Strategies for Mechanical Right Ventricular Support During Left Ventricular Assist Device Implant.

BACKGROUND: Refractory right ventricular failure at the time of left ventricular assist device implantation requires treatment with supplemental mechanical circulatory support. However, the optimal strategy for support remains unknown. METHODS: All patients undergoing first-time durable left ventricular assist device implantation with a contemporary device were selected from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Database (2011 to 2019). Patients requiring right ventricular assist device (RVAD) or venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) were included in the analysis. Patients were stratified by RVAD or VA-ECMO and by timing of placement (intraoperative vs postoperative). RESULTS: In all, 18 423 left ventricular assist device implants were identified, of which 940 (5.1%) required RVAD (n = 750) or VA-ECMO (n = 190) support. Patients receiving an RVAD more frequently had preoperative inotrope requirement (76% vs 62%, P < .01) and severe tricuspid regurgitation (20% vs 13%, P < .01). The RVAD patients had lower rates of postoperative renal failure (40% vs 51%, P = .02) and limb ischemia (4% vs 13%, P < .01), as well as significantly less operative mortality (41% vs 54%, P < .01). After risk adjustment with propensity score analysis, support with VA-ECMO was associated with a higher risk of mortality (risk ratio 1.46; 95% confidence interval, 1.21 to 1.77; P < .01) compared with patients receiving an RVAD. Importantly, institution of right ventricular support postoperatively was associated with higher mortality (1.43, P < .01) compared with intraoperative initiation. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with severe right ventricular failure in the setting of durable left ventricular assist device implantation may benefit from the use of RVAD over VA-ECMO. Regardless of the type of support, initiation at the index operation was associated with improved outcomes.

Aortic Annular Enlargement in the Elderly: Short and Long-Term Outcomes in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Patient prosthesis mismatch is associated with significant long-term morbidity and mortality after aortic valve replacement, but the role and outcomes of annular enlargement (AE) remain poorly defined. We hypothesized that increasing rates of AE may lead to improved outcomes for patients at risk for severe patient prosthesis mismatch. METHODS: Patients over age 65 years undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement with or without coronary artery bypass grafting from 2008-2016 in The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database with matching Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data were included (n=189,268). Univariate, multivariate, and time-to-event analysis was used to evaluate the association between AE and early and late outcomes. Patients were stratified by projected degree of patient prosthesis mismatch based on calculated effective orifice area index. RESULTS: A total of 5412 (2.9%) patients underwent AE. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database-predicted mortality was similar between AE and non-AE groups (2.97% vs 2.99%, P = .052). Patients undergoing AE had higher risk-adjusted rates of 30-day complications and death (5.4% vs 3.4%, P < .0001), but no differences in long-term rates of stroke, heart failure re-hospitalization,s or aortic valve reoperation. Survival analysis demonstrated a higher risk of mortality with AE during the first 3 years, after which the survival curves cross, favoring AE. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that annular enlargement during surgical aortic valve replacement is associated with increased short-term risk in a Medicare population. Survival curves crossed after 3 years, which may portend a benefit in select patients. However, annular enlargement is still only performed in the minority of patients who are at risk for patient prosthesis mismatch.

Ablation of atrial fibrillation during coronary artery bypass grafting: Late outcomes in a Medicare population.

