Del nido cardioplegia in adults: a retrospective observational study in comparison to modified St. Thomas cardioplegia in cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: St. Thomas cardioplegia is commonly administered to adults, yet repeated dosing at brief intervals is required. Del Nido's cardioplegic solution provides a prolonged duration of safe myocardial arrest, yet it was primarily intended for pediatric cardiac surgery. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in using Del Nido's in adults; this might be due to its ease of administration and extended re-dosing intervals. This study contrasted Del Nido's to modified St. Thomas cardioplegia in adults. METHODS: This study was conducted on 200 patients. Troponin-T was the primary outcome within the first 24 and 48 h post-surgery. Cardiopulmonary bypass time, cross-clamp time, intraoperative use of inotropic support, defibrillator and/or intra-aortic balloon were the secondary outcomes of the study. RESULTS: There was a significant reduction in post-operative Troponin-T levels in the first 24 and 48 h within Del Nido's group compared to the modified St. Thomas group. The cross-clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass times were also found to be lower within Del Nido's group. CONCLUSION: This study has demonstrated a significant reduction in early postoperative Troponin-T levels as well as operative times favoring Del Nido's in adults.

Comparison of modified Del Nido and Custodiol® cardioplegia in minimally invasive mitral valve surgery.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we evaluated if modified Del Nido cardioplegia delivers comparable cardiac protection in comparison to Custodiol® in patients undergoing isolated minimally invasive mitral valve repair. METHODS: From January 2018 to October 2021, all patients undergoing non-emergent isolated minimally invasive mitral valve repair were included in this study. The cardioplegia was chosen at the surgeons' discretion. The primary end points of this study were peak postoperative cardiac enzyme levels. Secondary end points were in-hospital mortality, hospital stay, occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias, pacemaker implantations, postoperative lactate and sodium levels and postoperative incidence of renal failure requiring dialysis. RESULTS: A total of 355 patients were included in this study. The mean age of patients was 57. After propensity score matching, a total of 156 pairs were identified. There was no difference in cross-clamp time between both groups. Postoperative creatine kinase levels were higher in patients receiving Custodiol on the 1st and 2nd postoperative days. Creatine kinase isoenzyme MB levels were higher in patients receiving Custodiol on the 2nd postoperative day (0.5 ± 0.2 vs 0.4 ± 0.1 µmol/l s; P < 0.001). Postoperative Troponin T concentrations were similar between both groups. Maximum lactate concentrations were higher in patients receiving Custodiol on the day of surgery (2.4 ± 1.9 vs 2.0 ± 1.1 mmol/l; P = 0.04). The overall hospital stay was longer in patients receiving Del Nido cardioplegia (10.6 ± 3.2 vs 8 ± 4.1 days; P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Modified Del Nido cardioplegia based on Ionosteril® solution offers equivalent protection compared to Custodiol for isolated minimally invasive mitral valve repair.

Efficacy of propofol-supplemented cardioplegia on biomarkers of organ injury in patients having cardiac surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass: a statistical analysis plan for the ProMPT-2 randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The ProMPT-2 trial (Propofol for Myocardial Protection Trial #2) aims to compare the safety and efficacy of low- and high-dose propofol supplementation of the cardioplegia solution during adult cardiac surgery versus sham supplementation. This update presents the statistical analysis plan, detailing how the trial data will be analysed and presented. Outlined analyses are in line with the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials and the statistical analysis plan has been written prior to database lock and the final analysis of trial data to avoid reporting bias (following recommendations from the International Conference on Harmonisation of Good Clinical Practice). METHODS/DESIGN: ProMPT-2 is a multi-centre, blinded, parallel three-group randomised controlled trial aiming to recruit 240 participants from UK cardiac surgery centres to either sham cardioplegia supplementation, low dose (6 µg/ml) or high dose (12 µg/ml) propofol cardioplegia supplementation. The primary outcome is cardiac-specific troponin T levels (a biomarker of cardiac injury) measured during the first 48 h following surgery. The statistical analysis plan describes the planned analyses of the trial primary and secondary outcomes in detail, including approaches to deal with missing data, multiple testing, violation of model assumptions, withdrawals from the trial, non-adherence with the treatment and other protocol deviations. It also outlines the planned sensitivity analyses and exploratory analyses to be performed. DISCUSSION: This manuscript prospectively describes, prior to the completion of data collection and database lock, the analyses to be undertaken for the ProMPT-2 trial to reduce risk of reporting and data-driven analyses. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN ISRCTN15255199. Registered on 26 March 2019.

