Transcatheter Closure or Surgery for Symptomatic Paravalvular Leaks: The Multicenter KISS Registry.

BACKGROUND: The optimal treatment of symptomatic paravalvular leak (PVL) remains controversial between transcatheter closure (TC) and surgery. This large-scale study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the long-term outcomes of the patients who underwent reoperation or TC of PVLs. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 335 (men, 209 [62.4%]; mean age, 58.15±12.77 years) patients who underwent treatment of PVL at 3 tertiary centers between January 2002 and December 2021 were included. Echocardiographic features, procedure details, and in-hospital or long-term outcomes were assessed. The primary end point was defined as the all-cause death during follow-up. The regression models were adjusted by applying the inverse probability weighted approach to reduce treatment selection bias. The initial management strategy was TC in 171 (51%) patients and surgery in 164 (49%) cases. Three hundred cases (89.6%) had mitral PVL, and 35 (10.4%) had aortic PVL. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 52.03±10.79%. Technical (78.9 versus 76.2%; P=0.549) and procedural success (73.7 versus 65.2%; P=0.093) were similar between both groups. In both univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis, the in-hospital mortality rate in the overall population was significantly higher (15.9 versus 4.7%) in the surgery group compared with the TC group (unadjusted odds ratio, 3.13 [95% CI, 1.75-5.88]; P=0.001; and adjusted odds ratio (inverse probability-weighted), 4.55 [95% CI, 2.27-10.0]; P<0.001). However, the long-term mortality rate in the overall population did not differ between the surgery group and the TC group (unadjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.86 [95% CI, 0.59-1.25]; P=0.435; and adjusted HR (inverse probability-weighted), 1.11 [95% CI, 0.67-1.81]; P=0.679). CONCLUSIONS: The current data suggest that percutaneous closure of PVL was associated with lower early and comparable long-term mortality rates compared with surgery.

Serum Levels of Cholesterol and Lipoproteins in Patients With Symptomatic Paravalvular Leaks.

Paravalvular leak (PVL) is a complication of valve replacement surgery which may lead to serious clinical consequences including hemolytic anemia. This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the effect of successful intervention on serum lipid parameters in patients with PVL. A total of 106 patients (mean age: 57.2 ± 13.6 years, male: 67) who underwent surgical or transcatheter closure for symptomatic PVL were enrolled in this study. During the follow-up period, hemolysis and lipid parameters were evaluated at each clinical visit. This is the first study describing the effects of PVL on lipid metabolism after surgical or transcatheter closure. In the study, 18 patients (17%) had aortic PVL, 84 patients (79%) had mitral PVL, and 4 patients (3.8%) had both aortic and mitral PVL. A total of 59 patients underwent transcatheter closure and 47 patients were treated surgically. Technical success of the procedures was 83%. After successful PVL closure, hemoglobin and haptoglobin levels increased significantly (9.5 ± 1.3 vs 11.9 ± 2.1 g/dl, p <0.001 and 16.6 ± 7.9 vs 34.1 ± 19.9 mg, p <0.001, respectively). A significant increase in total cholesterol (158.9 ± 42.7 vs 209.3 ± 58.7 mg/dl, p <0.001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (99.1 ± 33.8 vs 133.9 ± 45.7 mg/dl, p <0.001), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (39.8 ± 12.4 vs 44.8 ± 11.7 mg/dl, p <0.001) levels was observed after successful PVL closure. In conclusion, symptomatic patients with PVL had hypocholesterolemia, reflected by low serum lipoprotein levels. After successful PVL closure, an increase in serum lipoprotein levels was observed. The recovery in levels of lipoproteins could be used as a marker of successful PVL closure, and absence of recovery of lipoprotein levels may indicate incomplete closure.

Thrombolysis or Surgery in Patients With Obstructive Mechanical Valve Thrombosis: The Multicenter HATTUSHA Study.