BACKGROUND: This study compares outcomes of patients with preoperative atrial fibrillation undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with or without concomitant atrial fibrillation ablation in a nationally representative Medicare cohort. OBJECTIVES: This study examined early and late outcomes in CABG patients with a preoperative history of atrial fibrillation to determine the correlation between surgical atrial fibrillation ablation to mortality and stroke or systemic embolization. METHODS: In the Medicare-linked Society of Thoracic Surgeons database, 361,138 patients underwent isolated CABG from 2006 to 2013; 34,600 (9.6%) had preoperative atrial fibrillation; 10,541 (30.5%) were treated with surgical ablation (ablation group), and 23,059 were not (no ablation group). Propensity score matching was performed using a hierarchical mixed model. Long-term survival was summarized using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression models with robust variance estimation. The stroke or systemic embolization incidence was modeled using the Fine-Gray model. Median follow-up was 4 years. RESULTS: Long-term mortality in propensity score-matched CABG patients (mean age 74 years; Society of Thoracic Surgeons risk score, 2.25) receiving ablation versus no ablation was similar (log-rank P = .30). Stroke or systemic embolization occurred in 2.2% versus 2.1% at 30 days and 9.9% versus 12.0% at 5 years (Gray P = .0091). Landmark analysis from 2 to 5 years showed lower mortality (hazard ratio, 0.89; 95% confidence interval 0.82-0.97; P = .0358) and lower risk of stroke or systemic embolization (hazard ratio, 0.73; 95% confidence interval, 0.61-0.87; P = .0006) in the ablation group. CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant ablation in CABG patients with preoperative atrial fibrillation is associated with lower stroke or systemic embolization and mortality in patients who survive more than 2 years.

Anticoagulation and amiodarone for new atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting: Prescription patterns and 30-day outcomes in the United States and Canada.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to elucidate national practice patterns regarding anticoagulation and antiarrhythmic medication use at discharge and examine short-term patient outcomes. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed the data of patients from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database from July 2011 to June 2018 who underwent first-time isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) and developed new post-CABG atrial fibrillation (AF) without significant complications. In total, 166,747 patients met study criteria. We examined 30-day outcomes. RESULTS: In total, 166,747 patients were analyzed and divided into 4 groups based on discharge medications: amiodarone with or without anticoagulation, anticoagulation alone, and neither. Demographic characteristics were similar among the 4 groups. In total, 25.7% of patients were discharged on anticoagulation with an average CHA2DS2-VASc score of 3.2 ± 1.3. Anticoagulation use at discharge was not associated with lower 30-day stroke readmissions (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.65-1.16; P = .35). Adjusted 30-day readmissions for major bleeding were significantly more common in anticoagulated patients (AOR, 4.30; 95% CI, 3.69-5.03; P < .0001). Among those discharged off anticoagulation, there was no significant difference in adjusted 30-day stroke rates based on amiodarone use at discharge (AOR, 1.19; 95% CI, 0.85-1.66; P = .31). CONCLUSIONS: Post-CABG anticoagulation for new AF is associated with increased bleeding and no difference in stroke at 30 days. Prospective randomized studies are needed to formalize safe and efficacious short- and long-term management strategies.

Reoperation After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: An Analysis of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to report the largest series of patients receiving a surgical reoperation after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) using the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Adult Cardiac Surgery Database. BACKGROUND: TAVR has become an effective means of treating aortic stenosis. As TAVR is used in progressively lower-risk cohorts, management of device failure will become increasingly important. METHODS: The STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database was queried for patients with a history of prior TAVR undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement from 2011 to 2015. Observed-to-expected (O/E) mortality ratios were determined to facilitate comparison across reoperative indications and timing from index TAVR procedure. RESULTS: A total of 123 patients met inclusion criteria (median age 77 years) with an STS Predicted Risk of Mortality of 4%, 4% to 8%, and >8% in 17%, 24%, and 59%, respectively. Median time to reoperation was 2.5 (interquartile range: 0.7 to 13.0) months, and the operative mortality rate was 17.1%. Common indications for reoperation included early TAVR device failures such as paravalvular leak (15%), structural prosthetic deterioration (11%), failed repair (11%), sizing or position issues (11%), and prosthetic valve endocarditis (10%). All pre-operative risk categories were associated with an increased O/E mortality ratio (Predicted Risk of Mortality <4%: O/E 5.5; 4% to 8%: O/E 1.7; >8%: O/E 1.2). CONCLUSIONS: SAVR following early failure of TAVR, while rare, is associated with worse-than-expected outcomes as compared with similar patients initially undergoing SAVR. Continued experience with this developing technology is needed to reduce the incidence of early TAVR failure and further define optimal treatment of failed TAVR prostheses.

