Atrial Fibrillation Management During Surgical vs Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

BACKGROUND: Societal guidelines support atrial fibrillation (AF) treatment during surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). Recently, many patients with AF at low to intermediate risk are managed by transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Therefore, we evaluated longitudinal outcomes in these populations. METHODS: The United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services inpatient claims database was evaluated for all beneficiaries with AF undergoing TAVR or SAVR with/without AF treatment (2018-2020). Treatment of AF included concomitant left atrial appendage obliteration, with/without surgical ablation, or endovascular appendage occlusion and/or catheter ablation at any time. Diagnosis-related group and International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, codes defined procedures with doubly robust risk adjustment across each group. RESULTS: A total of 24,902 patients were evaluated (17,453 TAVR; 7,449 SAVR). Of patients undergoing SAVR, 3176 (42.6%) underwent AF treatment (SAVR+AF). Only 656 TAVR patients (4.5%) received AF treatment. Comparing well-balanced SAVR+AF vs SAVR vs TAVR, there were no differences in the in-hospital incidence of renal failure, bleeding, or stroke, but increased pacemaker requirement (odds ratio [OR], 3.45; P < .0001) and vascular injury (OR, 9.09; P < .0001) were noted in TAVR and higher hospital mortality (OR, 4.02; P < .0001) in SAVR+AF. SAVR+AF was associated with lower readmission for stroke compared with SAVR alone (hazard ratio [HR], 0.87; P = .029) and TAVR (HR, 0.68; P < .0001) and with improved survival vs TAVR (HR, 0.79; P = .019). CONCLUSIONS: In Medicare beneficiaries with AF requiring aortic valve replacement, SAVR+AF was associated with improved longitudinal survival and freedom from stroke compared with TAVR. SAVR+AF treatment should be considered first-line therapy for patients with AF requiring aortic valve replacement.

Surgical versus transcatheter aortic valve replacement in low-risk Medicare beneficiaries.

OBJECTIVE: Recent approval of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients at low surgical risk has resulted in a rapid real-world expansion of TAVR in patients not otherwise examined in recent low-risk trials. We sought to evaluate the outcomes of surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) versus TAVR in low-risk Medicare beneficiaries. METHODS: Using the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services claims database, we evaluated all beneficiaries undergoing isolated SAVR (n = 33,210) or TAVR (n = 77,885) (2018-2020). International Classification of Diseases 10th revision codes were used to define variables and frailty was defined by the validated Kim index. Doubly robust risk adjustment was performed with inverse probability weighting and multilevel regression models, as well as competing-risk time to event analysis. A low-risk cohort was identified to simulate recent low-risk trials. RESULTS: A total of 15,749 low-risk patients (8144 SAVR and 7605 TAVR) were identified. Comparison was performed with doubly robust risk adjustment accounting for all factors. TAVR was associated with lower perioperative stroke (odds ratio, 0.62; P < .001) and hospital mortality (odds ratio, 0.16; P < .001) compared with SAVR. However, risk-adjusted longitudinal analysis demonstrated TAVR was associated with higher late risk of stroke (hazard ratio, 1.65; P < .001), readmission for valve reintervention (hazard ratio, 1.88; P < .001), and all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 1.54; P < .001) compared with SAVR. CONCLUSIONS: Among low-risk Medicare beneficiaries younger than age 75 years undergoing isolated AVR, SAVR was associated with higher index morbidity and mortality but improved 3-year risk-adjusted stroke, valve reintervention, and survival compared with TAVR.

