Mortality and major postoperative complications within 1 year after vascular surgery: a prospective cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Patients undergoing vascular procedures are prone to developing postoperative complications affecting their short­term mortality. Prospective reports describing the incidence of long­term complications after vascular surgery are lacking. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to describe the incidence of complications 1 year after vascular surgery and to evaluate an association between myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery (MINS) and 1­year mortality. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a substudy of a large prospective cohort study Vascular Events in Noncardiac Surgery Patients Cohort Evaluation (VISION). Recruitment took place in 28 centers across 14 countries from August 2007 to November 2013. We enrolled patients aged 45 years or older undergoing vascular surgery, receiving general or regional anesthesia, and hospitalized for at least 1 night postoperatively. Plasma cardiac troponin T concentration was measured before the surgery and on the first, second, and third postoperative day. The patients or their relatives were contacted 1 year after the procedure to assess the incidence of major postoperative complications. RESULTS: We enrolled 2641 patients who underwent vascular surgery, 2534 (95.9%) of whom completed 1­year follow­up. Their mean (SD) age was 68.2 (9.8) years, and the cohort was predominantly male (77.5%). The most frequent 1­year complications were myocardial infarction (224/2534, 8.8%), amputation (187/2534, 7.4%), and congestive heart failure (67/2534, 2.6%). The 1­year mortality rate was 8.8% (223/2534). MINS occurred in 633 patients (24%) and was associated with an increased 1­year mortality (hazard ratio, 2.82; 95% CI, 2.14-3.72; P <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of major postoperative complications after vascular surgery is high. The occurrence of MINS is associated with a nearly 3­fold increase in 1­year mortality.

A Prospective International Multicentre Cohort Study of Intraoperative Heart Rate and Systolic Blood Pressure and Myocardial Injury After Noncardiac Surgery: Results of the VISION Study.

BACKGROUND: The association between intraoperative cardiovascular changes and perioperative myocardial injury has chiefly focused on hypotension during noncardiac surgery. However, the relative influence of blood pressure and heart rate (HR) remains unclear. We investigated both individual and codependent relationships among intraoperative HR, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery (MINS). METHODS: Secondary analysis of the Vascular Events in Noncardiac Surgery Cohort Evaluation (VISION) study, a prospective international cohort study of noncardiac surgical patients. Multivariable logistic regression analysis tested for associations between intraoperative HR and/or SBP and MINS, defined by an elevated serum troponin T adjudicated as due to an ischemic etiology, within 30 days after surgery. Predefined thresholds for intraoperative HR and SBP were: maximum HR >100 beats or minimum HR <55 beats per minute (bpm); maximum SBP >160 mm Hg or minimum SBP <100 mm Hg. Secondary outcomes were myocardial infarction and mortality within 30 days after surgery. RESULTS: After excluding missing data, 1197 of 15,109 patients (7.9%) sustained MINS, 454 of 16,031 (2.8%) sustained myocardial infarction, and 315 of 16,061 patients (2.0%) died within 30 days after surgery. Maximum intraoperative HR >100 bpm was associated with MINS (odds ratio [OR], 1.27 [1.07-1.50]; P < .01), myocardial infarction (OR, 1.34 [1.05-1.70]; P = .02), and mortality (OR, 2.65 [2.06-3.41]; P < .01). Minimum SBP <100 mm Hg was associated with MINS (OR, 1.21 [1.05-1.39]; P = .01) and mortality (OR, 1.81 [1.39-2.37]; P < .01), but not myocardial infarction (OR, 1.21 [0.98-1.49]; P = .07). Maximum SBP >160 mm Hg was associated with MINS (OR, 1.16 [1.01-1.34]; P = .04) and myocardial infarction (OR, 1.34 [1.09-1.64]; P = .01) but, paradoxically, reduced mortality (OR, 0.76 [0.58-0.99]; P = .04). Minimum HR <55 bpm was associated with reduced MINS (OR, 0.70 [0.59-0.82]; P < .01), myocardial infarction (OR, 0.75 [0.58-0.97]; P = .03), and mortality (OR, 0.58 [0.41-0.81]; P < .01). Minimum SBP <100 mm Hg with maximum HR >100 bpm was more strongly associated with MINS (OR, 1.42 [1.15-1.76]; P < .01) compared with minimum SBP <100 mm Hg alone (OR, 1.20 [1.03-1.40]; P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative tachycardia and hypotension are associated with MINS. Further interventional research targeting HR/blood pressure is needed to define the optimum strategy to reduce MINS.

Comparison between National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for the diagnosis and management of stable angina: implications for clinical practice.

