Perioperative Application of Diltiazem in Patients Undergoing On-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Diltiazem is frequently applied during the perioperative period of coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass (on-pump CABG) to prevent arterial graft spasm; however, the short- and long-term outcome effects are unclear. In this retrospective cohort study, from October 2008 to October 2018, adult patients who underwent isolated CABG with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) were identified. Patients in the perioperative diltiazem (DILT) and non-intervention (non-DILT) cohorts were matched based on propensity scores. Logistic regression was fitted to evaluate the impact on short-term outcomes. Long-term outcome was investigated by survival analyses. Total of 1004 patients were included. There were no statistically significant differences between the cohorts in perioperative outcomes, although at 24 hours postoperatively, patients in DILT were more likely to be on hemodynamic support from inotropic and/or vasoactive agents. The overall long-term survival was similar between the cohorts; however, in the subgroup of patients who received more than one arterial graft, perioperative diltiazem may be associated with higher long-term all-cause mortality. Based on these data, the perioperative and long-term outcome benefits of continuous iv infusion of diltiazem in patients who underwent on-pump CABG.

The RAGE Trial (Radial Arterial Graft in the Elderly)- A Pilot Study

Use of radial artery (RA) as a second arterial conduit in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) is well established and appreciated for its higher long-term patency rate compared to vein grafts. This study tends to investigate if there are any detrimental consequences when it is used in elderly (aged 60 and above) population of Bangladesh. A total of 71 patients who received RA grafts at elective, isolated CABG operation were consecutively enrolled in this study from May 2018 to September 2019. 31 patients were in the Elderly group and 40 patients were in the Non-elderly group. The groups were compared for baseline characteristics and co-morbidities; preoperative techniques, findings, events and procedures; and postoperative outcomes or end-point variables inclusive of local complications related to RA harvesting wound. Elderly and Non-elderly groups had statistically different age (p=0.000) and Society of Thoracic Surgery (STS) Score predicted mortality (p=0.000). Operative techniques, events, findings and procedures were similar. Clinical outcomes were found to be similar with no statistical difference between the groups. Number of deaths also was not statistically different. There were no local complications related to RA harvesting wound in either of the two groups. Harvesting and grafting of radial artery in suitable patients, using meticulous "no-touch" technique and for ideal target coronary artery stenosis is as safe in the elderly patients as in the younger ones. CBMJ 2020 July: Vol. 09 No. 02 P: 08-13

Superficialization of dilated radial artery for vascular access: A case report

Successful hemodialysis treatment need a well functioning vascular access (VA) allowing two cannulation sites with enough blood flow have minimum adverse events. The expectations, age of the HD population are rising as well as the lack of conventional methods due to central venous exhaustion, we have to choose some complex access, including complex or tertiary vascular access mentioned in 2018 Clinical Practice Guidelines of the European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS) and the option to abandon the venous circuit in instead of arterial system, including arterial-arterial graft and arterial superficialization. This article report a complicated case of AVF dysfunction, central venous stenosis due to central venous catheter and aortic dissection stent as well as lower extremity arteriosclerosis occlusion, using the simple method of superficialization of enlarged radial artery to maintain hemodialysis.

Early Graft Failure after Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: A Case of Anastomosis Detachment Due to Fibromuscular Dysplasia

Fibromuscular dysplasia is a non-atherosclerotic, non-inflammatory arteriopathy, considered a rare cause of coronary artery disease. Although familial cases have been described, no specific gene association has been detected so far. When the coronary vessels are involved, the main clinical scenarios are stable angina, acute coronary syndromes, left ventricular dysfunction, and sudden death. Specific clinical and angiographic findings may suggest this as the underlying disease, but certain diagnosis histological. The involvement of the lower and upper limbs is unusual; however, it may have decisive clinical implications for the most appropriate revascularization method and the selection of the arterial graft to be used.

3D preoperative assessment for locally advanced pancreatic cancer undergoing modified-Appleby procedure with reversed autologous arterial graft reconstruction: A case report

Advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma represents one of the most challenging oncologic diseases nowadays for many reasons: it is burdened by one of the poorest prognoses, it is often diagnosed when in an advanced stage and it demands a multimodal approach which is necessary to assign the proper patient-specific treatment. When feasible, surgical resection combined with systemic treatment is still the best curative choice and can require complex vascular resections and reconstructions to obtain R0 margins. In these cases, a detailed preoperative assessment made of blood tests, thoracoabdominal imaging and histological definition of the tumor is fundamental. Unfortunately, the current imaging techniques are not completely reliable in defining the extension of the contact between the neoplasm and the surrounding arteries and veins, especially when considering borderline and locally advanced diseases. The use of 3D reconstructions can improve the perception of crucial anatomical details for the diagnostic evaluation and the surgical procedure.

Trends of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Performance in a Cohort of Hospitals in China Between 2013 and 2018

Background: China has witnessed a rapid increase in the volume of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) but substantial gaps in the performance for CABG across the nation. The present study aimed to investigate the change in CABG performance after years of quality improvement measures in a national registry in China. Methods: The study included 66 971 patients who underwent isolated CABG in a cohort of 74 tertiary hospitals in China between January 2013 and December 2018. Data were collected from the Chinese Cardiac Surgery Registry. Outcomes were in-hospital mortality and postoperative length of stay. Five process measures for surgical technique and secondary prevention were also analyzed. We described the changes in the overall performance and interhospital heterogeneity across the years. Results: The in-hospital mortality declined from 0.9% in 2013 to 0.6 in 2018, with a risk-adjusted odds ratio of 0.66 (95% CI, 0.46–0.93; P <0.001). The standard mean difference for risk-standardized mortality rate between hospitals in the lowest and highest quartile narrowed from 1.63 in 2013 to 1.35 in 2018. The median (interquartile range) hospital-level rate of using arterial graft increased from 93.9% (86.0%–97.8%) to 94.6% (83.3%–99.2%), but the difference was not statistically significant. Meanwhile, the rate of free from blood transfusion increased from 17.0% (2.6%–32.0%) to 34.1% (8.8%–52.9%). The hospital-level rate of prescribing β-blockers at discharge significantly increased from 82.8% (66.7%–90.3%) to 91.1% (82.1%–97.1%), statin from 75.8% (55.7%–88.9%) to 88.9% (75.0%–96.0%), and aspirin from 90.3% (83.9%–95.2%) to 95.3% (88.9%–98.1%). Conclusions: In the Chinese Cardiac Surgery Registry, there were notable improvements in the treatment process related to CABG and decline of in-hospital mortality with reduced interhospital heterogeneity.