG antibody levels in infants: do they have a clinical relevance in pediatric xenotransplantation?

BACKGROUND: Anti-Galalpha1-3Gal antibodies (anti-Gal) compose a major obstacle to xenotransplantation. As it is known, there is an immunological window during which infants are thought to have no xenoreactive antibodies. Therefore, we were interested in investigating the occurrence of these antibodies in newborns and infants up to 2 years of age. METHODS: IgM/IgG isotypes of anti-Gal from 74 serum samples of 16 mothers, with the respective cord bloods, and 42 infants of 4 age groups (Group I: day 1-6 months, II: 7-12 months, III: 13-18 months, and IV: 19-24 months) were determined by Enzyme-Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay (ELISA). A synthetic Galalpha1-3Gal disaccharide-polyacrylamide glycoconjugate was used for coating and monoclonal antibodies were used for the detection of heavy chain isotypes. Antibody concentrations were referred to an internal standard and expressed as arbitrary ELISA units (U). Hemagglutination titers against rabbit erythrocytes (E(R)) were determined in addition. RESULTS: Maternal serum samples showed a wide interindividual variability (IgM: 87 +/- 33 U (mean +/- SD), IgG 59 +/- 39 U) whereas in cord blood no detectable IgM was seen in presence of IgG (52 +/- 34 U). From Group I to IV there was a gradual increase of anti-Gal IgM towards an average of 70% of the adult levels whereas IgG fell to an average of approximately 20% of cord blood levels. Hemagglutination titers followed an increasing tendency with cord blood starting from 1:16 and reaching 1:256 in Group IV. CONCLUSION: The humoral immune response to the Galalpha1-3Gal epitope (alpha-Gal) in infancy follows the generally known development of specific antibodies in humans.

Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic↗
PubMed2000

Cardiovascular interventions during oncologic surgery: technical principles and mid-term survival.

BACKGROUND: While the veins are primarily affected by compressing or invasive tumors, the arteries usually undergo only a less pronounced stenosis, due to the higher internal pressure. However, some tumors infiltrate the arterial adventitia which should be resected or might be injured in cases where radical surgery is attempted. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We report some technical principles utilized in various vascular localizations and mid-term survival observed in a group of 35 patients in whom a vascular reconstruction was performed during the surgical treatment of a malignant tumor. The following vessels were involved: carotid artery (n = 5), superior vena cava (n = 9), aortic arch (n = 1), subclavian artery (n = 1), right atrium +/- inferior vena cava (n = 6), abdominal aorta (n = 3) and finally iliac artery and/or vein (n = 10). The following surgical techniques were employed: extra-anatomic bypass (n = 3), in situ reconstruction (n = 23) using either prosthetic graft or saphenous vein interposition, patch angioplasty with autologous vein or xenopericardium and ligature of the involved artery or vein (n = 4). In 5 patients suffering from hypernephroma with a tumor thrombus, cardiopulmonary bypass was used to allow radical intracardiac excision. RESULTS: There was no intraoperative mortality despite the fact that a majority of these vascular procedures was performed after incidental and unexpected finding during surgery. Two patients died before hospital discharge (one from pneumonia, the second one from sepsis). Mid-term survival was satisfactory with 45% of the patients still alive after a mean follow-up of 4.5 years--all tumor types confounded. CONCLUSIONS: This series demonstrates that an aggressive approach might be justified in appropriate patients who otherwise might not be considered as operative candidates.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Complete transposition of the great arteries: surgical concepts for patients with systemic right ventricular failure following intraatrial repair.

