Right heart failure and patient selection for isolated tricuspid valve surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize patients with right heart failure undergoing isolated tricuspid valve surgery, focusing on right heart morphology and function. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From January 2007 to January 2014, 62 patients underwent isolated tricuspid valve surgery. Forty-five patients (73%) had undergone previous heart operations. Right heart morphology and function variables were measured de novo from stored echocardiographic images, and clinical and hemodynamic data were extracted from patient registries and records. Cluster analysis was performed and outcomes assessed. RESULTS: On average, the right ventricle was dilated (diastolic area 32 cm2), but its function was preserved (free-wall strain -17% ± 5.8%) and right heart failure manifestations were moderate, with 40 (65%) having congested neck veins, 35 (56%) dependent edema, and 15 (24%) ascites. Average model for end-stage liver disease with sodium score was 11 ± 4.4, but individual values varied widely. Tricuspid valve variables split patients into 2 equal clusters: those with functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and those with structural TR. These groups had similar right ventricular function, but the functional TR group had worse right ventricular morphology and more severe manifestations of right heart failure, including greater model for end-stage liver disease with sodium scores (12 ± 44 vs 9.1 ± 3.9; P = .008). Both groups survived operation with low morbidity, but patients with functional TR had worse long-term survival, 48% versus 73% at 10 years after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The cluster analysis of patients with right heart failure undergoing isolated tricuspid valve surgery separated functional and structural tricuspid valve disease. Good early outcomes suggest expanding criteria for tricuspid valve surgery and earlier intervention for functional TR with right heart failure.

Aortic valve cusp repair does not affect durability of modified aortic valve reimplantation for tricuspid aortic valves.

Objective: During aortic valve reimplantation, cusp repair may be needed to produce a competent valve. We investigated whether the need for aortic valve cusp repair affects aortic valve reimplantation durability. Methods: Patients with tricuspid aortic valves who underwent aortic valve reimplantation from January 2002 to January 2020 at a single center were retrospectively analyzed. Propensity matching was used to compare outcomes between patients who did and did not require aortic valve cusp repair. Results: Cusp repair was performed in 181 of 756 patients (24%). Patients who required cusp repair were more often male, were older, had more aortic valve regurgitation, and less often had connective tissue disease. Patients who underwent cusp repair had longer aortic clamp time (124 ± 43 minutes vs 107 ± 36 minutes, P = .001). In-hospital outcomes were similar between groups and with no operative deaths. A total of 98.3% of patients with cusp repair and 99.3% of patients without cusp repair had mild or less aortic regurgitation at discharge. The median follow-up was 3.9 and 3.2 years for the cusp repair and no cusp repair groups, respectively. At 10 years, estimated prevalence of moderate or more aortic regurgitation was 12% for patients with cusp repair and 7.0% for patients without cusp repair (P = .30). Mean aortic valve gradients were 6.2 mm Hg and 8.0 mm Hg, respectively (P = .01). Ten-year freedom from reoperation was 99% versus 99% (P = .64) in the matched cohort and 97% versus 97%, respectively (P = .30), in the unmatched cohort. Survival at 10 years was 98% after cusp repair and 93% without cusp repair (P = .05). Conclusions: Aortic valve reimplantation for patients with tricuspid aortic valves has excellent long-term results. Need for aortic valve cusp repair does not affect long-term outcomes and should not deter surgeons from performing valve-sparing surgery.

Differences in Aortic Histopathology in Patients Undergoing Valve Reimplantation Surgery for Various Clinical Syndromes.

OBJECTIVES: The study aims to investigate aortic histopathologic differences among patients undergoing aortic valve reimplantation, suggest different mechanisms of aortic root aneurysm pathogenesis, and identify factors associated with long-term success of reimplantation. METHODS: From 2006 to 2017, 568 adults who underwent reimplantation for repair of aortic root aneurysm, including patients with tricuspid aortic valves with no connective tissue disease (TAV/NoCTD, n = 314/568; 55.3%), bicuspid aortic valves (BAVs, n = 86/568; 15.1%), or connective tissue disease (CTD, n = 177/568; 31.2%), were compiled into three comparison groups. Patients with both BAV and CTD (n = 9/568; 1.6%) were omitted to increase study power. Patient records were analyzed retrospectively, focusing on pathology reports, which were available for 98.42% of patients, and were classified based on their descriptions of aortic tissue samples, primarily from the noncoronary sinus. Mean follow-up time available for patients was 2.97 years. RESULTS: Aortitis, medial fibrosis, and smooth muscle loss were more common histopathologic findings in patients with TAV/NoCTD than in patients with BAV and CTD (p < 0.05). Cystic medial degeneration was most often found in patients with CTD, then TAV/NoCTD, and least in BAV (p < 0.01). Increases in mucopolysaccharides were found more often in the BAV group than in the TAV/NoCTD and CTD groups (p < 0.01). There were no differences in the frequency of elastic laminae fragmentation/loss across these three groups. Among all patients, 1.97% (n = 11/559) had an unplanned reintervention on the aortic valve after reimplantation, but no significant demographic or histopathologic differences were identified. CONCLUSION: Despite some common histopathologic features among patients undergoing aortic valve reimplantation, there were enough distinguishing features among aortic tissue samples of TAV/NoCTD, BAV, and CTD patients to suggest that these groups develop root aneurysms by different mechanisms. No histopathologic features were able to predict the need for late reintervention on the aortic valve.

