[Mechanical support for the heart and circulation in adults].

In severe, acute or chronic heart failure, the heart and the circulation can be mechanically supported, if the patient's life is in danger despite maximal drug therapy, and other cardiologic or heart surgery treatment options or a suitable heart transplant are not available. Long-term prognosis of those treated with mechanical support has improved in the 2000's. This is based on technically advanced equipment, improved treatment practices, properly targeted patient selection and more accurate timing of therapy.

Control of early Aspergillus mortality after lung transplantation: outcome and risk factors.

Historic treatment strategies in our institute had resulted in 10% Aspergillus mortality within the first posttransplant year. Despite nebulized amphotericin B (nAmB) prophylaxis, a significant incidence of Aspergillus infection, usually with poor outcome, is still reported. The aim of this single-center retrospective study was to evaluate the outcomes of patients receiving either standard nAmB or additional systemic caspofungin prophylaxis for selected high-risk patients.

Usefulness of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as a bridge to lung transplantation: a descriptive study.

Background: This retrospective study investigated early outcome in patients with end-stage pulmonary disease bridged with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) with the intention of lung transplantation (LTx) in 2 Scandinavian transplant centers.

Methods: ECMO was used as a bridge to LTx in 16 patients between 2005 and 2009 at Sahlgrenska and Helsinki University Hospitals. Most patients were late referrals for LTx, and all failed to stabilize on mechanical ventilation.

Association between gastrointestinal symptoms and health-related quality of life after heart transplantation.

Background: Heart transplantation (HTx) ameliorates the self-perceived health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with terminal heart disease; gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, due to obligatory immunosuppression, may contribute to impaired HRQoL post-HTx.

Methods: In this cross-sectional, exploratory study we aimed to investigate association between GI symptoms and HRQoL. The study consisted of 167 patients who had undergone HTx between 1985 and 2006 in Finland.

Natural course and risk factors for impaired renal function during the first year after heart transplantation.

Background: Post-operative renal failure is a common and potentially hazardous complication after heart transplantation (HTx). In this study we characterized pre- and post-operative risk factors for acute renal failure requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT).

Methods: Ninety-three patients underwent orthotopic HTx between 2000 and 2007.

Cyclosporine C2 levels have impact on incidence of rejection in de novo lung but not heart transplant recipients: the NOCTURNE study.

Background: Cyclosporine (CsA) absorption varies early after transplantation and can be accurately assessed by the area under the absorption curve (AUC). The 2-hour post-dose (C2) level of CsA in whole blood is reported to be a useful surrogate marker of CsA AUC in kidney and liver transplant monitoring, but should be further explored in thoracic organ recipients.

Methods: In a 12-month study we included de novo lung (n = 95) and heart (n = 96) recipients.

Resection and patch repair of a large saccular coronary artery aneurysm at the left main bifurcation.

Coronary artery aneurysm is a rare condition with primarily conservative treatment. Here, we present a case of saccular left main coronary aneurysm with a successful patch repair and discuss the indications for operative treatment.

Whole blood hypercoagulability despite anticoagulation during mechanical cardiac assist.

We report hypercoagulability despite activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT)-guided heparin treatment during Berlin Heart-supported circulation in a 38-year-old man with heart failure for 19 days. The patient was anticoagulated using unfractionated heparin, acetylsalicylic acid and dipyridamole. Contact and tissue factor-activated thromboelastometry revealed increased clot firmness, although anticoagulation assessed by APTT was in accordance with the treatment protocol.

Bartonella quintana and Bartonella pediococcus Infection after Aortic Valve Replacement.

Bartonella quintana and Bartonella pediococcus infections are very rare causes of endocarditis. Urban trench fever with relapsing febrile illness, headache, leg pain, and endocarditis has now begun to be a more important cause of disease in socially disadvantaged persons. The diagnosis is difficult because the growth of B.

Human herpesvirus-6 and -7 after lung and heart-lung transplantation.

Background: The impact of herpesvirus-6 and -7 (HHV-6, HHV-7) activation in lung transplant recipients is still poorly understood. We report the appearance of HHV-6 and HHV-7 antigenemia after lung transplantation and evaluate the efficacy of anti-viral drugs against these viruses.

Methods: Twenty-two lung or heart-lung recipients were monitored for HHV-6, HHV-7 and cytomegalovirus (CMV) during 12 post-operative months.

Levosimendan reversing low output syndrome after heart transplantation.

After heart transplantation primary graft failure is a major cause of early mortality. Treatment options include inotropes and mechanical assist devices. Developing better methods would impact on patients' short- and long-term survival.

A prospective study comparing cytomegalovirus antigenemia, DNAemia and RNAemia tests in guiding pre-emptive therapy in thoracic organ transplant recipients.

