“I Dread the Heart Surgery but it Keeps My Child Alive”—Experiences of Parents of Children with Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Anomalies during the Assessment for Cardiac Reoperation

Background:Parents of children with complex right ventricular outflow tract(RVOT)anomalies are confronted with their child’s need for heart surgery early in life and repeated reoperations later on.Preoperative assessment needs to be performed whenever an indication for reoperation is suspected.The aim was to illuminate the experiences of parents of children diagnosed with RVOT anomalies,in particular,how they experience their child’s heart disease and everyday life during the assessment and after the decision on whether to perform a reoperation.Method:Individual interviews(n=27)were conducted with nine parents on three occasions between 2014 and 2016 and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.Results:The analysis resulted in the following five main coexisting themes:The heart surgery keeps my child alive illuminates parents’experiences during and after the assessment and emphasizes that heart surgery,although dreaded,is central for their child’s survival;Everyday struggles illuminates the different struggles parents had to face to ensure that their child would be in the best possible condition;the remaining three themes,Unconditional love,Trust in life,and Togetherness,illuminate the ways in which the parents gained inner strength and confidence in their everyday lives.Conclusion:Although the parents were grateful for the assessment and had learned to navigate among the fears it aroused,they experienced several distressing situations during the assessment process that should be addressed.By inviting both the parents and their child to participate in the child’s care,individualized support can take into account the needs of both parents and child.

Intraoperative Blood Glucose Levels and Postoperative Acute Kidney Injury in Pediatric Patients Having Congenital Heart Surgery under Cardiopulmonary Bypass

Purpose:This study sought to explore the effect of intraoperative mean blood glucose levels and variability on postoperative acute kidney injury(AKI)in children undergoing congenital cardiac surgery.Methods:We conducted a prospective nested case-control study in children(age<18 years)undergoing congenital heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB)at the Fuwai Hospital between April 01,2022 and July 30,2022.Cases were individuals who developed AKI within the first postoperative 7 days(AKI group)and controls were those without AKI(Non-AKI group)according to KDIGO criteria.AKI and Non-AKI groups unmatched and 1:1 matched by age,sex,and baseline serum creatinine were separately analyzed.Multivariate logistic and conditional logistic regressions were used to assess the associations between blood glucose variables and AKI.Results:688 consecutively approached patients were included in the final analysis.On multivariate analysis,intra-CPB(adjusted odds ratio[OR]0.802;95%confidence interval[CI],0.706 to 0.912;p=0.001)and post-CPB(adjusted OR 0.830;95%CI,0.744 to 0.925;p=0.001)blood glucose levels were associated with postoperative AKI.There were no significant differences in pre-CPB blood glucose(adjusted OR 0.926;95%CI,0.759 to 1.129;p=0.446)or intraoperative glycemic fluctuations(adjusted OR 0.905;95%CI,0.723 to 1.132;p=0.382)between AKI and Non-AKI groups.Results based on matched cases and controls were consistent with those from the unmatched analyses.Conclusion:Higher intraoperative blood glucose levels during and after CPB were protective factors against postoperative AKI in pediatric patients after congenital heart surgery.

Early Cardiac Catheterizations within 30 Days Post Congenital Heart Surgery in Children

Background:This study set out to assess the indications,feasibility,safety,and outcome of early cardiac catheterizations(CC)within 30 days after congenital heart surgery(CHS)in children.Methods and Results:This is a retrospective,single-center case review study of all CC within 30 days after CHS between 1/2010-12/2020.A total of 317(138 diagnostic,179 interventional)CC were performed in 245 patients at a median of 4 days(IQR 13)after CHS.The median age was 3 months(IQR 6),and body weight was 5 kg(IQR 4).A total of 194(61.2%)CC were performed in patients with univentricular hearts.CC revealed significant pathologies leading to early redo-surgery in 37 patients(12%).The transcatheter interventions primarily were needed in patients after cavo-pulmonary connection(n=69%,21.8%),right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit(n=39%,12.3%),and Norwood-I surgery(n=34%,10.7%)presenting with hypoxemia,prolonged postoperative course,and suspected arterial stenosis on echocardiography.The clinical impact of an early postoperative transcatheter intervention for the following clinical course was high in most cases.There were nine(2.8%)major and 20(6.3%)minor intra-procedural complications.Risk factor analysis revealed no difference for the occurrence of complications for patients’age,weight,and time from initial CHS,underlying uni-vs.biventricular heart disease,or ECMO.Conclusion:Early CC within 30 days after CHS in children can be performed safely with a high diagnostic and therapeutic value.The rate of complications is low,while the therapeutic consequence is relevant.

