Long-term prognostic impact of cardiovascular comorbidities in patients with prostate cancer receiving androgen deprivation therapy: A population-based competing risk analysis.

Our study investigated how adverse cardiovascular outcomes are impacted by cardiovascular comorbidities in patients with prostate cancer treated by androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Using prospective, population-based data, all Hong Kong patients with prostate cancer who received ADT during 1 January 1993 to 3 March 2021 were identified and followed up for the endpoint of cardiovascular hospitalization/mortality until 31 September 2021, whichever earlier. Multivariable competing risk regression was used to compare the endpoint's cumulative incidence between different combinations of major cardiovascular comorbidities (heart failure [HF], myocardial infarction [MI], stroke and/or arrhythmia), with noncardiovascular death as competing event. Altogether, 13 537 patients were included (median age 75.9 [interquartile range 70.0-81.5] years old; median follow-up 3.3 [1.5-6.7] years). Compared to those with none of prior HF/MI/stroke/arrhythmia, the incidence of the endpoint was not different in those with only stroke (subhazard ratio [SHR] 1.06 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.92-1.23], P = .391), but was higher in those with only HF (SHR 1.67 [1.37-2.02], P < .001), arrhythmia (SHR 1.63 [1.35-1.98], P < .001) or MI (SHR 1.43 [1.14-1.79], P = .002). Those with ≥2 of HF/MI/stroke/arrhythmia had the highest incidence of the endpoint (SHR 1.94 [1.62-2.33], P < .001), among whom different major cardiovascular comorbidities had similar prognostic impacts, with the number of comorbidities present being significantly prognostic instead. In conclusion, in patients with prostate cancer receiving ADT, the sole presence of HF, MI or arrhythmia, but not stroke, may be associated with elevated cardiovascular risks. In those with ≥2 of HF/MI/stroke/arrhythmia, the number of major cardiovascular comorbidities may be prognostically more important than the type of comorbidities.

Metformin use and mortality in Asian, diabetic patients with prostate cancer on androgen deprivation therapy: A population-based study.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to examine the associations between metformin use concurrent with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and mortality risks in Asian, diabetic patients with prostate cancer (PCa). METHODS: This study identified diabetic adults with PCa receiving any ADT attending public hospitals in Hong Kong between December 1999 and March 2021 retrospectively, with follow-up until September 2021. Patients with <6 months of medical castration without subsequent bilateral orchidectomy, <6 months of concurrent metformin use and ADT, or missing baseline HbA1c were excluded. Metformin users had ≥180 days of concurrent metformin use and ADT, while non-users had no concurrent metformin use and ADT or never used metformin. The primary outcome was PCa-related mortality. The secondary outcome was all-cause mortality. The study used inverse probability treatment weighting to balance covariates. RESULTS: The analyzed cohort consisted of 1971 patients (1284 metformin users and 687 non-users; mean age 76.2 ± 7.8 years). Over a mean follow-up of 4.1 ± 3.2 years, metformin users had significantly lower risks of PCa-related mortality (weighted hazard ratio [wHR]: 0.49 [95% confidence interval, CI:  0.39-0.61], p < 0.001) and all-cause mortality (wHR 0.53 [0.46-0.61], p < 0.001), independent of diabetic control or status of chronic kidney disease. Such effects appeared stronger in patients with less advanced PCa, which is reflected by the absence of androgen receptor antagonist or chemotherapy use (p value for interaction: 0.017 for PCa-related mortality; 0.048 for all-cause mortality). CONCLUSIONS: Metformin use concurrent with ADT was associated with lower risks of mortality in Asian, diabetic patients with PCa.

