Symptom Distress Before and After Heart Transplantation - A Longitudinal 5-Year Follow-Up.

INTRODUCTION: Symptom distress after heart transplantation (HTx) is a significant problem causing uncertainty, low self-efficacy, and psychological distress. Few studies have addressed self-reported symptoms. The aim was to explore self-reported symptom distress from time on the waiting list to 5 years after HTx and its association with self-reported psychological well-being, chronic pain, and fatigue in order to identify possible predictors of psychological or transplant specific well-being. METHODS: This multicenter, longitudinal cohort study includes 48 heart recipients (HTRs), 12 women, and 36 men, with a median age of 57 years followed from pretransplant to 5 years post-transplant. Symptom distress was explored by means of four instruments measuring psychological general wellbeing, transplant specific wellbeing, pain, and fatigue. RESULTS: Transplant specific well-being for the whole improved in a stepwise manner during the first 5 years compared to pretransplant. Heart transplant recipients with poor psychological wellbeing were significantly more burdened by symptom distress, in particular sleep problems and fatigue, for up to 5 years after HTx, and their transplant-specific well-being never improved compared to baseline. The prevalence of pain varied from 40% to 60% and explained a significant proportion of the variance in transplant-specific well-being, while psychological general well-being was mainly predicted by overall symptom distress. CONCLUSION: The presence of distressing symptoms explains a significant proportion of poor psychological wellbeing both among HTRs reporting chronic pain and those without pain.

Biomarkers of inflammation and coagulation after minimally invasive mitral valve surgery: a prospective comparison to conventional surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Minimally invasive cardiac surgery techniques are increasingly used but have longer cardiopulmonary bypass time, which may increase inflammatory response and negatively affect coagulation. Our aim was to compare biomarkers of inflammation and coagulation as well as transfusion rates after minimally invasive mitral valve repair and mitral valve surgery using conventional sternotomy. DESIGN: A prospective non-randomized study was performed enrolling 71 patients undergoing mitral valve surgery (35 right mini-thoracotomy and 36 conventional sternotomy procedures). Blood samples were collected pre- and postoperatively to assess inflammatory response. Thromboelastometry (ROTEM) was performed to assess coagulation, and transfusion rates were monitored. RESULTS: The minimally invasive group had longer cardiopulmonary bypass times compared to the sternotomy group: 127 min ([115-146] vs 79 min [65-112], p < 0.001) and were cooled to a lower temperature during cardiopulmonary bypass, 34 °C vs 36 °C (p = 0.04). IL-6 was lower in the minimally invasive group compared to the conventional sternotomy group when measured at the end of the surgical procedure, (38 [23-69] vs 61[41-139], p = 0.008), but no differences were found at postoperative day 1 or postoperative day 3. The transfusion rate was lower in the minimally invasive group (14%) compared to full sternotomy (35%, p = 0.04) and the chest tube output was reduced, (395 ml [190-705] vs 570 ml [400-1040], p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Our data showed that despite the longer use of extra corporal circulation during surgery, minimally invasive mitral valve repair is associated with reduced inflammatory response, lower rates of transfusion, and reduced chest tube output.

Exercise Echocardiography following Septal Myectomy for Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate outcome after septal myectomy and to evaluate long-term hemodynamics with exercise echocardiography. METHODS: This study included 40 consecutive patients operated with septal myectomy for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy from January 1998 to August 2017 at Skane University Hospital, Lund, Sweden. Perioperative clinical data and echocardiography measurements were reviewed retrospectively. Patients (n = 36) who were alive and living in Sweden were invited for exercise echocardiography to evaluate exercise capacity and hemodynamics, of whom 19 patients performed exercise echocardiography. RESULTS: Overall survival was 100% at 1 year and 96% at 5 years following surgery. Preoperative median resting peak LVOT (left ventricular outflow tract) gradient was 80 mm Hg. Septum thickness was reduced from 22 ± 4 mm preoperatively to 16 ± 3 mm postoperatively (p < 0.001). During exercise echocardiography, the peak LVOT gradient was 8 mm Hg at rest, and increased to 13 mm Hg during exercise echocardiography (p = 0.002). None of the patients had dynamic LVOT obstruction during exercise echocardiography, and there was no clinically significant systolic anterior motion or severe mitral insufficiency during exercise. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term survival following septal myectomy is very good. At long-term follow-up, LVOT gradients were low and exercise echocardiography demonstrated good hemodynamics.

