Rheumatic and Degenerative Mitral Stenosis: From an Iconic Clinical Case to the Literature Review.

Mitral stenosis (MS) poses significant challenges in diagnosis and management due to its varied etiologies, such as rheumatic mitral stenosis (RMS) and degenerative mitral stenosis (DMS). While rheumatic fever-induced RMS has declined in prevalence, DMS is rising with aging populations and comorbidities. Starting from a complex clinical case of DMS, the aim of this paper is to review the literature on mitral stenosis by analyzing the available tools and the differences in terms of diagnosis and treatment for rheumatic and degenerative stenosis. Emerging transcatheter techniques, such as transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) and lithotripsy-facilitated percutaneous mitral commissurotomy (PMC), represent promising alternatives for DMS patients deemed unfit for surgery. In particular, intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) has shown potential in facilitating percutaneous interventions by fracturing calcific deposits and enabling subsequent interventions. However, larger prospective studies are warranted to validate these findings and establish IVL's role in DMS management. To further enhance this technique, research could focus on investigating the long-term outcomes and durability of mitral lithotripsy, as well as exploring its potential in combination with PMC or TMVR.

[Management of patent foramen ovale in non-cardiac surgery]. / Gestione della pervietà del forame ovale nella chirurgia non cardiaca.

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a remnant of normal fetal anatomy which may persist into adulthood, mostly asymptomatic. In some adults, PFO may result in a potential for shunting venous thromboembolism to the arterial circulation; less frequently it can cause interatrial, right-to-left shunting of deoxygenated blood. The pathogenesis of several medical conditions is related to the presence of PFO. Some randomized clinical trials have shown evidence of benefit for device closure as compared with medical therapy in patients with cryptogenic stroke. The literature reported several cases of carbon dioxide embolism during general laparoscopic surgery and sometimes stroke after laparoscopic or neurosurgery but there are neither prospective studies addressing these issues, nor randomized clinical trials assessing the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy or interventional procedures at decreasing risk. The European position paper suggests routine monitoring in non-cardiac surgery of patients with a PFO and no actual indications for closure. This article aims to further stratify the risk of periprocedural stroke and paradoxical embolism in this category of patients.

Valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve implantation: The issues behind crossing a bioprosthesis.

Valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve implantation (ViV TAVI) is rapidly arising as a safe and effective alternative to redo-surgery in the treatment of bioprostheses deterioration. While scientific community is currently focusing its attention on the most common limitations related to this procedure, such as the risk of coronary obstruction and patient-prosthesis mismatch, data regarding the first step of a ViV TAVI, the crossing of a degenerated bioprosthesis, are still lacking. The aim of this review is to analyze the available information about bioprosthesis crossing, to show the inherent challenges encountered by interventional cardiologists during valve crossing and to describe the current strategies to perform a correct crossing.

Patients younger than 70 undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation: Procedural outcomes and mid-term survival.

INTRODUCTION: Based on recent data, the indication for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is expanding to individuals at lower surgical risk, who are generally younger than subjects historically treated for severe aortic stenosis. Indeed, younger patients have traditionally been under-represented in current TAVI literature. The aim of the present study is to report about clinical features, procedural outcomes and mid-term outcomes of patients younger than 70 who underwent TAVI in a single high-volume center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive patients younger than 70 years of age who underwent TAVI for severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis between 2007 and 2019 at a single, tertiary referral center have been included in this retrospective study. Procedural and mid-term outcomes were analyzed, comparing 1st generation with 2nd generation devices. RESULTS: Between 2007 and 2019, 1740 TAVI procedures were performed in our center. Among these, one hundred twenty-nine (7.4%) patients were younger than 70 years at the time of the intervention and were included in the present analysis. Fifty-eight patients (45%) were implanted with a 1st generation prosthesis while seventy-one patients (55%) were implanted with a 2nd generation device. Reasons which lead to a transcatheter approach in this population were: previous CABG (27.9%); porcelain aorta (24%); severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction (21.7%); prior chest radiation (19.4%); severe lung disease (8.5%); hemodynamic instability (7.0%); advanced liver disease (4.6%) and active cancer (3.9%). Overall device success rate was 89%, with no differences among 1st and 2nd generation devices. Threeyears all-cause mortality was 34%, with no difference among the two groups. Low incidence of aortic-valve re-intervention was observed at mid-term follow-up (late valve re-intervention = 2.3%). CONCLUSIONS: TAVI in young patient with appropriate indication for intervention is a safe procedure, associated with low rate of in hospital mortality and low rate of severe complications both with 1st and with 2nd generation devices. When considering long term durability, more data are needed; in our case series long-term follow up shows a good survival and also an extremely low rate of valve re-intervention.

