Who needs their descending thoracic aorta anyway? Extra-anatomic bypass for aorto-bronchial fistula after TEVAR.

BACKGROUND: Aortobronchial fistula after TEVAR remains a vexing clinical problem associated with high mortality. Although a combination of endovascular and open surgical strategies have been reported in managing this pathology, there is as yet no definitive treatment algorithm that can be used for all patients. We discuss our approach to an aortobronchial fistula associated with an overtly infected aortic endograft. CASE PRESENTATION: A 49-year-old female sustained a traumatic aortic transection 14 years prior, managed by an endovascular stent-graft. Due to persistent endoleak, she underwent open replacement of her descending thoracic aorta 4 years later. Ten years after her open aortic surgery, the patient presented with hemoptysis, and a pseudoaneurysm at her distal aortic suture line was identified on computed tomography, whereupon she underwent placement of an endograft. Eight weeks later, she presented with dyspnea, recurrent hemoptysis, malaise and fever, with clinical and radiographic evidence of an aortobronchial communication and an infected aortic stent-graft. The patient underwent management via a two-stage open surgical approach, constituting an extra-anatomic bypass from her ascending aorta to distal descending aorta and subsequent radical excision of her descending aorta with all associated infected prosthetic material and repair of the airway. CONCLUSION: Aortobronchial fistula after TEVAR represents a challenging complex clinical scenario. Extra-anatomic aortic bypass followed by radical debridement of all contaminated tissue may provide the best option for durable longer-term outcomes.

Patient Satisfaction Scores After Cardiac Surgery: Should They Be Risk-Adjusted?

The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Health Care Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) is a survey tool that quantifies patient satisfaction after hospitalization. We sought to interrogate our HCAHPS results in order to identify any association between preoperative health, type of operation, and postoperative outcomes, with patient satisfaction after cardiac surgery. Of 12,572 patients who underwent cardiac surgery between December 2012 and December 2019, 2587 patients (20.6%) completed the HCAHPS survey. Patient satisfaction was quantified using HCAHPS responses, focused on 'top-box' rating in nursing care, physician care, hospital environment, and overall hospital rating, as primary endpoints. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify those variables associated with top-box scores. Elevated patient risk, as measured by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) risk score in 2112 patients, was predictive of lower rates of top-box responses in nursing care (OR 0.963, P = 0.003), physician care (OR 0.96, P = 0.002), and overall hospital rating (OR 0.97, P = 0.007). Major postoperative complications were associated with lower patient satisfaction for nursing care (OR 0.67, P = 0.038), physician care (OR 0.59, P = 0.012), and overall hospital rating (OR 0.64, P = 0.035); length of stay ≥ 6 days was associated with increased patient satisfaction for nursing care (OR 1.45, P < 0.001). Increased preoperative risk and postoperative complications are associated with lower rates of top-box patient satisfaction scores after cardiac surgery. When assessing patient satisfaction after cardiac surgery, we suggest that a preoperative risk profile be considered.

Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass: An Evolving Paradigm Over the Past 25 Years.

OBJECTIVE: We have routinely utilized minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB) for revascularization of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. We examined how this procedure has evolved. METHODS: A retrospective review was undertaken of 2,283 consecutive patients who underwent MIDCAB between 1997 and 2021. Patients were divided into 3 groups: group A from 1997 to 2002 (n = 751, 32.9%), group B from 2003 to 2009 (n = 452, 19.8%), and group C from 2009 to 2021 (n = 1,080, 47.3%). Risk profiles and short-term outcomes were analyzed for the entire cohort and for 293 propensity-matched patients drawn from each group. RESULTS: The left internal mammary artery was harvested open in group A but with robotic assistance in group C. Thirty-day mortality was higher in group A versus group C (12 deaths, 1.6% vs 5 deaths, 0.5%, P = 0.044); this difference was negated after propensity matching. Group A had more comorbidities than group C, including peripheral vascular disease (17.7% vs 10.0%, P < 0.001), congestive heart failure (39.6% vs 18.0%, P < 0.001), and a history of stroke (17.9% vs 10.0%, P < 0.001), although diabetes mellitus was more common in group C (51.4% vs 31.0%, P < 0.001). Stroke was greater in group A (1.2% vs 0.0% vs 0.2%, respectively, P = 0.004), as was the need for prolonged ventilation (3.6% vs 0.2% vs 0.9%, respectively, P < 0.001), before and after propensity matching. CONCLUSIONS: MIDCAB patients had less comorbidities than in the past. Robot-assisted MIDCAB was associated with lower stroke risk.