Del Nido vs. Cold Blood Cardioplegia for High-Risk Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Patients with Reduced Ventricular Function.

INTRODUCTION: The evidence for using del Nido cardioplegia protocol in high-risk patients with reduced ejection fraction undergoing isolated coronary surgery is insufficient. METHODS: The institutional database was searched for isolated coronary bypass procedures. Patients with ejection fraction < 40% were selected. Propensity matching (age, sex, infarction, number of grafts) was used to pair del Nido (Group 1) and cold blood (Group 2) cardioplegia patients. Investigation of biomarker release, changes in ejection fraction, mortality, stroke, perioperative myocardial infarction, composite endpoint (major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events), and other perioperative parameters was performed. RESULTS: Matching allowed the selection of 45 patient pairs. No differences were noted at baseline. After cross-clamp release, spontaneous sinus rhythm return was observed more frequently in Group 1 (80% vs. 48.9%; P=0.003). Troponin values were similar in both groups 12 and 36 hours after surgery, as well as creatine kinase at 12 hours. A trend favored Group 1 in creatine kinase release at 36 hours (median 4.9; interquartile range 3.8-9.6 ng/mL vs. 7.3; 4.5-17.5 ng/mL; P=0.085). Perioperative mortality, rates of myocardial infarction, stroke, or major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events were similar. No difference in postoperative ejection fraction was noted (median 35.0%; interquartile range 32.0-38.0% vs. 35.0%; 32.0-40.0%; P=0.381). There was a trend for lower atrial fibrillation rate in Group 1 (6.7% vs. 17.8%; P=0.051). CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that del Nido cardioplegia provides satisfactory protection in patients with reduced ejection fraction undergoing coronary bypass surgery. Further prospective trials are required.

Comparison of lactated Ringer's solution and Plasma-Lyte A as a base solution for del Nido cardioplegia: a prospective randomized trial.

OBJECTIVES: The use of del Nido cardioplegia has been increasing in popularity for adult cardiac surgery. However, the base solution, Plasma-Lyte A, is not always available in many countries. This prospective randomized controlled trial evaluated myocardial preservation and clinical outcomes when using lactated Ringer's solution (LRS) compared to Plasma-Lyte A as a base solution for del Nido cardioplegia. METHODS: Adult patients undergoing first-time elective cardiac surgery for acquired heart disease, including isolated coronary artery bypass grafting, isolated valve surgery, combined valve surgery or concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting and valve surgery were randomized to receive either LRS (n = 100) or Plasma-Lyte A (n = 100). RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in terms of age, comorbidities, Society of Thoracic Surgeons risk score and type of procedures. The primary outcome, postoperative troponin-T at 24 h, was similar in both groups (0.482 vs 0.524 ng/ml; P = 0.464). Other cardiac markers were also similar at all time points. The LRS group had a lower pH (7.228 vs 7.246; P = 0.005) and higher calcium levels (0.908 vs 0.358 mmol/l; P < 0.001) in the delivered cardioplegia, but there were no significant differences in clinical outcomes, such as ventricular fibrillation, left ventricular ejection fraction, inotrope/vasopressor requirement, intra-aortic balloon pump support, intensive care unit stay, hospital stay, atrial fibrillation, red cell transfusion and complications. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that LRS can be used as an alternative to Plasma-Lyte A as the base solution for del Nido cardioplegia, with similar myocardial preservation and clinical outcomes.

A novel versatile concept of cardioplegia delivery in cardiac surgery: The ReverseTWO cardioplegia circuit system.

