Prevention, treatment and outcomes of left ventricular assist device driveline infections. A single Center experience.

INTRODUCTION: While the survival rates for patients with end-stage heart failure have dramatically improved with newer generations of left ventricular assist devices, LVAD-specific infections are important cause of morbidity, mortality, and hospital readmissions in these patients. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of all driveline infections in patients who had undergone LVAD implantation at a single cardiosurgical center. Between June 2013 and March 2017, 51 patients underwent implantation of LVAD. Among these, 12 received Heart Ware LVAD,34 Heart Mate II LVAD, and 5 Heart Mate III LVAD. The end goal for LVAD therapy was destination therapy in three patients and bridge-to-transplantation in 48 patients. RESULTS: One month, six months, and one-year survival rates were 90%, 85%, and 81%, respectively. Five patients developed driveline infections. Median time from LVAD implantation to driveline infections was 126 days. One of these patients underwent heart transplantation. Two patients were treated with antibiotics and surgical driveline repositioning with extensive debridement of the wound. Two patients with a chronic infection were treated conservatively with regular wound cleaning. CONCLUSION: Driveline infections remain a serious therapeutic challenge. With the development of surgical techniques and new devices, it is possible to reduce morbidity and increase survival rate in patients with implanted LVAD. KEY WORDS: Driveline, Infections, LVAD.

Successful establishment of a left ventricular assist device program in an emerging country: one year experience.

BACKGROUND: The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of patients with end-stage heart failure (HF) who underwent continuous flow left ventricular assist device (CF-LVAD) in a developing country and to compare to those reported by more developed countries. The secondary goal was on determining factors that may be connected to improved survival. METHODS: We prospectively analyzed 47 consecutive patients who underwent CF-LVAD at our institution. After one year the survival and adverse event profiles of patients were evaluated. At 3, 6 and 12 months, the cardiac, renal and liver function outcomes were assessed. RESULTS: The 30-day, 6-month and 1-year survival rates were 89%, 85% and 80%, respectively. A significant improvement in dimensions and ejection fraction of left ventricle, BNP, functional capacity, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and total bilirubin (P<0.05 for all) were noticed 3 months post-CF-LVAD implantation, and patients were stable throughout the entire first year follow up. In the group of patients with baseline renal dysfunction (RD) there were significant improvements of renal function (P=0.004), with no changes on follow up. 57% of patients exhibited some kind of adverse event, commonly in the form of bleeding. In multivariate Cox regression analysis renal failure was found to be as an independent risk factor for the overall survival (HR =13.1, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our data extends previous findings from centers of developed countries, that CF-LVAD is an adequate treatment option for patients suffering from end-stage HF, and encourages expansion of CF-LVAD implantation in developing countries with nascent HT program.

Kinking of the Outflow Graft, Consequent Ventricular Tachycardia, and the Need for Reoperation in a Patient with Left Ventricular Assist Device.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) have become a lifesaving solution for patients awaiting heart transplantation as well as an option to support the failing hearts of non-transplant candidates as a lifelong, or destination therapy (DT). Improvements in LVAD design have enabled greater durability and broader patient applicability, but not without complications. Ventricular arrhythmias in LVAD patients were considered benign in the early days of LVADs, but today are increasingly recognized for their harmful impact on morbidity and quality of life. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a 53-year-old male who underwent HeartWare left ventricular assist device (HVAD) implantation. During the postoperative period, the patient experienced ventricular tachycardia (VT) during a coughing episode, later found on CT to be due to significant angulation of the outflow graft. Following reoperation to shorten the outflow graft, the patient returned to hemodynamic stability, without VT or other arrhythmias. CONCLUSIONS: Innovative strategies in VT prevention and improved clinical outcomes in LVAD patients may be the result of better understanding of characteristics that predispose these patients to VT. This case report showed that an excessively long outflow graft with considerable kinking created significant VT, but reoperation to correct the length of the graft mitigated further VT complications.

[Surgical revascularization on the beating heart in patients with low ejection fraction].