Concomitant Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation in Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

BACKGROUND: Societal guidelines support concomitant management of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. To assess real-world adoption and outcomes, this study evaluated Medicare beneficiaries with AF who underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with surgical ablation (SA) or left atrial appendage obliteration (LAAO) or both procedures in combination (SA + LAAO). METHODS: The US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services inpatient claims database identified all patients with AF who underwent isolated CABG from 2018 to 2020. Diagnosis-related group and International Classification of Diseases-10th revision procedure codes defined covariates for doubly robust risk adjustment. RESULTS: A total of 19,524 patients with preoperative AF who underwent isolated CABG were stratified by SA + LAAO (3475 patients; 17.8%), LAAO only (4541 patients; 23.3%), or no AF treatment (11,508 patients; 58.9%). After doubly robust risk adjustment, longitudinal analysis highlighted that concomitant AF treatment with SA + LAAO (hazard ratio [HR], 0.74; P = .049) or LAAO alone (HR, 0.75; P = . 031) was associated with a significant reduction in readmission for stroke at 3 years compared with no AF treatment. Furthermore, SA + LAAO (HR, 0.86; P = .016) but not LAAO alone (HR, 0.97; P = .573) was associated with improved survival compared with no AF treatment. Finally, SA + LAAO was associated with a superior composite outcome of freedom from stroke or death at 3 years compared with LAAO alone (HR, 0.86;, P = .033) or no AF treatment (HR, 0.81; P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: In Medicare beneficiaries with AF who underwent isolated CABG, concomitant AF treatment was associated with reduced 3-year readmission for stroke. SA + LAAO was associated with superior reduction in stroke or death at 3 years compared with LAAO alone or no AF treatment.

Use of aortic wall patches as leaflet replacement material during aortic valve repair.

Objectives: Aortic valve repair can be limited by inadequate leaflet tissue for proper coaptation. Various kinds of pericardium have been used for cusp augmentation, but most have failed because of tissue degeneration. A more durable leaflet substitute is needed. Methods: In this report, 8 consecutive cases are presented in which autologous ascending aortic tissue was used to augment inadequate native cusps during aortic valve repair. Biologically, aortic wall is a living autologous tissue that could have exceptional durability as a leaflet substitute. Techniques for insertion are described in detail, along with procedural videos. Results: Early surgical outcomes were excellent, with no operative mortalities or complications, and all valves were competent with low valve gradients. Patient follow-up and echocardiograms to a maximum of 8 months' postrepair remain excellent. Conclusions: Because of superior biologic characteristics, aortic wall has the potential to provide a better leaflet substitute during aortic valve repair and to expand patient categories amenable to autologous reconstruction. More experience and follow-up should be generated.

Surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation is associated with improved survival compared with appendage obliteration alone: An analysis of 100,000 Medicare beneficiaries.

OBJECTIVE: Societal guidelines support the concomitant surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Recent evidence has highlighted the stroke reduction of left atrial appendage obliteration with or without surgical ablation in similar populations. To inform clinical decision-making, we evaluated real-world outcomes of patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing cardiac surgery by comparing no atrial fibrillation management with left atrial appendage obliteration alone versus surgical ablation + left atrial appendage obliteration. METHODS: By using the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services inpatient claims database, we evaluated all beneficiaries aged 65 years and older with a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting or mitral/aortic/tricuspid valve repair or replacement between January 2018 and December 2020. Diagnosis-related group and International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision procedure codes were used to define variables. Risk adjustment was performed with regression analysis using inverse probability weighting of propensity scores and Cox proportional hazards models. Subgroup analyses stratified patients by primary operation and paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation. RESULTS: A total of 103,382 patients with preoperative atrial fibrillation were stratified by surgical ablation + left atrial appendage obliteration (10,437; 10.1%), left atrial appendage obliteration alone (12,901; 12.5%), or no atrial fibrillation management (80,044; 77.4%). Patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (21,076; 20.4%) received the highest proportion of surgical ablation + left atrial appendage obliteration (4661 19.4%) and left atrial appendage obliteration alone (3%724%; 15.4%) versus no atrial fibrillation management (15,688; 65.2%). Likewise, patients undergoing open atrial operations (mitral/tricuspid; 17,204; 16.6%) had higher proportions of atrial fibrillation treatment (surgical ablation + left atrial appendage obliteration 5267 30.6%; left atrial appendage obliteration alone 4259 24.8%; no atrial fibrillation management 7678 44.6%). After robust risk adjustment, surgical ablation + left atrial appendage obliteration was independently associated with reduced 3-year mortality compared with no atrial fibrillation treatment (hazard ratio, 0.68, P < .001) and left atrial appendage obliteration alone (hazard ratio, 0.90, P < .001). Compared with no atrial fibrillation treatment, readmissions for embolic stroke were lower with both surgical ablation + left atrial appendage obliteration (hazard ratio, 0.77, P = .009) and left atrial appendage obliteration alone (hazard ratio, 0.73, P < .001). Reduction in 3-year composite mortality or stroke after surgical ablation + left atrial appendage obliteration was superior to left atrial appendage alone (hazard ratio, 0.90, P = .035). CONCLUSIONS: In Medicare beneficiaries with atrial fibrillation undergoing cardiac surgery, the surgical management of atrial fibrillation was associated with lower 3-year mortality and readmission for stroke, with surgical ablation + left atrial appendage obliteration being associated with higher survival compared with left atrial appendage obliteration alone.