[Aortic annulus rupture during transcatheter aortic valve implantation: complication prevention and management]. / Rottura dell'anello aortico durante impianto transcatetere di valvola aortica: prevenzione e gestione della complicanza.

Aortic annulus rupture is a dangerous complication of transcatheter aortic valve implantation, with an overall incidence of around 1%. Ruptures can be distinguished into supra-annular, involving injuries of the sinus of Valsalva and the sinotubular junction, annular, involving the fibrous portion of the aortic annulus, and sub-annular, located in the left ventricular outflow tract below the aortic valve cusp insertion. Annular rupture can be "contained", which usually evolves in aortic hematoma or pseudoaneurysm and rarely requires emergent cardiac surgery; or "non-contained", acutely evolving in hemopericardium with cardiac tamponade, often requiring emergent cardiac surgery and with an in-hospital mortality of 75%. Balloon-expandable oversizing and severe left ventricular outflow tract calcifications, especially under the left coronary cusp, are the most important risk factors for annular rupture. A careful computed tomography scan-based procedural planning is of paramount importance to reduce the risk of this complication. The presence and extension of left ventricular outflow tract calcifications, together with precise measurement of the virtual basal ring, should drive the operator to the right choice of prosthesis type and size in order to prevent this terrible complication.

Rotational atherectomy-based percutaneous coronary intervention and the risk of contrast-induced nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: Rotational atherectomy (RA)-related complications (e.g., no-reflow and perforation) may be associated with increased risk of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN), causing hypotension, acute heart failure, and periprocedural myocardial infarction. Our aim was to evaluate the incidence of CIN in patients undergoing RA-based vs. non-RA-based percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: This single-center retrospective registry included all patients who underwent PCI between 2012 and 2016 for whom post-procedural creatinine was determined. Study endpoint was CIN, defined as an increase of serum creatinine ≥0.3 mg/dL or ≥50% from baseline within 72 h post-PCI. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to account for selection bias between RA and non-RA patients. RESULTS: Study population included 2580 patients: 70 (3%) had RA PCI and 2510 (97%) had non-RA PCI. Following PSM, there were 70 patients in RA and 280 patients in non-RA group with good overall adjustment between groups, although RA patients received larger contrast volume (263±126 vs. 224±118 mL, P=0.01) and showed higher Mehran risk score at baseline (11.1±6.6 vs. 8.9±4.8, P=0.01). The incidence of CIN was similar between RA and non-RA patients (15.7% vs. 13.2%, P=0.59). New need for dialysis was required in 0% vs. 0.7% patients, respectively (P=0.48). On multivariate analysis, RA PCI was not independently associated with development of CIN. CONCLUSIONS: Despite being performed in patients with a higher burden of comorbidities and with larger volumes of contrast, RA PCI is not associated with higher risk of CIN, compared with PCI in non-RA patients.

Impact of Ascending Aorta Dilation on Mid-Term Outcome After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

BACKGROUND: Severe aortic stenosis (AS) is often associated with ascending aorta dilation (AAD). AAD is amenable to surgical correction combined with aortic valve replacement. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) might represent a valid therapeutic option in these patients when AAD correction Is not indicated. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the impact of concomitant AAD on early and mid-term outcomes after TAVI for symptomatic severe AS. METHODS: This is a single-center observational study including patients undergoing transfemoral TAVI. All patients with previous surgery on the left ventricular outflow tract, aortic valve, or ascending aorta (except coronary artery bypass graft surgery) were excluded from the analysis. Patients undergoing TAVI for congenital aortic valve defects or subjects in whom a computed tomography (CT) scan was not available were excluded from the analysis. Ascending aortas were measured on CT scans using appropriate multiplanar reconstructions. Ascending aortas were qualified as dilated if the measurement was >40 mm. Study outcomes were death from any cause, significant paravalvular leaks (PVLs), and new permanent pacemaker (PPM) implant. RESULTS: The final population consisted of 680 subjects, 61% females, mean age 82 ± 7 years. One hundred subjects (15%) had AAD. No differences in terms of significant PVL or PPM implantation were found between subjects with or without AAD (P>.99 and P=.13, respectively). At a median follow-up of 498 ± 216 days, no significant difference in terms of mortality was found between subjects with or without AAD (P=.78). CONCLUSIONS: AAD does not appear to impact the mid-term outcomes in a cohort of subjects undergoing TAVI.