Nowadays, the necessity of having a cardioplegia circuit capable of being adapted in order to administer different types of cardioplegia is strategically fundamental, both for the perfusionist and for the cardiac surgeon. This allows to avoid cutting tubes, guarantees sterility and, most of all, limits the number of cardioplegia circuits for the different strategies of cardiac arrest. The novel "ReverseTWO cardioplegia circuit system" is the development of the precedent "Reverse system" where mainly the 4:1 and crystalloid cardioplegia were used, It has the advantage of allowing immediate change of cardioplegia set-up versus four types of cardioplegia technique, when the strategy is unexpectedly changed before the beginning of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), is safe and enables the perfusionist to use one single custom pack of cardioplegia. Two pediatric roller pumps are usually used in our centre for cardioplegia administration; they have a standardized calibration (the leading with » inch and the follower with 1/8 inch) and the circuit consequently has two different tube diameters for the two different pumps. The presence in the circuit of two different shunts coupled with two different coloured clamps allows the immediate set-up for different cardioplegia administration techniques utilizing a colour-coding mechanism The aim of this manuscript is to present the new ReverseTWO Circuit. This novel system allows to administer four different cardioplegic solutions (4:1, 1:4, crystalloid, ematic) based on multiple tubes, which can be selectively clamped, identified through a color-coding method. The specificity of this circuit is the great versatility, which leads to numerous advantages, such as reduced risk of perfusion accident and reduced costs related not only to the purchase of different cardioplegia kits but also to the storage. https://youtu.be/ovJBE4ok2Ds.

Continuous Myocardial Perfusion during Distal Anastomosis of Acute Type A Aortic Dissection.

BACKGROUND: The effect of continuous myocardial perfusion (CMP) on the surgical results of acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) remains unclear. METHODS: From January 2017 to March 2022, 141 patients who underwent ATAAD (90.8%) or intramural hematoma (9.2%) surgery were reviewed. Fifty-one patients (36.2%) received proximal-first aortic reconstruction and CMP during distal anastomosis. Ninety patients (63.8%) underwent distal-first aortic reconstruction and were placed in traditional cold blood cardioplegic arrest (CA; 4°C, 4:1 blood-to-Plegisol) throughout the procedure. The preoperative presentations and intraoperative details were balanced using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). Their postoperative morbidity and mortality were analyzed. RESULTS: The median age was 60 years. The incidence of arch reconstruction in the unweighted data was higher in the CMP compared with the CA group (74.5 vs 52.2%, p = 0.017) but was balanced after IPTW (62.4 vs 58.9%, p = 0.932, standardized mean difference = 0.073). The median cardiac ischemic time was lower in the CMP group (60.0 vs 130.9 minutes, p < 0.001), but cerebral perfusion time and cardiopulmonary bypass time were similar. The CMP group did not demonstrate any benefit in the reduction of the postoperative maximum creatine kinase-MB ratio (4.4 vs 5.1% in CA, p = 0.437) or postoperative low cardiac output (36.6 vs 24.8%, p = 0.237). Surgical mortality was comparable between groups (15.5% in CMP vs 7.5% in the CA group, p = 0.265). CONCLUSION: Application of CMP during distal anastomosis in ATAAD surgery, irrespective of the extent of aortic reconstruction, reduced myocardial ischemic time but did not improve cardiac outcome or mortality.

[Clinical, biochemical and histological indicators of Del Nido cardioplegia efficacy in patients with severe myocardial hypertrophy]. / Klinicheskie, biokhimicheskie i gistologicheskie pokazateli effektivnosti kardioplegicheskogo rastvora Del Nido u patsientov s vyrazhennoi gipertrofiei miokarda.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of two cardioplegia techniques in patients with severe myocardial hypertrophy undergoing septal myectomy or aortic valve replacement. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A comparative pilot prospective single-center randomized study included 46 patients between 2022 and 2023. Patients were randomized into 2 groups: Del Nido (n=23) and Custodiol (n=23). We analyzed perioperative echocardiography data, troponin I at several time points, perioperative complications and histological data. RESULTS: Both groups were comparable in time of myocardial ischemia, cardiopulmonary bypass, duration of anesthesia and surgery (p>0.05). The maximum ischemia time in the Del Nido group was 84 min. The same group showed significantly higher percentage of spontaneous rhythm recovery (65.2% vs. 30%, p=0.008). None patient required mechanical support, high-dose inotropes or vasopressors. Troponin I in 2 hours after cardiopulmonary bypass (p=0.415), 12 (p=0.528) and 24 hours after admission to the intensive care unit (p=0.281) were similar in both groups. No significant difference was found in ventilation time, ICU- and hospital-stay. CONCLUSION: Del Nido cardioplegia has some advantages compared to Custodiol and does not lead to perioperative complications in case of aortic cross-clamping time <90 min in patients with myocardial hypertrophy.