Effect of Cyclosporine on Cytokine Production in Elective Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: A Sub-Analysis of the CiPRICS (Cyclosporine to Protect Renal Function in Cardiac Surgery) Study.

OBJECTIVES: The augmented inflammatory response to cardiac surgery is a recognized cause of postoperative acute kidney injury. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of preoperative cyclosporine treatment on cytokine production and delineate factors associated with postoperative kidney impairment. DESIGN: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-center study. SETTING: At a tertiary care, university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Patients eligible for elective coronary artery bypass grafting surgery; 67 patients were enrolled. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized to receive 2.5 mg/kg cyclosporine or placebo before surgery. Cytokine levels were measured after the induction of anesthesia and 4 hours after the end of cardiopulmonary bypass. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Tissue-aggressive (interleukin [IL]-1ß, macrophage inflammatory protein [MIP]-1ß, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor [G-CSF], IL-6, IL-8, IL-17, MCP-1), as well tissue-lenient (IL-4) cytokines, were significantly elevated in response to surgery. Changes in cytokine levels were not affected by cyclosporine pretreatment. CONCLUSIONS: Elective coronary artery bypass grafting surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass triggers cytokine activation. This activation was not impacted by preoperative cyclosporine treatment.

Changes in left and right ventricular longitudinal function after pulmonary valve replacement in patients with Tetralogy of Fallot.

Timing and indication for pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) in patients with repaired Tetralogy of Fallot (rToF) and pulmonary regurgitation (PR) are uncertain. To improve understanding of pumping mechanics, we investigated atrioventricular coupling before and after surgical PVR. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance was performed in patients (n = 12) with rToF and PR > 35% before and after PVR and in healthy controls (n = 15). Atrioventricular plane displacement (AVPD), global longitudinal peak systolic strain (GLS), atrial and ventricular volumes, and caval blood flows were analyzed. Right ventricular (RV) AVPD and RV free wall GLS were lower in patients before PVR compared with controls (P < 0.0001; P < 0.01) and decreased after PVR (P < 0.0001 for both). Left ventricular AVPD was lower in patients before PVR compared with controls (P < 0.05) and decreased after PVR (P < 0.01). Left ventricular GLS did not differ between patients and controls (P > 0.05). Right atrial reservoir volume and RV stroke volume generated by AVPD correlated in controls (r = 0.93; P < 0.0001) and patients before PVR (r = 0.88; P < 0.001) but not after PVR. In conclusion, there is a clear atrioventricular coupling in patients before PVR that is lost after PVR, possibly because of loss of pericardial integrity. Impaired atrioventricular coupling complicates assessment of ventricular function after surgery using measurements of longitudinal function. Changes in atrioventricular coupling seen in patients with rToF may be energetically unfavorable, and long-term effects of surgery on atrioventricular coupling is therefore of interest. Also, AVPD and GLS cannot be used interchangeably to assess longitudinal function in rToF.NEW & NOTEWORTHY There is a clear atrioventricular coupling in patients with Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) and pulmonary regurgitation before surgical pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) that is lost after operation, possibly because of loss of pericardial integrity. The impaired atrioventricular coupling complicates assessment of ventricular function after surgery when using measurements of longitudinal function. Left ventricular atrioventricular plane displacement (AVPD) found differences between patients and controls and changes after PVR that longitudinal strain could not detect. This indicates that AVPD and strain cannot be used interchangeably to assess longitudinal function in repaired ToF.

Induction immunosuppression strategies and long-term outcomes after heart transplantation.