Cardiologists in the UK use clinical practice guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) to aid clinical decision-making. This review compares their recommendations regarding stable angina. NICE's diagnostic algorithm changed clinical practice in the UK, with most cardiologists moving from the exercise ECG towards newer, more accurate imaging modalities such as CT and MRI for diagnostic testing in patients with a low or medium probability of coronary artery disease (CAD), and directly to invasive coronary angiography in patients with a high probability of CAD. ESC guidelines are based around stress imaging for most patient groups. Both guidelines stress the importance of optimal medical therapy for patients with stable angina. NICE recommends coronary artery bypass graft surgery to improve prognosis for patients with left main stem and/or proximal 3-vessel disease, whereas the ESC also includes proximal left anterior descending artery disease among its indications for revascularisation to improve prognosis, particularly if there is evidence of myocardial ischaemia. The relation between disease complexity and 5-year clinical outcomes after revascularisation in patients with left main stem and/or 3-vessel CAD has been integrated into ESC guidance through the use of the SYNTAX score to aid treatment selection in this group of patients. Patients with stable angina who have disease involving the proximal left anterior descending artery are less likely to undergo myocardial revascularisation if they are managed according to NICE's guidance compared with the ESC's guidance.

Association between pre-operative statin use and major cardiovascular complications among patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery: the VISION study.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to assess the effects of pre-operative statin therapy on cardiovascular events in the first 30-days after non-cardiac surgery. METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted an international, prospective, cohort study of patients who were ≥45 years having in-patient non-cardiac surgery. We estimated the probability of receiving statins pre-operatively using a multivariable logistic model and conducted a propensity score analysis to correct for confounding. A total of 15 478 patients were recruited at 12 centres in eight countries from August 2007 to January 2011. The matched population consisted of 2845 patients (18.4%) treated with a statin and 4492 (29.0%) controls. The pre-operative use of statins was associated with lower risk of the primary outcome, a composite of all-cause mortality, myocardial injury after non-cardiac surgery (MINS), or stroke at 30 days [relative risk (RR), 0.83; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.73-0.95; P = 0.007]. Statins were also associated with a significant lower risk of all-cause mortality (RR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.40-0.83; P = 0.003), cardiovascular mortality (RR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.23-0.76; P = 0.004), and MINS (RR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.73-0.98; P = 0.02). There were no statistically significant differences in the risk of myocardial infarction or stroke. CONCLUSION: Among patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery, pre-operative statin therapy was independently associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular outcomes at 30 days. These results require confirmation in a large randomized trial. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials.gov NCT00512109.

The impact of socio-economic status on all-cause mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention: an observational cohort study of 13,770 patients.

AIMS: The relation between socio-economic status (SES) and outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has not been established. We sought to determine whether or not socio-economic status impacts on prognosis after PCI. METHODS AND RESULTS: This was an observational cohort study of 13,770 consecutive patients who underwent PCI at a single centre between 2005 and 2011. Patient socio-economic status was defined by the English Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) score, according to residential postcode. Patients were analysed by quintile of IMD score (Q1, least deprived; Q5, most deprived). Median follow-up was 3.7 (IQR: 2.0-5.1) years and the primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Patients in Q5 (most deprived) were younger, more commonly South Asian, and had higher rates of smoking, diabetes mellitus, renal impairment, previous MI, and previous PCI than patients in Q1. Rates of long-term mortality increased progressively across the five quintiles of IMD score in a linear fashion (p=0.0004), as did rates of recurrent MI, target vessel revascularisation, and CABG. The difference in mortality rates persisted after adjustment for other potential confounding factors after multivariate analysis (Q5 vs. Q1: HR 1.93, 95% CI: 1.38-2.69). CONCLUSIONS: In this large contemporary cohort of patients receiving PCI, socio-economic status was associated with prognosis in a linear fashion.

Remote ischemic preconditioning has a neutral effect on the incidence of kidney injury after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent complication of cardiac surgery and usually occurs in patients with preexisting chronic kidney disease (CKD). Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) may mitigate the renal ischemia-reperfusion injury associated with cardiac surgery and may be a preventive strategy for postsurgical AKI. We undertook a randomized controlled trial of RIPC to prevent AKI in 86 patients with CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate under 60 ml/min per 1.73 m(2)) undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Forty-three patients each were randomized to receive standard care with or without RIPC consisting of three 5-minute cycles of forearm ischemia followed by reperfusion. The primary end point was the development of AKI defined as an increase in serum creatinine concentration over 0.3 mg/dl within 48 h of surgery. Secondary end points included a comparison between the study and control groups of several serum biomarkers of renal injury including cystatin-C, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and interleukin-18 (IL-18), and urinary biomarkers including NGAL, IL-18, and kidney injury molecule-1 measured at 6, 12, and 24 h after CABG, and the 72-h serum troponin T concentration area under the curve as a marker of myocardial injury. Clinical and operative characteristics were similar between the preconditioned and control groups. AKI developed in 12 patients in both groups within 48 h of CABG. There were no significant differences between the two groups in the concentrations of any of the serum or urinary biomarkers of renal or cardiac injury after CABG. Thus, RIPC induced by forearm ischemia-reperfusion had no effect on the frequency of AKI after CABG in patients with CKD.

