Objective To investigate the relation of spinal ventricular septal angle (SVSA) measured by computer tomographic pulmonary angiography (CTPA) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) measured by right heart catheterization in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) .Methods Eighty-nine patients with CTEPH (male 57, female 32; 53.08 ±12.43 years) were recruited as a CTEPH group, and 89 patients without pulmonary artery hypertension and pulmonary embolismwere recruited as a control group. The CTEPH patients received CTPA before right-heart catheterization and pulmonary angiography. SVSA and pulmonary artery obstruction indexes including Qanadli Index and Mastora index were evaluated by two radiologists.Results SVSA was 65.13°±12.26°and 39.69°±5.84°in the CTEPH group and the control group respectively, with significant difference between two groups ( t =14.479, P = 0.000) . Qanadli index of the CTEPH patients was( 42.50 ±17.67) % , which had no correlation with SVSA ( r= 0.094, P = 0.552) . Mastora index was ( 30.02 ±15.53) % , which also had no correlation with SVSA ( r=0.025, P =0.873) . SVSA had a moderate positive correlation with PVR ( r =0.529, P =0.000) and a weak positive correlation with right atriumpressure ( r =0.270, P =0.010) . Area under ROC was 0.764 and sensitivity, specificity for PVR≥1000 dyne· s· cm- 5 was 0.714 and 0.778 respectively when SVSA≥67.55°. Conclusion SVSA measured by CTPA can be used as a better predictor for evaluating PVR in CTEPH patients.
Objective To investigate clinical outcomes of one-stage repair for patients with persistent truncus arter-iosus who missed optimal timing of surgery. Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of 12 patients with persistent truncus arteriosus who had missed optimal timing of surgery and were admitted to Wuhan Asia Heart Hospital between June 2003 and August 2011. There were 7 male patients and 5 female patients with their median age of 4.5 （0.6-14.0）years and median body weight of 23 （6-36）kg. All the patients underwent one-stage surgical repair. There were 9 patients with Van Praagh type A1，2 patients with type A2，and 1 patient with type A4 persistent truncus arteriosus. There were 2 patients with anomalous origin of coronary artery，2 patients with moderate truncal valve insufficiency，and 3 patients with moderate tricuspid valve insufficiency which required concomitant surgical repair. All the patients received preoperative right heart catheterization which showed severe pulmonary hypertension. The median pulmonary-systemic blood flow ratio （Qp/Qs ratio） was 2.42 （1.50-5.26），and median pulmonary vascular resistance was 8.1 （4-12） Wood units. All the patients showed a positive pulmonary vasodilator response to oxygen. Right ventricular outflow tract （RVOT） reconstruction was achieved using a valved conduit in 7 patients and a valved patch in 5 patients. Results There was no in-hospital death in this group. Three patients had transient pulmonary hypertensive crisis during postoperative intensive care and were healed after proper treatment. Early postoperative pulmonary artery pressure monitoring in all the patients showed that main pulm-onary artery systolic pressure/radial artery systolic pressure was 0.48±0.12. All the 12 patients were followed up for 48（12-91）months. There were 10 patients with New York Heart Association （NYHA） classⅠand 2 patients with NYHA classⅡ during follow-up. One patient received reoperation for residual ventricular septal defect and right ventricular failure.Two patients required long-term medication treatment for high pulmonary vascular resistance and right ventricular failure. The latest echocardiography during follow-up showed that average pressure gradient across RVOT was 21 （16-42） mm Hg in patients with valved conduit for RVOT reconstruction and 18 （10-28） mm Hg in patients with valved patch for RVOT reconstruction. None of the patients required reoperation for RVOT obstruction. Pulmonary regurgitation was less than moderate degree in all the patients. Two patients with anomalous origin of coronary artery didn’t have symptoms or electrocardiogram changes of myocardial ischemia during follow-up. Conclusion For patients with persistent truncus arteriosus who missed optimal timing of surgery， one-stage repair can achieve good early and intermediate clinical outcomes，but long-term follow-up is needed to observe truncal valve regurgitation and right ventricular function.
