Dose-Blinded Myosin Inhibition in Patients With Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Referred for Septal Reduction Therapy: Outcomes Through 32 Weeks.

BACKGROUND: Septal reduction therapy (SRT) in patients with intractable symptoms from obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (oHCM) is associated with variable morbidity and mortality. The VALOR-HCM trial (A Study to Evaluate Mavacamten in Adults with Symptomatic Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Who Are Eligible for Septal Reduction Therapy) examined the effect of mavacamten on the need for SRT through week 32 in oHCM. METHODS: A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled multicenter trial at 19 US sites included patients with oHCM on maximal tolerated medical therapy referred for SRT with left ventricular outflow tract gradient ≥50 mm Hg at rest or provocation (enrollment, July 2020-October 2021). The group initially randomized to mavacamten continued the drug for 32 weeks, and the placebo group crossed over to dose-blinded mavacamten from week 16 to week 32. Dose titrations were based on investigator-blinded echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular outflow tract gradient and left ventricular ejection fraction. The principal end point was the proportion of patients proceeding with SRT or remaining guideline eligible at 32 weeks in both treatment groups. RESULTS: From the 112 randomized patients with oHCM, 108 (mean age, 60.3 years; 50% men; 94% in New York Heart Association class III/IV) qualified for week 32 evaluation (56 in the original mavacamten group and 52 in the placebo cross-over group). After 32 weeks, 6 of 56 patients (10.7%) in the original mavacamten group and 7 of 52 patients (13.5%) in the placebo cross-over group met SRT guideline criteria or elected to undergo SRT. After 32 weeks, a sustained reduction in resting left ventricular outflow tract gradient (-33.0 mm Hg [95% CI, -41.1 to -24.9]) and Valsalva left ventricular outflow tract gradient (-43.0 mm Hg [95% CI, -52.1 to -33.9]) was observed in the original mavacamten group. A similar reduction in resting (-33.7 mm Hg [95% CI, -42.2 to -25.2]) and Valsalva (-52.9 mm Hg [95% CI, -63.2 to -42.6]) gradients was quantified in the cross-over group after 16 weeks of mavacamten. After 32 weeks, improvement by ≥1 New York Heart Association class was observed in 48 of 53 patients (90.6%) in the original mavacamten group and 35 of 50 patients (70%) after 16 weeks in the cross-over group. CONCLUSIONS: In severely symptomatic patients with oHCM, 32 weeks of mavacamten treatment showed sustained reduction in the proportion proceeding to SRT or remaining guideline eligible, with similar effects observed in patients who crossed over from placebo after 16 weeks. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov; Unique identifier: NCT04349072.

Trajectories following Impella 5.5 support are associated with initial presentation acuity.

BACKGROUND: Impella 5.5 is a temporary left ventricular assist device utilized to support patients with cardiogenic shock and those undergoing high-risk cardiac interventions. METHODS: From October 2019 to January 2023, 226 patients received Impella 5.5 support at Cleveland Clinic main campus. Patients were stratified by Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) shock stages. Immediate post-Impella 5.5 trajectories were compared across groups. Trajectories were defined as mortality on Impella 5.5, transition to advanced heart failure therapies (durable left ventricular assist device/heart transplantation), or survival to Impella 5.5 removal without advanced therapies. RESULTS: Overall, 148 (65%) patients with cardiogenic shock and 78 (35%) undergoing high-risk cardiac interventions received Impella 5.5 support. SCAI stage was A in 63 (28%), B in 10 (4.4%), C in 29 (13%), D in 104 (46%), and E in 20 (8.8%). Mortality on Impella 5.5 was highest in SCAI stage E (A: 3.2%, B: 10%, C: 14%, D: 27%, E: 35%; p < 0.01). Transition to advanced therapies (durable left ventricular assist device or heart transplantation) was highest in SCAI stages C-D (A: 1.6%, B: 0.0%, C: 45%, D: 36%, E: 20%; p < 0.01). Survival to Impella removal without advanced therapies was highest in SCAI stages A-B (A: 95%, B: 90%, C: 41%, D: 38%, E: 45%; p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Stratification by presentation acuity in candidates for Impella 5.5 insertion may help identify which patients may and may not benefit from this escalation of tailored temporary mechanical circulatory support.

