Machine Learning-Based Phenogrouping in MVP Identifies Profiles Associated With Myocardial Fibrosis and Cardiovascular Events.

BACKGROUND: Structural changes and myocardial fibrosis quantification by cardiac imaging have become increasingly important to predict cardiovascular events in patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP). In this setting, it is likely that an unsupervised approach using machine learning may improve their risk assessment. OBJECTIVES: This study used machine learning to improve the risk assessment of patients with MVP by identifying echocardiographic phenotypes and their respective association with myocardial fibrosis and prognosis. METHODS: Clusters were constructed using echocardiographic variables in a bicentric cohort of patients with MVP (n = 429, age 54 ± 15 years) and subsequently investigated for their association with myocardial fibrosis (assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance) and cardiovascular outcomes. RESULTS: Mitral regurgitation (MR) was severe in 195 (45%) patients. Four clusters were identified: cluster 1 comprised no remodeling with mainly mild MR, cluster 2 was a transitional cluster, cluster 3 included significant left ventricular (LV) and left atrial (LA) remodeling with severe MR, and cluster 4 included remodeling with a drop in LV systolic strain. Clusters 3 and 4 featured more myocardial fibrosis than clusters 1 and 2 (P < 0.0001) and were associated with higher rates of cardiovascular events. Cluster analysis significantly improved diagnostic accuracy over conventional analysis. The decision tree identified the severity of MR along with LV systolic strain <21% and indexed LA volume >42 mL/m2 as the 3 most relevant variables to correctly classify participants into 1 of the echocardiographic profiles. CONCLUSIONS: Clustering enabled the identification of 4 clusters with distinct echocardiographic LV and LA remodeling profiles associated with myocardial fibrosis and clinical outcomes. Our findings suggest that a simple algorithm based on only 3 key variables (severity of MR, LV systolic strain, and indexed LA volume) may help risk stratification and decision making in patients with MVP. (Genetic and Phenotypic Characteristics of Mitral Valve Prolapse, NCT03884426; Myocardial Characterization of Arrhythmogenic Mitral Valve Prolapse [MVP STAMP], NCT02879825).

Predictive value of the TRI-SCORE for in-hospital mortality after redo isolated tricuspid valve surgery.

OBJECTIVES: The TRI-SCORE reliably predicts in-hospital mortality after isolated tricuspid valve surgery (ITVS) on native valve but has not been tested in the setting of redo interventions. We aimed to evaluate the predictive value of the TRI-SCORE for in-hospital mortality in patients with redo ITVS and to compare its accuracy with conventional surgical risk scores. METHODS: Using a mandatory administrative database, we identified all consecutive adult patients who underwent a redo ITVS at 12 French tertiary centres between 2007 and 2017. Baseline characteristics and outcomes were collected from chart review and surgical scores were calculated. RESULTS: We identified 70 patients who underwent a redo ITVS (54±15 years, 63% female). Prior intervention was a tricuspid valve repair in 51% and a replacement in 49%, and was combined with another surgery in 41%. A tricuspid valve replacement was performed in all patients for the redo surgery. Overall, in-hospital mortality and major postoperative complication rates were 10% and 34%, respectively. The TRI-SCORE was the only surgical risk score associated with in-hospital mortality (p=0.005). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the TRI-SCORE was 0.83, much higher than for the logistic EuroSCORE (0.58) or EuroSCORE II (0.61). The TRI-SCORE was also associated with major postoperative complication rates and survival free of readmissions for heart failure. CONCLUSION: Redo ITVS was rarely performed and was associated with an overall high in-hospital mortality and morbidity, but hiding important individual disparities. The TRI-SCORE accurately predicted in-hospital mortality after redo ITVS and may guide clinical decision-making process (www.tri-score.com).

Plasma haemolysis index and interleukine-6 for the early prediction of cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury. A proof-of-concept study.

