Risk and Reward: Nationwide Analysis of Cardiac Transplant Center Variation in Organ Travel Distance and the Effects on Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The 2018 UNOS allocation policy change deprioritized geographic boundaries to organ distribution, and the effects of this change have been widespread. The aim of this investigation was to analyze changes in donor transplant center distance for organ travel and corresponding outcomes before and after the allocation policy change. METHODS: The UNOS database was utilized to identify all adult patients waitlisted for heart transplants from 2016 to 2021. Transplant centers were grouped by average donor heart travel distance based on whether they received more or less than 50% of organs from >250 miles away. Descriptive statistics were provided for waitlisted and transplanted patients. Regression analyses modeled waitlist mortality, incidence of transplant, overall survival, and graft survival. RESULTS: Centers with a longer average travel distance had a higher mean annual transplant volume with a reduction in total days on a waitlist (86.6 vs. 149.2 days), an increased cold ischemic time (3.6 vs. 3.2 h), with no significant difference in post-transplant overall survival or graft survival. CONCLUSIONS: The benefits of reducing waitlist time while preserving post-transplant outcomes extend broadly. The trends observed in this investigation will be useful as we revise organ transplant policy in the era of new organ procurement and preservation techniques.

A model for delivery of extracorporeal life support in a stand-alone veterans affairs medical center.

INTRODUCTION: For the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to continue to perform complex cardiothoracic surgery, there must be an established pathway for providing urgent/emergent extracorporeal life support (ECLS). Partnership with a nearby tertiary care center with such expertise may be the most resource-efficient way to provide ECLS services to patients in post-cardiotomy cardiogenic shock or respiratory failure. The goal of this project was to assess the efficiency, safety, and outcomes of surgical patients who required transfer for perioperative ECLS from a single stand-alone Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) to a separate ECLS center. METHODS: Cohort consisted of all cardiothoracic surgery patients who experienced cardiogenic shock or refractory respiratory failure at the local VAMC requiring urgent or emergent institution of ECLS between 2019 and 2022. The primary outcomes are the safety and timeliness of transport. RESULTS: Mean time from the initial shock call to arrival at the ECLS center was 2.8 h. There were no complications during transfer. Six patients (86%) survived to decannulation. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that complex cardiothoracic surgery can be performed within the VHA system and when there is an indication for ECLS, those services can be safely and effectively provided at an affiliated, properly equipped center.

The effect of socioeconomic factors on patient outcomes in cardiac surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Healthcare delivery is heterogenous; the reasons for this are numerous and complex. Patient-specific factors including geography, income, insurance status, age, and gender have been shown to bias surgical outcomes. Utilizing a prospectively collected all-payer database, we aim to evaluate the influence of socioeconomic factors on mortality and length of stay (LOS) after common cardiac surgical procedures. METHODS: We utilized the National Inpatient Sample, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality for the year 2019. We included patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), aortic valve replacement (AVR), transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), and combined AVR/CABG using the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases procedure codes. AVR and CABG were combined into a separate cohort as this was felt to represent a different pathology than isolated valvular or coronary arterial disease. Baseline demographics were summarized. Multivariable regression was performed within each procedure group to model the odds of in-hospital mortality and hospital LOS with age, sex, insurance, zip-code median household income, and location as predictors. RESULTS: Baseline patient characteristics including gender, income, geography, and payer status were similar between CABG, AVR, and AVR/CABG. TAVR patients had a higher proportion of female sex and Medicare as the primary payer, with an overall greater age. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression found that higher income was strongly associated with decreased LOS following AVR and CABG, and moderately associated in TAVR and AVR/CABG. Private insurance was associated with a decreased LOS in patients undergoing CABG, AVR, TAVR, and AVR/CABG. Female sex and increased age were associated with increased odds of mortality in TAVR, CABG, and AVR/CABG. Private insurance was associated with a decreased odds of mortality in patients undergoing AVR. CONCLUSIONS: These findings reveal significant disparities in patient outcomes after routine cardiac operations that are associated with socioeconomic status. Patients who did not have private insurance or had lower incomes were found to be at risk for increased LOS. Women were at a higher risk of mortality for several operations, a finding which has been previously described elsewhere. Private insurance conveyed a decreased odds of mortality in patients undergoing AVR. This data set serves to highlight differences in healthcare outcomes based on a variety of socioeconomic, geographic, and other inherent factors. Additional research is needed to identify the mechanisms behind these disparities with the goal of providing equitable care to all patients.

Transmediastinal primary pulmonary liposarcoma: Case report and review of management strategies.

