Aortic morphology post type A acute aortic syndrome: Prognosis significance and association with 24-hour blood pressure-monitoring parameters.

BACKGROUND: After an emergent surgery for type A acute aortic syndrome, medical management is based on optimal blood pressure (BP) control. We assessed the prognostic significance of BP monitoring and its relationship with aortic morphology following type A acute aortic syndrome. METHODS: The data of 120 patients who underwent BP monitoring after a type A acute aortic syndrome from January 2005 to June 2016 were retrospectively collected. The first CT angiogram performed after surgery was used for the morphological analysis. RESULTS: The population included 79 males, with an overall mean age of 60 ± 12 years. Seven patients (5.8%) died during a median follow-up of 5.5 years. The median delay between BP monitoring and discharge was 3 (1-5) months. The mean 24-hour BP of the cohort was 127/73 mm Hg ± 10/17. During follow-up, different parameters of BP monitoring were not associated with the risk of aortic events. However, the diameter of the false lumen of the descending thoracic aorta was the best predictor associated with the risk of new aortic events during follow-up, particularly for the threshold of 28 mm or more (P < .001; Hazard ratio 4.7[2.7-8.2]). The diameter of the false lumen was associated with night-time systolic BP (P = .025; r = .2), 24-hour pulse pressure (P = .002; r = .28), and night-time pulse pressure (P = .008; r = .24). CONCLUSION: The risk of new aortic events following type A acute aortic syndrome is associated with the size of the residual false lumen, but not directly with BP parameters. Night-time BP parameters are associated with the size of the residual false lumen.

David Procedure: A 21-year Experience With 300 Patients.

BACKGROUND: Valve-sparing aortic root replacement with the David procedure is an alternative to the Bentall procedure in patients with aortic root aneurysm. The aim of this study was to describe our long-term experience with this technique and the predictive factors of late failure. METHODS: Between January 1998 and August 2019, 300 consecutive patients underwent a David procedure. Clinical and echocardiographic early- and long-term outcomes were analyzed. Median follow-up was 7.0 years (range, 4.1-11.5), with 98.3% complete. RESULTS: Early mortality was 1%. No early valve-related reoperations occurred. There were 9 cardiac-related deaths and 22 reinterventions (19 valve-related). All patients survived reoperation. In 3 patients reintervention consisted of transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Overall survival rates were 95.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 92.0-97.2), 91.1% (95% CI, 86.5-94.2), and 82.9% (95% CI, 75.3-88.4) at 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively. Freedom from postoperative aortic insufficiency (AI) grade ≥ 2 was 84.8% (95% CI, 79.9-88.6) and 74.3% (95% CI, 67.4-79.9) at 5 and 10 years, respectively. Freedom from reintervention for aortic valve disease was 97.1% (95% CI, 94.2-98.5), 92.9% (95% CI, 88.2-95.7), and 92.5% (95% CI, 87.1-95.7) at 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively. Preoperative AI ≥ 2 (hazard ratio, 1.782; 95% CI, 1.352-2.350) and a ventriculoaortic junction ≥ 29 mm (hazard ratio, 3.379; 95% CI, 1.726-6.616) were predictive factors for postoperative AI ≥ 2 in a multivariate analysis (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative AI ≥ 2 and a ventriculoaortic junction ≥ 29 mm were identified as risk factors for late postoperative AI ≥ 2.

Heart Transplantation After Acute Aortic Dissection in an Adolescent With Marfan Syndrome.

This report presents the case of a 14-year-old patient with clinical features of Marfan syndrome who underwent an emergency Bentall procedure for acute type A aortic dissection. The patient required postoperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and was listed for heart transplantation because of persistent left ventricular failure caused by an intimal tear and thrombosis of the left main coronary artery. Heart transplantation was performed 5 days after the first procedure, and the patient was discharged 60 days after admission.

Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Severe Drug Intoxication: A Retrospective Comparison of Survivors and Nonsurvivors.