INTRODUCTION: The subset of patients most likely to benefit from off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG) remains a controversial issue, but the technique has been proposed to decrease postoperative mortality and morbidity. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with a cardiopulmonary bypass carries a significant risk for patients with severe left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare off-pump to on-pump CABG in patients with ejection fraction (EF) lower than 30%. METHODS: Prospective randomized study was carried out between June 2004 and March 2006 at the Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases of the Clinical Centre of Serbia. Sixty prospectively randomized high-risk patients divided into two groups to undergo off-pump or on-pump CABG. All recruited patients had left ventricular ejection fraction lower than 30%. RESULTS: Thirty patients averaging 59.2 years of age underwent 2.30 grafts on pump, and another 30 averaging 59.6 years of age underwent 2.03 grafts off pump. OPCABG patients exhibited a significantly less release of TnI (average 0.71 micro/L) than on-pump patients (3.00 micro/L). Inotropic requirements were less in the off-pump group. The patients undergoing OPCABG received fewer units of blood and had shorter postoperative length of stay in intensive care unit and hospital stay. There was no significant difference in hospital mortality and complication rate. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that off-pump CABG in patients with poor LV function when compared with conventional CABG achieved similar number of grafts per patient, similar in-hospital outcomes, shorter length of stay, reduced transfusion requirement, and less myocardial injury.

Aortic dissection in the second trimester of pregnancy: is it possible to save both lives?

Aortic dissection during pregnancy is a potentially catastrophic clinical condition and can be lethal to both mother and fetus. The treatment of aortic dissection in pregnancy is based on location, severity, and gestational age. We report a case of acute aortic dissection in a 30-year-old female patient in her 26th week of gestation. Ascending aorta resection and interposition of a 26-mm Dacron graft was carried out without circulatory arrest by means of a double-felt "sandwich" technique on both anastomoses. The patient was discharged from the hospital 10 days after her initial admission. At the 34th week of gestation, the patient delivered a healthy baby by cesarean section. Because our patient was hemodynamically unstable, our aim at the 26th week of gestation was to perform a simplified surgical procedure, to avoid circulatory arrest, and to maintain a high perfusion pressure, in order to save the patient's life and to decrease the potential risk of damage to the fetus.

Echocardiographic study of early left ventricular remodeling in highly trained preadolescent footballers.

Almost all the studies of athlete's heart have been carried out on adult and older adolescent players; hence the limited data on the cardiac response to exercise in the beginning of the active sports career in the youngest athletes. The study was designed to examine the physiological limits of left ventricle (LV) cavity size and wall thickness in elite footballers at the preadolescent age, it the beginning of the active sports career. Ninety-four highly trained male footballers (mean aged 12.85±0.84) competing in the Serbian Football League and 47 age-matched healthy male controls, aged 12-14, were enrolled in the study. All the echocardiographic findings were adjusted to BSA(-0.5), while left ventricle mass (LVM) was additionally adjusted to BSA(-1.5). Reference ranges were defined as values of 5-95th centile according to the mean values in both groups. The proportions of the footballers with LV dimensions outside expected ranges were additionally noted. The data indicate significant increases in absolute values of LV dimensions, aortic root size and left atrium (p<0.001) in preadolescent professional footballers compared with the values expected for age-matched controls, whereas there are no differences in absolute values of ventricular septal and posterior wall thickness, LV wall thickness and LVM (p>0.05). Upon body-size adjustments, significant increases were observed in all echocardiographic parameters (p<0.001). Our data indicate an early cardiac remodeling, already apparent in pre-adolescence, even after a short period of training.

Large saphenous venous graft aneurysm mimicking atypical mediastinal mass.

