Aortic arch surgery for DeBakey type 1 aortic dissection in patients aged 60 years or younger.

BACKGROUND: Extended aortic repair is considered a key issue for the long-term durability of surgery for DeBakey type 1 aortic dissection. The risk of aortic degeneration may be higher in young patients due to their long life expectancy. The early outcome and durability of aortic surgery in these patients were investigated in the present study. METHODS: The subjects of the present analysis were patients under 60 years old who underwent surgical repair for acute DeBakey type 1 aortic dissection at 18 cardiac surgery centres across Europe between 2005 and 2021. Patients underwent ascending aortic repair or total aortic arch repair using the conventional technique or the frozen elephant trunk technique. The primary outcome was 5-year cumulative incidence of reoperation on the distal aorta. RESULTS: Overall, 915 patients underwent surgical ascending aortic repair and 284 patients underwent surgical total aortic arch repair. The frozen elephant trunk procedure was performed in 128 patients. Among 245 propensity score-matched pairs, total aortic arch repair did not decrease the rate of distal aortic reoperation compared to ascending aortic repair (5-year cumulative incidence, 6.7% versus 6.7%, subdistributional hazard ratio 1.127, 95% c.i. 0.523 to 2.427). Total aortic arch repair increased the incidence of postoperative stroke/global brain ischaemia (25.7% versus 18.4%, P = 0.050) and dialysis (19.6% versus 12.7%, P = 0.003). Five-year mortality was comparable after ascending aortic repair and total aortic arch repair (22.8% versus 27.3%, P = 0.172). CONCLUSIONS: In patients under 60 years old with DeBakey type 1 aortic dissection, total aortic arch replacement compared with ascending aortic repair did not reduce the incidence of distal aortic operations at 5 years. When feasible, ascending aortic repair for DeBakey type 1 aortic dissection is associated with satisfactory early and mid-term outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04831073.

Femoral arterial cannulation for surgical repair of stanford type A aortic dissection.

BACKGROUND: The benefits and harms associated with femoral artery cannulation over other sites of arterial cannulation for surgical repair of acute Stanford type A aortic dissection (TAAD) are not conclusively established. METHODS: We evaluated the outcomes after surgery for TAAD using femoral artery cannulation, supra-aortic arterial cannulation (i.e., innominate/subclavian/axillary artery cannulation), and direct aortic cannulation. RESULTS: 3751 (96.1%) patients were eligible for this analysis. In-hospital mortality using supra-aortic arterial cannulation was comparable to femoral artery cannulation (17.8% vs. 18.4%; adjusted OR 0.846, 95% CI 0.799-1.202). This finding was confirmed in 1028 propensity score-matched pairs of patients with supra-aortic arterial cannulation or femoral artery cannulation (17.5% vs. 17.0%, p = 0.770). In-hospital mortality after direct aortic cannulation was lower compared to femoral artery cannulation (14.0% vs. 18.4%, adjusted OR 0.703, 95% CI 0.529-0.934). Among 583 propensity score-matched pairs of patients, direct aortic cannulation was associated with lower rates of in-hospital mortality (13.4% vs. 19.6%, p = 0.004) compared to femoral artery cannulation. Switching of the primary site of arterial cannulation was associated with increased rate of in-hospital mortality (36.5% vs. 17.0%; adjusted OR 2.730, 95% CI 1.564-4.765). Ten-year mortality was similar in the study cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the outcomes of surgery for TAAD using femoral arterial cannulation were comparable to those using supra-aortic arterial cannulation. However, femoral arterial cannulation was associated with higher in-hospital mortality than direct aortic cannulation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov registration code: NCT04831073.

Nature of Neurological Complications and Outcome After Surgery for Type A Aortic Dissection.

