To visualize and quantify the hemodynamics in the aortic arch in normal individuals, we used velocity distribution, retrograde flow, vortex formation, and mean energy loss (mEL) at different cardiac cycles in our study. We performed Vector flow mapping (VFM) analysis by using echocardiography in 87 healthy volunteers. The results showed that ① in different sections of the aortic arch, a skewed peak flow velocity (Vp) always appeared in the period of rapid ejection but in different distribution. The systolic flow in the entire aortic arch rose rapidly from near-zero at the point of iso-volumetric contraction to the peak velocity at the period of rapid ejection, and then decreased gradually; ② In the period of iso-volumetric relaxation, retrograde flow and vortex were observed in all subjects in the inner wall of the entire aortic arch; and ③ The change rule of mEL in the entire aortic arch was similar to that of flow velocity. VFM can provide insights into the intra-aortic arch flow patterns, and offer essential fundamentals about flow features associated with common aortic diseases.
Objective To analyze the risk factors for death in children with interruption of aortic arch (IAA) and ventricular septal defect (VSD) after one-stage radical surgery. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on patients with IAA and VSD who underwent one-stage radical treatment in the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2006 to January 2017. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to analyze the risk factors for death after the surgery. Results A total of 152 children were enrolled, including 70 males and 82 females. Twenty-two patients died with a mean age of 30.73±9.21 d, and the other 130 patients survived with a mean age of 37.62±11.06 d. The Cox analysis showed that younger age (OR=0.551, 95%CI 0.320-0.984, P=0.004), low body weight (OR=0.632, 95%CI 0.313-0.966, P=0.003), large ratio of VSD diameter/aortic root diameter (VSD/AO, OR=2.547, 95%CI 1.095-7.517, P=0.044), long cardiopulmonary bypass time (OR=1.374, 95%CI 1.000-3.227, P=0.038), left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO, OR=3.959, 95%CI 1.123-9.268, P=0.015) were independent risk factors for postoperative death. Conclusion For children with IAA and VSD, younger age, low body weight, large ratio of VSD/AO, long cardiopulmonary bypass time and LVOTO are risk factors for death after one-stage radical surgery.
Abstract: Objective To summarize the clinical experiences of resection with patch aortoplasty for infant coarctation of the aorta combined with aortic arch hypoplasia. Methods Between May 2007 and December 2009, 49 patients including 30 males and 19 females with coarctation with hypoplastic aortic arch underwent coarctation resection and patch aortoplasty in Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University. The age of the patients ranged from 23 days to 3 years and 1 month with thirtyfour patients under 6 months, ten between 6 months and 1 year old, and five more than 1 year old. The surgery under deep hypothermia cardiopulmonary bypass with selective cerebral perfusion were performed in 31 cases and circulation arrest in 15 cases; under moderate hypothermia cardiopulmonary bypass in 3 cases. Pericardia patch was used in 31 cases, pulmonary autograft patch in 14 cases and xenograft pericardia patch in 4 cases. The associated intracardiac anomalies were repaired in the same stage. Results One case died from circulation failure during the perioperative period. The operative mortality was 204% (1/49). Low cardiac output syndrome and renal failure respectively occurred in 5 cases and 1 case who were cured afterwards by correspondent treatments. No residual obstruction was detected by echocardiography after the operation. Followup was carried out in fortyeight cases for a minimum of 4 months and a maximum of 3 years. Echocardiographic examination showed that the gradient through the aortic arch was more than 40 mm Hg and computed tomography showed recoarctation in 1 case who underwent reoperation eight months after the operation; the gradient was more than 20 mm Hg in 2 cases who were under continuous observation; all the rest cases had a fine aortic arch morphology and for these patients, the blood velocity at descending aortic arch was not obviously changed during the followup period compared with that right after operation, the computed tomography showed a normal aortic arch geometry. Left bronchus compression was relieved obviously or totally disappeared in patients who suffered from left bronchus stenosis before the operation without any aortic aneurysm detected. Conclusion Coarctation resection with patch aortoplasty is considered as an optimal surgical method for management of infant coarctation with hypoplastic aortic arch.