-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is an endogenous signalling system which includes the endocannabinoids anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and specific G-protein-coupled endocannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2). Recent studies have described important roles of the peripheral ECS in human atherosclerosis, cardiometabolic disorders, heart failure, and systemic inflammation. We sought to study changes in plasma endocannabinoid concentrations during cardiac surgery (CS) under general anaesthesia with isoflurane/sufentanil, and during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).
We studied 30 patients undergoing CS with CPB. All patients received midazolam and sufentanil for induction and isoflurane and sufentanil for maintenance of general anaesthesia. Blood samples were drawn before and after induction of general anaesthesia, after the beginning of surgery, during and after weaning from CPB, and after admission to intensive care unit (ICU) after surgery. Endocannabinoid measurements were performed by HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry.
Induction of general anaesthesia led to a significant decline in plasma AEA concentrations [from mean (sd) 0.39 (0.03) to 0.27 (0.03) ng ml(-1), P<0.01]. CPB induced a pronounced increase in 2-AG concentrations [from 112.5 (163.5) to 321.0 (120.4) ng ml(-1), P<0.01], whereas AEA concentrations remained persistently low until admission to the ICU. 2-AG concentrations returned to preoperative values after surgery.
General anaesthesia with isoflurane significantly reduces plasma AEA concentrations. This could be a consequence of stress reduction after loss of consciousness. The significant increase in 2-AG after initiation of CPB may be part of an inflammatory response. These findings suggest that anaesthesia and surgery have differential effects on the ECS which could have substantial clinical consequences.
BJA British Journal of Anaesthesia 08/2010; 105(2):139-44. · 4.24 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Paravalvular fistulas may complicate the clinical course after heart valve surgery. Medical treatment may be ineffective, repeated surgical revisions may be associated with increased morbidity and mortality.
After valve sparing surgery in bicuspid aortic valve, a significant aorto-left atrial fistula was diagnosed in a 72-year-old patient causing heart failure and catecholamine-dependency. Due to the critical hemodynamic state, percutaneous closure was performed with an AGA Amplatzer duct occluder. Secondary to this closure, a second fistula between the aortic root and the right atrium appeared which was closed during the same procedure implanting a second duct occluder beneath the first device.
Percutaneous closure of paravalvular fistulas is feasible and a safe method for the treatment of significant shunts after valve surgery. Even in multiple fistulas, the implantation of small devices allows for a focussed interventional closure of such leaks. This procedure should be considered for such defects as it represents a safe method for the causative treatment in paravalvular lesions after valve surgery especially in patients with critical hemodynamic conditions.
Clinical Research in Cardiology 05/2009; 98(7):451-4. · 2.95 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: In the first two yr of life blood-group incompatible (ABO-incompatible) heart transplantation can be performed leading to immune tolerance to donor blood group. Antibody titers should be below 1:4. VAD use is correlated with sensitization toward blood-group antigens. A boy was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy at nine months of age and listed for 0-compatible transplantation. Progressive heart failure required implantation of a left VAD. His listing was extended for ABO-incompatible transplantation despite antibody titers of 1:32 anti-A and 1:8 anti-B. After 26 days on VAD, he was transplanted with a B donor heart. No hyperacute or acute rejection occurred in 12 months post-transplant. Anti-B antibodies rose to a maximum of 1:2. No use of rituximab or plasmapheresis was required. There are no signs of graft vasculopathy. This indicates that inclusion criteria for ABO-incompatible transplantation may be extended to immediate cases. This is the first case with a healthy immune system to show signs of tolerance development after ABO-incompatible heart transplantation with increased prior antibody titers and without specific treatment.
Pediatric Transplantation 01/2009; 13(6):773-6. · 1.48 Impact Factor
-
R. Kozlik-Feldmann,
N. Lang,
A. Lehner,
M. Sigler,
C. Schmitz,
D. Rassoulian, R. Sodian,
M. Hinterseer,
B. J. Wintersperger,
A. Huber,
F. Freudenthal,
R. Aumann,
R. Dalla Pozza,
N. V. Vasilyev,
P. J. del Nido,
H. Netz
Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. 01/2009;
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: We developed a new fabrication technique for 3-dimensional scaffolds for tissue engineering of human heart valve tissue. A human aortic homograft was scanned with an X-ray computer tomograph. The data derived from the X-ray computed tomogram were processed by a computer-aided design program to reconstruct a human heart valve 3-dimensionally. Based on this stereolithographic model, a silicone valve model resembling a human aortic valve was generated. By taking advantage of the thermoplastic properties of polyglycolic acid as scaffold material, we molded a 3-dimensional scaffold for tissue engineering of human heart valves. The valve scaffold showed a deviation of only +/-3-4% in height, length and inner diameter compared with the homograft. The newly developed technique allows fabricating custom-made, patient-specific polymeric cardiovascular scaffolds for tissue engineering without requiring any suture materials.