Surgery for type A aortic dissection (TAAD) is frequently complicated by neurologic complications. The prognostic impact of neurologic complications of different nature has been investigated in this study. The subjects of this analysis were 3,902 patients who underwent surgery for acute TAAD from the multicenter European Registry of Type A Aortic Dissection (ERTAAD). During the index hospitalization, 722 patients (18.5%) experienced stroke/global brain ischemia. Ischemic stroke was detected in 539 patients (13.8%), hemorrhagic stroke in 76 patients (1.9%) and global brain ischemia in 177 patients (4.5%), with a few patients having had findings of more than 1 of these conditions. In-hospital mortality was increased significantly in patients with postoperative ischemic stroke (25.6%, adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.422, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.825 to 3.216), hemorrhagic stroke (48.7%, adjusted OR 4.641, 95% CI 2.524 to 8.533), and global brain ischemia (74.0%, adjusted OR 22.275, 95% CI 14.537 to 35.524) compared with patients without neurologic complications (13.5%). Similarly, patients who experienced ischemic stroke (46.3%, adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.719, 95% CI 1.434 to 2.059), hemorrhagic stroke (62.8%, adjusted HR 3.236, 95% CI 2.314 to 4.525), and global brain ischemia (83.9%, adjusted HR 12.777, 95% CI 10.325 to 15.810) had significantly higher 5-year mortality than patients without postoperative neurologic complications (27.5%). The negative prognostic effect of neurologic complications on survival vanished about 1 year after surgery. In conclusion, postoperative ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, and global cerebral ischemia increased early and midterm mortality after surgery for acute TAAD. The magnitude of risk of mortality increased with the severity of the neurologic complications, with postoperative hemorrhagic stroke and global brain ischemia being highly lethal complications.

Current Outcome after Surgery for Type A Aortic Dissection.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of different surgical strategies for acute Stanford type A aortic dissection (TAAD). SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: The optimal extent of aortic resection during surgery for acute TAAD is controversial. METHODS: This is a multicenter, retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent surgery for acute TAAD at 18 European hospitals. RESULTS: Out of 3902 consecutive patients, 689 (17.7%) died during the index hospitalization. Among 2855 patients who survived 3 months after surgery, 10-year observed survival was 65.3%, while country-adjusted, age-adjusted, and sex-adjusted expected survival was 81.3%, yielding a relative survival of 80.4%. Among 558 propensity score-matched pairs, total aortic arch replacement increased the risk of in-hospital (21.0% vs. 14.9%, P =0.008) and 10-year mortality (47.1% vs. 40.1%, P =0.001), without decreasing the incidence of distal aortic reoperation (10-year: 8.9% vs. 7.4%, P =0.690) compared with ascending aortic replacement. Among 933 propensity score-matched pairs, in-hospital mortality (18.5% vs. 18.0%, P =0.765), late mortality (at 10-year: 44.6% vs. 41.9%, P =0.824), and cumulative incidence of proximal aortic reoperation (at 10-year: 4.4% vs. 5.9%, P =0.190) after aortic root replacement was comparable to supracoronary aortic replacement. CONCLUSIONS: Replacement of the aortic root and aortic arch did not decrease the risk of aortic reoperation in patients with TAAD and should be performed only in the presence of local aortic injury or aneurysm. The relative survival of TAAD patients is poor and suggests that the causes underlying aortic dissection may also impact late mortality despite surgical repair of the dissected aorta.

Interinstitutional analysis of the outcome after surgery for type A aortic dissection.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of individual institutions on the outcome after surgery for Stanford type A aortic dissection (TAAD). METHODS: This is an observational, multicenter, retrospective cohort study including 3902 patients who underwent surgery for TAAD at 18 university and non-university hospitals. RESULTS: Logistic regression showed that four hospitals had increased risk of in-hospital mortality, while two hospitals were associated with decreased risk of in-hospital mortality. Risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality rates were lower in four hospitals and higher in other four hospitals compared to the overall in-hospital mortality rate (17.7%). Participating hospitals were classified as overperforming or underperforming if their risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality rate was lower or higher than the in-hospital mortality rate of the overall series, respectively. Propensity score matching yielded 1729 pairs of patients operated at over- or underperforming hospitals. Overperforming hospitals had a significantly lower in-hospital mortality (12.8% vs. 22.2%, p < 0.0001) along with decreased rate of stroke and/or global brain ischemia (16.5% vs. 19.9%, p = 0.009) compared to underperforming hospitals. Aggregate data meta-regression of the results of participating hospitals showed that hospital volume was inversely associated with in-hospital mortality (p = 0.043). Hospitals with an annual volume of less than 15 cases had an increased risk of in-hospital mortality (adjusted OR, 1.345, 95% CI 1.126-1.607). CONCLUSION: The present findings indicate that there are significant differences between hospitals in terms of early outcome after surgery for TAAD. Low hospital volume may be a determinant of poor outcome of TAAD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04831073.