Temporal trends in cardiovascular burden among patients with prostate cancer receiving androgen deprivation therapy: a population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Although androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is associated with cardiovascular risks, the extent and temporal trends of cardiovascular burden amongst patients with prostate cancer receiving ADT are unclear. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study analyzed adults with PCa receiving ADT between 1993-2021 in Hong Kong, with follow-up until 31/9/2021 for the primary outcome of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; composite of cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure), and the secondary outcome of mortality. Patients were stratified into four groups by the year of ADT initiation for comparisons. RESULTS: Altogether, 13,537 patients were included (mean age 75.5 ± 8.5 years old; mean follow-up 4.7 ± 4.3 years). More recent recipients of ADT had more cardiovascular risk factors and used more cardiovascular or antidiabetic medications. More recent recipients of ADT had higher risk of MACE (most recent (2015-2021) vs least recent (1993-2000) group: hazard ratio 1.33 [1.11, 1.59], P = 0.002; Ptrend < 0.001), but lower risk of mortality (hazard ratio 0.76 [0.70, 0.83], P < 0.001; Ptrend < 0.001). The 5-year risk of MACE and mortality for the most recent group were 22.5% [20.9%, 24.2%] and 52.9% [51.3%, 54.6%], respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiovascular risk factors were increasingly prevalent amongst patients with prostate cancer receiving ADT, with increasing risk of MACE despite decreasing mortality.

Observational UK cohort study to describe intermittent oral corticosteroid prescribing patterns and their association with adverse outcomes in asthma.

INTRODUCTION: Oral corticosteroids (OCS) for asthma are associated with increased risks of developing adverse outcomes (adverse outcomes); no previous study has focused exclusively on intermittent OCS use. METHODS: This historical (2008-2019) UK cohort study using primary care medical records from two anonymised, real-life databases (OPCRD and CPRD) included patients aged≥4 years with asthma receiving only intermittent OCS. Patients were indexed on their first recorded intermittent OCS prescription for asthma and categorised by OCS prescribing patterns: one-off (single), less frequent (≥90 day gap) and frequent (<90 day gap). Non-OCS patients matched 1:1 on gender, age and index date served as controls. The association of OCS prescribing patterns with OCS-related AO risk was studied, stratified by age, Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) 2020 treatment step, and pre index inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and short-acting ß2-agonist (SABA) prescriptions using a multivariable Cox-proportional hazard model. FINDINGS: Of 476 167 eligible patients, 41.7%, 26.8% and 31.6% had one-off, less frequent and frequent intermittent OCS prescribing patterns, respectively. Risk of any AO increased with increasingly frequent patterns of intermittent OCS versus non-OCS (HR; 95% CI: one-off 1.19 (1.18 to 1.20), less frequent 1.35 (1.34 to 1.36), frequent 1.42 (1.42 to 1.43)), and was consistent across age, GINA treatment step and ICS and SABA subgroups. The highest risks of individual OCS-related adverse outcomes with increasingly frequent OCS were for pneumonia and sleep apnoea. CONCLUSION: A considerable proportion of patients with asthma receiving intermittent OCS experienced a frequent prescribing pattern. Increasingly frequent OCS prescribing patterns were associated with higher risk of OCS-related adverse outcomes. Mitigation strategies are needed to minimise intermittent OCS prescription in primary care.

Machine Learning in Cardio-Oncology: New Insights from an Emerging Discipline.

A growing body of evidence on a wide spectrum of adverse cardiac events following oncologic therapies has led to the emergence of cardio-oncology as an increasingly relevant interdisciplinary specialty. This also calls for better risk-stratification for patients undergoing cancer treatment. Machine learning (ML), a popular branch discipline of artificial intelligence that tackles complex big data problems by identifying interaction patterns among variables, has seen increasing usage in cardio-oncology studies for risk stratification. The objective of this comprehensive review is to outline the application of ML approaches in cardio-oncology, including deep learning, artificial neural networks, random forest and summarize the cardiotoxicity identified by ML. The current literature shows that ML has been applied for the prediction, diagnosis and treatment of cardiotoxicity in cancer patients. In addition, role of ML in gender and racial disparities for cardiac outcomes and potential future directions of cardio-oncology are discussed. It is essential to establish dedicated multidisciplinary teams in the hospital and educate medical professionals to become familiar and proficient in ML in the future.

