Predictive factors of distal stent graft-induced new entry after frozen elephant trunk procedure for aortic dissection.

OBJECTIVES: The incidence rate of distal stent graft-induced new entry (d-SINE) after frozen elephant trunk technique for aortic dissection remains controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and seek the clinical and anatomical predictive factors. METHODS: This study is a retrospective multicentre evaluation of complications including d-SINE, aortic events and reintervention after the frozen elephant trunk procedure for aortic dissection. RESULTS: Our cohort included a total of 177 consecutive patients who underwent the frozen elephant trunk procedure for acute and chronic aortic dissection at 5 centres in Japan from May 2014 to March 2021. The incidence rate of d-SINE was 14.1% (25/177 patients). The cumulative incidence of d-SINE was 7.1%, 12.4% and 21.4% after 12, 36 and 60 months, respectively. d-SINE was not associated with mid-term survival rate. After competing risk regression analysis, onset time >48 h (subdistribution hazard ratio, 3.80; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-12.79; P = 0.031) was detected as an independent predictor. CONCLUSIONS: Awareness that there is a relatively higher incidence of d-SINE after frozen elephant trunk procedures is important. Non-hyper-acute phase was detected as an independent risk factor. Pre-emptive endovascular repair may be appropriate to protect new entry in high-risk patients.

ANGPTL4 Expression Is Increased in Epicardial Adipose Tissue of Patients with Coronary Artery Disease.

Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is known to affect atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD) pathogenesis, persistently releasing pro-inflammatory adipokines that affect the myocardium and coronary arteries. Angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4) is a protein secreted from adipose tissue and plays a critical role in the progression of atherosclerosis. Here, the expression of ANGPTL4 in EAT was investigated in CAD subjects. Thirty-four consecutive patients (13 patients with significant CAD; 21 patients without CAD) undergoing elective open-heart surgery were recruited. EAT and pericardial fluid were obtained at the time of surgery. mRNA expression and ANGPTL4 and IL-1ß levels were evaluated by qRT-PCR and ELISA. The expression of ANGPTL4 (p = 0.0180) and IL-1ß (p < 0.0001) in EAT significantly increased in the CAD group compared to that in the non-CAD group and positively correlated (p = 0.004). Multiple regression analysis indicated that CAD is a contributing factor for ANGPTL4 expression in EAT. IL-1ß level in the pericardial fluid was significantly increased in patients with CAD (p = 0.020). Moreover, the expression of ANGPTL4 (p = 0.004) and IL-1ß (p < 0.001) in EAT was significantly increased in non-obese patients with CAD. In summary, ANGPTL4 expression in EAT was increased in CAD patients.

Late Aortic Expansion After Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair for Chronic DeBakey IIIb Dissection.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for chronic DeBakey IIIb aortic dissection is still under discussion. This study was performed to investigate the incidence of and risk factors for late aortic expansion after TEVAR for chronic DeBakey IIIb aortic dissection. METHODS: From March 2014 to April 2019, a total of 35 patients with chronic DeBakey IIIb aortic dissection underwent TEVAR in our institution. Risk factors for aortic expansion events were examined by stepwise Cox regression analysis. Aortic expansion events were defined as reintervention for expansion or aortic expansion of greater than 5 mm. RESULTS: No operative death occurred, and the 2-year survival rate was 96.8%. The 1- and 2-year rates of freedom from reintervention were 87.8% and 80.2%, respectively. During follow-up, 11 patients had late aortic expansion events (4 with expansion of the thoracic aorta and 7 with expansion of the abdominal aorta). The 1- and 2-year rates of freedom from aortic expansion were 87.8% and 68.7%, respectively. Significant risk factors for expansion events were aortic dilation at the celiac level (hazard ratio [HR], 1.11; P = .015), saccular aneurysm formation of the false lumen (HR, 5.08; P = .049), and high number of residual large reentries (>5 mm) (HR, 2.78; P = .027). CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing TEVAR for chronic DeBakey IIIb aortic dissection, late aortic expansion in both the thoracic and abdominal aorta remains an important issue. Aggressive additional intervention should be considered for high-risk patients with residual large reentries and aortic dilation at the celiac level.

Effect of Hospital and Surgeon Procedure Volumes on the Incidence of Intraoperative Conversion During Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

Intraoperative conversion to cardiopulmonary bypass with its subsequent high mortality is a major concern associated with off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB). The impact of procedure volume on the incidence of intraoperative conversion, however, is poorly defined. This study therefore evaluated the effect of procedure volume on the incidence of conversion in OPCAB using nationwide data. We analyzed 31,361 patients who underwent primary, nonemergent, isolated OPCAB during 2013-2016 reported in the Japan Cardiovascular Surgery Database. Hospitals (n = 548) and surgeons (n = 1315) were divided into tertile categories (low-, medium-, and high volumes) based on the total number of isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Hierarchical logistic regression analysis, including 22 preoperative factors and hospital and surgeon CABG volumes, was used to assess the relation between procedure volume and the risk of conversion due to bleeding/hemodynamic instability. There were 797 (2.5%) intraoperative conversions due to bleeding/hemodynamic instability. Risk-adjusted odds ratios for conversion were significantly lower in some combined hospital/surgeon CABG volume categories than in the reference category. Hospital/surgeon volumes and their odds ratio (95% confidence interval) were as follows: low/low 1.00 (reference); medium/low 0.62 (0.39-0.96); high/low 0.47 (0.27-0.81); high/high 0.58 (0.38-0.89). There was a lower risk of conversion in medium- and high-volume than low-volume hospitals, especially among low-volume surgeons. Procedure volume is associated with the incidence of conversion during OPCAB. Among low-volume surgeons, hospital CABG volume significantly reduces conversion in a volume-dependent manner. These findings will be useful for safety training of OPCAB surgeons.