Soft tissue sarcomas account for less than 1% of new cancer diagnoses, approximately one in five of which are liposarcomas. These tumors typically arise in the deep tissues of the proximal extremity or retroperitoneum, with just under 3% presenting as primary intrathoracic neoplasms. We present an exceedingly rare and particularly unique presentation of primary lung liposarcoma which traversed the mediastinum into the contralateral hemithorax. This report highlights the primary characteristics of the disease and underscores the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to its successful treatment.

Heartmate 3 Left Ventricular Assist Device Bend Relief Disconnection Causing Laceration of the Outflow Graft.

As technology in mechanical circulatory support continues to advance, so does the utilization of durable left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). We present the first reported case of HeartMate 3 (HM3) LVAD bend relief disconnection causing laceration of the outflow graft. Our patient is a 34 year old male with end-stage heart failure status post-HM3 implantation with recent debridement of a driveline infection who presented with weakness and sanguineous drainage 5 days after an episode of heavy lifting associated with a palpable substernal pop. During the initial evaluation, he experienced sudden massive decompression of a left chest hematoma through a thoracotomy incision with exsanguinating hemorrhage and an abrupt drop in LVAD flow. An emergent anterolateral thoracotomy was performed where it was discovered that the bend relief was disconnected and had lacerated the outflow graft. The graft was repaired and the ring was removed using a diamond blade rotary saw. He was discharged home and made a full recovery. Mechanical device malfunction has been documented in several prior versions of durable LVADS. Although there have been reported cases in the Heartmate 2, this is the first reported case of a HM3 bend relief disconnection and resultant laceration of the outflow graft.

Proof of Concept: Development of a Mitral Annuloplasty Ring With Crosshatch Net.

OBJECTIVE: Here we report our preclinical, proof-of-concept testing to assess the ability of a novel device to correct mitral regurgitation. The Milwaukee Heart device aims to enable any cardiac surgeon to perform high-quality mitral valve repair using a standard annuloplasty ring with a crosshatch of microporous, monofilament suture. METHODS: Hemodynamic, echocardiographic, and videographic data were collected at baseline, following induction of mitral regurgitation, and after repair using porcine hearts in an ex vivo biosimulator model. A commercially available cardiac prosthesis assessment platform was then used to assess the hydrodynamic characteristics of the study device. RESULTS: Porcine biosimulator pressure and flow metrics exhibited successful correction of mitral regurgitation following device implantation with similar values to baseline. Hydrodynamic results yielded pressure gradients and an effective orifice area comparable to currently approved prostheses. CONCLUSIONS: The study device effectively reduced mitral valve regurgitation and improved hemodynamics in our preclinical model with similar biophysical metrics to currently approved devices. Future in vivo trials are needed to evaluate the efficacy, biocompatibility, and freedom from the most likely adverse events, such as device thrombosis, embolic events, and hemolysis.

The development of Logix - An application for component-based case logging and surgical trainee assessment.

Background: The optimal training program to transform a new resident into a competent and capable surgeon is constantly evolving. Competency-based evaluation represents a change in mindset from quantitative or chronologic metrics for graduate readiness. As surgery becomes more specialized, more dependent on technology, and more public, we must continue to improve our ability to pass on technical skills. Approaching surgery in a component-based fashion enables even the most complex operation to be broken down into smaller sets of steps that range the entire spectrum of complexity. Treating an operation through the lens of its components, emphasizing stepwise forward progression in a trainee's experience, may provide a way to train competent surgeons more efficiently. Current case-logging products do not provide adequate granularity to apply this methodology. Methods: Application design relied on the involvement of local surgeons from all specialties and subspecialties related to general surgical training. Individual interviews with multiple experts in each field were used to generate a list of most commonly performed operations. Once a consensus was reached, the same surgeons were queried on what they felt were the core steps that make up each operation. This information was utilized to create a novel mobile application which enables the user to record cases by date, attending surgeon, specific operation, and which portions of the operation they were able/allowed to perform. Conclusion: Component-based case logging through the Logix application may be a useful adjunct as we continue to implement competency-based surgical training. Future investigation will assess user experience and compare subjective and objective metrics of training progression between the Logix application and currently utilized products. The information provided by the application stands to benefit not just trainees, but educators, training programs, and regulatory bodies. Key message: Component-based case logging via a novel mobile application stands to increase the efficiency of surgical training and more effectively assess trainee competency.

Supporting the right ventricle in postcardiotomy renal dysfunction: A case series.

Postcardiotomy RV dysfunction is an under-recognized cause of acute kidney injury (AKI). Insertion of a percutaneous right ventricular assist device (RVAD) reduces central venous hypertension and congestive nephropathy by augmenting cardiac output. In selected patients, percutaneous RVAD insertion may improve renal function and obviate the need for long-term dialysis.