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BACKGROUND: The coronavirus-disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic imposed an unprecedented burden on the provision of cardiac surgical services. The reallocation of workforce and resources necessitated the postponement of elective operations in this cohort of high-risk patients. We investigated the impact of this outbreak on the aortic valve surgery activity at a single two-site centre in the United Kingdom. METHODS: Data were extracted from the local surgical database, including the demographics, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of patients operated on from March 2020 to May 2020 with only one of the two sites resuming operative activity and compared with the respective 2019 period. A similar comparison was conducted with the period between June 2020 and August 2020, when operative activity was restored at both institutional sites. The experience of centres world-wide was invoked to assess the efficiency of our services. RESULTS: There was an initial 38.2% reduction in the total number of operations with a 70% reduction in elective cases, compared with a 159% increase in urgent and emergency operations. The attendant surgical risk was significantly higher [median Euroscore II was 2.7 [1.9-5.2] in 2020 versus 2.1 [0.9-3.7] in 2019 (p = 0.005)] but neither 30-day survival nor freedom from major post-operative complications (re-sternotomy for bleeding/tamponade, transient ischemic attack/stroke, renal replacement therapy) was compromised (p > 0.05 for all comparisons). Recommencement of activity at both institutional sites conferred a surgical volume within 17% of the pre-COVID-19 era. CONCLUSIONS: Our institution managed to offer a considerable volume of aortic valve surgical activity over the first COVID-19 outbreak to a cohort of higher-risk patients, without compromising post-operative outcomes. A backlog of elective cases is expected to develop, the accommodation of which after surgical activity normalisation will be crucial to monitor.
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Válvula Aórtica/cirugía , COVID-19 , Procedimientos Quirúrgicos Cardíacos/tendencias , Enfermedades de las Válvulas Cardíacas/cirugía , Evaluación de Procesos y Resultados en Atención de Salud/tendencias , Pautas de la Práctica en Medicina/tendencias , Cirujanos/tendencias , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Procedimientos Quirúrgicos Cardíacos/efectos adversos , Procedimientos Quirúrgicos Cardíacos/mortalidad , Bases de Datos Factuales , Procedimientos Quirúrgicos Electivos/tendencias , Femenino , Enfermedades de las Válvulas Cardíacas/mortalidad , Humanos , Londres , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Seguridad del Paciente , Complicaciones Posoperatorias/etiología , Estudios Retrospectivos , Medición de Riesgo , Factores de Riesgo , Factores de Tiempo , Resultado del TratamientoRESUMEN
We report an unusual clinical case of a 66-year-old patient with cardiac involvement from a metastatic melanoma, causing the formation of a large right atrial mass with extensive infiltration of the right atrial free wall, the interatrial septum, the coronary sinus, and up to the mitral annulus and posterior wall of the right ventricle, unamendable to complete surgical excision. As secondary cardiac tumors are not part of routine daily clinical practice, we thought that this clinical case would be a good educational opportunity for the practicing clinicians, both specialists and nonspecialists.
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Neoplasias Cardíacas/diagnóstico , Melanoma/diagnóstico , Anciano , Procedimientos Quirúrgicos Cardíacos/métodos , Ecocardiografía Transesofágica , Atrios Cardíacos , Neoplasias Cardíacas/cirugía , Humanos , Imagen por Resonancia Cinemagnética , Melanoma/secundario , Melanoma/cirugía , Metástasis de la NeoplasiaRESUMEN
Endobronchial ultrasound has been one of the success stories of the last decade, and the utility of the procedure continues to expand. Originally, it was developed for the staging and diagnosis of lung cancer, but its use rapidly expanded to other malignancies and even benign disease. We present the case of a patient originally referred with suspected endocarditis who was found to have a mass involving the right ventricle and the pulmonary outflow tract. Endobronchial ultrasound-guided biopsy was used to obtain a tissue diagnosis from the cardiac mass.