INTRODUCTION: Haemolysis and inflammation contribute to cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CS-AKI). We aimed to assess the performance of plasma haemolysis index (HI) and interleukine-6 (IL-6) for the prediction of all-stage CS-AKI. We also assessed their ability to predict moderate-to-severe CS-AKI and to discriminate persistent from transient CS-AKI. METHODS: Adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) were prospectively included. Haemolysis index and IL-6 were measured immediately after the end of CPB and 6 hours later. Correction for haemodilution relied upon changes in albuminaemia. Persistent CS-AKI was defined as a steady/increasing CS-AKI stage between the 48th and the 60th postoperative hour as compared with the worst stage observed within the 48 first hours. RESULTS: Among 82 patients, CS-AKI occurred in 37 (45%) patients. Postoperative HI and IL-6 were positively correlated to the duration of CPB (r ≤ 0.51, p ≤ 0.0003). Whether we considered isolated measurements of HI or IL-6, their indexation to haemodilution or not, their kinetics and/or their combination, the prediction of all stage CS-AKI was inaccurate (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUCROC]≤ 0.68) whereas moderate-to-severe CS-AKI (6 patients only) was predicted with an honourable performance (AUCROC = 0.77 [95%CI 0.67;0.86] and 0.87 [95%CI 0.77;0.93] for HI and IL-6, respectively). The persistent/transient nature of CS-AKI was inaccurately predicted (AUCROC ≤ 0.68). CONCLUSIONS: In a population in which most CS-AKI cases were mild, although they frequently (41%) persisted >48 hours, CS-AKI was inaccurately predicted by HI and/or IL-6. A better performance for moderate-to-severe CS-AKI prediction is likely. These preliminary findings are yet to be validated.

Management and outcomes of ventricular septal defects after acute myocardial infarction: A multicenter retrospective study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The mortality rate of patients with post-myocardial infarction (MI) ventricular septal defects (VSDs) is high, and the benefit of surgery is unclear. We aimed to investigate the management and outcomes of post-MI VSD over a 10-year period in a large cohort. METHODS: Data of patients with post-MI VSD admitted in three French university hospitals from 2008 to 2019 were examined. The characteristics of those who underwent surgery were compared with those who received medical treatment. Mortality risk factors, survival curves, and outcomes at 30 days and 1 year after treatment were determined. RESULTS: Of the 92 patients whose data were examined, 50 underwent surgery and 42 received exclusive medical treatment. All patients were critically ill. Overall, 76.1% of patients received inotropic support, and 63% received mechanical ventilation. Circulatory assistance, mainly via intra-aortic balloon pump and extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation, was provided to 46.7% patients, with 14.1% requiring a second assistance. The median time to surgery was 4 days. At 1 year, mortality was 46% in those who underwent surgery and 83.3% in those treated medically (p < .001). Survival curves at 1 and 3 months showed major differences, and the survival rate showed little change 30 days after treatment. Cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest emerged as risk factors for mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In our retrospective, multicenter study, the mortality resulting from post-MI VSD did not seem to improve over the last decade. Although surgery carried considerable risks, it improved survival.

Oxidative Stress in Structural Valve Deterioration: A Longitudinal Clinical Study.

The cause of structural valve deterioration (SVD) is unclear. Therefore, we investigated oxidative stress markers in sera from patients with bioprosthetic heart valves (BHVs) and their association with SVD. Blood samples were taken from SVD (Phase A) and BHV patients during the first 24 (Phase B1) and >48 months (Phase B2) after BHV implantation to assess total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA), and nitrotyrosine (NT). The results show that MDA levels increased significantly 1 month after surgery in all groups but were higher at 6 months only in incipient SVD patients. NT levels increased gradually for the first 24 months after implantation in the BHV group. Patients with transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) showed even higher levels of stress markers. After >48 months, MDA and NT continued to increase in BHV patients with a further elevation after 60-72 months; however, these levels were significantly lower in the incipient and established SVD groups. In conclusion, oxidative stress may play a significant role in SVD, increasing early after BHV implantation, especially in TAVI cases, and also after 48 months' follow-up, but decreasing when SVD develops. Oxidative stress potentially represents a target of therapeutic intervention and a biomarker of BHV dysfunction.

AORTLANTIC: French registry of aortic valve-sparing root replacement, preliminary multicentre results from western France.