Revascularization of Occluded Right Coronary Artery and Outcome After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the results of isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with or without revascularization of the occluded right coronary artery (RCA). METHODS: Patients undergoing isolated CABG were included in a prospective European multicenter registry. Outcomes were adjusted for imbalance in preoperative variables with propensity score matching analysis. Late outcomes were evaluated with Kaplan-Meier's method and competing risk analysis. RESULTS: Out of 2,948 included in this registry, 724 patients had a total occlusion of the RCA and were the subjects of this analysis. Occluded RCA was not revascularized in 251 (34.7%) patients with significant variability between centers. Among 245 propensity score-matched pairs, patients with and without revascularization of occluded RCA had similar early outcomes. The nonrevascularized RCA group had increased rates of 5-year all-cause mortality (17.7 vs. 11.7%, p = 0.039) compared with patients who had their RCA revascularized. The rates of myocardial infarction and repeat revascularization were only numerically increased but contributed to a significantly higher rate of MACCE (24.7 vs. 15.7%, p = 0.020) at 5 year among patients with nonrevascularized RCA. CONCLUSION: In this multicenter study, one-third of totally occluded RCAs was not revascularized during isolated CABG for multivessel coronary artery disease. Failure to revascularize an occluded RCA in these patients increased the risk of all-cause mortality and MACCEs at 5 years.

Postoperative Quality of Life After Full-sternotomy and Ministernotomy Aortic Valve Replacement.

BACKGROUND: Few longitudinal data exist comparing quality of life (QoL) after full sternotomy (fs) aortic valve replacement (AVR) (fsAVR) with ministernotomy AVR (msAVR). METHODS: A total of 1844 consecutive patients undergoing AVR who were prospectively enrolled in a European multicenter registry were dichotomized according to surgical access. Nonparsimonious propensity score matching selected 187 pairs of patients who underwent fsAVR or msAVR with comparable baseline characteristics. Hospital outcome was compared in the 2 groups. QoL was assessed with the Short Form-36, further detailed in its Physical Component Summary (PCS) score and the Mental Component Summary (MCS) score. QoL was investigated at hospital admission, at discharge, and at 1 month, 6 months, and 1 year thereafter. RESULTS: There were 1654 patients undergoing fsAVR and 190 undergoing msAVR in the entire population. The fsAVR group showed a worse preoperative risk profile, a longer intensive care unit length of stay (59.7 hours vs 38.8 hours; p = .002), and a higher rate of life-threatening or disabling bleeding (4.1% vs 0%; P = .011); the msAVR group had a higher rate of early reintervention for failed index intervention (2.1% vs 0.5%; P = .001). QoL investigations showed better PCS and MCS at 1 month after fsAVR, but no temporal trend differences (PCS group-time P = .202; MCS group-time P = .141). Propensity-matched pairs showed comparable baseline characteristics and hospital outcomes (P = not significant for all end points) and comparable improvements of PCS and MCS over time, but no between-group differences over time (PCS group time P = .834; MCS group time P = .737). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with similar baseline profiles report comparable hospital outcomes and comparable improvements of physical and mental health, up to 1 year after surgery, with both fsAVR and msAVR. As for QoL, ministernotomy does not seem to offer any advantage compared with the traditional approach.

Outcome after Surgery for Iatrogenic Acute Type A Aortic Dissection.