BACKGROUND: Prosthetic valve thrombosis (PVT) is one of the life-threatening complications of prosthetic heart valve replacement. Due to the lack of randomized controlled trials, the optimal treatment of PVT remains controversial between thrombolytic therapy (TT) and surgery. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to prospectively evaluate the outcomes of TT and surgery as the first-line treatment strategy in patients with obstructive PVT. METHODS: A total of 158 obstructive PVT patients (women: 103 [65.2%]; median age 49 years [IQR: 39-60 years]) were enrolled in this multicenter observational prospective study. TT was performed using slow (6 hours) and/or ultraslow (25 hours) infusion of low-dose tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) (25 mg) mostly in repeated sessions. The primary endpoint of the study was 3-month mortality following TT or surgery. RESULTS: The initial management strategy was TT in 83 (52.5%) patients and surgery in 75 (47.5%) cases. The success rate of TT was 90.4% with a median t-PA dose of 59 mg (IQR: 37.5-100 mg). The incidences of outcomes in surgery and TT groups were as follows: minor complications (29 [38.7%] and 7 [8.4%], respectively), major complications (31 [41.3%] and 5 [6%], respectively), and the 3-month mortality rate (14 [18.7%] and 2 [2.4%], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose and slow/ultraslow infusion of t-PA were associated with low complications and mortality and high success rates and should be considered as a viable treatment in patients with obstructive PVT.

Duodenal obstruction due to aortoduodenal syndrome.

Aorta-duodenal syndrome(ADS)is a fairly rare clinic presentation of duodenum obstruction caused by dilated abdominal aortic aneurysm. The main symptoms are usually nausea, vomiting and palpable pulsatile abdominal mass. When it comes to diagnosis, the most useful imaging technique is computed tomography(CT) and the best treatment option is surgery. KEY WORDS: Aortic aneurysm, Aortoduodenal syndrome, Duodenal obstruction.

Closure of mitral paravalvular defects without performing an arteriovenous loop: a case series of fourteen patients.

INTRODUCTION: The arteriovenous (AV) loop is recommended when further support is needed during paravalvular leak (PVL) closure. AIM: We report the feasibility and safety of mitral PVL closure without constructing an AV loop, based on a single-centre experience. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fourteen patients with mitral valve replacement (MVR) who had New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III-IV dyspnoea or NYHA class II symptoms with significant haemolytic anaemia caused by severe or moderate-to-severe paravalvular regurgitation and who underwent transcatheter PVL closure (TPVLC) between May 2014 and February 2017 were enrolled. RESULTS: In total, 15 PVL procedures and 19 device deployments were performed. The patients had one (n = 10), three (n = 1) or four (n = 1) devices for closure at the time of the procedure; one patient had two devices from two procedures at different times with different access ways. Nineteen devices (10 (66.6%) via transseptal access; 4 (26.6%), transapical access; and 1 (6.6%), retrograde access) were deployed successfully without making an AV loop. CONCLUSIONS: The TPVLC is a less invasive and effective alternative to surgery in symptomatic patients with significant PVLs and high operational risks. The success rates are satisfactory, with improving techniques and devices. Procedural success without using an AV loop can be achieved with reduced costs, fluoroscopic times and complications.

Surgical management of a splenic artery aneurysm.

Aneurisms of the splenic artery are rare clinical findings. Surgeons and interventional radiologists should co-operate in the management of this challenging disease; we describe here a surgical option.

Trends in mechanical aortic valve replacement surgery in a large, multi-surgeon, single hospital practice.

INTRODUCTION: In recent decades, new high-performance prostheses have been invented for use with small aortic annuli, and they have helped avoid patient prosthesis mismatch (PPM) without the need for aortic annular enlargement. The purpose of this study is to examine the trends in mechanical aortic valve replacement surgery in a large, multi-surgeon, single hospital practice. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between January 1999 and January 2008, 1337 consecutive patients underwent aortic valve replacement (AVR) with or without concomitant aortic annulus enlargement. Patients with aortic dissections and patients undergoing Bentall and Ross procedures were excluded from the analysis. Patients were grouped according to the used aortic valve size. The data were collected and analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 54.37 ± 17.35 (range: 10-84), and 881 of them were men (65.8%). The number of aortic root enlargement procedures decreased over the years (p < 0.05); particularly, the decline of the Nicks procedures was statistically significant (p < 0.05). In 2008, the most frequently used valve size was 23, which stands in contrast with the smaller size preferred in 1999 (p < 0.05). The primary pathophysiology leading to aortic valve replacement, i.e. aortic stenosis, did not change over the years (p > 0.05). Although the use of combined surgery increased in time, there was no statistical relationship with any increase in mortality rates (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that avoiding the procedure of aortic root enlargement and implanting high-performance prostheses with larger valves is safe.