OBJECTIVES: Aortic root aneurysms often affect younger patients in whom valve-sparing surgery is challenging. Among current techniques, aortic valve-sparing root replacement described by Tirone David has shown encouraging results. The AORTLANTIC registry was instituted for a multicentre long-term evaluation of this procedure. The current initial study evaluates the hospital outcomes of the procedure. METHODS: This is a retrospective study of patients operated between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2020 in 6 hospitals in western France. All study data were recorded in the national digital database of the French Society of Cardiac Surgery: EPICARD. RESULTS: A total of 524 consecutive patients with a mean age of 53 (15.1) years underwent surgery. 13% (n = 68) of patients presented with acute aortic dissection, 16.5% (n = 86) had associated connective tissue pathology and 7.3% (n = 37) had bicuspid aortic valves. Preoperative aortic regurgitation (AR) ≥2/4 was present in 65.3% (n = 341) of patients. Aortic valvuloplasty was required in 18.6% (n = 95) of patients. At discharge, 92.8% (n = 461) of patients had no or 1/4 AR. The stroke rate was 1.9% (n = 10). Intra-hospital mortality was 1.9% (n = 10). CONCLUSIONS: The AORTLANTIC registry includes 6 centres in western France with >500 patients. Despite numerous complex cases (acute aortic dissections, bicuspid aortic valves, preoperative AR), aortic valve-sparing root replacement has a low intra-hospital mortality. The initial encouraging results of this multicentre study warrant further long-term evaluation by future studies.

Incidence and risk factors of anastomotic complications after lung transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Anastomotic complications are common after lung transplantation (1.4-33% of cases) and still associated with a high morbi-mortality. METHODS: The current study is a monocenter retrospective analysis of symptomatic anastomotic complications (SAC) occurring after lung transplantation between 2010 and 2016, using the macroscopic, diameter, and suture (M-D-S) classification from consensus of French experts in bronchoscopy. The objectives were to determine incidence from surgery, risk factors, and impact of survival of SAC. We defined SAC as M-D-S abnormalities (stenosis ⩾ 50% or dehiscence) requiring bronchoscopic or surgical interventions. RESULTS: A total of 121 patients were included. SAC occurred in 26.5% of patients (n = 32), divided in symptomatic stenosis for 23.7% (n = 29), and symptomatic dehiscence in 2.5% (n = 3). In multivariate analysis, donor bacterial lung infection [HR 2.08 (1.04-4.17), p = 0.04] and age above 50 years [HR 3.26 (1.04-10.26), p = 0.04] were associated with SAC occurrence. Cystic fibrosis etiology was associated with better survival on Kaplan-Meier curve (p < 0.001). SAC [HR 2.15 (1.07-4.32), p = 0.03] was independently associated with worst survival. The 29 symptomatic patients because of stenosis required endoscopic procedure, of whom 16 patients needed bronchial stent placement. Four patients underwent surgery: three patients because of dehiscence and one because of severe bilateral stenosis (re-transplantation). DISCUSSION: SAC occurred in 26.5% of patients. Donor lung infection was the only alterable identified factors. The increase rate of SAC in older patients above 50 years of age encourages in regular endoscopic monitoring.

Heritability of aortic valve stenosis and bicuspid enrichment in families with aortic valve stenosis.

