Management of prosthetic valve thrombosis with unfractionated heparin.

BACKGROUND: Prosthetic valve thrombosis (PVT) is a severe and life-threatening complication. Surgery and thrombolytic therapy (TT) carry a high risk, and in several circumstances, optimal anticoagulation with unfractionated heparin (UFH) infusion may be an alternative treatment. This study aimed to assess the results of UFH in patients diagnosed with both obstructive and non-obstructive PVT. METHODS: This observational retrospective study enrolled patients who had contraindications for TT and surgery underwent UFH therapy. RESULTS: A total of 136 patients were enrolled [male: 55 (40.4%), mean age: 50.3 ± 14.6 years] in the study. In the successful group, 66 patients (48,5%) showed >75% regression in the thrombus burden without facing death or major non-fatal complications.In the unsuccessful group, 56 had less than a 50% reduction in thrombus load and 14 (10.3%) suffered major complications. The presence of obstruction (27.1% vs. 12.1%; p = 0.028), thrombus area 1.1 cm2 vs. 0.8 cm2; p = 0.005] and the duration of UFH treatment (15.1 vs. 11.8 (days); p = 0.005) were significantly higher in the unsuccessful UFH group.In multivariate regression analyses the presence of obstruction (RR: 3.088, p = 0.020), increased thrombus area (RR: 2.400; p = 0.015), and increased duration of UFH therapy (RR: 1.073 95%, p = 0.012) were identified as independent predictive parameters for a failed UFH therapy. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that UFH therapy may be considered a relatively beneficial treatment strategy for some patients with PVT. The most significant factors affecting success are the obstructive nature and area of the thrombus.

Lessons Learned From Intermittent Dysfunction of Mechanical Heart Valve.

BACKGROUND: Intermittent malfunction is a rare but potentially serious complication of prosthetic heart valve replacement. This study aimed to describe the clinical features and etiologic causes of patients with intermittent mechanical prosthetic heart valve dysfunction. METHODS: Between 2010 and 2021, 16 patients who were evaluated in the echocardiography laboratory of Kosuyolu Training and Research Hospital with the diagnosis of intermittent malfunction of prosthetic valves were included in the study. RESULTS: The evaluated patients consisted of 12 bi-leaflet mitral valve replacements and 2 mono-leaflet mitral valve replacements. The underlying causes of intermittent malfunction were classified as follows: residual chord (n=4), obstructive thrombus (n=2), non-obstructive thrombus (n=2), vegetation (n=2), pannus and obstructive thrombus coexistence (n=1), and solely pannus (n=1). One of the patients with mono-leaflet mitral valve replacements had pannus and obstructive thrombus. In the other patient with mono-leaflet mitral valve replacement, a stuck valve was observed in 1 of 12 beats secondary to arrhythmia. There were also 2 patients with aortic valve replacements. One patient had moderate aortic regurgitation due to prominent calcification and the other had moderate obstruction due to pannus. In the patient with pannus, a stuck leaflet was observed in 1 of 6 beats and moderate aortic regurgitation arose in 1 of 2 beats in the patient with calcification. CONCLUSIONS: The intermittent stuck valve may have catastrophic outcomes. When making a treatment decision in these patients, assessing the degree of regurgitation or stenosis is essential. In particular, the frequency of entrapment should be taken into consideration when deciding the optimal therapy for intermittent prosthetic heart valve dysfunction.

Serum Levels of Cholesterol and Lipoproteins in Patients With Symptomatic Paravalvular Leaks.