The relation between location of paravalvular leakage and time to reoperation after mitral valve replacement.

OBJECTIVE: A relation between the location of the paravalvular leakage (PVL) and time to reoperation after mitral mechanical valve replacement was investigated. METHODS: In an observational retrospective study plan, from 59 patients who underwent reoperation only 47 patients having clinical and echocardiographic follow-up for five years were included into study. Depending on echocardiographic evaluation of location of leak, patients were divided into Group 1 (Leaflet) and Group 2 (Commissural). Demographics, preoperative variables, causes of reoperation, the time period between diagnosis of PVL and reoperation were recorded. Unpaired t test or Mann-Whitney U test were used for comparison of variables between groups. RESULTS: A PVL was diagnosed after a median time of 180 days (range: 1 day-28 years) after the first mitral valve replacement. The median follow-up period was 5 years (range; 1-16 years). Age, gender, left ventricular ejection function, number and size of leaks did not differ between groups (p>0.05). The time period between diagnosis and reoperation time was longer in Group 1 in comparison to Group 2 (39.0 ± 9.9 vs. 19.5 ± 12.8 months, p=0.002). The 30-day mortality for valve reoperation was 4.3% (2/47). In Group 1, 2 patients (2/21, 9.8%) died whereas, no death was observed in Group 2 (0/26, 0%) (p=0.002). CONCLUSION: The time period between diagnosis and reoperation was longer in leaflet leak group in comparison to commissural leak group. We suggest echocardiographic evaluation should include location of the paravalvular leakage during follow-up of patients with PVL after mitral valve replacement.

Analysis of mortality in low-risk patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.

AIM: The aims of this study were to determine the early mortality rate in low-risk coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients and examine the causes of death, to identify problems that could be avoided in future surgeries. METHODS: All low-risk patients (EuroSCORE ≤ 2) who died after CABG were included. Their peri-operative information was meticulously studied by internal and independent external reviewers to identify causes of death, which were classified as: cardiac or non-cardiac; and a further division as: (1) non-preventable, (2) preventable (technical error), and (3) preventable (system error). RESULTS: Early mortality was 0.93% (24/2570). Eleven patients (45.8%) were classified as preventable deaths. In six of them the main problem was identified as graft thrombosis, which was secondary to a technical error of either the harvesting or anastomosis of the left internal mammarian artery. There were also five system errors identified as delays in the treatment of an identified and potentially reversible problem. CONCLUSION: Correction of technical and system errors, such as harvesting of the left internal mammarian artery, haemostasis during surgery, and establishing standard protocols for the transfer of patients from ward to intensive care units will eventually lead to improvement in both the quality of care and patient outcomes, even in low-risk groups.

Implantation of a left ventricular assist device with mini-pericardiotomy technique.

The left ventricular assist device may be a lifesaving therapy for a patient awaiting a heart transplant. The most common complications of this device are mediastinal bleeding, infections, embolic events, right-sided heart failure, and mediastinal adhesions. We are reporting a patient who had a Levitronix left ventricular assist device implanted with mini-pericardiotomy technique for bridging to heart transplant.

