Impact of diabetes on short-term outcomes in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery in acute coronary syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with concomitant comorbidities, such as atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery is the optimal therapy in diabetic patients with triple vessel disease. DM is also known to be a relevant risk factor for higher morbidity and mortality in patients who underwent elective CABG procedures. Data regarding outcomes in diabetic patients in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is heterogeneous. This study aimed to investigate the impact of DM on short-term outcomes in patients who underwent CABG surgery in ACS. METHODS: A retrospective propensity score matched (PSM) analysis of 1370 patients who underwent bypass surgery for ACS between June 2011 and October 2019 was conducted. All patients were divided into two groups: non-diabetic group (n = 905) and diabetic group (n = 465). In-hospital mortality was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes were perioperative myocardial infarction, new onset dialysis, reopening for bleeding and duration of intensive care unit (ICU) stay. A subgroup analysis of patients with insulin-dependent and non-insulin dependent DM was also performed. RESULTS: After performing PSM analysis, baseline characteristics and the preoperative risk profile were comparable between both groups. The proportion of patients who underwent total arterial revascularization (p = .048) with the use of both internal thoracic arteries (p < .001) was significantly higher in the non-diabetic group. The incidence of perioperative myocardial infarction (p = .048) and new onset dialysis (p = .008) was significantly higher in the diabetic group. In-hospital mortality was statistically (p = .907) comparable between the two groups. CONCLUSION: DM was associated with a higher incidence of adverse outcomes, however with comparable in-hospital mortality in patients who underwent CABG procedure for ACS.

Toll-like receptor-3 contributes to the development of aortic valve stenosis.

Aortic valve stenosis (AS) development is driven by distinct molecular and cellular mechanisms which include inflammatory pathways. Toll-like-receptor-3 (TLR3) is a lysosomal pattern-recognition receptor that binds double-stranded RNA and promotes pro-inflammatory cellular responses. In recent years, TLR3 has emerged as a major regulator of vascular inflammation. The exact role of TLR3 in the development of AS has not been investigated. Isolated human valvular interstitial cells (VICs) were stimulated with the TLR3-agonist polyIC and the resulting pro-inflammatory and pro-osteogenic response measured. Severe AS was induced in wildtype- and TLR3-/- mice via mechanical injury of the aortic valve with a coronary springwire. TLR3 activation was achieved by polyIC injection every 24 h after wire injury, while TLR3 inhibition was realized using Compound 4a (C4a) every 48 h after surgery. Endothelial mesenchymal transition (EndoMT) of human valvular endothelial cells (VECs) was assessed after polyIC stimulation. Stimulation of human VICs with polyIC promoted a strong inflammatory and pro-osteogenic reaction. Similarly, injection of polyIC marginally increased AS development in mice after wire injury. AS induction was significantly decreased in TLR3-/- mice, confirming the role of endogenous TLR3 ligands in AS pathology. Pharmacological inhibition of TLR3 with C4a not only prevented the upregulation of inflammatory cytokines and osteogenic markers in VICs, and EndoMT in VECs, but also significantly abolished the development of AS in vivo. Endogenous TLR3 activation significantly contributes to AS development in mice. Pharmacological inhibition of TLR3 with C4a prevented AS formation. Therefore, targeting TLR3 may be a viable treatment option.

Transmitral Septal Myectomy and Mitral Valve Surgery via Right Mini-Thoracotomy.

BACKGROUND: Transmitral myectomy for symptomatic hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy is possible with existence of substantial mitral valve disease. We present herein our experience of minimally invasive transmitral septal myectomy combined with mitral valve surgery through right anterior mini-thoracotomy in the past 4 years at our institution. METHODS: Between March 2017 and October 2020, 14 patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and mitral valve disease required minimally invasive transmitral septal myectomy combined with mitral valve reconstruction or replacement at our institution. Mean age of patients was 54.2 ± 11.4 and 42.9% (n = 6) were female. Twelve patients (85.1%) were in New York Heart Association class III to IV and 6 patients (42.9%) presented with persistent atrial fibrillation. Clinical data were prospectively entered into our institutional database. RESULTS: Cardiopulmonary bypass time accounted for 140.2 ± 32.6 minutes and the myocardial ischemic time was 78.5 ± 12.4 minutes. Thirty-day mortality and overall mortality were zero. Peak ventricular outflow gradient decreased from 75.2 ± 12.7 to 9.4 ± 2.3 mm Hg (p < 0.0001). Simultaneously, mitral valve reconstruction and replacement were performed in 11 (78.6%) and 3 (21.4%) patients, respectively. No systolic anterior motion was seen in patients with mitral valve repair. No conversion to full sternotomy and/or rethoracotomy was noted. During a mean follow-up period of 24 ± 13 months, no patient required reoperation, no recurrence mitral regurgitation, and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. CONCLUSION: Transmitral septal myectomy combined with mitral valve surgery through right anterior mini-thoracotomy can be performed safely with excellent surgical outcomes.