Triglyceride-glucose index and the risk of heart failure: Evidence from two large cohorts and a mendelian randomization analysis.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, an emerging marker of insulin resistance, and the risk of incident heart failure (HF) was unclear. This study thus aimed to investigate this relationship. METHODS: Subjects without prevalent cardiovascular diseases from the prospective Kailuan cohort (recruited during 2006-2007) and a retrospective cohort of family medicine patients from Hong Kong (recruited during 2000-2003) were followed up until December 31st, 2019 for the outcome of incident HF. Separate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) summarizing the relationship between TyG index and HF risk in the two cohorts were combined using a random-effect meta-analysis. Additionally, a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) of published genome-wide association study data was performed to assess the causality of observed associations. RESULTS: In total, 95,996 and 19,345 subjects from the Kailuan and Hong Kong cohorts were analyzed, respectively, with 2,726 cases of incident HF in the former and 1,709 in the latter. Subjects in the highest quartile of TyG index had the highest risk of incident HF in both cohorts (Kailuan: aHR 1.23 (95% confidence interval: 1.09-1.39), PTrend <0.001; Hong Kong: aHR 1.21 (1.04-1.40), PTrend =0.007; both compared with the lowest quartile). Meta-analysis showed similar results (highest versus lowest quartile: HR 1.22 (1.11-1.34), P < 0.001). Findings from MR analysis, which included 47,309 cases and 930,014 controls, supported a causal relationship between higher TyG index and increased risk of HF (odds ratio 1.27 (1.15-1.40), P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: A higher TyG index is an independent and causal risk factor for incident HF in the general population. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.chictr.org.cn ; Unique identifier: ChiCTR-TNRC-11,001,489.

Risk of New-Onset Prostate Cancer for Metformin Versus Sulfonylurea Use in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Propensity Score-Matched Study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare the risks of new-onset prostate cancer between metformin and sulfonylurea users with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: This population-based retrospective cohort study included male patients with T2DM presenting to public hospitals/clinics in Hong Kong between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2009. We only included patients prescribed either, but not both, metformin or sulfonylurea. All patients were followed up until December 31, 2019. The primary outcome was new-onset prostate cancer and the secondary outcome was all-cause mortality. One-to-one propensity score matching was performed between metformin and sulfonylurea users based on demographics, comorbidities, antidiabetic and cardiovascular medications, fasting blood glucose level, and hemoglobin A1c level. Subgroup analyses based on age and use of androgen deprivation therapy were performed. RESULTS: The final study cohort consisted of 25,695 metformin users (mean [SD] age, 65.2 [11.8] years) and 25,695 matched sulfonylurea users (mean [SD] age, 65.3 [11.8] years) with a median follow-up duration of 119.6 months (interquartile range, 91.7-139.6 months) after 1:1 propensity score matching of 66,411 patients. Metformin users had lower risks of new-onset prostate cancer (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.69-0.93; P=.0031) and all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.86-0.92; P<.0001) than sulfonylurea users. Metformin use was more protective against prostate cancer but less protective against all-cause mortality in patients aged <65 years (P for trend <.0001 for both) compared with patients aged ≥65 years. Metformin users had lower risk of all-cause mortality than sulfonylurea users, regardless of the use of androgen deprivation therapy (P for trend <.0001) among patients who developed prostate cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Metformin use was associated with significantly lower risks of new-onset prostate cancer and all-cause mortality than sulfonylurea use in male patients with T2DM.

Arrhythmias and Conduction Disturbances in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis-A Systematic Literature Review.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterized by skin and internal organ fibrosis and microvascular impairment, which can affect major organs, including the heart. Arrhythmias are responsible for approximately 6% of deaths in patients with SSc, and mainly occur due to myocardial fibrosis, which causes electrical inhomogeneity. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of arrhythmias and conduction disturbances in SSc cohorts, and to identify the characteristics and risk factors associated with the occurrence of dysrhythmias in patients with SSc. A systematic literature review using PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Scopus databases was performed. Full-text articles in English with arrhythmias as the main topic published until 21 April 2022 were included. Most prevalent arrhythmias were premature supraventricular and ventricular contractions, while the most frequent conduction disturbance was represented by right bundle branch block (RBBB). Elevated concentrations of N-terminal prohormones of brain natriuretic peptides (NT-pro BNP) were associated with numerous types of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, and with the occurrence of RBBB. A lower value of the turbulence slope (TS) emerged as an independent predictor for ventricular arrhythmias. In conclusion, dysrhythmias are frequent in SSc cohorts. Paraclinical and laboratory parameters are useful instruments that could lead to early diagnosis in the course of the disease.

