Echocardiographic and Computed-tomographic Evaluation of the Fate of Bovine Pericardial Patch as a Pericardial Substitute in Bentall’s Procedure: Twenty-year’ Results

Objective: The study was designed to ascertain the influence of usage of bovine pericardial patch in patients undergoing Bentall’s procedure with respect to reexploration for bleeding, mediastinal infection, avoidance of conduit adhesions, late development of pericardial constriction and calcification. Materials and Methods: We reviewed 150 patients (79 males) aged between 22 to 68 years (mean±SD 49.25±12.9 years) receiving a composite aortic conduit between January 1998 to December 2020 for annuloaortic ectasia (n=100), aortic dissection (n=49), and dilated aortic root in repaired tetralogy of Fallot (n=1). Twenty-five patients had Marfan’s syndrome. Modified “button technique” was performed by interposing a glutaraldehyde treated pericardial strip at the graft coronary anastomoses, and proximal aortic conduit suturing using interlocking interrupted, pledgeted mattress suture. On completion, the pericardial cavity was reconstructed using St. Jude Medical Biocor pericardial patch. To detect evidence of pericardial constriction, survivors underwent echocardiography and computed tomography. The Kaplan-Meier curve was drawn to show the probability of survival over a period of follow-up time. Results: Seven (4.7%) patients died of cardiac-related cause, 45% had transient hemodynamic instability, 55% had low cardiac output, and 87.1% had spontaneous return of sinus rhythm. The average 12-hour postoperative drainage was 245±70 ml and there was no mediastinal infection. At a mean follow-up of 172.4 (SD± 58.9) months, the actuarial survival was 94.2±0.04% (95% CI: 88.5-96.8), and there was no pericardial constriction or calcification. Conclusion: Reconstruction of pericardial cavity using Biocor bovine pericardial patch minimizes diffuse oozing of blood, graft infection, and is not associated with later development of pericardial constriction, or calcification.

IATROGENIC VENTRICULAR SEPTAL DEFECT DURING RIGHT VENTRICULAR ASSIST DEVICE INSERTION IN CONGENITALLY CORRECTED TRANSPOSITION OF THE GREAT ARTERIES

This case report describes the management of a large iatrogenic ventricular septal defect (VSD) created by the coring device during systemic ventricular assist device (RVAD) insertion in a 16 year-old patient with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries. The VSD was closed by bovine pericardial patch and the ventriculotomy was extended laterally to relocate the VAD sewing ring. After RVAD implantation, patient initially remained cyanotic, potentially due to a tiny VSD patch leak with right to left shunting. Hypoxia was successfully corrected by rescue nitric oxide infusion and patient was bridged to transplant after 91 days.

Postinfarction posterior ventricular septal defect repair: Infarct exclusion technique

A 61-year-old man, an active smoker with associated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on bronchodilator therapy, presented with acute inferior ST-elevation myocardial infarction. The right coronary artery was shown to be the infarct-related artery and was ultimately treated with a drug-eluting stent with an optimal angiographic result. Despite treatment, the patient continued to experience chest pain. Echocardiography showed an extensive posterior mid-ventricular septal defect. Given the scenario of an acute ventricular septal defect with impending hemodynamic repercussions, emergency surgery was pursued. After a median sternotomy and institution of cardiopulmonary bypass with bicaval cannulation, the inferior wall was exposed to assess the necrotic scar. After ventriculotomy, there was an irregular large septal defect with poorly defined margins. In this case, the posterior papillary muscle showed patchy areas of necrosis, requiring a mitral valve replacement. The ventricular septal defect was repaired using an oval-shaped bovine pericardial patch sutured with 3-0 polypropylene sutures, secured with Teflon pledgets, placed transmurally in healthy endocardium. The same patch was incorporated in the ventriculotomy closure.

Unrecognized concomitant ventricular septal rupture and left ventricular aneurysm 10 months after myocardial infarction in a patient presenting with chronic heart failure

Background We report a rare case of concomitant inferior left ventricular aneurysm and ventricular septal rupture in a patient presenting with chronic heart failure. Case presentation An 81-year-old man suffered from congestive heart failure. His symptoms were alleviated by medical management; however, heart failure symptoms continued according to the New York Heart Association Functional Classification III. Ten months after presentation, ventricular septal rupture was diagnosed using echocardiography. The left ventricular aneurysm was also complicated. Surgical repair of the ventricular septal rupture and left ventricular aneurysm was successfully performed. The ventricular septal rupture consisted of multiple holes, and the infarcted myocardium had already progressed to firm, fibrotic scar tissue. We closed the ventricular septal rupture with a small bovine pericardial patch and performed an aneurysmectomy with a liner technique. Conclusions Cases of ventricular septal rupture can have various clinical scenarios, and treatment should be optimized for each patient, especially with respect to the timing of surgery.