Although the use of induction therapy has reduced the risk of acute rejection after heart transplantation, its use may be associated with other adverse outcomes. We aimed to examine the effect of no induction (NoInd), induction with basiliximab (BAS), or induction with antithymocyte globulin (ATG) on outcome after heart transplantation. We analyzed data from the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) registry for adult heart transplants performed between 2000 and 2013. The primary outcome was cumulative all-cause mortality, and the secondary outcome was cause-specific death. We identified 27 369 transplants whose recipients received NoInd (n = 15 688), ATG (n = 6830), or BAS (n = 4851). Over a median follow-up of 1497 days, overall 30-day mortality was 5% and 1-year mortality was 11%. Survival after transplant was similar in patients treated with NoInd compared with ATG. The survival was improved using NoInd compared with BAS (log-rank P = .040), adjustment HR = 1.11 (95% CI, 1.04-1.19). Compared to NoInd, BAS was associated with higher risk of graft failure-related deaths, HR = 1.27 (95% CI, 1.02-1.58), and ATG was associated with higher risk of malignancy-related deaths, HR = 1.18 (95% CI, 1.01-1.39). Survival of patients who received NoInd was similar to ATG and better compared with BAS. Further, the use of ATG may be associated with increased malignancy-related mortality, compared with NoInd.

ABO blood group does not impact incidence or outcomes of surgery for acute type A aortic dissection.

Objectives. To evaluate the distribution and impact of ABO blood groups on postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing surgery for acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD). Design. A total of 1144 surgical ATAAD patients from eight Nordic centres constituting the Nordic consortium for acute type A aortic dissection (NORCAAD) were analysed. Blood group O patients were compared to non-O subjects. The relative frequency of blood groups was assessed with t-distribution, modified for weighted proportions. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify independent predictors of 30-day mortality. Cox regression analyses were performed for assessing independent predictors of late mortality. Results. There was no significant difference in the proportions of blood group O between the study populations in the NORCAAD registry and the background population (40.6 (95% CI 37.7-43.4)% vs 39.0 (95% CI 39.0-39.0)%). ABO blood group was not associated with any significant change in risk of 30-day or late mortality, with the exception of blood group A being an independent predictor of late mortality. Prevalence of postoperative complications was similar between the ABO blood groups. Conclusions. In this large cohort of Nordic ATAAD patients, there were no associations between ABO blood group and surgical incidence or outcomes, including postoperative complications and survival.

Infective endocarditis after transcatheter aortic valve implantation: a nationwide study.

AIMS: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), now a common procedure to treat high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis, has rapidly been expanding into younger and lower-risk populations, creating a need to better understand long-term outcome after TAVI. The aim of the present investigation was to determine the incidence, risk factors for, clinical presentation of, and outcome after prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) in patients treated with TAVI in a nationwide study. METHODS AND RESULTS: Three registries were used: a national TAVI registry, a national diagnosis registry, and a national infective endocarditis registry. Combining these registries made it possible to perform a nationwide, all-comers study with independent and validated reporting of PVE in 4336 patients between 2008 and mid-2018. The risk for PVE after TAVI was 1.4% (95% confidence interval 1.0-1.8%) the first year and 0.8% (0.6-1.1%) per year thereafter. One-year survival after PVE diagnosis was 58% (49-68%), and 5-year survival was 29% (17-41%). Body surface area, estimated glomerular filtration rate <30 mL/min/1.73 m2, critical pre-operative state, mean pre-procedural valve gradient, amount of contrast dye used, transapical access, and atrial fibrillation were identified as independent risk factors for PVE. Staphylococcus aureus was more common in early (<1 year) PVE. Infection with S. aureus, root abscess, late PVE, and non-community acquisition was associated with higher 6-month mortality. CONCLUSION: The incidence of PVE was similar to that of surgical bioprostheses. Compromised renal function was a strong risk factor for developing PVE. In the context of PVE, TAVI seems to be a safe option for patients. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03768180 (http://clinicaltrials.gov/).