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of patch aortoplasty and extended side-to-end anastomosis for the treatment of coarctation of the aorta (CoA) and hypoplastic aortic arch, and provide a more reasonable surgical choice. MethodsClinical data of 45 patients who underwent surgical correction for CoA and hypoplastic aortic arch in Beijing Anzhen Hospital from June 2008 to June 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. According to different surgical strategies for aortic arch hypoplasia, all the 45 patients were divided into 2 groups. In group I, there were 26 patients including 15 males and 11 females with their age of 0.5-6.8 (0.9±2.5) years and body weight of 5.0-20.3 (9.5±7.3) kg, who received patch aortoplasty and whose preoperative pressure gradient between right upper and lower limbs was 38.3±15.6 mm Hg. In groupⅡ, there were 19 patients including 14 males and 5 females with their age of 0.6-7.5 (1.0±2.7) years and body weight of 5.5-21.5 (10.2±6.6) kg, who received extended side-to-end anastomosis and whose preoperative pressure gradient between right upper and lower limbs was 40.7±16.1 mm Hg. Postoperative changes of pressure gradient between right upper and lower limbs of the 2 groups were examined and compared with preoperative values. ResultsTwo patients died postoperatively (4.4%) including 1 patient with low cardiac output syndrome and the other patient with severe lung infection. None of the patients in either group had renal failure or neurological complications. Postoperatively, there were 28 patients whose systolic blood pressure (SBP) of lower extremities was 10-20 mm Hg higher than that of upper extremities, 13 patients whose SBP gradient between upper and limbs was less than 10 mm Hg, and 4 patients whose upper limb SBP was 20 mm Hg higher than lower limb SBP. Postoperative average pressure gradient of right upper and lower extremities was 3.2±13.5 mm Hg and significantly lower than preoperative value (P < 0.05). Postoperative pressure gradient of upper and lower extremities was significantly lower than preoperative value in both groups (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in preoperative and postoperative changes of pressure gradient of upper and lower extremities between the 2 groups (P > 0.05). Thirty-eighty patients (88.4%) were followed up from 3 months to 5 years. During follow-up, there was 1 patient whose blood flow velocity of the descending aorta was increasingly accelerated. Pressure gradient across the aortic arch was larger than 40 mm Hg. Computer tomography showed aortic arch restenosis. This patient received reoperation 8 months after the first discharge. Three patients whose aortic pressure gradient was larger than 20 mm Hg were still followed up. Aortic arch pressure gradient was less than 20 mm Hg in all the other patients. ConclusionBoth patch aortoplasty and extended sideto-end anastomosis are ideal surgical methods for the treatment of CoA and hypoplastic aortic arch. Appropriate surgical method should be chosen according to individual conditions of pediatric patients.
Abstract:Objective To summarize the experiences of single stage repair of interrupted aortic arch （IAA） associated with cardiac anomalies. Methods From Jan. 2000 to Dec. 2005, 48 patients admited in hospital and 35 patients were operated, the mean age at operation was 1.1 years. The associated anomalies included 23 cases of ventricular septal defect, 2 cases of transposition of great arteries, 3 cases of aortopulmonary window with aortic origin of right pulmonary artery, 2 cases of truncus arteriosus, 2 cases of double outlet right ventricle, 2 cases of stenotic fifth arch and 1 case of aberrant origin of right subclavian artery with mild hypoplastic decending aorta. Among them, 34 patients underwent single stage repair and 1 kid underwent palliative correction. Results There were 4 surgical deaths. The sequelae included one diaphragm paralysis and one 3rd degree of atrioventricular block. Only 5 kids recurred mild stenosis of aortic arch anastomosis and 2 death occurred during 3 months to 4 years of follow-up. Conclusion Though early surgical mortality for primary single stage repair is now relatively low, if appropriate interventions has been accomplished during perioperative period, but outcomes of IAA remain of concern, especially in patients with associated lesions.
Objective To review the clinical experience of one-stage repair of interrupted aortic arch(IAA) in neonate with cardiac anomalies. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 21 patients (18 males, 3 females) with IAA total repair in our hospital between May 2003 and September 2014. The average age of patients was 6–26 (15.9±5.8) days and the mean body weight was 3.3±0.4 kg. Fourteen patients belonged to IAA type A, and 7 patients to type B. All patients were complicated with ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, and patent ductus artefious. All patients with cardiac anomalies underwent one-stage repair through median sternotomy. The aortic continuity was reestablished by anastomosis between the descending aortic segment and aortic arch. Results CPB time was 92–174 (132.6±27.1) min, and aortic cross clamping time was 48-118 (70.9±18.8) min. Hospital day was 4-52 (28.0±12.1) d. There were 3 postoperative deaths. Causes of death included a cardiac arrest in one patient, hematosepsis in one patient, and a pulmonary hypertension crisis in one patient. Eighteen patients were followed up for 3 months to 11 years and the results were excellent. Conclusion One-stage repair of IAA in neonate with cardiac anomalies can improve life quality of patients and achieve good results.