Myocardial protection in cardiac surgery-hindsight from the 2020s.

Myocardial protection and specifically cardioplegia have been extensively investigated in the beginnings of cardiac surgery. After cardiopulmonary bypass had become routine, more and more cardiac operations were possible, requiring reliable and reproducible protection for times of blood flow interruptions to the most energy-demanding organ of the body. The concepts of hypothermia and cardioplegia evolved as tools to extend cardiac ischaemia tolerance to a degree considered safe for the required operation. A plethora of different solutions and delivery techniques were developed achieving remarkable outcomes with cross-clamp times of up to 120 min and more. With the beginning of the new millennium, interest in myocardial protection research declined and, as a consequence, conventional cardiac surgery is currently performed using myocardial protection strategies that have not changed in decades. However, the context, in which cardiac surgery is currently performed, has changed during this time. Patients are now older and suffer from more comorbidities and, thus, other organs move more and more into the centre of risk assessment. Yet, systemic effects of cardioplegic solutions have never been in the focus of attention. They say hindsight is always 20-20. We therefore review the biochemical principles of ischaemia, reperfusion and cardioplegic extension of ischaemia tolerance and address the concepts of myocardial protection with 'hindsight from the 2020s'. In light of rising patient risk profiles, minimizing surgical trauma and improving perioperative morbidity management becomes key today. For cardioplegia, this means accounting not only for cardiac, but also for systemic effects of cardioplegic solutions.

[Myocardial protection of del Nido cardioplegia in adult cardiac and major vascular surgery with long aortic cross-clamp time].

Objective: To explore the safety and myocardial protection efficacy of del Nido cardioplegia in adult cardiac and major vascular surgery with long aortic cross-clamp (ACC) time. Methods: A total of 2 536 patients who underwent adult cardiac and major vascular surgery with ACC time>90 min at Beijing Anzhen Hospital from March 2018 to March 2023 were collected. The patients were divided into two groups according to the type of cardioplegia solution: the del Nido cardioplegia solution group (DC group) and the cold blood cardioplegia solution group (BC group). Preoperative baseline data of the patients (age, gender, comorbidities, ejection fraction, etc) were adjusted using propensity score matching (PSM). Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time, ACC time, total amount of cardioplegia solution, in-hospital mortality rate, length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, mechanical ventilation time, postoperative complications, left ventricular ejection fraction, and troponin levels were compared between the two groups. Results: After PSM, a total of 306 patients were included, including 223 males and 83 females, with a mean age of (52.0±12.3) years. There were 153 cases in the DC group and 153 cases in the BC group. Compared with the DC group, the cross-clamp time was longer [109(100, 150) min vs 102(91, 133) min, P<0.001], the rate of return to spontaneous rhythm was lower [51.6% (79/153) vs 86.9%(133/153), P<0.001], and intraoperative peak glucose was higher [12.6 (6.5, 15.9) mmol/L vs 10.1 (8.5, 12.4) mmol/L, P=0.005] in the BC group. In addition, perioperative mortality [4.6% (7/153) vs 3.3% (5/153), P=0.132], stroke[3.9% (6/153) vs 3.3% (5/153), P=0.759], renal insufficiency [3.3% (5/153) vs 6.5% (10/153), P=0.186], atrial fibrillation [4.6% (7/153) vs 2.6% (4/153), P=0.652] and low cardiac output syndrome [3.9% (6/153) vs 4.6% (7/153), P=0.716] did not differ between the two groups. Compared with BC group, DC group had lower level of high sensitivity troponin (hsTnI) [1.2 (0.8, 1.8) µg/L vs 1.3 (0.9, 2.3) µg/L, P=0.030] and creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB) [31.0 (20.0, 48.9) µg/L vs 37.0 (24.0, 58.9) µg/L, P=0.011] at 24 h postoperatively, and shorter length of ICU stay [35.6 (19.8, 60.5) h vs 42.6 (21.9, 83.6) h, P=0.015] and mechanical ventilation time [20.5 (15.5, 41.0) h vs 31.5 (17.1, 56.0) h, P=0.012]. Subgroup analysis showed that in the 120-180 minute subgroup, patients in the DC group had a shorter cross-clamp time [132 (124, 135) min vs 136 (124, 138) min, P<0.001], while levels of hsTnI [1.6 (1.1, 2.0) µg/L vs 1.4 (1.0, 2.6) µg/L, P=0.030] and CK-MB [38.8 (23.5, 55.5) µg/L vs 37.0 (24.5, 62.3) µg/L, P=0.011] were higher than those in the BC group. Conclusions: In adult cardiac and major vascular surgery with ACC times>90 min, comparable myocardial protection is observed with the use of DC compared with BC. Additional advantages in glycemic control, return to spontaneous rhythm, and improved surgical procedures make DN an attractive alternative for myocardial protection in adult cardiac surgery.