Pediatric Cardiac Surgical Patterns of Practice and Outcomes in Europe and China:An Analysis of the European Congenital Heart Surgeons Association Congenital Heart Surgery Database

Background:The European Congenital Heart Surgeons Association(ECHSA)Congenital Heart Surgery Database(CHSD)was founded in 1999 and is open for worldwide participation.The current dataset includes a large amount of surgical data from both Europe and China.The purpose of this analysis is to compare patterns of practice and outcomes among pediatric congenital heart defect surgeries in Europe and China using the ECHSA-CHSD.Methods:We examined all European(125 centers,58,261 operations)and Chinese(13 centers,23,920 operations)data in the ECHSA-CHSD from 2006-2018.Operative mortality,postoperative length of stay,median patient age and weight were calculated for the ten benchmark operations for China and Europe,respectively.Results:Benchmark procedure distribution frequencies differed between Europe and China.In China,ventricular septal defect repair comprised approximately 70%of procedures,while Norwood operations comprised less than one percent of all procedures.Neonatal cardiac procedures were rare in China overall.For procedures in STAT mortality category 1,Chinese centers had lower operative mortality rates,while procedures in categories 3 and 5 mortality is lower in European centers.Operative mortality over the time period decreased from 3.89%to 1.64%for the whole cohort,with a sharper decline in China.This drop coincides with an increase of submitted procedures over this 13-year-period.Conclusion:Chinese centers had higher programmatic volume of congenital heart surgeries,while European centers have a more complex case mix.Palliation for patients with functionally univentricular heart was performed less commonly in China.These comparison of patterns of practice and outcomes demonstrate opportunities for continuing bidirectional transcontinental collaboration and quality improvement.

Psychosocial Factors Associated with Transfer Anxiety among Open Heart Surgery Patients Transferred from the Intensive Care Unit to the General Ward

Introduction: Patient’s transfer from the intensive care unit (ICU) to the general ward indicates their improving health status. However, the transfer produces anxiety when patients enter an unfamiliar environment with different care protocols and circumstances. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the level of ICU transfer anxiety among open heart surgery patients and determine the psychosocial factors associated with ICU transfer anxiety among open heart surgery patients. Methods: Data were collected in a cardiac center in Kathmandu City, Nepal among 95 open heart surgery patients within 24 hours of their transfer from an ICU to a general ward. The study used four self-reported questionnaires, namely the modified Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale for Adults, modified Brief COPE Inventory, Nurses’ Support Questionnaire, and State Anxiety Inventory. Results: Fifty-two patients (54.7%) had a high level of transfer anxiety. Spearman’s rank correlation showed that uncertainty in illness, coping, and nurses’ support were significantly related to transfer anxiety (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest nurses to address uncertainty in illness of the patients, improve their coping abilities, and provide need-based nursing support to them during the transitional phase. Besides, clinicians and governmental agencies should contribute to implication of transitional guidelines, which can reduce transfer anxiety and promote health and recovery of the patients.

The Association between Preoperative Plasma C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Level and Postoperative Adult Heart Surgery Outcome