Association of postoperative complications and outcomes following coronary artery bypass grafting.

BACKGROUND: The long-term effects of postoperative complications following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) are unknown. METHODS: Medicare-linked records from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database were queried for isolated CABG records from 2007 through 2012. Unadjusted and adjusted associations between individual postoperative complications and both mortality and all-cause rehospitalization were evaluated to 7 years using Cox proportional-hazards models and cumulative incidence functions. Because of nonproportional hazards, associations are presented as early (0 to 90 days) and late (90 days to 7 years). RESULTS: Of the 294,533 isolated CABG patients who had records linked to Medicare for long-term follow-up (median age, 73 years; 30% female), 120,721 (41%) experienced at least 1 of the complications of interest, including new-onset atrial fibrillation (30.0%), prolonged ventilation (12.3%), renal failure (4.5%), reoperation (3.5%), stroke (1.9%), and sternal wound infection (0.4%). Each of the 6 postoperative complications was associated with a significantly increased risk of mortality and rehospitalization to 7 years despite adjustment for baseline characteristics and the presence of multiple complications. Although the predominant effect of postoperative complications was observed in the first 90 days, the increased risk-adjusted hazard for death and rehospitalization continued through 7 years. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative complications are associated with an increased risk of both early and late mortality and all-cause rehospitalization, particularly during the "value" window within 90 days of CABG. These findings underscore the need to develop avoidance strategies as well as cost-adjustment methods for each of these complications.

Longitudinal Outcomes After Surgical Repair of Postinfarction Ventricular Septal Defect in the Medicare Population.

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing post infarction ventricular septal defect repair are at high risk for early morbidity and mortality, but little is known about subsequent clinical events. This study uses short-term clinical data from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Database linked with Medicare data to examine longer term outcomes in these patients. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Database to link with Medicare data all adults (≥65 years) who underwent ventricular septal defect repair after a myocardial infarction between 2008 and 2012. The primary outcome was 1-year mortality. Risk factors for 1-year survival were modeled using a multivariable Cox regression. RESULTS: Five hundred thirty-seven patients were identified using The Society of Thoracic Surgeons database and Medicare linkage. Median age was 74 years, and 277 patients (52%) were men. One hundred ninety-two patients (36%) were supported preoperatively with an intraaortic balloon pump. Surgical status was emergent or salvage in 138 (26%), and 158 patients (29%) died within 30 days and 207 (39%) within 1 year. Among patients who survived to hospital discharge, 44% were discharged to a facility and 172 (32%) experienced at least 1 all-cause readmission within 1 year. Unadjusted 1-year mortality rates were 13% for elective patients and 69% for emergency status (P < .01). On multivariable analysis emergency/salvage status, older age, and concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting were independently associated with worse 1-year survival. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest the greatest mortality risk in this patient population occurs in the first 30 days. Emergency or salvage status strongly predicts 1-year mortality. Optimizing physiologic derangements before operative repair may be considered when possible in this subgroup of patients.

Claims-based cardiovascular outcome identification for clinical research: Results from 7 large randomized cardiovascular clinical trials.

