Mid-term outcomes of non-resectional chordal foldoplasty for degenerative mitral regurgitation.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the mid-term clinical and echocardiographic outcomes of chordal foldoplasty performed for non-resectional mitral valve repair in degenerative mitral valve disease with a large posterior leaflet. METHODS: We reviewed 82 patients undergoing non-resectional mitral valve repair via chordal foldoplasty between October 2013 and June 2021. We analysed operative outcomes, mid-term survival rate, freedom from reoperation and freedom from recurrent moderate or severe mitral regurgitation (MR). RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 57.2 ± 12.4 years; 61 patients (74%) had posterior leaflet prolapse, 21 patients (26%) had bileaflet prolapse and all of them had at least 1 tall posterior leaflet scallop. Minimally invasive approach with a right mini-thoracotomy was used in 73 patients (89%). The operative mortality was zero. There was no conversion to mitral valve replacement and postoperative echocardiography revealed no more than mild residual regurgitation or systolic anterior motion. Five-year survival rate, freedom from mitral reoperation and freedom from recurrent moderate/severe MR were 93.9%, 97.4% and 94.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Non-resectional chordal foldoplasty is a simple and effective repair technique for select degenerative MR cases with a tall posterior leaflet.

Technical tips in non-robotic endoscopic mitral valve surgery: How to approach and expose the mitral valve.

The non-robotic endoscopic mitral valve surgery is performed via a right mini-thoracotomy without the use of rib spreader or robotic assistance. Although it has several advantages over the direct vision minimally invasive and robotic approaches, operating in very limited working space without robotic assistance is technically demanding. In the first place, it is impossible to perform non-robotic endoscopic mitral valve surgery safely and efficiently without knowing how to approach and expose the mitral valve in very limited working space without robotic assistance. This manuscript introduces detailed technical tips for efficient approach and uncompromised exposure of the mitral valve in non-robotic endoscopic mitral valve surgery, including separate bicaval cannulation, decentralized positioning of the instruments, controlling the direction of traction sutures and appropriate use of retractors.

Efficacy and Safety of Machine Perfusion for Brain Death Marginal Donor Kidney Transplantation: A Report of 2 Cases.

BACKGROUND: After the revised organ transplant law came into effect in Japan, donations of organs under brain death have been increasing; however, because of the expansion of donor indications, donations from expanded criteria donors and cardiac arrest donors (donation after cardiac death) have also increased. In kidney transplantation, ischemia-reperfusion injury results in a high rate of delayed graft function, which adversely affects patients' long-term prognoses. Hypothermic machine perfusion preservation results in superior postoperative function and survival rates compared with cold storage preservation. We used an organ preservation device for kidneys and performed a graft viability evaluation before to kidney transplantation. METHODS: We used the CMP-X08 perfusion device (Chuo-Seiko Co, Ltd, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan) and Belzer MPS solution to preserve the donated organ. The perfusion pressure and temperature were monitored during cold storage with continuous perfusion. Standard renal transplantation protocols were followed. A renal biopsy was performed 1 hour after transplantation and the renal function was evaluated. This study followed the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. RESULTS: The first presented case is of a 63-year-old woman who received a kidney from a middle-aged man with brain death due to hypoxic encephalopathy. The creatinine at the time of admission was 0.9 mg/dL and at the time of excision was 2.86 mg/dL. The total perfusion time was 120 minutes. The total ischemia time was 7 hours and 15 minutes. The recipient urinated 115 minutes postoperatively, and no dialysis was required. The second presented case is of a 47-year-old man with a 15-year history of dialysis who received a kidney from a middle-aged woman with brain death due to subarachnoid hemorrhage. The creatinine at the time of admission was 0.8 mg/dL and at the time of excision was 0.77 mg/dL. The total perfusion time was 240 minutes. The total ischemia time was 13 hours and 14 minutes. The recipient urinated 38 minutes postoperatively, and no dialysis was required. CONCLUSIONS: Mechanical perfusion storage performed for 2 to 4 hours resulted in a viable organ that was successfully transplanted in both cases.