Transplantation Outcomes with Donor Hearts after Circulatory Death.

BACKGROUND: Data showing the efficacy and safety of the transplantation of hearts obtained from donors after circulatory death as compared with hearts obtained from donors after brain death are limited. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, noninferiority trial in which adult candidates for heart transplantation were assigned in a 3:1 ratio to receive a heart after the circulatory death of the donor or a heart from a donor after brain death if that heart was available first (circulatory-death group) or to receive only a heart that had been preserved with the use of traditional cold storage after the brain death of the donor (brain-death group). The primary end point was the risk-adjusted survival at 6 months in the as-treated circulatory-death group as compared with the brain-death group. The primary safety end point was serious adverse events associated with the heart graft at 30 days after transplantation. RESULTS: A total of 180 patients underwent transplantation; 90 (assigned to the circulatory-death group) received a heart donated after circulatory death and 90 (regardless of group assignment) received a heart donated after brain death. A total of 166 transplant recipients were included in the as-treated primary analysis (80 who received a heart from a circulatory-death donor and 86 who received a heart from a brain-death donor). The risk-adjusted 6-month survival in the as-treated population was 94% (95% confidence interval [CI], 88 to 99) among recipients of a heart from a circulatory-death donor, as compared with 90% (95% CI, 84 to 97) among recipients of a heart from a brain-death donor (least-squares mean difference, -3 percentage points; 90% CI, -10 to 3; P<0.001 for noninferiority [margin, 20 percentage points]). There were no substantial between-group differences in the mean per-patient number of serious adverse events associated with the heart graft at 30 days after transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: In this trial, risk-adjusted survival at 6 months after transplantation with a donor heart that had been reanimated and assessed with the use of extracorporeal nonischemic perfusion after circulatory death was not inferior to that after standard-care transplantation with a donor heart that had been preserved with the use of cold storage after brain death. (Funded by TransMedics; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03831048.).

No Sex Differences in the Prevalence of Intracranial Aneurysms in Patients with Ascending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms: A Multi-Center Experience.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies suggest a coprevalence of intracranial aneurysms (IA) in patients with infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). We reviewed our multicenter experience in the detection/treatment of IAs in patients with ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms (ATAA) relative to patients without ATAA. METHODS: Surgical cases of ATAA repaired at 3 sites from January 1998 to December 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Out of these patients, those with intracranial vascular imaging were selected for our study, and these individuals were concurrently randomly matched with a control group of patients who underwent intracranial vascular imaging without an ATAA in a 1:1 ratio by age, sex, smoking history, and year of intracranial vascular imaging. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (OR). RESULTS: We reviewed 2176 ATAA repairs. 74% (n = 1,615) were men. Intracranial vascular imaging was available in 298 (13.7%) patients. Ninteen patients were found to have 22 IAs for a prevalence of 6.4%. Mean size of IA was 4.6 ± 3.3 mm; mean age at IA detection, 63.4 ± 12.1 years. IA was present on head imaging in 4.7% of male and 12.5% of female patients. Eleven (58%) patients were men. The OR of having IA in female versus male patients is 2.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.08-7.50], P = 0.029. Time from IA diagnosis to ATAA repair was 1.7 ± 116.2 months. Two patients underwent treatment for IA, one ruptured and one unruptured. All were diagnosed before ATAA repair. Treatment included 1 clipping and 1 coiling with subsequent reintervention of the coiling using a flow diversion device. In the matched group of patients who had intracranial vascular imaging without ATAA, the rate of IA is 5.0%. IA was detected in 3.8% of males and 9.4% of female patients for an OR of 2.59, 95% CI [0.84-7.47], P = 0.083. Association within our study and matched groups, the OR of developing an IA with and without ATAA was not statistically significant 1.29, 95% CI [0.642.59], P = 0.48. There was also no evidence of sex differences in the association of ATAA with IA (interaction P = 0.88). The OR for the association of ATAA with IA was 1.33, 95% CI [0.46-3.84], P = 0.59 in females and 1.25, 95% CI [0.49-3.17], P = 0.64 in males. CONCLUSIONS: Our study found that IA was present in 6.4% of patients with ATAA who had intracranial vascular imaging available. The odds of IA were 1.29 times higher than a matched cohort of patients who had intracranial vascular imaging without ATAA but this failed to achieve statistical significance. We found that the odds of IA were more than 2 times higher in females than males for both those with ATAA (OR = 2.90) and those without ATAA (OR = 2.59); however, it only reached statistical significance in those with ATAA.