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Broncoscopía/métodos , Neoplasias Cardíacas/diagnóstico por imagen , Sarcoma/diagnóstico por imagen , Ultrasonografía Intervencional/métodos , Anciano , Ventrículos Cardíacos , Humanos , MasculinoRESUMEN
Background: The frozen elephant trunk (FET) technique as a hybrid combining surgical and endovascular repair is an emerging concept to treat complex aortic dissection. Early experience showed technical feasibility and promising clinical outcomes. However, unsuspected complications still arise. Case summary: A 25-year-old male presented to the emergency department with a 2-day history of chest pain. After exclusion of acute coronary syndrome, a computed tomography angiography (CTA) revealed Type A (DeBakey Type I) aortic dissection. The patient underwent median stenotomy for complete replacement of the ascending aorta, the aortic arch, and FET. Early after rewarming, the patient became unstable due to severe left ventricular dysfunction. Soon veno-arterial extracorporal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) was required for circulatory support. The cause of deterioration remained unclear until repeated CTA showed acute obstruction of the FET. Invasive exploration confirmed a trans-FET gradient of 100â mmHg, successfully managed by repeated balloon inflation with resolution of both obstruction and gradient. The patient recovered completely without any sequela. Discussion: While the mechanism of acute obstruction after FET remains subject to speculation, the rescue intervention of ballooning the obliteration on VA-ECMO was life-saving. Intraoperative ultrasound and videoscopic inspection may be instrumental before chest closure to avoid such critical events.
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Background: The frozen elephant trunk (FET) technique is increasingly utilized for aortic arch replacement in cases of aortic dissections and aneurysms. This rise in usage has led to more patients needing redo aortic surgeries due to progression of existing conditions, FET-related complications, or new valvular/coronary diseases. This article aims to evaluate surgical techniques to minimize risks during these reoperations, including a case study of a complex redo surgery. Methods: A comprehensive examination of surgical strategies was conducted, focusing on preoperative preparation, cannulation site identification, cerebral and cardiac protective measures, and pitfalls to avoid. The importance of adapting to the modified anatomical landscape post-FET is emphasized. A detailed case study of a patient undergoing complex redo FET surgery is included. Results: The article identified key surgical strategies for reoperation in patients with prior FET, highlighting the importance of meticulous preoperative planning and execution. Techniques to minimize risks include detailed imaging for planning, strategic cannulation for optimal perfusion, multidisciplinary approaches as well as careful fail-safe measures. The case study demonstrates the practical application of these strategies in a high-risk scenario. The evidence underscores the necessity for individualized patient management and the development of standardized protocols. Conclusions: The FET technique, while effective for initial aortic arch repairs, often necessitates complex reoperations. Adopting advanced surgical strategies and multidisciplinary planning can significantly mitigate risks associated with these procedures. Future research should focus on refining these techniques and establishing standardized protocols to improve patient outcomes.
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BACKGROUND: Cardiac angiosarcoma is a very rare and aggressive primary cardiac tumor associated with poor prognosis. Diagnosis is often delayed due to non-specific symptoms, with most cases involving metastases at the time of diagnosis. We describe a unique case of apparent tumor regression of cardiac angiosarcoma post percutaneous biopsy. CASE PRESENTATION: A young male was admitted with suspected pericarditis. Echocardiogram revealed a pericardial mass. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) suggested primary cardiac malignancy. Percutaneous biopsy was inconclusive, with subsequent CMR demonstrating apparent tumor regression. Interval imaging revealed further tumor growth, and surgical biopsy revealed primary cardiac angiosarcoma (PCAS). Causes of tumor regression following percutaneous biopsy are discussed. CONCLUSIONS: Cases of suspected primary cardiac malignancy require careful follow up with serial multimodality imaging. Percutaneous biopsy effects should be considered in cases of tumor regression, and serial imaging should be planned afterwards.
