No 38 (2015)

Background: The number of disorders caused by atherosclerosis of various arterial tree is constantly increasing worldwide. Multifocal atherosclerosis (MFA) remains to be an important problem limiting effectiveness of coronary bypass grafting.

Aim: To compare one-year rates of unfavorable cardiovascular events in patients, who underwent coronary bypass grafting, depending on the degree of non-coronary stenoses (stenoses of extracranial arteries and lower limb arteries).

Materials and methods: Two hundred and thirty two patients, that underwent coronary bypass graft surgery in 2006 due to clinical manifest coronary atherosclerosis, were included into the study. Oneyear outcome (10–12 months) was assessed with the following endpoints: coronary and non-coronary death, myocardial infarction, stroke, angina pectoris and severe chronic heart failure (III–IV functional classes). One-year combined outcome after coronary bypass grafting was considered unfavorable if these events were registered.

Results: After initial assessment, patients were divided into 2 groups depending on the degree of coronary atherosclerosis; thereafter, each group was subdivided into subgroups depending on presence or absence of MFA. Compared to patients without MFA, those with hemodynamically significant stenosis (≥ 50%) of non-coronary arteries had higher rates of unfavorable one-year outcomes (р = 0.001). They had higher rates of stroke (20% (5) and 5.8% (12) of patients, respectively, р = 0.03) and of recurrent angina (р = 0.001). Patients with hemodynamically non-significant stenoses (≥ 30%) also had significantly higher rates of unfavorable events, compared to patients without stenoses: myocardial infarction, in 12 (11%) and 3 (2%), respectively (p = 0.006), stroke, in 14 (13%) and 3 (2%) (p = 0.001). Eighty four (79%) patients with MFA had clinical manifestations of angina pectoris, whereas among those without MFA, only 23 (18%) of patients (p = 0.0001). Severe chronic heart failure was significantly more frequent in the MFA group, than in patients with isolated coronary atherosclerosis (38 (36%) and 21 (17%) patients, respectively, p = 0.002). In the MFA group, 10 (9%) patients died, while in the group without MFA there was one death (0.8%) (p = 0.003).

Conclusion: Taking into account non-coronary stenoses of ≥ 30%, compared to only hemodynamically significant stenoses of ≥ 50%, produces more significant differences in clinical and historical characteristics of patients.

Aim: To assess clinical and functional efficacy of implanted biological prosthesis “ASPIRE” (manufactured by Vascutek) for correction of mitral valve disease.

Materials and methods: From October 2008 to December 2013, biological prostheses “ASPIRE” (Vascutek) were implanted to 34 patients with mitral valve disease (mean age 63.59 ± 4.96 years, 79.4% female). From these, 24 patients had mitral stenosis and 10 patients had mitral insufficiency. 73.5% of all patients had heart failure Strazhesko-Vasilenko IIA grade and 85.3% of patients had chronic heart failure NYHA III. Isolated mitral valve replacement was performed only in 8 (23.5%) of patients. In 22 (64.7%) of cases mitral valve replacement was combined with tricuspid valvuloplasty in various modifications. Duration of cardiopulmonary bypass and of aortic clamping was 88.09 ± 25.95 and 65.68 ± 25.51 minutes, respectively. Before and after surgery all patients underwent echocardiographic assessment and clinical assessment of their general status.

Results: In-hospital mortality was 5.88% (n = 2) and was related to multiorgan failure in the early postoperative period. All 32 (94.12%) surviving patients improved with decrease or complete disappearance of heart failure. Postoperative complications were typical for cardiac surgery. There were no episodes of embolism, structural dysfunction, thrombosis of the prosthesis and endocarditis of the prosthesis in the early postoperative period. Pressure gradients across prosthetic valves were not high and corresponded to good clinical and hemodynamic results in the early postoperative period.

Conclusion: Taking into account good immediate results of mitral valve replacement, as well as no need in lifelong anticoagulation in patients with multiple concomitant disorders, implantation of the biological prosthesis “ASPIRE” (Vascutek) could become a procedure of choice for correction of valve abnormalities in patients above 65 years. For more comprehensive assessment of the implanted prosthesis, it is necessary to further assess long-term results of valve replacement.

Aim: To evaluate efficacy of endocardial radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA) in atrial fibrillation (AF) in Maze regimen, to assess patients’ health status with a European Quality of Life Questionnaire (EQ-5D) and cardiovascular mortality in patients after the intervention taking anticoagulants.

