Inferior vena cava tumor thrombus: clinical outcomes at a canadian tertiary center.

OBJECTIVE: This study reports the surgical management and outcomes of patients with malignancies affecting the IVC. METHODS: This was a retrospective study that considered patients undergoing surgery for IVC thrombectomy in Calgary, Canada, from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2021. Parameters of interest included primary malignancy, the extent of IVC involvement, surgical strategy, and medium-term outcomes. RESULTS: Six patients underwent surgical intervention for malignancies that affected the IVC. One patient had a retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma, 1 had hepatocellular carcinoma with thrombus extending into the IVC and right atrium, 1 had adrenocortical carcinoma with IVC thrombus extending into the right atrium, and 3 had clear cell renal cell carcinoma with thrombus extending into the IVC. Surgical strategy for the IVC thrombectomy varied where 5 patients required the institution of cardiopulmonary bypass and underwent deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. No patient died perioperatively. One patient died 15-months post-operatively from aggressive malignancy. CONCLUSION: Different types of malignancy can affect the IVC and surgical intervention is usually indicated for these patients. Herein, we have reported the outcomes of IVC thrombectomy at our center.

Cardiac surgery elicits pericardial inflammatory responses that are distinct compared with postcardiopulmonary bypass systemic inflammation.

Objectives: Cardiac surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass contributes to a robust systemic inflammatory process. Local intrapericardial postsurgical inflammation is believed to trigger important clinical implications, such as postoperative atrial fibrillation and postsurgical intrathoracic adhesions. Immune mediators in the pericardial space may underlie such complications. Methods: In this prospective pilot clinical study, 12 patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery were enrolled. Native pericardial fluid and venous blood samples (baseline) were collected immediately after pericardiotomy. Postoperative pericardial fluid and venous blood samples were collected 48-hours after cardiopulmonary bypass and compared with baseline. Flow cytometry determined proportions of specific immune cells, whereas multiplex analysis probed for inflammatory mediators. Results: Neutrophils are the predominant cells in both the pericardial space and peripheral blood postoperatively. There are significantly more CD163lo macrophages in blood compared with pericardial effluent after surgery. Although there are significantly more CD163hi macrophages in native pericardial fluid compared with baseline blood, after surgery there are significantly fewer of these cells present in the pericardial space compared with blood. Postoperatively, concentration of interleukin receptor antagonist 6, and interleukin 8 were significantly higher in the pericardial space compared with blood. After surgery, compared with blood, the pericardial space has a significantly higher concentration of matrix metalloproteinase 3, matrix metalloproteinase 8, and matrix metalloproteinase 9. The same trend was observed with transformational growth factor ß. Conclusions: Cardiac surgery elicits an inflammatory response in the pericardial space, which differs from systemic inflammatory responses. Future work should determine whether or not this distinct local inflammatory response contributes to postsurgical complications and could be modified to influence clinical outcomes.

Brain death post cardiac surgery: A modified apnea test to confirm death by neurologic criteria for a patient on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Death by neurologic criteria (DNC) requires coma, absent brainstem reflexes, and the inability to breathe independently during apnea testing (AT). For patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), this clinical determination is more challenging. Herein, we report the case of a patient with DNC on ECMO post cardiac surgery, highlighting various considerations to the process and modifications required for AT.

Comprehensive characterization of the postoperative pericardial inflammatory response: Potential implications for clinical outcomes.

Objective: There is a paucity of data on the inflammatory response that takes place in the pericardial space after cardiac surgery. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the local postoperative inflammatory response. Methods: Forty-three patients underwent cardiotomy, where native pericardial fluid was aspirated and compared with postoperative pericardial effluent collected at 4, 24, and 48 hours' postcardiopulmonary bypass. Flow cytometry was used to define the levels and proportions of specific immune cells. Samples were also probed for concentrations of inflammatory cytokines, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). Results: Preoperatively, the pericardial space mainly contains macrophages and T cells. However, the postsurgical pericardial space was populated predominately by neutrophils, which constituted almost 80% of immune cells present, and peaked at 24 hours. When surgical approaches were compared, minimally invasive surgery was associated with fewer neutrophils in the pericardial space at 4 hours' postsurgery. Analysis of the intrapericardial concentrations of inflammatory mediators showed interleukin-6, MMP-9, and TIMP-1 to be highest postsurgery. Over time, MMP-9 concentrations decreased significantly, whereas TIMP-1 levels increased, resulting in a significant reduction of the ratio of MMP:TIMP after surgery, suggesting that active inflammatory processes may influence extracellular matrix remodeling. Conclusions: These results show that cardiac surgery elicits profound alterations in the immune cell profile in the pericardial space. Defining the cellular and molecular mediators that drive pericardial-specific postoperative inflammatory processes may allow for targeted therapies to reduce immune-mediated complications.

