Survival and prognostic factors in resected N2 non-small cell lung cancer: a study of 140 cases. Leuven Lung Cancer Group.

Background: The selection of stage IIIA N2 non-small cell lung cancer patients for primary surgical treatment remains controversial.

Methods: One hundred forty patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer who eventually proved to have pathologic N2 disease were studied with a univariate and multivariate analysis of prognostic factors.

Results: Nineteen patients had a positive mediastinoscopy; the others had a preoperative N0 or N1 stage.

The Monostrut versus Medtronic Hall prosthesis: a prospective randomized study.

A prospective randomized study, comparing the clinical results between two groups of patients undergoing valve replacement with the Monostrut (MS) and Medtronic-Hall (MH) heart valve prosthesis was carried out between January 1985 and December 1988. A MS valve was implanted in 205, the MH in 198 patients selected randomly. Statistical analysis showed a perfect match between the two groups regarding preoperative and operative variables, including implantation site.

The Björk-Shiley Monostrut valve. Clinical experience in 647 patients.

A total of 647 consecutive patients underwent valve replacement with a Björk-Shiley Monostrut valve (Shiley, Inc., Irvine, Calif.) from January 1, 1984, through December 31, 1988.

Five-year survival in resected T3/N2 lung cancer.

The number of operated T3 lung cancers increases constantly. The absolute 5-year survival was 16.6% (9/54) and was only 9.

The Ionescu-Shiley pericardial valve: results in 473 patients.

From January 1, 1980, through December 31, 1985, 473 patients underwent valve replacement with an Ionescu-Shiley valve. Overall hospital mortality was 7.8%.

Ventricular tachycardia as a complication of annular subvalvular ventricular aneurysm in a Caucasian woman.

A Caucasian female patient with repetitive attacks of ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation caused by annular submitral left ventricular aneurysm is reported. During a follow-up period of six years after aneurysmectomy, the patient remained symptom-free.

[Abdominal aneurysms: long-term results].

437 patients who underwent surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm have been studied. Of these, 206 patients (medium age 63 years) had elective surgery, 231 patients (medium age 73 years) had acute surgery. The five-year survival rate was 65% for the elective group and 40% for the acute group, but these percentages are influenced by the perioperative mortality.

Nifedipine as an adjunct to St. Thomas' Hospital cardioplegia. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial.

The cardioprotective effect of the addition of the slow calcium-channel blocker nifedipine to cardioplegic solution was tested in two double-blind placebo controlled randomized studies. The first study included 24 patients undergoing aortic-coronary bypass grafting, and the second included 24 patients undergoing aortic valve replacement. Nifedipine at a dose of 200 micrograms/L or placebo was added to St.

Surgical treatment of acute, massive lung embolism. Results and follow-up.

Between 1970 and 1984 the diagnosis of acute, massive lung embolism was made 30 times in our department. In 29 patients the clinical diagnosis was correct and a Trendelenburg operation under extra-corporeal circulation was performed. In 18 cases there was an operation in the immediate preoperative course.

[Infrarenal abdominal aneurysms. Course and their effect on perioperative mortality. A 23-year study].

The perioperative mortality rate in elective aneurysmectomy progressively declined to 2%; despite the fact that the percentage of patients with risk factors has increased. Important is that this perioperative mortality is not related to the age of the patients. In acute situations the perioperative mortality has increased to 30 à 50%.

[Inflammatory aneurysms].

Inflammatory aneurysms are not so frequent, etiology and pathogenesis are uncertain. Resection can be a problem because of the dense inflammatory fibrous reaction. Preoperative diagnosis may be possible with the aid of intravenous urography and CAT-scan.

The patient's perspectives after aortofemoral grafting for occlusive disease.

The late results of aortofemoral grafting for aortoiliac occlusive disease in 371 patients are presented. Late survival (30% after 15 years) was primarily dependent on age at the time of surgery and the presence of atherosclerotic heart disease on subinguinal atherosclerotic involvement. The majority of late deaths (42%) was due to atherosclerotic disease.

Pacing in children.

Fourteen children had a permanent pacemaker implanted between May 1967 and July 1983. Postoperative complete heart block was the indication in nine cases, congenital complete heart block in three, and sick sinus syndrome in two. Two patients died, one suddenly and one after aortic valve replacement.

Quantification of creatine phosphokinase and its isoenzyme MB, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and lactic dehydrogenase from different sources during aortic valve replacement procedure.

The diversity of conditions inducing an increase in CPK-MB, CPK, LDH and SGOT allows investigation of the quantitative evolution in cardiac patients during heart surgery. In nine patients submitted to valve replacement, three samples were taken respectively: one from the superior and the inferior caval veins and one another from the coronary sinus and immediately centrifuged. The sera were processed to quantitate the CPK, CPK-MB, LDH and SGOT through the three periods of observation.

Nine years' experience with the Björk-Shiley prosthetic valve: early and late results of 932 valve replacements.

Between November, 1970, and December, 1977, 932 consecutive patients received the standard Björk-Shiley prosthesis. Operative mortality was 4.6% for aortic valve replacement (AVR; N = 364), 5.

Experience with 100 consecutive anterior mediastinotomies in lung cancer.

Between January 1978 and March 1981, 100 anterior mediastinotomies were performed in patients with proven or suspected lung cancer. It was done 72 times in patients with a tumor of the left lung, all presenting with a normal mediastinum. Of those 72 patients, 59 had a tumor in the left upper lobe: 30.

Five-year survival in operated lung cancer.

A total of 1,001 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of lung cancer were treated at the University Hospital Pellenberg - Leuven in the five-year period 1970-1974. One hundred and sixty-four patients (16.4%) were operated and 152 underwent surgical resection of their pulmonary lung lesion.

Uremic pericarditis. Treatment by limited pericardiectomy.

Between 1963 and 1979, limited pericardiectomy through left anterolateral thoracotomy was performed in 14 patients with uremic pericarditis. Two patients died after operation and one patient presented an early recurrence. Within a mean follow-up time of 3.

Total pericardectomy for chronic constrictive pericarditis. Early and late results.

The early and late results of total pericardiectomy, performed over a 17 years period in 39 patients with chronic constrictive pericarditis, are presented. The overall operative mortality was 18%. With growing surgical experience and anesthesiological improvement, the operative morality of 26% during the first 12 years decreased to an acceptable 6.

St. Thomas cardioplegia versus topical cooling: ultrastructural and biochemical studies in humans.

Transmural left ventricular biopsies were studied from 28 patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass with anoxic cardiac arrest. The myocardium was protected by topical cooling (20 degrees C) (Group 1, 15 patients) or by cardioplegia with St. Thomas' solution (Group 2, 13 patients).