Gastrointestinal Complications After Transesophageal Echocardiography for Mitral Valve Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair: Insights From a Large Contemporary Cohort.

OBJECTIVES: Transesophageal echocardiography-related complications (TEE-RC) are higher in structural heart interventions than in traditional operative settings. In mitral valve transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (MV-TEER), the incidence of TEE-RC may be higher than in other structural interventions. However, existing reports are limited and robust data evaluating TEE safety in this patient population are lacking. The authors sought to describe the incidence and risk factors of upper gastrointestinal injuries after TEE in patients undergoing MV-TEER. DESIGN: A retrospective observational study. SETTING: A single tertiary academic hospital. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 442 consecutive patients who underwent MV-TEER, specifically with MitraClip, between December 2015 and March 2022. INTERVENTIONS: Transesophageal echocardiography was performed intraoperatively to guide all MV-TEERs. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The study's primary goal was to investigate an association between TEE procedure duration and TEE-RC risk. The contribution of demographic risk factors and intraprocedural characteristics also was investigated. Transesophageal echocardiography-RCs were observed in 17 out of 442 patients (3.8%). Dysphagia was the most common TEE-RC (n = 9/17, 53%), followed by new gastroesophageal reflux (n = 6/17, 35%) and odynophagia (n = 3/17, 18%). There were no esophageal perforations or upper gastrointestinal bleeds. History of dysphagia was the only variable associated with TEE-RCs (p = 0.008; n = 9 [2.1%] v n = 3 [18%]), with a relative risk of 8.67 (95% CI 2.57, 29.16). The TEE procedure duration was not statistically different between the 2 groups (46 minutes [39-64] in TEE-RCs v 49 minutes [36-77] in no complications). CONCLUSION: In patients undergoing MV-TEER, TEE-RCs are uncommon, and major complications are rare. The authors' outcomes reflect those of a high-volume referral center with TEEs performed by cardiac anesthesiologists.

Influence of right ventricular structure and function on hospital outcomes in COVID-19 patients.

BACKGROUND: The impact of the right ventricular (RV) structure and function on the in-hospital outcomes in patients with COVID-19 infection has not been rigorously investigated. OBJECTIVES: The main aim of our study was to investigate in-hospital outcomes including mortality, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, pressor support, associated with RV dilatation, and RV systolic dysfunction in COVID-19 patients without a history of pulmonary hypertension. METHODS: It was a single academic tertiary center, retrospective cohort study of 997 PCR-confirmed COVID-19 patients. One hundred ninty-four of those patients did not have a history of pulmonary hypertension and underwent transthoracic echocardiography at the request of the treating physicians for clinical indications. Clinical endpoints which included mortality, ICU admission, need for mechanical ventilation or pressor support were abstracted from the electronic charts. RESULTS: Patients' mean age was 68+/-16 years old and 42% of the study population were females. COPD was reported in 13% of the study population, whereas asthma was 10%, and CAD was 25%. The mean BMI was 29.8+/-9.5 kg/m2. Overall mortality was 27%, 46% in ICU patients, and 9% in the rest of the cohort. There were no significant differences in co-morbidities between expired patients and the survivors. A total of 19% of patients had evidence of RV dilatation and 17% manifested decreased RV systolic function. RV dilatation or decreased RV systolic function were noted in 24% of the total study population. RV dilatation was significantly more common in expired patients (15% vs 29%, p = 0.026) and was associated with increased mortality in patients treated in the ICU (HR 2.966, 95%CI 1.067-8.243, p = 0.037), who did not need require positive pressure ventilation, IV pressor support or acute hemodialysis. CONCLUSIONS: In hospitalized COVID-19 patients without a history of pulmonary hypertension, RV dilatation is associated with a 2-fold increase in inpatient mortality and a 3-fold increase in ICU mortality.

Chronic Kidney Disease and Post-Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Mortality in Patients With Left Main and Equivalent Coronary Artery Disease.

BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic kidney disease are underrepresented in registries and in randomized trials of coronary artery disease management. To investigate effects of chronic kidney disease on outcomes of nonemergent percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with left main or left main-equivalent coronary artery disease, we analyzed data from the New York State Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Registry during the calendar year 2015, involving 2,956 elective percutaneous coronary intervention cases. Outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with various degrees of chronic kidney disease and stable left main or left main-equivalent coronary artery disease were compared. METHODS: Only patients with left main or left main-equivalent coronary artery disease and elective percutaneous coronary intervention were included in the study cohort. Patients with acute coronary syndromes within 24 hours of the index percutaneous coronary intervention, patients reported to be in shock, and patients with prior coronary artery bypass surgery were excluded from the study cohort. RESULTS: In this cohort, stage 4 or 5 chronic kidney disease, current congestive heart failure, and left main disease remained statistically significant predictors of post-percutaneous coronary intervention mortality. CONCLUSION: Our findings in this large, statewide cohort indicate that advanced kidney disease is associated with markedly increased post-nonemergent percutaneous coronary intervention mortality.

Nitrates as a Marker of Multiple Co-morbidities and Increased Mortality in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI).

Background Notwithstanding the guideline endorsement of various anti-anginal medications, there is a paucity of data on whether one anti-anginal regimen or medication is superior to another. It is also unknown how anti-anginal medications affect outcomes of elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). To fill this knowledge gap, we investigated an association between commonly used anti-anginal medications and elective PCI outcomes in stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD) patients.  Methods Using the New York State's (NYS) PCI Reporting System, we reviewed data on 33,568 consecutive patients who underwent non-emergent PCI in 2015. The primary endpoint of this study was all-cause in-hospital mortality.  Results Regardless of the combination therapy of nitrates with any other non-nitrate anti-anginal therapy, including beta-adrenergic blockers (BB) and/or calcium channel blockers (CCB), nitrate treatment continued to be associated with significantly increased post-elective PCI mortality. Conclusions In this large, all-inclusive state-wide contemporary cohort study of SIHD patients, treatment with nitrates, but not beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, or ranolazine, was associated with increased post-PCI mortality. Utilization of nitrate therapy is likely reflective of advanced disease burden rather than directly related to the specific medication intolerance. Additional studies investigating optimal anti-anginal medical therapy on PCI outcomes are warranted.

Procedural, Short-Term, and Intermediate-Term Outcomes in Propensity-Matched Patients With Severe Mitral Valve Regurgitation Undergoing Urgent Versus Elective MitraClip Percutaneous Mitral Valve Repair.

OBJECTIVE: The study authors sought to compare outcomes in patients with severe mitral valve regurgitation (MR) undergoing urgent, as compared to elective, mitral valve repair employing MitraClip. They hypothesized that, compared to elective cases, MitraClip procedures performed for urgent indications would be associated with increased intraoperative and postoperative complications but have similar long-term outcomes. DESIGN: A retrospective chart review with 3:1 propensity score matching of elective-to-urgent cases. SETTING: A single, large-volume tertiary care academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS: All consecutive patients with severe MR who underwent elective or urgent MitraClip procedures between December 15, 2015, and October 26, 2020. INTERVENTIONS: MR repair with MitraClip. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: As expected, patients in the urgent MitraClip group required a higher level of preprocedural care, and there were significant differences in baseline demographic and clinical variables as compared to the elective group. To reduce baseline characteristics heterogeneity, propensity matching was performed for age, left ventricular systolic dysfunction, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and smoking histories, using the nearest-neighbor matching with a caliper of 0.2 and with replacement. The final study cohort included 89 urgent and 252 matched elective cases, with a suitable alignment between the treatment groups. Propensity-matched urgent MitraClip patients experienced a longer hospital length of stay (p < 0.001), increased intensive care unit admissions (19% v 4%, p < 0.001) and mechanical ventilation (6.7% v 1.6%, p = 0.023), postprocedural atrial fibrillation (11% v 4.4%, p = 0.036), pericardial effusion (10% v 2.4%, p = 0.005), and acute kidney injury (7.9% v 2%, p = 0.016). Furthermore, patients in the urgent cohort incurred significantly higher 30-day cardiovascular mortality (6.7% v 2%, p = 0.039), increased 30-day (16% v 5.6%, p = 0.006), and 1-year (33% v 20%, p = 0.021) readmission rates. However, there were no statistically significant differences in 30-day and 1-year overall and 1-year cardiovascular mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Urgent MitraClip repairs can be performed successfully, when needed, in critically ill patients with severe MR. Despite the procedural success, patients undergoing urgent MitraClip repair remain at high risk for adverse outcomes in the short- and intermediate-term and incur increased cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Further efforts are required to develop strategies to optimize short and intermediate outcomes in this vulnerable group of patients.