Trends and predictors of intracranial hemorrhage in patients with advanced heart failure on left ventricular assist device from 2005 to 2014 in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: Left ventricular assist devices are known to extend survival in patients with advanced heart failure; however, their association with intracranial hemorrhage is also well-known. We aimed to explore the risk trend and predictors of intracranial hemorrhage in patients with left ventricular assist devices. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We included patients aged 18 years or older with left ventricular assist devices hospitalized in the US from 2005 to 2014 using the National Inpatient Sample. We computed the survey-weighted percentages with intracranial hemorrhage across the 10-year study period and assessed whether the proportions changed over time. Predictors of intracranial hemorrhage were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression model. RESULTS: Of 33,246 hospitalizations, 568 (1.7%) had intracranial hemorrhage. The number of left ventricular assist devices placements increased from 873 in 2005 to 5175 in 2014. However, the risk of intracranial hemorrhage remained largely unchanged (1.7% to 2.3%; linear trend, P = 0.604). The adjusted odds of intracranial hemorrhage were increased with the presence of one of the following variables: female sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.58; 95% CI, 1.03-2.43), history of ischemic stroke (OR, 3.13; 95% CI, 1.86-5.28), or Charlson Comorbidity Index score of 3 or more (OR, 77.40; 95% CI, 10.03-597.60). CONCLUSIONS: Over the last decade, the risk of intracranial hemorrhage has remained relatively unchanged despite an increase in the use of left ventricular assist devices in patients with advanced heart failure. Women, higher Charlson Comorbidity Index scores, and history of ischemic stroke were associated with higher odds of intracranial hemorrhage in patients with left ventricular assist devices.

Strategies for Expanding Donors Pool in Heart Transplantation.

Heart transplant remains the criterion standard treatment for patients in end-stage heart failure. Improvement in the post-heart transplant outcomes in the last decade has contributed to increased demand for organs. Worldwide each year, more than 5000 heart transplants are performed and 50,000 people become candidates for heart transplant. In the last 50 years, there have been several attempts to expand donor criteria to increase the donor pool. Despite making hepatitis C virus, opioid overdose death, old age allowable and changing the allocation system, the gap between supply and demand is widening and unfortunately, thousands die every year waiting due to the critical shortage of organs. New technologies for heart donation after circulatory death have emerged, particularly normothermic regional organ perfusion and ex-vivo heart perfusion using organ care systems. However, these technologies still do not fill the gap. Continuous advancements in areas such as regenerative medicine and xenotransplantation, among others, are needed to overcome the shortage of heart donors for heart transplantation.

Packing the donor heart: Is SherpaPak cold preservation technique safer compared to ice cold storage.

INTRODUCTION: The present study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of heart transplant patients whose donor hearts were preserved with the SherpaPak controlled cold organ system versus the conventional ice storage technique. METHODS: All patients undergoing heart transplantation at our center between January 2019 and April 2021 were divided into two groups according to the technique used during donor heart preservation and transport. The first group consisted of 34 SherpaPak controlled temperature preservation patients, and the second group consisted of 47 patients where the conventional three bags and ice technique was utilized during organ transportation. The two groups were compared based on demographics, operative details, and postoperative outcomes. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the groups regarding Vasoactive Inotropic Score (VIS), Primary Graft Dysfunction (PGD), and the need for a transient pacer. However, the VIS, PGD, and pacing trends were lower in the SherpaPak patients even though the total ischemic and cardiopulmonary bypass times were significantly longer. Furthermore, SherpaPak patients exhibited a shorter stay in the ICU with no severe PGD and mortality. CONCLUSION: The SherpaPak donor heart preservation provides safe outcomes in heart transplant patients. Further research is needed to utilize this method for longer durations of ischemic time and expand travel distances for organ transportation.

Bench valvular surgery in donor's hearts before transplantation: Choice versus necessity.

The severe shortage of donor's hearts has increased the mortality of patients on the transplant waiting list. However, donor hearts with valvular dysfunction are rarely used. Utilizing donor hearts with valvular lesions that can be repaired or replaced at the time of transplant will decrease waitlist mortality and offer many patients a second chance in life.

Safe heart flush technique during recovery from donors after circulatory death.

BACKGROUND: Donation after circulatory death is the donation after cardiac arrest. This technique has been employed and adopted by clinicians to overcome the shortage of available hearts for transplant. Warm ischemia time plays a pivotal role in the survival outcome of the heart recipients. AIM OF THE STUDY: To assess the efficacy of using the Foley catheter to flush the heart during procurement from donation after circulatory death donors. METHODS: We utilized a 2-WAY Foley catheter to flush the heart during procurement. The catheter was prepared and modified on the back table. RESULTS: We were successfully able to flush the heart within 3 minutes from skin incision with a good recipient outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Using the Foley catheter to flush the heart during recovery from donation after circulatory death donors was both efficient and fast.