Triple Threat: Significant Concomitant Aortic Stenosis, Mitral Stenosis, and Systolic Anterior Motion of the Mitral Valve Causing Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction in Cardiac Surgical Patients.

Systolic anterior motion (SAM) describes a pathologic condition of the mitral valve in which the anterior leaflet is displaced anteriorly, resulting in a narrowed left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT). The implications of SAM may range in severity from clinically insignificant disease to severe LVOT obstruction resulting in hemodynamic collapse. While SAM is typically observed in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or following mitral valve repair, it may be seen in any setting in which the anatomy and function of the left ventricle has been altered. Here we discuss two patients who presented for aortic and mitral valve replacements for concomitant aortic and mitral stenosis. These cases were further complicated by the preoperative diagnosis of SAM in addition to the preexisting valvular lesions, further increasing the risk of sudden hemodynamic collapse and cardiac arrest.

Sex-based outcomes of surgical myectomy for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: An analysis from the National Readmission Database.

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of data on sex differences in outcomes after surgical myectomy (SM) for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). METHODS: Patients who received SM for HCM during October 1, 2015, through December 31, 2018, were identified from the US National Readmission Database. The primary end point of this study was in-hospital mortality. The secondary end points were major bleeding, acute kidney injury, new pacemaker implantation, severe disability surrogates (non-home discharge and need for mechanical ventilation), resources utilization surrogates (length of stay and cost of hospitalization), and 30-day outcomes (readmission rate, mortality, and new pacemaker insertion). RESULTS: A total of 3031 patients were included in the current analysis. Using propensity score matching, 2 well matched cohorts were compared (women = 1170 and men = 1127). Women had a higher requirement for new pacemaker insertion compared with men (10.9% vs 6.8%; P = .029), higher number of non-home discharges (13.8% vs 7.9%; P < .01), and longer length of hospital stay (median = 7 [interquartile range, 5-9] days) versus (median = 6 [interquartile range, 5-8] days). There was no difference in in-hospital mortality, major bleeding, blood transfusion, acute kidney injury, or hospitalization costs for women versus men. At 30 days, women continued to show a higher need for pacemaker insertion (11.3% vs 7.1%; P = .03) and had a higher readmission rate than men (10.9% vs 7.1%; P = .02). There was no difference in 30-day mortality between women and men (3% vs 2.4%; P = .54). CONCLUSIONS: Among the HCM cohort who received SM, significant sex-based differences in the outcomes were observed. Women had higher new pacemaker insertion rate, higher non-home discharge rate, and higher rate of 30-day readmission compared with men.

Robotic-assisted cryothermic Cox maze for persistent atrial fibrillation: Longitudinal follow-up.