The association of bicuspid aortic valve on long-term outcome following one-stage repair of aortic arch obstruction associated with ventricular septal defect.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of bicuspid aortic valve on contemporary outcomes, including reoperation rates, after one-stage correction for interrupted aortic arch with ventricular septal defect or for aortic coarctation with hypoplastic aortic arch and ventricular septal defect. METHODS: Seventy-four consecutive patients (35 boys, 47% and 39 girls, 53%) with interrupted aortic arch (n = 41, 55%) or aortic coarctation with hypoplastic aortic arch (n = 33, 45%) with ventricular septal defect underwent early one-stage correction. Twenty (27%) patients had bicuspid aortic valve, and the remaining 54 (73%) had a tricuspid aortic valve. The median aortic valve annulus diameter was 6.0 mm (IQR: 2.0). Patients' median age was 7 ± 29 days (range, 2-150); median weight was 3.3 ± 0.7 kg (range, 1.5-6.0), with 21 (28%) patients <3.0 kg. Selective brain perfusion through the innominate artery and selective coronary perfusion through the aortic root during aortic arch reconstruction were used in all patients. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20.0 software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). RESULTS: The early mortality was 1.3%. One premature neonate died in the hospital with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation after aortic coarctation plus ventricular septal defect repair. There was no further mortality. Median follow-up was 5.7 years (IQR: 10.48). Reinterventions occurred in 36 (49%) patients: balloon angioplasty in 18 (24%) patients, reoperations in 4 (5%) patients, and both in 14 (19%) patients. A total of 86 follow-up procedures were required in these 36 (49%) patients: aortic valve valvulopasty (n = 6, 8%), stent implantation (n = 8, 11%), balloon dilatation (n = 39, 53%), and reoperation (n = 33, 45%). The median time to reinterventions was 9.094 years (SE 0.890). A potential risk factor for reintervention after interrupted aortic arch and aortic coarctation with ventricular septal defect repair was bicuspid aortic valve (p = 0.019, Chi2 (1) = 5.457). In addition, a multivariate Cox analysis with backward selection and significance level <0.015 was applied to all variables that showed significant effects in univariable analyzes. This regression confirmed that bicuspid aortic valve (HR = 0.381, p = .016), and interrupted aortic arch (HR = 0.412, p = 0.043) were predictors of late reintervention. All patients had no obvious neurologic impairment in routine examinations at last follow-up. CONCLUSION: Bicuspid aortic valve was a significant risk factor for valve-related reintervention after one-stage repair for aortic arch obstruction with ventricular septal defect due to later development of stenosis associated with higher late morbidity and mortality. Particularly neonates with bicuspid aortic valve will possibly require reintervention in the future. Regular lifelong cardiac follow-up is recommended.

Clinical performance of a novel bioprosthetic surgical aortic valve in a German high-volume center.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Bioprosthetic surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) is increasingly adopted in younger patients. We aimed to analyze mid-term follow-up data after SAVR to assess the performance of the prosthesis. METHODS: Data were collected from a single-center series of 154 patients, who underwent SAVR with a bioprosthetic heart valve with the RESILIA tissue at our Heart Centre in Siegburg. All procedural and midterm patient outcomes were documented. RESULTS: Patients had a mean age of 56.8 ± 9.9 years, 35.7% were female, and the mean logistic European system for cardiac operative risk evaluation (EuroSCORE) was 3.4 ± 3.6%. Diabetes (12.3%), atrial fibrillation (10.4%), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (5.8%) were common comorbidities. The mean surgery duration was 163.8 ± 73.4 min, with the 23 mm (34.4%) and 25 mm (33.8%) heart valves being most frequently implanted. At 3-year follow-up, mean pressure gradient was 13.9 ± 5.9 mmHg, peak gradient was 23.6 ± 7.7 mmHg, and effective orifice area (EOA) was 1.9 ± 0.4 cm². No patient died during the operation, 3 (2.1%) patients within 30 days, and 4 (2.7%) thereafter with an overall mortality of n = 7. Of the surviving patients, 97.8% were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class I/II and none had structural valve deterioration (SVD). CONCLUSION: Results of our single-center study indicate favorable procedural outcomes. The safety outcomes confirm preliminary earlier results of this novel bioprosthesis but include more patients and a longer midterm follow-up.

