APpropriAteness of percutaneous Coronary interventions in patients with ischaemic HEart disease in Italy: the APACHE pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: To first explore in Italy appropriateness of indication, adherence to guideline recommendations and mode of selection for coronary revascularisation. DESIGN: Retrospective, pilot study. SETTING: 22 percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)-performing hospitals (20 patients per site), 13 (59%) with on-site cardiac surgery. PARTICIPANTS: 440 patients who received PCI for stable coronary artery disease (CAD) or non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome were independently selected in a 4:1 ratio with half diabetics. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Proportion of patients who received appropriate PCI using validated appropriate use scores (ie, AUS≥7). Also, in patients with stable CAD, we examined adherence to the following European Society of Cardiology recommendations: (A) per cent of patients with complex coronary anatomy treated after heart team discussion; (B) per cent of fractional flow reserve-guided PCI for borderline stenoses in patients without documented ischaemia; (C) per cent of patients receiving guideline-directed medical therapy at the time of PCI as well as use of provocative test of ischaemia according to pretest probability (PTP) of CAD. RESULTS: Of the 401 mappable PCIs (91%), 38.7% (95% CI 33.9 to 43.6) were classified as appropriate, 47.6% (95% CI 42.7 to 52.6) as uncertain and 13.7% (95% CI 10.5% to 17.5%) as inappropriate. Median PTP in patients with stable CAD without known coronary anatomy was 69% (78% intermediate PTP, 22% high PTP). Ischaemia testing use was similar (p=0.71) in patients with intermediate (n=140, 63%) and with high PTP (n=40, 66%). In patients with stable CAD (n=352) guideline adherence to the three recommendations explored was: (A) 11%; (B) 25%; (C) 23%. AUS was higher in patients evaluated by the heart team as compared with patients who were not (7 (6.8) vs 5 (4.7); p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Use of heart team approaches and adherence to guideline recommendations on coronary revascularisation in a real-world setting is limited. This pilot study documents the feasibility of measuring appropriateness and guideline adherence in clinical practice and identifies substantial opportunities for quality improvement. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02748603.

Impact of Cusp Repair on Reoperation Risk After the David Procedure.

BACKGROUND: We assessed whether additional cusp repair during valve-sparing aortic root replacement affects the echocardiographic mid-term results; a subgroup analysis among patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) was performed. METHODS: Between June 2002 and May 2015, 157 consecutive patients underwent valve-sparing aortic root replacement with the David technique. Thirty patients (19%) had BAV. In 19 patients (12%), cusp motion or anatomic abnormalities contributed in determining aortic regurgitation requiring an additional cusp repair. Mean follow-up was 7 ± 3.4 years. RESULTS: The cumulative 1-, 5-, and 12-year survival rates were 98%, 94%, and 90%, respectively. Fourteen patients (9%) required aortic valve replacement during follow-up. In 2 patients the underlying cause was bacterial endocarditis. Freedom from aortic valve reoperation was 96% at 1 year, 92% at 5 years, and 89% at 12 years. Reoperation rate was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in patients who received leaflet repair compared with patients who did not, with a freedom from reoperation at 8 years of 58% versus 94%. Among patients with BAV, those who did not require cusp repair had a freedom from reoperation at 8 years of 94%, with a significant difference compared with patients who received cusp repair (p = 0.04). Cusp repair did not affect reoperation risk in patients with tricuspid aortic valve. CONCLUSIONS: Adjunctive cusp repair seems to affect the mid-term reoperation risk in patients with BAV and not in patients with tricuspid aortic valve. We recommend caution in using this technique in case of asymmetric BAV requiring cusp repair.

Outcome of open total arch replacement in the modern era.