BACKGROUND: Medicare insurance claims may provide an efficient means to ascertain follow-up of older participants in clinical research. We sought to determine the accuracy and completeness of claims- versus site-based follow-up with clinical event committee (+CEC) adjudication of cardiovascular outcomes. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study using linked Medicare and Duke Database of Clinical Trials data. Medicare claims were linked to clinical data from 7 randomized cardiovascular clinical trials. Of 52,476 trial participants, linking resulted in 5,839 (of 10,497 linkage-eligible) Medicare-linked trial participants with fee-for-service A and B coverage. Death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and revascularization incidences were compared using Medicare inpatient claims only, site-reported events (+CEC) only, or a combination of the 2. Randomized treatment effects were compared as a function of whether claims-based, site-based (+CEC), or a combined system was used for event detection. RESULTS: Among the 5,839 study participants, the annual event rates were similar between claims- and site-based (+CEC) follow-up: death (overall rate 5.2% vs 5.2%; adjusted κ 0.99), MI (2.2% vs 2.3%; adjusted κ 0.96), stroke (0.7% vs 0.7%; adjusted κ 0.99), and any revascularization (7.4% vs 7.9%; adjusted κ 0.95). Of events detected by claims yet not reported by CEC, a minority were reported by sites but negatively adjudicated by CEC (39% of MIs and 18% of strokes). Differences in individual case concordance led to higher event rates when claims- and site-based (+CEC) systems were combined. Randomized treatment effects were similar among the 3 approaches for each outcome of interest. CONCLUSIONS: Claims- versus site-based (+CEC) follow-up identified similar overall cardiovascular event rates despite meaningful differences in the events detected. Randomized treatment effects were similar using the 2 methods, suggesting claims data could be used to support clinical research leveraging routinely collected data. This approach may lead to more effective evidence generation, synthesis, and appraisal of medical products and inform the strategic approaches toward the National Evaluation System for Health Technology.

Development and Application of a Risk Prediction Model for In-Hospital Stroke After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Report From The Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry.

BACKGROUND: Stroke is a serious complication after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), yet predictive models are not available. A new risk model for in-hospital stroke after TAVR was developed and used to estimate site-specific performance. METHODS: We included 97,600 TAVR procedures from 521 sites in The Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry from July 2014 to June 2017. Association between baseline covariates and in-hospital stroke was estimated by logistic regression. Discrimination was evaluated by C-statistic. Calibration was tested internally via cross-validation. Hierarchical modeling was used to estimate risk-adjusted site-specific performance. RESULTS: Median age was 82 years, 44,926 (46.0%) were women, and 1,839 (1.9%) had in-hospital stroke. Covariates associated with stroke (odds ratio) included transapical access (1.44), access excluding transapical and transfemoral (1.77), prior stroke (1.57), prior transient ischemic attack (1.50), preprocedural shock, inotropes or mechanical assist device (1.48), smoking (1.28), porcelain aorta (1.23), peripheral arterial disease (1.21), age per 5 years (1.11), glomerular filtration rate per 5 mL/min (0.97), body surface area per m2 (0.55 male; 0.43 female), and prior aortic valve (0.78) and nonaortic valvular (0.42) procedures. The C-statistic was 0.622. Calibration curves demonstrated agreement between observed and expected stroke rates. Hierarchical modeling showed 10 (1.9%) centers with significantly higher odds ratios for in-hospital stroke than their peers. CONCLUSIONS: A risk model for in-hospital stroke after TAVR was developed from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry and used to estimate site-specific stroke performance. This model can serve as a valuable resource for quality improvement, clinical decision making, and patient counseling.

Gait Speed and 1-Year Mortality Following Cardiac Surgery: A Landmark Analysis From the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database.

Background In older adults undergoing cardiac surgery, prediction of downstream risk is critical. Our objective was to determine the association of 5-m gait speed with 1-year mortality and repeat hospitalization following cardiac surgery. Methods and Results In this prospective cohort of patients undergoing cardiac surgery at centers participating in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database with gait speed recorded, we examined all-cause mortality using a landmark analysis at 0 to 30, 30 to 365, and >365 days, as well as repeat hospitalization. The cohort consisted of 8287 patients (median age, 74 years; 32% females). At 1 year, survival was 90% in the slow (<0.83 m/s), 95% in the middle (0.83-1.00 m/s), and 97% in the fast (>1.00 m/s) gait speed tertiles, and risk of hospitalization was 45%, 33%, and 27%, respectively (both P<0.0001). After adjustment, gait speed remained predictive of mortality (hazard ratio, 2.16 per 0.1-m/s decrease in gait speed; 95% confidence interval, 1.59-2.93) and rehospitalization (hazard ratio, 1.71 per 0.1-m/s decrease in gait speed; 95% confidence interval, 1.45-2.0). In a landmark analysis, the effect of slow gait speed on mortality was most marked from 30 to 365 days after surgery, where each decline in 0.1 m/s of gait speed conferred a 2-fold increased risk of mortality. Conclusions Gait speed is a simple tool to screen for frailty and identify older adults at risk for adverse events in the early and midterm postoperative periods.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement of Failed Surgically Implanted Bioprostheses: The STS/ACC Registry.