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OBJECTIVES: Decellularized aortic homografts (DAH) were introduced as a new option for aortic valve replacement for young patients. METHODS: A prospective, EU-funded, single-arm, multicentre study in 8 centres evaluating non-cryopreserved DAH for aortic valve replacement. RESULTS: A total of 144 patients (99 male) were prospectively enrolled in the ARISE Trial between October 2015 and October 2018 with a median age of 30.4 years [interquartile range (IQR) 15.9-55.1]; 45% had undergone previous cardiac operations, with 19% having 2 or more previous procedures. The mean implanted DAH diameter was 22.6 mm (standard deviation 2.4). The median operation duration was 312 min (IQR 234-417), the median cardiopulmonary bypass time was 154 min (IQR 118-212) and the median cross-clamp time 121 min (IQR 93-150). No postoperative bypass grafting or renal replacement therapy were required. Two early deaths occurred, 1 due to a LCA thrombus on day 3 and 1 due ventricular arrhythmia 5 h postoperation. There were 3 late deaths, 1 death due to endocarditis 4 months postoperatively and 2 unrelated deaths after 5 and 7 years due to cancer and Morbus Wegener resulting in a total mortality of 3.47%. After a median follow-up of 5.9 years [IQR 5.1-6.4, mean 5.5 years. (standard deviation 1.3) max. 7.6 years], the primary efficacy end-points peak gradient with median 11.0 mmHg (IQR 7.8-17.6) and regurgitation of median 0.5 (IQR 0-0.5) of grade 0-3 were excellent. At 5 years, freedom from death/reoperation/endocarditis/bleeding/thromboembolism were 97.9%/93.5%/96.4%/99.2%/99.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The 5-year results of the prospective multicentre ARISE trial continue to show DAH to be safe for aortic valve replacement with excellent haemodynamics.
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Insuficiencia de la Válvula Aórtica , Estenosis de la Válvula Aórtica , Endocarditis , Implantación de Prótesis de Válvulas Cardíacas , Prótesis Valvulares Cardíacas , Adulto , Humanos , Masculino , Aloinjertos/cirugía , Válvula Aórtica/cirugía , Insuficiencia de la Válvula Aórtica/cirugía , Estenosis de la Válvula Aórtica/cirugía , Endocarditis/cirugía , Estudios de Seguimiento , Implantación de Prótesis de Válvulas Cardíacas/métodos , Estudios Prospectivos , Reoperación , Datos de Salud Recolectados Rutinariamente , Femenino , Adolescente , Adulto Joven , Persona de Mediana EdadRESUMEN
A patient presented with severe tricuspid regurgitation 20 years after dual-chamber pacing. Transesophageal echocardiography suggested ventricular pacing wire adherence to the tricuspid valve (TV) and atrial wire prolapse across the tricuspid annulus. Surgical extraction of the pacing wires revealed TV commissural fusion and subvalvular thickening causing tricuspid stenosis, requiring TV replacement. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).
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Aortic disease has a significant impact on quality of life. The involvement of the aortic arch requires the preservation of blood supply to the brain during surgery. Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest is an established technique for this purpose, although neurological injury remains high. Additional techniques have been used to reduce risk, although controversy still remains. A three-way cannulation approach, including both carotid arteries and the femoral artery or the ascending aorta, has been used successfully for aortic arch replacement and redo procedures. We developed circuits of the circulation to simulate blood flow during this type of cannulation set up. The CARDIOSIM© cardiovascular simulation platform was used to analyse the effect on haemodynamic and energetic parameters and the benefit derived in terms of organ perfusion pressure and flow. Our simulation approach based on lumped-parameter modelling, pressure-volume analysis and modified time-varying elastance provides a theoretical background to a three-way cannulation strategy for aortic arch surgery with correlation to the observed clinical practice.
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Objective: This study aimed to comprehensively examine the roles of size, location, and number of tears in the progression of surgically repaired type A aortic dissection (TAAD) by assessing haemodynamic changes through patient-specific computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations. Methods: Two patient-specific TAAD geometries with replaced ascending aorta were reconstructed based upon computed 15 tomography (CT) scans, after which 10 hypothetical models (5 per patient) with different tear configurations were artificially created. CFD simulations were performed on all the models under physiologically realistic boundary conditions. Results: Our simulation results showed that increasing either the size or number of the re-entry tears reduced the luminal pressure difference (LPD) and maximum time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS), as well as areas exposed to abnormally high or low TAWSS values. Models with a large re-entry tear outperformed the others by reducing the maximum LPD by 1.88 mmHg and 7.39 mmHg, for patients 1 and 2, respectively. Moreover, proximally located re-entry tears in the descending aorta were more effective at reducing LPD than distal re-entry tears. Discussion: These computational results indicate that the presence of a relatively large re-entry tear in the proximal descending aorta might help stabilize post-surgery aortic growth. This finding has important implications for the management and risk stratification of surgically repaired TAAD patients. Nevertheless, further validation in a large patient cohort is needed.