Controlled temperatures in cold preservation provides safe heart transplantation results.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate the short-term outcomes of heart transplant patients who underwent SherpaPak™ donor organ preservation. METHOD: We prospectively collected the data of patients who underwent heart transplantation using SherpaPak™ system for donor organ transportation from February 2020 to March 2021. Donor and recipient demographic data, preoperative and postoperative echocardiographic and hemodynamic parameters, total ischemic time and SherpaPak temperatures, vasoactive inotropic scores (VIS), primary graft dysfunction (PGD) status, intensive care unit stay, complications, and mortality during follow-up were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 39 consecutive heart transplant patients with SherpaPak system were included in the study. The mean donor age was 32.2 ± 6.7 (range: 16-46). The mean recipient age was 57.5 ± 12 (range: 19-73). The mean preoperative ejection fraction (EF) was 23.7 ± 15.4 (range: 5-75). All recipients underwent a standard bicaval technique for orthotopic heart implantation. The mean total ischemic time was 230.1 ± 41 (range: 149-342) min. The mean Sherpa temperature was 5.6 ± 0.8°C (range: 3.7-7.5). The mean VIS was 10.2 ± 6.5 (range: 2-32). The number of mild PGD was 5 (14.7%), and moderate PGD was 4 (11.8%). There was no severe PGD. The postoperative EF was 64.3 ± 5.5 (range: 50-78). Mean intubation time was 47.4 ± 64 (range: 8-312, median: 22) h. The mean time of intensive care unit stay was 6.3 ± 5 (range: 2-31, median: 5) days. Two patients required chest revision (5.8%), two patients had lung infection (5.8%). Two patients had a stroke (5.8%). There was no mortality. CONCLUSION: Using the SherpaPak system during heart transplantation is safe and not associated with significant recipient morbidity. None of the recipients experienced significant PGD and mortality.

Accelerated LVAD pump thrombosis in COVID-19 patient: Case report and mini review.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection exposes patients with heart failure specially who are on mechanical support to a higher risk of morbidity and mortality. AIMS: To investigate the impact of COVID-19 infection on left ventricular assist device (LVAD) thrombosis in heart failure patients. MATERIALS & METHODS: We searched the medical electronic records, Medline, PubMed and Cochrane databases for; (LVAD) AND (thrombosis)) AND (covid-19)) AND (heart failure). We divided cases reported into, LVAD thrombosis with COVID-19 infection and compare them with LVAD thrombosis without COVID-19 infection. Demographic data, LVAD device, presentation, treatment and outcomes were reviewed in all the LVAD thrombosis patients. RESULTS: In addition to our case, 8 other cases of LVAD thrombosis associated with COVID and 9 cases of LVAD thrombosis without covid infection were found. Patients with Covid infection had worse presentation and outcomes (3 deaths VS. 1 death in non-covid group). DISCUSSION: In LVAD patients, pump malfunction due to thrombus development in the inflow cannula, device body, or outflow graft can result in hemodynamic instability, hemolysis and other life-threatening complications. COVID infection significantly increases the risk of mortality in LVAD patient by accelerating the pump thrombosis due to elevated levels of endothelial protein C receptor and thrombomodulin along with procoagulants such as factor VIII, P-selectin, and von Willebrand factor. CONCLUSION: Significant morbidity and mortality are attributed to LVAD thrombosis, which are exasperated by prothrombotic conditions created in COVID-19 infections.

Bilateral lung transplantation for pulmonary artery aneurysm with severe pulmonary hypertension: An evolution or a revolution?

The surgical treatment of pulmonary hypertension (PH), with or without pulmonary artery aneurysm, has evolved during the last 40 years from heart-lung transplants to bilateral lung transplants as the treatment of choice for PH patients with preserved right and left ventricular function and without complex cardiac abnomalies.

Left ventricular assist devices in the elderly: Marching forward with cautions.

Congestive heart failure is highly prevalent in the elderly population and left ventricular assist device (LVAD) has been increasingly used in this population. LVAD therapy is more costly than medical treatment but it increases the survival and quality of life of the elderly patients with low disease acuity. Therefore careful selection of candidates and implementation of LVAD therapy earlier in the course of the disease is crucial to improve outcomes. With the technical advances and improvement in clinical management, the financial burden of LVAD therapy in the elderly will become less, making this therapy more economically feasible.

Electric shock-induced cardiac injuries requiring surgical intervention: Case series and a brief review.