European Surgical Research 12/2008; 42(1):49-53. · 0.93 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: So far, surgical and interventional therapies for muscular ventricular septal defects (mVSDs) beyond the moderator band have had their limitations. Thus, alternative therapeutic strategies should be developed. We present a new animal model for the evaluation of such strategies.
In a pig model (n = 9), anterolateral thoracotomy was performed for exposure of the left ventricle. mVSDs were created under two- and three-dimensional echocardiography with a 7.5-mm sharp punch instrument, which was forwarded via a left ventricular puncture without extracorporeal circulation.
Creation of mVSDs was successful in all animals (n = 9) confirmed by echocardiography, hemodynamic measurements and autopsy. The defects were located in the midmuscular (n = 4), apical (n = 1), inlet (n = 2) and anterior part (n = 2) of the muscular septum. All animals were hemodynamically stable for further procedures. The diameter and shunt volume of the mVSDs were 4.8-7.3 mm (mean: 5.9 mm) and 12.9-41.3% (mean: 22.1%), respectively. Autopsy confirmed in all animals the creation of a substantial defect.
The described new technique for creation of an mVSD on the beating heart in a pig model is suitable for the evaluation of new therapeutic strategies for mVSD closure.
European Surgical Research 02/2008; 40(3):297-303. · 0.93 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) is a rare congenital defect. This anomaly leads to a coronary hypoperfusion phenomenon and to substantial left ventricular dysfunction caused by abnormal perfusion of the left ventricle. The optimal surgical management of such cases is not clearly established. Here, we report the successful anatomic repair of ALCAPA arising from the non-facing sinus of Valsalva of the pulmonary artery in a 5-kg patient. In order to perform the repair, we created an autologous extrapulmonary tunnel (from a pulmonary artery flap and autologous pericardium), which we implanted into the ascending aorta. Because of postcardiotomy heart failure, we implanted an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation device during the same procedure. After recovery of the failing heart, the device was easily explanted, and the patient was discharged from the hospital on postoperative day 30. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Texas Heart Institute Journal is the property of Texas Heart Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts)
Texas Heart Insitute Journal. 01/2008; 35:32-35.
-
ASAIO Journal. 01/2008;
-
The Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon. 01/2008;
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: We report a rare case of a successful cardiac transplantation in a patient suffering from cardiomyopathy and complex mitochondrial disease. The patient presented with severe heart failure and malignant ventricular arrhythmias requiring implantation of a defibrillator and advanced medical treatment. The patient was listed for urgent heart transplantation and received a donor heart after 36 days. One yr post-operatively, the patient has completely recovered.
Pediatric Transplantation 09/2007; 11(5):560-2. · 1.48 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Left abnormal subclavian artery and right aortic arch is described as a rare cause of dyspnoea and dysphagia in paediatric patients. The optimal surgical management of such cases is not clearly established. We propose a single-stage repair by transection of the patent ductus arteriosus or ligamentum arteriosum and an additional transection of the left abnormal subclavian artery with reimplantation into the common carotid artery.
The Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon 07/2007; 55(4):261-4. · 0.88 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: We report on 2 children, aged 3 and 4 years, with single ventricle physiology who underwent Fontan operation in the presence of a single right lung successfully with good midterm outcome. Therefore, the absence of one lung is not a contraindication for a Fontan palliation in selected patients with optimal hemodynamics.
Heart Surgery Forum 02/2007; 10(4):E331-3. · 0.63 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Tacrolimus is a macrolide immunosuppressant frequently used after solid-organ transplantation. Moderate and severe neurologic side effects have been reported in patients receiving tacrolimus. Cerebral neurotoxicity is a rare but fatal calcineurin inhibitor-related complication, especially in kidney and liver transplant recipients. Often a reduction or a change in immunosuppressive regimen is the only means of clinical management. Herein we report a case of a 31-year-old man who developed cerebellar atrophia while under immunosuppressive therapy 9 years after heart transplantation. His neurologic constitution ameliorated after an immunosuppressant switch from tacrolimus to sirolimus.