Single-center evaluation of a next generation fully repositionable and retrievable transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

BACKGROUND: The mechanically expandable Lotus Valve System is a fully repositionable and retrievable valve with an adaptive seal to minimize paravalvular leak (PVL). The aim of this study was to evaluate the short- and long-term safety and efficacy of the new device with focus on a new implantation technique to reduce the need for a permanent pacemaker (PPM) post procedure. METHODS: We performed a prospective single-center, non-randomized evaluation of the Lotus Valve System. The first 100 consecutive Lotus Valve implantations were included in the analysis. Outcome was assessed according to VARC2-criteria. Postoperative pacemaker rates were assessed using the national pacemaker registry and electronic medical records. Mortality at 30 days and 12 months were acquired from the national population registry. RESULTS: Mean age was 82.7 ± 5.6 years, mean Euroscore I was 25.3 ± 14.5%, mean STS-score was 6.5 ± 4.1% and mean aortic valve area was 0.6 ± 0.1 cm2. There were no cases of valve embolization, ectopic valve deployment or additional valve implantation. Device success according to the VARC2-criteria was 97%. The 30-day mortality rate was 3%. Two deaths occurred due to stroke and one due to a ventricular rupture. Major stroke rate was 2% and major vascular complication rate was 2%. The 12-month mortality rate was 14%. At discharge 87% of patients had no/trace PVL, 12% had mild PVL and one patient had a moderate PVL. A total of 13% received a new PPM post valve implantation. Among patients who did not have a PPM before the procedure, the PPM rate was 15.3%. CONCLUSIONS: This single-center evaluation of the Lotus Valve System demonstrated a good clinical outcome with a low mortality, in a high-risk population. Introduction of a new implantation technique resulted in lower PPM rates than previously reported without negatively affecting PVL. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN14952278 , retrospectively registered 06/11/2017.

The mortality increase in cardiac surgery patients associated with shrunken pore syndrome correlates with the eGFRcystatin C/eGFRcreatinine-ratio.

Shrunken pore syndrome (SPS) is a condition in which estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) based upon cystatin C is lower than eGFR based upon creatinine. It has been associated with increased mortality even in the presence of normal GFR in both a cardiac surgical population and a general population. No systematic studies of the variation in eGFRcystatin C/eGFRcreatinine-ratio used for SPS diagnosis have been published. This study aims to evaluate whether early and midterm mortality following elective cardiac surgery varies with the ratio used to identify SPS. Preoperative levels of cystatin C and creatinine were analysed in 4007 patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and/or surgical aortic valve replacement (sAVR). The eGFRcystatin C/eGFRcreatinine-ratio was calculated based on the equation pairs CKD-EPIcystatin C/CKD-EPIcreatinine and CAPA/LMrev. The overall 1- and 3-year all-cause mortality was 2.9 and 6.8%, respectively. Mean follow-up time was 3.6 years. Mortality markedly and progressively increased with a decrease in the eGFRcystatin C/eGFRcreatinine-ratio for both equation pairs. An increase in mortality was noted already when the ratio decreased from 1.0 to 0.90. To facilitate the clinical decisions based upon the SPS-defining eGFRcystatin C/eGFRcreatinine-ratio, we calculated both the ratios defining the highest combined sensitivity and specificity and the ratios producing a high specificity of 95%, finding different cut-off for these scenarios.

Difference in Outcome Following Surgery for Native Aortic and Mitral Valve Infective Endocarditis.

BACKGROUND: We investigated differences in clinical presentation, microbiology, and short- and long-term results according to the affected valve in patients who underwent surgery for left-sided native valve infective endocarditis (IE). METHODS: This was a single-center retrospective study of 117 patients with isolated mitral valve IE (group M) and 140 patients with isolated aortic valve IE (group A) who underwent surgery between 1998 and 2015. RESULTS: The mean age of patients in group M was 62 ± 14 years, whereas in group A the patients were 56 ± 14 years old (p = 0.001). There were 61 females (52% of patients) in group M and 31 females (22% of patients) in group A (p < 0.001). Abscesses were more common in group A than in group B. Staphylococcus aureus was more frequent in group M (47%, n = 55) than in group A (21%, n = 30; p < 0.001). The length of time from symptom onset to surgery was longer in group A than in group M, but the time from diagnosis to surgery was shorter in group A than in group M. Ninety-day mortality was similar in group M and group A in patients operated within 48 hours after diagnosis, but in patients who were operated more than 48 hours after diagnosis the 90-day mortality was 15% in group M and 3% in group A (p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: There were considerable differences in preoperative characteristics, microbiology, timing of surgery, and outcomes between patients who underwent surgery for isolated aortic valve IE and those who were operated for isolated mitral valve IE.

