Objective To study the anatomical basis of micro transverse flap pedicled with the superfical palmar branch of radial artery from the palmar wrist for using this free flap to repair soft tissue defect of the finger. Methods Thirty-eight fresh upper limb specimens (22 males and 16 females; aged 26-72 years with an average of 36 years; at left and right sides in 19 limbs respectively) were dissected and observed under operating microscope. Two specimens were made into casting mould of artery with bones, and 2 specimens were injected with red emulsion in radial artery. Thirty-four specimens were injected with 1% gentian violet solution in the superfical palmar branch of the radial artery. A transverse oval flap in the palmar wrist was designed, the axis of the flap was the distal palmar crease. The origin, distribution, and anastomosis of the superfical palmar branch of the radial artery were observed. Results The superficial palmar branch of the radial artery was constantly existed, it usually arises from the main trunk of the radial artery, 1.09-3.60 cm to proximal styloid process of radius. There were about 2-5 branches between the origin and the tubercle of scaphoid bone. The origin diameter was 1.00-3.00 mm, and the distal diameter at the styloid process of radius was 1.00-2.90 mm. The venous return of flap passed through 2 routes, and the innervations of the flap mainly from the palmar cutaneous branch of the median nerve. The area of the flap was 4 cm × 2 cm-6 cm × 2 cm. Conclusion The origin and courses of the superficial palmar branch of the radial artery is constant, and its diameter is similar to that of the digital artery. A transverse oval flap pedicled with the superfical palmar branch of radial artery in the palmar wrist can be designed to repair defects of the finger.
Abstract: Objective To compare the effects of nitroglycerine (NTG)， Verapamil(VP), papaverine(PA) and the mixed solution of Verapamil and nitroglycerine (VG) on relaxing function of human radial arteries. Methods The radial arteries of thirty patients were used during the operation of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). A short segment (1.0-1.5cm) of radial arteris were taken from the distal end of radial arteries of each patient and were cut into vascular rings, which were mounted in the organ bath chamber and then subject to a series of tests for vascular smooth muscle viability and endothelial integrity. The effects of five storage solutions on the relaxing function were evaluated by “OrganBath” technique. The five solutions included: (1) Ringer’ s solution (control group); (2) VP solution (VP group); (3) NTG solution (NTG group); (4) PA solution (PA group); (5) VG solution (VG group). First, challenged with phenylephrine (10-5mol/L), vasorelaxant effect of these drugs (effect onset and efficacy) was observed at different time point and resting tension was recorded. Second, after 30min preincubation with either verapamil, papaverine, phenoxybenzamine or VG mixture, potassium chloride (final concentration of 60mmol/L) was added in the organ bath chamber and then vasoconstriction was observed subsequently. Finally, after 30min pretreatment of different antispasmodic agent in the same way as described above, the vascular rings were mounted in organ bath chamber and challenged with phenylephrine(10-5mol/L). Vascular spasticity and vosospasm duration were observed at different time point which might provide guidance for optimal timing of clinical application. Results The radial arteries in VG, VP, NTG and PA solutions were relaxed in 11 min after vasospasm and there was no difference between them (Pgt;0.05). But during the initial three minutes，the relaxation effect of VG and NTG was significantly better than other two groups. Relaxation curve showed that the ability of vasodilatation of VG, NTG, VP and PA decreased in order. In the experiment about antivasospasm pretreatment of radial arteries, there was no difference between VG and VP group (Pgt;0.05 ), whose effects were better than NTG and PA group(Plt;0.05 ). After cold storage for 24h, VG and VP still could prevent vasospasm. But NTG and PA hardly had any function and there was no difference compared with the control group (Pgt;0.05 ). Conclusion Although in the final all these drugs could prevent and relieve vasospasm of radial arteries in the different level, it appeared that a combination of verapamil and nitroglycenn is more fit for treating radial artery during CABG operation than other drugs.
