[Pulmonary hypertension associated with left heart disease (group 2)]. / Pulmonale Hypertonie assoziiert mit Linksherzerkrankungen (Gruppe 2).

Pulmonary hypertension associated with left heart disease (PH-LHD) corresponds to group two of pulmonary hypertension according to clinical classification. Haemodynamically, this group includes isolated post-capillary pulmonary hypertension (IpcPH) and combined post- and pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension (CpcPH). PH-LHD is defined by an mPAP > 20 mmHg and a PAWP > 15 mmHg, pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) with a cut-off value of 2 Wood Units (WU) is used to differentiate between IpcPH and CpcPH. A PVR greater than 5 WU indicates a dominant precapillary component. PH-LHD is the most common form of pulmonary hypertension, the leading cause being left heart failure with preserved (HFpEF) or reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF, HFrEF), valvular heart disease and, less commonly, congenital heart disease. The presence of pulmonary hypertension is associated with increased symptom burden and poorer outcome across the spectrum of left heart disease. Differentiating between group 1 pulmonary hypertension with cardiac comorbidities and PH-LHD, especially due to HFpEF, is a particular challenge. Therapeutically, no general recommendation for the use of PDE5 inhibitors in HFpEF-associated CpcPH can be made at this time. There is currently no reliable rationale for the use of PAH drugs in IpcPH, nor is therapy with endothelin receptor antagonists or prostacyclin analogues recommended for all forms of PH-LHD.

Complications Following MitraClip Implantation.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To provide a detailed overview of complications associated with MitraClip therapy and its development over time with the aim to alert physicians for early recognition of complications and to offer treatment strategies for each complication, if possible. RECENT FINDINGS: The MitraClip system (MC) is the leading transcatheter technique to treat mitral regurgitation (MR) and has been established as a safe procedure with very low adverse event rates compared to mitral surgery at intermediate to high risk or in secondary MR. Lately, the fourth MC generation has been launched with novel technical features to facilitate device handling, decrease complication rates, and allow the treatment of even complex lesions. Although the complication rate is low, adverse events are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The most common complications are bleeding, acute kidney failure, procedure-induced mitral stenosis, and an iatrogenic atrial septal defect with unknown clinical impact.

Three-years outcomes of diabetic patients treated with coronary bioresorbable scaffolds.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is among the strongest predictors of outcome after coronary artery stenting and the incidence of negative outcomes is still high in this specific group. Data of long-term outcomes comparing diabetic patients with non-diabetic patients treated with bioresorbable scaffolds are still incomplete. This work evaluates the long-term outcomes after implantation of a coronary bioresorbable scaffold (BRS) in diabetic patients compared to non-diabetics. METHODS: Patients who received at least one Absorb BRS in the time of May 2012 to December 2014 were enrolled into this single-center registry. Quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) was performed. RESULTS: Six hundred fifty seven patients including 138 patients (21%, mean age 65 ± 11, 78% male) with diabetes were enrolled. Patients in the diabetic group were significantly older, were more likely to suffer from hypertension and hyperlipidemia and had more often a prior stroke or TIA as well as a reduced renal function (all P < 0.05). The initial stenosis was less severe in the diabetic group (74.8% vs. 79.6%, P = 0.036), but the residual stenosis after BRS implantation exceeded that of the control group (16.7% vs. 13.8%, P = 0.006). History of diabetes had no impact on the incidence of events within one year after BRS implantation. Beyond 1 year, diabetic patients had a higher incidence of cardiovascular death (6.9 vs. 1.4%, HR:5.37 [1.33-21.71], P = 0.001), scaffold restenosis (17.6 vs. 7.8%, HR:3.56 [1.40-9.05], P < 0.0001) and target lesion revascularization (P = 0.016). These results were confirmed in the propensity score analysis. In both diabetics and non-diabetics, there was a strong association (HR:18.6 [4.7-73.3]) between the risk of restenosis and the technique used at implantation; in contrast, the impact of vessel size was more manifest in non-diabetics than in diabetic patients, and an increased risk of restenosis was demonstrated for both large and small vessels. CONCLUSION: As for metal stents, beyond one year after implantation, diabetes was associated with an increased incidence of scaffold restenosis and related outcomes. This negative impact of diabetes was reset when an optimal implantation technique was used.