The Coagulopathy of Acute Type A Aortic Dissection: A Prospective, Observational Study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the hemostatic system in patients undergoing surgery for acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) compared with those undergoing elective aortic procedures. DESIGN: This was a prospective, observational study. SETTING: The study was performed at a single university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-five patients with ATAAD were compared with 20 control patients undergoing elective surgery of the ascending aorta or the aortic root. INTERVENTIONS: No interventions were performed. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Platelet count and levels of fibrinogen, D-dimer, prothrombin time/international normalized ratio, activated partial thromboplastin time, and antithrombin were analyzed perioperatively and compared between the 2 groups. Patients with ATAAD had lower preoperative levels of platelets (188 [156-217] × 109/L v 221 [196-240] × 109/L; p = 0.018), fibrinogen (1.9 [1.6-2.4] g/L v 2.8 [2.2-3.0] g/L; p = 0.003), and antithrombin (0.81 [0.73-0.94] kIU/L v 0.96 [0.92-1.00] kIU/L; p = 0.003) and significantly higher levels of D-dimer (2.9 [1.7-9.7] mg/L v 0.1 [0.1-0.2] mg/L; p < 0.001) and prothrombin time/international normalized ratio (1.15 [1.1-1.2] v 1.0 [0.93-1.0]; p = 0.001). Surgery caused significant changes of the coagulation system in both groups. Intraoperative bleeding volumes were larger in the ATAAD group (2,407 [1,804-3,209] mL v 1,212 [917-1,920] mL; p < 0.001), and patients undergoing ATAAD surgery received significantly more transfusions of red blood cells (2.5 [0.25-4.75] U v 0 [0-2.75] U; p = 0.022), platelets (4 [3.25-6] U v 2 [2-4] U; p = 0.002), and plasma (2 [0-4] U v 0 [0-0] U; p = 0.004) compared with the elective group. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that ATAAD is associated with a coagulopathic state. Surgery causes additional damage to the hemostatic system in ATAAD patients, but also in patients undergoing elective surgery of the ascending aorta or the aortic root.

Altered biventricular hemodynamic forces in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot and right ventricular volume overload because of pulmonary regurgitation.

Intracardiac hemodynamic forces have been proposed to influence remodeling and be a marker of ventricular dysfunction. We aimed to quantify the hemodynamic forces in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rToF) to further understand the pathophysiological mechanisms as this could be a potential marker for pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) in these patients. Patients with rToF and pulmonary regurgitation (PR) > 20% ( n = 18) and healthy control subjects ( n = 15) underwent MRI, including four-dimensional flow. A subset of patients ( n = 8) underwent PVR and MRI after surgery. Time-resolved hemodynamic forces were quantified using 4D-flow data and indexed to ventricular volume. Patients had higher systolic and diastolic left ventricular (LV) hemodynamic forces compared with control subjects in the lateral-septal/LV outflow tract ( P = 0.011 and P = 0.0031) and inferior-anterior ( P < 0.0001 and P < 0.0001) directions, which are forces not aligned with blood flow. Forces did not change after PVR. Patients had higher RV diastolic forces compared with control subjects in the diaphragm-right ventricular (RV) outflow tract (RVOT; P < 0.001) and apical-basal ( P = 0.0017) directions. After PVR, RV systolic forces in the diaphragm-RVOT direction decreased ( P = 0.039) to lower levels than in control subjects ( P = 0.0064). RV diastolic forces decreased in all directions ( P = 0.0078, P = 0.0078, and P = 0.039) but were still higher than in control subjects in the diaphragm-RVOT direction ( P = 0.046). In conclusion, patients with rToF and PR had LV hemodynamic forces less aligned with intraventricular blood flow compared with control subjects and higher diastolic RV forces along the regurgitant flow direction in the RVOT and that of tricuspid inflow. Remaining force differences in the LV and RV after PVR suggest that biventricular pumping does not normalize after surgery. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Biventricular hemodynamic forces in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot and pulmonary regurgitation were quantified for the first time. Left ventricular hemodynamic forces were less aligned to the main blood flow direction in patients compared with control subjects. Higher right ventricular forces were seen along the pulmonary regurgitant and tricuspid inflow directions. Differences in forces versus control subjects remain after pulmonary valve replacement, suggesting that altered biventricular pumping does not normalize after surgery.

