Emergency cardiac surgery in patients on oral anticoagulants and antiplatelet medications.

BACKGROUND: Emergency surgery, blood transfusion, and reoperation for bleeding have been associated with increased operative morbidity and mortality. The recent increased use of direct oral anticoagulants and antiplatelet medications has made the above more challenging. In addition, cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), with its associated hemodilution, fibrinolysis, and platelet consumption, may exacerbate the pre-existing coagulopathy and increase the risk of bleeding. AIM: The aim of this study was to examine available literature with regard to treating patients who are on the above medications and require emergency cardiac surgery. RESULTS: Management decisions are typically made on a case-by-case basis. Surgery is delayed when possible, and less invasive percutaneous options should be considered if feasible. Attention is paid to exercising meticulous techniques, avoiding excessive hypothermia, and treating coexisting issues such as sepsis. Ensuring a dry operative field upon entry by correcting the coagulopathy with reversal agents is offset by the concern of potentially hindering efforts to anticoagulate the patient (heparin resistance) in preparation for CPB, in addition to possibly increasing the risk of thromboembolism. CONCLUSION: Proper knowledge of anticoagulants, their reversal agents, and the usefulness of laboratory testing are all essential. Platelet transfusion remains the mainstay for antiplatelet medications. Four-factor prothrombin complex concentrate is considered in patients on oral anticoagulants if CPB needs to be instituted quickly. Specific reversal agents such as idarucizumab and andexanet alfa can be considered if significant tissue dissection is anticipated, such as redo sternotomy, but are costly and may lead to heparin resistance and anticoagulant rebound.

Primary isolated CABG restrictive blood transfusion protocol reduces transfusions and length of stay.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac surgery accounts for 10-15% of blood transfusions in the US, despite benefits and calls of limiting its use. We sought to evaluate the impact of a restrictive transfusion protocol on blood use and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing isolated primary coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). METHODS: Blood conservation measures, instituted in 2012, include preoperative optimization, intraoperative anesthesia, and pump fluid restriction with retrograde autologous priming and vacuum-assisted drainage, use of aminocaproic acid and cell saver, intra- and postoperative permissive anemia, and administration of iron and low-dose vasopressors if needed. Medical records of patients who underwent isolated primary CABG from 2009 to 2012 (group A; n = 375) and 2013 to 2016 (group B; n = 322) were compared. RESULTS: CABG with grafting to three or four coronary arteries was performed in 262 (70%) and 222 (69%) patients and bilateral internal thoracic artery grafting in 202 (54%) and 196 (61%) patients in groups A and B, respectively. Mean preoperative and intraoperative hematocrit was 40.3% and 40.7%, 28.9% and 29.4% in groups A and B, respectively. Total blood transfusion was 24% and 6.5%, intraoperative transfusion 11% and 1.2%, and postoperative transfusion 20% and 5.6% (P < .0001 for all) in groups A and B, respectively. Median postoperative length of stay was 5.0 days in group A and 4.5 days in group B (P = .02), with no significant differences in mortality or morbidity. CONCLUSIONS: A restrictive transfusion protocol reduced blood transfusions and postoperative length of stay without adversely affecting outcomes following isolated primary CABG.

Transfemoral aortic valve replacement in a nonagenarian with aortic stenosis and cardiac amyloidosis: case report.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is diagnosed with increasing frequency in the elderly population with severe aortic stenosis (AS), especially with the low-flow, low- gradient phenotype. Prognosis is poor with no treatment. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient is a 94-year-old active male who presented with a stroke that fully resolved. He was found to have low-flow, low-gradient severe AS, along with concomitant CA. Gradients across the aortic valve worsened with the dobutamine challenge test. He underwent successful transfemoral aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and did well postoperatively, where he remained in the hospital for only one day. Treatment of his CA with Tafamidis was recommended; however, the patient declined due to its cost and personal preference. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, we report on one of the oldest patients to undergo TAVR for low-flow, low-gradient AS with concurrent CA (AS-CA). It might be prudent to screen elderly patients with AS for CA, as prognosis is worse with medical management alone. TAVR has overall improved survival in patients with AS-CA and is considered the procedure of choice, as these patients are typically older and at higher risk for surgical intervention.

Retention of Bovie scratch pad radio-opaque marker during VATS Pleurodesis: case report.

BACKGROUND: Surgical intervention for spontaneous pneumothorax typically includes mechanical pleurodesis that frequently utilizes a Bovie scratch pad given its universal presence, low cost and ease of use. The pad is folded on itself after dividing it in half, allowing easier passage through the smaller incisions. However, unintentional foreign body retention may occur during the course of an operation leading to reoperations or even worse complications. This case is reported to raise awareness that dividing the scratch pad may allow the embedded radio-opaque marker to fall out and become retained as a foreign body. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient is a 41 year-old female who presented with shortness of breath secondary to spontaneous pneumothorax. Chest CT scan showed apical blebs. The patient underwent video assisted thorascopic surgery (VATS) with bleb resection and mechanical pleurodesis using a divided and folded bovie scratch pad. Postoperative chest x-ray showed a retained foreign body. Reoperation confirmed this to be the radio-opaque marker of the scratch pad and was removed. The patient did well and was discharged the following day. CONCLUSION: Dividing the bovie scratch pad may damage and "weaken" the product allowing the radio- opaque marker to fall out during its use for pleurodesis and should be discouraged. Recommendation is made of using the scratch pad as a whole and not dividing it. Retained radio-opaque marker of bovie scratch pad during VATS mechanical pleurodesis.

Coronary Artery Target Selection and Survival After Bilateral Internal Thoracic Artery Grafting.