The COVID-19 ibuprofen controversy: A systematic review of NSAIDs in adult acute lower respiratory tract infections.

AIMS: In light of the recent safety concerns relating to NSAID use in COVID-19, we sought to evaluate cardiovascular and respiratory complications in patients taking NSAIDs during acute lower respiratory tract infections. METHODS: We carried out a systematic review of randomised controlled trials and observational studies. Studies of adult patients with short-term NSAID use during acute lower respiratory tract infections, including bacterial and viral infections, were included. Primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were cardiovascular, renal and respiratory complications. RESULTS: In total, eight studies including two randomised controlled trials, three retrospective and three prospective observational studies enrolling 44 140 patients were included. Five of the studies were in patients with pneumonia, two in patients with influenza, and one in a patient with acute bronchitis. Meta-analysis was not possible due to significant heterogeneity. There was a trend towards a reduction in mortality and an increase in pleuro-pulmonary complications. However, all studies exhibited high risks of bias, primarily due to lack of adjustment for confounding variables. Cardiovascular outcomes were not reported by any of the included studies. CONCLUSION: In this systematic review of NSAID use during acute lower respiratory tract infections in adults, we found that the existing evidence for mortality, pleuro-pulmonary complications and rates of mechanical ventilation or organ failure is of extremely poor quality, very low certainty and should be interpreted with caution. Mechanistic and clinical studies addressing the captioned subject are urgently needed, especially in relation to COVID-19.

Continuous Infusion Versus Intermittent Boluses of Furosemide in Acute Heart Failure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Acute heart failure is a common cause of hospital admission. This study aims to compare continuous infusion and intermittent boluses of furosemide in treating acute heart failure. METHODS: Electronic searches were performed on PubMed, Medline, Scopus, and EMBASE. English articles comparing intermittent boluses and continuous infusion of furosemide in treating acute heart failure were included. Non-comparative studies or articles, and articles that did not report specific data for acute heart failure patients were excluded. Primary endpoints included post-treatment daily urine output, weight, length of stay, and serum sodium, potassium, and creatinine. Secondary endpoints included other pre-treatment and treatment variables. Post hoc trial sequential analysis (TSA) was performed on selected variables. RESULTS: Ten randomized controlled trials were included with a total of 735 patients (371 with intermittent boluses and 364 with continuous infusion). Mean daily urine output (P < .001) and weight loss (P = .04) were significantly higher in the continuous infusion group. Other variables were not significantly different between the two groups. TSA showed that current evidence is sufficient to draw the above conclusions about mean daily urine output, but more studies were required to compare the 2 regimens in terms of weight loss. CONCLUSION: Choice of furosemide regime in acute heart failure remains physician preference. Both bolus and continuous infusion yields satisfactory outcomes.

General Anesthesia Versus Local Anesthesia in Carotid Endarterectomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The choice of anesthetic technique in carotid endarterectomy (CEA) has been controversial. This study compared the outcomes of general anesthesia (GA) and local anesthesia (LA) in CEA. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis of comparative studies. SETTING: Hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: Adult patients undergoing CEA with either LA or GA. INTERVENTIONS: The effects of GA and LA on CEA outcomes were compared. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: PubMed, OVID, Scopus, and Embase were searched to June 2018. Thirty-one studies with 152,376 patients were analyzed. A random effect model was used, and heterogeneity was assessed with the I2 and chi-square tests. LA was associated with shorter surgical time (weighted mean difference -9.15 min [-15.55 to -2.75]; p = 0.005) and less stroke (odds ratio [OR] 0.76 [0.62-0.92]; p = 0.006), cardiac complications (OR 0.59 [0.47-0.73]; p < 0.00001), and in-hospital mortality (OR 0.72 [0.59-0.90]; p = 0.003). Transient neurologic deficit rates were similar (OR 0.69 [0.46-1.04]; p = 0.07). Heterogeneity was significant for surgical time (I2 = 0.99, chi-square = 1,336.04; p < 0.00001), transient neurologic deficit (I2 = 0.41, chi-square = 28.81; p = 0.04), and cardiac complications (I2 = 0.42, chi-square = 43.32; p = 0.01) but not for stroke (I2 = 0.22, chi-square = 30.72; p = 0.16) and mortality (I2 = 0.00, chi-square = 21.69; p = 0.65). Randomized controlled trial subgroup analysis was performed, and all the aforementioned variables were not significantly different or heterogenous. CONCLUSION: The results from this study showed no inferiority of using LA to GA in patients undergoing CEA. Future investigations should be reported more systematically, preferably with randomization or propensity-matched analysis, and thus registries will facilitate investigation of this subject. Anesthetic choice in CEA should be individualized and encouraged where applicable.