Study design and rationale of VALOR-HCM: evaluation of mavacamten in adults with symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy who are eligible for septal reduction therapy.

BACKGROUND: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a primary myocardial disorder which frequently leads to symptoms such as dyspnea and exercise intolerance, often due to severe dynamic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO). Current guideline-recommended pharmacotherapies have variable therapeutic responses to relieve LVOTO. In recent phases 2 and 3, clinical trials for symptomatic obstructive HCM (oHCM), mavacamten, a small molecule inhibitor of ß-cardiac myosin has been shown to improve symptoms, exercise capacity, health status, reduce LVOTO, along with having a beneficial impact on cardiac structure and function. METHODS: VALOR-HCM is designed as a multicenter (approximately 20 centers in United States) phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study. The study population consists of approximately 100 patients (≥18 years old) with symptomatic oHCM who meet 2011 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association and/or 2014 European Society of Cardiology HCM-guideline criteria and are eligible and willing to undergo septal reduction therapy (SRT). The study duration will be up to 138 weeks, including an initial 2-week screening period, followed by16 weeks of placebo-controlled treatment, 16 weeks of active blinded treatment, 96 weeks of long-term extension, and an 8-week posttreatment follow-up visit. The primary endpoint will be a composite of the decision to proceed with SRT prior to or at Week 16 or remain guideline eligible for SRT at Week 16. Secondary efficacy endpoints will include change (from baseline to Week 16 in the mavacamten group vs placebo) in postexercise LVOT gradient, New York Heart Association class, Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire clinical summary score, NT-proBNP, and cardiac troponin. Exploratory endpoints aim to characterize the effect of mavacamten on multiple aspects of oHCM pathophysiology. CONCLUSIONS: In severely symptomatic drug-refractory oHCM patients meeting guideline criteria of eligibility for SRT, VALOR-HCM will primarily study if a 16-week course of mavacamten reduces or obviates the need for SRT using clinically driven endpoints.

Robotic trans-mitral septal myectomy and papillary muscle reorientation for HOCM combined with or without mitral valve repair: Technical aspects - How we do it.

Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is one of the more common genetic disorders. The pathophysiology and natural history of the disease have been well studied. Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) and systolic anterior motion (SAM) of the anterior mitral leaflet can result in sudden cardiac death, progressive heart failure and arrythmias. Surgical septal myectomy for HOCM is the standard of care and is routinely performed through a median sternotomy. Septal myectomy has also been performed using the trans-atrial, trans-mitral approach either directly or with robotic assistance. In cases with severe LVOT obstruction in the setting of only mild to moderate proximal septal hypertrophy, intrinsic problems with the mitral valve contribute. Typically, these are hypermobile papillary muscles and or excessive height of the anterior mitral leaflet. Combining septal myectomy with reorientation of hypermobile anteriorly positioned papillary muscles has shown to prevent SAM and thereby additionally decrease the subvalvular aortic outflow obstruction. Our extensive experience in both septal myectomy and robotic mitral valve repair has given us a different perspective in approaching the primary mitral regurgitation in HOCM patients where a combined septal myectomy, papillary muscle reorientation and complex mitral valve repair has been safely performed using the less invasive robotic-assisted approach.Our objective here is to discuss the technical aspects of the procedure.

Unexpected abrupt increase in left ventricular assist device thrombosis.