(1) Background: Acute Stanford type A aortic dissection (TAAD) may complicate the outcome of cardiovascular procedures. Data on the outcome after surgery for iatrogenic acute TAAD is scarce. (2) Methods: The European Registry of Type A Aortic Dissection (ERTAAD) is a multicenter, retrospective study including patients who underwent surgery for acute TAAD at 18 hospitals from eight European countries. The primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and 5-year mortality. Twenty-seven secondary outcomes were evaluated. (3) Results: Out of 3902 consecutive patients who underwent surgery for acute TAAD, 103 (2.6%) had iatrogenic TAAD. Cardiac surgery (37.8%) and percutaneous coronary intervention (36.9%) were the most frequent causes leading to iatrogenic TAAD, followed by diagnostic coronary angiography (13.6%), transcatheter aortic valve replacement (10.7%) and peripheral endovascular procedure (1.0%). In hospital mortality was 20.5% after cardiac surgery, 31.6% after percutaneous coronary intervention, 42.9% after diagnostic coronary angiography, 45.5% after transcatheter aortic valve replacement and nihil after peripheral endovascular procedure (p = 0.092), with similar 5-year mortality between different subgroups of iatrogenic TAAD (p = 0.710). Among 102 propensity score matched pairs, in-hospital mortality was significantly higher among patients with iatrogenic TAAD (30.4% vs. 15.7%, p = 0.013) compared to those with spontaneous TAAD. This finding was likely related to higher risk of postoperative heart failure (35.3% vs. 10.8%, p < 0.0001) among iatrogenic TAAD patients. Five-year mortality was comparable between patients with iatrogenic and spontaneous TAAD (46.2% vs. 39.4%, p = 0.163). (4) Conclusions: Iatrogenic origin of acute TAAD is quite uncommon but carries a significantly increased risk of in-hospital mortality compared to spontaneous TAAD.

Late Myocardial Infarction and Repeat Revascularization after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Patients with Prior Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the risk of late mortality and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebral events after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with prior percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: A total of 2948 patients undergoing isolated CABGs were included in a prospective multicenter registry. Outcomes were adjusted for multiple covariates in logistic regression, Cox proportional hazards analysis and competing risk analysis. RESULTS: In all, 2619 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria of this analysis. Of them, 2199 (79.1%) had no history of PCI and 420 (20.9%) had a prior PCI. An adjusted analysis showed that a single prior PCI and multiple prior PCIs did not increase the risk of 30-day and 5-year mortality. Patients with multiple prior PCIs had a significantly higher risk of 5-year myocardial infarction (SHR 2.566, 95%CI 1.379-4.312) and repeat revascularization (SHR 1.774, 95%CI 1.140-2.763). Similarly, 30-day and 5-year mortality were not significantly increased in patients with prior PCI treatment of single or multiple vessels. Patients with multiple vessels treated with PCI had a significantly higher risk of 5-year myocardial infarction (SHR 2.640, 95%CI 1.497-4.658), repeat revascularization (SHR 1.648, 95%CI 1.029-2.638) and stroke (SHR 2.215, 95%CI 1.056-4.646) at 5-year. The risk for repeat revascularization was also increased with a prior single vessel PCI, but not for other outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients undergoing CABGs, multiple prior PCIs seem to increase the risk of late myocardial infarction and the need for repeat revascularization, but not the risk of mortality.

Postcardiotomy Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation With and Without Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the outcomes of patients with postcardiotomy shock treated with venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) only compared with VA-ECMO and intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP). DESIGN: A retrospective multicenter registry study. SETTING: At 19 cardiac surgery units. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 615 adult patients who required VA-ECMO from 2010 to 2018. The patients were divided into 2 groups depending on whether they received VA-ECMO only (ECMO only group) or VA-ECMO plus IABP (ECMO-IABP group). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The overall series mean age was 63 ± 13 years, and 33% were female. The ECMO-only group included 499 patients, and 116 patients were in the ECMO-IABP group. Urgent and/or emergent procedures were more common in the ECMO-only group. Central cannulation was performed in 47% (n = 54) in the ECMO-IABP group compared to 27% (n = 132) in the ECMO-only group. In the ECMO-IABP group, 58% (n = 67) were successfully weaned from ECMO, compared to 46% (n = 231) in the ECMO-only group (p = 0.026). However, in-hospital mortality was 63% in the ECMO-IABP group compared to 65% in the ECMO-only group (p = 0.66). Among 114 propensity score-matched pairs, ECMO-IABP group had comparable weaning rates (57% v 53%, p = 0.51) and in-hospital mortality (64% v 58%, p = 0.78). CONCLUSIONS: This multicenter study showed that adjunctive IABP did not translate into better outcomes in patients treated with VA-ECMO for postcardiotomy shock.

