Bicaval versus standard technique in orthotopic heart transplant: assessment of atrial performance at magnetic resonance and transthoracic echocardiography.

Despite a more physiological morphology of atrial anastomosis in the bicaval technique with respect to standard biatrial anastomosis in orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT), the impact on the long-term outcome is still not clear. In this retrospective study, we sought to investigate the morphology and function of the atria through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). Moreover, we aimed to analyse the accuracy of TTE with respect to MRI. Cox regression analysis of 216 consecutive patients receiving OHT between August 1987 and January 2010 identified only recipient age at the time of transplant to be an independent predictor of mortality (P = 0.048, odds ratio = 1.04). After a mean follow-up of 96.6 ± 77.7 months, 108 patients were alive, of which 35 were found to be eligible for MRI assessment. In this analysis, left and right atrial volumes were found to be significantly larger in the standard group in comparison with the bicaval group (P = 0.001), and no significant difference between the two techniques was observed in left and right atrio-ventricular output. Moreover, a significantly reduced accuracy was observed (CCC < 0.3) when TTE results were compared with MRI assessment in evaluating atrial dimensions. Although left and right atrial volumes are significantly larger in the standard group in comparison with the bicaval group, we concluded that no significant difference in the atrial output and survival between the two techniques could be demonstrated.

Early and late troponin T determination after elective cardiac surgery. Two different meanings.

AIM: Although Troponins are demonstrated to be better predictors than CK-MB in quantification of myocardial damage, the relation between cut-off values for the diagnosis of perioperative myocardial infarction (PMI) and sample time is still not clear. In the present study we sought to analyse the clinical consequence of an early and late cTnt determinations after elective cardiac surgery. MATERIAL OF STUDY: Data of 117 patients undergone elective open heart surgery between January 2006 and June 2007 were prospectively collected. PMI was detected on the basis of postoperative electrocardiography/echocardiography and hemodynamic state. RESULTS: The in-hospital mortality was 1.7%. Eight patients (6.8%) presented PMI. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analyses showed a cTnt cut-off of 1.22 mg/L (CI 0.94 to 0.99, P = 0.0001, 100% sensitivity and 96% specificity) on arrival to ICU for the diagnosis of PMI. On the second post-operative day the cut-off value was 2.8 mg/L (CI 95% 0.84 to 0.98, P = 0.0001) (sensitivity 66% and specificity 100%). At this time the Pearson's test revealed the best correlation to ICU (P = 0.008) and in-hospital (P = 0.01) length of stay (LOS). DISCUSSION: A better sensibility of cTnt in diagnosis of PMI in the early postoperative period has been demonstrated to be associated to an increasing specificity in the late post-operative period. CONCLUSIONS: PMI must be suspected in patients with a cTnt > 1.22 mg/L. A second later assessment on the 2nd post-operative can exclude false positives and significantly predict the ICU and the in-hospital length of stay.

Extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation temporary support for early graft failure after cardiac transplantation.

OBJECTIVE: Early graft failure (EGF) is a major risk for death after heart transplantation. We studied the impact of an extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) temporary support on the operative mortality and the mean-term survival after EGF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2000 and December 2006, 394 patients underwent orthotopic heart transplantation at our institution. EGF was observed in 90 (23%) patients. Fifty-four patients (14%) were treated with ECMO support, eight (2%) with other assisting devices, and 28 (7%) received maximal inotropic drug support only. RESULTS: The overall mortality was 21% (83 patients). EGF was a major risk for death: 13% (35 patients) without EGF versus 58% (49 patients) with EGF, p<0001. Among patients supported with ECMO, 36 (67%) were weaned from the assisting device and 27 (50%) were discharged from the hospital. Overall survival was 73% at 1 year and 66% at 5 years. Absence of EGF improved long-term survival: 78% at 1 year and 70% at 5 years without EGF versus 37% at 1 year and 35% at 5 years with EGF. Patients treated with ECMO have the same 1-year conditional survival as patients not having suffered EGF: 94% at 3 years. CONCLUSIONS: ECMO support is a reliable therapeutic option in severe EGF after cardiac transplantation; furthermore, patients treated with ECMO have the same 1-year conditional survival as patients not having suffered EGF.