BACKGROUND: Although a familial component of calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS) has been described, its heritability remains unknown. Hence, we aim to assess the heritability of CAVS and the prevalence of bicuspid aortic valve among CAVS families. METHODS: Probands were recruited following aortic valve replacement (AVR) for severe CAVS on either tricuspid (TAV) or bicuspid aortic valve (BAV). After screening, relatives underwent a Doppler-echocardiography to assess the aortic valve morphology as well as the presence and severity of CAVS. Families were classified in two types according to proband's aortic valve phenotype: TAV or BAV families. Control families were recruited and screened for the presence of BAV. RESULTS: Among the 2371 relatives from 138 CAVS families (pedigree cohort), heritability of CAVS was significant (h2 = 0.47, p < 0.0001), in TAV (h2 = 0.49, p < 0.0001) and BAV families (h2 = 0.50, p < 0.0001). The prevalence of BAV in 790 relatives (phenotype cohort) was significantly increased in both TAV and BAV families compared to control families with a prevalence ratio of 2.6 ([95%CI:1.4-5.9]; p = 0.005) and 4.6 ([95%CI:2.4-13.4]; p < 0.0001), respectively. At least one relative had a BAV in 22.2% of tricuspid CAVS families. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms the heritability of CAVS in both TAV and BAV families, suggesting a genetic background of this frequent valvular disease. In addition, BAV enrichment in TAV families suggests an interplay between tricuspid CAVS and BAV. Overall results support the need to improve phenotyping (i.e. BAV, TAV, risk factors) in CAVS families in order to enhance the identification of rare and causal genetic variants of CAVS. CLINICAL TRIALS IDENTIFIER: NCT02890407.

The role of antibody responses against glycans in bioprosthetic heart valve calcification and deterioration.

Bioprosthetic heart valves (BHVs) are commonly used to replace severely diseased heart valves but their susceptibility to structural valve degeneration (SVD) limits their use in young patients. We hypothesized that antibodies against immunogenic glycans present on BHVs, particularly antibodies against the xenoantigens galactose-α1,3-galactose (αGal) and N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc), could mediate their deterioration through calcification. We established a large longitudinal prospective international cohort of patients (n = 1668, 34 ± 43 months of follow-up (0.1-182); 4,998 blood samples) to investigate the hemodynamics and immune responses associated with BHVs up to 15 years after aortic valve replacement. Early signs of SVD appeared in <5% of BHV recipients within 2 years. The levels of both anti-αGal and anti-Neu5Gc IgGs significantly increased one month after BHV implantation. The levels of these IgGs declined thereafter but anti-αGal IgG levels declined significantly faster in control patients compared to BHV recipients. Neu5Gc, anti-Neu5Gc IgG and complement deposition were found in calcified BHVs at much higher levels than in calcified native aortic valves. Moreover, in mice, anti-Neu5Gc antibodies were unable to promote calcium deposition on subcutaneously implanted BHV tissue engineered to lack αGal and Neu5Gc antigens. These results indicate that BHVs manufactured using donor tissues deficient in αGal and Neu5Gc could be less prone to immune-mediated deterioration and have improved durability.

Outcome of Temporary Circulatory Support As a Bridge-to-Left Ventricular Assist Device Strategy in Cardiogenic Shock Patients.

OBJECTIVES: Temporary circulatory support (TCS) as a bridge-to-left ventricular assist device (BTL) in cardiogenic shock patients has been increasing, but limited data exists on this BTL strategy. We aimed at analyzing the outcome of BTL patients in a population of cardiogenic shock patients compared with those without TCS at the time of the left ventricular assist device (LVAD) surgery and identify predictors of postoperative mortality in this specific population. DESIGN: A multicenter retrospective observational study conducted in 19 centers from 2006 to 2016. SETTING: Nineteen French centers. PATIENTS: A total of 329 cardiogenic shock patients at the time of LVAD implantation were analyzed. Patients were divided in three groups: those under TCS at the time of LVAD implantation (n = 173), those with TCS removal before LVAD surgery (n = 24), and those who did not undergo a bridging strategy (n = 152). Primary endpoint was 30-day mortality. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Among the BTL group, 68 (39.3%), 18 (10.4%), and 15 (8.7%) patients were under venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, Impella, and IABP support alone, and 72 patients (20.6%) were under multiple TCS support. BTL patients presented similar 30 days survival compared with the TCS removal and non-BTL groups. However, BTL group had a significantly longer ICU duration stay, with two-fold duration of mechanical ventilation time, but the three groups experienced similar postoperative complications. Multivariate analysis identified three independent predictors of mortality in the BTL group: combined surgery with LVAD, body mass index (BMI), and heart failure (HF) duration. BTL strategy was not an independent predictor of mortality in cardiogenic shock patients who underwent LVAD. CONCLUSIONS: BTL strategy is not associated with a lower survival among cardiogenic shock patients with LVAD implantation. Predictors of mortality are combined surgery with LVAD, higher BMI, and HF duration.