Pericardial Effusion After Renal Transplantation: Timing and Clinical Characteristics.

BACKGROUND: Pericardial effusion and tamponade have been recognized as potentially serious complications in patients who have undergone renal transplantation. Our study aims to analyze the association between sirolimus and the development of pericardial effusion in renal transplant recipients. METHODS: This is a single-center retrospective study of 585 consecutive patients who underwent renal transplantation between 2005 and 2016. The study included 82 patients (14%) who developed new pericardial effusion after transplantation. Baseline demographics, medical comorbidities, medication use, echocardiographic parameters, and time to occurrence of effusion were assessed. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on timing of effusion development: early onset, ≤4 years after transplantation (51%); and late onset, >4 years after transplantation (49%). We examined the likelihood of immunosuppressant use and timing of effusion development using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of the cohort was 55.1 ± 11.5 years, 58.5% were men, 81.7% were white, and mean time from transplantation to the development of effusion was 4 ± 3.1 years. There were no significant differences between the early and late effusion groups in the demographic characteristics and medical comorbidities. However, sirolimus therapy was more common in the late effusion group. Furthermore, after adjusting for comorbidities, sirolimus use was associated with greater risk for developing late-onset effusion, adjusted odds ratio of 3.58 (95% confidence interval 1.25-10.20, P = .017). CONCLUSION: Pericardial effusion is prevalent in renal transplant recipients. In our cohort, treatment with sirolimus was associated with late-onset pericardial effusion. Awareness of pericardial disease in this population is important, and further studies are needed to identify predisposing factors.

Coronary anatomy and comorbidities impact on elective PCI outcomes in left main and multivessel coronary artery disease.

INTRODUCTION: The effects of coronary anatomy, lesion complexity, and comorbidities on outcomes of elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in high-risk patients with left main (LM) and/or multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD) are not well studied, as these patients are typically underrepresented in the clinical trials. METHODS: This cohort study involved 33,568 consecutive elective PCI cases, excluding patients with prior coronary artery bypass graft, acute coronary syndrome within 24 hr of index PCI, or shock. All data were obtained from the New York State's PCI Reporting System from the calendar year 2015. In-hospital mortality was the primary outcome of study. Logistic regression models were built to calculate odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for in-hospital mortality after adjustment for coronary anatomy and significant clinical comorbidities. RESULTS: In this cohort of elective PCI cases all cause in-hospital mortality was low (0.3%), with a clear mortality gradient according to the extent of CAD: 0.1% in 1 vessel disease, 0.4% in 2 vessel, 0.5% in 3 vessel disease, and 3.2% in patients with LM CAD (p < .001). Mortality was also significantly increased in patients with multiple comorbidities: 0.1% in patients with 1 comorbidity, 0.7% with 2, 2.5% with 3, and 7.4% with 4 or more studied comorbidities (p < .0001). When adjusted for coronary anatomy and lesion complexity, having any 4 or more comorbidities was associated with significantly increased odds of dying after elective PCI (OR 25.9, 95% CI 8.152-82.063, p < .0001). Furthermore, when compared to patients with 3-vessel CAD, and accounted for comorbidities, the patients with LM disease still had significantly increased (OR 5.254, 95% CI 3.104-8.891, p < .0001) odds of dying after elective PCI. CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing elective PCI, multivessel CAD and particularly LM disease are associated with significantly increased all-cause mortality. Furthermore, when adjusted for the extent of CAD and lesion complexity, comorbidity burden remains an important predictor of mortality.