A rare case of right heart failure with the necessity for veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation following pulmonary vein stenosis after radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation.

Pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) after radiofrequency energy-mediated percutaneous pulmonary vein isolation as a treatment option for atrial fibrillation is a serious complication and the prevalence in historical reports varies between 0% and 42%. Symptoms of PVS are nonspecific and can include general symptoms such as dyspnea, cough, recurrent pneumonia, and chest pain. Pathophysiologically it increases the postcapillary pressure in the pulmonary circuit and may result in pulmonary hypertension (PH). Misdiagnosis and delayed treatment are common. We here report a case of a 59-year-old female with a history of pulmonary vein ablation followed by progressive dyspnea (New York Heart Association IV), right heart failure, CPR, and the need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Further treatment strategy includes pulmonary vein dilatation and stenting of both the left superior pulmonary vein and left inferior pulmonary vein, as well as balloon dilatation of RIPV under temporary ECMO support. Symptomatic, severe PVS is a rare complication after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation. PVS can result in life-threatening complications such as PH with acute right heart failure. Early diagnosis is crucial but challenging. Mechanical cardiopulmonary support by veno-arterial ECMO for bridging to angioplasty could be a lifesaving option.

Late-Onset Prosthetic Endocarditis with Paraaortic Abscess Caused by Cutibacterium acnes.

Cutibacterium acnes, an integral component of the skin's customary bacterial flora, represents a Gram-positive anaerobic bacterium characterized by its low virulence. Despite its low virulence, the pathogen can cause profound-seated infections as well as infections linked to medical devices. We report a case study of a prosthesis endocarditis accompanied by a paraaortic abscess caused by C. acnes, a development occurring five years prior to composite aortic root and valve replacement. At the point of admission, the patient presented with a combination of symptoms hinting at a subacute progression, such as weight loss, chest pain, and limitations of cardiopulmonary functionality. An anaerobic pathogen, namely C. acnes, was detected in a singular blood culture vial. Since first-line imaging modalities such as echocardiography did not reveal any signs of inflammation, and in the case of a suspected diagnosis for IE, did not show high pretest probability, further diagnostic imaging such as 18F-FDG PET CT was put to use. Here, a highly elevated glucose metabolism around the aortic valve ring was detected, pointing to an inflammatory process. The patient received adjusted intravenous antibiotic therapy over a course of six weeks; he then underwent surgical therapy via re-replacement of the aortic root and valve using a composite conduit. Advanced microbiological analyses, including the amplification of PCR and valve sequencing via 16S rDNA, mainly detected one pathogen: C. acnes. Delayed onset with mild symptoms and laboratory findings is characteristic of infective endocarditis by C. acnes. Due to its high rate of complications, mortality, and morbidity, an infection should not be disregarded as contamination. Recommendations from different studies underline a combination of a positive blood culture and microbiological evidence to differentiate between contamination and true infection in the case of an infection involving C. acnes. Serial blood cultures with prolonged incubation, advanced microbiological analyses, and modified Duke criteria including second-line imaging techniques should be utilized for further evaluation.

Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Replacement With the EVOQUE System: 1-Year Outcomes of a Multicenter, First-in-Human Experience.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to report the midterm outcomes at 1 year in the expanded first-in-human experience with the transfemoral EVOQUE system (Edwards Lifesciences) for tricuspid regurgitation (TR). BACKGROUND: Untreated TR is associated with excess mortality and morbidity. The first-in-human experience with the EVOQUE tricuspid valve replacement system reported favorable 30-day outcomes with no mortality in a compassionate use population. METHODS: Twenty-seven patients with severe TR were treated with the EVOQUE system in a compassionate use experience at 7 centers between May 2019 and July 2020. All patients had clinical right-sided heart failure (HF) and were deemed inoperable and unsuitable for transcatheter edge-to-edge repair by the institutional heart teams. The clinical outcomes collected included all-cause mortality, symptom status, TR severity, HF hospitalization, and major adverse cardiovascular events. RESULTS: At baseline, all patients (age: 77 ± 8 years, 89% female) were at high surgical risk (mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons score: 8.6% ± 5.5%), with 89% New York Heart Association functional class III/IV. TR was predominantly functional in etiology (19/27, 70%). At 1 year, mortality was 7% (2/27), 70% of patients were New York Heart Association functional class I/II, and 96% and 87% of patients had a TR grade ≤2+ and ≤1+, respectively. Between 30 days and 1 year, 2 patients experienced HF hospitalizations, and 1 patient required a new pacemaker implantation. CONCLUSIONS: In this early, compassionate use experience, the transfemoral transcatheter EVOQUE tricuspid valve replacement system demonstrated durable efficacy, persistent improvement in symptom status, and low rates of mortality and HF hospitalizations at a 1-year follow-up. Further studies are underway to validate its efficacy.

