Participating in Sports After Mitral Valve Repair for Primary Mitral Regurgitation: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: Participating in either competitive or leisure sports is restrictive after surgical mitral valve repair (MVR). In this study, we examine the impact of sports on outcomes after MVR. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Patients aged 18 to 65 years who underwent a first-time MVR for primary mitral regurgitation (MR) in a tertiary care center. PATIENTS: One hundred twenty-one consecutive patients were included in the study. The exclusion criteria were as follows: other concomitant procedures, early perioperative death or repeat intervention, noncardiac death or endocarditis during follow-up, and general contraindications for normal physical activity. ASSESSMENT OF RISK FACTORS: Participation in sports was quantified by the number of hours per week during the past 6 months, classified according to the Mitchell classification and assessed with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) short form. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary composite endpoint was MVR failure defined as MR grade ≥2 or mean transmitral gradient ≥8 mm Hg, signs and symptoms of heart failure, or late-onset postoperative AF (>3 months). RESULTS: The mean age was 50 ± 11 years, and there were 85 (71%) men. The median follow-up was 34 months [interquartile range (IQR): 20-50]. Fifty-six (46%) patients participated in sports regularly (median of 3 h/wk; IQR: 2-5). Twenty (17%) patients reached the primary composite endpoint with no correlation with participation in sports (P = 0.537), IPAQ categories (P = 0.849), in any of the Mitchell classification subgroups and a high level of participation in sports ≥6 hours (P = 0.679). CONCLUSIONS: Sports seem to be unrelated to the worst outcome after MVR.

Impact of right ventricular systolic function after heart transplantation on exercise capacity.

BACKGROUND: Right ventricular (RV) systolic parameters are difficult to assess in heart transplant recipients (HTRs) compared to healthy people because of discordant data, and their impact on exercise capacity remains undefined. We sought to retrospectively assess the impact of RV systolic function on exercise capacity after heart transplantation. METHODS: We analyzed data from 61 HTRs who underwent transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR), and exercise capacity assessment by 6-minute walking test (6MWT) and cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) at 1- and 2-year follow-ups. RESULTS: Transthoracic echocardiography RV longitudinal systolic function including tricuspid annular plan systolic excursion (TAPSE), peak systolic S' wave tricuspid annular velocity (PSVtdi) and RV free wall longitudinal strain was decreased at 1 year (respectively, 15 ± 3 mm, 10 ± 3 cm/s, and -19 ± 5%) and at 2 years (respectively, 15 ± 3 mm, 10 ± 2 cm/s, and -20 ± 5%) with no significant difference between both evaluations; meanwhile, RV ejection fraction (RVEF) measured by CMR was preserved. Mean percentage of predicted peak oxygen consumption was altered, but improved between the first and second year (55 ± 18 vs 60 ± 18%, P = .038). PSVtdi was weakly correlated with 6MWT distance (r = .426, P = .017) and RVEF with the predicted distance at 6MWT (r = .410, P = .027) at the 1-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Despite decreasing values, RV longitudinal systolic function has a weak impact on exercise capacity of HTRs. PSVtdi and RVEF are the most pertinent parameters to assess the impact of RV systolic function on exercise capacity after heart transplantation. These results should lead to redefine normal RV systolic function thresholds for HTRs.

Surgical antegrade transcatheter valve implantation and heavily calcified heart.

It is well known that a heavily calcified mitral valve significantly increases the perioperative and postoperative risks of mitral valve surgery. A 71-year-old woman was referred to our department with severe mitral valve disease. Cardiac imaging revealed extremely severe calcification of the entire left heart. Surgery was performed through a median sternotomy with standard cardiopulmonary bypass. After dilating the mitral orifice with a balloon, we replaced the valve with a transcatheter Edwards Sapiens 3 aortic valve under direct vision. Seven months after the procedure, the patient was doing well and no longer suffered from dyspnea.

The role of stent-grafts in the management of aortic trauma.

Stent graft has resulted in major advances in the treatment of trauma patients with blunt traumatic aortic injury (TAI) and has become the preferred method of treatment at many trauma centers. In this review, we provide an overview of the place of stent grafts for the management of this disease. As a whole, TEVAR repair of TAIs offers a survival advantage and reduction in major morbidity, including paraplegia, compared with open surgery. However, endovascular procedures in trauma require a sophisticated multidisciplinary and experienced team approach. More research and development of TAI-specific endograft devices is needed and large, multicenter studies will help to clarify the role of TEVAR compared with open repair of TAI.