Risk of contrast-induced nephropathy in patients undergoing complex percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with increased procedural challenges and high contrast load. We aimed to evaluate the association between complex PCI and contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). METHODS: This single-center retrospective study included all-comers undergoing PCI between January 2012 and December 2016. Complex PCI was defined as a procedure with ≥1 of the following characteristics: 3 vessels treated, ≥3 stents implanted, two-stent bifurcation intervention, total stent length >60 mm, PCI on a chronic total occlusion, saphenous vein graft, or left main, protected PCI, use of rotational/laser atherectomy. CIN was defined as an increase in post-PCI creatinine of ≥0.3 mg/dl or ≥50% from baseline. RESULTS: We included 2660 patients (n = 1128 complex PCI, n = 1532 non-complex PCI). Complex PCI patients tended to be older, and had higher cardiovascular comorbidity and Mehran CIN risk score. They also had a higher prevalence of type B2/C lesions and need for mechanical circulatory support, and received a higher mean contrast volume (284 ±â€¯137 vs. 189 ±â€¯90 ml, p < 0.001). CIN incidence was similar in complex vs. non-complex PCI patients (12.1% vs. 11.5%, p = 0.63), as was the need for in-hospital dialysis (0.5% vs. 0.2%, p = 0.25). Upon multivariable adjustment, age, female sex, diabetes, ejection fraction, periprocedural hypotension, presentation with acute coronary syndrome, and contrast volume were independently associated with CIN, while complex PCI was not. CONCLUSIONS: Complex PCI is not associated with an increased risk of CIN in all-comers. Further studies should confirm our findings and investigate novel effective strategies to decrease the risk of this serious complication.

Percutaneous Direct Annuloplasty With Edge-to-Edge Technique for Mitral Regurgitation: Replicating a Complete Surgical Mitral Repair in a One-Step Procedure.

Surgical treatment of functional mitral regurgitation (MR) is usually based on the correction of both annular dilation and leaflet disease to minimize the risk of recurrence of MR at follow-up. This combined approach may also represent an interesting strategy during transcatheter mitral valve repair systems. We report a successful case of combined Cardioband (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, California) and MitraClip (Abbott, Santa Clara, California) implantation for the treatment of functional MR, with good acute and medium-term clinical and echocardiographic outcomes.

The future of percutaneous tricuspid valve interventions.

Tricuspid valve regurgitation has a high prevalence and, when severe, is associated with poor outcomes. Nevertheless, surgical repair or replacement (isolated or as a part of a combined procedure) is rarely performed due to high surgical risk. Therefore, there is a significant unmet clinical need for percutaneous transcatheter-based treatments. Significant development in percutaneous therapies for both aortic and mitral valve disease has been accomplished over the last two decades, while transcatheter therapies for the tricuspid valve are still at an early stage. We are today at a cross-road of new transcatheter devices that are becoming available for the treatment of tricuspid regurgitation; the current review evaluates the challenges that current and future technologies have to face in order to become a safer, less invasive and equally effective alternative to surgery.

Impact of Mitral Annular Calcium on Outcomes after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

A high prevalence of mitral annular calcium (MAC) is expected in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI); however, data regarding the prevalence of MAC and impact on risk of cardiovascular events are lacking. To determine the prevalence of MAC and its association with clinical outcomes in patients undergoing TAVI, we retrospectively analyzed 424 patients who underwent transfemoral TAVI from 2007 to 2015 and whose preoperative computed tomography images were available for assessment of MAC. Severe circumferential MAC (SC-MAC) was defined as calcification involving at least the whole posterior annulus alone or with the attachment of the anterior leaflet. Clinical outcomes were examined according to Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 criteria up to 2 years. SC-MAC was found in 17.7% of patients. Patients with SC-MAC were more likely to be female, with a higher prevalence of atrial fibrillation and peripheral artery disease. There were no differences between the groups regarding age, functional class, prevalence of diabetes, kidney disease, and operative risk. Female gender and peripheral artery disease were independent predictors of SC-MAC. SC-MAC did not appear to be associated with periprocedural and 30-day outcomes. At 2 years' follow-up, patients with SC-MAC had significantly higher cardiovascular and all-cause mortality rates. SC-MAC was an independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality during follow-up. In conclusion, SC-MAC is a frequent finding in the TAVI population and appears to be an independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality at 2 years' follow-up.

