TSRA Clinical Scenarios - Adult Cardiac Surgery Flashcards
Heparin dose for CPB?
400 units/kg
ACT required for initiation of CPB?
400-480
5 min after cross clamp is released when coming off CPB, the heart begins to distend w/o contraction. What is the next move?
Two possible problems:
1) valve leak
2) heart is not ejecting
Squeeze the heart. Pace the heart. If this does not resolve quickly, cross clamp again.
Talk to anesthesia and perfusion to see if they can help determine a cause on echo or via labs.
Coming off CPB, you attempt to pace, but have no capture. Leads are well placed. Perfusion says K is 7. UOP is minimal. You cross clamp and vent the heart. How do you manage K?
Hemoconcentrate. IV insulin with glucose. Lasix or bicarb can also help.
A patient fibrillates when coming off CPB. How do you defibrillate?
Internal paddles set to 10-20 joules and gradually increased.
If not working, give IV lidocaine and amiodarone 150 and try again.
If distended, manually squeeze the heart and empty with CPB, place vents if needed, then cardiovert.
Vent air, inc perfusion pressures to 75 (coronary perfusion and to flush out embolized air), optimize oxygenation, lytes, and temp. Check Echo for AI.
If heart is distending when coming of CPB, what amount of AI requires consideration for replacement?
AI greater than 1+/moderate-severe may require exploration and replacement of the aorta.
Should be higher on differential after a mitral surgery - damage to noncoronary leaflet w/ placement of the mitral stitches.
Explain CPB components.
Venous cannulas drain to reservoir by gravity or vacuum, pumped into the oxygenator/heat exchanger, then continues to arterial air filter and to the arterial cannula in the patient.
Attempt CPB, but perfusionist says high aortic line pressure. What is differential?
Obstruction - kink or clamp
Malposition - in one of the aortic branches
Cannula too small - 21-24 Fr should be adequate (18-20 used at USC)
Aortic dissection - systemic P low w/ abnormal ascending aorta
What is your differential for inadequate venous drainage on CPB?
Air lock
Cannula malposition
Add suction
Increase cannula size
Reduce flows if flow is high
Make sure no other avenues of blood flow into the heart - AI needs a vent, azygous vein needs adjustment to snares, L SVC needs snare or cannulation depending on situation (cannula if NO innominate).
Retroperitoneal or peritoneal hemorrhage?
Attempting CPB flows, but MAP not rising above 40. Pt has hx of ACE use.
Rule out other problems. Could be vasoplegia.
Give pressors - phenylephrine, norepi, vasopressin. Methylene blue can be used as well.
This can occur postop as well.
You place retrograde cardioplegia line in coronary sinus, but pressures are low. How do you troubleshoot?
Check for rupture of the sinus - inspect inferior aspect of the heart
Check position of cannula
Check if balloon is ruptured
Persistent L SVC
When giving retrograde cardioplegia, you find a L SVC. How do you manage?
Check if there is an innominate.
Present - can snare to include it below the innominate.
Not present - cannulate the L SVC and add it to venous drainage.
Coming off CPB from a mitral surgery. BP drops, ST elevation on EKG, and RV distends. You suspect air in the coronary. How do you manage?
R coronary ostium is anterior and susceptible to air embolism.
Re-institute CPB w/ high perfusion pressure to help support cardiac fct and push air through coronary into venous circulation.
Add a root vent to prevent further air migration into the coronary arteries.
A needle in the apex of the heart can be added to remove air if too much in the apex.
If patient has previous CABG and is requiring CPB, how do you manage an open LIMA?
Can clamp vs cold bypass flow
If patient has open SVGs after CABG and needs CPB, but the grafts are high on the aorta, what is an option to make room for cross clamp?
Axillary cannulation may be needed to make room for an aortic cross clamp.
In a patient w/ CABG w/ open LIMA, what is the problem with antegrade cardioplegia?
Antegrade will perfuse the OM and PDA territories, but not the LAD.
Retrograde will perfuse all.
In the setting of aortic insufficiency, discuss options for CPB.
