Preoperative evaluation is crucial for heart valvular surgery. This article discusses some issues that need to be emphasized: the impact of hypertension on the severity of aortic valve lesions, and how to improve the accuracy of clinical assessment; the identification of functional tricuspid regurgitation, in order to choose the appropriate surgical technique; the need for right ventricular function testing, and the use of risk scoring models, to better grasp surgical timing and indications and improve efficacy; and the importance of evaluating atrial mitral and/or tricuspid regurgitation complications in chronic atrial fibrillation, and making rational choices for interventional and surgical treatment.
Abstract: Quality of life (QOL) refers to an individual’s perception and subjective evaluation of their health and well-being, and has become an important index to evaluate the outcomes of clinical treatment in the last past decades. There are a large number of different instruments to evaluate QOL, and the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) is currently one of the most widely used instruments. In recent years, SF-36 has been used to evaluate QOL of valvular heart disease patients to investigate the risk factors those influence their postoperative QOL, provide more preoperative evaluation tools for clinical physicians, and improve postoperative outcomes of patients with valvular heart disease. However, it is now just the beginning to use SF-36 to examine QOL of valvular heart disease patients. Because of significant differences in sample size, follow-up period, country and culture, current research has some controversial results. This review focuses on the progress in evaluating QOL in postoperative patients with valvular heart disease using SF-36.
Early enteral nutrition after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) has been shown to have beneficial effects on intestinal integrity, lower mortality and also on the patient’s immunocompetence. Even in critical patients after CPB, enteral nutrition should be reasonable to start early and also be supplemented by parenteral nutrition in order to meet energy requirement. We conclude that enteral nutrition is preferable in the majority of patients with severe hemodynamic failure, but gastrointestinal complication and hypocaloric feeding should be simultaneously noticed. This paper comprehensively described enteral nutrition’s protective mechanism and effects on digestive system, enteral nutrition’s implementing methods after CPB, and problems or prospects needing attention in execution.
Objective To study effects of mitral valve replacement(MVR) on the old with mitral valve diseases(MVD). Methods The documents of 265 cases undergoing MVR were reviewed, who aged 60 years old or over between June 1991 and June 2003. Demographices, clinical preoperative conditions, indications to surgery, early postoperative course and long-term outcome were collected via hospital documents and outpatient follow-up. Many risk factors were analysed. Results Follow-up rate amounted to 93.7%(236/252). The mortality was 4.9% (13/265) within 30 days. Heart failure and renal failure were the main cause of death. Compared with younger patients(lt;60 years old), long-term survival rate was lower in the old, 5-year 87.52% vs 96.84%, 10-year 81.23% vs 94.87%. There were 15 late deaths(0.17% case/M), most of whom died of heart failure, cancers and lung infections. Risk factors for MVR in the old included New York Heart Association class Ⅳ, diabetes, and lung incompetence. Conclusions The patients with MVD over 60 years old tended to present high postoperatively mortality and morbidity.
Objective To investigate the treatment and prognosis of moderate ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) in coronary artery disease(CAD). Methods From January 1998 to May 2006, 28 patients of CAD with moderate IMR underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and mitral valve plasty(MVP, 24) or mitral valve replacement (MVR,4). The Reed method were used in 9 cases, the annuloplasty ring were used in 15 cases. Mechanical valve were implanted in 1 case and biological valve in 3 cases. Results There was no operative or hospital death. Twentysix patients were followed up to a mean period of 41 months. There were two late death(one was MVP, the other was MVR). In MVP cases, nineteen patients were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class Ⅰ and Ⅱ, 3 in class Ⅲ, which was better than that of preoperative one. Ultrasonic cardiography (UCG) examination showed no mitral regurgitation in 5 cases, mild in 7, light in 6, moderate in 3, severe in 1. Left atrial volume (LAV) and left ventricular enddiastolic volume (LVEDV) were 54.1±12.7ml and 60.9±14.8 ml, decreased more significantly than that preoperatively (Plt;0.05). In MVR cases, 2 cases were survival and followed. One patient was in NYHA functional class Ⅰ, 1 in class Ⅱ, which was better than that of preoperative one. Conclusion Moderate IMR with CAD should be treated carefully. MVP with annuloplasty ring have better early results. For patients with bad heart function and abnormal left ventricular wall motion, the late results need more studies.
ObjectiveTo explore the feasibility of CORFLO feeding tube in enternal nutrition after video-assisted thoracoscopic Ivor Lewis esophagogastrectomy for esophageal cancer and cardiac adenocarcinoma. MethodsA total of 107 patients with esophageal cancer and cardiac adenocarcinoma undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic Ivor Lewis esophagectomy or resection of cardiac adenocarcinoma in our department between October 2014 and January 2016 were enrolled, among whom 10 patients received jejunostomy and 97 patients (60 males, 37 females, median age of 66 years, range, 47-75 years) received the insertion of CORFLO feeding tubes. ResultsIn 97 cases with insertion of feeding tubes, median insertion time was 7 (3-11) min and median depth was 83 (75-90) cm. The first-attempt success rate during the operation was 77.3% (75/97), and the second attempt at the bedside postoperatively was successful in 8 cases. The overall success rate was 85.6% (83/97). Insertion was successful in 77 esophageal cancer patients and 6 cardiac adenocarcinoma patients. Conclusion Blind insertion of CORFLO feeding tube in video-assisted thoracoscopic Ivor Lewis esophagogastrectomy for esophageal cancer and cardiac adenocarcinoma is feasible and safe. This noninvasive method is simple, effective and repeatable.