TRI-SCORE: a new risk score for in-hospital mortality prediction after isolated tricuspid valve surgery.

AIMS: Isolated tricuspid valve surgery (ITVS) is considered to be a high-risk procedure, but in-hospital mortality is markedly variable. This study sought to develop a dedicated risk score model to predict the outcome of patients after ITVS for severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR). METHODS AND RESULTS: All consecutive adult patients who underwent ITVS for severe non-congenital TR at 12 French centres between 2007 and 2017 were included. We identified 466 patients (60 ± 16 years, 49% female, functional TR in 49%). In-hospital mortality rate was 10%. We derived and internally validated a scoring system to predict in-hospital mortality using multivariable logistic regression and bootstrapping with 1000 re-samples. The final risk score ranged from 0 to 12 points and included eight parameters: age ≥70 years, New York Heart Association Class III-IV, right-sided heart failure signs, daily dose of furosemide ≥125 mg, glomerular filtration rate <30 mL/min, elevated bilirubin, left ventricular ejection fraction <60%, and moderate/severe right ventricular dysfunction. Tricuspid regurgitation mechanism was not an independent predictor of outcome. Observed and predicted in-hospital mortality rates increased from 0% to 60% and from 1% to 65%, respectively, as the score increased from 0 up to ≥9 points. Apparent and bias-corrected areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves were 0.81 and 0.75, respectively, much higher than the logistic EuroSCORE (0.67) or EuroSCORE II (0.63). CONCLUSION: We propose TRI-SCORE as a dedicated risk score model based on eight easy to ascertain parameters to inform patients and physicians regarding the risk of ITVS and guide the clinical decision-making process of patients with severe TR, especially as transcatheter therapies are emerging (www.tri-score.com).

Impact of early nutrition route in patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Early nutrition management in patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) remains controversial. Despite its potentially beneficial effect, enteral nutrition (EN) could be associated with gastrointestinal (GI) complications. Total daily energy requirements remain difficult to achieve with ECMO support. Analysis of nutrition practices could improve nutrition management of this particular population. METHODS: A monocentric retrospective study of patients requiring ECMO in a cardiac surgery intensive care unit (ICU) between 2010 and 2014 with follow-up ≥6 days. Nutrition support was monitored daily until ECMO weaning. We compared patients exposed (EN group, n = 49) and unexposed (No EN group (NEN), n = 63) with EN, as well as the energy and protein intakes within 4 days after initiation of ECMO. Vital status and nosocomial infections were followed up until ICU discharge. Primary outcome was the incidence of GI intolerance and risk-factor identification. Secondary outcomes included impact of nutrition inadequacy and clinical outcome. RESULTS: A total 112 patients were analyzed, representing 969 nutrition days. Median ratio of energy and protein prescribed/required daily was 81% (58-113) and 56% (36-86), respectively. GI intolerance was experienced by 53% (26 of 49) of patients in the EN group and was only associated with ECMO duration (odds ratio, 1.14: 95% CI, 1.00-1.31; P = .05). Low-energy and protein days were not associated with clinical outcomes such as nosocomial infections. CONCLUSION: EN is associated with almost 50% GI intolerance without clinical benefit for patients receiving ECMO. Adequacy in energy and protein amounts did not affect clinical outcome.

Early postoperative bleeding impacts long-term survival following first-time on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

