title: Effects of total thoracoscopic surgery on coronary artery fistulae complicated with ectasia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the effects of thoracotomy and total thoracoscopic surgery on coronary artery fistulae complicated with ectasia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-six patients with coronary artery fistulae complicated with ectasia were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group (n=23) which were given totally thoracoscopic surgery and thoracotomy respectively. Both groups were followed up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients survived the surgeries and were discharged from the hospital. The treatment group had significantly less intraoperative blood loss, earlier postoperative ambulation and shorter postoperative hospitalization stay more than those of the control group (P<0.05). The two groups had similar plasm cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone levels one day before and after surgery. These levels peaked on the postoperative 3rd day, but those of the treatment group were significantly lower (P<0.05). The two groups had similar left and right atrial diameters as well as left ventricular ejection fractions (LVEFs) before surgery, but the treatment group had significantly higher postoperative LVEF (P<0.05) as well as significantly smaller left and right atrial diameters in the postoperative 1st and 3rd months (P<0.05). The treatment group was significantly less prone to postoperative complications such as chest pain, atelectasis and pulmonary infection than the control group (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Total thoracoscopic surgery promoted the recovery of coronary artery fistulae complicated with ectasia, improved cardiac remodeling and cardiac function, and alleviated stress reaction, with well-proved safety.
authors.affiliation: Hongbin Sun, Department of Thoracic Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130031, Jilin Province, PR China.
authors.forename: Hongbin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Liping Zhang, Department of Thoracic Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130031, Jilin Province, PR China.
authors.forename: Liping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Xiuli Han, Qianwei Hospital of Jilin Province, Changchun 130012, Jilin Province, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiuli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Zhongyu Wang, Department of Cardiology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130031, Jilin Province, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhongyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Lei Xu, Department of Thoracic Surgery, 208th Hospital of People's Liberation Army Chinese, Changchun 130000, Jilin Province, PR China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
keywords: Complication; Coronary artery ectasia; Coronary artery fistula; Stress reaction; Thoracoscopy