OBJECTIVE: To shed light on contemporary results of open total aortic arch surgery, we undertook a systematic review to identify all reports on this procedure published in the last 10 years. METHODS: Extensive electronic literature search was undertaken to identify all published articles from 2004 to 2014 that provided results on total aortic arch replacement. According to inclusion and exclusion criteria, 21 relevant studies were selected and meta-analyzed to assess outcomes. RESULTS: The pooled estimate for operative mortality was 5.3%. Permanent and transient neurologic deficit occurred postoperatively at a pooled rate of 3.4% and 5.2%, respectively. Pooled rate of irreversible spinal cord injury was 0.6%, whereas renal failure occurred at a pooled rate of 4.1%. Prolonged intubation occurred at pooled rate of 15.4%. Among elective patients, pooled rate of mortality and permanent neurologic deficit was 2.9% and 2.2%, respectively, with a significant difference compared with urgent/emergency surgery cases. CONCLUSIONS: The main findings from this meta-analysis indicate that total aortic arch replacement can be performed with satisfactory mortality and morbidity. The pooled rates of mortality and permanent neurologic deficit among elective cases were surprisingly low, and these data have an even greater prominence when they are compared with outcomes of hybrid arch series. Under urgent/emergency surgery, early mortality and neurologic complications showed an about threefold higher rate. Moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest and early rewarming seem to provide proper renal protection, with an intermediate risk of prolonged intubation.

Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting improves short-term outcomes in high-risk patients compared with on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting: Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the benefits and risks of off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) versus coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) through a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and to investigate the relationship between outcomes and patient risk profile. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and major conference proceedings databases were searched for RCTs comparing OPCAB and CABG and reporting short-term (≤ 30 days) outcomes. Endpoints assessed were all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), and cerebral stroke. RESULTS: The meta-analysis included 100 studies, with a total of 19,192 subjects. There was no difference between the 2 techniques with respect to all-cause mortality and MI (odds ratio [OR], 0.88; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.71-1.09; P = .25; I(2) = 0% and OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.77-1.05; P = .19; I(2) = 0%, respectively). OPCAB was associated with a significant 28% reduction in the odds of cerebral stroke (OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.56-0.92; P = .009; I(2) = 0%). A significant relationship between patient risk profile and benefits from OPCAB was found in terms of all-cause mortality (P < .01), MI (P < .01), and cerebral stroke (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: OPCAB is associated with a significant reduction in the odds of cerebral stroke compared with conventional CABG. In addition, benefits of OPCAB in terms of death, MI, and cerebral stroke are significantly related to patient risk profile, suggesting that OPCAB should be strongly considered in high-risk patients.

Safety and efficacy of miniaturized extracorporeal circulation when compared with off-pump and conventional coronary artery bypass grafting: evidence synthesis from a comprehensive Bayesian-framework network meta-analysis of 134 randomized controlled trials involving 22 778 patients.

OBJECTIVES: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) remains the standard of care in patients with extensive coronary artery disease. Yet the use of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is believed to be a major determinant of perioperative morbidity. Novel techniques are sought to tackle the shortcomings of CPB, among them off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) and miniaturized extracorporeal circulation (MECC) systems have been extensively tested in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). To assess perioperative safety and efficacy of MECC and OPCAB when compared with conventional extracorporeal circulation (CECC). METHODS: Published literature and major congress proceedings were screened for RCTs evaluating the safety and efficacy of MECC, OPCAB and CECC. Selected end-points such as 30-day all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), cerebral stroke, postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) and renal dysfunction were assessed in a Bayesian-framework network meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 134 studies with 22 778 patients were included. When compared with CECC, both OPCAB and MECC significantly reduced 30-day all-cause mortality [odds ratios (95% credible intervals): 0.75 (0.51-0.99) and 0.46 (0.22-0.91)], respectively. No differences in respect to MI were demonstrated with either strategy. OPCAB, when compared with CECC, reduced the odds of cerebral stroke [0.57 (0.34-0.80)]; 60% reduction was observed with MECC when compared with CECC [0.40 (0.19-0.78)]. Both OPCAB and MECC reduced the odds of POAF [0.66 (0.48-0.90) and 0.62 (0.35-0.98), respectively] when compared with CECC. OPCAB conferred over 30% reduction of renal dysfunction when compared with CECC [0.69 (0.46-0.92)]. MECC reduced these odds by more than 50% [0.47 (0.24-0.89)]. Ranking of treatments emerging from the probability analysis (highest to lowest SUCRA values) was MECC followed by OPCAB and CECC. CONCLUSIONS: MECC and OPCAB both improve perioperative outcomes following coronary bypass surgery when compared with conventional CABG performed with extracorporeal circulation. MECC may represent an attractive compromise between OPCAB and CECC.