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Objective: To examine the role of a key hemodynamic parameter, namely the true and false lumen pressure difference, to predict progressive aortic dilatation following type A aortic dissection (TAAD) repair. Methods: Four patients with surgically repaired TAAD with multiple follow-up computed tomography angiography scans (4-5 scans per patient; N = 18) were included. Through-plane diameter of the residual native thoracic aorta was measured in various aortic segments during the follow up period (mean follow-up: 49.6 ± 31.2 months). Computational flow analysis was performed to estimate true and false lumen pressure difference at the same locations and the correlation with aortic size change was studied using a linear mixed effects model. Results: Greater pressure difference between the true and false lumen was consistent with greater aortic diameter expansion during the follow up period (linear mixed effects analysis; coefficient, 0.26; 95% confidence interval, 0.15-0.37; P < .001). Based on our limited data points, a pressure difference higher than 5 mm Hg might cause unstable aortic growth. Conclusions: Computational fluid dynamic assessment of standard aortic computed tomography angiography offers a noninvasive technique that predicts the risk of aortic dilatation following TAAD. The technique may be used to plan closer observation or intervention in high-risk patients.
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This study aimed to evaluate the effect of aortic wall compliance on intraluminal hemodynamics within surgically repaired type A aortic dissection (TAAD). Fully coupled two-way fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulations were performed on two patient-specific post-surgery TAAD models reconstructed from computed tomography angiography images. Our FSI model incorporated prestress and different material properties for the aorta and graft. Computational results, including velocity, wall shear stress (WSS) and pressure difference between the true and false lumen, were compared between the FSI and rigid wall simulations. It was found that the FSI model predicted lower blood velocities and WSS along the dissected aorta. In particular, the area exposed to low time-averaged WSS ( ≤ 0.2 P a ) was increased from 21 cm2 (rigid) to 38 cm2 (FSI) in patient 1 and from 35 cm2 (rigid) to 144 cm2 (FSI) in patient 2. FSI models also produced more disturbed flow where much larger regions presented with higher turbulence intensity as compared to the rigid wall models. The effect of wall compliance on pressure difference between the true and false lumen was insignificant, with the maximum difference between FSI and rigid models being less than 0.25 mmHg for the two patient-specific models. Comparisons of simulation results for models with different Young's moduli revealed that a more compliant wall resulted in further reduction in velocity and WSS magnitudes because of increased displacements. This study demonstrated the importance of FSI simulation for accurate prediction of low WSS regions in surgically repaired TAAD, but a rigid wall computational fluid dynamics simulation would be sufficient for prediction of luminal pressure difference.
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OBJECTIVES: This study aims to identify the clinical utility of targeted-genetic sequencing in a cohort of patients with TAA and establish a new method for regional histological characterisation of TAA disease. METHODS: Fifty-four patients undergoing surgery for proximal TAA were recruited. EXCLUSIONS: connective tissue disease, bicuspid aortic valves, redo surgery. All patients underwent next generation sequencing (NGS) using a custom gene panel containing 63 genes previously associated with TAA on Illumina MiSeqor NextSeq550 platforms. Explanted TAA tissue was obtained en-bloc from 34/54 patients, and complete circumferential strips of TAA tissue processed into whole slides which were subsequently digitalised. Computational pathology methods were employed to quantify elastin, cellularity and collagen in six equally divided regions across the whole aneurysm circumference. RESULTS: Of 54 patients, clearly pathogenic or potentially pathogenic variants were found in 7.4%: namely LOX, PRKG1, TGFBR1 and SMAD3 genes. 55% had at least one variant of unknown significance (VUS) and seven of the VUSs were in genes with a strong disease association (category A) genes, whilst 15 were from moderate risk (category B) genes. Elastin and collagen abundance displayed high regional variation throughout the aneurysm circumference. In patients with <60% total elastin, the loss of elastin was more significant on the outer curve (38.0% vs 47.4%, p = 0.0094). The presence of VUS, higher pulse wave velocity and advancing age were predictors of elastin loss (regression analysis: p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate the heterogeneity of TAA disease microstructure and the potential link between histological appearance and clinical factors, including genetic variation.