Materials and methods: 391 patients with AF (247 of them males) aged from 18 to 77 years (mean age 54.9 ± 10.1 years) were examined and got treatment. All patients underwent RFA, including pulmonary vein isolation, linear ablations of the posterior wall, left atrial roof and mitral isthmus. Their health status was assessed according to efficacy of the intervention and data from EQ-5D questionnaires.

Results: At 3 and 36 months after the intervention, RFA efficacy in patients with paroxysmal AF was 92% and 83.3%, respectively, and in patients with persistent AF, 89.7% and 72.4%. According to EQ-5D “thermometer”, after 36 months patients with successful catheter ablation assessed their health status as being approximately at the same level as during initial hospitalization, i.e., in patients with paroxysmal AF this scale scored at 79.74% and 81.4%, and in patients with persistent AF, at 79.94% and 81.06%, respectively. However, if the endocardial Maze procedure was unsuccessful, there was a deterioration of health status from 80.8% to 70.14% in patients with paroxysmal AF and from 77.82% to 69.46% in those with persistent AF. The same trend was observed in the analysis of other EQ-5D items. All-cause cardiovascular mortality in the subgroup with successful RFA was lower than in the subgroup with unsuccessful RFA, irrespective of AF form (p < 0.001). A 36-month mortality rate in patients with paroxysmal AF after a successful RFA was 2.1% and in patients with persistent AF, 1.2%, after unsuccessful RFA the corresponding values being 13.4% and 9.6%. Causes of death in patients with successful and unsuccessful RFA were different. After successful RFA for paroxysmal AF, the main cause of death was myocardial infarction (80%), and only 1 patient (20%) died of hemorrhagic stroke. The main cause of death after unsuccessful ablation in paroxysmal AF was ischemic stroke (83%), and only 1 patient (17%) died of myocardial infarction. In patients with persistent AF and successful RFA, there was only 1 death at 24 months after the intervention due to acute myocardial infarction. In the subgroup with unsuccessful RFA, the single cause of death in all patients who died was ischemic stroke.

Conclusion: Maze RFA showed high efficacy in patients with paroxysmal and persistent AF, being somewhat lower in those with persistent AF. Maintenance of sinus rhythm in addition to medical treatment allows for a substantial reduction of cardiovascular mortality compared to anticoagulation only within the rate control strategy.

Aim: To analyze and improve efficacy of surgical treatment of patients with non-ischemic mitral insufficiency and atrial fibrillation.

Materials and methods: The study included 64 patients with degenerative mitral insufficiency complicated by atrial fibrillation who had surgical interventions from 2011 to 2014. Surgical treatment consisted of surgical correction of mitral regurgitation: mitral valve reconstruction (group 1, n = 133) and mechanical prosthesis (group 2, n = 31), as well as left atrium Maze IV procedure in “box lesion” modification with the use of AtriCure bipolar destructor in both groups.

Results: No postoperative deaths were registered. After surgery, all patients showed a decrease in all cardiac cavities’ sizes and of pulmonary hypertension, an improvement in left ventricular systolic function assessed by transthoracic echocardiography. During follow-up of up to 14 months’ duration, sinus rhythm was maintained in 56 (86%) of patients, whereas 9 patients had recurrent atrial fibrillation resistant to medications and electrical cardioversion. Patients, who had undergone valve preserving correction of mitral insufficiency and left atrium Maze IV procedure, had the best results as to contractility of left ventricle (7.86%), reduction of cardiac cavities’ size (end-diastolic dimension – 11.05%, end-systolic dimension – 15.15%, right atrium – 15.19%), especially that of left atrium (19.03%), reduction of pulmonary hypertension (27.75%) and significant improvement in quality of life (7 points) assessed by Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire.

Conclusion: Plastic correction of mitral insufficiency with atrial fibrillation combined with Maze IV procedure gives the highest improvement of left ventricular contractility and diminishing of cavities compared to mitral valve replacement with mechanical prosthesis in combination with Maze IV procedure.