First Experiences with MANTA Vascular Closure Device in Minimally Invasive Valve Surgery.

BACKGROUND: To more minimize the minimally invasive valve surgeries, percutaneous vascular access and closure has been used for the establishment of extracorporeal circulation. This study investigates early clinical outcomes of patients who received MANTA for femoral artery closure as first experiences in minimally invasive valve surgery. METHODS: Between January 2019 and July 2019, 103 consecutive patients (mean age: 58 ± 11 years) underwent video-assisted minimally invasive valve surgery through right anterior minithoracotomy at two cardiac surgery referral centers in Germany. Percutaneous cannulation for cardiopulmonary bypass and femoral artery closure with MANTA were performed in all patients: 18-F and 14-F MANTA were used in 88 (85.4%) and 15 (14.6%) patient, respectively. Mitral, aortic, tricuspid, and double valve surgeries were performed in 51 (49.5%), 39 (37.9%), 7 (6.8%), and 6 (5.8%), patients, respectively. Clinical data were prospectively entered into our institutional database. RESULTS: Cardiopulmonary bypass time and cross-clamping time were 69 ± 23 and 38 ± 14 minutes, respectively. Except for two patients with late pseudoaneurysm on 15th and 23th postoperative day, neither major nor minor vascular complications nor vascular closure device failure according to the Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 definition criteria was observed. Additionally, no wound healing disorders or conversion to surgical closure was observed. CONCLUSIONS: MANTA as percutaneous femoral artery closure after decannulation of cardiopulmonary bypass is a safe, feasible, and effective approach and yields excellent early outcomes. Larger size studies are needed to evaluate more the efficacy and safety of MANTA.

Cardiac Surgery in Patients with Parkinson's Disease: A Retrospective Analysis of a High-Risk Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the perioperative course of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) undergoing cardiac surgery. The objective of this study was to identify the influence of PD on the perioperative course and to improve treatment. METHODS: Perioperative data were analyzed retrospectively from 130 patients undergoing cardiac surgery between September 2001 and April 2013 who had PD and were compared using 1:1 matched-pair analysis with 130 controls not affected by PD. RESULTS: The 30-day all-cause mortality (4.6 vs. 9.2%; p = 0.21; odds ratio [OR] = 0.45; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.16, 1.31) and the overall all-cause mortality (27.7 vs. 28.5%; hazard ratio [HR] = 0.96 [0.56, 1.66]; p = 1.00) were not significantly different between PD patients and the control group. Emergency surgery (p = 0.04; OR = 3.20; 95% CI: 1.06, 9.66) and postoperative pneumonia (p < 0.001; OR = 11.3; 95% CI: 3.06, 41.6) were associated with 30-day mortality. Independent predictors of all-cause mortality were age at surgery (p = 0.01; OR = 3.58; 95% CI: 1.38, 9.30), NYHA (New York Heart Association) classification stage IV (p = 0.02; OR = 17.3; 95% CI: 1.52, 198), and postoperative pneumonia (p = 0.05; OR = 46.4; 95% CI: 0.97, 2219). We did not observe an association of PD with short- or long-term all-cause mortality after adjustment for associated covariates. CONCLUSIONS: We found that PD is not a significant risk factor for perioperative morbidity and mortality in our cohort. Our study showed that patients with PD had outcomes that were similar to those of non-PD patients.

Symptomatic myocardial bridging: a frequently occurring coronary variation can cause severe myocardial ischaemia in affected children with underlying cardiac conditions.