Deep Versus Moderate Hypothermia in Acute Type A Aortic Dissection: A Propensity-Matched Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The ideal temperature for hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA) during acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) repair has yet to be determined. We examined the clinical impact of different degrees of hypothermia during dissection repair. METHODS: Out of 240 cases of ATAAD between June 2014 and December 2019, 228 patients were divided into two groups according to lowest intraoperative temperature: moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest (MHCA) (20-28°C) versus deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) (<20°C). From this, 74 pairs of propensity-matched patients were analysed with respect to operative data and short-term clinical outcomes. Independent predictors of a composite outcome of 30-day mortality and stroke were identified. RESULTS: Mean lowest temperature was 25.5±3.9°C in the MHCA group versus 16.0±2.9°C in DHCA. Overall 30-day mortality of matched cohort was 11.5% (17 deaths), there were no significant different between matched groups. Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) times were longer in DHCA (221.0±69.9 vs 190.7±74.5 mins, p=0.01). Antegrade cerebral perfusion (ACP) during HCA predicted a lower composite risk of 30-day mortality and stroke (OR 0.38). Female sex (OR 4.71), lower extremity ischaemia at presentation (OR 3.07), and CPB >235 minutes (OR 2.47), all portended worse postoperative outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: A surgical strategy of MHCA is at least as safe as DHCA during repair of acute type A aortic dissection. ACP during HCA is associated with reduced 30-day mortality and stroke, whereas female sex, lower extremity ischaemia, and longer CPB times are all predictive of poorer short-term outcomes.

Factor eight inhibiting bypass activity for refractory bleeding in acute type A aortic dissection repair: A propensity-matched analysis.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative bleeding and transfusion have been associated with adverse outcomes after cardiac surgery. The use of factor eight inhibiting bypass activity (FEIBA) in managing bleeding after repair of acute Stanford type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) has not previously been evaluated. We report our experience in utilizing FEIBA in ATAAD repair. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A retrospective review was undertaken of all consecutive patients who underwent repair of ATAAD between July 2014 and December 2019. Patients were divided into two groups, dependent upon whether or not they received FEIBA intraoperatively: "FEIBA" (n = 112) versus "no FEIBA" (n = 119). From this, 53 propensity-matched pairs of patients were analyzed with respect to transfusion requirements and short-term clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Thirty-day mortality for the entire cohort was 11.7% (27 deaths), not significantly different between patient groups. Those patients who received FEIBA demonstrated reduced transfusion requirements for all types of blood products in the first 48 h after surgery as compared with the "no FEIBA" cases, including red blood cells, platelets, plasma, and cryoprecipitate (p < .0001). There was no significant difference in major postoperative morbidity between the two groups. The FEIBA cohort did not demonstrate an increased incidence of thrombotic complications (stroke, deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary thromboembolism). DISCUSSION: When used as rescue therapy for refractory bleeding following repair of ATAAD, FEIBA appears to be effective in decreasing postoperative transfusion requirements whilst not negatively impacting clinical outcomes. These findings should prompt further investigation and validation via larger, multi-center, randomized trials.

Repair of left ventricular aneurysm in the setting of noncompaction.

Although left ventricular (LV) aneurysm is a well-described complication of ischemic heart disease, it may less frequently develop in the setting of normal coronary anatomy and myocardial blood supply. LV noncompaction (LVNC) is a particularly rare etiology of LV aneurysm; in the few cases previously reported in the literature, non-surgical management was pursued. In this report, we discuss the surgical repair of an 'idiopathic' LV aneurysm in a patient who presented with multiple thromboembolic events, with LVNC as the likely etiology on the underlying LV pathology. .