BACKGROUND: Valve-in-valve (ViV) transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has been shown to be feasible, yet the safety and efficacy in relation to native valve (NV) TAVR are not known. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of ViV TAVR for failed surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) by comparing it with the benchmark of NV TAVR. METHODS: Patients who underwent ViV-TAVR (n = 1,150) were matched 1:2 (on sex, high or extreme risk, hostile chest or porcelain aorta, 5-m-walk time, and Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality for reoperation) to patients undergoing NV-TAVR (n = 2,259). Baseline characteristics, procedural data, and in-hospital outcomes were obtained from the Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry. The 30-day and 1-year outcomes were obtained from linked Medicare administrative claims data. RESULTS: Unadjusted analysis revealed lower 30-day mortality (2.9% vs. 4.8%; p < 0.001), stroke (1.7% vs. 3.0%; p = 0.003), and heart failure hospitalizations (2.4% vs. 4.6%; p < 0.001) in the ViV-TAVR compared with NV-TAVR group. Adjusted analysis revealed lower 30-day mortality (hazard ratio: 0.503; 95% confidence interval: 0.302 to 0.839; p = 0.008), lower 1-year mortality (hazard ratio: 0.653; 95% confidence interval: 0.505 to 0.844; p = 0.001), and hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio: 0.685; 95% confidence interval: 0.500 to 0.939; p = 0.019) in the ViV-TAVR group. Patients in the ViV-TAVR group had higher post-TAVR mean gradient (16 vs. 9 mm Hg; p < 0.001), but less moderate or severe aortic regurgitation (3.5% vs. 6.6%; p < 0.001). Post-TAVR gradients were highest in small SAVRs and stenotic SAVRs. CONCLUSIONS: Comparison with the benchmark NV-TAVR shows ViV-TAVR to be a safe and effective procedure in patients with failed SAVR who are at high risk for repeat surgery.

Robotic Mitral Valve Repair in Older Individuals: An Analysis of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database.

BACKGROUND: National outcomes of robotic mitral valve repair (rMVr) compared with sternotomy (sMVr) in older patients are currently unknown. METHODS: From 2011 to 2014, all patients aged 65 years and older undergoing MVr in The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database linked to Medicare claims data were identified. Patients who underwent rMVr were propensity matched to patients who underwent sMVr. Standard differences and falsification outcome of baseline characteristics were tested to ensure a balanced match. Cox models were used to calculate 3-year mortality, heart failure readmission, and mitral valve reintervention, adjusting for competing risks where appropriate. RESULTS: After matching, 503 rMVr patients from 65 centers and 503 sMVr from 251 centers were included. There were no significant differences in comorbidities or falsification outcome. Cardiopulmonary bypass and cross-clamp times were longer with rMVr versus sMVr at 125 versus 102 minutes (p < 0.0001) and 85 versus 75 minutes (p < 0.0001), respectively. The rMVr patients had shorter intensive care unit (27 vs 47 hours, p < 0.0001) and hospital stay (5 vs 6 days, p < 0.0001), less frequent transfusion (21% vs 35%, p < 0.0001), and less atrial fibrillation (28% vs 40%, p < 0.0001). Three-year mortality (hazard ratio, 1.21; 95% confidence interval, 0.68 to 2.16; p = 0.52), heart failure readmission (hazard ratio, 1.42; 95% confidence interval, 0.80 to 2.52, p = 0.10), and mitral valve reintervention (hazard ratio, 0.42; 95% confidence interval, 0.15 to 1.18; p = 0.22) did not differ between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: The rMVr procedure was associated with less atrial fibrillation, less frequent transfusion requirement, and shorter intensive care unit and hospital stay, without a significant difference in 3-year mortality, heart failure readmission, or mitral valve reintervention. In older patients, rMVr confers short-term advantages without a detriment to midterm outcomes.