Cyclosporine before Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Does Not Prevent Postoperative Decreases in Renal Function: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury is a common complication after cardiac surgery, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. One suggested cause for acute kidney injury is extracorporeal circulation-induced ischemia-reperfusion injury. In animal studies, cyclosporine has been shown to reduce ischemia-reperfusion injury in the kidneys. We hypothesized that administering cyclosporine before extracorporeal circulation could protect the kidneys in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. METHODS: The Cyclosporine to Protect Renal Function in Cardiac Surgery (CiPRICS) study was an investigator-initiated, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, single-center study. The primary objective was to assess if cyclosporine could reduce acute kidney injury in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery with extracorporeal circulation. In the study, 154 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate of 15 to 90 ml · min · 1.73 m were enrolled. Study patients were randomized to receive 2.5 mg/kg cyclosporine or placebo intravenously before surgery. The primary endpoint was relative plasma cystatin C changes from the preoperative day to postoperative day 3. Secondary endpoints included biomarkers of kidney, heart, and brain injury. RESULTS: All enrolled patients were analyzed. The cyclosporine group (136.4 ± 35.6%) showed a more pronounced increase from baseline plasma cystatin C to day 3 compared to placebo (115.9 ± 30.8%), difference, 20.6% (95% CI, 10.2 to 31.2%, P < 0.001). The same pattern was observed for the other renal markers. The cyclosporine group had more patients in Risk Injury Failure Loss End-stage (RIFLE) groups R (risk), I (injury), or F (failure; 31% vs. 8%, P < 0.001). There were no differences in safety parameter distribution between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of cyclosporine did not protect coronary artery bypass grafting patients from acute kidney injury. Instead, cyclosporine caused a decrease in renal function compared to placebo that resolved after 1 month.

Disturbed left and right ventricular kinetic energy in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot: pathophysiological insights using 4D-flow MRI.

OBJECTIVES: Indications for pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) in patients with pulmonary regurgitation (PR) after repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rToF) are debated. We aimed to compare right (RV) and left ventricular (LV) kinetic energy (KE) measured by 4D-flow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients to controls, to further understand the pathophysiological effects of PR. METHODS: Fifteen patients with rToF with PR > 20% and 14 controls underwent MRI. Ventricular volumes and KE were quantified from cine MRI and 4D-flow, respectively. Lagrangian coherent structures were used to discriminate KE in the PR. Restrictive RV physiology was defined as end-diastolic forward flow. RESULTS: LV systolic peak KE was lower in rToF, 2.8 ± 1.1 mJ, compared to healthy volunteers, 4.8 ± 1.1 mJ, p < 0.0001. RV diastolic peak KE was higher in rToF (7.7 ± 4.3 mJ vs 3.1 ± 1.3 mJ, p = 0.0001) and the difference most pronounced in patients with non-restrictive RV physiology. KE was primarily located in the PR volume at the time of diastolic peak KE, 64 ± 17%. CONCLUSION: This is the first study showing disturbed KE in patients with rToF and PR, in both the RV and LV. The role of KE as a potential early marker of ventricular dysfunction to guide intervention needs to be addressed in future studies. KEY POINTS: • Kinetic energy (KE) reflects ventricular performance • KE is a potential marker of ventricular dysfunction in Fallot patients • KE is disturbed in both ventricles in patients with tetralogy of Fallot • KE contributes to the understanding of the pathophysiology of pulmonary regurgitation • Lagrangian coherent structures enable differentiation of ventricular inflows.

