Survival after replantation.

Over a seven-year period in one unit performing replantation surgery 63 parts were replanted in 49 patients with an overall survival rate of 60%, which represents a worthwhile salvage of tissue otherwise not available for reconstruction. As the median operation time was eight hours (range 5-22) the implication of providing such prolonged operative procedures on the resources of the Health Service must be seriously considered. Yet there is a failure of awareness among the medical profession of the possibilities of such treatment, and potentially viable parts may be being discarded.     

Arteriovenous fistulas after replantation surgery

The delayed appearance of congenital arteriovenous fistula precipitated by local trauma is a rare event. However, these reports may provide some insight into pathogenetic mechanisms responsible for the opening of subclinical arteriovenous communications. This case of multiple arteriovenous fistulas in a previously "normal" hand followed a sharp, incomplete amputation at the wrist level with replantation.     

Long-term survival after orthotopic and heterotopic cardiac transplantation.

Five long-term survivors of heart transplantation were reinvestigated. Two patients had undergone orthotopic heart transplantation over 11 and 9 years earlier and constitute two of the world''s longest-surviving patients after this procedure. Three patients had undergone heterotopic heart transplantation (one left heart bypass alone and two biventricular bypass) four to six years earlier. Four of the five patients had had only one or no documented acute rejection episodes. Three had been given blood transfusions. None had had particularly good tissue matching in relation to the donor on HLA typing. All five patients were leading full and active lives. At review two patients had significant coronary artery disease, one severe, presumably due to chronic immune-complex deposition. Heart transplantation remains a major undertaking, but it can offer the patient many years of good-quality life.     

Microsurgical tissue transplantation or replantation in patients with psychoneurological impairment

Sometimes patients with a psychoneurological impairment present with a traumatic injury that requires either microsurgical replantation or free-tissue transfer. We reviewed 38 patients undergoing 40 microvascular operations; the patients included 26 patients with psychological impairment (group 1), 3 with mental disability (group 2), and 9 with an acquired head injury and consciousness disturbance (Glasgow Coma Scale score < or =14) (group 3). Patients with a psychological impairment, especially those with a self-inflicted injury, are often uncooperative and do not recognize the necessity of restorative procedures. A multidisciplinary approach by the trauma surgeon, plastic surgeon, psychiatrist, and neurosurgeon, with coordinated assistance from the physician, nurse, therapist, and family, is required for treatment. In our study the success rate of replantation was 77.8 percent (14 of 18); for free tissue transfer the success rate was 95.5 percent (21 of 22). The overall success rate of microsurgical procedures (87.5 percent, 35 of 40) was similar to that in the population at large. Patients with psychological impairment tend to be lost during follow-up; therefore, their functional results may be poorer than expected. Nonetheless, patients with psychological impairment should not be deprived of the benefits of restorative surgery.     

Lymphatic drainage in patients after replantation of extremities

Lymph drainage was studied by means of lymph scintigraphy in eight patients in whom successful replantation of a totally or subtotally amputated extremity had been performed. Scintigrams were made after subcutaneous injection of technetium-99m in the replanted part of the patient and the contralateral, normal extremity. In all scintigrams, axillary or inguinal lymph node activity is seen, implying drainage of lymph by means of the lymph vessels. Retention of colloid in the replanted part (79 to 94 percent) shows no significant difference with the contralateral, normal side (86 to 94 percent). Unquestionable evidence of regeneration of lymphatics in humans is delivered in the three patients, in whom lymph node activity and normal retention percentages are seen on the scintigrams after total amputation of an extremity followed by replantation without anastomosing of interrupted lymph vessels.     

Cardiac lymphatic interruption is a major cause for allograft failure after cardiac transplantation

Cardiac transplantation is one of the most effective treatments of end stage heart failure to date, although it comes with risks. One of the major complications of cardiac transplantation is allograft failure, which is caused by ischemic injuries, pulmonary hypertension and chronic rejection. Recent animal and human studies have demonstrated that cardiac lymphatic obstruction leads to significant myocardial fibrosis and depression in contractile forces. We hypothesize that lymphatic interruption, which is almost inevitable after cardiac transplantation, is a major cause of cardiac allograft failure through direct damages to the myocardium and also through the formation of allograft coronary vasculopathy.     

The role of angiogenesis and pulpal healing in tooth replantation and allograft transplantation

Tooth transplantation is one of the treatment options for extracted teeth that can be considered before dental implantation. Although the success rate of tooth transplantation is lower than that of implantation, tooth replantation and transplantation have the great advantage of using natural teeth. Tooth replantation might be considered a promising option in some cases. In present study, the expression patterns of revascularization and pulpal healing, which are the most important for the pulp viability, were analyzed after tooth replantation and allograft in mice. The inflammatory response and root dentin resorption were observed and not different between replantation and allograft in initiation of healing process. However, bonelike tissue formation, pulp revascularization and pulp healing were faster in replantation. The difference of healing patterns between tooth replantation and allograft found in present study will be helpful to select the treatment option and to understand healing mechanism.     

