Left ventricular global and regional function during lumbar epidural anesthesia in patients with and without angina pectoris. Influence of volume loading.

The influence of lumbar epidural anesthesia without cardiac sympathectomy on global and regional left ventricular function was investigated prior to surgery in eight normal subjects (group 1) and in ten patients suffering from stable mild effort-related angina (group 2). In both groups, epidural blockade was performed with 10 ml 0.5% plain bupivacaine.

Decreased incidence of supraventricular arrhythmias achieved by selective atrial cooling during aortic valve replacement.

Inadequate atrial hypothermia and subsequent ischemic injury have been recognized as the major causes of supraventricular arrhythmias (SVAs) and conduction defects following cold chemical cardioplegia. This study was designed to assess the effects of right atrial cooling (15 degrees-20 degrees C) during cardioplegic arrest upon the incidence of postoperative SVAs and conduction defects in 40 consecutive patients undergoing isolated aortic valve replacement. Atrial preservation was ensured by combining systemic (24 degrees C) and topical hypothermia with snared double caval cannulation during arrest.

Comparison of perioperative and postoperative phasic blood flow in aortocoronary venous bypass grafts by means of pulsed Doppler echocardiography with implantable microprobes.

Although graft dimension and hemodynamic variables have been suggested as important determinants of the functional results of aortocoronary bypass grafting, there is no easy-to-use bedside method of monitoring phasic blood flow in coronary bypass grafts. We developed a miniaturized implantable silicone pulsed Doppler flow probe linked to a classic 8 MHz pulsed Doppler system. This apparatus has an adjustable range-gated time system that permits accurate measurement of diameter (D, in mm), cross-sectional blood flow velocity (Vm, in cm/sec), and coronary bypass graft flow (CBGF, in ml/min) as pi D2/4 X Vm X 60.

Response of left ventricular ejection fraction to recovery from general anesthesia: measurement by gated radionuclide angiography.

To test the hypothesis that, after anesthesia for noncardiac surgical procedures, the increased cardiac work during recovery induces wall motion and ejection fraction (EF) abnormalities in patients with mild angina pectoris, gated radionuclide angiography was performed in patients undergoing simple cholecystectomy under narcotic-relaxant general anesthesia. The ejection fraction was determined during anesthesia at the end of surgery, and then determined 3 min and 3 hr after extubation. A new angiography was performed 24 hr later, and a myocardial scintigraphy (Thallium 201) was performed during infusion of the coronary vasodilator, dipyridamole.

Left ventricular dysfunction after non-cardiac surgical procedures in patients with ischemic heart disease.

In order to demonstrate the presence of postischemic ventricular dysfunction after non-cardiac surgical procedures, myocardial perfusion scintigraphy with thallium 201 and radionuclide ventriculography were performed before and 24 h after intervention in 20 patients suffering from angina pectoris. A long-term ECG recording was used in all patients to detect peroperative myocardial ischemia. In 14 of the 20 patients studied, both ventriculography and thallium scintigraphy were unchanged at the postoperative study.

[Fatal hypoxemia following extracorporeal circulation for aortocoronary bypass. A case].

A lethal case of acute respiratory distress syndrome of the adult following extracorporeal circulation for aorto-coronary bypass is reported. This case illustrates the two mechanisms currently thought to be responsible for this pathology: (1) the passage of blood over the synthetic fibres of the cardiopulmonary bypass machine activates the complement, and the systemic inflammatory reaction that ensues accounts for the increased permeability of the alveolar capillary membrane; (2) the haemodilution inherent in extracorporeal circulation explains the hypoproteinaemia usually observed at the end of the procedure; the resulting fall in capillary osmotic pressure upsets the equilibrium of pressures in the capillary vessels.

[Complement activation during extracorporeal circulation. A model for understanding lesional pulmonary edema].

The complement system (CH50, C3, C4, C3 PA) was monitored during extra-corporeal circulation in 10 patients with ischemic-heart disease. Mean concentrations of CH50, C3, C4, and C3 PA significantly decreased as early as 5 minutes after initiation of the extra-corporeal circulation and decrement remain steady all over the surgical procedure. Transient neutropenia occurred early during the procedure.