The Journal of heart and lung transplantation: the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation 02/2007; 26(1):89-92. · 3.54 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The technique of stereolithography, which automatically fabricates models from X-ray computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data linked to computer-aided design programs, has been applied to the fabrication of scaffolds for tissue engineering. We previously reported on the application of stereolithography in scaffold fabrication of a trileaflet heart valve. In our current experiment we demonstrate a new technique for the fabrication of custom-made conduits for the potential replacement of a coarcted aortic segment.
In this experiment the image data derived from a 12-year-old male patient with aortic coarctation scanned by MRI were processed by a computer-aided design program to reconstruct the aortic arch with isthmus stenosis three dimensionally. By defining the stenotic section and the adjacent normal vessel a custom-made nonstenotic descending aorta was reconstructed to replace the stenosed part. The rapid prototyping technique was used to establish stereolithographic models for fabricating biocompatible and biodegradable vascular scaffolds with the anatomic structure of the recalculated human descending aorta through a thermal processing technique.
Our results suggest that the re-creation and reproduction of complex vascular structures by computer-aided design techniques may be useful to fabricate custom-made polymeric scaffolds for the tissue engineering of living vascular prostheses.
The Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon 07/2005; 53(3):144-9. · 0.88 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Beim Tissue Engineering werden Erkenntnisse aus der
Medizin, Biologie und Chemie mit Methoden der
Ingenieurwissenschaften kombiniert, um biologische Ersatzgewebe
herzustellen. Das Konzept besteht darin, aus krpereigenen
Zellen einen vitalen und funktionalen Gewebeersatz zu fertigen.
Hierbei werden krpereigene Zellen auf ein resorbierbares Gerst
transplantiert, in vitro zu einer stabilen Struktur gefestigt,
um letztendlich ein vitales Ersatzgewebe implantieren zu knnen.
Die Konstrukte fr die menschliche Herzchirurgie sollten in das
umgebende Gewebe einwachsen und haben das Potential sich wie
gesundes Gewebe zu entwickeln und mitzuwachsen.Tissue engineering combines knowledge from the fields of
medicine, biology and chemistry with the methods of engineering
to create artificial tissue. The concept is to produce vital and
functional tissue from endogenous cells. These are seeded on to
an absorbable scaffold and consolidated to form a stable
structure in vitro, with the aim of eventually being able to
produce substitute tissue for implantation. The constructs for
human cardiac surgery need to embed into the surrounding tissue
and, just like natural tissue, to have the potential to grow and
develop.
Zeitschrift für Herz- Thorax- und Gefäßchirurgie 01/2004; 18(1):57-63.
-
H Hausmann,
H Siniawski,
R Meyer,
H Amthauer,
M Gutberlet,
R Felix, R Sodian,
T Krabatsch,
A Koster,
M Kukucka,
H Kuppe,
R Hetzer
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Left ventricular function is the most important predictor of survival in patients with coronary artery disease. It is also an important indicator for hospital mortality after operation for end-stage coronary artery disease. In our study we investigated, how preoperative ventricular dysfunction influences long term survival after coronary bypass surgery.
Between 4/1986 and 12/2000, 1751 patients (1440 men/311 women) with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 10-30% underwent coronary bypass grafting (CABG) at the Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin. The age of the patients was calculated to an average of 59,2 years. The prime criterion for CABG was ischemia ("hibernating myocardium") diagnosed by myocardial scintigraphy, echocardiography and in some cases with magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography.
Operative mortality for the group was 7,1%. The actuarial survival rate was 87,6% after 2 years, 76,0% after 5, and 53,3% after 9. 455 had LVEF 10-20%, in these actuarial survival was 79,8% after 2 years, 63,0% after 5 and 45,7% after 9 years.
We conclude that CABG can be used successfully to improve life expectancy of patients with end-stage coronary artery disease. CABG leads to acceptable prognosis for these high-risk patients when the myocardium is preoperatively identified as being viable.
DMW - Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift 12/2002; 127(47):2503-7. · 0.53 Impact Factor
-
E V Potapov,
M Loebe,
H Abdul-Khaliq,
A Koster,
J Stein, R Sodian,
M Kopitz,
H Hausmann,
G P Noon,
M E DeBakey,
R Hetzer
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: In the early post-operative period after implantation of a continuous flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD) a non-pulsatile flow occurs. We compared the post-operative time-courses of protein S-100B (S100B) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) as biochemical markers of brain injury in patients after implantation of a continuous flow LVAD and patients receiving a pulsatile flow LVAD.