Retrograde cardioplegia would ensure delivery. Antegrade would likely require direct delivery of cardioplegia.
How could you incompletely deliver cardioplegia if using retrograde cardioplegia assuming no L SCV? What can you do?
Tip of the retrograde cannula is distal to the middle cardiac vein. Direct retrograde insertion can help (bicaval cannulation, snare cavas, and open R atrium).
What can make retrograde cardioplegia delivery riskier in a redo operation (previous CABG)?
If you perforate the sinus, the posterior heart may be stuck, making dissecting in a bloody field more difficult. On the other dissection on the front end may damage CABGs.
After cross clamping, 500 ml of antegrade cardioplegia is delivered, but there is poor distention of the aortic root, incomplete arrest, and LV distention. What is happening and how do you manage?
Aortic insufficiency.
Switch to retrograde cardioplegia and turn on the aortic root vent vs an LV vent to decompress the heart.
How do you ensure adequacy of retrograde cardioplegia catheter delivery?
Cessation of electrical and myocardial activity. Appropriate pressure in cannula is around 40 mmHg. Observe flow through coronary veins and arteries. Can also check coronary ostia through aortotomy for backflow. Finally, heart should be cooling.
What is a concern with retrograde cannula placement even if it works well to arrest the heart?
Myocardial edema. This is why the balloons on the cannula are not usually 100% occlusive.
Where does a persistent L SCV usually drain?
Into the coronary sinus, may partially drain via innominate V.
You attempt to infuse antegrade cardioplegia. The perfusionist notes high line pressure. How do you manage?
Stop flow. Look for kinks or clamps to r/o obstruction. Ensure pressure monitoring line is connected.
If all above ruled out, concern for dissection. Visualize the root and ask anes to look at aorta.
If dissection, cool with original aorta cannula distal to the clamp and prepare for dissection repair.
After a cardiac surgery pump case w/ retrograde cardioplegia, the myocardium is slow to regain activity. What should you check?
Check retrograde catheter and/or that the balloon is down, in order to allow for adequate coronary sinus flow.
When sewing a CABG, you notice bleeding from the arteriotomy. What does this mean?
Arrested myocardium is getting perfusion. Check the cross clamp and that the root vent is on.
There could be collaterals.
If unable to ID cause, monitor for electrical activity, and consider cold topical saline, cooling the patient to mild hypothermia (32 C), reducing flows as tolerated, or increasing frequency of cardioplegia administration.
How do you manage a perforation of the coronary sinus after placement of a retrograde cardioplegia catheter?
CPB, clamp, and arrest with antegrade. Repair the hole directly with prolene or a pericardial patch.
What are the three broad categories for persistent electrocardial activity (problem with initiating plegia in CPB)?
Access - cannula placement
Collateral - clamp, drainage, L SVC, vents/suckers; hypothermia?
Myocardial mass - hypertrophy may require hypothermia
Redo sternotomy, and there is a significant amount of dark blood from the sternomanubrial jct. What was injured?
Innominate vein
Redo mitral w/ innominate vein injury during sternotomy. How do you manage?
Pack the area and close the sternum with penetrating towel clamps.
Peripheral CPB. Put pump suckers in the injured field.
Reopen and dissect vein to length for closure w/o tension. Primary vs pericardial patch repair.
If cannot repair, divide and oversew.
If too lateral, may need trapdoor to expose - above clavicle and at 3rd rib space.
Redo case. You attempt to dissect SVC for cannulation, but make a large hole before pursestring is in. How do you manage?
Tamponade it.
Attempt IVC and aortic cannulation for CPB. Need vacuum venous drainage to prevent air lock.
Pump suckers near SVC to clear the field.
May be possible to cannulate through the injury.
Consider placing pump sucker into azygous vs ligating azygous if you can’t see.
May need to dissect more proximal and place a Rummel tourniquet.
Once controlled, may need primary vs pericardial patch.
You are called to cath lab during a lead extraction after the patient arrested w/ hypotension. What injury is likely? How do you manage?
Venous injury, often in the SVC.