BACKGROUND: Electric shock-induced cardiac injuries, such as myocardial infarction, thrombosis, and dissection, are rare. Few cases have been previously reported. The right coronary artery is most often affected because of its proximity to the chest wall. AIMS: To study the extend of electrical injuries on cardiac tissues and its surgical management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study on our patients in the last five years, looking for cardiac electrical injuries treated surgically in our department, we identified three cases. RESULT: Our three-case series, reported herein, showed that multiple cardiac tissues are susceptible to electrical injuries, specifically the left coronary artery, inferior vena cava, and right ventricular free wall. In our series, the first patient was a 32-year-old man with triple vessel thrombosis and dissection who survived the electric shock. The second patient was a 23-year-old man who had an inferior vena cava burn and bruising; his heart was used for transplantation. After the transplant, the recipient had a left coronary artery dissection and underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. The third patient was a 30-year-old man (potential heart donor) who had a hematoma of the right ventricular free wall, possible coronary artery dissection, inferior vena cava bruising, and tissue damage. His heart was not used for transplant because of quality concerns. CONCLUSION: We recommend that any person who sustains high voltage (500 V or more) electric shock should be evaluated carefully in the emergency department, including with echocardiography and cardiac catheterization, if indicated, to determine the extent of the injury and the viability of the heart, for patients who do not survive as a donor organ.

Absorbable antibiotic beads as an adjuvant therapy in treating ventricular assist devices driveline infection: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Ventricular assist devices driveline infections are common, recalcitrant, and carry high morbidity and mortality. Herein, we reported a patient with driveline infection that was successfully treated with a combination of systemic antibiotics, surgical debridement, and instillation of absorbable antibiotic beads to the wound bed. METHODS AND RESULTS: A 39-year-old man with nonischemic cardiomyopathy underwent insertion of a continuous flow left ventricular assist device. Four years postoperatively, the patient presented with clinical, laboratory, and radiologic signs of driveline tract infection. He underwent extensive surgical debridement, installation of absorbable antibiotic beads that consisted of calcium sulfate, vancomycin, and tobramycin, into the wound bed, and systemic antibiotics. The patient was free of infection 9 month postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Absorbable calcium sulfate antibiotic beads may serve as a beneficial adjunct to surgical debridement and systemic antibiotics for the treatment of ventricular assist device driveline infection, and merit further investigation.

Three-dimensional printing facilitates surgical planning for resection of an atypical cardiac myxoma.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac myxomas are common and account for 50% of primary intracardiac tumors. Atypical locations of cardiac myxoma increase the risk of intraoperative iatrogenic injuries. Herein, we report a case of using three-dimensional printing (3D) to facilitate the removal of an atypical cardiac myxoma in a 63-year-old woman. METHODS AND RESULTS: Mass in the high posterior atrial septum was confirmed through imaging. Due to the potential involvement of the mass to surrounding vital structures, 3D printing of the cardiac mass was performed. The tumor was completely resected via median sternotomy and the resulting defect was repaired with the bovine pericardium. The patient had an uncomplicated postoperative course except for the development of sick sinus syndrome. One-year follow-up showed no tumor recurrent. CONCLUSION: 3D printing technology in patients with atypical cardiac tumors enhances our understanding of the extent of the tumor invasion and facilitates planning the operation to avoid intraoperative complications.

Strategic application of modular risk components to safely increase lung transplantation volume.

OBJECTIVES: Considerable growth of individual lung transplant programs remains challenging. We hypothesized that the systematic implementation of modular risk components to a lung transplantation program would allow for expeditious growth without increasing mortality. METHODS: All consecutive patients placed on the lung transplantation waitlist were reviewed. Patients were stratified by an 18-month period surrounding the systematic implementation of the modular risk components Era 1 (1/2014-6/2015) and Era 2 (7/2015-12/2016). Modular risk components were separately evaluated for donors, recipients, and perioperative features. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-two waitlist patients (Era 1: 48 and Era 2: 84) and 100 transplants (Era 1: 32 and Era 2: 68) were identified. There was a trend toward decreased waitlist mortality (P = .07). In Era 2, the use of ex vivo lung perfusion (P = .05) and donor-recipient over-sizing (P = .005) significantly increased. Moreover, transplantation with a lung allocation score greater than 70 (P = .05), extracorporeal support (P = .06), and desensitization (P = .008) were more common. Transplant rate significantly improved from Era 1 to Era 2 (325 vs 535 transplants per 100 patient years, P = .02). While primary graft dysfunction (PGD) grade 3 at 72 hours (P = .05) was significantly higher in Era 2, 1-year freedom from rejection was similar (86% vs 90%, P = .69) and survival (81% vs 95%, P = .02) was significantly greater in Era 2. CONCLUSIONS: The systematic implementation of a modular risk components to a lung transplantation program can result in a significant increase in center volume. However, measures to mitigate an expected increase in the incidence of PGD must be undertaken to maintain excellent short and midterm outcomes.