European registry of type A aortic dissection (ERTAAD) - rationale, design and definition criteria.

BACKGROUND: Acute Stanford type A aortic dissection (TAAD) is a life-threatening condition. Surgery is usually performed as a salvage procedure and is associated with significant postoperative early mortality and morbidity. Understanding the patient's conditions and treatment strategies which are associated with these adverse events is essential for an appropriate management of acute TAAD. METHODS: Nineteen centers of cardiac surgery from seven European countries have collaborated to create a multicentre observational registry (ERTAAD), which will enroll consecutive patients who underwent surgery for acute TAAD from January 2005 to March 2021. Analysis of the impact of patient's comorbidities, conditions at referral, surgical strategies and perioperative treatment on the early and late adverse events will be performed. The investigators have developed a classification of the urgency of the procedure based on the severity of preoperative hemodynamic conditions and malperfusion secondary to acute TAAD. The primary clinical outcomes will be in-hospital mortality, late mortality and reoperations on the aorta. Secondary outcomes will be stroke, acute kidney injury, surgical site infection, reoperation for bleeding, blood transfusion and length of stay in the intensive care unit. DISCUSSION: The analysis of this multicentre registry will allow conclusive results on the prognostic importance of critical preoperative conditions and the value of different treatment strategies to reduce the risk of early adverse events after surgery for acute TAAD. This registry is expected to provide insights into the long-term durability of different strategies of surgical repair for TAAD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04831073 .

Neurologic Injury in Patients Treated With Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Postcardiotomy Cardiogenic Shock.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the frequency, predictors, and outcomes of neurologic injury in adults treated with postcardiotomy extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (PC-ECMO). DESIGN: A retrospective multicenter registry study. SETTING: Twenty-one European institutions where cardiac surgery is performed. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 781 adult patients who required PC-ECMO during 2010 to 2018 were divided into patients with neurologic injury (NI) and patients without neurologic injury (NNI). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Baseline and operative data, in-hospital outcomes, and long-term survival were compared between the NI and the NNI groups. Predictors of neurologic injury were identified. A subgroup analysis according to the type of neurologic injury was performed. Overall, NI occurred in 19% of patients in the overall series, but the proportion of patients with NI ranged from 0% to 65% among the centers. Ischemic stroke occurred in 84 patients and hemorrhagic stroke in 47 patients. Emergency procedure was the sole independent predictor of NI. In-hospital mortality was higher in the NI group than in the NNI group (79% v 61%, p < 0.001). The one-year survival was lower in the NI group (17%) compared with the NNI group (37%). Long-term survival did not differ between patients with ischemic stroke and those with hemorrhagic stroke. CONCLUSION: Neurologic injury during PC-ECMO is common and associated with a dismal prognosis. There is considerable interinstitutional variation in the proportion of neurologic injury in PC-ECMO-treated adults. Well-known risk factors for stroke are not associated with neurologic injury in this setting.

Duration of Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation and Mortality in Postcardiotomy Cardiogenic Shock.

OBJECTIVE: The optimal duration of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) in patients affected by postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock (PCS) remains controversial. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of VA-ECMO duration on hospital outcomes. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of an international registry. SETTING: Multicenter study including 19 tertiary university hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: Between January 2010 and March 2018, data on PCS patients receiving VA-ECMO were retrieved from the multicenter PC-ECMO registry. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were stratified according to the following different durations of VA-ECMO therapy: ≤three days, four-to-seven days, eight-to-ten days, and >ten days. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 725 patients, with a mean age of 62.9 ± 12.9 years, were included. The mean duration of VA-ECMO was 7.1 ± 6.3 days (range 0-39 d), and 39.4% of patients were supported for ≤three days, 29.1% for four-seven days, 15.3% for eight-ten days, and finally 20.7% for >ten days. A total of 391 (53.9%) patients were weaned from VA-ECMO successfully; however, 134 (34.3%) of those patients died before discharge. Multivariate logistic regression showed that prolonged duration of VA-ECMO therapy (four-seven days: adjusted rate 53.6%, odds ratio [OR] 0.28, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.18-0.44; eight-ten days: adjusted rate 61.3%, OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.29-0.87; and >ten days: adjusted rate 59.3%, OR 0.49, 95% CI 0.31-0.81) was associated with lower risk of mortality compared with VA-ECMO lasting ≤three days (adjusted rate 78.3%). Patients requiring VA-ECMO therapy for eight-ten days (OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.15-3.33) and >10 days (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.14-3.02) had significantly greater mortality compared with those on VA-ECMO for 4 to 7 days. CONCLUSIONS: PCS patients weaned from VA-ECMO after four-seven days of support had significantly less mortality compared with those with shorter or longer mechanical support.