Non-selective Del Nido and St Thomas cardioplegia in adults: analysis of early clinical experience using propensity matching.

BACKGROUND: Del Nido cardioplegia (DNC) is a single-dose, high potassium, low-volume cardioplegia solution that has grown in favor recently. However, the use of DNC in the Asian population may be associated with certain challenges. METHODS: Between January 2017 and April 2022, DNC was used for myocardial protection in this single-center retrospective study. In total, 5731 patients underwent open heart surgeries, where 310 patients received DNC for single or multiple procedures. A total of 307 pair of propensity-matched patients from DNC and cold blood St. Thomas cardioplegia (STC) were compared. RESULTS: In total, 5085 patients with STC and 310 patients with DNC from the cohort were matched, reflecting the initial group sizes before propensity matching. About 307 patient pairs were included in the final analysis after propensity matching with the interest variables. In the STC group, the requirement for an immediate postoperative intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) was significantly higher [18 (5.9%) in DNC versus 28 (9.1%) in STC, p = 0.021]. A 30-day mortality was comparable between the DNC and STC groups (2.9% versus 3.3%, p = 1.00). Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) (2.6% versus 3.6%, p = 0.648) showed no difference between the groups. In both single and multiple procedure subgroups, there were no statistically significant differences in 30-day mortality and MACE incidences when comparing STC and DNC. CONCLUSION: The use of DNC in adults is acceptable and adaptable. Comparable clinical outcomes between STC patients and DNC were revealed by our investigation. There were no appreciable differences in 30-day mortality or MACE despite the STC group having a much higher need for immediate postoperative IABP.

Del Nido cardioplegia or potassium induces Nrf2 and protects cardiomyocytes against oxidative stress.

Open heart surgery is often an unavoidable procedure for the treatment of coronary artery disease. The procedure-associated reperfusion injury affects postoperative cardiac performance and long-term outcomes. We addressed here whether cardioplegia essential for cardiopulmonary bypass surgery activates Nrf2, a transcription factor regulating the expression of antioxidant and detoxification genes. With commonly used cardioplegic solutions, high K+, low K+, Del Nido (DN), histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (HTK), and Celsior (CS), we found that DN caused a significant increase of Nrf2 protein in AC16 human cardiomyocytes. Tracing the ingredients in DN led to the discovery of KCl at the concentration of 20-60 mM capable of significant Nrf2 protein induction. The antioxidant response element (ARE) luciferase reporter assays confirmed Nrf2 activation by DN or KCl. Transcriptomic profiling using RNA-seq revealed that oxidation-reduction as a main gene ontology group affected by KCl. KCl indeed elevated the expression of classical Nrf2 downstream targets, including TXNRD1, AKR1C, AKR1B1, SRXN1, and G6PD. DN or KCl-induced Nrf2 elevation is Ca2+ concentration dependent. We found that KCl decreased Nrf2 protein ubiquitination and extended the half-life of Nrf2 from 17.8 to 25.1 mins. Knocking out Keap1 blocked Nrf2 induction by K+. Nrf2 induction by DN or KCl correlates with the protection against reactive oxygen species generation or loss of viability by H2O2 treatment. Our data support that high K+ concentration in DN cardioplegic solution can induce Nrf2 protein and protect cardiomyocytes against oxidative damage.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Open heart surgery is often an unavoidable procedure for the treatment of coronary artery disease. The procedure-associated reperfusion injury affects postoperative cardiac performance and long-term outcomes. We report here that Del Nido cardioplegic solution or potassium is an effective inducer of Nrf2 transcription factor, which controls the antioxidant and detoxification response. This indicates that Del Nido solution is not only essential for open heart surgery but also exhibits cardiac protective activity.