Hybrid Versus Conventional Treatment of Acute Type A Aortic Dissection.

BACKGROUND: To determine whether the hybrid approach to acute type A aortic dissection results in improved outcomes in terms of mortality, neurologic complications, need for distal aortic reintervention, and false lumen thrombosis compared with the conventional approach. METHODS: Data from comparative studies of hybrid versus conventional treatment of acute type A aortic dissection were combined through meta-analysis. Pooled odd ratios were calculated using random effects models. RESULTS: Seven comparative studies including 967 patients were identified; of these, 503 underwent conventional proximal aortic repair and 429 extensive distal aortic repair including a stented elephant trunk technique. Between the two groups there was no significant difference in operative mortality (p = 0.96), permanent neurologic deficit (p = 0.95), and late mortality (p = 0.59). Distal aortic repair showed a higher rate of false lumen thrombosis of the thoracic aorta (odd ratio 11.16; p < 0.001) and a reduced risk of distal reintervention (odd ratio 0.37; p = 0.01). In sub-group analysis, frozen elephant trunk procedure showed a lower rate of distal aortic reintervention and a higher rate of false lumen thrombosis than antegrade/retrograde stent deployment techniques (p = 0.008 and <0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Distal aortic repair may reduce the risk of distal reintervention and increase the rate of false lumen thrombosis without significant increase in operative mortality and permanent neurologic deficit; however, no benefit with respect to late mortality was found. The frozen elephant trunk may reduce the risk of distal aortic reintervention and may increase the false lumen thrombosis of the thoracic aorta in comparison with antegrade/retrograde stent deployment procedures.

Minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass in the era of percutaneous coronary intervention.

AIM: Minimally invasive coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB) allows revascularization of the left anterior descending coronary (LAD) artery through a less traumatic surgical approach. However, the procedure is technically challenging and concern still exists, mainly based on graft patency. The purpose of this study is to critically evaluate short and long-term benefits of this surgical treatment. METHODS: Between June 1997 and July 2012, 306 patients underwent MIDCAB on LAD. The mean age was 62 ±â€Š10 years (range, 32-87 years) and 264 patients (86.3%) were men. Mean ejection fraction was 54%. Eighty-nine procedures (29.1%) were performed using a hybrid approach by means of MIDCAB and postoperative (60 patients, 67.4%) or preoperative (29 patients, 32.6%) percutaneous interventions on non-LAD vessels. A EuroScore more than 6 was found in 43 (14%) patients. The average follow-up time was 9.5 ±â€Š3.2 years and was 89% complete. RESULTS: Six patients (1.9%) required intraoperative conversion to sternotomy, whereas cardiopulmonary bypass institution after the sternotomy was necessary in one. Postoperative acute myocardial infarction occurring nine patients (2.9%), low output syndrome in four (1.3%). Postoperative mortality was 1.6% (n = 5), and perioperative stroke rate 0.6% (n = 2). Five and 10-year survival were 94.1 and 86.9%, respectively. Freedom from death due to cardiac events and major cardiac and cerebral events at 10 years was, respectively, 97.1 and 92.1%. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirm the favorable short and long-term results of the MIDCAB procedure. MIDCAB, in experienced centers, can represent an alternative treatment option for LAD disease.

Unusable radial artery for severe atherosclerosis in a young patient.