BACKGROUND: Significant bleeding following cardiac surgery is a recognised complication, associated with a requirement for re-exploration and blood transfusion, both associated with increased morbidity and early mortality. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of the volume of early postoperative bleeding on long-term survival for patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed of patients undergoing first-time isolated CABG at a single centre between January 2003 and April 2013, conditional from 30-day survival. RESULTS: Six thousand two hundred and sixty-five patients were analysed, with a mean Logistic EuroSCORE of 4.9%. The mean age was 67.8 years. Median follow-up was 11.5 years. The overall 10- and 15-year survival was 70.6% and 51.9% respectively. Following surgery, 4.6% (n=291) required return to theatre for re-exploration, and 43.6% (n=2,733) received at least one red cell transfusion. In multivariable analysis, the strongest correlates of mortality were age, smoking history, BMI, COPD, renal impairment, preoperative left ventricular function and preoperative haemoglobin (Hb) level. Twelve-hour blood loss was an additional predictor of inferior long-term survival. Five-year survival was 89.6% for patients with <500 mL blood loss, 86.8% for 500-1,000 mL and 83.8% for >1,000 mL. Re-exploration and receiving blood transfusion were not associated with reduced long-term survival. CONCLUSIONS: Significant 12-hour blood loss is associated with inferior long-term survival following CABG. This observation supports efforts aimed at improving intra-operative haemostasis and aggressive management of patients with early signs of bleeding.

Early recognition of cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury: lack of added value of TIMP2 IGFBP7 over short-term changes in creatinine (an observational pilot study).

BACKGROUND: For the detection of cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CS-AKI), the performance of urine tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7 (TIMP2 IGFBP7) has never been compared with that of very early changes in plasma creatinine (∆pCr). We hypothesized that, in the context of perioperative haemodilution, lack of postoperative decrease in pCr would be of honourable performance for the detection of CS-AKI. We therefore aimed at comparing these biomarkers and their kinetics (primary objective). As secondary objectives, we assessed plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (pNGAL), cystatin C (pCysC) and urea (pUrea). We also determined the ability of these biomarkers to early discriminate persistent from transient CS-AKI. METHODS: Patients over 75 years-old undergoing aortic valve replacement with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) were included in this prospective observational study. Biomarkers were measured before/after CPB and at the sixth postoperative hour (H6). RESULTS: In 65 patients, CS-AKI occurred in 27 (42%). ∆pCr from post-CPB to H6 (∆pCrpostCPB-H6): outperformed TIMP2 IGFBP7 at H6 and its intra- or postoperative changes: area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCROC) of 0.84 [95%CI:0.73-0.92] vs. ≤0.67 [95%CI:0.54-0.78], p ≤ 0.03. The AUCROC of pNGAL, pCysC and pUrea did not exceed 0.72 [95%CI:0.59-0.83]. Indexing biomarkers levels for blood or urine dilution did not improve their performance. Combining TIMP2 IGFBP7 and ∆pCrpostCPB-H6 was of no evident added value over considering ∆pCrpostCPB-H6 alone. For the early recognition of persistent CS-AKI, no biomarker outperformed ∆pCrpostCPB-H6 (AUCROC = 0.69 [95%CI:0.48-0.85]). CONCLUSIONS: In this hypothesis-generating study mostly testing early detection of mild CS-AKI, there was no evident added value of the tested modern biomarkers over early minimal postoperative changes in pCr: despite the common perioperative hemodilution in the setting of cardiac surgery, if pCr failed to decline within the 6 h after CPB, the development of CS-AKI was likely. Confirmatory studies with more severe forms of CS-AKI are required.

A simplified delivery frozen elephant trunk technique to reduce circulatory arrest time in hybrid aortic arch surgery.

A simplified delivery technique for the frozen elephant trunk procedure allows the distal suture to be performed on a perfused and loaded aorta in moderate hypothermia-or even normothermia-reducing circulatory arrest time to just a few minutes. Two surgical sealing tourniquets are placed around the aortic arch, usually between the brachiocephalic trunk (BCT) and the left common carotid artery and the aorta is cross-clamped and cardioplegia started. Once in mild hypothermia, the BCT is disconnected and circulatory arrest is initiated while cerebral perfusion is maintained. This modified technique can be used in all pathologies, including dissections.

Carotid versus femoral access for transcatheter aortic valve replacement: comparable results in the current era.