Myocardial bridging is a congenital coronary artery anomaly in which the coronary artery has a partly "tunnelled" intramyocardial course. This tunnelling leads to compression of the affected vessel segment during ventricular systole. It is considered to be a benign variation of the norm in about 25% of the population caused by an aberrancy of embryologic coronary development. The bridging is also thought to cause severe cardiac conditions in a few of those affected. The series of six young patients presented here is the largest series so far to report on symptomatic myocardial bridging in children with different underlying heart diseases. All patients recently presented to our centre with signs of myocardial ischaemia. They subsequently underwent coronary angiography, which revealed myocardial bridging of the ramus interventricularis anterior. In all patients, therapy with ß blockers was started to reduce heart rate and myocardial contractility. ß Blocker treatment was also given in order to prolong diastole and improve coronary artery blood flow. Two patients underwent surgical exposure of the involved coronary segment: a 2-year-old boy because of recurrent, severe myocardial ischaemia in combination with a reduction of general health, changes in ST-segments, and the presence of a dilative cardiomyopathy; and a 13-year-old girl because of evidence of myocardial ischaemia during exercise testing after surviving sudden cardiac death. Surgery was successful and recovery was complete and uneventful. The presented series shows that myocardial bridging can be symptomatic and may require urgent treatment and even surgical intervention in early childhood in rare cases.

Temporal Trends in Predictors of Early and Late Mortality After Emergency Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting for Cardiogenic Shock Complicating Acute Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: Cardiogenic shock after acute myocardial infarction is an indication for emergent coronary artery bypass grafting in patients not amenable to percutaneous coronary intervention. Our study aimed to evaluate and identify risk factors for early and long-term outcomes in such patients. METHODS: A total of 508 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting for cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction between January 2000 and June 2014 were divided into 3 time cohorts: 2000 to 2004 (n=204), 2005 to 2009 (n=166), and 2010 to 2014 (n=138). Predictors of in-hospital mortality for each time cohort and long-term mortality for all patients were identified by logistic and Cox regression analyses, respectively. RESULTS: Mean age was 68.3±9.8 years. Of the 508 patients, 78.5% had 3-vessel and 47.1% had left main disease. Left ventricular function <30% was observed in 44.1% of patients, with 30.4%, 37.9%, 52.9%, and 3.1% requiring preoperative resuscitation, ventilation, intra-aortic balloon pump, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support, respectively. Overall in-hospital mortality was 33.7%; declined from 42.2% to 30.7% to 24.6%, respectively, for the 3 time cohorts (P=0.02); and was independently predicted by serum lactate >4 mmol/L (odds ratio [OR], 4.78; 95% confidence interval, 2.88-7.95; P<0.0001), ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (OR, 2.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.36-3.26; P=0.001), age >75 years (OR, 2.01; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-3.85; P=0.03), and left ventricular ejection fraction <30% (OR, 1.83; 95% confidence interval, 1.15-2.91; P=0.01). Cumulative survival was 42.6±2.0% and 33.4±2.0% at 5 and 10 years, respectively, and correspondingly improved to 64.3±3.0% and 49.8±3.0% in hospital survivors. Serum lactate >4 mmol/L (OR, 2.2; P<0.0001), incremental age (OR, 1.05; P<0.0001), New York Heart Association class IV (OR, 1.33; P=0.02), diabetes mellitus (OR, 1.39; P=0.005), and preoperative inotropic (OR, 2.61; P=0.001) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (OR, 1.68; P=0.05) support predicted late mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Emergency coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock is associated with a high in-hospital mortality, which showed a significant decline with time. Hospital survivors have good long-term outcomes, which demonstrate the beneficial effect of surgical revascularization. Preoperative serum lactate >4 mmol/L is a strong predictor of both early and late mortality.

Tricuspid Valve Surgery in Patients with Isolated Tricuspid Valve Endocarditis: Analysis of Perioperative Parameters and Long-Term Outcomes.

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the perioperative characteristics and the short- and mid-term outcomes in patients undergoing tricuspid valve (TV) surgery for isolated TV endocarditis. Patients and Methods A total of 56 patients with isolated TV endocarditis underwent TV surgery at a single center between June 1995 and February 2012. Mean age of patients was 53.8 ± 17.1 years, 39 (69.6%) being male. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 60.4 ± 13.6% and 13 (23.2%) patients had diabetes mellitus. Average logistic EuroSCORE was 19.4 ± 17.0%. Mean follow-up was 4.7 ± 3.8 years. Results Microbiological investigations revealed positive blood cultures in 89.1% of patients and positive intraoperative swabs in 51.9%. The most common pathogen (42.9%) isolated was Staphylococcus aureus, followed by coagulase-negative staphylococcus (17.9%). Discussion A history of intravenous drug abuse (IVDA) was recorded in 11 patients (19.6%), of which 8 patients additionally had hepatitis C. A total of 15 patients (26.8%) had a permanent pacemaker/implantable cardioverter-defibrillator in situ. TV replacement was performed in 22 patients (39.3%) and TV repair was performed in 34 patients (60.7%). Overall 30-day mortality was 12.5%. Five-year survival was 63.9 ± 7.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 64.0-137.5 months). Freedom from reoperation for recurrent TV endocarditis was 91.7 ± 4.0% (95% CI: 152.3-179.3 months) at 5 years. Conclusion Blood culture is the most important tool to detect the causative pathogen causing IE of TV. The high risk of hepatitis C in patients with IVDA and IE of the TV should be mentioned.

