髙味 良行

As the current guidelines on myocardial revascularization recommend, transit-time flow measurement (TTFM) is increasingly used for intraoperative graft flow analysis during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) as a less invasive, more highly reproducible, and less time-consuming method. In addition to the morphological assessment using color Doppler, mean graft flow (Qm) > 15 ml/min, pulsatility index (PI) < 5.0, diastolic filling (DF) > 50%, and systolic reverse flow (SRF) < 4% have been reported to predict patent CABG grafts. However, it is difficult to determine the clear-cut cut-off value of these parameters, because they varies with the hemodynamic characters, including fractional flow reserve (FFR) of the target coronary artery. In addition to these parameters, we focused on fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis, because the TTFM waveform morphology may be more important than Qm itself. FFT analysis is based on the principle that any periodic waveforms can be broken down into a series of pure sine waves or harmonics. Herein we review FFT analysis of the intraoperative TTFM waveforms for quality assessment of CABG grafts.

Background: We have employed a conservative management approach, including intensive control of both blood pressure and heart rate, in patients with aortic intramural hematoma (AIMH) and retrograde thrombosed type A acute aortic dissection (RT-TAAAD), sharing common clinical and imaging characteristics. Methods: To evaluate the outcomes of our conservative management approach, we retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 98 patients diagnosed with AIMH or RT-TAAAD from January 2008 to March 2023. A conservative management approach was applied, except for those patients with an aortic diameter ≥ 55 mm, false lumen expansion, or cardiac tamponade, who underwent emergency aortic repair. Results: Besides 2 patients, who declined surgery and subsequently died from aortic rupture, 18 patients underwent urgent aortic surgery, while 78 did not. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified the extrusion type of ulcer-like projections (ULPs) on admission and a maximum aortic diameter ≥ 45 mm on Day 1 as risk factors for acute aortic surgery. Among the 78 patients who were discharged, 9 (12%) underwent aortic surgery, while 69 (88%) did not, with a median follow-up of 44 months. The overall actuarial aortic surgery-free rates were 78% at 1 year and 72% at 5 years, respectively. A Cox proportional hazards analysis identified ULPs and an aortic diameter ≥ 45 mm at discharge as risk factors for late aortic surgery. Conclusions: The early and late outcomes of our conservative strategy for AIMH and RT-TAAAD demonstrate favorable surgery-free rates. The extrusion type of ULPs on admission and an aortic diameter ≥ 45 mm on Day 1 are predictors of acute aortic surgery, while ULPs and an aortic diameter ≥ 45 mm at discharge are predictors of late surgery.

BACKGROUNDS:  One of the strategies to prevent stroke after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) may be the use of a device for proximal anastomosis without partial clamp of the ascending aorta. METHODS:  We retrospectively investigated early and late outcomes in consecutive 881 patients undergoing isolated CABG using Heartstring for proximal anastomosis from January 2008 to December 2022, to reveal the validity to use it. All patients underwent preoperative imaging workups to evaluate neurovascular atherosclerosis. RESULTS:  The mean age of the patients was 68.9 years, 20% were female and 13% had previous history of stroke. CABG was on-pump beating heart (52.2%) or off-pump (47.8%) with a mean number of distal anastomoses of 3.38 ± 0.93, using 1.62 ± 0.53 Heartstring devices under different aortic manipulations. In-hospital mortality was 2.0% and perioperative stroke rate was 0.9%, none of them died during hospital stay. During the follow-up period of 70 ± 47 months, the overall actuarial survival rates were 86 and 66%, and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs)-free rates were 86 and 70% at 5 and 10 years, respectively. On multivariable analysis, risk factors for late death included male, previous history of stroke, postoperative sternomediastinitis, late new-onset stroke, and MACCEs, but did not include the perioperative stroke. CONCLUSION:  Low stroke rate, as low as 0.9%, after CABG using Heartstring for proximal anastomosis, although under a variety of aortic manipulations, may contribute to the improved long-term prognosis.