BACKGROUND: We observed an apparent increase in the rate of device thrombosis among patients who received the HeartMate II left ventricular assist device, as compared with preapproval clinical-trial results and initial experience. We investigated the occurrence of pump thrombosis and elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, LDH levels presaging thrombosis (and associated hemolysis), and outcomes of different management strategies in a multi-institutional study. METHODS: We obtained data from 837 patients at three institutions, where 895 devices were implanted from 2004 through mid-2013; the mean (±SD) age of the patients was 55±14 years. The primary end point was confirmed pump thrombosis. Secondary end points were confirmed and suspected thrombosis, longitudinal LDH levels, and outcomes after pump thrombosis. RESULTS: A total of 72 pump thromboses were confirmed in 66 patients; an additional 36 thromboses in unique devices were suspected. Starting in approximately March 2011, the occurrence of confirmed pump thrombosis at 3 months after implantation increased from 2.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5 to 3.4) to 8.4% (95% CI, 5.0 to 13.9) by January 1, 2013. Before March 1, 2011, the median time from implantation to thrombosis was 18.6 months (95% CI, 0.5 to 52.7), and from March 2011 onward, it was 2.7 months (95% CI, 0.0 to 18.6). The occurrence of elevated LDH levels within 3 months after implantation mirrored that of thrombosis. Thrombosis was presaged by LDH levels that more than doubled, from 540 IU per liter to 1490 IU per liter, within the weeks before diagnosis. Thrombosis was managed by heart transplantation in 11 patients (1 patient died 31 days after transplantation) and by pump replacement in 21, with mortality equivalent to that among patients without thrombosis; among 40 thromboses in 40 patients who did not undergo transplantation or pump replacement, actuarial mortality was 48.2% (95% CI, 31.6 to 65.2) in the ensuing 6 months after pump thrombosis. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of pump thrombosis related to the use of the HeartMate II has been increasing at our centers and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality.

Predictors of long-term outcomes in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy undergoing cardiopulmonary stress testing and echocardiography.

BACKGROUND: Patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) have exercise intolerance due to left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction, mitral regurgitation, and left ventricular dysfunction. We sought to study predictors of outcomes in HCM patients undergoing cardiopulmonary stress testing (CPT). METHODS: We studied 1,005 HCM patients (50 ± 14 years, 64% men, 77% on ß-blockers) who underwent CPT with echocardiography. Clinical, echocardiographic, and exercise variables (peak oxygen consumption [VO2] and heart rate recovery [HRR] at first minute postexercise) were recorded. End point was a composite of death, appropriate defibrillator discharges, resuscitated sudden death, stroke, and heart failure admission. RESULTS: Mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), postexercise LVOT gradient, and peak VO2 were 62% ± 6%, 92 ± 51 mm Hg, and 21 ± 6 mL kg(-1) min(-1), respectively. Despite 789 patients (78%) being in New York Heart Association classes I to II, only 8% achieved >100% age-gender predicted peak VO2, whereas 77% and 15% achieved 50% to 100% and <50%, respectively. Left ventricular outflow tract gradient ≥30 mm Hg was observed in 83% patients, whereas 23% had abnormal HRR. More than 5.5 ± 4 years, there were 94 (9%) events; 511 (50%) patients underwent surgery for LVOT obstruction. Multivariable Cox proportional analysis demonstrated % age-gender predicted peak VO2 (hazard ratio [HR] 0.96 [0.93-0.98]), normal vs abnormal HRR (HR 0.48 [0.32-0.73]), higher LVEF (HR 0.96 [0.93-0.98]), surgery (0.53 [0.33-0.83]), and atrial fibrillation (HR 1.65 [1.04-2.60]) were associated with outcomes (all P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: In HCM patients undergoing CPT, a higher % of achieved age-gender predicted VO2 and surgical relief of LVOT obstruction were associated with better outcomes, whereas abnormal HRR, atrial fibrillation, and lower LVEF were associated with worse outcomes.

Low-dose 3-factor prothrombin complex concentrate for warfarin reversal prior to heart transplant.