Absence of electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy in patients undergoing Transcatheter aortic valve replacement is associated with increased mortality.

BACKGROUND: We examined the association between the absence ECG LVH and all-cause mortality in patients with severe AS undergoing TAVR. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective single center study on 399 TAVR patients from 2012 to 2016. ECGs were reviewed for LVH diagnosed by Sokolow-Lyon's voltage criteria. All patients met echocardiographic criteria for LVH. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between ECG LVH and covariates. Survival analysis was performed using Cox regression analysis and Kaplan Meier curves. RESULTS: Patients without ECG LVH were younger (81.0 ± 8.4 vs. 84.0 ± 7.7 years, p = 0.001) with a higher BMI (29.3 ± 7.0 vs. 27.1 ± 5.6 kg/m2, p = 0.006) and lower FEV1 (65.6 ± 22.8 vs. 74.1 ± 21.6%, p = 0.002). In multivariable analysis, increased BMI and decreased FEV1 remained predictive of the absence of ECG LVH. Over a mean follow-up time of 32 (± 17.0) months, the 5-year cumulative survival was 79% in the ECG LVH group and 58% in the group without ECG LVH (p = 0.039). Absence of ECG LVH remained predictive of all-cause mortality (HR 1.56, 95% CI 1.01-2.59, p = 0.045) in multivariable Cox regression analysis. When patients were grouped by comorbidities, patients with the highest mortality were those with increased BMI or decreased FEV1. CONCLUSIONS: Absence of LVH by ECG criteria in patients with severe AS undergoing TAVR was associated with increased all-cause mortality. Routinely performed, noninvasive and inexpensive ECG may aid in identification of high-risk patients that may not benefit from TAVR and warrant further evaluation of underlying comorbidities.

Pulse-cancellation echocardiography in Fabry disease diagnosis.

Pulse-cancellation imaging is a novel echocardiographic imaging modality developed for detection of myocardial fibrosis. This technique cancels echocardiographic reflections from the normal myocardium but clearly displays the abnormal tissue. We describe, for the first time, pulse-cancellation echocardiography application in detecting Fabry disease myocardial involvement. We present the case where both pulse-cancellation imaging and cardiac MRI concurrently revealed myocardial deposits in a patient with genotypically confirmed Fabry disease.

Efficacy of anakinra for idiopathic and non-idiopathic pericarditis refractory or intolerant to conventional therapy.

BACKGROUND: Anakinra, a recombinant interleukin-1 receptor antagonist is effective in treatment of idiopathic recurrent pericarditis. However, its efficacy in non-idiopathic pericarditis (secondary to a diagnosed inflammatory condition, or other known etiology) is unclear. We evaluated the efficacy of anakinra in patients with non-idiopathic (secondary to a diagnosed inflammatory condition, or other known etiology) and idiopathic pericarditis, who were intolerant or refractory to conventional therapy (colchicine and corticosteroids). METHODS: This was a single-center study in which we performed a retrospective chart review of consecutive adult patients hospitalized with pericarditis intolerant or refractory to conventional therapy who were treated with conventional therapy and anakinra between January 2016-October 2018. The control group included age-matched hospitalized pericarditis patients treated with conventional therapy only. Symptom relief at discharge, time to symptom relief and recurrence on treatment were compared. The effect of outpatient continuation of anakinra on post-treatment recurrence risk was assessed. RESULTS: Twelve patients received anakinra for pericarditis; 22 age-matched controls were identified. Ten patients (83.3%) in the conventional therapy and anakinra group and 13 patients (54.1%) in the conventional therapy groups had non-idiopathic pericarditis. All conventional therapy and anakinra patients and 16 of 22 patients in the conventional therapy group reported symptom relief at discharge (p=0.04). Time to symptom relief was decreased in the conventional therapy and anakinra group (3.75±1.87 vs 5.63±3.28 days, p=0.08). During treatment, all conventional therapy and anakinra-treated patients continued to be symptom free, while nine of 22 conventional therapy patients (40.9%) experienced recurrence (p=0.009). Recurrence risk after treatment discontinuation was similar in the conventional therapy and anakinra group and the conventional therapy group. CONCLUSIONS: In hospitalized patients with non-idiopathic or idiopathic pericarditis refractory, or intolerant to, conventional therapy, anakinra is associated with improved symptom relief and decreased recurrence risk during treatment.