Adjacent and spontaneous neurotization after distal digital replantation in children

In an exclusively pediatric population, this retrospective study examined the functional and aesthetic results after distal replantation without nerve suture. The aim was to demonstrate, in the child, the presence of spontaneous nervous regeneration resulting in a fingertip pulp with discriminatory sensation. Eight amputations in eight children with a mean age of 9 years and 2 months on the day of the accident were reviewed. The cases were managed by a single surgeon over a period of 8 years and were collected from two different hand centers. The patients were then examined by a different surgeon, and the data were collected. Sensibility was evaluated using the Weber, Semmes-Weinstein, and wrinkle tests. The results were excellent, with mean values of 4.6 mm for the Weber test, 3.3 for the Semmes-Weinstein test, and a positive wrinkle test in all subjects. All patients thus recovered discriminatory sensation with minimal aesthetic sequelae. The usual factors adversely affecting the results of the replantation (ischemic time, level and mechanism of the amputation, and quality of the venous return) were examined, but no statistical analysis was performed because of the small sample size. This study demonstrates the presence of the clinical phenomenon of adjacent neurotization in the absence of nerve repair. It thus confirms that children are excellent candidates for replantation of the distal extremities, even when nerve suture is not performed.     

Calf blood flow during prolonged tilt in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and after cardiac transplantation

In severe congestive heart failure (CHF), abnormal reflex control of calf blood flow during brief head-up tilt that appears to normalize after transplantation (HTX) may be present during prolonged observation also. Therefore, we studied the effect of prolonged (30 min) 50 degrees head-up tilt on calf skeletal muscle blood flow measured by the local (133)Xe washout method in CHF and after HTX and in patients with the presence vs. absence of native right atrium (+PNA and -PNA, respectively). During brief head-up tilt, skeletal muscle blood flow increased 13 +/- 42% in 9 severe CHF patients in contrast to a -28 +/- 22% decrease (P < 0.01) in 11 control subjects, -24 +/- 30% decrease in 15 moderate CHF patients (P < 0.05), -25 +/- 14% decrease in 12 patients with recent HTX (P < 0.01), and -21 +/- 24% decrease in 8 patients with distant HTX (P = 0.06). However, during sustained tilt, blood flow declined to similar levels of that in the other groups in severe CHF. HTX -PNA vs. +PNA showed blunted skeletal muscle vasomotor control (P < 0.05) and a higher systolic blood pressure (139 +/- 14 vs. 125 +/- 15 mmHg, P < 0.05) and heart rate (92 +/- 10 vs. 83 +/- 8 beats/min, P < 0.05). Thus paradox vasodilatation of calf skeletal muscle in severe CHF is present only during brief but not prolonged tilt. This may be one explanation of the rare presence of orthostatic intolerance in CHF and implies only a minor possible role for the abnormality in edema pathogenesis. Removal of all right atrium in HTX has an important hemodynamic impact that may possibly affect later clinical outcome.     

Experimental replantation of canine forelimbs after 78.5 hours of anoxia

To assess the effect of ischemia on osteocyte survival and longitudinal growth in bone, one forelimb of eight puppies and seven dogs was amputated, perfused with iced Collins solution, maintained at 4 degrees C for 72 hours (78.5 hours total anoxia), and replanted. Five puppies were kept for 1 year to assess bone growth. Undergoing bone labeling on days 1, 8, and 15, the other animals were sacrificed at 22 days to assess osteocyte survival. Osteocytes survived replantation in all dogs and one puppy; most osteocytes died in two puppies. In five long-term puppies, central epiphyseal growth was disturbed, but the peripheral portions maintained nearly normal growth, with almost normal bone length being achieved at 1 year.     

Neurologic complications of cardiac transplantation.

Between 1984 and 1989, orthotopic cardiac transplantations were done in 90 patients from 10 to 65 years of age for end-stage, refractory congestive cardiomyopathy. Two patients had had ischemic strokes 5 months and 18 years, respectively, before transplantation. Six patients (7%) suffered acute neurologic events perioperatively. Three patients suffered cerebral infarctions. In 1 case this occurred 10 days before transplantation--probably as a result of systemic hypoperfusion--with the placement of ventricular assist devices. Two others suffered infarctions 5 and 21 days, respectively, after transplantation, each of probable embolic origin. Two patients had an acute intracerebral hemorrhage 21 and 36 days, respectively, after transplantation; both were located within the basal ganglia and subcortical regions. Both patients had moderate to severe hypertension, and in 1, renal failure and a coagulopathy developed before hemorrhage. Tremor, seizures, and an altered level of consciousness developed in 1 patient as an apparent toxic reaction to cyclosporine treatment. Only 1 patient died as a result of the neurologic complication--of an acute intracerebral hemorrhage. Three patients recovered fully, 2 partially. Only the case of drug toxicity could be directly attributed to the transplantation procedure itself. We conclude that the risk of an acute neurologic insult with orthotopic cardiac transplantation is low but may result from drug toxicity, cerebral ischemia, or hemorrhagic mechanisms.     

Ten-digit replantation

A case is presented of replantation of 10 digits at the proximal phalangeal level. Seven digits survived. Osteotomies and flexor tenolysis were done on the right thumb, long, and ring fingers and left index and long fingers 11 months later. A toe-to-hand transfer was done to reconstruct the failed left thumb replantation. Functional and sensory recovery is satisfactory.