Safety of recombinant human deoxyribonuclease as a rescue treatment for persistent atelectasis in newborns.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary problems are vitally important in newborns. Increased intense and mucoid secretions may lead to atelectasis, pulmonary infections, respiratory distress, prolonged mechanical ventilation or even death. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of recombinant human deoxyribonuclease (rhDNase) in the management of persistent atelectasis in term and preterm newborns, unresponsive to the conventional treatment. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective study of patients admitted to a general community setting of a neonatal intensive care unit between December 2007 and December 2009. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 22 patients (12 premature and 10 term) who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit because of respiratory distress and developed atelectasis, and were unresponsive to conventional treatment. Nebulized rhDNase was administered to all patients at a dose of 1 mg/m2 twice daily for 3 days. In patients who did not respond to 3 days of treatment, endotracheal rhDNase was administered at a dose of 1 mg/m2. We assessed the clinical (respiratory rate and oxygen requirement) and radiologic responses (chest radiographic score), recurrence of atelectasis, the need for a repetitive treatment, and mortality rate. RESULTS: A clinical and radiologic improvement of atelectasis was observed in 18 of 22 patients following 3 days of nebulized rhDNase treatment. Atelectasis relapsed in 4 patients. Following the administration of combined endotracheal and nebulized rhDNase treatment, an improvement of atelectasis was noted in all four recurrent cases. No adverse events were observed in patients because of the rhDNase treatment. CONCLUSIONS: rhDNase treatment is a safe option and may be used as an effective method for the management of persistent atelectasis in newborns, which is resistant to other conventional treatment methods.

Hybrid coronary revascularization for the treatment of left main coronary artery disease in high-risk patients.

OBJECTIVE: Hybrid coronary revascularization is an alternative for treatment for high-risk patients with coronary artery disease. We evaluated the efficacy of staged hybrid coronary revascularization for the treatment of unprotected left main coronary artery disease in high-risk patients. METHODS: Patients with left main or proximal left anterior descending coronary artery stenosis who are not good candidates for percutaneous coronary intervention and who had suitable lesions in the right coronary and circumflex arteries were considered for staged hybrid therapy if they had poor left ventricular functions (ejection fraction <0.40) and comorbid illnesses. From January 2008 through December 2010, 11 patients (8 men, 3 women; mean age: 66.1 ± 9.1 years) were treated with off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting combined with staged percutaneous coronary intervention. Nine patients had left main coronary artery stenosis together with circumflex or right coronary artery stenosis, and 2 patients had proximal left anterior descending artery stenosis and right coronary artery stenosis. RESULTS: After off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, procedure-related complications did not occur, and there was no in-hospital death. Coronary re-angiography after a median of 16 days revealed patent and functioning left internal mammarian artery grafts in all patients. Applying subsequent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and occasional stenting (n = 14), a total of 14 lesions were treated successfully. Procedure related complications did not occur. All patients remained angina-free, and no stress electrocardiographic changes were recorded. CONCLUSION: Our preliminary results indicate that a "staged hybrid" approach to the treatment of left main coronary artery disease in high-risk patients is safe and effective. Hybrid coronary revascularization enables complete revascularization and may be an alternative method of treating left main coronary artery disease in selected high-risk patients.

Treatment protocol and relapses of brucella endocarditis; cotrimoxazole in combination with the treatment of brucella endocarditis.

Antibiotic treatment, surgical intervention and postoperative antibiotic regimens are recommended for the treatment of brucella endocarditis (BE). Our clinical antibiotic regimens involve a triple antibiotic regimen for treating BE before the operation. The combination of three antibiotics is continued for at least six months and until the titres of the Wright serologic test are diminished to 1:160 levels. In this study, our aim was to evaluate the effects of combined medical and surgical treatments on survival and relapse rates in the periods of mid to late terms. We investigated 13 patients who were treated between January 1993 and June 2009. Our clinical observations led us to use a combination of rifampicin (900 mg twice a day), streptomycin (12 to 16 mg/kg/24 h intramuscularly) and doxycycline (200 mg/kg twice a day); rifampicin, tetracycline (8 mg/kg three times a day) and cotrimoxazole (15 mg/kg twice a day) or rifampicin, doxycycline and cotrimoxazole regimen for treating BE before the operation. This treatment should be continued for at least six months after surgery in order to prevent relapses.

Unusual emergent presentations of abdominal aortic aneurysm: can simple blood tests predict the state of emergency?