Robotic-assisted closed-chest management of a fungal-infected prosthetic aortic graft: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Fungal prosthetic graft infections are associated with high mortality, typically requiring aggressive surgical debridement. We present an alternative, minimally invasive approach to address these challenging clinical cases. CASE PRESENTATION: A 76-year-old Caucasian male with prior aortic root and arch replacement presented with localized chest wall tenderness after being hit by a car door. Computed tomography angiogram incidentally identified fluid in the anterior mediastinum, surrounding his ascending aortic graft. Rather than undertaking a high-risk reoperative sternotomy and redo complex aortic reconstruction, we elected to proceed with a robotic-assisted, minimally invasive debridement of the aortic graft, coupled with an omental wrap, entirely within the closed chest. Microbiology was positive for Aspergillus species. The patient made an uncomplicated recovery and was discharged home on antifungal therapy, likely to continue indefinitely. CONCLUSIONS: Infected prosthetic aortic grafts can be successfully managed with debridement and pedicled omental flap coverage via a minimally invasive approach within the closed chest, obviating the morbidity of a complex reoperative open procedure.

Transfusion in Root Replacement for Aortic Dissection: The STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Transfusion in acute aortic syndromes has been studied in a limited fashion. We sought to describe contemporary transfusion practice for root replacement in acute (Stanford) type A aortic dissection. METHODS: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database was interrogated to identify patients who underwent primary aortic root replacement for acute (Stanford) type A aortic dissection (July 2014 to June 2017). Patients (n = 1558) were stratified by type of root replacement. Multivariate regression was used to determine those variables associated with transfusion and postoperative morbidity. RESULTS: Transfusion was required in 90.5% of cases (n = 1410). Operative mortality for all patients was 17.3% (261 deaths). Intraoperative red blood cell transfusion portended reduced short-term survival (odds ratio [OR] 2.00, P = .025). Massive postoperative transfusion was associated with prolonged ventilation (OR 13.47, P < .001), sepsis (OR 4.13, P < .001), and new dialysis-dependent renal failure (OR 2.43, P < .001). Women were more likely to require transfusion (OR 3.03, P < .001), as were patients who had coronary artery bypass (OR 1.57, P = .009), and those in shock (OR 2.27, P < .001). Valve-sparing aortic root replacement was associated with reduced transfusion requirements vs composite roots. Institutional case volume was not appreciably correlated with transfusion. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients undergoing root replacement for aortic dissection require blood products. Composite root replacement is associated with a greater likelihood of transfusion than a valve-sparing operation. Transfusion independently foreshadows greater operative mortality.

Management of acute type A aortic dissection in the elderly: an analysis from IRAD.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to examine management and outcomes of (Stanford) type A aortic dissection (TAAAD) in patients aged >70 years. METHODS: All patients with TAAAD enrolled in the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection database (1996-2018) were studied (n = 5553). Patients were stratified by age and therapeutic strategy. Outcomes for octogenarians were compared with those for septuagenarians. Variables associated with in-hospital mortality were identified by multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: In-hospital mortality for all patients (all ages) was 19.7% (1167 deaths), 16.1% after surgical intervention vs 52.1% for medical management (P < 0.001). Of the study population, 1281 patients (21.6%) were aged 71-80 years and 475 (8.0%) were >80 years. Fewer octogenarians underwent surgery versus septuagenarians (68.1% vs 85.9%, P < 0.001). Overall mortality was higher for octogenarians versus septuagenarians (32.0% vs 25.6%, P = 0.008); however, surgical mortality was similar (25.1% vs 21.7%, P = 0.205). Postoperative complications were comparable between surgically managed cohorts, although reoperation for bleeding was more common in septuagenarians (8.1% vs 3.2%, P = 0.033). Kaplan-Meier 5-year survival was significantly superior after surgical repair in all age groups, including septuagenarians (57.0% vs 13.7%, P < 0.001) and octogenarians (35.5% vs 22.6%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: When compared with septuagenarians, a smaller percentage of octogenarians undergo surgical repair for TAAAD, even though postoperative outcomes are similar. Age alone should not preclude consideration for surgery in appropriately selected patients with TAAAD.

Minimally invasive coronary bypass versus percutaneous coronary intervention for isolated complex stenosis of the left anterior descending coronary artery.