Background: mRNA vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) became common. We investigated the optimal timing for inoculation against SARS-COV-2 in the candidates for cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Methods: In 100 patients with preoperative vaccination, who underwent CPB surgery between July 2021 and February 2022, the IgG against the receptor binding domain (RBD-IgG), with a threshold of &gt;100 binding antibody unit (BAU)/mL for adequate immunity, was measured. Results: The vaccines, including 87 BNT162b2 (Pfizer/BioNTech) and 13 mRNA-1273 (Moderna), were inoculated at 98.8 ± 59.4 days before surgery. The median RBD-IgG titers before surgery, 1 day after surgery, and 1 month after surgery were 166.8, 100.0, and 84.0 BAU/mL, respectively. The standby interval (SBI) from the vaccination to the surgery showed a significantly negative correlations with the RBD-IgG titer before the surgery ( p &lt; 0.001). A cut-off SBI for RBD-IgG &gt;100 BAU/mL before surgery was &lt;81 days with a sensitivity of 76%, specificity of 62%, and area under ROC value of 0.73 ( p = 0.03). The patients with SBI &lt;81 days ( n = 48) had significantly higher RBD-IgG (&gt;100 BAU/mL) than those with SBI ⩾81 days ( n = 52) at all perioperative periods. Conclusions: Although 40% of the RBD-IgG titers reduce 1 day after CPB surgery, the patients who received the SARS-COV-2 vaccination within an 81-day window prior to the surgery maintained a desirable RBD-IgG level, even up to 1 month after surgery. It may be important to schedule the surgery no later than 81 days after the vaccination.

Abstract Background Although coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is performed via three different techniques, conventional, on-pump beating heart CABG (ONBHCAB), or off-pump CABG (OPCAB), data are limited to compare ONBHCAB with OPCAB. Methods We retrospectively investigated the postoperative cardiac biomarkers, creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), and troponin I (cTnI), and early and late outcomes in 806 patients undergoing isolated ONBHCAB or OPCAB between February 2008 and September 2022. To eliminate the bias between different groups, propensity score matching was conducted to validate the findings. Results After matching, the number of each study group totaled 270 patients. In both complete and matched cohorts, early outcomes, including morbidities and mortalities, were similar. However, cTnI and CK-MB levels were significantly higher after ONBHCAB than after OPCAB with median peak cTnI of 9.85 versus 4.60 ng/mL and median peak CK-MB of 48.45 versus 17.10 ng/mL in the matched cohort, which were quite low, below the threshold for values defining perioperative myocardial infarction. At follow-up of 73 ± 45 months, the overall actuarial survival rates were similar between the ONBHCAB and OPCAB patients (86 vs. 87% at 5 years and 64 vs. 68% at 10 years, respectively, in the matched cohort). Conclusion ONBHCAB may be a comparable alternative to OPCAB with similar early and late outcomes, despite higher elevation of postoperative cardiac biomarkers. ONBHCAB provides more efficient hemodynamic support, providing a better surgical visual field, than OPCAB while reducing the risk of incomplete revascularization.

Objective The purpose of this study is to describe recent mortality trends from aortic stenosis (AS) among eight high-income countries. Methods We analysed the WHO mortality database to determine trends in mortality from AS in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Australia, the USA and Canada from 2000 to 2020. Crude and age-standardised mortality rates per 100 000 persons were calculated. We calculated age-specific mortality rates in three groups (&lt;64, 65–79 and ≥80 years). Annual percentage change was analysed using joinpoint regression. Results During the observation period, the crude mortality rates per 100 000 persons increased in all the eight countries (from 3.47 to 5.87 in the UK, from 2.98 to 8.93 in Germany, from 3.84 to 5.52 in France, from 1.97 to 4.33 in Italy, from 1.12 to 5.49 in Japan, from 2.14 to 3.38 in Australia, from 3.58 to 4.22 in the USA and from 2.12 to 5.00 in Canada). In joinpoint regression of age-standardised mortality rates, trend changes towards a decrease were observed in Germany after 2012 (−1.2%, p=0.015), Australia after 2011 (−1.9%, p=0.005) and the USA after 2014 (−3.1%, p&lt;0.001). Age-specific mortality rates in age group ≥80 years had shifts towards decreasing trends in all the eight countries in contrast to other younger age groups. Conclusions While crude mortality rates increased in the eight countries, shifts towards decreasing trends were identified in age-standardised mortality rates in three countries and in the elderly aged ≥80 years in the eight countries. Further multidimensional observation is warranted to clarify the mortality trends.