Robotic vs. Transsternal Thymectomy: A Single Center Experience over 10 Years

Introduction: Thymomas are the most common tumors of the mediastinum. Traditionally, thymectomies have been performed through a transsternal (TS) approach. With the development of robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS), a promising, minimally invasive, alternative surgical technique for performing a thymectomy has been developed. In the current paper, the oncological and surgical outcomes of the TS vs. RATS thymectomies are discussed. Methods: For the RATS thymectomy, two 8 mm working ports and one 12 mm camera port were used. In the transsternal approach, we performed a median sternotomy and resected the thymic tissue completely, in some cases en bloc with part of the lung and/or, more frequently, a partial pericardiectomy with consequent reconstruction using a bovine pericardial patch. The decisions for using the TS vs. RATS methods were mainly based on the suspected tumor invasion of the surrounding structures on the preoperative CT scan and tumor size. Results: Between January 2010 and November 2020, 149 patients were submitted for an anterior mediastinal tumor resection at our institution. A total of 104 patients met the inclusion criteria. One procedure was performed through a hemi-clamshell incision. A total of 81 (78%) patients underwent RATS procedures, and 22 (21.1%) patients were treated using a transsternal (TS) tumor resection. Thymoma was diagnosed in 53 (51%) cases. In the RATS group, the median LOS was 3.2 ± 2.8 days and the median tumor size was 4.4 ± 2.37 cm compared to the TS group, which had a median LOS of 9 ± 7.3 days and a median tumor size of 10.4 ± 5.3 cm. Both differences were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Complete resection was achieved in all patients. Conclusion: While larger and infiltrating tumors (i.e., thymic carcinomas) were usually resected via a sternotomy, the RATS procedure is a good alternative for the resection of thymomas of up to 9.5 cm, and the thymectomy is a strong approach for myasthenia gravis. The oncological outcomes and survival rates were not influenced by the chosen approach.

Bovine xenograft pericardial patch use for definitive single stage repair of a large esophageal defect: a case report

Background Large esophageal perforations are challenging and often treated with exclusion or resection. This case demonstrates the feasibility of definitive surgical repair of a large esophageal perforation using large bovine pericardial patch. Case A patient with missed Boerhaave Syndrome underwent transesophageal echocardiography causing worsening perforation and sepsis. At thoracotomy and faced with a large esophageal defect, a large Bovine pericardial patch was used for repair with omentopexy. The patient recovered promptly and at 8 months was asymptomatic with satisfactory studies. Conclusion Xenograft pericardium is available and widely used for vascular reconstructions. It’s use for primary repair of large esophageal perforations should be considered.

Operative intervention for a central pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm

Pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysms are a rare but potentially lethal diagnosis. They can be further categorized by etiology or location and are typically successfully treated with endovascular therapies. However, they occasionally require operative intervention. Here, we present a case of a patient who presented with a central pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm on CT scan with unclear etiology that was initially treated with conservative management. However, this was noted to have rapid enlargement on interval imaging necessitating urgent surgical intervention. The patient underwent a median sternotomy, anterior pulmonary artery arteriotomy for exposure, exclusion of the posterior artery pseudoaneurysm with a bovine pericardial patch, and closure of the anterior arteriotomy with a bovine pericardial patch. The patient did well and was discharged on postoperative day eleven with repeat imaging showing resolution.

Delayed Treatment of Acute Myocardial Infarction With Ventricular Septal Rupture Due to Patient Fear During the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandmic, more patients are presenting with complications late after acute myocardial infarction. We report the case of a 71-year-old man who delayed seeking medical care for 2 weeks, despite progressive shortness of breath, cough, and tactile fever, for fear of contracting COVID-19 in the hospital. Clinical and echocardiographic evaluation revealed a ventricular septal rupture secondary to acute myocardial infarction. The patient underwent urgent cardiac catheterization, followed by successful saphenous vein grafting to the left anterior descending coronary artery and open surgical repair of the ventricular septal rupture with a bovine pericardial patch. This case highlights a potential long-lasting negative effect that the COVID-19 pandemic will have on the care-seeking behavior and health of patients with acute cardiovascular disease.

An Observational Study of Bovine Pericardial Patch Angioplasty as a surgical option for Infected Aortic Aneurysms

Background: An infected aortic aneurysm (IAA) is a rare and life-threatening disease. The aim of this study is to elucidate mid-term outcomes of IAA, incorporating patch angioplasty with bovine pericardium. Materials and Methods: Between June 2011 and August 2020, eight patients (one woman, seven men) with infected aneurysms of the thoracic and abdominal aorta were treated surgically. Results: There was no surgical/hospital death. There were two late deaths at follow-up. One patient (patient 6) was re-admitted to the hospital with vomiting blood four months after surgery and died despite treatment. Another patient (patient 5) died at his home 12 months after surgery, and the cause of death was unknown. Six patients remained alive with no evidence of recurrent aneurysm formation due to infection at a mean follow-up of 70.3 (range, 13-110) months. Conclusions: BPPA could be one of the surgical options for IAA, especially in patients with severe adhesion around the aneurysm.