Objective To investigate the clinical application of micro transverse flap pedicled with superficial palmar branch of radial artery from palmar wrist to repair skin defect of finger. Methods Twenty-six cases (26 fingers) with skin defect of finger were repaired with micro transverse flap pedicled with superficial palmar branch of radial artery from palmar wrist between December 2011 and February 2013. There were 20 males and 6 females with the average age of 31.5 years (range, 20-56 years). The causes of injury included cutting injury in 20 cases and crushing injury in 6 cases. The time from injury to admission was 1-5 hours with an average of 2 hours. Injured fingers included thumb in 6 cases, index finger in 6 cases, middle finger in 6 cases, ring finger in 4 cases, and little finger in 4 cases; the locations were the dorsal side of the finger in 6 cases, lateral side in 6 cases, and the volar of the finger tip in 14 cases; there were 4 cases on the proximal phalangeal skin, 8 cases on the middle phalangeal skin, and 14 cases on the distal phalangeal skin. The defect area ranged from 2.0 cm × 1.5 cm to 4.0 cm × 2.0 cm, and the flap area ranged from 2.5 cm × 2.0 cm to 4.5 cm × 2.5 cm. All the donor sites were directly sutured. Results The flaps of 25 cases survived well after operation, and wound healed by first intention； 1 case had partial necrosis and the wound had a scar healing by changing dressing. All cases were followed up 6-12 months (mean, 10 months). The color and appearance of the flaps were satisfactory with tender texture. The two-point discrimination of the flap was 5-8 mm (mean, 6.8 mm). The donor sites healed primarily without scar contracture and limitation of wrist flexion or extension. Conclusion The micro transverse flap pedicled with superficial palmar branch of radial artery from palmar wrist is a good option to repair skin defect of finger. It has the advantages of hidden donor site, the same operative field, great comparability of flap and finger skin, and it can be used as a vascularized tendon or nerve graft.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the safety and efficacy of total arterial off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG) using a left internal thoracic artery (LITA) combined with bilateral radial arteries (RAs). MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with severe multi-vessel coronary artery disease who underwent total arterial OPCABG with a LITA and bilateral RAs at Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital from November 2020 to April 2023. Results A total of 24 patients were included, comprising 23 males and 1 female, with a mean age of (53.63±4.33) years. The New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class was Ⅱ to Ⅲ. The mean number of distal anastomoses was 3.17±0.38. A Y-graft was constructed in 12 patients and sequential grafting was performed in 4 patients. Concomitant procedures included coronary endarterectomy in 1 patient, intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) implantation in 10 patients, and thymoma resection in 1 patient. The mean operative time was (308.13±30.39) min, mechanical ventilation time was (15.42±7.42) h, ICU stay was (46.08±27.32) h, and postoperative hospital stay was (11.71±1.90) d. There were no in-hospital deaths. Postoperative complications included one patient of acute renal failure and one patient of cerebral infarction. Pre-discharge color Doppler echocardiography revealed that the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter was significantly smaller than before surgery (P<0.05), while the left ventricular ejection fraction and fractional shortening were significantly higher (P<0.05). Coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) showed that all arterial grafts were patent. During a mean follow-up of (14.58±8.75) months, no patients experienced angina recurrence or mortality. Repeat coronary CTA or angiography in 16 patients one year postoperatively confirmed that all arterial grafts remained patent. Conclusion Total arterial OPCABG using a LITA and bilateral RAs is a safe and effective treatment for patients with severe multi-vessel coronary artery disease. For high-risk patients, intraoperative IABP support is recommended.
The radial artery pulse wave contains a wealth of physiological and pathological information about the human body, and non-invasive studies of the radial artery pulse wave can assess arterial vascular elasticity in different age groups.The piezoelectric pulse wave transducers were used to non-invasively acquire radial artery pulse waves at different contact pressures in young and middle-aged and elderly populations. The radial artery waveforms were decomposed using a triangular blood flow model fitting method to obtain forward and reflected waves and calculate reflection parameters. Finally a correlation analysis and regression analysis of the contact pressure Psensor with the reflection parameters was carried out. The results showed that the reflection parameters RM, RI and Rd had a strong negative correlation with Psensor in both types of subjects, and the correlation coefficients and slopes of the regression curves were significantly different between the two types of subjects (P<0.05). Based on the results of this study, excessive contact pressure on the transducer should be avoided when detecting radial artery reflection waves in clinical practice. The results also show that the magnitude of the slope of the regression curve between the reflection parameters and the transducer contact pressure may be a potentially useful indicator for quantifying the elastic properties of the vessel.
ObjectiveTo investigate the effectiveness of the island flaps based on the superficial palmar branch of the radial artery (SPBRA) to repair the thumb wound. MethodsBetween February 2012 and November 2013, 8 cases of thumb defects and bilateral artery defect were treated. There were 5 males and 3 females with an average age of 30.5 years (range, 19-51 years). The injury was caused by crush (4 cases), avulsion (3 cases), and twist (1 case). The injury located at the metacarpophalangeal joints in 3 cases, at the proximal palmar side in 2 cases, and at the interphalangeal joints in 3 cases. The defect size ranged from 3.5 cm×1.5 cm to 6.5 cm×2.0 cm. The digital artery defect was 2.5-8.5 cm (mean, 5.3 cm). The disease duration was 2.0-4.5 hours (mean, 3.2 hours). The reversed island flaps based on the SPBRA were designed, which size was 4.0 cm×2.0 cm to 7.5 cm×3.0 cm. The donor sites were closed directly. ResultsThe operation was successfully completed in 7 patients except 1 patient having vascular variation. All flaps survived completely. Wound and incision at the donor site healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 6-18 months (mean, 13 months). The flaps had similar color and texture to adjacent skin. Linear scar was seen at the donor site in 1 patient, with no functional limitation. According to the functional assessment criteria of upper limb by the Hand Surgery Branch of Chinese Medical Association, the results were excellent in 6 cases, good in 1 case, and fair in 1 case, with an excellent and good rate of 87.5%. ConclusionThe reversed island flap based on the SPBRA is an ideal flap for the thumb reconstruction because the advantages of reliable blood supply, easy dissection, less injury at donor site, and good repair results.