Abstract: Objective To analyze the results of preoperative evaluation of the operability of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), and to find parameters to define the inconsistency between the operable lesions of CTEPH and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). Methods A total of 133 patients with CTEPH admitted into Anzhen Hospital were enrolled for preoperative assessment of operability from March 2002 to May 2010. There were 86 males and 47 females with an age of 49.10±22.70 years. The patients were divided into operable group (group A, n=82，age of 47.80±21.60 years) and inoperable group (group B, n=51, age of 50.30±23.40 years) according to the assessment suggestion. We evaluated the occluded pulmonary segment（OPS） of all the patients through pulmonary ventilation/perfusion scintigraphy， and measured the plasma aminoterminal Btype natriuretic peptide (NT-pro BNP) and PVR. Then the ratio of NT-pro BNP to OPS and PVR to OPS were calculated. [CM(159mm]Results Out of the 82 patients with CTEPH in group A, 81 were positive in the anesthesia test and were subject to pulmonary thromboendarterectomy(PTE). In the whole cohorts of operated patients, there was one early death due to persistent pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure. The specificity of the anesthesia test was 98.78%. Eighty patients (98.77%) were followed up in this group for a period of 1 to 95 months (42.70±28.40 months). During the followup, there was one late death due to pulmonary artery hypertension crisis. Among the 51 patients with CTEPH in group B, there were 32 patients (62.75%) with surgically inaccessible lesions, 13 patients (25.49%) with surgical accessible CTEPH concomitant with severe diseases, and 6 patients (11.76%) with inconsistency between the surgical accessible lesion and high PVR. The ratio of NT-pro BNP to OPS and PVR to OPS for the 81 positive patients in group A was in the range of 80-150 pg·ml-1/OPS and 50-100 dyn·s·cm-5/OPS, respectively. The ratio of NT-pro BNP to OPS (315.00±83.00 pg·ml-1/OPS vs. 115.60±40.50 pg·ml-1/OPS, P=0.000) and PVR to OPS (190.00±57.00 dyn·s·cm－5/OPS vs. 76.40±26.30 dyn·s·cm-5/OPS, P=0.000) for the 6 patients with incosistency between the surgical accessible lesion and high PVR in group B were significantly higher than that for the 81 positive patients in group A. Conclusion Surgically inaccessible CTEPH lesions, CTEPH concomitant with severe diseases, and inconsistency between surgical accessible lesion and high PVR are the three most frequent reasons for denying PTE procedure. The ratio of NTpro BNP to OPS and PVR to OPS may serve as the parameters to define the inconsistency between the surgical accessible lesion and high PVR. Anesthesia test before the PTE procedure may serve as the last evaluation method for the assessment of the operability of CTEPH.
Objective To analyze the relation between preoperative pulmonary artery pressure(PAP) and postoperative complications in heart transplant patients, and summarize the experience of perioperative management of pulmonary hypertension (PH), to facilitate the early period heart function recovery of postoperative heart transplant patients. Methods A total of 125 orthotopic heart transplant patients were divided into two groups according to preoperative pulmonary arterial systolic pressure(PASP) and pulmonary vascular resistance(PVR), pulmonary [CM(1583mm]hypertension group (n=56): preoperativePASPgt;50 mm Hg or PVRgt;5 Wood·U; control group (n=69): preoperative PASP≤50 mmHg and PVR≤5 Wood·U. Hemodynamics index including preoperative cardiac index (CI)，preoperative and postoperative PVR and PAP were collected by SwanGanz catheter and compared. The extent of postoperative tricuspid regurgitation was evaluated by echocardiography. Postoperative pulmonary hypertension was treated by diuresis，nitrogen oxide inhaling，nitroglycerin and prostacyclin infusion, continuous renal replacement therapy(CRRT)and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(ECMO). Results All patients survived except one patient in pulmonary hypertension group died of multiorgan failure and severe infection postoperatively in hospital. Acute right ventricular failure occurred postoperatively in 23 patients, 10 patients used ECMO support, 10 patients with acute renal insufficiency were treated with CRRT. 124 patients were followed up for 2.59 months，7 patients died of multiple organ failure, infection and acute rejection in follow-up period, the survivals in both groups have normal PAP, no significant tricuspid regurgitation. No significant difference in cold ischemia time of donor