OBJECTIVE: Debate continues as to the optimal minimally invasive treatment modality for complex disease of the left anterior descending coronary artery, with advocates for both robotic-assisted minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass and percutaneous coronary intervention with a drug-eluting stent. We analyzed the midterm outcomes of patients with isolated left anterior descending disease, revascularized by minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass or drug-eluting stent percutaneous coronary intervention, focusing on those with complex lesion anatomy. METHODS: A retrospective review was undertaken of all patients who underwent coronary revascularization between January 2008 and December 2016. From this population, 158 propensity-matched pairs of patients were generated from 158 individuals who underwent minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass for isolated complex left anterior descending disease and from 373 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention using a second-generation drug-eluting stent. Midterm survival and incidence of repeat left anterior descending intervention were analyzed for both patient groups. RESULTS: Overall 9-year survival was not significantly different between patient groups both before and after propensity matching. Midterm mortality in the matched minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass group was low, irrespective of patient risk profile. By contrast, advanced age (hazard ratio, 1.10; P = .012) and obesity (hazard ratio, 1.09; P = .044) predicted increased late death after drug-eluting stent percutaneous coronary intervention among matched patients. Patients who underwent minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass were significantly less likely to require repeat left anterior descending revascularization than those who had percutaneous coronary intervention, both before and after propensity matching. Smaller stent diameter in drug-eluting stent percutaneous coronary intervention was associated with increased left anterior descending reintervention (hazard ratio, 3.53; P = .005). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with complex disease of the left anterior descending artery, both minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass and percutaneous coronary intervention are associated with similar excellent intermediate-term survival, although reintervention requirements are lower after surgery.

Transfusion in Elective Proximal Aortic Reconstruction: Where Do We Currently Stand?

Aortic procedures are associated with higher risks of bleeding, yet data regarding perioperative transfusion in this patient population are lacking. We evaluated transfusion patterns in patients undergoing proximal aortic surgery to provide a benchmark against which future standards can be assessed. Between June 2014 and July 2017, 247 patients underwent elective aortic reconstruction for aneurysm. Patients with acute aortic syndrome, endocarditis, and/or prior cardiac surgery were excluded. Transfusion data were analyzed by type of operation: ascending aorta replacement ± aortic valve procedure (group 1, n = 122, 49.4%); aortic root replacement with a composite valve-graft conduit ± ascending aorta replacement (group 2, n = 93, 37.7%); valve-sparing aortic root replacement (VSARR) ± ascending aorta replacement (group 3, n = 32, 13.0%). Thirty-day mortality for the entire cohort was 2.02% (5 deaths). Overall, 75 patients (30.4%) did not require any transfusion of blood or other products. Patients in groups 1 and 3 were significantly more likely to avoid transfusion than those in group 2. Mean transfusion volume for any individual patient was modest; those who underwent VSARR (group 3) required less intraoperative red blood cells (RBC) than others. Intraoperative transfusion of RBC was independently associated with an increased risk of death at 30 days. Elective proximal aortic reconstruction can be performed without the need for excessive utilization of blood products. Composite root replacement is associated with a greater need for transfusion than either VSARR or isolated replacement of the ascending aorta.

Marijuana: An Underappreciated Risk Factor for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection?

BACKGROUND: Stimulants such as cocaine and amphetamines are well-established risk factors for acute aortic dissection. Despite the fact that marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States, its relationship to acute aortic syndromes has not been well studied. METHODS: A comprehensive retrospective review was undertaken of all consecutive patients who presented with acute Stanford type A aortic dissection from January 2017 to December 2019. Of 152 patients identified, 51 (33.6%) underwent comprehensive urine toxicology screening at clinical presentation. The characteristics and outcomes of the patients with urine results positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (n = 9, 17.6%) were compared with the 42 patients who had no evidence of recent marijuana consumption. RESULTS: Of the 51 dissection patients who underwent broad-spectrum urine toxicology screening upon presentation, 9 (17.6%) returned positive results for THC, a proportion higher than would be expected for the general population. All THC patients were male; 3 concurrently tested positive for cocaine, and 3 others had evidence of recent amphetamine use. The THC patients were significantly younger than the non-THC patients (mean ± standard deviation age 48 ± 11.3 versus 61.4 ± 12.3 years, respectively, P = .004). A greater proportion of the THC cohort had a known diagnosis of aortic aneurysm before the dissection (44.4% versus 4.8%, P = .006). All patients underwent expeditious surgical repair. Thirty-day mortality for the entire cohort of 51 patients was 19.6% (10 deaths); for the THC group, it was 11.1% (1 death). There was no difference in the incidence of major postoperative complications between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: Marijuana is the third most commonly used substance in the United States, after alcohol and tobacco. Although marijuana use is understudied, our results suggest that marijuana may be a contributing risk factor for acute type A aortic dissection, particularly in patients with other predisposing risk factors. Given the recent national trend to legalize marijuana, with the concomitant potential for exponential increases in its consumption, we suggest that the diagnosis of aortic dissection be considered earlier in any younger patient who presents with suggestive symptoms, especially if there is a history of recent marijuana use.