Paravalvular leak (PVL) is a complication of valve replacement surgery which may lead to serious clinical consequences including hemolytic anemia. This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the effect of successful intervention on serum lipid parameters in patients with PVL. A total of 106 patients (mean age: 57.2 ± 13.6 years, male: 67) who underwent surgical or transcatheter closure for symptomatic PVL were enrolled in this study. During the follow-up period, hemolysis and lipid parameters were evaluated at each clinical visit. This is the first study describing the effects of PVL on lipid metabolism after surgical or transcatheter closure. In the study, 18 patients (17%) had aortic PVL, 84 patients (79%) had mitral PVL, and 4 patients (3.8%) had both aortic and mitral PVL. A total of 59 patients underwent transcatheter closure and 47 patients were treated surgically. Technical success of the procedures was 83%. After successful PVL closure, hemoglobin and haptoglobin levels increased significantly (9.5 ± 1.3 vs 11.9 ± 2.1 g/dl, p <0.001 and 16.6 ± 7.9 vs 34.1 ± 19.9 mg, p <0.001, respectively). A significant increase in total cholesterol (158.9 ± 42.7 vs 209.3 ± 58.7 mg/dl, p <0.001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (99.1 ± 33.8 vs 133.9 ± 45.7 mg/dl, p <0.001), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (39.8 ± 12.4 vs 44.8 ± 11.7 mg/dl, p <0.001) levels was observed after successful PVL closure. In conclusion, symptomatic patients with PVL had hypocholesterolemia, reflected by low serum lipoprotein levels. After successful PVL closure, an increase in serum lipoprotein levels was observed. The recovery in levels of lipoproteins could be used as a marker of successful PVL closure, and absence of recovery of lipoprotein levels may indicate incomplete closure.

Thrombolysis or Surgery in Patients With Obstructive Mechanical Valve Thrombosis: The Multicenter HATTUSHA Study.

BACKGROUND: Prosthetic valve thrombosis (PVT) is one of the life-threatening complications of prosthetic heart valve replacement. Due to the lack of randomized controlled trials, the optimal treatment of PVT remains controversial between thrombolytic therapy (TT) and surgery. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to prospectively evaluate the outcomes of TT and surgery as the first-line treatment strategy in patients with obstructive PVT. METHODS: A total of 158 obstructive PVT patients (women: 103 [65.2%]; median age 49 years [IQR: 39-60 years]) were enrolled in this multicenter observational prospective study. TT was performed using slow (6 hours) and/or ultraslow (25 hours) infusion of low-dose tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) (25 mg) mostly in repeated sessions. The primary endpoint of the study was 3-month mortality following TT or surgery. RESULTS: The initial management strategy was TT in 83 (52.5%) patients and surgery in 75 (47.5%) cases. The success rate of TT was 90.4% with a median t-PA dose of 59 mg (IQR: 37.5-100 mg). The incidences of outcomes in surgery and TT groups were as follows: minor complications (29 [38.7%] and 7 [8.4%], respectively), major complications (31 [41.3%] and 5 [6%], respectively), and the 3-month mortality rate (14 [18.7%] and 2 [2.4%], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose and slow/ultraslow infusion of t-PA were associated with low complications and mortality and high success rates and should be considered as a viable treatment in patients with obstructive PVT.

Inter-arm blood pressure difference is associated with contrast-induced nephropathy in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

OBJECTIVE: Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a serious complication in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (p-PCI). An interarm systolic blood pressure difference (IASBD) ≥10 mmHg has been identified as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of the IASBD for the risk of CIN in patients with STEMI who underwent p-PCI. METHOD: We prospectively investigated 2120 consecutive patients who were hospitalized with a diagnosis of STEMI and underwent p-PCI. A relative increase in serum creatinine levels of ≥ 25% or an absolute increase of ≥ 0.5 mg/dL from baseline within 72 h of contrast exposure was defined as CIN. The IASBD was calculated on admission to the emergency department. The risk of CIN was evaluated. RESULTS: The incidence of CIN was 6.6% (n = 139). The patients were divided into 2 groups based on the development of CIN. Age (p = .001), baseline creatinine levels (p < .001), DM (p < .001), HT (p < .001) and anemia (p = .001) were higher in patients with CIN. An IASBD ≥10 mmHg was noted in 13 (9.3%) patients in the CIN group and 83 (4.1%) (p = .001) in the non-CIN group (Table 1). According to the multivariate analysis, the IASBD was found to be a predictor of CIN development (OR: 2.36, 95% CI: 1.42-3.90, p: 0.001). CONCLUSION: The IASBD on admission can be a potential predictor of CIN development in patients with STEMI who underwent p-PCI.

Uric Acid-to-Albumin Ratio: A Novel Marker for the Extent of Coronary Artery Disease in Patients with Non-ST-Elevated Myocardial Infarction.

OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to investigate the predictive value of the uric acid-to-serum albumin ratio (UAR) in establishing the severity and extent of coronary artery disease (CAD) with non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) patients. METHODS: A total of 402 patients (mean age 63.5 ± 11.6 years) were included in this retrospectively designed study. We compared Synergy between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery Scores (SS) between low (≤22) and intermediate-high (>22) groups. The UAR, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and the C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR) were evaluated and compared. RESULTS: SS >22 were observed in 30.8% (n = 124) of the patients, and their UAR, NLR, and CAR were significantly higher. Three separate multivariate analysis models performed as the outcome of a reliable correlation between UAR, NLR, CAR, and consequently UAR (OR = 2.08; 95% CI 1.21-3.58; p = 0.008) and CAR (OR = 3.33; 95% CI 1.85-5.9; p < 0.001) reached significance but NLR (OR = 1.26; 95% CI 0.86-1.84; p = 0.20) clinically trended significance (not statistically). Model performance comparisons demonstrated that UAR is a better predictor regarding likelihood ratios (UAR, 60.95; NLR, 57.8; and CAR, 59.0). CONCLUSION: As a novel inflammatory marker, UAR independently predicted better outcomes than CAR and might be used reliably in prediction of the extent of CAD in NSTEMI patients.

The relationship between dual antiplatelet treatment (DAPT) score and saphenous venous grafts patency after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery.

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) remains the gold standard treatment for mutivessel and left main coronary artery disease (CAD). Saphenous vein graft (SVG) patency is still a problem in CAD patients after CABG surgery. The Dual Antiplatelet Treatment (DAPT) score is a clinical prediction tool that predicts ischaemic and bleeding risk in CAD patients. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between DAPT score and SVG patency in CABG patients. METHOD: This retrospective study enrolled a total of 398 patients (68 female; mean age 65.8 ± 9.1 years) with a history of CABG surgery. The study population was divided into two subgroups according to SVG patency. The DAPT score was calculated for each patients and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Coronary angiography revealed SVG disease in 212 patients and SVG patency in 186 patients. The rates of diabetes mellitus and hypertension, red cell distribution width values, DAPT Score, time interval after CABG and number of SVGs were significantly higher while LVEF was significantly lower in patients with SVG disease. The presence of diabetes mellitus, high DAPT score, long time interval after CABG and high number of SVGs were found to be independent predictors of SVG patency. DAPT score above 2.5 predicted SVG disease with a sensitivity of 77.1% and a specificity of 87.1% (AUC: 0.873; 95%CI: 0.823-0.924; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The DAPT score may provide useful information for SVG patency in CABG patients. Patients with high DAPT score should be followed up closely for SGV occlusion. DAPT score may be useful prior to CABG in determining the duration of dual anti-platelet therapy and in encouraging the use of arterial grafts with better patency.

The relationship between incomplete surgical obliteration of the left atrial appendage and thromboembolic events after mitral valve surgery (from the ISOLATE Registry).

Left atrial appendage (LAA) is a common site of thrombus formation especially in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Complete surgical LAA closure (cSLC) is the surgical aim, however incomplete surgical LAA closure (iSLC) is not rare. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the risk of thromboembolic complications (TEC) in AF patients with iSLC after mitral valve surgery. A total of 101 AF patients (mean age: 61.8 ± 11.8 years; male:32), who underwent surgical suture ligation during mitral valve surgery were enrolled in this retrospective study. All patients underwent transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) at least 3 months after surgery. The primary outcome was the occurrence of TEC including any ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, coronary or peripheral embolism. TEE examination revealed cSLC in 66 (65.3%) and iSLC in 35 patients (34.6%). A total of 12 TECs (11.9%) occurred during a mean follow-up time of 41.1 ± 15.6 months. TECs were found to be significantly higher in the iSLC group (25.7% vs 4.5%, p = 0.002). The prevalence of iSLC was significantly higher in patients with TEC (75 vs. 29.2%, p = 0.002). High CHA2DS2-VASc Score and iSLC were found to be independent predictors of TEC. Long term TEC free survival was found to be significantly decreased in patients with iSLC. The presence of iSLC was associated with a significantly increased risk of TEC in AF patients after mitral valve surgery. Routine intraoperative and postoperative screening for iSLC by TEE and long-term strict anticoagulation therapy are recommended in these patients.

A comprehensive review of the diagnosis and management of mitral paravalvular leakage.