BACKGROUND: Saphenous venous graft (SVG) aneurysm is a very rare but potentially fatal complication of the coronary artery bypass surgery. CASE REPORT: We reported a case of 72-year-old man admitted to hospital because of atypical chest pain related to body motions in horizontal position, especially to the left side. Pain was followed by dispnea, palpitations, fatigue, cough, yellow sputum expectorations, as well as elevated temperature. He had had coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery with saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) to the left anterior descending artery (LAD) and right coronary artery (RCA) 27 years earlier. Chest X-ray revealed a poor-defined shadow in the region of the right atrium. A transthoracic echocardiogram revealed an atypical tumorous mediastinal mass near the right atrium and right ventricle that seemed partially calcified on transesophaeal echocardiography (TEE). CT scan confirmed an atypical mediastinal mass in contact with the right ventricle that might be a right ventricle aneurysm, pericardial cyst or SVG aneurysm. Coronary angiography was performed subsequently and it revealed a big saphenous venous graft aneurysm originating from the previous venous graft to the RCA. The aneurysm was resected and a new bypass graft was placed. Histopathology confirmed a true aneurysm of the venous graft. CONCLUSION: Although SVG aneurysm is a very rare complication of CABG surgery, patients presenting with atypical hilar or mediastinal mass following CABG should always be evaluated firstly for existence of this cardiosurgical complication.

Preoperative echocardiographic parameters influencing quality of life five years after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Factors associated with mortality and morbidity following coronary artery bypass graft surgery have been well defined and the Parsonnet score is widely used in mortality prediction. The evaluation of quality of life has not been still implemented in everyday work and preoperative echocardiographic factors affecting the quality of life in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery have been poorly documented. The aim of this study was to evaluate echocardiographic parameters influencing quality of life following coronary artery bypass graft surgery and its correlation with widely used Parsonnet score. METHODS: A total of 449 consecutive patients with myocardial revascularization, operated during 1999 and 2000 were enrolled in this retrospective-prospective study. The patients with comorbidities were excluded as well as those with in complete myocardial revascularization. A group of 180 patients who accepted to participate in quality of life evaluation was followed for 60 months. The quality of life was evaluated using a questionnaire SF-36. RESULTS: The mean patients' age was 57.8 +/- 7.8 years, 79.4% were males. A 5-year survival was 84.2%. The mean number of risk factors was 3.4 +/- 1.0. Most of the patients were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) II class (104 of them or 59.4%), 61 of them (34.9%) in NYHA III class and only 10 patients or 5.7% of them were in NYHA IV class. The mean End-Diastolic Diameter (EDD) was 55.3 +/- 5.6 mm, mean End-Systolic Diameter (ESD) 38.7 +/- 5.6 mm and mean ejection fraction (EF) 51.7 +/- 9.6%. Left atrium dilatation (p < 0.001), as well as left ventricle dilatation (p < 0.001), low left ventricle ejection fraction (p < 0.001), multisegmental disorders of contractility (p < 0.001), and severe mitral regurgitation (p < 0.001) were in negative correlation with almost all dimensions of quality of life. ROC analysis showed that left ventricle EDD of 54.5 mm can be used as good cut-off value for prediction of optimal quality of life, with sensitivity of 57% and specificity of 70% (RR = 1.386), left ventricle ESD of 37.5 mm with sensitivity of 65% and specificity of 57% (RR = 0.855) and left ventricle EF of 50% with sensitivity of 61% and specificity of 70% (RR = 0.916). CONCLUSION: Echocardiographic parameters, that can easily be obtained preoperatively, have strong predictive value not only in postoperative survival, but also in determination of the quality of life of the patients five years after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Stenting and surgery for coronary vasospasm : the wrong solution fails to solve the problem.

A 55-year-old man, with a history of medically uncontrolled coronary vasospasm, presented for evaluation of chest pain 6 months after implantation of left internal mammary artery. Due to recurrent episodes of vasospastic angina and serious complications of coronary spasm (ventricular fibrillation, myocardial infarction), a stent had previously been implanted in the proximal part of left anterior descending artery at the site of angiographically and ergonovine-proven coronary spasm, with subsequent in-stent restenosis.

Correlation between atherosclerosis and periodontal putative pathogenic bacterial infections in coronary and internal mammary arteries.