Perioperative Hyperlactemia Is a Poor Predictor of Outcome in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Acute Type-A Aortic Dissection.

OBJECTIVE: In patients presenting with acute type-A aortic dissection (aTAAD), lactic acid measurement is a frequently used analysis for diagnosis of acute ischemia, which may have a dismal prognosis. The aim of the current study was to determine the performance of perioperative arterial lactic acid measurements in predicting outcome in aTAAD patients. DESIGN: Retrospective, observational study. SETTING: Cardiothoracic surgery unit at a tertiary-level hospital. PARTICIPANTS: The study involved 285 consecutive patients undergoing surgery for aTAAD. INTERVENTIONS: Preoperative and postoperative lactic acid levels were measured and evaluated together with clinical data related to outcome, including in-hospital and 1-year mortality. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Altogether, 37 patients (13%) died during the index hospital admission, and survival was 84.4 ± 2.2 at 1 year. Preoperative cardiac malperfusion (odds ratio [OR] 3.1; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3-7.3) and cerebral malperfusion (OR 2.6; 95% CI 1.2-5.6) were associated significantly with poorer 1-year survival. The area under the curve (AUC) for in-hospital and 1-year mortality in relation to preoperative lactic acid levels was 0.684 and 0.673, respectively, corresponding to a lactic acid cut-off for in-hospital mortality of 2.75 mmol/L (sensitivity 56%; specificity 72%) and a cut-off for 1-year mortality of 2.85 mmol/L (sensitivity 48%; specificity 74%). The AUC for in-hospital and 1-year mortality in relation to lactic acid levels measured postoperatively on arrival at the intensive care unit was 0.582 and 0.498, respectively. CONCLUSION: Although hyperlactemia in aTAAD indicates an increased risk of postoperative mortality, the sole use of lactic acid levels as a tool for accurate assessment of postoperative mortality is inadvisable due to its poor discriminatory performance.

Radical pericardiectomy for chronic constrictive pericarditis.

BACKGROUND: We studied the impact of radical pericardiectomy on early and long-term patient survival, postoperative New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, and left ventricular ejection fraction in patients with chronic constrictive pericarditis compared to a sub-total pericardiectomy. METHODS: From 1991 to 2016, 41 patients underwent pericardiectomy for chronic constrictive pericarditis. Sub-total pericardiectomy was performed in 17 (41%) and radical pericardiectomy in 24 (59%) patients. Patients in the two study groups had statistically similar NYHA functional class, left ventricular ejection fraction, and cardiac catheterization data. Follow-up was 100% complete with a median time of 4 years. RESULTS: Radical pericardiectomy resulted in increased survival rates at 10 years (94%) compared to sub-total pericardiectomy (55%) (P = 0.014). In the idiopathic chronic constrictive pericarditis sub-group, long-term survival rates were also increased after a radical pericardiectomy (P = 0.001). Eighty-five percent of patients after a radical pericardiectomy were in NYHA functional class I or II after 5 years and 94% up to 25 years versus 53% and 63%, respectively, for the sub-total pericardiectomy group. CONCLUSIONS: Radical pericardiectomy provided superior 10-year survival and clinical functional improvement in patients with chronic constrictive pericarditis compared to sub-total pericaridectomy.

The safety of introducing a new generation TAVR device: one departments experience from introducing a second generation repositionable TAVR.