Abstract Background Concerns of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding after cardiac surgery are increasing with increased use of antiplatelets and anticoagulants. We investigated the roles of preoperative screening for fecal occult blood by fecal immunochemical test (FIT) widely used to detect GI bleeding and cancer. Methods A retrospective review was done in 1,663 consecutive patients undergoing FIT before cardiac surgery between years 2012 and 2020. One or two rounds of FIT were performed 2 to 3 weeks before surgery, when antiplatelets and anticoagulants were not suspended yet. Results Positive FIT (&gt; 30 μg of hemoglobin/g of feces) was observed in 227 patients (13.7%). Preoperative risk factors for positive FIT included age &gt; 70 years, anticoagulants, and chronic kidney disease. Of those with positive FIT, 180 patients (79%) received preoperative endoscopy, including gastroscopy (n = 139), colonoscopy (n = 9), and both (n = 32), with no findings of bleeding. The most common finding of gastroscopy was atrophic gastritis (36%) while early gastric cancer was detected in 2 patients. The most common finding of colonoscopy was colon polyps (42%) while colorectal cancer was detected in 5 patients. Of 180 FIT-positive patients receiving endoscopy, 8 (4.4%) underwent preoperative GI treatment, while postoperative GI events were documented in 28 (15.6%). Of 1,436 with negative FIT, 21 (1.5%) presented GI complications after surgery. Conclusion Preoperative FIT, which is influenced by anticoagulant use, has little impacts on identification of GI bleeding sites. However, it may be useful to detect GI malignant lesions, potentially impacting operative risks, surgical strategies, and postoperative management.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with cardiovascular disease are vulnerable to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) infection. Although SARS-CoV2 vaccination may be effective, its impact on surgical patients is not well studied. We investigated the effects of cardiovascular surgery, especially under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), on the antibody titres after SARS-CoV2 vaccination. METHODS: A prospective observational study was designed for patients undergoing surgery between July and November 2021. The immunoglobulin G against the receptor-binding domain was measured and antibody preserved rate (APR) was calculated from perioperative titres comparison. RESULTS: Enrolled 63 study patients were divided into 39 undergoing surgery with CPB (Group CPB) and 24 without CPB (Group None). Preoperative vaccines were BNT162b2 (Pfizer/BioNTech) (n = 58, 92%) and mRNA-1273 (Moderna) (n = 5, 8%). While immunoglobulin G against the receptor-binding domain titres did not significantly decrease after surgery in Group None, they decreased significantly in Group CPB from 21.80 [11.15, 37.85] to 11.95 [6.80, 18.18] U/ml (P < 0.001) a day after surgery, 11.40 [7.85, 22.65] U/ml (P < 0.001) 14 days after surgery and 7.60 [4.80, 17.60] U/ml (P < 0.001) a month after surgery. The APRs a day after the surgery were significantly lower in Group CPB (0.46 [0.41, 0.60]) than in Group None (0.80 [0.68, 0.87]) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The SARS-CoV2 antibody titres significantly decreased with lower APRs immediately after surgery under CPB. Based on our informative results, careful considerations of vaccination schedule might be required for surgery under CPB.