Introduction: Careful history and physical examinations are the best ways for preoperative evaluation. Currently, we are recommended to rely on doing them rather than unnecessary and costly laboratory tests for confirmation or diagnosis of disease. The aim of study is the survey of CRP level association to decide further evaluation and expert consultation, newly diagnosed problems and possible effect on postoperative mortality and morbidity. Methods and Materials: In a descriptive retrospective study, hospital documentation of 620 patients older than 18 years undergone heart surgery in Tabriz Shahid Madani hospital was evaluated. Addition to plasma CRP level, patient’s demographic information, type of surgery, preoperative significant tests, delay time in surgery start time after anesthesiology visit, cause of requested specialty consultation and treatment recommendation, postoperative complications and mortality rate were recorded and analyzed. Patients were classified according to preoperative plasma CRP level to five groups as negative, +1, +2, +3 and not measured (i.e. they considered as normal (0 - 5 mg/l), mildly (5 - 40 mg/l), moderately (40 - 200 mg/L) or severely increased (>200 mg/l) groups). Results: Of 620 patients, 402 were male and 218 were female. There was not statistically significant correlation among demographic variables (gender, age, weight, and height), heart disease diagnosis and the type of surgery in five groups. In 79 individuals, they were done specialty consultations that most common of them were neurology consultation because of impaired renal laboratory tests. Only 2 cases were due to high CRP level. In any of cases, this preoperative consultation didn’t result from new disease cases. CRP plasma level hadn’t association with preoperative red blood cell sedimentation level. Prevalence of preoperative acute myocardium infarction was higher in patients with high CRP level. In group +1, delay time was lower than other groups. The most common causes were cardiac causes. There wasn’t statistically significant correlation between CRP level and different postoperative complications. There wasn’t significant association between ICU stay time and postoperative hospital stay time and plasma high CRP level. Conclusion: Probably, plasma CRP level increases before surgery in acute myocardial infarction and results in high mortality rate. It seems that routine measurement of CRP in candidates for heart operation is beneficial for mortality rate prediction, so its increasing level can’t help to diagnosis newly cases and it isn’t prudent to consult with specialist.

RELEASE OF SERUM TROPONIN I AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO MULTIFACTORS FOLLOWING OPEN HEART SURGERY IN CHILDREN

Objective To be released specifically after myocardial damage. The goal of this study was to measure serum cardiac troponin I levels after open heart surgery in children, and to evaluate relevance between TnTi and perioperative multi-factors. Methods Fifty-seven consecutive pediatric patients undergoing elective correction of congenital heart diseases were divided into group A （ TOF, n =31 ） and group B （ VSD, n =26）. Blood sampies were drawn preoperatively, 5min（ T0 ） , 6h（ T6 ） , 12h（ T12 ） , 24h（ T24 ） , 48h（ T48 ） , 72h（ T72 ） after removal of aortic cross clamping. Myocardial protection consisted of moderate systemic hypothermia （ 30℃- 32℃ ）, cold crystalloid cardioplegia and topical cooling. Demographic information, cardiac defect, repair procedure, duration of bypass （ CPBT） , cross-clamping time （ CCT） , clinical score for cardiac function, electrocardiographic changes and outcomes were recorded. Results Compared with the baseline value, serum concentration of troponin I peaked at T0 （ P 〈 0. 01 ）, and fell to normal level at T72 （ P 〉 0. 05 ）. Peak CTnI was 118 and 55 times higher than the baseline value, respectively in group A and group B. There was a positive correlation between peak CTnI and CPBT, CCT （ r = 0. 51 ; P 〈 0. 01 ）, myocardial operative injury after ventriculotomy and muscle resection （ r = 0. 35, P 〈0. 01 ）. Also the peak CTnl value was correlated to the clinical score for cardiac function （r = -0. 52; P 〈0. 01）. 2.3μg/L was a cutoff value which was highly predictive for postoperative recovery and inotropic support. Conclusion Postoperative serum troponin I is a highly specific and sensitive marker for myocardial ischemia and injury; therefore, its measurement may contribute to the assessment of recovery and outcome after open heart surgery.