BACKGROUND: This paper attempts to see if simple blood test results can predict the state of an emergency aneurysm as being non-ruptured, contained leak or free rupture. METHODS: Ninety-three patients who presented to our emergency room and were operated for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) between January 1999 and March 2009 were evaluated retrospectively. Cases were classified as: chronic contained rupture (Group I), impending rupture (Group II), dissecting rupture (Group III), and free rupture (Group IV). RESULTS: Chronic contained rupture was determined in 15 (16.1%), impending rupture in 31 (33.3%), dissecting rupture in 14 (15.1%), and true (free) rupture in 27 (29%) cases. Aortocaval fistula was present in 3 (3.2%) patients, aortoenteric fistula in 2 (2.2%) and aorto biliary fistula in 1 (1.1%). Group IV was significantly different from Groups I, II and III with regard to hematocrit levels, white blood cell counts, neutrophils and lymphocyte rates, bicarbonate levels, and mortality rates. CONCLUSION: To avoid a delay in diagnosis, it is important to know the different presentations of emergency AAA. In the emergency room, simple laboratory parameters may be highly directive in suspicion of ruptured AAA.

[Determinants of short-term mortality and morbidity after the complete repair of tetralogy of Fallot in infant groups under 12 months and one-four years of age]. / Fallot tetralojili on iki ay alti infantlar ile bir-dört yas arasi çocuk hasta gruplarinda tam düzeltme ameliyati sonrasinda kisa dönem mortalite ve morbiditenin belirleyicileri.

OBJECTIVE: In patients with tetralogy of Fallot, infants less than 12 months old and children between one and four years old were compared after total repair surgery for determination of outcome of surgery, risk factors influencing mortality and morbidity. METHODS: Fifty- two patients with tetralogy of Fallot between five months and four years of ages were included into the study. The patients were divided into two groups depending on their ages; Group 1; one year old and younger (n=21) whereas, group 2; one and four years old (n=31). Statistical analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney U, Chi-square or where appropriate Fisher's exact tests and logistic regression analysis was applied for determination of predictors of mortality. RESULTS: The parameters that were different between two groups include; age (Group 1; 10.00 ± 1.67 months and Group 2; 2.39 ± 0.77 years, p<0.001), weight (Group 1; 9.74 ± 2.23 kg, Group 2; 11.97 ± 1.78 kg, p<0.001), McGoon ratio (Group 1; 1.94 ± 0.29, Group 2; 2.19 ± 0.27, p=0.001). Mortality is found in 3 patients in group 1 (14.2%) whereas, in five patients in group 2 (16%) and the difference was not statistically significant. In group 2 in only one patient (0.03%) had complete atrioventricular block and required permanent pacemaker implantation. When patients were compared according to groups with and without mortality, the significant differences were found in following variables: peritoneal dialysis (p=0.001), pleural effusion (p=0.02), right ventricular pressure (p=0.001) and right ventricle/aorta pressures ratio (p=0.001). However, none of these risk factors had significant value in prediction of mortality. CONCLUSION: Depending on these results, in patients under one year of age with symptomatic tetralogy of Fallot, if there are no other pathologies that have potential to increase risk of mortality, the complete repair surgery can be performed with same amount of risks and similar morbidity and mortality ratios.

The impact of preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction on short and mid-term outcomes in ischaemic mitral valve repair.

BACKGROUND: It has been well established that reduced left ventriclular ejection fraction (LVEF) has adverse impact on the outcome of patients undergoing ischaemic mitral valve repair. However, the exact value of LVEF which should be used for risk stratification, has not been well established. AIM: To asses which preoperative LVEF (pLVEF) value has the best predictive value in patients undergoing ischaemic mitral valve repair. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 105 patients with ischaemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) treated between January 2003 and June 2009 was conducted. Patients were divided into two groups according to their pLVEF value. The primary endpoints were early in-hospital and late follow-up deaths. RESULTS: The pLVEF cut-off value was determined based on univariate analysis of parameters for primary end-points. The investigated parameters were: age, pLVEF, postoperative NYHA, postoperative mitral regurgitation and postoperative LVEF. The Cox proportional hazard regression analysis identified pLVEF (HR 1.5; 95% CI 1.4-5.0; p < 0.008) as the only independent predictor of the primary end-point. The pLVEF cut-off value of 40% was found to have the highest sensitivity of 76% and specificity of 70% in predicting death. Patients were divided into two groups using the cut-off value of pLVEF of 40%. The compromised group (pLVEF < 40%) of 34 patients and the uncompromised group (pLVEF > 40%) of 71 patients had inhospital death rates of three (9%) vs two (3%) (NS) and five year mortality of 18 (54%), eight (11%) (p < 0.001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In IMR surgery, a pLVEF value of 40% is an important prognostic marker for mid-term survival.