Robotic versus laparoscopic median arcuate ligament (MAL) release: a retrospective comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Multiple retrospective studies have demonstrated the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic median arcuate ligament division with celiac neurolysis for the definitive management of median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS). This study queries the clinical equipoise of robotic (RMALR) versus laparoscopic MAL release (LMALR) at a high-volume center. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of consecutive 26 RMALR and 24 LMALR between March 2018 and August 2019 by a single surgeon at a quaternary academic institution was completed. Primary endpoint was postoperative decrease in celiac trunk expiratory peak systolic velocities (PSVs) measured by mesenteric duplex ultrasonography. Secondary outcomes included reported improvement in MALS-related clinical symptoms, distribution of first assistant seniority level, and involvement of second assistants in RMALR versus LMALR. RESULTS: Mean operative times for LMALR and RMALR were 86 and 134 min, respectively (p < 0.0001). There were no open conversions and mean length of hospital stay was 1 day for both cohorts. Both groups provided an equally effective decrease in postoperative peak systolic velocities (PSVs) (LMALR p = 0.0011; RMALR p = 0.0022; LMALR vs. RMALR p = 0.7772). While RMALR had significantly higher reduction of chronic abdominal pain postoperatively, there were no significant differences in other postoperative symptom relief between groups. However, RMALR patients reported significant relief of postprandial abdominal pain (p < 0.0001) and chronic nausea (p = 0.0002). RMALR had significantly more junior first assistants (p = 0.0001) and less frequently required second assistants compared to LMALR (p = 0.0381). CONCLUSIONS: In this study comparing RMALR to LMALR, postoperative chronic abdominal pain relief was significantly less in the former while other outcomes were equivalent. In comparison with LMALR, RMALR cases were associated with more junior first assistants, fewer second assistants, and longer operative times. Both approaches are safe and feasible for well-selected patients in experienced centers.

Outcomes of Repair of Kommerell Diverticulum.

BACKGROUND: Kommerell diverticulum (KD) is an uncommon congenital vascular anomaly. This study assessed outcomes of open and endovascular repair of this disorder. METHODS: Between 1997 and 2016, 152 adult patients presented with KD at Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, OH), 87 had no intervention, and 65 underwent open repair (n = 55; 19 elephant trunk [ET] procedures [9 with aortic dissection], including 7 frozen ET, and completions with 5 thoracic endovascular aortic repairs, 2 open, and 5 lost to follow-up) or endovascular procedures (n = 10). Non-ET open KD repairs consisted of resection (n = 15), interposition graft (n = 16), patch (n = 4), or aortopexy (n = 1). Maximum KD diameter was 2.1 cm for nonsurgical patients and 3.2 cm for surgical patients. Among surgical patients, 51 of 65 had dysphagia or dyspnea. A total of 608 patient-years of follow-up were available. RESULTS: For patients who underwent open and endovascular procedures, after multivariable adjustment, symptoms of dysphagia and hypertension predicted the likelihood of surgery (P < .05, all). There was no operative mortality. Complications included nondisabling stroke (n = 5; 8%), tracheostomy (n = 3; 4.6%), vocal cord paralysis (n = 2; 3%), and reoperation for bleeding (n = 3; 4.6%). During follow-up, 3 of 10 patients treated with hybrid or endovascular procedures required reinterventions for endoleaks. One patient had residual symptoms after aortopexy. Among nonsurgical patients, 2 patients refused surgery, and 1 died of aortic rupture, with a 4.7-cm descending aorta and a 3.4-cm KD. Seven additional patients died of nonaortic comorbidities. The remaining patients were asymptomatic, with an aortic diameter smaller than 4.5 cm. CONCLUSIONS: Open and endovascular approaches have a high success rate and low mortality risk. Selection of the specific type of intervention should be based on patient anatomy, additional needed procedures, and comorbid conditions.