Tricuspid annuloplasty versus a conservative approach in patients with functional tricuspid regurgitation undergoing left-sided heart valve surgery: A study-level meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Tricuspid valve (TV) repair at the time of left-sided valve surgery is indicated in patients with either severe functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR) or mild-to-moderate TR with coexistent tricuspid annular dilation or right heart failure. We assessed the benefits of a concomitant TV repair strategy during left-sided surgical valve interventions, focusing on mortality and echocardiographic TR-related outcomes. METHODS: A meta-analysis was performed of studies reporting outcomes of patients who underwent left-sided (mitral and/or aortic) valve surgery with or without concomitant TV repair. Primary endpoints were all-cause and cardiac-related mortality; secondary endpoints were the presence of more-than-moderate TR, TR progression, and TR severity grade. All endpoints were evaluated at the longest available follow-up. RESULTS: Fifteen studies were included for a total of 2840 patients. TV repair at the time of left-sided valve surgery was associated with a significantly lower risk of cardiac-related mortality (odds ratio [OR] 0.38; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.25-0.58; p<0.001), with a trend towards a lower risk of all-cause mortality (OR 0.57; 95% CI: 0.32-1.05; p=0.07) at a mean weighted follow-up of 6years. The presence of more-than-moderate TR (OR 0.19; 95% CI: 0.12-0.30; p<0.001), TR progression (OR 0.03; 95% CI: 0.01-0.05; p<0.001), and TR grade (standardized mean difference -1.11; 95% CI: -1.57 to -0.65; p<0.001) were significantly lower in the TV repair group at a mean weighted follow-up of 4.7years. CONCLUSIONS: A concomitant TV repair strategy during left-sided valve surgery is associated with a reduction in cardiac-related mortality and improved echocardiographic TR outcomes at follow-up.

Percutaneous bicuspidalization of the tricuspid valve using the MitraClip system.

An 84-year-old man with cardial senile amyloidosis and severe tricuspid regurgitation was referred for right sided heart failure symptoms. The patient was scheduled for a percutaneous treatment due to the prohibitive risk of surgery. Two MitraClips were implanted using a transjugular approach with successful echocardiographic and clinical results. This case shows the rational of the procedural with a bicuspidalization of the valve demonstrated at the three dimensional transesophageal echocardiography.

Impact of post-procedural hyperglycemia on acute kidney injury after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

BACKGROUND: Post-operative hyperglycemia, in individuals with and without diabetes, has been identified as a predictor of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients following cardiac surgery. Whether or not this is also true for patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is unknown. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether post-procedural glucose levels are associated with AKI after TAVI. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 422 consecutive patients undergoing transfemoral TAVI were included in the analysis. For each patient, plasma glucose levels were assessed at hospital admission, 4h after the procedure and daily during hospitalization. Post-procedural hyperglycemia was defined as 2 consecutive blood glucose readings ≥150mg/dL in the 72-hour period following TAVI. AKI was defined according to the VARC consensus report regarding standardized endpoint definitions. Overall, 137 (32.5%) patients developed post-procedural hyperglycemia and 138 (33%) patients developed AKI. Hyperglycemia was associated with a 2-fold higher incidence of AKI than in patients without hyperglycemia (48% vs. 25%, p<0.001). In-hospital mortality was higher in patients with hyperglycemia than in those without hyperglycemia (9.6% vs. 1.8%, p<0.001). In-hospital mortality rate was also higher in patients who developed AKI (12.7% vs. 2.7%, p<0.001). Patients with acute hyperglycemia that developed AKI had the highest in-hospital and long-term mortality rate (15% and 38%). Post-procedural hyperglycemia was an independent predictor of AKI. CONCLUSIONS: Post-procedural hyperglycemia is associated with a higher incidence of AKI and mortality after TAVI. Randomized controlled trials are needed to determine whether meticulous post-procedural glycemic control following TAVI impacts upon clinical outcomes.