Early symptomatic benefit indicates long-term prognosis after transcatheter mitral valve edge-to-edge repair in functional and degenerative etiology.

BACKGROUND: Mitral regurgitation (MR) is common in patients with heart failure and constitutes an independent risk factor for adverse prognosis besides NYHA-class. The predictive value of dyspnea reduction after transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr) on outcome has not been investigated up to now. METHODS AND RESULTS: We enrolled 627 consecutive patients (47.0% female, 57.4% functional MR; median follow-up 486 days[IQR 157/961]; survival status available in 96.8%; symptoms assessed in n = 556 at baseline / n = 406 at 1 month) treated with isolated percutaneous mitral valve edge-to-edge repair in our center from 06/2010-03/2018 (exclusion of combined forms of TMVr) in a monocentric retrospective analysis. Survival was 97.6% at discharge, 73.9% after 1, 54.5% after 3, 37.6% after 5 and 21.7% after 7-years. Before TMVr, NYHA-classes III/IV were found in 89.0%. Of these, 74.7% reported symptomatic relief (reduction in NYHA-class) one month after procedure (NYHA class recorded in 406 patients at 30 days). NYHA-classes III/IV were documented in 37.2% (p < 0.001) at 30 days and in 36.6% (p < 0.001) at 1 year without significant changes between the follow-ups. Dyspnea reduction was accompanied by significantly improved long-term survival (1 year, 89.1 vs 71.2%, p = 0.001, 2 years: 75.5 vs 58.7%, p = 0.039) and was identified as an independent predictor for lower mortality (1-year HR for increased mortality by missing symptomatic improvement 2.94 [95%CI 1.53-5.65], p = 0.001; long-term HR 1.95 [95%CI 1.29-2.94], p = 0.001) independently in both etiologies of MR. CONCLUSION: TMVr by edge-to-edge therapy enables early and sustainable symptomatic improvement in nearly 75% of the symptomatic patients. The simple assessment of postinterventional changes in NYHA-class might serve as an independent predictor for mid- and long-term prognosis in both FMR and DMR.

Impact of Mitral Annular Dilation on Edge-to-Edge Therapy With MitraClip-XTR.

[Figure: see text].

Transfemoral Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Replacement With the EVOQUE System: A Multicenter, Observational, First-in-Human Experience.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this observational first-in-human experience was to investigate the feasibility and safety of the EVOQUE tricuspid valve replacement system and its impact on short-term clinical outcomes. BACKGROUND: Transcatheter tricuspid intervention is a promising option for selected patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR). Although transcatheter leaflet repair is an option for some, transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement (TTVR) may be applicable to a broader population. METHODS: Twenty-five patients with severe TR underwent EVOQUE TTVR in a compassionate-use experience. The primary outcome was technical success, with NYHA (NYHA) functional class, TR grade, and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events assessed at 30-day follow-up. RESULTS: All patients (mean age 76 ± 3 years, 88% women) were at high surgical risk (mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons risk score 9.1 ± 2.3%), with 96% in NYHA functional class III or IV. TR etiology was predominantly functional, with mean tricuspid annular diameter of 44.8 ± 7.8 mm and mean tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion of 16 ± 2 mm. Technical success was 92%, with no intraprocedural mortality or conversion to surgery. At 30-day follow-up, mortality was 0%, 76% of patients were in NYHA functional class I or II, and TR grade was ≤2+ in 96%. Major bleeding occurred in 3 patients (12%), 2 patients (8%) required pacemaker implantation, and 1 patient (4%) required dialysis. CONCLUSIONS: This first-in-human experience evaluating EVOQUE TTVR demonstrated high technical success, acceptable safety, and significant clinical improvement. Larger prospective studies are needed to confirm durability and safety and the impact on long-term clinical outcomes.