Cannulate the groins and start CPB vs open to relieve tamponade and compress SVC while achieving CPB.
Open and decompress the heart. Identify the injury, dissect proximal and distal, control it, and repair primarily vs w/ patch.
A redo cardiac surgery patient is femorally cannulated with difficulty during the venous cannulation. The venous line has return, but the patient continues to become hypotensive after CPB is started. How do you manage?
Goals: identify injury, cannulate beyond repair.
Venogram if available.
This hx is concerning for iliac vein injury.
If chest is open, can centrally cannulate, otherwise, may need access in contralateral femoral vein.
If the injury is above the iliacs, can use fluoro get wire and cannula above and go on, then open the abdomen and repair the injury.
SVC is ruptured during balloon dilation for SVC syndrome. How do you manage?
Give heparin. Emergency median sternotomy. Bicaval cannulate - for the SVC, enter the RA and traverse cannula through injury. Empty the heart. Primary vx pericardial patch closure.
Bicaval cannulation in an old lady, and the IVC tears below the diaphragm. How do you manage?
Get venous access and go on CPB.
If possible, traverse the cannula through the injury from above.
Place a Rummel clamp if possible below the injury.
May need patch for tension free repair.
If unable, may need to go on w/ SVC cannula and suckers. Get femoral access.
Can attempt incising the diaphragm through sternotomy to get exposure.
If all else fails, extend sternotomy inferiorly and convert to RUQ subcostal incision.
Cath lab creates and RV puncture and places a pericardial drain w/ bloody drainage. Manage.
Heparin and sternotomy.
CPB and arrest the heart.
Wide patch repair even if small.
Bypass the coronary lesion if during a cath case for coronary disease.
There is a small R PA injury noticed after an aortic surgery when coming off bypass. Manage.
If small, a figure of 8 will fix.
If large or uncontrolled, go back on bypass (if you had axillary, can do end to end of previous graft).
Decompress the heart, and the PA will decompress.
Mobilize the R PA. May need pericardial patch.
You puncture the opposite side of the aorta during arterial cannulation. Manage.
May need circulatory arrest.
Can cool with the existing cannula if forward flow is okay.
May need to establish axillary access.
Small aortotomy and local repair.
What symptoms represent unstable angina?
chest pain at rest, exertional angina not relieved by rest, and new onset of chest pain
What symptoms represent stable ischemic heart disease
exertional angina - predictable, improves with rest
What is included in guideline-directed medical therapy?
lifestyle modification, statin therapy (LDL goal 70-100), beta-blockade, aspirin, and ACE inhibition (if LV dysfunction, DM, or CKD)
What are hemodynamically significant coronary lesions on left heart cath?
Left main >50%
non-LM >70%
What FFR is hemodynamically significant? When is FFR used?
< 0.80.
Determines hemodynamic significance of the cumulative effect of proximal stenosis.
Used to guide revasc in angiographically intermediate coronary stenosis in patients w/ stable angina.
What is the SYNTAX score?
16 segments in the coronary tree.
Lesions in this tree are scored.
The sum of these scores is the overall SYNTAX score.
What are the cutoffs for the SYNTAX score?
> 22 is intermediate complexity.
32 is high complexity.
The results of the SYNTAX trial revealed that patients with 3-vessel or L main disease benefited from CABG over PCI.
What is a non-invasive option for imaging the coronary arteries?
Gated cardiac CT
What did a secondary analysis of the STITCH trial reveal concerning myocardial viability studies?
They are obtained in preop CABG pts w/ EF <35%. They can predict an improvement in EF postoperatively, but this did not translate into a survival benefit. IE it should not be used as a way to rule out low EF patients for CABG over medical therapy.
How do you decide who needs coronary revascularization in patients with stable ischemic heart disease?
Activity limiting symptoms despite maximal medical therapy.
Active patients who want PCI for better QoL compared to med therapy.
Anatomy with proven survival benefit.
After deciding on revascularization, how do you decide who needs CABG?
1) 3-vessel disease, especially w/ syntax >22 (mod) and low surgical risk.