Moderate Versus Deep Hypothermia in Type A Acute Aortic Dissection Repair: Insights from the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection.

BACKGROUND: The optimal strategy for cerebral protection during repair of type A acute aortic dissection has yet to be determined. We sought to determine the impact of differing degrees of hypothermia in patients undergoing acute dissection repair. METHODS: All patients in the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection Interventional Cohort database who underwent type A acute aortic dissection repair between 2010 and 2018 were identified. Data for operative temperature were available for 1962 patients subsequently divided into 2 groups according to lowest temperature: moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest (MHCA) (20-28°C) versus deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) (<20°C). We then propensity matched 362 pairs of patients and analyzed operative data and short-term outcomes. RESULTS: The median lowest temperature was 25.0°C in the matched MHCA group as compared with 18.0°C in the DHCA group. For the entire cohort of 1962 patients, in-hospital mortality was 14.2% (278 deaths) but was not significantly different between DHCA and MHCA. The perioperative stroke rate was comparable between groups, before and after propensity matching. Circulatory arrest times were significantly longer in the MHCA cohort, regardless of matching. Use of antegrade or retrograde cerebral perfusion was similar in matched groups. There were no differences in 30-day survival or in other major postoperative morbidity between the 2 matched cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: A surgical strategy of MHCA + antegrade cerebral perfusion is at least as safe as DHCA during repair of acute type A aortic dissection.

Preoperative multidetector computed tomography for isolated surgical aortic valve replacement: Planning for future transcatheter options.

BACKGROUND: Valve-in-valve (ViV) transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become a valuable option in patients with bioprosthetic failure. However, potential issues with ViV TAVR may occur in patients with high-risk anatomy for coronary obstruction and patients with baseline smaller bioprosthetic valves at risk for patient prosthesis mismatch. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to use preoperative electrocardiography-gated, multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in patients undergoing isolated surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) to (1) identify which would be high risk for coronary occlusion with ViV TAVR, and (2) predict intraoperative SAVR sizing. METHODS: Among 223 patients from our institutions' database that underwent SAVR for aortic insufficiency (AI) or aortic stenosis (AS) between January 2012 and January 2020, 48 patients had MDCT imaging before surgery (AI; n = 31, AS; n = 17). Of all patients, 67% (n = 32) were bicuspid morphology. RESULTS: With the use of virtual valve implantation, all patients with AI and bicuspid AS had feasible anatomy for ViV TAVR, while 38% of patients with tricuspid AS were high risk for coronary obstruction. There was a strong correlation between actual valve size implanted and preoperative MDCT measurements using annulus average diameter, area, and/or perimeter. CONCLUSION: Preoperative MDCT in patients undergoing SAVR is a useful tool for lifetime management, particularly in patients with tricuspid AS. Decisions for surgical management may change based on MDCT's ability to predict intraoperative SAVR size and determine which patients may be high-risk candidates for future ViV TAVR due to coronary artery obstruction.

The use of innominate artery cannulation for antegrade cerebral perfusion in aortic dissection.

BACKGROUND: Direct cannulation of the innominate artery for selective antegrade cerebral perfusion has been shown to be safe in elective proximal aortic reconstructions. We sought to evaluate the safety of this technique in acute aortic dissection. METHODS: A multi-institutional retrospective review was undertaken of patients who underwent proximal aortic reconstruction for Stanford type A dissection between 2006 and 2016. Those patients who had direct innominate artery cannulation for selective antegrade cerebral perfusion were selected for analysis. RESULTS: Seventy-five patients underwent innominate artery cannulation for ACP for Stanford Type A Dissections. Isolated replacement of the ascending aorta was performed in 36 patients (48.0%), concomitant aortic root replacement was required in 35 patients (46.7%), of whom 7 had a valve-sparing aortic root replacement, ascending aorta and arch replacement was required in 4 patients (5%). Other procedures included frozen elephant trunk (n = 11 (14.7%)), coronary artery bypass grafting (n = 20 (26.7%)), and peripheral arterial bypass (n = 4 (5.3%)). Mean hypothermic circulatory arrest time was 19 ± 13 min. Thirty-day mortality was 14.7% (n = 11). Perioperative stroke occurred in 7 patients (9.3%). CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first comprehensive review of direct innominate artery cannulation through median sternotomy for selective antegrade cerebral perfusion in aortic dissection. Our experience suggests that this strategy is a safe and effective technique compared to other reported methods of cannulation and cerebral protection for delivering selective antegrade cerebral perfusion in these cases.