One of the most serious late complications of the intraatrial baffle procedure (Mustard or Senning correction) in patients suffering from transposition of the great arteries, (TGA) is the late systemic right ventricular failure. Nearly all patients presenting with right ventricular dysfunction have severe associated tricuspid regurgitation. The surgical options for these patients include tricuspid valve reconstruction or replacement, staged conversion to the arterial switch operation and orthotopic heart transplantation. Review of 189 operative survivors who underwent the Mustard or Senning operation for TGA between 1970 and 1993 in our institution revealed 12 patients (6.3%) who died from severe systemic right ventricular dysfunction (mean follow-up 16+/-3.5 years), which was the most common cause of late death. All of them had concomitant severe tricuspid regurgitation. 7 patients (3.7%) died from sudden cardiac death. The actuarial survival at 10 years is 93% for simple TGA and 85% for TGA associated with ventricular septum defect or coarctation. At our institution, 4 adolescent or adult patients underwent tricuspid valve surgery; tricuspid valve replacement was performed in 2 patients and valve repair in 2 patients. In the mid-term follow-up, 2 of these patients died. Two additional patients underwent orthotopic heart transplantation, and one died on the waiting list. Staged conversion from the Senning/Mustard atrial repair to the arterial switch operation was initially reported by Mee. The procedure for pulmonary artery banding starts with inducing left ventricular reconditioning with subsequent arterial switch. The mortality of this two-staged procedure was as high as 20% to 30% in our early experience, and some of the candidates underwent heart transplantation. Tricuspid valve repair or replacement do not improve right ventricular function in patients with a failing right ventricle following the Mustard/Senning operation. Staged conversion to arterial switch may improve right ventricular function by decreasing the work load of the right ventricle and provides anatomic repair with left ventricle-to-aorta continuity. Orthotopic heart transplantation is the only alternative if the left ventricle does not respond to pulmonary artery banding.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed2000

Surgical management of complications after transcatheter closure of an atrial septal defect or patent foramen ovale.

OBJECTIVE: During recent years, transcatheter closure has become an alternative to operations for the treatment of atrial septal defects and patent foramen ovale. However, this procedure may be unsuccessful or complicated and requires surgical treatment. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of patients who needed surgical treatment after failed or complicated transcatheter closure of an atrial septal defect or a patent foramen ovale. RESULTS: Between April 1994 and March 1999, 124 patients were treated with transcatheter closure of an atrial septal defect or a patent foramen ovale at our institution. We report the results of 10 (8%) patients of this series who required operations after transcatheter closure attempts. In 8 of these 10 patients a significant shunt caused by malposition or dislocation of the device persisted, leading to surgical closure of the defect. In 2 patients injury of the femoral artery at the puncture site required surgical repair. In one patient the device had to be removed surgically from the iliac vein after retraction. One patient died of left ventricular perforation after dislocation of the device and several surgical attempts to close the left ventricular rupture. All other patients recovered well. CONCLUSION: An operation was required after transcatheter closure of an atrial septal defect or a patent foramen ovale in 8% of patients. After device complications, the atrial septal defect and the patent foramen ovale can still successfully be closed surgically with good results and low morbidity. However, serious complications like cardiac perforation may have a fatal outcome. Residual shunt, dislocation, or vascular complications are the most frequent problems that require surgical interventions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

A prospective randomized trial comparing stenting to internal mammary artery grafting for proximal, isolated de novo left anterior coronary artery stenosis: the SIMA trial. Stenting vs Internal Mammary Artery.

OBJECTIVE: To compare coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in patients with proximal, isolated de novo left anterior descending coronary artery disease and left ventricular ejection fraction of 45%. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In the multicenter Stenting vs Internal Mammary Artery (SIMA) study, patients were randomly assigned to PTCA and stent implantation or to CABG (using the internal mammary artery). The primary clinical composite end point was event-free survival, including death, myocardial infarction, and the need for additional revascularization. Secondary end points were functional class, antianginal treatment, and quality of life. Analyses were by intention to treat. RESULTS: Of 123 patients who accepted randomization, 59 underwent CABG, and 62 were treated with stent implantation (2 patients were excluded because of protocol violation). At a mean +/- SD follow-up of 2.4+/-0.9 years, a primary end point had occurred in 19 patients (31%) in the stent group and in 4 (7%) in the CABG group (P<.001). This significant difference in clinical outcome is due to a higher incidence of additional revascularization in the stent group, the incidence of death and myocardial infarction being similar (7% vs 7%, respectively; P=.90). The functional class, need for antianginal drug, and quality-of-life assessment showed no significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: Both stent implantation and CABG are safe and highly effective treatments to relieve symptoms in patients with isolated, proximal left anterior descending coronary artery stenosis. Both are associated with a low and comparable incidence of death and myocardial infarction. However, similar to PTCA alone, a percutaneous approach using elective stent placement remains hampered by a higher need for repeated intervention because of restenosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Intra- and postoperative quality control in minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB) surgery.