heart, cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB) and circulation support time between both groups; but the patients of pulmonary hypertension group had longer tracheal intubation time in comparison with the patients of control group (65±119 h vs. 32±38 h, t=2.17，P=0.028). Preoperative PASP，mean pulmonary artery pressure(MPAP) and PVR in pulmonary hypertension group were significantly higher than those in control group, CI was lower in pulmonary hypertension group ［PASP 64.30±11.50 mm Hg vs. 35.60±10.20 mm Hg; MPAP 43.20±8.50 mm Hg vs. 24.20±7.20 mm Hg; PVR 4.72±2.26 Wood·U vs. 2.27±1.24 Wood·U; CI 1.93±0.62 L/（min·m2） vs. 2.33±0.56 L/（min·m2）; Plt;0.05］. Postoperative early PASP, MPAP and PVR in pulmonary hypertension group were significantly higher than those in control group (PASP 35.40±5.60 mm Hg vs. 31.10±5.70 mm Hg, MPAP 23.10±3.60 mm Hg vs. 21.00±4.00 mm Hg, PVR 2.46±0.78 Wood·U vs. 1.79±0.62 Wood·U; Plt;0.05). Conclusion Postoperative right heart insuficiency is related to preoperative pulmonary hypertension in heart transplant patients. Donor heart can quickly rehabilitate postoperatively by effectively controlling perioperative pulmonary hypertension with good follow-up results.
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine on systemic vascular resistance in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass. MethodsThirty-one patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass from January to April, 2012 were randomized into experimental group (n=16) and control group (n=15). The flow rate was kept at 2.4 L/(min·m2) and moderate hypothermia was maintained. Equivalent dexmedetomidine and 0.9% sodium chloride solution were pumped for the experimental group and control group, respectively. The mean artery pressure (MAP), systemic vascular resistance (SVR), Cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine were determined before (T0) and at 10 and 20 minutes (T1,T2) after dexmedetomidine administration. ResultsCompared with T0, there were significant decreases in MAP and SVR at T1 and T2 (P<0.05). MAP and SVR were significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group at T1 and T2, respectively (P<0.05); cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine were significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group at T1 and T2, respectively (P<0.05). ConclusionDexmedetomidine reduces SVR and causes decrease in MAP. It can effectively inhibit the stress reaction in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass.
ObjectiveTo explore the value of ultrasonic score, blood vessels and vascular resistance index in predicting and diagnosing benign and malignant ovarian tumor. MethodsA total of 157 patients with ovarian tumors (77 benign and 80 malignant) aged from 19 to 68 years old (average 56 years) between January 2008 and June 2012 were enrolled in the research. The ultrasonic score, blood vessels and vascular resistance index were recorded, and the differences between benign and malignant tumor were compared according to the pathological diagnosis; Their sensitivities and specificities were analyzed with the preoperative prediction. ResultsIn benign ovarian tumor, ultrasound scores and blood vessels index were obviously lower than that in the malignant tumor (P<0.05); the vascular resistance index was much higher than that in the malignant tumor (P<0.05). The sensitivities and specificities in diagnosing malignant tumor were high when the ultrasonic score was ≥ 2, vascular index was>0.02/cm3, and blood flow resistance index was ≤ 0.6. The sensitivities were 92.5%, 90.0%, 87.5%, respectively; while the specificities were 90.9%, 89.6%, 84.4%, respectively. ConclusionUltrasonic score, blood vessels and vascular resistance index have significance for identifying benign and malignant ovarian tumors; ultrasonic score is more accurate which has high value of clinical application and popularization.
The success of staged Fontan palliation for patients with single ventricle is related to low pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). The complications of high PVR in Fontan physiology are numerous, such as low exercise tolerance, low cardiac output, ventricular function failure and protein-losing enteropathy; eventually it leads to failing Fontan. Therefore, a low PVR is crucial in Fontan patients. Now, targeted therapies decreasing PVR has been an advanced research hotspot in Fontan patients. In this review we present an overview of the safety and efficacy of the therapy with bosentan or sildenafil on elevated pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance in Fontan patients.