Since 1998 the continuous flow DeBakey VAD has been implanted in 8 patients at our institution. For comparison purposes, a group of 7 consecutive patients in whom a pulsatile Novacor N100 LVAD was implanted were investigated. In both groups cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) with cardiotomy suction was used. S100B and NSE were measured in serum pre-operatively, 4 hours after CPB, and on days 1, 3, 7, and 14 after implantation of the LVAD. A neurologic examination was performed pre-operatively and post-operatively on days 3 and 14.
No differences were found between groups in pre-operative characteristics. The analysis of variance with repeated measurements for S-100B and NSE showed significant time effects (p = 0.004, p = 0.009, respectively) but no group effects (p = 0.06, p = 0.26, respectively) and no interaction between groups and time (p = 0.12, p = 0.48, respectively). The pre-operative serum level of S100B was significantly higher (p = 0.03) in the DeBakey VAD group. The pre-operative serum level of NSE was similar in the 2 groups (p = 0.7). In both groups there was a significant increase of S100B and NSE immediately after surgery (S100B: p = 0.006, p = 0.019; NSE: p = 0.01, p = 0.001). The values returned to pre-operative levels in the DeBakey VAD group on day 1 after implantation and in the Novacor group for S100B on day 3 and NSE on day 1. Post-operatively the mean values of S100B and NSE in the DeBakey VAD group compared with the Novacor group were significantly elevated only on day 3 (p = 0.005, p = 0.023).No neurologic complications were noted in patients with a continuous flow LVAD, whereas in the pulsatile LVAD group 2 patients presented neurologic abnormalities during the study period.
The similar course of biochemical markers of brain damage in both groups may indicate that the non-pulsatile flow in the early post-operative period does not lead to increased brain injury or permeability of the brain blood barrier.Elevated levels of S100B and NSE in the post-operative period can be used as diagnostic markers of brain injury in patients after implantation of both types of LVAD.
The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation 01/2002; 20(12):1310-6. · 4.33 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: We sought to investigate the relationship between the plasma concentration of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), echocardiographic findings and the clinical outcome of patients supported with ventricular assist devices (VADs) to determine the role of BNP as a predictor for cardiac recovery.
Ventricular unloading in patients with end-stage heart failure supported by VADs may lead to myocardial recovery. The BNP is produced in the myocardium in response to chronic volume overload, but the effects on it of ventricular unloading by VADs are largely unknown.
Twenty-one patients diagnosed with nonischemic cardiomyopathy and supported by VADs were evaluated for echocardiographic data and blood chemistry including BNP. They were divided into patients who died while on mechanical support (group I; n = 9), patients who were transplanted (group II; n = 8) and patients who were successfully weaned off the system and did not require transplantation (group III; n = 4).
Brain natriuretic peptide plasma concentrations decreased significantly after initiation of mechanical circulatory support (p = 0.017). Furthermore, the changes in BNP plasma concentrations showed a faster decrease to normal levels within the first week after implantation of the VAD in patients who were weaned off the system (group III) compared to patients in group I and group II.
This study shows that ventricular unloading with VADs decreases BNP plasma concentrations in patients who suffer from end-stage heart failure. Furthermore, we hypothesize that an early decrease of BNP plasma concentration may be indicative of recovery of ventricular function during mechanical circulatory support.
Journal of the American College of Cardiology 01/2002; 38(7):1942-9. · 14.16 Impact Factor
-
Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 12/2001; 122(5):1043. · 3.41 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: A 62-year-old man with end-stage ischemic cardiomyopathy and left ventricular function of 20% was evaluated for heart transplantation. Cardiac catheterization revealed proximal occlusion of the dominant right coronary artery (RCA) with collateral blood flow and significant stenosis in the distal part, but no significant re-occlusions of the stented left coronary artery and no significant stenosis of the left circumflex artery. When the patient became catecholamine dependent, Novacor left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation, as a bridge to transplantation, was considered and the patient operated upon. To avoid ischemic right heart failure after LVAD implantation, a concomitant re-vascularization of the distal RCA was performed. The post-operative course was uneventful. Five weeks later, a control angiogram showed the patent bypass graft. The distal stenosis of the RCA was treated successfully with dilation and stent implantation. The patient is presently in stable condition on LVAD and awaits transplantation as an outpatient.
The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation 09/2001; 20(8):918-22. · 4.33 Impact Factor