BACKGROUND: Anticoagulation with warfarin is common in patients presenting for heart transplant. Prior to surgery, anticoagulation reversal is necessary to avoid significant intraoperative and perioperative bleeding complications. Commonly, warfarin reversal is achieved with vitamin K and fresh frozen plasma (FFP); however, these therapies have significant limitations. An alternative to FFP for reversal exists with prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC). A warfarin reversal protocol prior to heart transplant was implemented using low-dose PCC at our institution. OBJECTIVE: To assess blood product use, effectiveness, and safety post-low-dose PCC administration in patients needing warfarin reversal prior to heart transplant compared with historical controls. METHODS: This was a single-center, retrospective cohort study. The PCC cohort included patients undergoing heart transplant presenting with an international normalized ratio ≥1.5 on warfarin therapy and who received at least 1 dose of PCC. Blood product use was measured from postoperative day 0 to 2. RESULTS: The PCC and historical control cohorts included 16 and 50 patients, respectively. There was a significant reduction in the use of FFP (4 vs 8 units, P = 0.0239) in the PCC cohort compared with the historical control cohort. No differences were identified in the use of other blood products as well as other secondary efficacy or safety end points. CONCLUSIONS: Use of PCC, per the reversal protocol, prior to heart transplant reduced FFP use and showed a non-statistically significant trend toward reductions in the use of other blood products in the intraoperative and perioperative setting, with no difference identified in thrombotic or embolic complications compared with historical controls.

Ventricular septal rupture complicating acute myocardial infarction: a contemporary review.

Ventricular septal rupture (VSR) after acute myocardial infarction is increasingly rare in the percutaneous coronary intervention era but mortality remains high. Prompt diagnosis is key and definitive surgery, though challenging and associated with high mortality, remains the treatment of choice. Alternatively, delaying surgery in stable patients may provide better results. Prolonged medical management is usually futile, but includes afterload reduction and intra-aortic balloon pump placement. Using full mechanical support to delay surgery is an attractive option, but data on success is limited to case reports. Finally, percutaneous VSR closure may be used as a temporizing measure to reduce shunt, or for patients in the sub-acute to chronic period whose comorbidities preclude surgical repair.

Long-term survival of patients with radiation heart disease undergoing cardiac surgery: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic radiation results in radiation-associated heart disease (RAHD), often requiring cardiothoracic surgery (CTS). We sought to measure long-term survival in RAHD patients undergoing CTS, to compare them with a matched control population undergoing similar surgical procedures, and to identify potential predictors of long-term survival. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this retrospective observational cohort study of patients undergoing CTS, matched on the basis of age, sex, and type/time of CTS, 173 RAHD patients (75% women; age, 63±14 years) and 305 comparison patients (74% women; age, 63±4 years) were included. The vast majority of RAHD patients had prior breast cancer (53%) and Hodgkin lymphoma (27%), and the mean time from radiation was 18±12 years. Clinical and surgical parameters were recorded. The preoperative EuroSCORE and all-cause mortality were recorded. The mean EuroSCOREs were similar in the RAHD and comparison groups (7.8±3 versus 7.4±3, respectively; P=0.1). Proximal coronary artery disease was higher in patients with RAHD versus the comparison patients (45% versus 38%; P=0.09), whereas redo CTS was lower in the RACD versus the comparison group (20% versus 29%; P=0.02). About two thirds of patients in either group had combination surgical procedures. During a mean follow-up of 7.6±3 years, a significantly higher proportion of patients died in the RAHD group than in the comparison group (55% versus 28%; P<0.001). On multivariable Cox proportional hazard analysis, RAHD (2.47; 95% confidence interval, 1.82-3.36), increasing EuroSCORE (1.22; 95% confidence interval, 1.16-1.29), and lack of ß-blockers (0.66; 95% confidence interval, 0.47-0.93) were associated with increased mortality (all P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing CTS, RAHD portends increased long-term mortality. Alternative treatment strategies may be required in RAHD to improve long-term survival.

Predictors of long-term outcomes in symptomatic hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy patients undergoing surgical relief of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction.