CHANGES ON RECEPTOR EXPRESSIONAND PRODUCTION OF INTERLEUKIN-2 IN CIRCULATING LYMPHOCYTE POPULATION AFTER OPEN HEART SURGERY

To evaluate the change of perioperative cell mediated immunity after cardiac operation with cardiopul-monary bypass (CPB), so as to provide some information for timely prevention and treatment against post-operative immunological disorder, 40 patients were studied. By searching for the effects of CPB and anes-thesia, interleukln-2 receptor (IL-2R) expression upon the surface of peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC), as well as interleukin-2 (IL-2) production in vitro was traced 55 min after anesthesia, at end ofCPB, on postoperative 1, 7, and 14 day versus preanesthesia control. Our data demonstrated that expres-sion of IL-2R on PBMC was significantly suppressed in all comparing with the baseline value, meanwhile,IL-2 production in vitro also statistically dropped. However,no statistical difference was found on perioper-ative IL 2R expression and IL-2 synthesis in the cholecystectomy group. We conclude that postoperativeimmunological disorder seems to be the main factor, which could be denoted as reduced IL 2R expressionon PBMC and lL-2 synthesis in vitro for sepsis, even multiple system organ failure developed after cardiacsurgery.

Management of Specific Complications after Congenital Heart Surgery(I)

In addition to the general consequences of surgery and cardiopulmonary by-pass, lesion-specific complications can occur after surgery for congenital heart disease. It is important for the pediatric intensive care specialist to fully understand the preoperative anatomy and the intraoperative details of these patients. This allows a timely and appropriate treatment of general and lesion-specific complications. In this article we provide a list of commonly-performed surgical procedures and possible associated problems to be anticipated in the early postoperative period. Then it follows a discussion about the diagnosis and management of these complications, based on their pathophysiological features.

Temporal and Regional Differences in Congenital Heart Surgery in China(2017-2022):Trends and Implications

Background:With the decline of birth population and the development of medical technology in China,studies assessing how these changes have affected the adoption of congenital heart disease surgery at the national or regional scale are lacking.Methods:We investigated the status of congenital heart surgery in China in the period from 2017-2022,through investigation of the total rates of cardiac surgeries,cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB),adult congenital heart surgeries(CHS),and pediatric CHS(<18 years old),as recorded by the Extracorporeal Cir-culation Branch of the Chinese Society of Biomedical Engineering.Subsequently,we evaluated correlations between these factors with economic,demographic,and other factors.Results:From 2017 to 2022,the total num-ber of cardiac operations increased from 230,772 to 263,292,representing an increase of 14.09%over 6 years;the CHS dropped from 76,365 to 68,940(10.19%decrease),and the proportion of CHS in the total cardiac surgeries dropped from 33.26%to 26.18%(7.08%decrease).Finally,cases of pediatric CHS decreased from 61,825 to 38,174(38.25%decrease).The annual percentage change(APC)of the total amount of pediatric CHS cases was-10.03(-15.95 to-3.69,p=0.013).Adult CHS increased from 14,940 to 30,766(105.93%increase).The proportion of adult CHS cases of the total number of cardiac surgeries increased from 6.47%to 11.68%(5.21%increase).From a regional perspective,the APC for the proportion of pediatric CHS in the local population was generally lower in western China.The proportion of CHS in the local population generally decreases from the north to the south,although the lowest incidence is found in the northeast region.Conclusions:Due to demographic changes,med-ical technology and economic factors,the number of surgical operations for congenital heart disease(CHD)in children decreased significantly from 2017 to 2022,and may decline further in the future.Nevertheless,in the same period,a significant increase in the number of operations for CHD in adults was observed,which brings new opportunities and challenges to the development of congenital cardiac surgery and cardiac critical care.

The Application Effect of Predictive Nursing on Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation of Patients Undergoing Heart Valve Surgery with Extracorporeal Circulation

Objective:To evaluate the application effect of predictive nursing on patients undergoing heart valve surgery with extracorporeal circulation(ECC).Methods:92 ECC patients admitted to the hospital between July 2021 and July 2023 were selected and grouped by random number table method;the observation group practiced predictive nursing,while the reference group practiced conventional nursing.The cardiopulmonary rehabilitation and other indexes were compared between the groups.Results:The postoperative rehabilitation time of the observation group was shorter than that of the reference group,the treatment compliance was higher than that of the reference group,the cardiopulmonary function indexes were all better than that of the reference group,and the complication rate was lower than that of the reference group(P<0.05).Conclusion:The implementation of predictive nursing for ECC patients can promote postoperative rehabilitation,improve patients’treatment compliance,and enhance the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation effect,and nursing safety is high.