The Incidence and Consequence of Prosthesis-Patient Mismatch After Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement.

BACKGROUND: The goal of this study was to determine the relationship of prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) with long-term survival and to assess whether growing concern about PPM has resulted in a decreased incidence over time. METHODS: Using The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database, we identified 59,779 patients ≥65 years old who underwent isolated surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) between 2004 and 2014. The degree of PPM was calculated using literature-derived effective orifice areas for commonly used valves. Outcomes to 10 years were stratified by degree of PPM. RESULTS: The distribution of PPM was as follows: 35%, none (n = 21,053); 54%, moderate (n = 32,243); and 11%, severe (n = 6,483). Compared with patients with no PPM, patients with moderate or severe PPM had a significantly increased risk of readmission for heart failure (hazard ratio [HR], 1.15; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09 to 1.21; HR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.26 to 1.48) and redo AVR (HR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.77; HR, 2.68; 95% CI, 2.01 to 3.56) for moderate or severe PPM, respectively. Survival was significantly worse for any degree of PPM (moderate to none: HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.12; severe to none: HR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.25 to 1.39), with 10-year adjusted survival rates of 46%, 43%, and 35% for none, moderate, and severe, respectively (p < 0.001). The incidence of severe PPM decreased by 55% over the study period, from 13.8% in 2004 to 6.2% in 2014. CONCLUSIONS: Any degree of PPM significantly decreased long-term survival and increased readmission rates for both heart failure and reoperation for AVR. Temporal trends show a significant decrease in the incidence of PPM over the past decade.

Outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with myocardial infarction, cardiogenic shock and unresponsive neurological state: analysis of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database.

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have demonstrated a 20% mortality rate among patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for cardiogenic shock. However, outcomes following CABG for cardiogenic shock in patients who are neurologically unresponsive preoperatively are unknown. METHODS: Utilizing the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database between July 2011 and December 2013, patients undergoing urgent or emergent CABG within 7 days of an acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock were identified. Patients were stratified on the basis of whether they had a non-medically induced unresponsive state within 24 h of surgery. RESULTS: Of the 5259 patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock who underwent CABG during the study period, 243 (4.62%) patients had an unresponsive preoperative neurological state. The unresponsive cohort had a higher 30-day operative mortality than the responsive cohort (33.74% vs 16.91%, P < 0.001). Unresponsive neurological state was associated with increased odds for mortality (adjusted odds ratio 1.81, 95% confidence interval 1.37-2.4; P < 0.001), postoperative stroke (adjusted odds ratio 2.17, 95% confidence interval 1.27-3.73; P = 0.0048) and encephalopathy (adjusted odds ratio 2.08, 95% confidence interval 1.44-3.01; P < 0.001). Among survivors in the unresponsive cohort, 78 (46.15%) were discharged home and 62 (36.69%) were discharged to extended care facilities. CONCLUSIONS: Although cardiac surgery in unresponsive patients in the setting of acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock is associated with considerable neurological disability and mortality, the majority survive to discharge. These findings may help guide patient and family discussions regarding goals of care.

Burden of preoperative atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.