BACKGROUND: We report the predictors of long-term outcomes of symptomatic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients undergoing surgical relief of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 699 consecutive patients who have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with severe symptomatic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (47±11 years, 63% male) intractable to maximal medical therapy, who were referred to a tertiary hospital between January 1997 and December 2007 for the surgical relief of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. We excluded patients <18 years of age, those with an ejection fraction <50%, those with hypertensive heart disease of the elderly, and those with more than mild aortic or mitral stenosis. Clinical, echocardiographic, and Holter data were recorded. A composite end point of death, appropriate internal cardioverter defibrillator discharges, resuscitated from sudden death, documented stroke, and admission for congestive heart failure was recorded. During a mean follow-up of 6.2±3 years, 86 patients (12%) met the composite end point with 30-day, 1-year, and 2-year event rates of 0.7%, 2.8%, and 4.7%, respectively. The hard event rate (death, defibrillator discharge, and resuscitated from sudden death) at 30 days, 1 year, and 2 years was 0%, 1.5%, and 3%, respectively. Stepwise multivariable analysis identified residual postoperative atrial fibrillation (hazard ratio, 2.12; confidence interval, 1.37-3.34; P=0.001) and increasing age (hazard ratio, 1.49; confidence interval, 1.22-1.82; P=0.001) as independent predictors of long-term composite outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Symptomatic adult hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients undergoing surgery for the relief of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction have low event rates during long-term follow-up; worse outcomes are predicted by increasing age and the presence of residual atrial fibrillation during follow-up.

Gender-related differences in left atrial strain mechanics and exercise capacity in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a propensity-score matched study from the Cleveland Clinic.

Background: Male and female patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) differ in physiologic characteristics and hemodynamics. Little is known about gender-related differences in left atrial (LA) strain and exercise capacity. The aim of this study was to assess the gender-related differences in the relationship between exercise capacity and cardiac function including LA function in patients with HCM. Methods: Five hundred and thirty-two patients with HCM undergoing exercise stress echocardiography and cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) were prospectively recruited between October 2015 and April 2019 as part of a cohort study in a quaternary referral center. To reduce potential confounding factors, propensity score (PS) matching was performed in 420 patients. LA strain mechanics were evaluated using speckle-tracking echocardiography. Results: The majority of patients were male, comprising 58% of the total. Female HCM patients were older (54±14 vs. 50±15 years, P=0.002). After PS matching, percent-predicted peak VO2 was similar between the genders (67.5%±20.7% vs. 65.8%±21.8%, P=0.41), even though female HCM patients had lower peak VO2 (17.7±5.9 vs. 24.1±8.3 mL/kg/min, P<0.001). Left ventricular (LV) diastolic function was worse for female HCM patients. This is shown by worse E/e' ratio (15.0±5.9 vs. 12.9±6.4, P<0.001) and larger LA volume in respect to LV (0.88±0.35 vs. 0.74±0.31, P<0.001), compared with male HCM patients. The gender-related differences in LA reservoir strain were more evident for patients aged 60 years and older (27.5%±8.8% vs. 30.9%±9.1%, P=0.03). LA reservoir strain was found to have a significant association with exercise capacity in both male and female HCM patients (for females, ß=0.27, P=0.001; for males, ß=0.27, P<0.001), independent of LV diastolic dysfunction and stroke volume. Conclusions: Gender-related differences in LA reservoir strain were increasingly evident for older HCM patients aged 60 years and older. LA reservoir strain was an independent determinant of percent-predicted peak VO2 in male and female patients, underpinning the importance of LA function in determining exercise capacity in HCM.

Effects of Mitral Calcification in Severe Aortic Stenosis with Severe Mitral Regurgitation on Left Heart Remodeling, Surgical Strategy, and Outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: To localize and quantify mitral calcification associated with severe aortic stenosis and severe mitral regurgitation and determine its association with cardiac remodeling, operative management, and long-term survival. METHODS: From July 1998 to July 2010, 158 patients with severe aortic stenosis, severe mitral regurgitation, and mitral calcification underwent surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR, n=49) or SAVR plus mitral valve repair (SAVR+MVr, n=67) or replacement (SAVR+MVR, n=42). Mitral calcium was localized and quantified on preoperative computed tomography. Random forest methodology was used to correlate calcium volume with cardiac morphology and function. Median follow-up for survival was 4.1 years; 25% were followed ≥14 years. RESULTS: Larger calcium volume was associated with degenerative mitral disease, higher ejection fraction, smaller left ventricular end-systolic volume, and SAVR+MVR (median calcium volume 3.4 cm3) versus SAVR (median calcium volume 1.0 cm3) or SAVR+MVr (median calcium volume 0.41 cm3). Ten-year mortality was higher in patients with more mitral calcification (terciles: 7.1% vs 16% vs 25%), subvalvular involvement (8.1% vs 18%), and SAVR+MVR (5.4% vs SAVR=13% vs SAVR+MVr=26%). Multivariable analysis demonstrated early postoperative mortality was strongly associated with subvalvular mitral calcification, but late mortality was not associated with calcium volume or location. CONCLUSIONS: Larger mitral calcium volume is a marker of late-stage cardiac remodeling associated with more extensive mitral valve intervention, but it is not associated with long-term mortality. Quantitative analysis of mitral calcification with computed tomography can aid in patient selection and surgical management decisions in this complex patient population.