del Nido versus hematic cardioplegia in minimally invasive aortic valve surgery.

BACKGROUND: The quality of a myocardial protection of a single-dose del Nido cardioplegia versus multiple dose blood-based cardioplegia on myocardial injury, outcomes and operative times in patients undergoing minimally invasive aortic valve replacement is basically unreported. METHODS AND RESULTS: Preoperative and post-operative data, as well as technical details from isolated minimally invasive aortic valve replacements, performed using single-dose or multiple-dose cardioplegia were prospectively collected and retrospectively analysed. A total of 110 patients undergoing minimally invasive valve replacements at our institution composed two groups: 55 patients in the blood cardioplegia group (BloCa) and 55 in the del Nido group (DeNiCa). The two-matched groups were comparable in terms of preoperative variables. In the DeNiCa group, there was a statistically significant less need for cardiac defibrillation after aortic cross-clamp release (p < 0.001). Moreover, the BloCa group received intraoperatively more blood transfusions (p = 0.001) and more insulin administration for higher glucose levels (p < 0.001). The BloCa group showed higher intraoperative lactate levels (p = 0.01). Need for post-operative inotropic and vasoactive support, Creatine Kinase-MB levels after 6 and 12 h, onset of post-operative atrial fibrillation and length of stay were similar. No deaths occurred in neither groups. CONCLUSION: Single-dose del Nido cardioplegia in the setting of minimally invasive aortic surgery seems to offer adequate myocardial protection, comparable to multiple dose hematic cardioplegia. It has been documented a lower peri-operative need of defibrillation after cross-clamp release, lactate- and glucose peak values, as well as less blood transfusions compared to blood cardioplegic strategy.

Custodiol versus blood cardioplegia in pediatric cardiac surgery: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Blood-based cardioplegia is the standard myocardial protection strategy in pediatric cardiac surgery. Custadiol (histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate), an alternative, may have some advantages but is potentially less effective at myocardial protection. This study aimed to test whether custadiol is not inferior to blood-based cardioplegia in pediatric cardiac surgery. METHODS: The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial with a blinded outcome assessment. All pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass and cardioplegia, including neonates, were eligible. Emergency surgery was excluded. The primary outcome was a composite of death within 30 days, an ICU stay longer than 5 days, or arrhythmia requiring intervention. Secondary endpoints included total hospital stay, inotropic score, cardiac troponin levels, ventricular function, and extended survival postdischarge. The sample size was determined a priori for a noninferiority design with an expected primary outcome of 40% and a clinical significance difference of 20%. RESULTS: Between January 2018 and January 2021, 226 patients, divided into the Custodiol cardioplegia (CC) group (n = 107) and the blood cardioplegia (BC) group (n = 119), completed the study protocol. There was no difference in the composite endpoint between the CC and BC groups, 65 (60.75%) vs. 71 (59.66%), respectively (P = 0.87). The total length of stay in the hospital was 14 (Q2-Q3: 10-19) days in the CC group vs. 13 (10-21) days in the BC group (P = 0.85). The inotropic score was not significantly different between the CC and BC groups, 5 (2.6-7.45) vs. 5 (2.6-7.5), respectively (P = 0.82). The cardiac troponin level and ventricular function did not differ significantly between the two groups (P = 0.34 and P = 0.85, respectively). The median duration of follow-up was 32.75 (Q2-Q3: 18.73-41.53) months, and there was no difference in survival between the two groups (log-rank P = 0.55). CONCLUSIONS: Custodial cardioplegia is not inferior to blood cardioplegia for myocardial protection in pediatric patients. Trial registration The trial was registered in Clinicaltrials.gov, and the ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier number is NCT03082716 Date: 17/03/2017.

del Nido versus blood cardioplegia in adult cardiac surgery: a meta-analysis.