Preoperative Predictors and Outcome of Triple Valve Surgery in 487 Consecutive Patients.

Background Triple valve surgery (TVS) is associated with an elevated risk for operative mortality and thus remains a surgical challenge. We report our experience and results of TVS procedures, especially with respect to identification of preoperative risk factors, to improve patient selection. Methods Between December 1994 and January 2013, 487 consecutive patients (240 male, 247 female) underwent TVS at the Heart Center Leipzig, University of Leipzig. The data were prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariable regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors. Results The 30-day mortality was 16.1% and the long-term survival at 1 year and 5 years was 71.8% and 54.6%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified previous myocardial infarction to be the only significant predictor for early mortality. Age, New York Heart Association functional class IV, previous myocardial infarction, dialysis, and liver dysfunction were identified as preoperative predictors for late mortality. Furthermore, an increase of operative risk, given for each year, was observed during the study period. In contrast, 30-day mortality decreased during the observation time. Conclusion TVS is associated with a high surgical risk. Long-term survival is decreased, but acceptable for these high-risk patients. The series demonstrates that increasing surgical risk, age, and comorbidities are the future challenges in TVS.

Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump Malposition Reduces Visceral Artery Perfusion in an Acute Animal Model.

Visceral artery perfusion can be potentially affected by intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) catheters. We utilized an animal model to quantify the acute impact of a low balloon position on mesenteric artery perfusion. In six pigs (78 ± 7 kg), a 30-cc IABP was placed in the descending aorta in a transfemoral procedure. The celiac artery (CA) and the cranial mesenteric artery (CMA) were surgically dissected. Transit time blood flow was measured for (i) baseline, (ii) 1:1 augmentation with the balloon proximal to the visceral arteries, and (iii) 1:1 augmentation with the balloon covering the visceral arteries. Blood flow in the CMA and CA was reduced by 17 and 24%, respectively, when the balloon compromised visceral arteries compared with a position above the visceral arteries (flow in mL/min: CMA: (i) 1281 ± 512, (ii) 1389 ± 287, (iii) 1064 ± 276, P < 0.05 for 3 vs. 1 and 3 vs. 2; CA: (i) 885 ± 370, (ii) 819 ± 297, (iii) 673 ± 315; P < 0.05 for 3 vs. 1). The covering of visceral arteries by an IABP balloon causes a significant reduction of visceral artery perfusion; thus, the positioning of this device during implantation is critical for obtaining a satisfactory outcome.

Totally endoscopic micro-invasive aortic valve replacement.

Micro-invasive totally endoscopic aortic valve replacement surgery is a minimally invasive cardiac procedure that can be performed with the help of several techniques and technologies that employ the latest innovations in instrumentation and technological advances in the field, thereby greatly limiting the overall invasiveness of the procedure. With the help of a 3-dimensional camera, long instruments, a very small thoracotomy and a soft-tissue retractor without any rib retractor, the aortic valve can be easily and safely accessed for replacement. The other main features of these techniques are extracorporeal circulation that is achieved through peripheral percutaneous cannulation of the femoral vessels, antegrade cardioplegia, the use of automated devices for suturing the valvular ring and the prosthetic suture cuff, namely the RAM device, the Sew-Easy device and the Cor-Knot Mini device. Additionally, an automated vascular closure device such as the MANTA device is later used to close the femoral artery following decannulation.

Short-Term Clinical Results of Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass (MIDCAB) Procedure.