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Aneurisma de la Aorta Torácica , Enfermedad de la Válvula Aórtica Bicúspide , Aneurisma de la Aorta Torácica/diagnóstico , Aneurisma de la Aorta Torácica/genética , Aneurisma de la Aorta Torácica/patología , Colágeno , Elastina/genética , Humanos , Análisis de la Onda del PulsoRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: We evaluated the process of changing from conventional coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) to totally arterial off-pump coronary artery bypass (TOPCAB) at a single heart center in Germany. METHODS: We (1) used multivariate statistical methods to assess real-time monitoring of OPCAB effects, (2) conducted a case review to assess preventable deaths and identify areas of improvement, (3) conducted a team survey, and (4) evaluated benchmarking results. RESULTS: All surgeons and assistants (n = 18) at this center were involved and were guided by the department head and one of the consultants, who was trained in this procedure in 2004 at the Leuven OPCAB school. The frequency of OPCAB operations increased abruptly in 2005 from 5% to 43% and then increased gradually to 67% (n = 546) by 2008 (total, 1781 OPCAB cases and 1563 on-pump cases). The in-hospital and 30-day mortality rates for OPCAB surgeries (n = 10 [0.6%] and 21 [1.2%], respectively) were lower than for on-pump surgeries (n = 27 [1.7%] and 26 [1.7%], respectively). Stroke rates were also lower for OPCAB surgeries (7 cases [0.4%] versus 15 cases [1%]). The lower risk of stroke in the OPCAB group was significant (P < .05) after risk adjustment. Monitoring curves and case reviews demonstrated a preventable death percentage of at least 30%. The attitude of the team was mostly positive because of the promising results (eg, fewer strokes, increasing TOPCAB popularity, and a top national rank). CONCLUSIONS: The change from conventional CABG to TOPCAB was effective in decreasing the incidence and severity of stroke, in developing a team routine and a positive team attitude, and in producing excellent benchmarking results. The presence of a training and communication deficiency at the beginning of the study suggested an area for further improvement. After 6 years TOPCAB had largely replaced conventional CABG.
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Puente de Arteria Coronaria/efectos adversos , Innovación Organizacional , Accidente Cerebrovascular/etiología , Anciano , Instituciones Cardiológicas/estadística & datos numéricos , Puente de Arteria Coronaria/métodos , Puente de Arteria Coronaria/estadística & datos numéricos , Puente de Arteria Coronaria Off-Pump/efectos adversos , Puente de Arteria Coronaria Off-Pump/métodos , Puente de Arteria Coronaria Off-Pump/estadística & datos numéricos , Femenino , Alemania/epidemiología , Indicadores de Salud , Humanos , Incidencia , Masculino , Análisis Multivariante , Puntaje de Propensión , Factores de Riesgo , Índice de Severidad de la Enfermedad , Accidente Cerebrovascular/epidemiología , Accidente Cerebrovascular/enfermería , Accidente Cerebrovascular/prevención & controlRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Post-pericardiectomy right ventricular (RV) failure has been reported but it remains not well-studied. To investigate imaging parameters that could predict RV function and the outcome of patients post-pericardiectomy. METHODS: We analysed data from a total of 53 CP patients undergoing pericardiectomy. Preoperative, early and at 6 months postoperative echocardiographic (echo) imaging datasets were analysed and correlated with preoperative cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), cardiac computed tomography scans and histology. The primary endpoint of the study was RV functional status early postoperatively and at 6 months. Secondary endpoint was the need for prolonged inotropic support. RESULTS: A cause of CP was identified in 26 patients (49%). Inotropic support ≥ 48 hours was required in n = 28 (53%) of patients and was correlated with lower preoperative RV areas by echo or RV volumes by CMR (p < 0.05 for all). A pericardial score based on pericardial thickness/calcification and epicardial fat thickness had good diagnostic accuracy to identify patients requiring prolonged use of inotropes (area under the curve, 0.825; 95% confidence interval, 0.674-0.976). Pericardiectomy resulted in RV decompression and impaired RV function early postoperatively (fractional area change: 40.5% ± 8.8% preoperatively vs. 31.4% ± 10.4% early postoperatively vs. 42.5% ± 10.2% at 6 months, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We show that a smaller RV cavity size and a pericardial scoring system are associated with prolonged inotropic support in CP patients undergoing pericardiectomy. RV systolic impairment post decompression is present in most patients, but it is only transient.