Aortic Valve Replacement for Aortic Stenosis in Low-, Intermediate-, and High-Risk Patients: Preliminary Results From a Prospective Multicenter Registry.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate current results of surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) ± coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. DESIGN: Independent, multicenter, prospective registry. SETTING: Tertiary university hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: The study comprised 1,192 consecutive patients, stratified as low-, intermediate-, and high-risk according to EuroSCORE II (<4, 4-9, >9, respectively). INTERVENTIONS: SAVR ± coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Thirty-day mortality and major morbidity, 2-year actuarial survival and freedom from stroke, and independent predictors of mortality in each risk category were assessed. These data were considered in light of published randomized controlled trials. Thirty-day mortality was 1.0%, 3.0% and 2.1% in the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk patients, with a 2-year actuarial survival of 98.6%, 93.8%, and 94.0%, respectively. Preoperative atrial fibrillation (odds ratio [OR] 8.3), minithoracotomy access (OR 5.8), postoperative dialysis (OR 3.4), type V acute myocardial infarction (OR 20.4), and moderate aortic regurgitation (OR 28.8) predicted 30-day mortality in the low-risk group. Preoperative dialysis (OR 18.3), critical state (OR 36.7), postoperative transfusions of plasma (OR 1.9 per unit transfused), and de-novo dialysis (OR 6.2) predicted 30-day mortality in the intermediate-risk group. Prior cardiac surgery (OR 18.1), postoperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (OR 9.8), and gastrointestinal complications (OR 17.2) predicted 30-day mortality in the high-risk group. Although baseline differences existed, low-risk patients demonstrated low 30-day mortality and 30-day to 12-month stroke in light of the PARTNER 3 and EVOLUT Low Risk trial results. Intermediate-risk patients demonstrated low 30-day to 2-year mortality, when the PARTNER 2 trial was considered, and low 30-day to 2-year stroke, when the PARTNER 2 and SURTAVI trials were considered. High-risk patients showed low 30-day to 2-year mortality in light of the results of the PARTNER 1 and CoreValve US trials. CONCLUSIONS: SAVR is still a safe and effective surgery for aortic stenosis regardless of risk category.

Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation After Surgical Repair of Type A Aortic Dissection.

Venoarterial (VA) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support for postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock (PCS) in patients undergoing surgery for acute type A aortic dissection (TAAD) is controversial and the available evidence is confined to limited case series. We aimed to evaluate the impact of this salvage therapy in this patient population. Between January 2010 and March 2018, all TAAD patients receiving VA-ECMO for PCS were retrieved from the PC-ECMO registry. Hospital mortality and other secondary outcomes were compared with PCS patients undergoing surgery for other cardiac pathologies and treated with VA-ECMO. Among the 781 patients in the PC-ECMO registry, 62 (7.9%) underwent TAAD repair and required VA-ECMO support for PCS. In-hospital mortality accounted for 46 (74.2%) patients, while 23 (37.1%) were successfully weaned from VA-ECMO. No significant differences were observed between the TAAD and non-TAAD cohorts with reference to in-hospital mortality (74.2% vs 63.4%, p = 0.089). However, patients in the TAAD group had a higher rate of neurological events (33.9% vs 17.6%, p = 0.002), but similar rates of reoperation for bleeding/tamponade (48.4% vs 41.5%, p = 0.29), transfusion of ≥10 red blood cell units (77.4% vs 69.5%, p = 0.19), new-onset dialysis (56.7% vs 53.1%, p = 0.56), and other secondary outcomes. VA-ECMO provides a valid support for patients affected by PCS after surgery for TAAD.