Efficacy and safety of a transaortic approach to midventricular and apical septal myectomy.

OBJECTIVE: The study objective was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a transaortic approach to midventricular and apical septal myectomy in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with left ventricular outflow tract or midventricular obstruction. METHODS: From January 2018 to August 2023, 940 patients underwent transaortic septal myectomy at the Cleveland Clinic, of whom 682 (73%) had midventricular or apical resection. Patients who underwent isolated basal myectomies were excluded. Templated operative reports designated septal regions resected as basal (opposition to mitral valve up to the leaflet tips), midventricular (leaflet tips to just beyond the papillary muscle heads), and apical (apical third of the ventricle). Myocardial resection specimen weights, intraventricular gradients, and clinical outcomes were assessed. RESULTS: Of the 682 patients, 582 (85%) had basal plus midventricular resection and 78 (11%) had basal, midventricular, and apical resection. Mean preoperative intraventricular gradient was 102 ± 41 mm Hg. Median resection weight was 10 g (15th, 85th percentiles: 7, 15), and mean postoperative intraventricular gradient was 16 ± 10 mm Hg, with 625 (96%) patients achieving gradients 36 mm Hg or less. There were no iatrogenic mitral or aortic valve injuries. Permanent pacemaker placement was required in 38 patients (5.6%), of whom 8 (1.2%) had normal preoperative conduction. Operative mortality occurred in 1 patient (0.1%) after an intraoperative ventricular septal defect. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients undergoing septal myectomy for relief of obstruction required resection beyond the basal septum. With specialized instrumentation, detailed imaging and knowledge of variable septal anatomy, resecting midventricular and apical septal muscle can be safely and effectively achieved through a transaortic approach.

Measurements of the Interventricular Septum and Mitral Leaflet Length in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Patients Who Underwent Surgical Myectomy: A Prospective Comparative Multimodality Imaging Study.

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) plays an important role for real-time procedural guidance during surgical smyectomy (SM) for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). We aimed to compare (1) interventricular septum (IVS) thickness using 2- (2D) and 3-dimensional (3D) intraoperative TEE and preoperative cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and (2) mitral valve (MV) leaflet length using 2D, 3D TEE, automatic quantification of mitral valve (AMVQ) and preoperative CMR. We prospectively studied 50 patients with HOCM (age 59 ± 12 years, 44% men) who underwent SM during 2018 to 2019. The maximal basal, mid, and distal anteroseptum (AS) and inferoseptum (IS) were measured by multiplanar 3D reconstruction on TEE and by short-axis imaging on preoperative CMR and classified as mild (≤18 mm), moderate (18 to 25 mm), or severe (≥25 mm) groups based on AS and IS thickness on CMR. MV leaflet lengths were evaluated by preoperative CMR and intraprocedural 2D TEE, zoom 3D TEE, and AMVQ (EchoPAC, General Electric, Wisconsin). There was a moderate correlation between AS and IS thickness on 3D TEE and CMR (R2 = 0.46, p <0.01 and R2 = 0.41, p <0.01, respectively), with 3D TEE showing an average overestimation of 3.8 and 4.7 mm versus CMR. The 3D TEE overestimated 14 patients (56%) with mild thickness as moderate and 5 patients (22%) with moderate thickness as severe. Assuming 3D TEE as the gold standard, the closest correlation for anterior mitral leaflet length was with CMR (average overestimation by CMR of 0.5 mm [root mean square deviation (RMSE%) 17]), intermediate correlation with 2D TEE (average deviation of 0.6 mm [RMSE% 21]) and no correlation with AMVQ (average deviation of 0.7 mm [RMSE% 24]). In conclusion, 3D TEE overestimates IVS thickness versus CMR in patients with HOCM who underwent SM, with greater discrepancy in those with thinner IVS. There are significant differences in MV lengths measured using different imaging techniques.