The prevalence and prognostic implications of pre-procedural hyperbilirubinemia in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Preoperative hyperbilirubinemia is associated with increased mortality and morbidity after cardiac surgery. However, this clinical significance is unclear with transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence and prognostic implications of preoperative elevations of serum total bilirubin on TAVR outcomes. In 611 consecutive patients who underwent an elective TAVR procedure, 576 patients had recorded serum total bilirubin levels. Hyperbilirubinemia was defined as any value of serum total bilirubin ≥ 1.2 mg/dL obtained within 30-days prior to the TAVR procedure. The primary composite endpoint was post-TAVR all-cause in-hospital mortality or stroke. The overall prevalence of hyperbilirubinemia was 10% (n = 58). There were no patients with a prespecified diagnosis of liver cirrhosis. Pre-TAVR hyperbilirubinemia compared to normal bilirubin level was more common in younger (78 ± 10 vs. 82 ± 8 years old, p < 0.001) males (15 vs. 6%, p < 0.001), with history of pacemaker or ICD (33 vs. 18%, p = 0.005), congestive heart failure New York Heart Association class IV within 2 weeks from TAVR (35 vs. 14%, p < 0.001), severe tricuspid regurgitation (14 vs. 4%, p < 0.001), and atrial fibrillation or flutter (60 vs. 40%, p = 0.004, respectively). Pre-TAVR hyperbilirubinemia was independently associated with an increased post-TAVR in-hospital mortality (7 vs. 2% in normal bilirubin, p = 0.03), stroke (5 vs. 1%, p = 0.019, respectively), and a composite endpoint of death or stroke (12 vs. 3%, p < 0.001). Preoperative hyperbilirubinemia in patients undergoing TAVR is more prevalent than previously considered with multifactorial causes. Hyperbilirubinemia is independently associated with an increased post-TAVR in-hospital mortality and stroke.

Use of Transesophageal Echocardiogram and Interdisciplinary Approach to Intraoperative Management of Renal Cell Carcinoma With Inferior Vena Cava Invasion.

OBJECTIVE: Report experience of patients undergoing surgery for resection of renal cell carcinoma with inferior vena cava invasion and use of transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE). DESIGN: Retrospective and observational study. SETTING: Single large university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: The study comprised 55 consecutive who underwent resection of renal cell carcinoma. INTERVENTIONS: A transesophageal echocardiogram was performed by cardiac anesthesiologists in high grade tumors. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Twenty-two patients had tumor thrombi classified as level III, and 6 patients were classified as level IV. There was increased use of TEE for higher level of tumor thrombi. CONCLUSIONS: The surgical management of renal cell carcinoma with inferior vena cava tumor extension is complex. High-grade tumors require individualized treatment. Successful outcomes require collaboration between surgeons and anesthesiologists. Patients with level IIIb to IV tumor invasion benefit from TEE assessment and monitoring, which may be life-saving, and cardiac anesthesia should be involved in those types of cases.

Recurrent Myocardial Infarction Despite Normal C-reactive Protein in a Patient with Behcet's Disease and Compound Heterozygous Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR) Mutations (C677T and A1298C).