OBJECTIVES: The carotid approach for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has been shown to be feasible and safe. The goal of this study was to compare the 30-day outcomes of trans-carotid (TC) and transfemoral (TF) TAVR. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled 500 consecutive patients treated by TC-TAVR (n = 100) or TF-TAVR (n = 400) with percutaneous closure between January 2018 and January 2020 at the Nantes University Hospital. The primary end-point was the occurrence of cardiovascular death and cerebrovascular events at 30 days. RESULTS: The mean age was 79.9 ± 8.1 in the TC group and 81.3 ± 6.9 (P = 0.069) in the TF group. The TC group had more men (69% vs 50.5%; P = 0.001) and more patients with peripheral vascular disease (86% vs 14.8%; P < 0.0001). Cardiac characteristics were similar between the groups, and the EuroSCORE II was 3.8 ± 2.6% vs 4.6 ± 6.0%, respectively (P = 0.443). The 30-day mortality was 2% in the TC group versus 1% in the TF group (P = 0.345). TC-TAVR was not associated with an increased risk of stroke (2% vs 2.5%; P = 0.999) or major vascular complications (2% vs 4%; P = 0.548). More permanent pacemakers were implanted in the TF group (14.9% vs 5.6%; P = 0.015), and no moderate or severe aortic regurgitation was observed in the TC group (0 vs 3.3%; P = 0.08). TC-TAVR was not associated with an increased risk of mortality or stroke at 30 days (odds ratio 1.32; 95% confidence interval 0.42-4.21; P = 0.63) in the multivariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS: No statistically significant differences between TC-TAVR and TF-TAVR were observed; therefore, TC-TAVR should be the first alternative in patients with anatomical contraindications to the femoral route.

Celsior® crystalloid cardioplegia versus standard hyperkalemic normothermic blood cardioplegia: Analysis of myocardial protection in elective mitral valve repair.

INTRODUCTION: With the increase and refinement of video assisted mitral valve surgery, cristalloïd cardioplegia started regaining popularity. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Celsior®, a crystalloid cardioplegic solution, on myocardial protection in elective surgical mitral valve repair in comparison to blood based hyperkalemic cardioplegia. METHODS: In this observational retrospective study, all consecutive elective isolated surgical mitral valve repair where Celsior® or normothermic hyperkalemic blood cardioplegia were used were included. Primary endpoint was any sign of myocardial protection failure (troponin levels, need for inotropic or mechanical support, rhythm disturbances, mortality). Secondary endpoint was Celsior® safety (allergic reactions, bleeding, organ toxicities). RESULTS: From January 2009 to August 2016, 382 patients underwent elective isolated mitral valve repair in whom normothermic hyperkalemic blood cardioplegia (n = 181) or Celsior® (n = 201) were used. There were no statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics including Euroscore 2. Peak troponin (pg/ml) release and 30-days mortality were not statistically different. Need for cardioversion was significantly more frequent in the Celsior® group (47% vs 13%, p < 0.001). There was no statistical difference in post-operative atrial fibrillation, permanent pacemaker implantation, reoperation for bleeding, transfusion, acute kidney injury, haemoglobin at discharge or length of stay. No allergic reaction to Celsior® occurred. CONCLUSION: Effective myocardial protection was achieved with the Celsior® cardioplegic solution with no unexpected toxicity. Celsior® may be an efficacious and safe cardioprotective strategy in mitral valve repair.

Comparison of Outcomes and Mortality in Patients Having Left Ventricular Assist Device Implanted Early -vs- Late After Diagnosis of Cardiomyopathy.

LVAD implantation in patients with a recently diagnosed cardiomyopathy has been poorly investigated. This work aims at describing the characteristics and outcomes of patients receiving a LVAD within 30 days following the diagnosis of cardiomyopathy. Patients from the ASSIST-ICD study was divided into recently and remotely diagnosed cardiomyopathy based on the time from initial diagnosis of cardiomyopathy to LVAD implantation using the cut point of 30 days. The primary end point of the study was all-cause mortality at 30-day and during follow-up. A total of 652 patients were included and followed during a median time of 9.1 (2.5 to 22.1) months. In this population, 117 (17.9%) had a recently diagnosed cardiomyopathy and had LVAD implantation after a median time of 15.0 (9.0 to 24.0) days following the diagnosis. This group of patients was significantly younger, with more ischemic cardiomyopathy, more sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) events at the time of the diagnosis and were more likely to receive temporary mechanical support before LVAD compared with the remotely diagnosed group. Postoperative in-hospital survival was similar in groups, but recently diagnosed patients had a better long-term survival after hospital discharge. SCA before LVAD and any cardiac surgery combined with LVAD implantation were identified as 2 independent predictors of postoperative mortality in recently diagnosed patients. In conclusion, rescue LVAD implantation for recently diagnosed severe cardiomyopathy is common in clinical practice. Such patients experience a relatively low postoperative mortality and have a better long-term survival compared with remotely diagnosed patients.