Selecting patients most likely to benefit from venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-A ECMO) to treat refractory drug-induced cardiovascular shock remains a difficult challenge for physicians. This study reported short-term survival outcomes and factors associated with mortality in V-A ECMO-treated patients for poisoning. Twenty-two patients placed on V-A ECMO after drug intoxication from January 2014 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The primary endpoint of this study was survival at hospital discharge. Univariate descriptive analysis was performed to compare survivors and nonsurvivors during hospitalization. The overall survival at hospital discharge was 45.4% (n = 10/22). Survival rate tended to be higher in patients treated for refractory shock (n = 7/10) compared with those treated for refractory cardiac arrest (n = 3/12, p = 0.08). Low-flow duration and time from admission to ECMO cannulation were shorter in survivors ( p = 0.02 and p = 0.03, respectively). Baseline characteristics before ECMO, including the class of drugs involved in the poisoning, between survivors and nonsurvivors were not statistically different except pH, bicarbonate, serum lactate, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, and Survival After Veno-arterial-ECMO (SAVE) score. All patients with SAVE-score risk classes II/III survived whereas 85.7% (n = 12/14) of those with SAVE-score risk classes IV/V died. A lactic acid >9 mmol/L predicts mortality with a sensitivity/specificity ratio of 83.3%/100%. V-A ECMO for severe drug intoxication should be reserved for highly selected poisoned patients who do not respond to conventional therapies. Shortening the timing of V-A ECMO initiation should be a key priority in improving outcomes. Low-flow time >60min, lactic acid >9mmol/L, and SAVE-score may be good indicators of a worse prognosis.

Subclavian versus femoral arterial cannulations during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: A propensity-matched comparison.

BACKGROUND: During peripheral extracorporeal veno-arterial membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) support, subclavian arterial cannulation provides, in comparison to femoral arterial cannulation, an anterograde flow which may prevent from left ventricular (LV) distention and improve outcomes. We aimed to compare the effectiveness of subclavian cannulation to femoral cannulation in reducing LV overdistension consequences, hemostatic complications and mortality. METHODS: This retrospective study conducted in two intensive care units of the Lille academic hospitals from January 2013 to December 2019 included 372 non-moribund adult patients supported by VA-ECMO. The primary endpoint was a new onset of pulmonary edema (PO) or LV unloading. Secondary endpoints were myocardial recovery, serious bleeding (according to Extracorporeal Life Support Organization definition), thrombotic complications (a composite of stroke, cannulated limb or mesenteric ischemia, intracardiac or aortic-root thrombosis) and 28 day mortality. Differences in outcomes were analyzed using propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weighting adjustment (IPTW). RESULTS: As compared to femoral cannulation (n = 320 patients), subclavian cannulation (n = 52 patients) did not reduce the occurrence of new onset of PO or LV unloading after PSM [HR 0.99 (95% CI 0.51-1.91)]. There was no other difference in outcomes in PSM cohort. In IPTW adjustment cohort, subclavian cannulation was associated with reduced recovery and increased serious bleeding with four accidental decannulations observed. CONCLUSION: Subclavian artery cannulation was not associated with reduced LV distension related complications, thrombotic complications and 28 day mortality. Rather, it may increase serious bleeding and accidental decannulations, and reduce recovery. Therefore, subclavian cannulation should be limited to vascular accessibility issues.

Neopulmonary Venous Confluence for Heart Transplantation With Giant Left Atrium.

Heart transplantation in a recipient with giant left atrium is rare. To correct the mismatch between recipient and donor at the level of the left atrium, plication of the left atrium has been proposed. We report a case in which plication was not feasible owing to significant calcification of the left atrial wall and tight pericardial adhesions resulting from two previous sternotomies. Creating a pulmonary venous confluence allows orthotopic heart transplantation with any size of left atrium and conformation of pulmonary veins in cases of significant calcification or redo sternotomy.

SARS-CoV-2 Versus Influenza-associated Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Requiring Veno-venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support.