Objective To summarize the experiences of single stage repair of persistent fifth aortic arch associated with stenosis and interrupted aortic arch and other cardiac anomalies,and to improve surgical effect of the diseases． Methods From Jan．2000 to May 2008，five patients with persistent fifth aortic arch were operated in this hospita1，the age at operation was 1.8-108.0 months and body weight 3.7-31.0 kg．Three patients had chronic heart failure and respiratory infection repeatedly.All patients received single stage repair. Results There were two early hospital deaths，one patient’s parents gave up all the therapy because of cardiac insufficiency, pulmonary hypertension crisis and severe pulmonary infection; another one died of severe pulmonary hypertension crisis，the low cardiac outflow and left heart failure. Three patients were followed up, followup time was 55.67±48.64 months. The results were excellent,and one patient had been followed up for 8 years,the latest magnetic resonance imaging showed that diameter of the enlarged fifth aortic arch was 9.3 mm. Conclusion Persistent fifth aortic arch operation can achieve good exposure,less incisional wound and excellent recovery through midline sternotomy.Because of systemic hypertension and the affection of associated anomalies the operation should be performed as early as possible.
We conducted a detailed analysis of different hypothermic circulatory arrest techniques, from its evolution, application on aortic arch surgery and research, focusing on the application and advantages and disadvantage, which provides some guide for the future discussion on the optimal temperature of hypothermic circulatory arrest.
ObjectiveTo compare the cerebral protective effect of unilateral and bilateral antegrade selective cerebral perfusion during total aortic arch replacement, particularly with respect to neuropsychological outcome.MethodsFrom June 2003 to March 2004, 16 patients who underwent total aortic arch replacement were randomly allocated to one of two methods of brain protection: unilateral antegrade selective cerebral perfusion (unilateral group, n =8) or bilateral antegrade cerebral perfusion (bilateral group, n =8). Preoperative and postoperative neurological examination, brain computed tomography(CT) scan, and cognitive function tests were performed.ResultsAll patients survived the operations and were discharged from hospital. No new brain infarction occurred. Transient neurologic dysfunction occurred in 1 patient of each group. There were no intergroup differences in the scores of preoperative and post operative cognitive function ( P gt;0.05).ConclusionBoth methods of brain protection for patients undergoing total aortic arch replacement result in favorable and similar effect of brain protection in term of cognitive function provided the circle of Willis is patent and collateral flow is adequate.
ObjectiveTo discuss the efficacy of type Ⅱ hybrid aortic arch repair for type A aortic dissection in patients of different age groups.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 126 patients with type A aortic dissection admitted to the Fuwai Hospital between January 2016 and December 2018, including 78 (61.9%) males and 48 (38.1%) females, with an average age of 61.8±6.9 years. The patients were divided into an elderly group (≥60 years, n=82) and a non-elderly group (<60 years, n=44). The preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative data of patients in the two groups were compared.ResultsThe age between the elderly and non-elderly group was significantly different (65.9±4.1 years vs. 54.3±4.1 years, P<0.010), and no significant difference was found between the two groups in other preoperative baseline data. There were 6 (4.8%) patients of early death, 3 (2.4%) patients of stroke and 2 (1.6%) patients of paralysis. A total of 194 stents were implanted, and the average dimeter of the stents was 33.6±1.8 mm and the average length was 199.0±6.7 mm. The non-elderly group had shorter mechanical ventilation time (31.9±41.7 h vs. 61.0±89.2 h, P=0.043) and ICU stay time (77.8±51.4 h vs. 143.1±114.4 h, P<0.001) than the elderly group. There was no significant difference in in-hospital mortality rate, reoperation rate or survival rate between the two groups (P>0.05). Follow-up time was 1-43 (22.6±10.8) months, and 3 patients were lost. There were 104 (82.5%) patients of complete thrombus formation of false lumen in stent and endoleak was reported in 11 (9.2%) patients.ConclusionType Ⅱ hybrid aortic arch repair offers an alternative approach to acute type A aortic dissection with acceptable early and mid-term clinical effects. The non-elderly patients have a similar early treatment effect to the elderly patients, but have a better mid-term outcome.