Safety and feasibility of intramyocardial versus intracoronary delivery of autologous cell therapy in advanced heart failure: the REGENERATE-IHD pilot study.

AIM: This study presents an interim safety and feasibility analysis of the REGENERATE-IHD randomized controlled trial, which is examining the safety and efficacy of three different delivery routes of bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMSCs) in patients with ischemic heart failure. METHODS & RESULTS: The first 58 patients recruited to the REGENERATE-IHD study are included in this interim analysis (pilot). Symptomatic patients with ischemic heart failure were randomized to receive subcutaneous granulocyte colony-stimulating factor or saline injections only; or subcutaneous granulocyte colony-stimulating factor injections followed by intracoronary or intramyocardial injections of BMSCs or serum (control). No significant differences were found in terms of safety and feasibility between the different delivery routes, with no significant difference in procedural complications or major adverse cardiac events. There was a signal towards improved heart failure symptoms in the patients treated with intramyocardial injection of mobilized BMSCs. CONCLUSION: Peripheral mobilization of BMSCs with or without subsequent direct myocardial delivery appears safe and feasible in patients with chronic ischemic heart failure.

Impact of diabetes mellitus and renal insufficiency on 5-year mortality following coronary artery bypass graft surgery: a cohort study of 4869 UK patients.

OBJECTIVES: Diabetes mellitus (DM) and renal impairment (RI) are both independent predictors of mortality after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). The two conditions often coexist, yet the impact on long-term prognosis after CABG of each factor relative to the other and the two in combination is uncertain. METHODS: We undertook a prospective cohort study of 4869 patients who underwent CABG between 2003 and 2007. The cohort was divided into four groups according to preoperative diabetic status and renal function: patients without either DM or RI (reference group), patients with DM alone, patients with RI alone and patients with both DM and RI. Clinical outcomes were compared between groups. Patients receiving renal replacement therapy were excluded. The primary outcome was 5-year all-cause mortality. RESULTS: The crude 5-year all-cause mortality rate was 9.0% for patients in the reference group, 11.1% for patients with DM alone, 20.3% for patients with RI alone and 28.5% for patients with both DM and RI (P < 0.0001). Five-year survival adjusted for potential confounding factors was significantly worse for patients with DM (hazard ratio (HR) 1.30; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06-1.59), patients with RI (HR 1.32; 95% CI 1.08-1.61) and patients with both DM and RI (HR 2.04; 95% CI 1.65-2.53) when compared with patients with neither condition. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative DM and RI were important predictors of 5-year mortality after CABG. Patients with RI alone had a higher mortality rate than patients with DM alone, but this difference was largely accounted for by age and other comorbidities. The combination of DM and RI doubled the 5-year mortality rate after CABG independently of potential confounding factors.

Clinical outcomes after myocardial revascularization according to operator training status: cohort study of 22,697 patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

AIMS: Myocardial revascularization by either coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) carries the risk of serious complications. Observational data suggest that outcomes may be improved by experienced operators, but there are few studies that have analysed the relationship between mortality and primary operator grade. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of operator grade (trainee vs. consultant) upon outcomes of revascularization procedures. METHODS AND RESULTS: This was an observational study at a tertiary cardiology centre with accredited training programmes, between 2003 and 2011. A total of 22 697 consecutive patients undergoing either CABG or PCI were included. Associations between operator grade and mortality were assessed by hazard ratios, estimated by Cox regression analyses; 6689 patients underwent CABG, whereas 16 008 underwent PCI. Trainees performed 1968 (29.4%) CABG procedures and 8502 (53.1%) PCI procedures. The proportion of procedures performed by trainees declined over time for both CABG (30.2% in 2003 vs. 26.0% in 2010) and for PCI (58.1% in 2003 vs. 44.5% in 2010). In the unadjusted Cox analysis, consultant operator grade was associated with an increased 5-year mortality after both CABG [HR: 1.26 (95% CI: 1.07-1.47)] and PCI procedures [HR: 1.34 (95% CI: 1.22-1.47)] compared with a trainee operator. However, following multiple adjustment, consultant grade was no longer associated with mortality after either procedure [CABG: HR: 1.02 (95% CI: 0.87-1.20), PCI: HR: 1.08 (95% CI: 0.98-1.20)]. CONCLUSION: There was no observed detrimental effect on patient outcomes arising from procedures undertaken by trainees working in a structured training environment compared with consultants.

Early surgery or medical treatment in endocarditis complicated by embolism from a large, mobile vegetation? A case-based discussion.

Patients with endocarditis who present after embolism from a large, mobile vegetation pose a clinical dilemma: should they be managed with early surgery with the aim of preventing further emboli, or should a medical strategy be employed that avoids the morbidity and mortality associated with surgery but which risks further emboli? The management of such a patient is discussed in the context of the published literature regarding embolic risk in endocarditis.