BACKGROUND: This study compares early and late outcomes in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting with and without preoperative atrial fibrillation in a contemporary, nationally representative Medicare cohort. METHODS: In the Medicare-Linked Society of Thoracic Surgeons database, 361,138 patients underwent isolated coronary artery bypass from 2006 to 2013, of whom 37,220 (10.3%) had preoperative atrial fibrillation; 13,161 (35.4%) were treated with surgical ablation and were excluded. Generalized estimating equations were used to compare 30-day mortality and morbidity. Long-term survival was summarized using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression models. Stroke and systemic embolism incidence was modeled using the Fine-Gray model and the CHA2DS2-VASc score was used to analyze stroke risk. Median follow-up was 4 years. RESULTS: Preoperative atrial fibrillation was associated with a higher adjusted in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR], 1.5; P < .0001) and combined major morbidity including stroke, renal failure, prolonged ventilation, reoperation, and deep sternal wound infection (OR, 1.32; P < .0001). Patients with preoperative atrial fibrillation experienced a higher adjusted long-term risk of all-cause mortality and cumulative risk of stroke and systemic embolism compared to those without atrial fibrillation. At 5 years, the survival probability in the preoperative atrial fibrillation versus no atrial fibrillation groups stratified by CHA2DS2-VASc scores was 74.8% versus 86.3% (score 1-3), 56.5% versus 73.2% (score 4-6), and 41.2% versus 57.2% (score 7-9; all P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative atrial fibrillation is independently associated with worse early and late postoperative outcomes. CHA2DS2-VASc stratifies risk, even in those without preoperative atrial fibrillation.

Associations Between Surgical Ablation and Operative Mortality After Mitral Valve Procedures.

BACKGROUND: Surgical ablation (SA) for atrial fibrillation (AF) concomitant to mitral valve repair/replacement (MVRR) improves longitudinal sinus rhythm. However, the risk of adding SA remains a clinical question. This study examined whether the addition of contemporary SA for AF has an impact on operative outcomes. METHODS: The study cohort included 88,765 MVRR patients with or without SA, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), septal defect, and tricuspid repair in The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database between 2011 and 2014. Group 1 did not have AF (No-AF) and did not receive SA (No-SA); group 2 had No-AF immediately preoperatively but received SA; group 3 had AF but No-SA; and group 4 had AF with SA. Groups 3 and 4 were stratified into paroxysmal versus nonparoxysmal AF. With the use of logistic regression, with group 1 as reference, risk-adjusted odds ratios (OR) for mortality were compared for SA performance, AF type, and SA technique. RESULTS: Group 3 had higher age, New York Heart Association class, redo operations, and unadjusted mortality than group 4. Relative to group 1, group 3 had an OR for mortality of 1.15 (95% confidence interval: 1.04 to 1.27, p < 0.01). OR increments were similar for paroxysmal and nonparoxysmal AF. In group 4, concomitant SA was independently associated with lower AF-related relative risk (OR 1.08), to a level that was not different from group 1 (p = 0.13). Observed treatment effects were equivalent for paroxysmal and nonparoxysmal AF and across all levels of baseline risk. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with AF at the time of mitral operation, the performance of SA seems associated with a lower risk-adjusted operative mortality compared with patients who do not undergo ablation.

Contemporary management and outcomes of acute type A aortic dissection: An analysis of the STS adult cardiac surgery database.

PURPOSE: Management of acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD) is challenging and operative strategies are varied. We used the STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (STS ACSD) to describe contemporary surgical strategies and outcomes for AAAD. METHODS: Between July 2011 and September 2012, 2982 patients with AAAD underwent operations at 640 centers in North America. RESULTS: In this cohort, median age was 60 years old, 66% were male, and 80% had hypertension. The most common arterial cannulation strategies included femoral (36%), axillary (27%), and direct aortic (19%). The median perfusion and cross-clamp times were 181 and 102 min, respectively. The lowest temperature on bypass showed significant variation. Hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA) was used in 78% of cases. Among those undergoing HCA, brain protection strategies included antegrade cerebral perfusion (31%), retrograde cerebral perfusion (25%), both (4%), and none (40%). Median HCA plus cerebral perfusion time was 40 min. Major complications included prolonged ventilation (53%), reoperation (19%), renal failure (18%), permanent stroke (11%), and paralysis (3%). Operative mortality was 17%. The median intensive care unit and hospital length of stays were 4.7 and 9.0 days, respectively. Among 640 centers, the median number of cases performed during the study period was three. Resuscitation, unresponsive state, cardiogenic shock, inotrope use, age >70, diabetes, and female sex were found to be independent predictors of mortality. CONCLUSIONS: These data describe contemporary patient characteristics, operative strategies, and outcomes for AAAD in North America. Mortality and morbidity for AAAD remain high.