心臓血管外科における診療看護師(NP)によるカルテ代行入力の現状と、タスク・シフティングへの効果を明らかにすることを目的に、当院の心臓血管外科入院患者に対する医師のカルテオーダーおよびNPによる代理入力を、NP介入期間(2019年1月～12月)とNP非介入期間(2016年1月～12月)で比較した。その結果、NP介入期間のNPによる代行入力は8955件で、オーダー全体の16%を占めた。代行入力は注射が最も多く2845件(31.8%)で、以下、処方(26.4%)、検体検査(17.4%)の順であった。一方、医師によるオーダー入力件数(月平均)は、NP非介入期間の4660±686件から、NP介入期間の3932±499件へ有意に減少した。

OBJECTIVES: Despite advances in surgical techniques and management, surgical site infection (SSI) is still important after cardiovascular surgery. We investigated to determine whether or not preoperative nasopharyngeal cultures (NCx) can predict SSI and its microbial spectrum. METHODS: A retrospective review was done in 1226 consecutive patients undergoing NCx and cardiac and thoracic aortic surgery via median sternotomy who were cared for with the standard SSI bundle between 2013 and 2018. Microorganisms isolated from the NCx and SSI pathogens were counted to explore the microbial pattern and associated variables in patients with and without postoperative SSI. Perioperative management was not changed by collection of preoperative NCx. RESULTS: There were 1281 and 127 microorganisms, including coagulase-negative Staphylococcus as the most prevalent, isolated from 784 nasal and 111 pharyngeal specimens, respectively. Postoperative SSI occurred in 31 patients (2.47%), including chest, groin, and leg SSI. Significant coincidence of the SSI pathogens with the NCx microorganisms was not observed. However, the patients with SSI showed significantly higher positive rates of preoperative NCx than those without SSI. The sensitivity/specificity of NCx for SSI were 81%/37% for nasal and 45%/92% for pharyngeal, respectively. The negative predictive value of NCx for ruling out SSI was 98.6% for nasal and 98.4% for pharyngeal, respectively. Independent risk factors for postoperative SSI included female sex, diabetes mellitus, positive preoperative NCx, and postoperative use of Portex Mini-Trach (Smiths Medical, Minneapolis, Minn) or tracheostomy on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative NCx may be useful to predict SSI after open heart surgery via median sternotomy, as well as screening for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

70歳女性。労作時呼吸困難を主訴とした。既往歴に肺結核に対する左肺全摘除術があった(28歳頃)。8年前より僧帽弁閉鎖不全と慢性心房細動のため前医で経過観察中であったが、労作時呼吸困難が出現し、当科受診となった。血液ガス所見でPaco2が37.3mmHg、Pao2が101.5mmHgを示し、胸部CTで縦隔が左側背側へ変位し、左房が下行大動脈の前方から左胸腔背側に接していた。左房側僧帽弁は頭背右側を向き、右肺は過膨張していた。心エコーで重度僧帽弁閉鎖不全と中等度三尖弁不全を認め、肺機能検査で軽度の拘束性障害を認めた。左肺全摘除術後の長期の経過で縦隔が左方へ変位した僧帽弁・三尖弁疾患と診断し、生体弁を用いた僧帽弁置換術とリングを用いた三尖弁輪形成術を施行した。術後、リハビリテーションを行い、心エコーで異常を認めなかった。また、合併症もなく、第23病日に独歩退院となった。

A 70-year-old patient who survived about 40 years after left pneumonectomy for tuberculosis visited emergency hospital, because of dyspnea. She received suitable medical therapy for atirial fibrillation and severe mitral regurgitation and hesitated heart surgery because of anxiety for surgical risk. The computed-tomography showed mediastinal shift to left and right lung compensatory expansion. Respiratory function test after treatment of heart failure showed only mild restrictive disorder. And the blood-gas examination in room air was 101 mmHg of Pao2 and 37 mmHg of Paco2. The mitral valve replacement was performed via median sternotomy and using normal cardiopulmonary bypass. And she fully recoverd without any respiratory complications. Mediastinal shift did not obstract the surgical view and establishment of cardiopulmonary bypass in this case. It seemed that the key of surgical successs is the preserved function of healthy residual lung.