Grading Aortic Valve Stenosis With Dimensionless Index During Pre-cardiopulmonary Bypass Transesophageal Echocardiography: A Comparison With Transthoracic Echocardiography.

OBJECTIVE: The authors hypothesized that grading valvular aortic stenosis (AS) with dimensionless index (DI) during intraoperative pre-cardiopulmonary bypass (pre-CPB) transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) would match the grade of AS during preoperative transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) for the same patients more often than when using peak velocity (Vp), mean pressure gradient (PGm), or aortic valve area (AVA). DESIGN: Retrospective, observational. SETTING: Single university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: The participants in this study included 123 cardiac surgical patients with any degree of AS, who underwent open cardiac surgery between 2010 and 2016 at the Medical University of South Carolina and had Vp, PGm, AVA, and DI values available from reporting databases or archived imaging. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: When using DI, pre-CPB TEE grading of AS severity was 1 grade higher 21.1% of the time and 1 grade lower 13.0% of the time compared with TTE, for an overall disagreement rate of 34.1%. The overall disagreement rates between pre-CPB TEE and TTE for Vp, PGm, and AVA were 39.8%, 33.3%, and 33.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The authors could not demonstrate that DI was better than Vp, PGm, or AVA at matching AS grades between intraoperative pre-CPB TEE and preoperative TTE. When DI was used, pre-CPB TEE was more likely to overestimate than underestimate the severity of AS compared with TTE. However, when Vp or PGm was used, pre-CPB TEE was more likely to underestimate the severity of AS compared with TTE. A comprehensive approach without overemphasis on 1 parameter should be used for AS assessment by intraoperative TEE.

Normalizing arterial blood pressure in patients with aortic stenosis does not prevent grading discrepancies between pre-cardiopulmonary bypass transesophageal echocardiography and transthoracic echocardiography.

Background: Aortic stenosis (AS) grading discrepancies exist between pre-cardiopulmonary (pre-CPB) transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and preoperative transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). Prior studies have not systematically controlled blood pressure. Aims: We hypothesized that normalizing arterial blood pressure during pre-CPB TEE for patients undergoing valve replacement for AS would result in equivalent grading measurements when compared to TTE. Setting: Single University Hospital. Design: Prospective, Interventional. Methods: Thirty-five adult patients underwent procedures for valvular AS between February 2017 and December 2020 at Medical University of South Carolina. Study participants had a TTE within 90 days of their procedure that documented blood pressure, peak velocity (Vp), mean gradient (PGm), aortic valve area (AVA), and dimensionless index (DI). During pre-CPB TEE, if a patient's mean arterial pressure (MAP) fell more than 20% below their baseline blood pressure obtained during TTE, measurements were recorded as "out of range." Phenylephrine was administered to restore MAP to the baseline range and repeat TEE measurements were recorded as "in-range." Statistical Analysis: Differences between imaging modalities and grading parameters were examined using a series of linear mixed models. P values were Bonferroni-adjusted to account for multiple comparisons. Main Results: Significant discrepancies between TEE and TTE were observed for Vp, PGm, and DI despite blood pressure normalization across all subjects and for out-of-range measures and corrected measures. There were no statistically significant differences between TEE and TTE for AVA. Conclusions: Blood pressure normalization during pre-CPB TEE is not sufficient to avoid AS grading discrepancies with preoperative TTE.

Asymptomatic Severe Aortic Stenosis and Noncardiac Surgery.

The patient with severe asymptomatic aortic stenosis presenting for elective noncardiac surgery poses a unique challenge. These patients are not traditionally offered surgical aortic valve replacement or transcatheter aortic valve replacement given their lack of symptoms; however, they are at increased risk for postsurgical complications given the severity of their aortic stenosis. The decision to proceed with elective noncardiac surgery should be based on individual and surgical risk factors. However, severity of aortic stenosis is not accounted for in current surgical risk factor assessment scoring; therefore, extensive communication with patients and surgical teams is necessary to minimize a patient's risk. A clear intraoperative plan should be designed to manage the unique hemodynamics of these patients, and a discussion should address postoperative placement.

Early clinical experience with collagen nerve tubes in digital nerve repair.

PURPOSE: In cases of digital nerve injury in which nerve ends cannot be approximated without tension, autologous nerve grafts represent the most commonly used method for reconstruction. Recently, interest in synthetic nerve guides as an alternative to grafting has increased. Although several basic science studies have shown promise for collagen tubes, clinical studies of their success in humans are limited. The purpose of this study was to review our early clinical experience with collagen nerve tubes. METHODS: The authors identified and followed all cases involving digital nerve repair at our institution over a 2-year period. Twelve patients had repair of a digital nerve with a collagen nerve tube during the study period. Two patients were lost to follow-up, and 1 patient had amputation of the grafted finger secondary to complications of other injuries. The primary outcome data points for the remaining 9 patients were the static 2-point discrimination (2PD), Semmes-Weinstein monofilament testing, and a Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) outcome survey at final follow-up. RESULTS: Nine patients had follow-up of at least 1 year, with an average follow-up time of 15 months (range 12-22 months). There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications related to the nerve tubes. Using modified American Society for Surgery of the Hand guidelines, 2PD results were good or excellent in 8 out of 9 of patients. Semmes-Weinstein testing results were full in 5 patients, diminished light touch in 2, diminished protective sensation in 1, and loss of protective sensation in 1. Average Quick DASH scores for the group were 10.86 overall, 4.86 for the work module, and 23.21 for the sports/performing arts module. CONCLUSIONS: Although the patients in this study are still within the early follow-up period, our initial results compare favorably with those reported in the existing literature for various types of nerve repair and reconstruction, suggesting that collagen nerve tubes might offer a clinically effective option for restoration of sensory function. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic IV.

The use of suture anchors to repair the ruptured quadriceps tendon.

Quadriceps tendon rupture is an incapacitating injury that usually requires surgical repair. Traditional repair methods involve transpatellar suture tunnels, but recent reports have introduced the idea of using suture anchors to repair the ruptured tendon. We present 5 cases of our technique of using suture anchors to repair the ruptured quadriceps tendon.