Intraoperative management of a hybrid extracorporeal membrane oxygenation circuit for lung transplantation.

BACKGROUND: The use of extracorporeal circulation (ECC) for intraoperative cardiopulmonary support during lung transplantation has been increasing in the recent years. Our group previously described a novel hybrid extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) circuit for use in lung transplantation. TECHNIQUE: Our approach for intraoperative management of our novel hybrid ECMO circuit for lung transplantation is driven by two main goals: The first is to deliver management that ensures an appropriate balance between the native and ECMO cardiac outputs in order to provide a stable environment that promotes attenuation of ischemic-reperfusion injury during implantation. The second is to provide a stable hemodynamic environment that results in an appropriate global perfusion guided by multiple monitors and an organ systems-based approach during implantation. COMMENTS: Our novel technique for intraoperative management of this circuit during lung transplantation is described.

Kidney transplantation on extracorporeal life support for primary cardiac allograft dysfunction.

Patients undergoing heart-kidney transplants who have primary graft dysfunction (PGD) of the heart are at risk of losing both organs, which may cause reluctance on the part of the transplant team to proceed with transplanting the kidney while the transplanted heart is being supported by mechanical device. We describe a case series in which 2 patients received kidney transplants while on veno-arterial ECMO support for PGD after heart transplant. Both patients are alive more than 1 year following transplant, with good cardiac and renal function and no signs of cardiac rejection. Kidney transplant surgery is safe for patients on veno-arterial ECMO support for cardiac PGD. It allows the heart recipient to receive a kidney from the same donor with both immunologic and survival advantages.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as a salvage therapy for patients with severe primary graft dysfunction after heart transplant.

BACKGROUND: Severe primary graft dysfunction (PGD) is the leading cause of early death after heart transplant. AIM: To examine the outcomes of heart transplant recipients who received venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) for severe PGD. METHODS: We reviewed electronic health records of adult patients who underwent heart transplant from November 2005 through June 2015. We defined severe PGD according to International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation consensus statements. RESULTS: Of 1030 heart transplant patients, 31 (3%) had severe PGD and required VA-ECMO. The mean (range) age was 59 (43-69) years. Fifteen patients (48%) underwent prior sternotomy and 10 (32%) received a left ventricular assist device as a bridge to transplant. Severe PGD manifested as failure to wean from cardiopulmonary bypass in 20 patients (65%) and as severe hemodynamic instability in the immediate postoperative period in 10 (32%), including cardiac arrest in 3 (10%). Twenty-five patients (81%) were successfully weaned from VA-ECMO, and 19 (61%) were discharged; the other 12 (39%) died. CONCLUSIONS: Although VA-ECMO is a common method for providing mechanical circulatory support to patients with PGD, multicenter studies are needed to assess factors associated with successful outcomes and improved survival of these patients.

Transcriptomic evidence of immune activation in macroscopically normal-appearing and scarred lung tissues in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal lung disease manifested by overtly scarred peripheral and basilar regions and more normal-appearing central lung areas. Lung tissues from macroscopically normal-appearing (IPFn) and scarred (IPFs) areas of explanted IPF lungs were analyzed by RNASeq and compared with healthy control (HC) lung tissues. There were profound transcriptomic changes in IPFn compared with HC tissues, which included elevated expression of numerous immune-, inflammation-, and extracellular matrix-related mRNAs, and these changes were similar to those observed with IPFs compared to HC. Comparing IPFn directly to IPFs, elevated expression of epithelial mucociliary mRNAs was observed in the IPFs tissues. Thus, despite the known geographic tissue heterogeneity in IPF, the entire lung is actively involved in the disease process, and demonstrates pronounced elevated expression of numerous immune-related genes. Differences between normal-appearing and scarred tissues may thus be driven by deranged epithelial homeostasis or possibly non-transcriptomic factors.

Successful Resuscitation with Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in a Case with Prolonged Cardiac Arrest.

This case study describes a 25-year-old patient who had a witnessed cardiac arrest in the medical intensive care unit. The patient received 107 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation before the veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was initiated. During extracorporeal life support, the patient's cardiac function improved. The patient was weaned from extracorporeal membrane oxygenation on day 6 and was discharged without physical and neurological complications on day 28. The successful resuscitation in this case attributed to high-quality CCPR and timely ECMO support.