A 39-year-old diabetic female with Behcet's disease presented with acute inferior wall myocardial infarction and underwent successful angioplasty of the occluded circumflex artery with a bare-metal stent (balancing increased the bleeding risk with Behcet's). Other coronary vessels were free of obstructive atherosclerosis. Optimal coronary artery disease (CAD) therapy was commenced, and Behcet's disease treatment was intensified with the normalization of C-reactive protein. Two years later, she presented with an acute left anterior descending artery occlusion that was managed with a drug-eluting stent this time. There was no evidence of diffuse atherosclerosis on coronary angiogram or coronary calcifications on the chest computed tomography (CT) scan. Compound heterozygous methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) mutations (C677T and A1298C) and high-normal plasma homocysteine were detected. With the long-term continuation of dual anti-platelet, lipid-lowering, immunosuppressive, and folic-acid therapies, she did not have cardiac events during the three-year follow-up. This is the first report of recurrent thrombotic acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in a patient with diabetes, compound heterozygous MTHFR mutations, Behcet's disease with normal C-reactive protein (CRP), and no evidence of diffuse coronary artery disease.

Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation presenting as anterior wall STEMI in an elderly woman.

A 77-year-old woman without traditional risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD) underwent coronary CT-angiography for evaluation of palpitations after negative Holter monitoring and non-diagnostic ECG exercise stress test. Coronary artery calcium score was reported zero; 1 day later, she was admitted with anterior-wall ST elevation myocardial infarction. Acute left anterior descending artery thrombus was treated with mechanical thrombectomy and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI). Interestingly, the coronary arteries were angiographically normal. During hospitalisation, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation was noted followed by initiation of anticoagulation. Echocardiogram did not show thrombus or atrial shunt. Cardioversion with Sotalol was successful. Myocardial infraction was most likely cardioembolic secondary to paroxysmal atrial fibrillation-consistent with longstanding history of palpitations. Accounting for 3% of acute coronary syndromes, coronary embolism is treated with therapeutic anticoagulation for at least 3 months irrespective of cause and carries a higher risk of adverse cardiovascular events.

Worsening Mitral Stenosis Due to Post-transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Improvement of Concomitant Aortic Insufficiency.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become an alternative to surgical treatment in severe aortic valve stenosis, with expanding indications and rapidly growing number of performed procedures. Poor opposition of TAVR prosthesis to the aortic root causes paravalvular leak, while mitral regurgitation and stenosis have been associated with valve implantation low in the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT). We report an unusual case of a patient with combined severe aortic stenosis and moderate aortic insufficiency who underwent elective TAVR, which resulted in significant increase of a pre-existing mitral valve gradient. Rapid post-TAVR increase in mitral valve gradient was likely due to improvement in aortic regurgitation and decreased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP).

Acute Pulmonary Embolism Presenting with Symptomatic Bradycardia: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common life-threatening cardiovascular emergency. The diagnosis of PE may be challenging, as there can be a wide range of atypical presentations. CASE REPORT A 92-year-old man with asymptomatic first-degree atrioventricular (AV) block, hypertension that was controlled on medication, and a past medical history of deep venous thrombosis (DVT), presented with dizziness, weakness, and collapse while getting dressed. On examination by the attending paramedics, he was noted to have sinus bradycardia at a rate of 18 bpm, which improved to 80 bpm after intravenous injection of atropine. An echocardiogram obtained in the emergency room (ER) showed a markedly dilated right ventricle (RV) with a hypokinetic RV free wall, preserved RV apical contractility, and septal wall motion abnormalities consistent with RV pressure overload. A ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) scan showed a massive PE involving more than 50% of the pulmonary vasculature. Urgent catheter-directed thrombolysis was performed, but the patient's condition deteriorated, and he died shortly afterward. CONCLUSIONS Sinus bradycardia is an unusual initial presentation of PE, but the diagnosis should be considered in patients with multiple risk factors for thromboembolism.