Failure to Rescue as a Quality Metric in Congenital Heart Surgeries in a High-Complexity Service Provider Institution Located in a Middle-Income Country

Background:Failure to rescue has been an effective quality metric in congenital heart surgery.Conversely,mor-bidity and mortality depend greatly on non-modifiable individual factors and have a weak correlation with better-quality performance.We aim to measure the complications,mortality,and risk factors in pediatric patients undergoing congenital heart surgery in a high-complexity institution located in a middle-income country and compare it with other institutions that have conducted a similar study.Methods:A retrospective observational study was conducted in a high-complexity service provider institution,in Cali,Colombia.All pediatric patients undergoing any congenital heart surgery between 2019 and 2022 were included.The main outcomes evaluated in the study were complication,mortality,and failure to rescue rate.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed with mortality as the outcome variable.Results:We evaluated 308 congenital heart sur-geries.Regarding the outcomes,201(65%)complications occurred,23(7.5%)patients died,and the FTR of the entire cohort was 11.4%.The presence of a postoperative complication(OR 14.88,CI 3.06–268.37,p=0.009),age(OR 0.79,CI 0.57–0.96,p=0.068),and urgent/emergent surgery(OR 8.14,CI 2.97–28.66,p<0.001)were the most significant variables in predicting mortality.Conclusions:Failure to rescue is an effective and comparable quality measure in healthcare institutions and is the major contributor to postoperative mortality in congenital heart surgeries.Despite our higher mortality and complication rate,we obtained a comparable failure to rescue rate to high-income countries’health institutions.

Quality of life and functional capacity in patients after cardiac surgery intensive care unit

Coronary heart disease and aortic stenosis are prevalent cardiovascular diseases worldwide,leading to morbidity and mortality.Coronary artery bypass grafting(CABG)and surgical aortic valve replacement(SAVR)have therapeutic benefits,including improved postoperative quality of life(QoL)and enhanced patient functional capacity which are key indicators of cardiac surgery outcome.In this article,we review the latest studies of QoL outcomes and functional capacity in patients who underwent cardiac surgery.Many standardized instruments are used to evaluate QoL and functional conditions.Preoperative health status,age,length of intensive care unit stay,operative risk,type of procedure,and other pre-,intra-,and postoperative factors affect postoperative QoL.Elderly patients experience impaired physical status soon after cardiac surgery,but it improves in the following period.CABG and SAVR are associated with increases of physical and mental health and functional capacity in the immediate postoperative and the long long-term.Cardiac rehabilitation improves patient functional capacity,QoL,and frailty following cardiac surgery.

Combination of balanced ultrafiltration with modified ultrafiltration attenuates pulmonary injury in patients undergoing open heart surgery

Objective To explore the effects of ultrafiltration technique in preventing and relieving pulmonary injury in children undergoing open heart surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Methods Thirty cases with congenital heart defects were divided into a control group and an experimental group. In the control group,conventional cardiopulmonary bypass was used without ultrafiltration; while in the experimental group,cardiopulmonary bypass with balanced ultrafiltration and modified ultrafiltration were used. Pulmonary static compliance (C stat ),airway resistance (R aw ),alveolar-arterial oxygen difference (A-a DO 2),hematocrit (HCT),serum albumin (Alb),interleukin-6 (IL-6),endothelia-1 (ET-1) and thromboxane (TXB 2) were measured. Results The pulmonary function was improved,HCT and serum albumin concentrations were increased,and some harmful medium-size solutes were decreased in the experimental groups compared with the control group.Conclusions Combination of balanced ultrafiltration with modified ultrafiltration can effectively concentrate blood,exclude harmful inflammatory mediators,and attenuate lung edema and inflammatory responsive pulmonary injury.