The Future of Open Heart Surgery in the Era of Robotic and Minimal Surgical Interventions.

It has been over two decades since the very first robotic cardiac surgery was performed. Over the years, there has been an increase in the demand for less invasive cardiac surgical techniques. Developments in technology and engineering have provided an opportunity for robotic surgery to be applied to a variety of cardiac procedures, including coronary revascularisation, mitral valve surgery, atrial fibrillation ablation, and others. In coronary revascularisation, it is becoming more widely used in single vessel, as well as hybrid coronary artery approaches. Currently, several international centres are specialising in a totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass surgery involving multiple vessels. Mitral valve and other intracardiac pathologies such as atrial septal defect and intracardiac tumour are also increasingly being addressed robotically. Even though some studies have shown good results with robot-assisted cardiac surgery, there are still concerns about safety, cost and clinical efficacy. There are also limitations and additional challenges with the management of cardiopulmonary bypass and myocardial protection during robotic surgery. Implementing novel strategies to manage these challenges, together with careful patient selection can go a long way to producing satisfactory results. This review examines the current evidence behind robotic surgery in various aspects of cardiac surgery.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of acute type B thoracic aortic dissection, open, or endovascular repair.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare perioperative and mortality outcomes of endovascular aortic repair against open repair in acute type B thoracic aortic dissection. METHODS: A comprehensive search was undertaken among the four major databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Ovid) to identify all published data comparing open vs endovascular repair in management of acute type B aortic dissection. Databases where evaluated and assessed to July 2017. The 95% confidence intervals were analyzed from the extracted data using relevant statistical methods. RESULTS: Overall, 18,193 patients were found in a combination of nine studies. Patients undergoing open repair were younger (mean, 61.3 ± 9.3 years vs 66.6 ± 12.5 years; P < .00001). Postoperative stroke and paraplegia were similar in both groups (P = .71 and P = .81 respectively); however, the rate of all neurologic complications were more common in the traditional open repair group (6.9% vs 4.8%; P = .006). The all-cause operative and 1-year death was reported as higher in the open repair group (18.6% vs 7.4% [P < .0001] and 24.3% vs 14.3% [P < .0001], respectively); however, at 5 years this rate is almost similar between both groups (46.7% vs 49.7%; P = .21). At 1 year, the rate of reintervention was reported to be higher in endovascular repair group of patients (15.4% vs 5.5%; P = .004). CONCLUSIONS: This study concludes that endovascular repair, in the setting of acute type B thoracic aortic dissection, provides an early surgical benefit; however, this finding has not yet been supported by long-term data. There seems to be a benefit with respect to all-neurologic events in favor of endovascular repair. Long-term comparative data and studies are required to give a better understanding of these two approaches.

Aortic valve repair or replacement in patients with aortic regurgitation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically compare clinical outcomes between aortic valve repair and replacement in patients with aortic regurgitation. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was undertaken among the four major databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Ovid) to identify all published data comparing clinical outcomes of aortic valve repair vs replacement. Database searched from inception to November 2018. RESULTS: A total of 1071 patients were analyzed in eight articles. Mean age was similar in both groups of patients (47.2 ± 12.8 vs 48.3 ± 12.7 years, P = 0.83, aortic valve repair and replacement, respectively). The preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction was better in the repair group (56.7% ± 4.8 vs 53.3% ± 4.2, P = 0.005). The rate of moderate-to-severe regurgitation and bicuspid aortic valve were similar in both cohorts (81% vs 78%, P = 0.90% and 58% vs 55%, P = 0.46). In-hospital and 1-year mortality was lower in repair cohort, although not reaching statistical significance (1.3% vs 3.6%, P = 0.12; 5.9% vs 9.3%, P = 0.77). Reoperation rate was higher in repair patients at 1 year (8.8% vs 3.7%, P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Aortic valve repair offers comparable perioperative outcomes to aortic valve replacement in aortic regurgitation patients at the expense of higher late reintervention rate. Larger trials with long-term follow-up are required to confirm the long-term benefits of aortic valve repair.