Association of Preoperative Geriatric Assessment With Length of Stay After Combined Cardiac Surgery.

BACKGROUND: For older patients undergoing cardiac surgery, geriatric factors are known to increase postoperative complications and prolong length of stay (LOS). Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is an evidence-based method for geriatric evaluation to develop an individualized-care plan to optimize physical, functional, and social issues. This study analyzed the association between preoperative CGA and hospital LOS after combined cardiac surgery. METHODS: This retrospective monocentric study included all patients aged 75 years and greater who underwent combined cardiac surgery between 2014 and 2017. Hospital LOS, intensive care unit LOS, and postoperative complications were compared between patients with or without preoperative CGA before and after propensity-score matching. RESULTS: Mean age of the 407 patients was 79.6 years; 114 underwent a preoperative CGA (28%). For 305 patients (74.9%), coronary artery bypass was associated with aortic valve replacement. After propensity-score matching, a significant difference was found between the 2 groups (preoperative CGA versus none) for in-hospital LOS (12 versus 13 days; P = .04) and intensive care unit LOS (3 versus 4 days; P = .01). In multivariable analysis, a significant association remained between hospital LOS and CGA (P = .02), renal function (P = .02), mitral replacement (P = .001), and complications (P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Our results favor the use of systematic preoperative CGA. These encouraging results need to be validated by prospective studies that assess the impact of individualized-care plan established after CGA on postoperative outcomes. With an aging population, efforts are required to determine how to implement preoperative individualized-care plans to improve postoperative outcomes for vulnerable patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Isolated tricuspid valve surgery: impact of aetiology and clinical presentation on outcomes.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to identify determinants of in-hospital and mid-term outcomes after isolated tricuspid valve surgery (ITVS) and more specifically the impact of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) mechanism and clinical presentation. METHODS AND RESULTS: Among 5661 consecutive adult patients who underwent a tricuspid valve (TV) surgery at 12 French tertiary centres in 2007-2017 collected from a mandatory administrative database, we identified 466 patients (8% of all tricuspid surgeries) who underwent an ITVS. Most patients presented with advanced disease [47% in New York Heart Association (NYHA) III/IV, 57% with right-sided heart failure (HF) signs]. Tricuspid regurgitation was functional in 49% (22% with prior left-sided heart valve surgery and 27% isolated) and organic in 51% (infective endocarditis in 31% and other causes in 20%). In-hospital mortality and major complications rates were 10% and 31%, respectively. Rates of survival and survival free of HF readmission were 75% and 62% at 5 years. Patients with functional TR incurred a worse in-hospital mortality than those with organic TR (14% vs. 6%, P = 0.004), but presentation was more severe. Independent determinants of outcomes were NYHA Class III/IV [odd ratios (OR) = 2.7 (1.2-6.1), P = 0.01], moderate/severe right ventricular dysfunction [OR = 2.6 (1.2-5.8), P = 0.02], lower prothrombin time [OR = 0.98 (0.96-0.99), P = 0.008], and with borderline statistical significance, right-sided HF signs [OR = 2.4 (0.9-6.5), P = 0.06] while TR mechanism was not [OR = 0.7 (0.3-1.8), P = 0.88]. CONCLUSION: Isolated TV surgery was associated with high mortality and morbidity, both in hospital and during follow-up, predicted by the severity of the presentation but not by TR mechanism. Our results suggest that TV intervention should be performed earlier in the course of the disease.