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Type A aortic dissection (TAAD) involves the ascending aorta or the arch. Acute TAAD usually requires urgent replacement of the ascending aorta. However, a subset of these patients develops aortic rupture due to further dilatation of the residual dissected aorta. There is currently no reliable means to predict the risk of dilatation following TAAD repair. In this study, we performed a comprehensive morphological and hemodynamic analysis for patients with and without progressive aortic dilatation following surgical replacement of the ascending aorta. Patient-specific models of repaired TAAD were reconstructed from post-surgery computed tomography images for detailed computational fluid dynamic analysis. Geometric and hemodynamic parameters were evaluated and compared between patients with stable aortic diameters (N = 9) and those with aortic dilatation (N = 8). Our results showed that the number of re-entry tears and true/false lumen pressure difference were significantly different between the two groups. Patients with progressive aortic dilatation had higher luminal pressure difference (6.7 [4.6, 10.9] vs. 0.9 [0.5, 2.3] mmHg; P = 0.001) and fewer re-entry tears (1.5 [1, 2.8] vs. 5 [3.3, 7.5]; P = 0.02) compared to patients with stable aortic diameters, suggesting that these factors may serve as potential predictors of aneurysmal dilatation following surgical repair of TAAD.
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Aorta Torácica , Aneurisma de la Aorta Torácica , Disección Aórtica , Hemodinámica , Modelos Cardiovasculares , Disección Aórtica/fisiopatología , Disección Aórtica/cirugía , Aorta Torácica/fisiopatología , Aorta Torácica/cirugía , Aneurisma de la Aorta Torácica/fisiopatología , Aneurisma de la Aorta Torácica/cirugía , Dilatación Patológica/fisiopatología , Dilatación Patológica/cirugía , Femenino , Humanos , MasculinoRESUMEN
Although Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair is usually applied to patients without connective tissue disorders, our case shows its potential for complicated type B aortic dissection in a Marfan patient as a feasible alternative to open redo surgery with good short-term outcomes.
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Total arch replacement remains a very demanding surgical procedure. It can be associated with reasonable long-term outcomes but carries serious perioperative complications. Aortic arch surgery has progressed in recent years to a wider adoption of reproducible and reliable techniques. Conventional open, surgical aortic arch replacement is currently offered to the majority of patients, although hybrid and wholly endovascular techniques are gaining popularity. With regards to open arch replacement, the nuances of surgical technique, the mode of cannulation and the optimal cerebral protection protocols remain a matter of debate. We propose an alternative cannulation approach facilitated by the cooperation between cardiac and vascular surgeons. A three-way arterial cannulation including both carotid arteries and the femoral artery (or ascending aorta) is the key feature of this approach. A case series of complex patients is presented to show both the feasibility and relative safety of a standardised new approach with a 100% technical success rate and a 16% 30-day mortality. The three-way cannulation approach may have a role to play for complex and extensive procedures requiring prolonged cerebral protection. We believe that a shared skill set from cardiac and vascular specialists is essential for the safe management and successful outcomes using this adaptive technique.
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We present the case of a 60-year-old man who was successfully treated for obstructive fungal infective endocarditis of the ascending aorta caused by Geotrichum capitatum. This extremely rare cause of fungal infective endocarditis required surgical and prolonged medical management, facilitated by effective multidisciplinary cooperation. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).
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Traditionally, cardiac and vascular surgeons have been treating diseases of the aorta as individual specialists. Neither cardiac nor vascular surgeons have ever considered the aorta as a whole, which can be diseased throughout its length at the same time requiring a more thoughtful and different approach. Aortic dissection and aneurysmal disease may well benefit from a multidisciplinary approach. In the context of this review, we discuss examples of joint operating between cardiac and vascular surgeons that may well become a more routine approach in more units in the future.