Concomitant severe carotid and coronary artery diseases: a separate management or concomitant approach.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically compare outcomes between patients with asymptomatic carotid artery diseases (>80% stenosis) that had undergone staged carotid endarterectomy (CEA) before coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) vs simultaneous CEA and CABG. METHODS: A comprehensive electronic search of MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE, and Ovid from their inception up till August 2018 was performed to identify all studies comparing staged CEA followed by CABG to simultaneous CEA and CABG. Primary outcome measure was postoperative stroke, and secondary measures were myocardial infarction (MI) and 30-day mortality rates. RESULTS: A total of 67 953 patients were analyzed from 11 articles. There was higher rate of previous stroke in the staged cohort (2.64% vs 2.32%; odds ratio [OR], 0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI; 0.66, 0.99]; P = .040). There was no difference in previous MI (P = .57) or unstable angina (P = .08) among both cohorts. Postoperatively, there were higher stroke rates (3.64% vs 2.83%; OR, 0.72; 95% CI [0.62-0.89]; P < .0001), operative mortality (4.32% vs 3.58%; OR, 0.90; 95% CI [0.83-0.98]; P = .02), and 30-day mortality (4.40% vs 3.58%; OR, 0.86; 95% CI [0.78-0.96]; P = .006) in the simultaneous cohort. However, length of stay was significantly shorter in the simultaneous cohort (11.9 days vs 12.6 days; weighted mean difference 3.14 [0.77-5.51]; P = .009). There were no significant differences in 1-year mortality (P = .33), MI rates (P = .08), and rates of transient neurological deficits (P = .06). CONCLUSION: The results from this study favors staged CEA with CABG with lower incidence of postoperative stroke, operative, and 30-day mortality. A larger study, ideally a randomized controlled trial, is required to address the superiority of each technique.

Current challenges in open versus endovascular repair of ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysm.

A ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysm is considered a surgical emergency; it is often fatal if it is not identified and managed immediately. Since the recognition of this clinical entity, open surgical repair has been the "gold standard" method of management. However, open surgical repair is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Among high-risk patients and as an alternative, thoracic endovascular repairs have since transpired, aiming to reduce the morbidity and mortality rates associated with open repair in a number of patients. The results of both treatment options are debatable, yet there is not a full concurrence on the advantages of endovascular repair in comparison to open repair as the gold standard method of managing such emergency cases, particularly ruptures involving the ascending and aortic arch. This literature review aimed to examine current literature evidence for the use of open or endovascular repair in the emergency setting of a ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysm.

Innominate artery cannulation in aortic surgery: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: The innominate artery is considered an alternative site for establishing cardiopulmonary bypass in surgical procedures involving the thoracic aorta. This systematic review examines the use of innominate artery cannulation in aortic surgery. METHODS: A systematic literature search was undertaken among the four major databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Ovid) to identify all studies that utilized innominate artery cannulation for establishing cardiopulmonary bypass and providing cerebral perfusion in thoracic aortic surgery. The data were reviewed up to September 2018. RESULTS: Acute type A aortic dissection contributed to 36% (n = 818) of the total 2,290 patients. 31.5% (n = 719) underwent surgery on the aortic root only; 54.5% (n = 1246) had ascending and hemi-arch replacement, while 11.5% had total aortic arch replacement and 2.5% had a frozen elephant trunk inserted. Postoperative stroke rate was 1.25% (n = 28), temporary neurological deficit was 4.8% (n = 111). All-cause 30-day mortality rate was 2.7% (n = 61). CONCLUSION: Innominate artery cannulation is a safe technique in patients who undergo thoracic aortic surgery. It can be utilized, in selected cases, as a reliable route for establishing cardiopulmonary bypass and maintaining cerebral perfusion.