Comparative study on cerebral injury after open heart surgery in patients with congenital and rheumatic heart disease

Objective: To comparatively study the different effects of open heart surgery on brain tissues of patients with congenital and rheumatic heart disease. Methods: Forty patients with congenital heart disease (CHD, CHD group, n=20) or rheumatic heart disease (RHD, RHD group, n=20) underwent on-pump (cardiopulmonary bypass, CPB) heart-beating open heart surgery. Blood samples before CPB, and 20 minutes, 1 hour, 24 hours and 7 days after CPB were collected, and the levels of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and protein S-100b in the plasma were determined with enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. All the patients were examined with electroencephalogram (EEG) before and 1 week after operation. The changes of NSE, S-100b and EEG compared to verify the difference of postoperative cerebral injury between CHD cases and RHD cases. Results: The plasma level of S-100b increased significantly 20 minutes after CPB and was still higher than the preoperative level at 24 hours after operation in both groups (P< 0.01). The plasma level of NSE increased more significantly in the CHD group than in the RHD group 20 minutes after CPB and it returned to the normal level 24 hours after CPB in the CHD group but remained at a high level in the RHD group (P< 0.01). The levels of NSE and S-100b returned to the normal levels on the 7th day after CPB. Abnormal EEG was found in 75% of the patients in the CHD group and 60% in the RHD group. Conclusions: On-pump heart-beating open heart surgery can cause certain cerebral injury in the patients with CHD or RHD. The injury was more severe and recovered more quickly in the CHD group than in the RHD group.

Efficacy of amiodarone and lidocaine for preventing ventricular fibrillation after aortic cross-clamp release in open heart surgery:a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Objective： The relative preventative efficacy of amiodarone and lidocaine for ventricular fibrillation（VF） after release of an aortic cross-clamp（ACC） during open heart surgery has not been determined. This meta-analysis was designed to systematically evaluate the influence of amiodarone, lidocaine, or placebo on the incidence of VF after ACC. Methods： Prospective randomized controlled trials（RCTs） that compared the VF-preventative effects of amiodarone with lidocaine, or amiodarone or lidocaine with placebo were included. Pub Med, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched for relevant RCTs. Fixed or randomized effect models were applied according to the heterogeneity of the data from the selected studies. Results： We included eight RCTs in the analysis. Pooled results suggested that the preventative effects of amiodarone and lidocaine were comparable（relative risk（RR）=1.12, 95% confidence interval（CI）： 0.70 to 1.80, P=0.63）, but both were superior to the placebo（amiodarone, RR=0.71, 95% CI： 0.51 to 1.00, P=0.05; lidocaine, RR=0.63, 95% CI： 0.46 to 0.88, P=0.006）. The percentage of patients requiring electric defibrillation counter shocks（DCSs） did not differ significantly among patients administered amiodarone（RR=0.21, 95% CI： 0.04 to 1.19, P=0.08）, lidocaine（RR=2.44, 95% CI： 0.13 to 44.02, P=0.55）, or the placebo（RR=0.56, 95% CI： 0.25 to 1.25, P=0.16）. Conclusions： Amiodarone and lidocaine are comparably effective in preventing VF after ACC, but the percentage of patients who subsequently require DCSs does not differ among those administered amiodarone, lidocaine, or placebo.

Autotransfusion of shed mediastinal blood after open heart surgery

Objective To determine the safety and effectiveness of autotransfusion of shed mediastinal blood after open heart surgery. Methods Sixty patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) were selected randomly to receive either nonwashed shed mediastinal blood (Group 1,n=30) or banked blood (Group 2, n=30). Drainage and transfusion volume were determined after the operation. Hb,RBC,HCT and PLT were detected immediately before and after the operation,as well as 24 hours and 7 days after the operation. Data were analyzed using Fisher’s exact test. A P <0.05 was considered significant. Results There were no significant differences in Hb,HCT,PLT or length of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) ( P >0.05). In the two groups,no significant difference in the mean blood loss was observed during 24 hours after the operation (660±300 ml in Group 1 and 655±280 ml in Group 2, P >0.05). In Group 1,the mean volume autotransfused was 280±160 ml,and the patients required 360±80 ml banked blood compared with 660±120 ml in Group 2. In other words,the banked blood requirement in Group 1 was 40% lower. Conclusions Autotransfusion of shed mediastinal blood after an open heart operation is safe and effective.