BACKGROUND: Chronic infections, such as periodontitis, have been associated with an increased risk for atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. The aim of this study was to investigate biopsy samples of coronary and internal mammary arteries for the presence of putative pathogenic bacteria (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Prevotella intermedia, and Tannerella forsythensis), Chlamydia pneumoniae, and human cytomegalovirus (CMV). METHODS: Patients with a diagnosis of coronary artery disease were included in the study. Fifteen coronary arteries with atherosclerosis and 15 internal mammary arteries without clinically assessable atherosclerotic degeneration were investigated. Both groups of specimens were obtained during coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. In all cases, the coronary and mammary artery specimens were taken from the same patient. The detection of periodontal pathogens, C. pneumoniae, and CMV was done by polymerase chain reaction analysis. RESULTS: Bacterial DNA was found in nine of 15 (60%) coronary artery biopsy samples: P. gingivalis in eight (53.33%), A. actinomycetemcomitans in four (26.67%), P. intermedia in five (33.33%), and T. forsythensis in two (13.33%) samples; CMV was detected in 10 (66.67%) samples, and C. pneumoniae was detected in five (33.33%) samples. Some of the samples contained more than one type of bacteria. Periodontal pathogens were not detected in internal mammary artery biopsies, whereas CMV was present in seven (46.67%) samples and C. pneumoniae was present in six (40%) samples. CONCLUSION: The absence of putative pathogenic bacteria in internal mammary arteries, which are known to be affected rarely by atherosclerotic changes, and their presence in a high percentage of atherosclerotic coronary arteries support the concept that periodontal organisms are associated with the development and progression of atherosclerosis.

[An obturator or "lateral" bypass in infected vascular prostheses in the groin?]. / Opturacioni ili "lateralni" bajpas zbog infekcije vaskularne proteze u preponi?

The infection of the previously implanted vascular graft at the groin, is associated with great mortality and morbidity rate [1]. The authors present a retrospective study in which they analyzed management of infected vascular prostheses at the groin, using obturator bypass in 26 cases, and "lateral" bypass in 15 cases. The indications for obturator bypass reconstructions included: 20 infections of aorto-femoral grafts, two infected pseudoaneurysms in the groin after PTA of the superficial femoral artery, and 4 infections of iliac-femoral grafts. The indications for lateral bypass reconstructions were: infections after aorto-femoral reconstructions--8 cases; infection after femoro-popliteal reconstructions--4 cases; infection after iliac-femoral reconstruction--2 patients, and one infected pseudoaneurysm in the groin after PTA of the superficial femoral artery. In 3 subjects obturator bypass was performed using extraperitoneal approach, while in other 23 patients transperitoneal approach was done by donor's artery. The obturator bypass was performed using a PTFE graft in 3 cases, and Dacron graft in 23. The donor's artery used for obturator bypass was a noninfected proximal part of aortofemoral graft in 20 cases, and iliac artery in 6 patients. The superficial femoral artery was recipient artery for obturator bypass in 3 cases, deep femoral artery in one case, and above the knee popliteal artery in 22 cases (Figure 1). In two patients transperitoneal approach to donors artery for "lateral" bypass has been used, and in 13 cases extraperitoneal. The proximal noninfected part of aorto femoral graft was used as a donor's artery for lateral bypass in 8 patients, while common iliac artery in 7 subjects. In 5 cases reconstructions were performed using PTFE grafts, in 3 using autologous saphenous vein grafts, and in 7 using Dacron grafts. The recipient artery for "lateral" bypass was deep femoral in 8 cases, superficial femoral in three patients and above the knee popliteal artery in 4 subjects. After both types of reconstruction, extirpation of infected grafts from the groin was performed (Figure 2). The control examination was performed using physical and Doppler ultrasonographic examinations, one, 3, 6, 12 months, and then every year after the operation. In cases with suspected graft infection or thrombosis, control angiography was also performed. One intraoperative perforation of the urinary bladder has been done accidentally during obturator bypass reconstruction. The mean follow-up period for patients with obturator bypasses was 2.3 years, while 2.1 years for patients with "lateral" bypasses. Comparing with "lateral" bypass, obturator bypass showed statistically significant lower (p < 0.05) 30-day mortality and early graft infection rate, as well as statistically significant better early and total limb salvage rate. There were no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) between obturator and "lateral" bypass procedures, having in mind, late graft infection rate, as well as early and late graft patency (Figures 3 and 4). In cases with infected vascular prostheses in the groin, the authors recommend obturator bypass comparing with "lateral" bypass.