Results of mitral valve repair in rheumatic mitral lesions.

BACKGROUND: We compared results for repairs of rheumatic pure mitral regurgitation (MR) and mixed mitral stenosis (MS) and MR during early and midterm time intervals. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 173 patients (mean age 47.6 +/- 15.1 years; 64 males) who underwent surgery for rheumatic heart disease during the period from January 1998 to June 2008. According to transvalvular mitral gradient, 91 patients had pure MR (group MR) and 82 (47%) had mixed MS-MR (group MS/MR). Preoperative and operative characteristics, postoperative MR severity, operative mortality, and early and midterm survival were examined for each surgical group. RESULTS: Preoperativley 153 patients (90.7%) were in New York Heart Association class III or IV. The most frequent pathology was leaflet prolapse (147 patients, 85.0%) and the most commonly performed procedure was annuloplasty (162 patients, 93.6%). Early mortality was similar for both groups (3.2% versus 1.2%; P = .621). The average duration of follow-up was 4.0 +/- 2.4 years (a total of 679.1 patient years). Logistic regression analysis results indicated that subvalvular repairs were related to mortality. There were no significant differences in early mortality rate, valve-related morbidity, or reoperations. CONCLUSION: Group MS/MR had more postoperative MR severity, and higher New York Heart Association class, but both groups had similar mortality and morbidity at the midterm survival point. Our results suggest that combined MS and MR repair can be performed as safely as pure MR.

Treatment of Brucella endocarditis: 15 years of clinical and surgical experience.

BACKGROUND: Brucella endocarditis is a life-threatening complication of human brucellosis. In this study, our aim was to evaluate the effects of combined medical and surgical treatment in the midterm to long term. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 13 patients (mean age 44 +/- 18 years; 8 males) who were operated on from January 1993 to June 2009. Duke criteria were used for the diagnosis of endocarditis. The primary endpoint was defined as the overall mortality and readmission to the hospital during early and late follow-up periods. The other collected data included baseline and follow-up clinical findings, along with echocardiographic and laboratory measurements. RESULTS: No patients died in the early period (up to 1 month) and 2 patients (15.3%) died during the late follow-up period. Aortic valve disease was observed in 11 of 13 patients (85%). The most commonly performed procedure was aortic valve replacement (10 of 13 patients; 77%) during a mean follow-up period of 95 +/- 60 months (range, 10 to 184; median, 74). CONCLUSIONS: For Brucella endocarditis, perioperative antibiotic therapy combined with surgical treatment (prosthetic valve replacement) has satisfactory results and increases the quality of life in the long-term follow-up.

Repair of left ventricular pseudoaneurysms.

The outcomes of 3 different methods of repair of left ventricular pseudoaneurysm after myocardial infarction were analyzed retrospectively. The operations were carried out in 22 patients between 1985 and 2008. Repair procedures included primary closure with Teflon-pledgeted sutures, and Dacron or pericardial patches. Overall hospital mortality was 27.3% (2 patients had primary closure, 3 had a Dacron patch, and 1 had a pericardial patch). Mean postoperative bleeding was 885 mL (range, 200-4,800 mL). Mean preoperative and postoperative ejection fractions were 40% (30%-47%) and 48% (30%-65%), respectively. The overall incidence of arrhythmia was 36.4% (8 patients). The incidence of arrhythmia was lowest in the pericardial patch group, but this was not statistically significant. No significant differences in postoperative ejection fraction or hemorrhage were found among the study groups. Mean survival was 61.9 + or - 41.4 months in the 16 hospital survivors. Although the 3 techniques gave similar results, repair with an autologous pericardial patch may offer an advantage in terms of less postoperative arrhythmias.