We evaluated the usefulness of DNAemia and mRNAemia tests in guiding the pre-emptive therapy against cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections in thoracic organ transplant recipients using antigenemia test as the reference. Seven lung (LTR) and 14 heart (HTR) transplant recipients were prospectively monitored for CMV by antigenemia, DNAemia (Cobas Amplicor PCR Monitor) and pp67-mRNAemia (NASBA) tests. However, only the antigenemia test guided pre-emptive therapy with cut-off levels of >or=2 and >or=5-10 pp65-positive leukocytes/50 000 leukocytes in the LTRs and HTRs, respectively.

Bronchoscopy in the diagnosis and surveillance of respiratory infections in lung and heart-lung transplant recipients.

Fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and transbronchial biopsies (TBB) is a widely used method to detect respiratory infections and to differentiate them from other postoperative complications in lung transplant (LTX) recipients, but the usefulness of surveillance FOBs is not yet established. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of FOB in the diagnosis and surveillance of infections in LTX recipients. We reviewed all the consecutive 609 FOBs performed on 40 lung or heart-LTX recipients between February 1994 and November 2002.

Cavoatrial extension of renal cell cancer: results of operative treatment in Helsinki University Hospital between 1990 and 2000.

Background And Aims: To evaluate the technical procedures and the post-operative survival of patients having been operated for renal cell cancer with cavoatrial tumour thrombus (RCC-T).

Material And Methods: Between 1990 and 2000 the cardiac unit at Helsinki University Central Hospital operated on seven patients for RCC-T. A cardiac surgeon along with a urologist, performed all seven operations using sternolaparotomy (either midline or Chevron incision) with cardiopulmonary bypass.

Endovascular treatment of aortic aneurysms in Finland: the first four years' experience.

Background And Aims: In this study the results of endovascular treatment of aortic aneurysms in Finland are presented and compared to the results of the Eurostar registry.

Material And Methods: A total of 229 patients with aortic aneurysm were treated in five different Finnish centres during 1996-2000. The data of these patients were collected prospectively by surgeon or interventional radiologist involved.

Magnetic resonance imaging angiography in patency evaluation of bronchial artery revascularization grafts.

In this report we present our experience of non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MR) angiography and selective catheter angiography in assessing the patency of bronchial artery revascularization grafts after an en bloc double-lung and heart-lung transplantation. We studied 8 patients who had undergone pulmonary transplantation with direct bronchial artery revascularization. Catheter angiography was performed 10 days to 63 months postoperatively.

Bronchial artery revascularization improves tracheal anastomotic healing after lung transplantation.

The study aimed to clarify the role of direct bronchial artery revascularization (BAR) after en bloc double-lung (DLT) and heart-lung transplantation (HLT). Group I comprised eight patients with en bloc DLT or HLT and successful BAR, while group II included 14 DLT or HLT cases without BAR or with failed BAR. From these groups, 2 subgroups were extracted: group III, including 6 cases of en bloc DLT with successful BAR and group IV 10 HLT cases without or with failed BAR.

Fatal and life-threatening complications in antireflux surgery: analysis of 5,502 operations.

Background: There have been few comprehensive studies relating to the life-threatening or fatal complications of antireflux surgery.

Methods: Some 5502 antireflux operations were performed in Finland between January 1987 and January 1996 (population approximately 5 million); 3993 procedures (72.6 per cent) were open fundoplications, 1162 (21.

Nitecapone as an additive to crystalloid cardioplegia in patients who had coronary artery bypass grafting.

Background: Nitecapone has been shown to have a protective effect against ischemia-reperfusion injury in experimental heart transplantation and in Langendorff preparations. This prospective, randomized study assessed the effects of nitecapone in patients who had coronary artery bypass grafting.

Methods: Thirty patients with normal myocardial function were randomly divided into control patients (n = 15), who received crystalloid (Plegisol) cardioplegia, and nitecapone patients, who received nitecapone in a 50 microM solution (n = 15) in Plegisol.

Signs of massive intraoperative pulmonary embolism with extensive invasive monitoring.

A 71-year-old patient suffered a massive pulmonary tumor embolism during removal of a renal carcinoma. He had extensive invasive monitoring, and the data were stored for later analysis. This shows that most of the known signs of pulmonary embolism were present in the tracings.

St. Jude versus CarboMedics: follow-up after prosthetic valve replacement.

Background: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the immediate and long-term outcome of patients with two types of mechanical bileaflet heart valves operated on in the same institution by the same group of surgeons.

Methods: A comparative analysis was made in 229 consecutive patients receiving either the St. Jude Medical (SJM) or CarboMedics (CMS) bileaflet mechanical valve in 1990-1991.

En bloc heart and lung transplantation in Finland 1988-1996.

Unlabelled: The purpose of the study was to review the first clinical experience in combined heart-lung transplantation in our institution.

Material: From June 1988 to December 1996 15 en bloc heart and lung transplantations were performed. There were nine men and six women, aged 17-61 (mean 42.