We report a young diabetic patient who was found to have an unusable radial artery (RA) for coronary bypass grafting because of severe and diffuse atherosclerosis. Techniques to diagnose RA conduits, which are not usable for coronary surgery, are reviewed.

[CircuLite Synergy ventricular assist device: a new approach to end-stage congestive heart failure]. / Sistema di assistenza ventricolare CircuLite Synergy: un nuovo approccio all'insufficienza cardiaca terminale.

BACKGROUND: The Synergy system, a miniature partial circulatory support device, is implanted by an off-pump, minimally invasive surgical approach. The system has been optimized to improve performance in an EU clinical trial for chronic ambulatory heart failure. This therefore offers the possibility of treating elderly chronic heart failure patients who might not usually be considered for long-term circulatory support. METHODS: From June 2007 to December 2012, 63 patients were implanted with the Synergy system (12 patients ≥70 years) using four different releases of the device. Briefly, the system draws blood through the inflow cannula from the left atrium into the micro-pump (placed in a right subclavicular pocket) and pumps it through an outflow graft to the right subclavian artery. In this paper, we present an intermediate analysis of the clinical trial as performed on April 30, 2013, leading to the placing of the CE mark. RESULTS: Mean duration of support is ongoing at 230 days (range 23-1387). Follow-up showed improved hemodynamic response, with additional improvements in 6-min walk distance (299 ± 144 to 420 ± 119 m) and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (69.5 ± 20.4 to 49.2 ± 24.3). Older patients had longer mean durations of support (337 vs 188 days). On average, elderly and younger patients showed similar improvements in hemodynamics and 6-min walk distance (107 ± 120 vs 130 ± 121 m). Major adverse cardiac events included bleeding (n=4) with one bleeding related to renal failure resulting in death. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical use of the Synergy device was associated with a significant functional improvement. Very low adverse event rates were reported with the latest device release. Older patients had smaller body sizes and worse renal function than younger patients. Both groups experienced similar hemodynamic benefits and functional improvements. The risk of bleeding and renal dysfunction appears to be increased in the elderly, though still within acceptable ranges compared to other full support devices. Minimally invasive long-term circulatory support devices, like Synergy, offer a new treatment option that might be available even for the elderly chronic heart failure population.

Analysis of postsurgical aortic false aneurysm in 27 patients.

Aortic false aneurysm is a rare complication after cardiac surgery. In recent years, improved results have been reported in regard to the surgical management of these high-risk lesions. We retrospectively examined 28 consecutive cases (in 27 patients) of postsurgical aortic false aneurysm diagnosed at our institution from May 1999 through December 2011. Twenty-four patients underwent reoperation. Cardiopulmonary bypass was instituted before sternotomy in 15 patients (63%). Isolated repair of the aortic false aneurysm was performed in 15 patients. Four patients (including one who had already undergone repeat false-aneurysm repair) declined surgery in favor of clinical monitoring. Eleven patients were asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis. In the other 16, the main cause was infection in 7, and previous operation for acute aortic dissection in 9. The in-hospital mortality rate was 16.6% (4 patients, 3 of whom had infective false aneurysms). Relevant postoperative sequelae were noted in 7 patients (29%). The cumulative 1-year and 5-year survival rates were 83% and 62%, respectively. The 4 patients who did not undergo reoperation were alive at a median interval of 23 months (range, 9-37 mo). Two underwent imaging evaluations; in one, computed tomography revealed an 8-mm increase of the false aneurysm's maximal diameter at 34 months. Aortic false aneurysm can develop silently. Surgical procedures should be proposed even to asymptomatic patients because of the unpredictable evolution of the condition. Radical aortic-graft replacement should be chosen rather than simple repair, because recurrent false aneurysm is possible.

Mitral and aortic valve prosthetic endocarditis after percutaneous closure of mitral paravalvular leak.