Temporary Microaxial Support in a Patient With Multiple Post-Myocardial Infarction Mechanical Complications: Bridge to Transplantation.

A 66-year-old man with post-myocardial infarction ventricular septal rupture, apical aneurysm, and pseudoaneurysm presenting in cardiogenic shock received a surgically placed temporary microaxial transvalvular left ventricular assist device. This stabilized hemodynamics and end-organ function, and he subsequently underwent successful heart transplantation. A temporary microaxial transvalvular left ventricular assist device can effectively bridge patients with select mechanical complications of myocardial infarction beyond ventricular septal rupture.

Multiarterial Grafting in Redo CABG: Type of Arterial Conduit and Patient Sex Determine Benefit.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether multiarterial grafting provides incremental benefit above single arterial grafting in isolated redo CABG. METHODS: From 1/1980 to 7/2020, 6559 adults underwent 6693 isolated CABG reoperations. Patients undergoing multiarterial grafting were propensity-score matched with those undergoing single arterial grafting, with or without additional vein grafts, yielding 2005 well-matched pairs. Endpoints were in-hospital postoperative complications, hospital mortality, and long-term mortality. Median follow-up was 10 years with 25% followed >17 years. Multivariable multiphase hazard modeling and nonparametric random survival forests for survival were used to identify patients for whom multiarterial grafting was most beneficial. RESULTS: Among propensity-matched patients, postoperative complications for multiarterial versus single arterial grafting were any reoperation, 50 (2.5%) versus 65 (3.2%); renal failure, 73 (3.6%) versus 55 (2.7%); stroke, 44 (2.2%) versus 38 (1.9%); and deep sternal infection, 36 (1.8%) versus 25 (1.2%). Hospital mortality was 1.7% (n=35) versus 2.8% (n=56) (P=.03). Comparing multiarterial to single arterial grafting, survival at 1 and 3 years was 95% versus 94% and 92% versus 88%, and at 5, 15, and 20 years, survival was 87%, 49%, and 31% versus 82%, 42%, and 25%. Better survival after multiarterial grafting was confined to males with 2 patent internal thoracic artery grafts (P<.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Redo CABG with multiarterial grafting can be performed with lower in-hospital mortality and similar major morbidity to single arterial grafting. It is associated with better long-term survival, particularly in males when 2 internal thoracic artery grafts are used.

Association between septal strain rate and histopathology in symptomatic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients undergoing septal myectomy.

BACKGROUND: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is histopathologically characterized by myocyte hypertrophy, disarray, interstitial fibrosis, and small intramural coronary arteriole dysplasia, which contribute to disease progression. Longitudinal systolic and early diastolic strain rate (SR) measurements by speckle tracking echocardiography are sensitive markers of regional myocardial function. We sought to determine the association between septal SR and histopathologic findings in symptomatic HCM patients who underwent surgical myectomy. METHODS: We studied 171 HCM patients (documented on histopathology) who underwent surgical myectomy to relieve left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. Various clinical and echocardiographic parameters were recorded. Segmental longitudinal systolic and early diastolic SRs (of the septal segment removed at myectomy) were measured from apical 4- and 2-chamber views (VVI 2.0; Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). Histopathologic myocyte hypertrophy, disarray, small intramural coronary arteriole dysplasia, and interstitial fibrosis were classified as none, mild (1%-25%), moderate (26%-50%), and severe (>50%). RESULTS: The mean age was 53 ± 14 years (52% men, ejection fraction 62% ± 5%, mean left ventricular outflow tract gradient 102 ± 39 mm Hg, and basal septal thickness of 2.2 ± 0.5 cm). Mean longitudinal systolic and early diastolic SRs were -0.91 ± 0.5 and 0.82 ± 0.5 (1/s), respectively. There was an inverse association between systolic and early diastolic septal SR and degree of myocyte hypertrophy, disarray, and interstitial fibrosis (all P < .05). There was no association between histopathologic characteristics and other echocardiography parameters. On multivariable regression analysis, myocyte disarray and echocardiographic septal hypertrophy were associated with systolic and early diastolic septal SR (P < .05). CONCLUSION: In HCM patients, there is inverse association between various histopathologic findings and septal SR. Strain rate might potentially provide further insight into HCM pathophysiology.