Mitral valve surgery for marantic endocarditis and multiple cerebral embolisation.

Valvular involvement is common in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) with increased risk of thrombo-embolic events. We report a patient with APS and multiple cerebral infarcts. Echocardiography demonstrated verrucous vegetations of the mitral valve in keeping with marantic endocarditis. The patient underwent successful mitral valve replacement. Post-operative clinical and echocardiographic follow-up showed excellent short term results.

Glycemic control in diabetic and non-diabetic cardiac surgical patients and length of hospital stay.

BACKGROUND: Maintaining blood glucose levels (BGL) within normoglycemic range has been shown to reduce morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. However, there is little evidence that maintenance of normoglycemic BGL is beneficial for diabetic and non-diabetic patients who undergo cardiac surgery. PURPOSE: To examine the relationship between BGL and length of stay (LOS) of cardiac surgical patients. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Safer Healthcare Now Project database in the cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU) at the Foothills Medical Centre, Calgary, Alberta, and included two BGL from cardiac surgery patients: BGL 1 was collected within four hours preoperatively, BGL 2 was collected postoperatively 24 hours after BGL 1. CVICU LOS and total hospital LOS were obtained from the Tracer database of the Department of Critical Care Medicine, Calgary Health Region. Demographic, clinical, and surgical data were collected from health records. RESULTS: For the 398 patients, no relationship was found between pre- and postoperative BGL and LOS. Although pre- and postoperative BGL were not different between diabetics and non-diabetics, diabetics had longer CVICU LOS and total hospital LOS. Age, preoperative HgbA1C, type of surgery, cross-clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass times, APACHE II scores, and postoperative complications also affected LOS. CONCLUSION: In this cohort of cardiac surgical patients, pre- and postoperative BGL did not affect LOS.

Prophylactic Oral Amiodarone for the Prevention of Arrhythmias that Begin Early After Revascularization, Valve Replacement, or Repair: PAPABEAR: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT: Atrial tachyarrhythmias after cardiac surgery are associated with adverse outcomes and increased costs. Previous trials of amiodarone prophylaxis, while promising, were relatively small and yielded conflicting results. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a brief perioperative course of oral amiodarone is an effective and safe prophylaxis for atrial tachyarrhythmias after cardiac surgery overall and in important subgroups. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: Double-blind randomized controlled trial of 601 patients listed for nonemergent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and/or valve replacement/repair surgery between February 1, 1999, and September 26, 2003, at a tertiary care hospital. The patients were followed up for 1 year. INTERVENTION: Oral amiodarone (10 mg/kg daily) or placebo administered 6 days prior to surgery through 6 days after surgery (13 days). Randomization was stratified for subgroups defined by age, type of surgery, and use of preoperative beta-blockers. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Incidence of atrial tachyarrhythmias lasting 5 minutes or longer that prompted therapy by the sixth postoperative day. RESULTS: Atrial tachyarrhythmias occurred in fewer amiodarone patients (48/299; 16.1%) than in placebo patients (89/302; 29.5%) overall (hazard ratio [HR], 0.52; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.34-0.69; P<.001); in patients younger than 65 years (19 [11.2%] vs 36 [21.1%]; HR, 0.51 [95% CI, 0.28-0.94]; P = .02); in patients aged 65 years or older (28 [21.7%] vs 54 [41.2%]; HR, 0.45 [95% CI, 0.27-0.75]; P<.001); in patients who had CABG surgery only (22 [11.3%] vs 46 [23.6%]; HR, 0.45 [95% CI, 0.26-0.79]; P = .002); in patients who had valve replacement/repair surgery with or without CABG surgery (25 [23.8%] vs 44 [44.1%]; HR, 0.51 [95% CI, 0.31-0.84; P = .008); in patients who received preoperative beta-blocker therapy (27 [15.3%] vs 42 [25.0%]; HR, 0.58 [95% CI, 0.34-0.99]; P = .03); and in patients who did not receive preoperative beta-blocker therapy (20 [16.3%] vs 48 [35.8%]; HR, 0.40 [95% CI, 0.22-0.71]; P<.001), respectively. Postoperative sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias occurred less frequently in amiodarone patients (1/299; 0.3%) than in placebo patients (8/302; 2.6%) (P = .04). Dosage reductions of blinded therapy were more common in amiodarone patients (34/299; 11.4%) than in placebo patients (16/302; 5.3%) (P = .008). There were no differences in serious postoperative complications, in-hospital mortality, or readmission to the hospital within 6 months of discharge or in 1-year mortality. CONCLUSION: Oral amiodarone prophylaxis of atrial tachyarrhythmias after cardiac surgery is effective and may be safe overall and in important patient subgroups. Clinical Trials Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00251706.