A 67-year-old man presented to our hospital with massive mitral and aortic valve prosthetic endocarditis 2 months after transcatheter percutaneous closure of a mitral paravalvular leak with an Amplatzer duct occluder device (AGA Medical Corp, Plymouth MN). He underwent successful reoperation for valve prosthesis replacement and reconstruction of the anterior fibrous trigone. Although transcatheter treatment of periprosthetic valve defects has been shown to be feasible, follow-up data are still limited. This procedure should be reserved only for patients who are not eligible for open surgical procedures and those with small periprosthetic defects.

Postsurgical aortic false aneurysm: pathogenesis, clinical presentation and surgical strategy.

Postsurgical aortic false aneurysm occurs in less than 0.5% of all cardiac surgical cases and its management is a challenge in terms of preoperative evaluation and surgical approach. Although infections are well recognized as risk factors, technical aspects of a previous operation may have a role in pseudoaneurysm formation. The risk factors and clinical presentation of pseudoaneurysms and the surgical strategy are revisited in this article.

Left ventricular pseudoaneurysm following aortic valve prosthesis endocarditis.

A 63-year-old man underwent aortic valve replacement and an early reoperation for recurrent endocarditis. Sixteen months later he presented with persistent fever and a 64-slice computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a subannular left ventricular pseudoaneurysm. He underwent successful left ventricular outflow tract reconstruction and aortic valve prosthesis, partial root and ascending aorta replacement.

Bicuspidy does not affect reoperation risk following aortic valve reimplantation.

Aortic valve reimplantation has been shown to be a safe procedure. However, evidences of durability in bicuspid aortic valves (BAVs) are limited in the literature. Between 2002 and 2011, 132 patients (mean age 61 ± 12 years) underwent aortic valve reimplantation. In 24 patients (18%), aortic valve was bicuspid. Mean follow-up was 50 ± 26 months (range 1-102 months) and was 99% complete. In-hospital mortality was 0.8% (1 patient). Survival at 1 and 5 years was 99 and 94%, respectively. Overall freedom from aortic valve reoperation at 1 and 5 years was 96 and 90%, respectively, without significant difference between patients with bicuspid and tricuspid aortic valve. Freedom from aortic valve regurgitation >2+/4+, excluding patients reoperated, was at 1 and 5 years of 100 and 99%, respectively. Patients with valve cusp repair showed a higher rate of aortic valve reoperation; however, only postoperative aortic regurgitation >2+/4+ was significant risk factor for redo procedure at multivariate analysis. Aortic valve reimplantation in BAV without cusp repair provides excellent mid-term results. Further observations and longer follow-up are necessary to determine if BAV sparing, even in the presence of cusps alterations, could allow satisfying durability.

Aortic valve replacement for paraprosthetic leak after transcatheter implantation.

Conversion to surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) has been described as a complication following transcatheter aortic valve implantation. This complication occurs in up to 8% of cases and, to the best of our knowledge, preoperative data and surgical outcomes of such patients have not been properly evaluated. Mild paraprosthetic regurgitation is commonly observed after transcatheter aortic valve implantation and usually leads to a benign clinical course. Unequal distribution of valve calcifications is described as a potential mechanism. We report a case of a perioperative paraprosthetic regurgitation that underwent successful urgent surgical AVR and review the incidence and results of paraprosthetic leaks following transcatheter implantation.

Left ventricle unloading by percutaneous pigtail during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Arterial-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is more and more used as first line mechanical support in acute cardiopulmonary failure. Important pitfall of this technique is the inappropriate unloading of left ventricle (LV) in case of myocardial insufficiency, leading to pulmonary stasis and inadequate myocardial recovery. We report our experience of left side unloading by a 7-F pigtail, introduced in the LV through the aortic valve, connected to the venous drainage. Echographic guidance is sufficient to pigtail positioning and follow-up monitoring avoiding catheterization laboratory transport. With this approach we were able to support three different patients, resolving LV distension and preventing lung congestion, without major complication.