Higher preoperative left atrial volume index predicts lack of mitral regurgitation improvement after transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

BACKGROUND: Moderate-to-severe mitral regurgitation is present in 20-35% of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and the current literature lacks simple echocardiographic parameters, which can predict post-TAVR changes in mitral regurgitation. The aim of this study is to investigate the echocardiographic predictors of improvement or worsening of mitral regurgitation in patients undergoing TAVR with moderate-to-severe mitral regurgitation. METHODS: This retrospective study included 113 patients who underwent TAVR with preoperative mitral regurgitation grade at least 2. Patients with concomitant coronary artery disease requiring treatment were excluded. Mitral regurgitation was related to the annular dilatation or tethering mechanism in all patients. Preoperative and postoperative echocardiographies were compared in terms of mitral regurgitation and other commonly measured parameters. RESULTS: After TAVR, a reduction in mitral regurgitation was observed in 62.8% of cases. On the basis of the difference between postoperative and preoperative echocardiograms, 71 patients had improved mitral regurgitation, whereas 42 patients had stable or worsened mitral regurgitation. After analyzing preoperative echocardiographic parameters with regard to this group difference, left atrial volume index (LAVI) was the only variable that was different between groups (33.4 ±â€Š4.8 ml/m in improved mitral regurgitation vs. 39.8 ±â€Š3.0 ml/m in not improved mitral regurgitation, P < 0.001). In a multivariable logistic regression model, a LAVI increase was associated with lack of an acute reduction in mitral regurgitation (odds ratio = 1.41, P < 0.001) after adjustment for age and preoperative serum creatinine. CONCLUSION: Higher preoperative LAVI is a determinant predictor of lack of an acute reduction in mitral regurgitation after TAVR, and LAVI could be used as a stratifying tool to tailor the treatment strategy and the timing of the procedures. However, validation of these results and long-term outcomes are warranted to support those conclusions.

Peripheral versus central extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for postcardiotomy shock: Multicenter registry, systematic review, and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: We hypothesized that cannulation strategy in venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) could play a crucial role in the perioperative survival of patients affected by postcardiotomy shock. METHODS: Between January 2010 and March 2018, 781 adult patients receiving VA-ECMO for postcardiotomy shock at 19 cardiac surgical centers were retrieved from the Postcardiotomy Veno-arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation study registry. A parallel systematic review and meta-analysis (PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library) through December 2018 was also accomplished. RESULTS: Central and peripheral VA-ECMO cannulation were performed in 245 (31.4%) and 536 (68.6%) patients, respectively. Main indications for the institution VA-ECMO were failure to wean from cardiopulmonary bypass (38%) and heart failure following cardiopulmonary bypass weaning (48%). The doubly robust analysis after inverse probability treatment weighting by propensity score demonstrated that central VA-ECMO was associated with greater hospital mortality (odds ratio 1.54; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-2.18), reoperation for bleeding/tamponade (odds ratio, 1.96; 95% confidence interval, 1.37-2.81), and transfusion of more than 9 RBC units (odds ratio, 2.42; 95% confidence interval, 1.59-3.67). The systematic review provided a total of 2491 individuals with postcardiotomy shock treated with VA-ECMO. Pooled prevalence of in-hospital/30-day mortality in overall patient population was 66.6% (95% confidence interval, 64.7-68.4%), and pooled unadjusted risk ratio analysis confirmed that patients undergoing peripheral VA-ECMO had a lower in-hospital/30-day mortality than patients undergoing central cannulation (risk ratio, 0.92; 95% confidence interval, 0.87-0.98). Adjustments for important confounders did not alter our results. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with postcardiotomy shock treated with VA-ECMO, central cannulation was associated with greater in-hospital mortality than peripheral cannulation.