AIMS: Initially developed for myocardial protection in immature cardiomyocytes, del Nido cardioplegia has been increasingly used over the past decade in adult patients. Our aim is to analyse the results from randomized controlled trials and observational studies comparing early mortality and postoperative troponin release in patients who underwent cardiac surgery using del Nido solution and blood cardioplegia. METHODS: A literature search was performed through three online databases between January 2010 and August 2022. Clinical studies providing early mortality and/or postoperative troponin evaluation were included. A random-effects meta-analysis with a generalized linear mixed model, incorporating random study effects, was implemented to compare the two groups. RESULTS: Forty-two articles were included in the final analysis for a total of 11 832 patients, 5926 of whom received del Nido solution and 5906 received blood cardioplegia. del Nido and blood cardioplegia populations had comparable age, gender distribution, history of hypertension and diabetes mellitus. There was no difference in early mortality between the two groups. There was a trend towards lower 24 h [mean difference -0.20; 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.40 to 0.00; I2 = 89%; P = 0.056] and lower peak postoperative troponin levels (mean difference -0.10; 95% CI -0.21 to 0.01; I2 = 0.87; P = 0.087) in the del Nido group. CONCLUSION: del Nido cardioplegia can be safely used in adult cardiac surgery. The use of del Nido solution was associated with similar results in terms of early mortality and postoperative troponin release when compared with blood cardioplegia myocardial protection.

Aortic Arch-Clamping Technique in Hemiarch Replacement Without Circulatory Arrest.

The open anastomosis technique has become more popular since it was first used in hemiarch replacement; however, hypothermic circulatory arrest is unavoidable. This institution performed a novel surgical technique called the arch-clamping technique. It has been used in the treatment of patients with ascending aortic aneurysm extending to the proximal aortic arch and avoids the use of hypothermic circulatory arrest. Thirty patients had a hemiarch replacement with the arch-clamping technique from 2021 to 2022; all of them were discharged uneventfully.

Del-Nido cardioplegia in cardiac surgery for elderly patients: a propensity score-matched analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the safety and efficacy of del-Nido cardioplegia (DNC) with traditional 4:1 cold blood cardioplegia (CBC) in coronary artery bypass grafting and/or valve surgeries in elderly patients. METHODS: The present study is a retrospective case-series study that included 302 consecutive patients aged 70 years and over who underwent on-pump valve surgery and/or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). DNC was administered to 90 patients and CBC to 212 patients. After propensity-score matching, 89 pairs were compared. The safety and efficacy were analyzed between the two groups. RESULTS: The DNC group had a similar mortality (3.4% vs. 5.6%, OR = 0.79, P = 0.720) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) implantation rate (1.1% vs. 2.2%, OR = 0.75, P = 1.000) to the CBC group, a lower incidence of postoperative intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) implantation (1.1% vs. 9.0%, OR = 0.54, P = 0.034) and a higher left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at discharge (60 (56-64) % vs. 57 (51-62)%, P = 0.007). The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in the DNC group was higher when the patient was transferred to the intensive care unit (79.4 (65.0-94.3) ml/min/1.73m2 vs. 77.2 (59.8-88.7) ml/min/1.73m2, P = 0.014), but no significant differences were identified after 24 h. The serum lactate values of the DNC group were significantly lower than those of the CBC group (0 h: 2.7 (2.0-3.2) vs. 3.2 (2.4-4.4), P = 0.001; 3 h: 3.2 (2.0-4.8) vs. 4.8 (2.8-6.6), P < 0.001; 6 h: 3.5 (2.2-5.4) vs. 5.8 (3.4-8.4), P < 0.001; 9 h: 3.4 (2.0-7.0) vs. 5.5 (2.9-8.3), P = 0.005). There were no differences between the two groups in respect of lactate levels at 12 h and thereafter. Postoperative creatinine kinase-MB concentrations were similar between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Del-Nido cardioplegia is safe and effective in elderly patients undergoing CABG and/or valve surgery.