OBJECTIVES: Surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) is recommended as a stand-alone therapy for patients refractory to medical or catheter-based treatment, or as a concomitant therapy when associated with structural disease. We report a single-therapy robotic approach to the Cox maze with longitudinal follow-up. METHODS: Consecutive patients who underwent robotic biatrial cryothermic Cox maze for nonparoxysmal AF between November 2016 and January 2022 were examined at 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 60 months. Freedom from atrial tachyarrhythmia was assessed with 24-hour continuous electrocardiogram or pacemaker interrogation in all patients after 6 months. Mean follow-up was 17 ± 14.5 months (range, 1-60 months). Time to event analysis with competing risks was used to determine risk-adjusted associations with late outcomes. RESULTS: Patients (n = 135) had a median AF duration of 4.0 years (interquartile range, 0.8-7.0), with 29.6% in whom 1 or more catheter ablations had failed. Stand-alone maze was performed in 25.2%, whereas 61.4% underwent concomitant robotic mitral valve surgery, 7.4% tricuspid valve repair, and 4.4% aortic valve replacement. No patients were discharged in AF. There were 3 operative mortalities (2.2%), none in stand-alone patients. One patient required catheter ablation at 8 months postoperatively, and one had a nonembolic stroke at 18 months. There were 9 late deaths. Freedom from atrial tachyarrhythmia and antiarrhythmic drugs at 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, and 48 months was 97.0%, 96.7%, 98.1%, 97.1%, and 100%, respectively. Lower ejection fraction and need for concomitant mitral valve replacement and/or aortic valve replacement were independently associated with worse survival. CONCLUSIONS: For persistent AF, robotic biatrial cryothermic Cox maze offered greater than 90% 1-year longitudinal freedom from stroke, oral anticoagulation, repeat ablation, and recurrent AF without the need for antiarrhythmic drugs.

Robotic mitral repair: maintaining quality at all levels of complexity.

Over the last two decades, robotic mitral valve surgery has evolved from application of standard repair techniques for focal degenerative disease to a broad range of repair techniques navigating nearly all mitral pathologies at different complexity levels, the latter only performed in highly experienced robotic programs. The basic setup and steps of the operation have been standardized and many groups have reported reproducibility, excellent long-term durability and exceedingly rare mortality rates comparable to sternotomy. This has created a surge of interest in robotic cardiac surgery by patients, referring physicians and cardiac surgeons, all seeking the least invasive approach to mitral valve repair. In response, a growing number of major institutions have initiated robotic programs. This article discusses the gaps in practice before the widespread shift to a robotic approach as a standard treatment of mitral valve disease. In addition, we describe our techniques to approach complex mitral pathologies that transcend current, limited patient selection criteria.

Case report: Surgical resection of a retro-hepatic leiomyosarcoma involving atrial reconstruction, cardiopulmonary bypass, ex vivo tumor resection, and liver re-implantation.

Introduction: Leiomyosarcomas (LMS) involving the inferior vena cava (IVC) is a clinically rare entity, accounting for approximately 0.5% of all adult sarcomas. Case presentation: A 67-year-old male presented to the emergency department with mild back and lower abdominal pain. During the workup, a computed tomography scan without contrast showed an area of decreased attenuation within the liver adjacent to the intrahepatic IVC. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the involvement of the retro-hepatic IVC; biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of LMS. Given the location of the involvement of the retro-hepatic IVC, liver explantation was deemed necessary for adequate tumor resection. The superior extension of the tumor toward the heart necessitated Cardio-Pulmonary (CPB). The patient successfully underwent a complex surgical procedure involving liver explantation with ex vivo back-table resection of the retro-hepatic LMS, replacement of the retro-hepatic vena cava with a ringed Gore-Tex graft, liver re-implantation, and hepatic vein-atrial reconstruction under cardiopulmonary bypass. There were no intraoperative or post-op complications. Discussion: The role of vascular reconstruction of the IVC varies depending on the level and extent of the tumor, with options ranging from primary repair, ligation, or reconstruction dictated. Surgical resection with negative margins remains the treatment of choice due to the lack of efficacy of adjuvant therapies. Importantly, liver explantation offers a chance for complete surgical resection and reconstruction. Similarly, the complex nature of the tumor necessitated a pioneering approach involving direct hepato-atrial venous anastomosis. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case in which the hepatic veins were anastomosed directly to the right atrium while also replacing the native vena cava with a separate graft.