Mitral paravalvular leaks (PVLs) commonly occur in patients with prosthetic valves. Paravalvular defects may be clinically inconsequential and may aggravate hemolysis or cause heart failure through regurgitation. Accordingly, patients may eventually require intervention such as redo surgery or a transcatheter closure of the defects. The introduction of purpose-specific closure devices and new steerable catheters has opened a new frontier for the transcatheter PVL closure. This mode of treatment is an initial therapy in most centers with experienced structural heart team. However, head-to-head data comparing two treatment modalities (surgery and transcatheter closure) are limited, and the world-wide experience is based on nonrandomized studies. Multimodality imaging, including three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography, facilitates the delineation of mitral PVLs and provides essential data that aids the communication between the members of the structural heart team. In the near future, the success of interventional therapies will most probably increase in patients with mitral PVLs with the introduction of hybrid imaging modalities (echocardiography, cardiac computed tomography, and fluoroscopy). In conclusion, this paper summarizes the etiopathogenesis, clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment of mitral PVLs.

Evaluation of the potential predictors of embolism in patients with left atrial myxoma.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiac myxomas are the most common primary intracardiac tumors. Although myxomas are histologically benign, they are potentially dangerous due to potential risk of systemic and cerebral embolism. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential predictors of embolism in patients with left atrial myxoma. METHODS: This single-center retrospective study enrolled 93 patients (mean age: 52.9 ± 15.3 years, female: 70 [75.3%]) with left atrial myxomas between 2014 and 2018. The patients were classified into two groups (embolic vs nonembolic) to investigate possible predictors of embolism. Demographic, laboratory, and echocardiographic parameters were recorded into a dataset and compared between patients with and without embolism. RESULTS: The study population was composed of 13 (14%) patients in embolic (11 cerebrovascular and 2 peripheral) and 80 (86%) patients in nonembolic group. Demographic and laboratory parameters were similar between the groups. Tumor sizes were significantly higher in the embolic group than in the nonembolic group (5.59 ± 1.08 vs 4.29 ± 0.61; P = 0.001). By multivariate analysis, increased tumor size, increased left atrial diameter, and the presence of atrial fibrillation and irregular tumor surface were identified as independent predictors of embolism. In ROC curve analyses, tumor size above 4.6 cm predicted embolism with a sensitivity of 77% and a specificity of 73% (AUC: 0.858; 95% CI: 0.752-0.964; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The presence of atrial fibrillation, irregular tumor surface, increased tumor size, and increased left atrial diameter is associated with increased risk of embolism in patients with left atrial myxoma. Early surgery should be scheduled for such patients due to increased potential for embolism.

Simultaneous kissing stent technique for bifurcation lesion in a saphenous Y-graft.

Coronary artery bifurcation disease of a saphenous vein graft (SVG) is extremely rare. SVG disease remains a challenging lesion to treat because of increased morbidity and mortality with repeated coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, a high rate of periprocedural complications, and in-stent restenosis or occlusion requiring repeat revascularization with percutaneous coronary intervention. Presently described is use of the simultaneous kissing stent technique to treat inverted Y SVG bifurcation disease in a patient with a prior CABG and new-onset acute coronary syndrome.

Management of an acute ischemic stroke during thrombolytic treatment in a pregnant patient with prosthetic valve thrombosis.

Prosthetic valve thrombosis (PVT) is a life-threatening complication in pregnant women with mechanical prosthetic heart valves. Thrombolytic therapy (TT) has evolved as an effective treatment alternative to surgery, which is associated with very high maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity in these patients. Acute ischemic stroke may rarely occur during TT for PVT. Here, we present a pregnant patient who was complicated with cerebral thromboembolism during TT for PVT and successfully managed with continuation of TT.

A global perspective on mechanical prosthetic heart valve thrombosis: Diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.

Prosthetic valve thrombosis is one of the major causes of primary valve failure, which can be life-threatening. Multimodality imaging is necessary for determination of leaflet immobilization, cause of underlying pathology (thrombus versus pannus or both), and whether thrombolytic therapy attempt in the patient would be successful or surgery is needed. Current guidelines for the management of prosthetic valve thrombosis lack definitive class I recommendations due to lack of randomized controlled trials, and usually leave the choice of treatment to the clinician's experience. In this review, we aimed to summarize the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of mechanical prosthetic valve thrombosis.