Warm versus cold blood cardioplegia in paediatric congenital heart surgery: a randomized trial.

OBJECTIVES: Intermittent cold blood cardioplegia is commonly used in children, whereas intermittent warm blood cardioplegia is widely used in adults. We aimed to compare clinical and biochemical outcomes with these 2 methods. METHODS: A single-centre, randomized controlled trial was conducted to compare the effectiveness of warm (≥34°C) versus cold (4-6°C) antegrade cardioplegia in children. The primary outcome was cardiac troponin T over the 1st 48 postoperative hours. Intensive care teams were blinded to group allocation. Outcomes were compared by intention-to-treat using linear mixed-effects, logistic or Cox regression. RESULTS: 97 participants with median age of 1.2 years were randomized (49 to warm, 48 to cold cardioplegia); 59 participants (61%) had a risk-adjusted congenital heart surgery score of 3 or above. There were no deaths and 92 participants were followed to 3-months. Troponin release was similar in both groups [geometric mean ratio 1.07; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.79-1.44; P = 0.66], as were other cardiac function measures (echocardiography, arterial and venous blood gases, vasoactive-inotrope score, arrhythmias). Intensive care stay was on average 14.6 h longer in the warm group (hazard ratio 0.52; 95% CI 0.34-0.79; P = 0.003), with a trend towards longer overall hospital stays (hazard ratio 0.66; 95% CI 0.43-1.02; P = 0.060) compared with the cold group. This could be related to more unplanned reoperations on bypass in the warm group compared to cold group (3 vs 1). CONCLUSIONS: Warm blood cardioplegia is a safe and reproducible technique but does not provide superior myocardial protection in paediatric heart surgery.

Echocardiographic imaging of a bifurcated double barrel coronary sinus.

BACKGROUND: The coronary sinus (CS) is the terminal collecting vessel of the myocardial venous network, which returns deoxygenated blood used by the heart to the right atrium. The advent of high-fidelity imaging via CT and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has further defined the anatomy of the CS and its multiple tributaries. Understanding this anatomy is crucial for cardiac surgical cases that require the cannulation of the coronary sinus to deliver retrograde cardioplegia. However, anatomical variants of the CS may frustrate surgical retrograde catheter placement, in turn increasing the risk of CS injury or leading to inadequate cardioplegia delivery. Here, we present an especially unique CS presentation, a bifurcated, double-barrel CS, which was discovered via intraoperative TEE imaging that revealed a CS with two smaller lumens instead of the singular large os. CASE PRESENTATION: A 67-year-old male presented for ascending aortic dissection repair, aortic valve replacement, and single vessel coronary artery bypass graft. On the pre-bypass TEE exam, the anesthesiologist noted a bifurcated CS with two small lumens. The surgeon utilized this information to select a smaller diameter retrograde catheter to avoid damage or perforation of the vessel. With TEE guidance, the surgeon successfully cannulated one of the CS lumens. However, it was noted upon dosing of retrograde cardioplegia that all tributary vessels attached to the non-cannulated lumen remained devoid of cardioplegia. The surgeon was forced to repeatedly administer anterograde cardioplegia via a handheld catheter through the coronary ostium throughout the case. The operative field was also flooded with topical ice saline slush to ensure cardiac protection. Ultimately, the operation was completed without incident despite the non-ideal conditions resulting from this anatomic variant. CONCLUSIONS: Discovery of this patient's double-barrel CS during the pre-bypass TEE was incidental, showing that such anatomical variants may be completely asymptomatic and benign in the non-operative setting. However, the delivery of cardioplegia proved challenging for this patient, highlighting some degree of risk with certain cardiac interventions. This case demonstrates the utility of intraoperative TEE to quickly ascertain unforeseen anatomical variants of the CS which could compromise the safety of cardiac surgery cases.