2) Significant L main disease (50%).
3) Multivessel (>1) w/ proximal LAD disease.
Europe guidelines add:
Multivessel (2+) w/ EF <40.
Multivessel (2+) w/ >10% ischemic territory.
Management of significant CAD in 1 vessel w/ refractory angina despite medical therapy and PCI.
CABG.
Management of significant CAD in 1 vessel after sudden cardiac arrest from ischemic ventricular arrhythmia.
CABG.
Management of CAD at 50% in 1 vessel in patients undergoing valve or aortic surgery?
Concurrent CABG.
What is the ideal graft for the LAD?
IMA. Left preferred. Right is second choice.
In a patient undergoing CABG for 3 vessels without excessive risk of sternal complications or other organ failure, what are the ideal grafts?
BIMA and radial.
What can be done technically to reduce the risk of sternal complications in a patient getting BIMA grafts?
Skeletonized.
Known risks of sternal infection and malunion in cardiac surgery?
Nonelective procedure, age, uncontrolled DM (HbA1c >7), BMI >40, female, COPD, preop hospitalization >3 days, smoking, immunosuppression regimen, radiation mediastinal injury
When should CABG patients receive aspirin?
Preoperatively is ideal, within 6 hrs postop is fine too.
Continued indefinitely.
A patient comes in for elective CABG but has not stopped taking plavix. What do you do?
Cancel the case.
Plavix and ticagrelor (Brilinta) need to be stopped for 5 days preop.
A patient requires an urgent CABG but is taking plavix. What do you do?
Plavix and ticagrelor (Brilinta) can be stooped 24 hrs to reduce major bleeding.
Short acting IV antiplatelets (eptifibatide [Integrillin] or tirofiban [Aggrastat]; both gpIIb/IIIa inh) should stopped 2-4 hrs preop.
Abciximab (reopro) should be stopped 12 hrs preop.
Why are beta blockers reinstituted after CABG (as long as no contraindications)?
reduce incidence and sequela of atrial fibrillation
What is the target for statin therapy in patients undergoing CABG?
reduce LDL <100 and achieve at least 30% dec in LDL
Which postop CABG patients require ACE or ARB?
LVEF <40, HTN, DM, CKD. Unless otherwise contraindicated.
What is the continuous IV insulin target in postop CABG?
blood glucose concentration <180
When anatomically and clinically suitable, what is the RIMA often used for?
L Cx or RCA usually if critically stenosed and perfusing LV myocardium - can improve survival and decrease reintervention
RIMA patency is directly related to what?
Degree of proximal stenosis of the target vessel. Ie how much competitive flow is there?
When is a radial artery recommended? What is patency of the RA prone to?
Prone to spasm in periop period and sensitive to competitive flow.
Only use for L side lesions >70% (severe) or R side lesions >90% (critical) - same for gastroepiploic arteries.
Who is the ideal patient who gets complete arterial revascularization?
<60, with few comorbidities, severe L sided stenosis, and critical R sided stenosis. Skeletonize.
What are inferior leads?
II, III, aVF
What EKG findings suggests RV or RCA ischemia (or L dominant PDA disease)?
Inferior leads: II, III, aVF.
Or posterior findings: reciprocal V1-2.
What EKG changes suggest LV or LAD/LCx territory ischemia?
Anteroseptal: V1-V2.
Anteroapical: V3-4.
Anterolateral: V5-6, I, aVL.
What is diagnostic for STEMI?
Angina symptoms for 20 min w/ ST elevation 2+mm in 2 contiguous leads or new LBBB. Greater risk for transmural ischemia.
What is the diagnostic criteria for NSTEMI?
Angina symptoms >10 mins. Elevated cardiac biomarkers. ST elevation of 0.5-1mm - or ST depression >0.5 mm - or T wave inversion >1mm More likely to have subendocardial ischemia.
When can IABP be useful in the setting of MI?
refractory shock despite initial medical management; post-infarct VSD; acute papillary muscle rupture
What are contraindications for IABP?
Severe AI and PVD precluding placement.