The introduction of new techniques allowing direct coronary artery revascularisation without sternotomy and extracorporeal circulation--called Minimally (or less) Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass grafting (MIDCAB)--has opened up interesting perspectives for the treatment of patients with limited coronary artery disease. However, like any newer surgical technique, this approach to myocardial revascularisation requires a critical appreciation of the results which may be obtained; when introducing the MIDCAB technique in our institution we developed a quality control protocol based on intraoperative as well as early and late postoperative parameters. This protocol is designed to detect every significant adverse event, exercise capacity and quality of life of our patients. Moreover, several invasive parameters have to be recorded in the protocol, such as intraoperative flow in the internal mammary artery conduit, the angiographic verification of anastomotic patency at one-year follow-up and determination of coronary flow reserve. The results of the first 5 patients observed up to one year postoperatively are presented: all anastomoses were patent and the flow within the internal mammary artery was 69 +/- 40 ml/min at one-year follow-up angiography; this compares very favourably with the flow measured at the end of the operation, which was 31 +/- 8 ml/min. This demonstrates very clearly that internal mammary artery flow is recruitable and usually significantly increases within the first months postoperatively. Coronary flow reserve was 3.4 +/- 1.1 (normal value > 2.5). The results obtained in this pilot study, which was designed to establish a quality control protocol, are very satisfactory and confirm previous experience that this technique may be offered to selected patients with appropriate coronary anatomy.

Coronary Artery Bypass↗
PubMed1999

Troponin-I for prediction of early postoperative course after pediatric cardiac surgery.

OBJECTIVES: It was the aim of the study to test the prognostic value of cardiac troponin-I (cTnI) concerning the early postoperative course after pediatric cardiac surgery. BACKGROUND: Cardiac troponin-I is a very specific and sensitive marker of myocardial damage in adults and children. As perioperative myocardial damage may be a significant factor of postoperative cardiac performance, serial cTnI values were analyzed in children undergoing open heart surgery. METHODS: Seventy-three children undergoing elective correction of congenital heart disease including atrial and ventricular surgical manipulation were studied. Cardiac troponin-I levels were measured serially and correlated with intra- and postoperative parameters (such as doses and length of inotropic support, renal and hepatic function, duration of intubation). Patients with prolonged postoperative recovery were analyzed with special attention to the cTnI levels. RESULTS: The cutoff point for the definition of a high and a low risk group of cTnI values was set at 25 microg/liter, 4 h after admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and at 35 microg/liter considering the maximal value of cTnI in the first 24 h in the ICU. The results showed a highly significant correlation between the need for inotropic support, the severity of renal dysfunction and the duration of intubation in relation to the serum levels of cTnI. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac troponin-I serum levels after open heart surgery in children and infants 4 h after admission to the ICU allowed anticipation of the postoperative course and correlated with the incidence of significant postoperative complications.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Different techniques of distal aortic repair in acute type A dissection: impact on late aortic morphology and reoperation.

OBJECTIVE: To compare three different techniques of distal aortic repair in acute type A (de Bakey type I) aortic dissection and to evaluate their impact on the late morphology of the aortic arch and descending aorta and on the incidence of reoperation. METHODS: From 65 patients operated on due to an acute type A aortic dissection between 1989 and 1993, 54 long-term survivors underwent clinical and radiologic follow-up examination after a mean postoperative interval of 62+/-16 months. The surgical techniques of distal aortic reconstruction included closed repair using Teflon felt reinforcement under moderate hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (n = 20) and open repair in deep hypothermic circulatory arrest using either Teflon felt reinforcement (n = 16) or gelatin-resorcin-formaldehyde (GRF) glue (n = 18) to readapt the dissected aortic layers. In all patients, MR imaging was performed on a 1.5-T whole body imaging system for the evaluation of the morphology and function of the heart, aorta and supraaortic branches. RESULTS: Overall hospital mortality following surgical repair of type A aortic dissection was 15.4% during this time period. The highest rate of persistent false lumen perfusion (17/20, 85%) and presence of an intimal flap in the aortic arch (13/20, 65%) was observed in patients following closed repair of acute ascending aortic dissection, whereas the lowest rate of such findings was demonstrated in patients who had undergone open distal aortic repair using biological glue (false lumen perfusion 10/18, 55% and intimal flap in the arch 2/18, 11%). Redo-surgery was significantly reduced in the open repair group using GRF glue (1/18, 5.5%) as compared with the Teflon felt repair group (3/16, 18%) and the closed repair group (6/20, 30%). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with acute type A dissection, open distal aortic repair using GRF-glue favourably influences both (1) the severity of late morphologic alterations in the downstream aorta and (2) the incidence of reoperation.

Aortic Dissection↗