Objective To summarize the experiences of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (off-pump CABG) and on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (onpump CABG) for patients with coronary artery diseases and to improve the surgical techniques and clinical results. Methods Coronary artery bypass grafting(CABG) were performed from January 2000 to March 2009 on 698 consecutive cases, including 551 male and 147 female with a mean age of 67.2 years(range, 28.0-79.0). There were 552 cases with angina pectoris and 131 with old myocardial infarction. Preoperative cardiac function showed 301 cases in New York Heart Association classⅡ, 339 in class Ⅲ,and 58 in class Ⅳ. Coronary angiography revealed single vessel disease in 21 cases, 2vessel disease in 87, 3vessel disease in 590, and 201 cases had concomitant left main lesions.There were 687 elective CABG and 11 emergency / urgent ones. Offpump CABG were performed on 346 cases and the others received onpump CABG . Results A total number of 2 025 grafts ( range,1-6 grafts, mean, 2.9 grafts /case ) were constructed with 693 left internal mammary arteries,115 free right mammary arteries,229 left radial arteries, and 81 right radial arteries. Total arterial bypass grafting was feasible on 126 cases. Postoperative ventilation duration varied from 0-127 hours (mean, 11.5 hours). Fasttrack procedure was offered to 38 cases with good results.Introaortic balloon pump support were provided to 1 patient preoperatively and 27 postoperatively. There were 25 deaths with a mortality of 3.64% for the elective cases with the cause of acute myocardial infarction ( 5 cases ), low cardiac output syndrome (3 cases),protamine reaction (2 cases),respiratory failure (3 cases), renal failure (2 cases),and multiorgan failure (10 cases).Four deaths occurred to urgent cases with a mortality of 36.36% from low cardiac output syndrome ( 3 cases) and acute myocardial infarction (1 case). One hundred and fiftyone cases（21.63%）developed atrial fibrilation among which 147（97.35%）returned to sinus rhythem with administration of electrolytes and Amiodarone. Resternotomy were performed for bleeding in 12 cases. Upon discharge from the hospital, 511 patients were free from angina while 20 other patients still had coexisting relieved angina. Postoperative followup was carried out on 415 cases（62.03%）for a period of 1month to 8.2 years with 3 deaths for lung cancer (1 case), car accident(1case), and unknown reasons (1 case). Number of patients who were free from angina was 317 and 21 for those who had recurrent angina. The cardiac function improved with 269 cases（65.29%）in New York Heart Association class Ⅱ, 142（34.46%）class Ⅲ, and 1（0.24%） class Ⅳ. Conclusion Good surgical results could be achieved with careful analysis of native Chinese patients’ coronary vessels, individualized operative plan, control of operative risk factors, and proper selection of bypass conduits. Aggressive use of IABP can provide essential support for patients with poor left ventricular function and other high risk factors.
ObjectiveTo explore the mid-term outcomes achieved by using the left internal mammary artery to saphenous vein composite grafts in off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB) for elderly patients. MethodsA total of 59 elderly patients (≥70 years old) underwent OPCAB by using left internal mammary artery (LIMA) to radial artery (RA) or saphenous vein (SV) composite grafts in Xinhua Hospital between March 2006 and October 2012. There was 37 males and 22 females at age of 72.71±1.95 years. Twenty one patients used LIMA-SV composite grafts (LIMA-SV group), and 38 patients used LIMA-RA composite grafts (LIMA-RA group). ResultsAll patients successfully underwent OPCAB with LIMA-SV or LIMA-RA composite grafts. There was one early death in the LIMA-RA group. No statistical differences in early postoperative outcomes were found between the two groups (P > 0.05). During a follow-up of 12 to 91 months, no patient occurred revascularization. There were no statistical differences in overall survival or graft patency rate, and 1 year, 3 years or 5 years survival rates between the two groups (P > 0.05). The patency rate of LIMA in each group was 100% respectively. There was also no statistical difference in overall patency rate of SV and RA between the two groups at the end of 1 year, 3 years or 5 years (P > 0.05). ConclusionAlthough artery grafts are the best choice for OPCAB, LIMA-SV composite grafts can be used as an alternative graft for elderly patients whose RA or right internal mammary artery is not possible or advisable.