Clinical Observation on Effect of Salvia Miltiorrhiza Composita in Preventing and Treating Ischemic Coronary Heart Disease Patients Undergoing Non-Heart Surgery

Objective: To observe the preventing and treating effect of Salvia Miltiorrhiza Compsita (SMC) in patients with ischemic coronary heart disease (CHD) undergoing non heart surgery. Methods: One hundred and eight patients were randomly divided into control group and treatment group. During operation,the control group was treated by heteropathy such as nitrate ester, while the treatment group was treated with SMC intravenously. ECG, heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and sphygmous blood oxygen saturation (SpO 2) and quantity of blood loss were observed during and at the end of the operation. The efficacy of treatment was judged according to the change of ECG. Results: The total effective rate in the treatment group was 90.7% (49/54 cases), while in the control group it was 35.2% (19/54 cases). There was significant difference between the two groups ( P <0.01). HR of the patients in the treatment group was not changed significantly, but in the control group, it became faster ( P <0.05). No significant difference was found in MAP and SpO 2 between the two groups, or in comparison of data before and after operation. Also no significant difference in quantity of blood loss was shown between the two groups. Conclusion: SMC could effectively protect heart function from myocardial ischemia in patients with CHD undergoing non heart surgery, neither shows any side effect. Therefore, it is an effective and safe measure.

The blossom of “the rose of surgery”——The birth of heart-lung machine

The development of the heart-lung machine made repair of intracardiac lesions possible. One of the key requirements of the heart-lung machine was anticoagulation. Heparin was discovered by a medical student, Jay McLean, working in the laboratory of Dr. William Howell at Johns Hopkins. John Gibbon contributed more to the successful development of the heart-lung machine than anyone else. His interest began as a young doctor since 1930s. Gibbon＇s work on the heart-lung machine took place over the next 20 years in laboratories at Massachusetts General Hospital, the University of Pennsylvania, and Thomas Jefferson University In 1937, he reported the first successful demonstration that life could be maintained by an artificial heart and lung, and the native heart and lungs could resume fimction. After World War II, Dr. Gibbon resumed his work and received support from IBM to build a heart-lung machine on a more sophisticated scale. Eventually, the team developed a larger oxygenator that the IBM engineers incorporated into a new machine. On May 6, 1953, Dr. Gibbon performed the first successful operation using an extracorporeal circuit on an 18-year-old girl with a large atrial septal defect. It wasn＇t until 1958, when a system that involved bubbling blood was perfected, that ＂heart-lung＂ machines came of age. Despite so many chill winds and cold rains, ＂heart-lung＂ machine, the budding rose of surgery, was eventually blossom brightly in the radiant rays of sunlight. John Gibbon＇s dream had become a reality. His work serves as an important example to surgeons who are struggling today with the surgical therapies and technologies of tomorrow.

Renal Outcomes and Myocardial Performance after On-Pump Beating Heart versus Conventional On-Pump Surgery in Patients with Preoperative Low Glomerular Filtration Rate

Objective: Acute kidney disease develops 16% - 30% of patients with preoperative impaired renal functions. Our aim of this study was to compare postoperative renal outcomes using two open heart surgery techniques, on-pump beating heart (OPBH) and conventional on-pump (COP), in patients who have preoperative low glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) as an indicator of creatinine clearance. Methods: From 2004 to 2015, 341 patients with preoperative creatinine clearance were lower than 90 ml/min/1.73m2 were selected for this study. On-Pump beating heart was performed in 111 patients (Group I). Conventional on-pump technique was used in 200 patients. In the remaining patients, we measured postoperative Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-alpha), cardiac troponin I (cTn-I), Brain natriuretic peptid (NT-Pro- BNP), creati-nine (Cr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and postoperative eGFR daily until day four after surgery. Results: There were no differences in baseline levels of TNF-alpha, NT-Pro-BNP, BUN, cTn-I, Cr levels between the groups. Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time were much longer and cumulative inotrope use was significantly higher in patients underwent COP (P Conclusion: Our study showed that on-pump beating heart CABG technique provides a morbidity benefit and is associated with a lower risk of peroperative LOS in patients with mild renal disfunction. Our study results suggest that OPBH is superior to the COP in terms of postoperative renal injury and cardiac mediators.