BACKGROUND: The importance of a coronary artery, based on the myocardial mass it perfuses, is well documented, but little is known about the importance of a vessel that has been bypassed and its effect on survival in the context of bilateral internal thoracic artery (BITA) grafting. OBJECTIVES: This study determined the effect of a dominant left anterior descending (LAD) artery and important non-LAD targets on outcomes after BITA grafting. METHODS: From January 1972 to January 2011, of 6,127 patients who underwent BITA grafting, 2,551 received 1 ITA grafted to the LAD and had an evaluable coronary angiogram. A dominant LAD was defined as one that was wrapped around the left ventricular apex. Non-LAD targets were graded based on their terminal reach toward the apex: important: >75% (n = 1,698); and less important: ≤75% (n = 853). Mean follow-up was 14 ± 8.7 years. Multivariable analysis was performed to identify risk factors for time-related mortality. RESULTS: A dominant LAD was present more frequently in patients with less important additional targets (51% vs. 35%; p < 0.0001). A total of 179 patients (7.0%) received a second ITA to multiple targets, 77 (43%) of which were to multiple important target vessels. Unadjusted late survival was similar regardless of degree of importance of the second ITA target-77% at 15 years (p = 0.70) for the important and less important targets, respectively. In the multivariable model, grafting the second ITA to multiple important targets was associated with better long-term survival (p = 0.005). In patients with a nondominant LAD, a second ITA grafted to a less important artery was associated with higher risk of operative mortality (2.4% vs. 0.51%; p = 0.007). A saphenous vein graft to an important or less important target did not influence long-term survival. CONCLUSIONS: In BITA grafting, bypassing multiple important targets to maximize myocardium supplied by ITAs improved long-term survival. In patients with a nondominant LAD, selecting an important target for the second ITA lowered operative mortality.

Preservation of the anterior fat pad paradoxically decreases the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation in humans.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to determine if parasympathetic nerves in the anterior fat pad (FP) can be stimulated at the time of coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG), and if dissection of this FP decreases the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF). BACKGROUND: The human anterior epicardial FP contains parasympathetic ganglia and is often dissected during CABG. Changes in parasympathetic tone influence the incidence of AF. METHODS: Fifty-five patients undergoing CABG were randomized to anterior FP preservation (group A) or dissection (group B). Nerve stimulation was applied to the FP before and after surgery. Sinus cycle length (CL) was measured during stimulation. The incidence of postoperative AF was recorded. RESULTS: Of the 55 patients enrolled, 26 patients were randomized to group A, and 29 patients were randomized to group B. In all of the 55 patients, the FP was identified before initiating cardiopulmonary bypass by CL prolongation with stimulation (865.5 +/- 147.9 ms vs. 957.9 +/- 155.1 ms, baseline vs. stimulation, p < 0.001). In group A, stimulation at the conclusion of surgery increased sinus CL (801.8 +/- 166.4 ms vs. 890.9 +/- 178.2 ms, baseline vs. stimulation, p < 0.001). In group B, repeat stimulation failed to increase sinus CL (853.6 +/- 201.6 ms vs. 841.4 +/- 198.4 ms, baseline vs. stimulation, p = NS). The incidence of postoperative AF in group A (7%) was significantly less than that in group B (37%) (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study demonstrating that direct stimulation of the human anterior epicardial FP slows sinus CL. This parasympathetic effect is eliminated with FP dissection. Preservation of the human anterior epicardial FP during CABG decreases incidence of postoperative AF.

Tetraplegia after coronary artery bypass, a rare complication.

Paraplegia after coronary artery bypass is rare. We present here a rare case of acute paraplegia after coronary artery bypass due to cervical disc herniation. This patient further developed respiratory failure due to denervation of respiratory muscles, resulting in tetraplegia. Prompt diagnosis with MRI and surgical decompression should be performed, otherwise permanent neurological impairment may occur.

Delayed operative intervention in the management of traumatic descending thoracic aortic rupture.

BACKGROUND: Outcomes may be improved by purposefully delaying surgical intervention of the traumatically ruptured descending thoracic aorta. METHODS: Fifty-seven patient records identified through the Trauma Registry of a level 1 trauma center between January 1993 and April 2002 were retrospectively analyzed between groups who underwent "clamp-and-sew" versus partial left heart bypass repair techniques and between emergent versus delayed repair. RESULTS: Thirty-two (56%) of 57 patients were male. The mean age among survivors and nonsurvivors was 41 +/- 18 (range 13 to 70) and 52 +/- 23 (range 18 to 92; p = 0.04) years, and Injury Severity Score was 31 +/- 13 (range 17 to 75) and 40 +/- 16 (range 16 to 75; p = 0.04) points, respectively. Thirty-one (54%) underwent surgical intervention, 20 (35%) died during their initial resuscitation, and 6 (11%) were managed nonoperatively. Seventeen (55%) were repaired using partial left heart bypass and 14 (45%) using the clamp technique. Twenty-one (68%) had emergent repair and 10 (32%) had delayed repair. The rates of paraplegia, renal failure, and mortality were 12% (2 of 17), 0%, and 24% (4 of 17) in the bypass group, 0% (p = 0.29), 0%, and 36% (5 of 14, p = 0.36) in the clamp group, 9.5% (2 of 21), 0%, and 38% (8 of 21) in the emergent group (<24 hours after admission), and 0% (p = 0.45), 0%, and 10% (1 of 10, p = 0.12) in the delayed group (>24 hours after admission), respectively. Mean clamp times for the bypass and clamp groups were 44 +/- 18 (21 to 90) and 30 +/- 10 (14 to 52) minutes, respectively (p = 0.02). Overall operative mortality was 29% (9 of 31). CONCLUSIONS: Purposefully delaying surgical intervention in selected cases of descending thoracic aortic rupture and using the clamp technique does not increase mortality or morbidity over immediate operation and use of partial left hear bypass.