Objectives: Minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB) is an alternative for revascularisation of the isolated left anterior descending (LAD) artery or as a multi-vessel (MV) procedure for the diagonal branch (RD) or the left circumflex coronary artery (LCX) region. Methods: From 2021 to 2022, 91 patients underwent MIDCAB or multi-vessel MIDCAB procedures in our heart center. The left internal mammary artery (LIMA) was anastomosed to the left anterior descending artery via the left minithoracotomy approach in all patients. Results: Of the patients, a total of 86.8% were male. Eighty percent of the patients had two- or three-vessel coronary artery disease. The mean age was 65.1 ± 10.1 years. The mean operation time was 2.6 ± 0.8 h. The 30-day mortality was 0. The mean required packed red blood cells (pRBC) was 0.4 ± 1.2 unit. The mean intensive care unit stay (ICU) was 1.5 ± 1.6 days. The mean follow-up time was 1.5 ± 0.5 years. One patient received percutaneous coronary intervention due to de novo stenosis of the RCA. Late mortality was 2.2%. The Kaplan-Meier survival rate was 98.8% at 1 and 2 years. Conclusions: The postoperative complication rate of our MIDCAB cohort is low, and the short-term survival is favorable. Our postoperative and short-term clinical results demonstrate that this procedure is safe and feasible.

Multicentre experience of sutureless prostheses inside degenerated stentless aortic valves and bioroots.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with failed stentless aortic prostheses are a challenging population to treat, as reoperative procedures may be complex and catheter-based treatments are associated with a high rate of procedural events. Reoperative surgery using sutureless valves may be an alternative. METHODS: In this multicentre experience, we assess outcomes of 17 patients who underwent reoperative surgery using the Perceval valve (Corcym UK Limited, London, UK) inside Freestyle prosthesis (Medtronic Inc., Dublin, Ireland) or bioroots from 2018 to 2023. RESULTS: Mean age was 71.1 ± standard deviation 15.1 years and mean EuroSCORE II was 13.5 ± 15.8%, Society of Thoracic Surgeons Score was 5.9 ± 11.7%. Mean transvalvular gradient at baseline was 25.3 ± 19.9 mmHg and left ventricular ejection fraction was 53.5 ± standard deviation 8.5%. In 70.6% (12/17), moderate or severe aortic regurgitation was present. Implant success was 100%. Aortic cross-clamp time was 44.5 ± standard deviation 23.6 min. No patient needed a pacemaker and no mild paravalvular regurgitation occurred. Mean gradient was 12.5 ± 4.7 mmHg; 30-day mortality was 5.9% (1/17). CONCLUSIONS: Rate of mortality was lower than predicted by EuroSCORE II in these high-risk patients and haemodynamic outcomes were favourable. Heart teams should consider this treatment concept when discussing patients with failed stentless valves or bioroots.

Simulation-based training for endoscopic mitral valve repair: the impact on basic surgical skills for placement of sutures at mitral valve annulus during 2-h training workshop.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of simulation-based training on surgical skills during 2-h learning labs during surgical annual meeting. METHODS: During the 36th European Association of Cardiothoracic Surgery annual meeting a learning drylab for simulation-based training for endoscopic mitral valve repair was set up. For this purpose, a validated high-fidelity endoscopic mitral valve surgery simulator and a validated suturing map were used. The training lasted 2 h. Technical pre- and post-assessment were carried out based on time and accuracy to place a suture at the posterior mitral valve annulus. The suture had to be placed within 60 s. The suture was considered anatomically correct if it entered and exited the annulus at the designated place (on the posterior annulus) and accurate if placed within the right width (8-12 mm). RESULTS: In total, 46 participants were included in this study, of whom 18 (38%) were experienced/staff surgeons, 23 (51%) fellows and 5 (11%) residents. Before the training, 48% of the participants failed to place any suture for pre-assessment. After completing the training, 100% of the participants succeeded in placing an anatomically correct suture. There was a significant improvement in the time taken [pre-assessment mean 45 (standard deviation: 25) s vs post-assessment mean 18 (standard deviation: 12) s, P < 0.001] and the accuracy to place a suture in the mitral valve annulus after completing the training (pre-assessment 32.6% vs post-assessment 65.2%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows a significant improvement in endoscopic skills for mitral valve surgery after completing a 2-h training with a high-fidelity endoscopic mitral valve surgery simulator. This suggests that simulation trainings during scientific annual meetings are effective on surgical skills.