Increasing surgeon experience and cumulative institutional experience drive decreasing hospital mortality after reoperative cardiac surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The study objective was to identify the effects of surgeon experience and age, in the context of cumulative institutional experience, on risk-adjusted hospital mortality after cardiac reoperations. METHODS: From 1951 to 2020, 36 surgeons performed 160,338 cardiac operations, including 32,871 reoperations. Hospital death was modeled using a novel tree-bagged, generalized varying-coefficient method with 6 variables reflecting cumulative surgeon and institutional experience up to each cardiac operation: (1) number of total and (2) reoperative cardiac operations performed by a surgeon, (3) cumulative institutional number of total and (4) reoperative cardiac operations, (5) year of surgery, and (6) surgeon age at each operation. These were adjusted for 46 patient characteristics and surgical components. RESULTS: There were 1470 hospital deaths after cardiac reoperations (4.5%). At the institutional level, hospital death decreased exponentially and became less variable, leveling at 1.2% after approximately 14,000 cardiac reoperations. For all surgeons as a group, hospital death decreased rapidly over the first 750 reoperations and then gradually decreased with increasing experience to less than 1% after approximately 4000 reoperations. Surgeon age up to 75 years was associated with ever-decreasing hospital death. CONCLUSIONS: Surgeon age and experience have been implicated in adverse surgical outcomes, particularly after complex cardiac operations, with young surgeons being novices and older surgeons having declining ability. However, at Cleveland Clinic, outcomes of cardiac reoperations improved with increasing primary surgeon experience, without any suggestion to mid-70s of an age cutoff. Patients were protected by the cumulative background of institutional experience that created a culture of safety and teamwork that mitigated adverse events after cardiac surgery.

Survival After Septal Reduction in Patients >65 Years Old With Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (oHCM) is increasingly being diagnosed in elderly patients. OBJECTIVES: The authors sought to study long-term outcomes of septal reduction therapies (SRT) in Medicare patients with oHCM, and hospital volume-outcome relation. METHODS: Medicare beneficiaries aged >65 years who underwent SRT, septal myectomy (SM) or alcohol septal ablation (ASA), from 2013 through 2019 were identified. Primary outcome was all-cause mortality, and secondary outcomes included heart failure (HF) readmission and need for redo SRT in follow-up. Overlap propensity score weighting was used to adjust for differences between both groups. Relation between hospital SRT volume and short-term and long-term mortality was studied. RESULTS: The study included 5,679 oHCM patients (SM = 3,680 and ASA = 1,999, mean age 72.9 vs 74.8 years, women 67.2% vs 71.1%; P < 0.01). SM patients had fewer comorbidities, but after adjustment, both groups were well balanced. At 4 years (IQR: 2-6 years), although there was no difference in long-term mortality between SM and ASA (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.74-1.03; P = 0.1), on landmark analysis, SM was associated with lower mortality after 2 years of follow-up (HR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.60-0.87; P < 0.001) and had lower need for redo SRT. Both reduced HF readmissions in follow-up vs 1 year pre-SRT. Higher-volume centers had better outcomes vs lower-volume centers, but 70% of SRT were performed in low-volume centers. CONCLUSIONS: SRT reduced HF readmission in Medicare patients with oHCM. SM is associated with lower redo and better long-term survival compared with ASA. Despite better outcomes in high-volume centers, 70% of SRT are performed in low-volume U.S. centers.