The use of laser radiation in cardiac surgery allows to provide more effective and targeted care for patients with ischemic heart disease. The article summarizes the multistage teamwork of several research centers in Tomsk on determination of the most effective type of laser and techniques of cardiac surgery using lasers. The study had an experimental and a clinical phase. In the experimental phase, effectiveness of various laser types for indirect laser myocardial revascularization was assessed, including carbon dioxide, neodymium, and a semiconductor laser types. During clinical phase, efficacy of clinical use of semiconductor laser in various timepoints after surgery was evaluated. The experimental phase revealed that semiconductor laser provides the best neoangiogenesis efficiency, minimal myocardial damage and ease of use. During clinical phase, its safety for a patient was established and a significant clinical benefit was observed.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCMP) is a relatively common disease with genetic predisposition, that is widely spread irrespective of gender, race or ethnicity. The cause of this pathology are mutations of genes encoding synthesis of contracting proteins. Degree and type of mutations define clinical manifestation of the disease and its prognosis. HCMP is classified according to four main criteria: depending on morphology, presence of left ventricular outlet obstruction, pressure gradient and hemodynamic parameters. Its prevalence amounts to 1:500, and in the recent years mortality has decreased significantly to 1%. Main symptoms of HCMP include dyspnoea, dizziness, syncope, angina, and heart arrhythmias. HCMP does not manifest obligatorily with all above mentioned signs and symptoms. Presence and severity of any symptoms depend on morphological particulars of the disease. Particular attention should be paid to arrhythmias, with atrial fibrillation among them, that may cause hazardous and occasionally lethal complications. Electrocardiography and echocardiography are recognized as the “golden standard” of HCMP diagnostics, while in the recent years, magnetic resonance imaging has become a highly informative diagnostic tool. Radionuclide diagnostics is used less frequently, while physical examination and assessments have been moving backwards. At present, main strategies in HCMP include medical treatment with β-blockers, calcium antagonists, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and anti-arrhythmics. There are two techniques for surgical treatment, i.e. myectomy by Morrow and alcohol septal ablation that is becoming increasingly popular. The article reviews literature on state-of-the-art diagnostics and treatment of HCMP patients.

The repair of large bone defects remains a major clinical orthopedic challenge. Bone regeneration and fracture healing is a complex physiological mechanisms regulated by a large number of biologically active molecules. Multiple factors regulate this cascade of molecular events, which affects different stages in the osteoblast and chondroblast lineage during such processes as migration, proliferation, chemotaxis, differentiation, inhibition, and extracellular protein synthesis. A recent review has focused on the mechanisms by which growth and differentiation factors regulate the fracture healing process. Rapid progress in skeletal cellular and molecular biology has led to identification of many signaling molecules associated with formation of skeletal tissues, including a large family of growth factors (transforming growth factor-β and bone morphogenetic proteins, fibroblast growth factor, insulin-like growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, cytokines and interleukins). There is increasing evidence indicating that they are critical regulators of cellular proliferation, differentiation, extracellular matrix biosynthesis and bone mineralization. A clear understanding of cellular and molecular pathways involved in fracture healing is not only critical for improvement of fracture treatments, but it may also enhance further our knowledge of mechanisms involved in skeletal growth and repair, as well as mechanisms of aging. This suggests that, in the future, they may play a major role in the treatment of bone disease and fracture repair.

Primary B-cell lymphoma of the heart is a rare tumor. The authors presented a clinical case of a successful surgical treatment of primary right heart lymphoma in a HIV-infected patient. The use of modern diagnostic assessment methods and aggressive surgical strategies help to achieve clinical effect in this patients’ category.

The article describes perioperative periods of two patients who underwent surgical repair of acquired heart valve disease with artificial circulatory support. In both cases, there was decompensation of chronic heart failure, with levosimendan (Symdax, Orion Pharma, Finland) being used for its treatment. In the first case the drug was infused in the early postoperative period, without a loading dose, at a rate of 0.05–0.1 mcg/kg/min for 26 hours. After 3 hours, an improvement was observed and after 36 hours classic inotropes were stopped. After further 36 hours (day 3) the patient was moved to a surgical department ward. In the second case, due to an extremely low cardiac index, levosimendan was administered proactively starting one day before surgery. However, a long period of artificial circulation, perfusion problems due to thrombosis during artificial circulatory support led to deterioration of chronic renal failure, chronic heart failure and to death within the first 10 hours after surgery. Conclusion: Levosimendan is an effective drug for treatment of heart failure in cardiac surgery patients. However, it is unlikely to solve all problems of early postoperative period in patients with multiple organ failure.