Prognostic Significance of Arterial Lactate Levels at Weaning from Postcardiotomy Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

BACKGROUND: The outcome after weaning from postcardiotomy venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is poor. In this study, we investigated the prognostic impact of arterial lactate levels at the time of weaning from postcardiotomy VA. METHODS: This analysis included 338 patients from the multicenter PC-ECMO registry with available data on arterial lactate levels at weaning from VA-ECMO. RESULTS: Arterial lactate levels at weaning from VA-ECMO (adjusted OR 1.426, 95%CI 1.157-1.758) was an independent predictor of hospital mortality, and its best cutoff values was 1.6 mmol/L (<1.6 mmol/L, 26.2% vs. ≥ 1.6 mmol/L, 45.0%; adjusted OR 2.489, 95%CI 1.374-4.505). When 261 patients with arterial lactate at VA-ECMO weaning ≤2.0 mmol/L were analyzed, a cutoff of arterial lactate of 1.4 mmol/L for prediction of hospital mortality was identified (<1.4 mmol/L, 24.2% vs. ≥1.4 mmol/L, 38.5%, p = 0.014). Among 87 propensity score-matched pairs, hospital mortality was significantly higher in patients with arterial lactate ≥1.4 mmol/L (39.1% vs. 23.0%, p = 0.029) compared to those with lower arterial lactate. CONCLUSIONS: Increased arterial lactate levels at the time of weaning from postcardiotomy VA-ECMO increases significantly the risk of hospital mortality. Arterial lactate may be useful in guiding optimal timing of VA-ECMO weaning.

Fibroelastoma in an unusual location: a rare cause of multiple cerebrovascular events.

Fibroelastomas are rare, primary cardiac tumours with a predilection for valvular endothelium and a propensity to embolise. We present the case of a 72-year-old male with multiple cerebrovascular events (CVA) despite oral anticoagulation. Transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) revealed a small highly mobile left atrial mass with frond-like projections attached by a stalk to the orifice of the LAA. The mass was surgically excised and confirmed to be a fibroelastoma on histological examination. This case report describes a rare but treatable source of multiple cerebrovascular events and highlights the utility of TOE in the assessment of cardiac embolic source. LEARNING POINTS: Fibroelastomas are most commonly found on left-sided heart valves (aortic > mitral) and have the potential to cause systemic emboli associated with significant morbidity and mortality.A left atrial appendage (LAA) mass in a patient presenting with cerebrovascular events does not always represent thrombus. Uncommon aetiologies such as a cardiac tumour should be considered in the differential diagnosis.Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) does not provide an accurate assessment of the LAA and should not be used to detect pathology within this structure. Transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) is superior to TTE in imaging the LAA and provides a complete delineation of its anatomy. In addition, TOE can detect very small highly mobile lesions (as described in this case), which may be missed on other imaging modalities.

Neurological outcomes after on-pump vs off-pump CABG in patients with cerebrovascular disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: The possible association of off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) with reduced risk of postoperative stroke and enhanced benefits in high-risk patients support the hypothesis that patients with a positive history of cerebrovascular disease would benefit from off-pump coronary surgery. This study aims to investigate the impact of off-pump CABG on the incidence of postoperative neurologic events in patients with a previous history of cerebrovascular disease. METHODS: From January 2015 to September 2018, 414 patients underwent isolated CABG with a previous history of transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke: 295 patients had on-pump CABG and 119 patients had off-pump CABG. Neurological outcomes of interest are postoperative stroke (transient or permanent), delirium requiring pharmacological treatment or a combination of both, collectively defined "Major Adverse Neurological Events" (MANE). Propensity score (PS) adjusted analysis has been used for regression models. RESULTS: Off-pump CABG carried a lower incidence of postoperative stroke (3.4% vs 9.8%, P = .046, PS-adjusted odds ratio 0.34 with P = .044). Postoperative delirium occurred more than twice as often in the on-pump group (11.5% vs 4.2%, P = .034, PS-adjusted odds ratio 2.78 with P = .043). The composite outcome of MANE occurred in 20.3% in the on-pump group, and in 7.6% in the off-pump group (P = .003). Other complications were similar between groups. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with a previous TIA or stroke, off-pump CABG is associated with a reduced risk of stroke, delirium, and postoperative adverse neurological events, compared to on-pump CABG. Patients with high neurological risk can potentially benefit from off-pump CABG, due to an overall reduction of postoperative neurological complications.