[Management of aortic dissection. Stent grafts for who?]. / Dissections aortiques aiguës non compliquées. Des stent-grafts pour qui?

Acute aortic syndrome (AAS) describes several life threatening aortic pathologies. Acute aortic syndrome include intramural haematoma, penetrating aortic ulcer and acute aortic dissection. Advances in both imaging and endovascular treatment has led to an increase in diagnosis and improved management of these often catastrophic pathologies. The current place of stent-grafts for the AAS management is defined on the basis of the most recent literature.

Midterm results of endovascular treatment of atherosclerotic aneurysms of the descending thoracic aorta.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the midterm results of endovascular repair of atherosclerotic aneurysms of the thoracic descending aorta by using second-generation, commercially available stent grafts. METHODS: Between 1996 and 2005, 45 patients (mean age, 68 +/- 11 years) with aneurysms of the descending thoracic aorta underwent endovascular repair. Aortic dissections, penetrating ulcers, and traumatisms were excluded. The mean follow-up was 24.7 +/- 21.6 months (maximum, 6.7 years). RESULTS: No patients died, and no conversion to surgical intervention was required during the procedures. Three (6.7%) patients died during the first month, and 6 (14.7%) died later on. The main complications were strokes (13.3%), vascular access complications (8.9%), aortic complications (6.6%), paraplegia (4.4%), and sudden deaths (4.4%). Nineteen (42%) primary endoleaks were encountered: 3 required reinterventions, 15 spontaneously thrombosed, and 1 patient died. Except for 2 sudden unexplained deaths, no aortic complications were observed after 1 month. Actuarial survival estimates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 87.6% +/- 5.3%, 76.9% +/- 7.4%, and 70.6% +/- 9.2%, respectively. Actuarial freedom from death related to the treated aortic disease was 94.3% +/- 4.0%, 94.3% +/- 4.0%, and 86.4% +/- 8.4% at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. Aspirin status of greater than 3 (P = .005), high aortic diameter (P = .007), and long covered lengths (P = .02) were determinant for mortality. Actuarial freedom from complication was 62.6% +/- 7.7%, 58.9% +/- 8.1%, and 58.9% +/- 8.1% at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. The location of the aneurysm (P = .05) and a high aortic diameter (P = .04) were both determinants for endoleaks. CONCLUSIONS: Stent grafting of atherosclerotic aneurysm of the thoracic descending aorta is safe and effective. Further studies are mandatory to determine the most relevant indications and the long-term efficacy of such treatment.

Endovascular repair of traumatic rupture of the aortic isthmus: midterm results.

OBJECTIVE: The endovascular management of aortic traumatic ruptures has been proposed as an alternative to classical surgical procedures. The aim of this work was to report the midterm results of the endovascular treatment of traumatic ruptures of the isthmic aorta. METHODS: Between January 1996 and July 2005, endovascular repair of blunt traumatic aortic ruptures was performed in 33 patients (mean age, 40 +/- 17 years). The stent grafts used were either Talent Medtronic (n = 27), Gore Excluder (n = 4), or Boston Vanguard (n = 2) grafts. Follow-up was 94.9% complete and averaged 32.4 +/- 28.8 months (maximum, 8 years). RESULTS: Stent graft deployment was successful in all cases without need for surgical conversion. Except for one iliac rupture, which was treated with an iliofemoral bypass during the same procedure, there was no major perioperative complication. The early complications consisted of 3 primary endoleaks (1 type I and 2 type IV), 1 transient paraparesis, 1 occlusion of the main left bronchus, 1 thrombosis, and 2 pseudoaneurysms of the brachial artery. All the primary endoleaks healed within the first month. No patient died, and no aortic reinterventions were performed. The midterm complications were a mild circumferential thrombus at the distal part of the stent graft and a fracture of the nitinol stent. Both complications were asymptomatic and were discovered on systematic computed tomographic scan examination. Actuarial freedom from complication at 1 year was 96.1% +/- 3.8% and 85.5% +/- 10.6% at 3 and 5 years, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that the endovascular treatment of blunt thoracic aortic traumatisms is a safe and effective therapeutic method without increased midterm morbidity and mortality rates.