Salvage Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Prior to "Bridge" Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

We describe a patient who presented in profound cardiogenic shock due to bioprosthetic aortic valve stenosis requiring salvage Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation followed by a "bridge" valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement. doi: 10.1111/jocs.12750 (J Card Surg 2016;31:403-405).

Morbidity associated with cesarean delivery in the United States: is placenta accreta an increasingly important contributor?

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine cesarean delivery morbidity and its predictors in the United States. STUDY DESIGN: We used 2000-2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample data to identify cesarean deliveries and records with 12 potential cesarean delivery complications, including placenta accreta. We estimated cesarean delivery morbidity rates and rate changes from 2000-2011, and fitted Poisson regression models to assess the relative incidence of morbidity among repeat vs primary cesarean deliveries and explore its predictors. RESULTS: From 2000-2011, 76 in 1000 cesarean deliveries (97 in 1000 primary and 48 in 1000 repeat cesarean deliveries) were accompanied by ≥1 of 12 complications. The unadjusted composite cesarean delivery morbidity rate increased by 3.6% only among women with a primary cesarean delivery (P < .001); the unadjusted rate of placenta accreta increased by 30.8% only among women with a repeat cesarean deliveries (P = .025). The adjusted rate of overall composite cesarean delivery morbidity decreased by 1% annually from 2000-2011 (P < .001). Compared with women with a primary cesarean delivery, those women who underwent a repeat cesarean delivery were one-half as likely (incidence rate ratio, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.49-0.50) to experience a complication, but 2.13 (95% CI, 1.98-2.29) times more likely to have a placenta accreta diagnosis. Both cesarean delivery morbidity and placenta accreta were positively associated with age >30 years, non-Hispanic black race/ethnicity, the presence of a chronic medical condition, and delivery in urban, teaching, or larger hospitals. CONCLUSION: Overall, cesarean delivery morbidity declined modestly from 2000-2011, but placenta accreta became an increasingly important contributor to repeat cesarean delivery morbidity. Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for abnormal placentation and make adequate preparations for patients who need cesarean deliveries.

A case report of an open aortic valve replacement followed by open adrenalectomy in a patient with symptomatic pheochromocytoma and critical aortic stenosis.

BACKGROUND: Pheochromocytoma is a rare medical condition caused by catecholamine-secreting tumor cells. Operative resection can be associated with significant hemodynamic fluctuations due to the nature of the tumor, as well as associated post-resection vasoplegia. To allow for cardiovascular recovery before surgery, patients require pre-operative alpha-adrenergic blockade, which would be limited in the setting of co-existent severe aortic stenosis. In this report, we describe a patient with severe aortic stenosis and symptomatic pheochromocytoma. CASE PRESENTATION: A 51-year-old man with severe aortic stenosis (valve area 0.8 cm2) was found to have a highly active 4 × 4 cm left adrenal pheochromocytoma. Alpha-adrenergic blockade for his pheochromocytoma was limited by syncope in the setting of his aortic stenosis. Open aortic valve replacement (AVR) was performed, followed by adrenalectomy the next day. The perioperative course for each surgical procedure was hemodynamically volatile, exacerbated by severe alcohol withdrawal. During the adrenalectomy, cardiogenic and vasoplegic shock developed immediately after securing the vascular supply to his tumor. This shock was refractory to vasopressin and methylene blue, but responded well to angiotensin II and epinephrine. After both surgeries were completed, his course was further complicated by severe ICU psychosis, ileus, fungal bacteremia, pneumonia/hypoxic respiratory failure and atrial fibrillation. He ultimately recovered and was discharged from the hospital after 38 days. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first report of surgical AVR and pheochromocytoma resection in a patient with critical aortic stenosis. The appropriate order and timing of surgeries when both these conditions co-exist remains controversial.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Applications in Cardiac Critical Care.

The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy (ECMO) in cardiac critical care has steadily increased over the past decade. Significant improvements in the technology associated with ECMO have propagated this recent resurgence and contributed to improved patient outcomes in the fields of cardiac and transplant (heart and lung) surgery. Specifically, ECMO is being increasingly utilized as a bridge to heart and lung transplantation, as well as to ventricular assist device placement. ECMO is also employed during the administration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, known as extracorporeal life support. In this review, we examine the recent literature regarding the applications of ECMO and also describe emerging topics involving current ECMO management strategies.