Two-Year Results of the 17-mm Avalus Aortic Valve in the PERIGON Japan Trial.

BACKGROUND: The PERIcardial SurGical AOrtic Valve ReplacemeNt (PERIGON) Japan Trial was developed to assess the safety and effectiveness of the 17-mm Avalus bioprosthesis (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA) in patients undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement.Methods and Results:The primary endpoint in the trial was the percentage of patients achieving the composite of at least 1 class improvement in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class at 1 year compared with baseline and effective orifice area index (EOAI) of 0.6 cm2/m2or greater at 1-year after implantation, compared with a performance goal of 60%. The present study reports outcomes through 2 years. Eleven patients were implanted (10 [91%] female, median age 78.3 years). From baseline to 1 year, 10 subjects (91%) showed an improvement in NYHA classification. At 1 year, mean (±SD) EOAI was 0.82±0.17 cm2/m2, with 10 patients (91%) having an EOAI ≥0.6 cm2/m2. As such, 9 of 11 patients (82%) successfully met the primary endpoint. One death occurred between the 1- and 2-year follow-up visits, unrelated to the valve. There were no valve reinterventions, explants, or device deficiencies through 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: The PERIGON Japan Trial met its primary endpoint. Surgical implantation of the 17-mm Avalus aortic bioprosthesis can be performed with an acceptable incidence of device-related adverse events, and the valve performs effectively based on echocardiographic findings.

Successful Double-Catheter Coil Embolization of an Iatrogenic Subclavian Artery to Internal Jugular Vein Fistula After Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery.

It is essential to establish cardiopulmonary bypass by percutaneous insertion of a large-bore catheter via both the femoral vein and internal jugular vein (IJV) for minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS). Complications associated with IJV catheterization during MICS have been reported in the literature; however, vascular injury of the subclavian artery (SCA) is rare. We herein present a rare case in which an iatrogenic arteriovenous fistula (AVF) between the right SCA and IJV after MICS was successfully treated by endovascular coil embolization. A 61-year-old man who had undergone mitral valve repair by MICS 10 months before presentation was referred because of pulsatile cervical bruit and tinnitus. Radiographic examination revealed a right SCA pseudoaneurysm associated with an AVF located between the right common carotid artery and vertebral artery. The AVF was completely occluded with detachable coils using a double-catheter technique to avoid coil migration into the IJV. This technique has been used to treat high-flow or complex AVFs, including pulmonary and renal AVFs. As shown in the present case, it is also useful to treat an iatrogenic AVF between the SCA and IJV.

A successful report of mitral valve repair for parachute-like mitral valve in adult.

A 65 year-old man was diagnosed with congestive heart failure secondary to severe mitral regurgitation resulting from a parachute-like asymmetrical mitral valve. We performed mitral annuloplasty and triangular resection of the thick tissue. The postoperative course was uneventful with no recurrence of mitral regurgitation.

Mid-term outcomes of valve-sparing root reimplantation with leaflet repair.

OBJECTIVES: Valve repair for aortic insufficiency (AI) requires a tailored surgical approach determined by the leaflet and aortic disease. In this study, we used a repair-oriented system for the classification of AI, and we elucidated long-term outcomes of aortic root reimplantation with this classification system. METHODS: From 1999 to 2018, a total of 197 patients underwent elective reimplantation (mean age: 52.7 ± 17.7 years; 80% male). The aortic valve was tricuspid in 143 patients, bicuspid in 51 patients and quadricuspid in 3 patients. A total of 93 patients had type I AI (aortic dilatation), 57 patients had type II AI (cusp prolapse) and 47 patients had type III AI (restrictive). In total, 104 of the 264 patients (39%) had more than 1 identified mechanism. RESULTS: In-hospital mortality was 0.5% (1/197). Mid-term follow-up (mean follow-up duration: 5.5 years) revealed a late mortality rate of 4.2% (9/197). Aortic valve reoperation was performed on 16 patients (8.0%). Rates of freedom from aortic valve replacement and freedom from aortic valve-related events at 10 years of follow-up were 87.0 ± 4.0% and 60.6 ± 6.0%, respectively; patients with type Ib AI (98.3 ± 1.7%; 80.7 ± 7.5%) had better outcomes than patients with type III AI (59.6 ± 15.6%; 42.2 ± 13.1%, P = 0.01). In patients with types II and III AI who had bicuspid aortic valves, rates of freedom from aortic valve-related events at 5 years of follow-up were 95.2 ± 4.7% and 71.7 ± 9.1%, respectively (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: This repair-oriented system for classifying AI could help to predict the durable aortic valve repair techniques. Patient selection according to the classification is particularly important for long-term durability. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: B190050.

Mid-Term Results of Valve-Sparing Aortic Root Replacement in Patients With Expanded Indications.

BACKGROUND: The mid-term results of valve-sparing aortic root reimplantation (VSRR) for various indications were investigated. METHODS: From 2000 to 2013, 183 consecutive patients undergoing VSRR were enrolled. Expanded indications, defined as a patient on the marginal operative indication, included age 65 years or older (n = 33), age 15 years or younger (n = 4), acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD) (n = 21), aortitis (n = 8), reoperative root replacement (n = 11), cusp prolapse (n = 67), large aortoventricular junction of greater than 28 mm (AVJ) (n = 42), preoperative severe aortic regurgitation (AR) (n = 89), left ventricular ejection fraction 0.40 or less (n = 12), LV dilation (n = 66), New York Heart Association class III or greater (n = 5), need for total arch replacement (n = 29), and concomitant mitral valve repair (n = 12). RESULTS: The overall survival at 5 years was 96.6%. Freedom from greater than mild AR and reoperation at 5 years was 85.8% and 92.9%, respectively. Cox proportional hazard model revealed that AAAD, cusp prolapse, AVJ 28 mm or greater, and operation before 2009 were at risk for late AR recurrence (p = 0.015, p = 0.0041, p = 0.032, and p = 0.014, respectively). After 2009, freedom from late AR in the cusp prolapse group improved (p = 0.055, versus control). Both freedom from recurrent AR and reoperation were worse as the number of expanded indications increased (log-rank trend p = 0.00017 and p = 0.00067, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical outcomes of VSRR in these patient cohorts were satisfactory with some room for improvement in patients with cusp prolapse. Although the indications for VSRR are being expanded, a larger number of expanded indications were associated with poor outcomes in terms of longevity of valve function.