Characteristics and outcomes of patients undergoing transcatheter mitral valve replacement with the Tendyne system.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) has emerged as alternative to transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) for treatment of mitral regurgitation (MR); however, the role of TMVR with the Tendyne system among established treatments of MR is not well defined. We assessed characteristics and outcomes of patients treated with the Tendyne system in the current clinical practice. METHODS: We reviewed patients who underwent cardiac computed tomography and were judged eligible for the Tendyne system. RESULTS: A total of 63 patients were eligible for TMVR with the Tendyne system. Of these, 17 patients underwent TMVR, and 46 were treated by TEER. Patients treated with the Tendyne system were more likely to have a high transmitral pressure gradient and unsuitable mitral valve morphology for TEER than those treated with TEER. TMVR with the Tendyne system reduced the severity of MR to less than 1 + in 94.1% of the patients at discharge and achieved a greater reduction in left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic volume at the 30-day follow-up compared with TEER. In contrast, patients treated with the Tendyne system had a higher 30-day mortality than those treated with TEER, while the mortality between 30 days and one year was comparable between Tendyne and TEER. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients eligible for the Tendyne system, approximately a quarter of the patients underwent TMVR with the Tendyne system, which led substantial reduction of MR and LV reverse remodeling than TEER. In contrast, the 30-day mortality rate was higher after TMVR with the Tendyne compared to TEER.

First experiences with automated annular suturing device in totally endoscopic aortic and mitral valve replacement.

OBJECTIVES: To overcome some of the challenges of endoscopic minimally invasive valve surgery, an automated annular suturing device has been used in aortic and mitral valve replacement surgeries. The current study investigates early clinical outcomes of patients who received aortic or mitral valve replacement with the help of the RAM® device as first experiences in minimally invasive valve surgery. METHODS: Between September 2020 and June 2023, 66 consecutive patients (mean age 61.8 ± 11 years) underwent endoscopic minimally invasive aortic or mitral valve replacement through right anterior mini-thoracotomy at 2 cardiac surgery referral centres in Germany. The RAM® device was used in all Patients. 3.5 and 5.0 sizes were used in 16.7% and 83.3% of patients, respectively. Aortic, mitral and double valve surgery was performed in 81.8%, 15.2% and 1.5% of patients, respectively. Clinical data were prospectively entered into our institutional database. RESULTS: Cardiopulmonary bypass time and cross-clamping time were 97.9 ± 20.9 and 66 ± 15.7 min, respectively. Intensive care unit and hospital stays were 1 [1-2] and 9 [7-13] days, respectively. No paravalvular leak and no other intraoperative complications occurred. 30-day and in-hospital mortality were zero. Conversion to sternotomy occurred in 1 (1.5%) patient due to bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: The usage of the RAM® device is a safe, feasible and effective approach to the endoscopic implantation of aortic or mitral valves and yield excellent early outcomes. Larger size studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of RAM® device.

Comparison of Two Surgical Approaches for Coronary Artery Bypass of Left Anterior Descending Artery.

Background/Objectives: The minimally invasive approach through left mini-thoracotomy is a promising alternative to the median sternotomy for coronary artery bypass. The aim of this study was to compare the short-term outcomes of patients undergoing minimally invasive coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB) with off-pump coronary artery bypass through sternotomy (OPCAB) for single-vessel disease. Methods: From January 2017 to February 2023, 377 consecutive patients aged above 18 years undergoing off-pump bypass of the left anterior descending artery (LAD) with left internal thoracic artery underwent OPCAB. Propensity score matching was then applied. Primary endpoints were in-hospital mortality and 30-day mortality. Results: Prior to matching, 30-day mortality occurred in 2 (0.7%) patients in the MIDCAB group vs. 1 (1%) patient in the OPCAP group (p = 1). Transfusion of red blood cells (RBC) was required in 9.4% and 29% of patients within the MIDCAB and the OPCAB groups, respectively (p < 0.001). Median intensive care stay (ICU) was 1 [1-2] day in the MIDCAB group, vs. 2 [1-3] in the OPCAB (p < 0.001). In the matched cohort, 10% of MIDCAB patients received RBCs vs. 27.5% of OPCAB patients (p = 0.006). Median ICU stay was significantly lower in the MIDCAB group, 1 [1-2] vs. 2 [1-3] days. Conclusions: MIDCAB is as safe and effective as OPCAB for single coronary artery bypass of the LAD with the LITA in select patients. It is associated with a decreased ICU stay and lower transfusion rates when compared with OPCAB.