No study has compared patients with COVID-19-related refractory ARDS requiring veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-V ECMO) to a relevant and homogenous control population. We aimed to compare the outcomes, the clinical characteristics, and the adverse effects of COVID-19 patients to a retrospective cohort of influenza patients. This retrospective case-control study was conducted in the ICUs of Lille and Rouen University Hospitals between January 2014 and May 2020. Two independent cohorts of patients with ARDS requiring V-V ECMO infected with either COVID-19 (n = 30) or influenza (n = 22) were compared. A 3-month follow-up was completed for all patients. Median age of COVID-19 and influenza patients was similar (57 vs. 55 years; p = 0.62). The 28-day mortality rate did not significantly differ between COVID-19 (43.3%) and influenza patients (50%, p = 0.63). There was no significant difference considering the cumulative incidence of ECMO weaning, hospital discharge, and 3-month survival. COVID-19 patients had a lower SAPS II score (58 [37-64] vs. 68 [52-83]; p = 0.039), a higher body mass index (33 [29-38] vs. 30 [26-34] kg/m2; p = 0.05), and were cannulated later (median delay between mechanical support and V-V ECMO 6 vs. 3 days, p = 0.004) compared with influenza patients. No difference in overall adverse events was observed between COVID-19 and influenza patients (70% vs. 95.5% respectively; p = 0.23). Despite differences in clinical presentation before V-V ECMO implantation, 28-day and 3-month mortality rate did not differ between COVID-19 and influenza patients. Considering the lack of specific treatment for COVID-19, V-V ECMO should be considered as a relevant rescue organ support.

Prognostic value of aerobic capacity and exercise oxygen pulse in postaortic dissection patients.

BACKGROUND: Although recommendations encourage daily moderate activities in post aortic dissection, very little data exists regarding cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) to personalize those patient's physical rehabilitation and assess their cardiovascular prognosis. DESIGN: We aimed at testing the prognostic insight of CPET regarding aortic and cardiovascular events by exploring a prospective cohort of patients followed-up after acute aortic dissection. METHODS: Patients referred to our department after an acute (type A or B) aortic dissection were prospectively included in a cohort between September 2012 and October 2017. CPET was performed once optimal blood pressure control was obtained. Clinical follow-up was done after CPET for new aortic event and major cardio-vascular events (MCE) not directly related to the aorta. RESULTS: Among the 165 patients who underwent CPET, no adverse event was observed during exercise testing. Peak oxygen pulse was 1.46(1.22-1.84) mlO2/beat, that is, 97 (83-113) % of its predicted value, suggesting cardiac exercise limitation in a population under beta blockers (92% of the population). During a follow-up of 39(20-51) months from CPET, 42 aortic event recurrences and 22 MCE not related to aorta occurred. Low peak oxygen pulse (<85% of predicted value) was independently predictive of aortic event recurrence, while low peak oxygen uptake (<70% of predicted value) was an independent predictor of MCE occurrence. CONCLUSION: CPET is safe in postaortic dissection patients should be used to not only to personalize exercise rehabilitation, but also to identify those patients with the highest risk for new aortic events and MCE not directly related to aorta.

Active Aortic Endocarditis in Young Adults: Long-term Results of the Ross Procedure.

BACKGROUND: The best valvular substitute remains controversial in young adults with active aortic valve endocarditis. The Ross procedure has gained interest because of its theoretical resistance to infection. We aimed to report our long-term outcomes of the Ross procedure in this indication. METHODS: Between March 1992 and January 2019, 511 patients underwent a Ross procedure in our institution. Among them, we included 38 patients who suffered from an active aortic valve infective endocarditis. The mean age was 33.9 ± 8.1 years. Six patients had emergent procedures and 17 patients had perivalvular involvement. A pulmonary autograft was implanted using the full root technique in 78.9% of patients. Median follow-up was 12 (interquartile range, 1.75-16.25) years. RESULTS: The hospital mortality rate was 5.3%. Estimated overall survival was 84.2% ± 6.6% at 10 years. There were 2 cases of recurrent endocarditis, both requiring reoperation. Six other patients required reoperation on an autograft or homograft. Estimated freedom from recurrent endocarditis or reoperation was 89.4% ± 5.9% at 10 years. CONCLUSIONS: In experienced centers, the Ross procedure is a reliable alternative to prosthetic or homograft valve replacement in young adults experiencing active aortic valve endocarditis, with a low operative risk and good long-term results.