Surgical Repair of Post-Infarction Ventricular Septal Defect　- Findings From a Japanese National Database.

BACKGROUND: Ventricular septal defect (VSD) after myocardial infarction (MI) is a rare but fatal complication. We report patients' characteristics and operative outcomes after surgical repair of post-MI VSD using a national database of Japan.Methods and Results:This was a retrospective review of the Japan Adult Cardiovascular Surgery Database (JCVSD) to identify adults (age ≥18 years) who underwent surgical repair of post-MI VSD between 2008 and 2014. The primary outcome was operative death. We identified 1,397 patients (671 male [48%], 74.1±9.3 years old) undergoing surgical repair of post-MI VSD among 288,736 patients undergoing cardiac surgery enrolled in the JCVSD during the same period. Of these, 1,075 (77.0%) were supported preoperatively with an intra-aortic balloon pump. Surgical status was urgent in 391 (28.0%) and emergency/salvage in 731 (52.3%). Concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting was performed in 475 (34.0%). Overall 30-day and operative mortalities were 24.3% and 33.0%, respectively. Operative mortality varied according to surgical status: 15.6% in elective, 30.9% in urgent, and 40.6% in emergency/salvage cases. Multivariable analysis identified advanced age and emergency/salvage status as being strongly associated with increased odds of operative death. CONCLUSIONS: Post-MI VSD remains a devastating complication in Japan as well as in the USA and Europe.

Off-pump technique reduces surgical mortality after elective coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with preoperative renal failure.

OBJECTIVES: Most randomized controlled trials of off-pump versus on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) have included limited numbers of patients with preoperative renal failure. This study was performed to evaluate the association between the clinical benefit of the off-pump technique and chronic kidney disease stage. METHODS: We analyzed 38,051 patients with chronic kidney disease who underwent primary nonemergent isolated CABG from 2013 to 2015 as reported in the Japan Cardiovascular Surgery Database-Adult section. These patients were stratified into 4 categories according to their estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 60 to 90, 30 to 59, and <30 mL/min/1.73 m2, and hemodialysis-dependent. The clinical outcomes were compared between patients undergoing off-pump and on-pump CABG in each stratum using inverse probability of treatment weighting. RESULTS: In total, 23,634 (62.1%) patients were intended for off-pump CABG. In patients with mildly reduced renal function (eGFR 60-89 mL/min/1.73 m2), there was no significant risk reduction effect of off-pump CABG for surgical mortality. Conversely, in patients with moderate or severe renal disease (eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2), off-pump CABG was associated with a significantly lower incidence of surgical death (odds ratio with 95% confidence interval: eGFR 30-59 mL/min/1.73 m2, 0.66 [0.51-0.84]; eGFR <30 mL/min/1.73 m2, 0.51 [0.37-0.72]; and hemodialysis-dependent, 0.68 [0.51-0.90]). In addition, in patients with severe renal disease (eGFR of <30), off-pump CABG was associated with a significantly lower incidence of de novo dialysis. CONCLUSIONS: The off-pump technique significantly reduced surgical mortality in patients with moderate or severe preoperative renal dysfunction.

Previous Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Does Not Increase Adverse Events After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Adverse effects of previous percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on clinical outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) are unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of previous PCI on early outcomes after subsequent CABG by using data from the Japanese national database. METHODS: This study analyzed data from 48,051 consecutive patients that were retrieved from the Japan Adult Cardiovascular Surgery Database. These patients underwent primary, isolated, elective CABG between January 2008 and December 2013. Early mortality and morbidity rates in patients with previous PCI (n = 12,457, 25.9%) were compared with those in patients with no PCI (n = 35,594, 74.1%) by using multivariate logistic regression analysis and propensity score analysis. RESULTS: Operative mortality rates (no PCI, 1.2%; previous PCI, 1.2%; P = 0.970) and morbidity rates (no PCI, 7.4%; previous PCI, 7.2%; p = 0.436) were similar between the two groups. In risk-adjusted multivariate logistic-regression analysis, previous PCI (odds ratio [OR], 1.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.82 to 1.22; p = 0.995) and morbidity (OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.89 to 1.05; p = 0.391) were not significant risk factors of operative mortality. Inverse probability of treatment weighting using the propensity score confirmed these results. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that a previous PCI procedure does not increase postoperative adverse events after subsequent CABG. In the setting of repeat coronary revascularization, the most appropriate method of revascularization should be selected by the heart team, without being affected by a history of a previous PCI procedure.