BACKGROUND: In the evolving field of transcatheter aortic valve replacements a new generation of valves have been introduced to clinical practice. With the complexity of the TAVR procedure and the unique aspects of each TAVR device, there is a perceived risk that changing or adding a new valve in a department could lead to a worse outcome for patients, especially during the learning phase. The objective was to study the safety aspect of introducing a second generation repositionable transcatheter valve (Boston Scientific Lotus valve besides Edwards Sapien valve) in a department. METHODS: In a retrospective study, 53 patients receiving the Lotus system, and 47 patients receiving the Sapien system over a period of three years were compared for short-term outcome according to VARC-2 definitions and 1-year survival. RESULTS: Outcome in terms VARC-2 criteria for early safety and clinical efficacy, stroke rate, and survival at 30 days and at 1 year were similar. The Lotus valve had less paravalvular leakage, where 90% had none or trace aortic insufficiency as compared to only 48% for the Sapien system. CONCLUSIONS: Introduction of a new generation valve can be done with early device success and safety, and without jeopardizing the outcome for patients up to one year. We found no adverse effects by changing valve type and observed improved outcome in terms of lower PVL-rates. Both existing and new centers starting a TAVR program can benefit from the use of a new generation device.

Coronary artery bypass grafting-related bleeding complications in patients treated with ticagrelor or clopidogrel: a nationwide study.

AIMS: Excessive bleeding impairs outcome after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Current guidelines recommend withdrawal of clopidogrel and ticagrelor 5 days (120 h) before elective surgery. Shorter discontinuation would reduce the risk of thrombotic events and save hospital resources, but may increase the risk of bleeding. We investigated whether a shorter discontinuation time before surgery increased the incidence of CABG-related major bleeding complications and compared ticagrelor- and clopidogrel-treated patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: All acute coronary syndrome patients in Sweden on dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and ticagrelor (n = 1266) or clopidogrel (n = 978) who underwent CABG during 2012-13 were included in a retrospective observational study. The incidence of major bleeding complications according to the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium-CABG definition was 38 and 31%, respectively, when ticagrelor/clopidogrel was discontinued <24 h before surgery. Within the ticagrelor group, there was no significant difference between discontinuation 72-120 or >120 h before surgery [odds ratio (OR) 0.93 (95% confidence interval, CI, 0.53-1.64), P = 0.80]. In contrast, clopidogrel-treated patients had a higher incidence when discontinued 72-120 vs. >120 h before surgery (OR 1.71 (95% CI 1.04-2.79), P = 0.033). The overall incidence of major bleeding complications was lower with ticagrelor [12.9 vs. 17.6%, adjusted OR 0.72 (95% CI 0.56-0.92), P = 0.012]. CONCLUSION: The incidence of CABG-related major bleeding was high when ticagrelor/clopidogrel was discontinued <24 h before surgery. Discontinuation 3 days before surgery, as opposed to 5 days, did not increase the incidence of major bleeding complications with ticagrelor, but increased the risk with clopidogrel. The overall risk of major CABG-related bleeding complications was lower with ticagrelor than with clopidogrel.

The Nordic Consortium for Acute type A Aortic Dissection (NORCAAD): objectives and design.

OBJECTIVES: The Nordic Consortium for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection (NORCAAD) is a collaborative effort of Nordic cardiac surgery centers to study acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD). Here, we outline the overall objectives and the design of NORCAAD. DESIGN: NORCAAD currently consists of eight centers in Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden. Data was collected for patients undergoing surgery for ATAAD from 2005 to 2014. A total of 194 variables were retrospectively collected including demographics, past medical history, preoperative medications, symptoms at presentation, operative variables, complications, bleeding and blood transfusions, need for late reoperations, 30-day mortality and long-term survival. RESULTS: Information was gathered in the database for 1159 patients, of which 67.6% were male. The mean age was 61.5 ± 12.1 years. The mean follow-up was 3.1 ± 2.9 years with a total of 3535 patient years. CONCLUSIONS: NORCAAD provides a foundation for close collaboration between cardiac surgery centers in the Nordic countries. Substudies in progress include: short-term outcomes, long-term survival, time interval from diagnosis until operation, effects of surgical techniques, malperfusion syndrome, renal failure, bleeding and neurological complications on outcomes and the rate of late reoperations.