Long-term survival in triple-vessel disease: Hybrid coronary revascularization compared to contemporary revascularization methods.

BACKGROUND: Hybrid coronary revascularization (HCR) constitutes a left internal mammary artery graft to the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery, coupled with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for non-LAD lesions. This management strategy is not commonly offered to patients with complex multivessel disease. Our objective was to evaluate 8-year survival in patients with triple-vessel disease (TVD) treated by HCR, compared with that of concurrent matched patients managed by traditional coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or multivessel PCI. METHODS: A retrospective review was undertaken of 4805 patients with TVD who presented between January 2009 and December 2016. A cohort of 100 patients who underwent HCR were propensity-matched with patients treated by CABG or multivessel PCI. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality at 8 years. RESULTS: Patients with TVD who underwent HCR had similar 8-year mortality (5.0%) as did those with CABG (4.0%) or multivessel PCI (9.0%). A composite endpoint of death, repeat revascularization, and new myocardial infarction, was not significantly different between patient groups (HCR 21.0% vs CABG 15.0%, P = .36; HCR 21.0% vs PCI 25.0%, P = .60). Despite a higher baseline synergy between percutaneous coronary intervention with taxus and cardiac surgery(SYNTAX) score, HCR was able to achieve a lower residual SYNTAX score than multivessel PCI (P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: In select patients with TVD, long-term survival and FREEDOM from major adverse cardiovascular events after HCR are similar to that seen after traditional CABG or multivessel PCI. HCR should be considered for patients with multivessel disease, presuming a low residual SYNTAX score can be achieved.

Galactorrhea Following Minimally Invasive Reoperative Mitral Valve Replacement: An Unexpected Complication.

Galactorrhea, or nonpuerperal lactation, is a rare complication that can occur after trauma to the chest wall. Although galactorrhea has been reported after thoracic surgery, it has not been previously noted as a potential outcome following cardiac surgery. We present a unique case of hyperprolactinemic galactorrhea experienced by a 39-year-old nongravid female patient after having undergone reoperative mitral valve replacement via a right minithoracotomy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of spontaneous lactation occurring after cardiac surgery.

Acute Type A Aortic Dissection Repair After Hours: Does It Influence Outcomes?

BACKGROUND: Time of day has been associated with adverse outcomes in certain surgical pathologies. Because acute type A aortic dissection typically mandates immediate repair, relatively little attention has been paid to the potential impact of the day-night timing of the operation itself. We sought to determine whether patients with acute dissection treated during typical working hours demonstrated a difference in outcomes compared with those who required surgery after hours. METHODS: We undertook a comprehensive review of our prospectively collected database from July 2014 to October 2018. A total of 164 consecutive patients underwent primary repair of an acute type A dissection. Based on the procedure start time, patients were divided into 2 groups: working hours (7 am to 4 pm, Monday to Friday; n = 60), and after hours (all other times, including weekends and holidays; n = 104). We propensity-matched 58 pairs of patients and analyzed perioperative data and short-term clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Thirty-day mortality for all 164 patients was 10.4% (17 deaths), which was not significantly different between the matched groups (working-hours: 8 deaths [13.8%] versus after hours: 4 deaths [6.9%]; P = .36). Perfusion, cross-clamp, and circulatory arrest times did not differ between groups, nor did the types of aortic repairs performed. Postoperative complications were also comparable, including stroke, reoperation for bleeding, and new-onset renal failure requiring dialysis. CONCLUSIONS: Thirty-day mortality and major morbidity after acute type A dissection repair are independent of when the operation is performed. Expeditious surgical intervention is recommended for all primary acute type A dissection, irrespective of time of day.