[Vascular Prosthesis Perforation Caused by a Stent Graft Inserted into the Innominate Artery after Total Aortic Arch Replacement].

The patient was a 60-year-old woman who underwent thoracoabdominal aorta replacement for type B aortic dissection three years ago and aortic root replacement and total aortic arch replacement due to asymptomatic type A aortic dissection two years previously. Her clinical course was uneventful until follow-up computed tomography (CT) disclosed anastomotic insufficiency in the innominate artery and left main coronary artery stenosis owing to hematoma. Emergent percutaneous coronary intervention and stent graft insertion into the innominate artery were performed successfully. Seven months later, however, CT scan revealed a perforation in the posterior wall of the artificial graft damaged by the edge of the implanted stent graft. The patient underwent open surgery and perforation of artificial graft was sutured and redundant stent graft edge was resected. Artificial graft damage by stent graft placement is rare to date, but may increase in the future in accordance with broader application of endovascular treatment.

Randomized clinical trial of an elastomeric sealant for hemostasis in thoracic aortic surgery.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of a newly developed elastomeric sealant, which does not require any blood coagulation system to exert its effect, during thoracic aortic surgery. METHODS: This is a multicenter, randomized study conducted in six hospitals in Japan. A total of 81 patients undergoing replacement surgery of a thoracic aortic aneurysm using cardiopulmonary bypass were randomized with a ratio of 2-:1 for those patients designated to receive the sealant (Group S, 54 patients) or those without the usage of the sealant (Group C, 27 patients). The primary endpoints were bleeding from each anastomosis at two time points: (1) immediately before applying protamine and (2) 15 min after applying protamine. The patients were followed for 6 months. RESULTS: The number of anastomoses checked for bleeding was 196 in Group S and 117 in Group C. Before protamine sulfate administration, complete hemostasis was obtained in 155 anastomoses (79%) in Group S compared to 45 anastomoses (38%) in Group C (p < 0.001). Fifteen minutes after the administration of protamine sulfate infusion, bleeding stopped completely in 173 anastomoses (88%) in Group S and in 71 anastomoses (61%, p < 0.001) in Group C. Between the two groups, there were no marked differences in the patient background or in the incidence of major adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: The sealant is effective in achieving hemostasis, even under fully heparinized conditions. The novel sealant is safe and effective in thoracic aortic surgery, one of the most demanding surgical situations for hemostasis.

Leaflet escape in an Edwards TEKNA mitral prosthesis.

In almost every type of artificial valve, structural failure has been described. We are reporting on a case of a sudden leaflet escape of an Edwards TEKNA mitral valve prosthesis 12 years after implantation. The patient had a sudden onset of dyspnea and severe pulmonary edema with subsequent cardiogenic shock. An emergency mitral replacement was successfully performed. A multi-detector computed tomography scanning and three-dimensional imaging showed two fragments that had embolized in the terminal aorta and the left common iliac artery. The patient presented visual field abnormality, and postoperative head computed tomography showed watershed cerebral infarction. The escaped leaflet that fractured transversely was removed, following the patient's recovery, during cardiac surgery.

Analysis of gender-based differences among surgeons in Japan: results of a survey conducted by the Japan Surgical Society. Part 1: Working style.

PURPOSE: To assess the working styles of men and women working as surgeons in Japan. METHODS: In July, 2014, the Japan Surgical Society invited all their members (n = 29,861), through an internet campaign, to participate in a nationwide survey of surgeons. The items investigated in this descriptive study included demographic information and working styles, based on a questionnaire. RESULTS: In total, 6211 surgeons participated (response rate 20.8%, 5586 men and 625 women). The largest age stratum was 40-49 years for men and 30-39 years for women. Overall, respondents identified their labor contract, including salary and work hours, as the highest priority for improvement. Women with children were more likely to be part-time employees, work fewer hours, and take fewer house calls/on-calls than their male counterparts. Moreover, women of all ages earned a lower annual income than men, irrespective of whether they had children. Perception scores for discrimination related to work and promotion were significantly higher among women than men (p < 0.01 and p = 0.011, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: A significant difference in working style was observed between men and women working as surgeons in Japan.

Analysis of gender-based differences among surgeons in Japan: results of a survey conducted by the Japan Surgical Society. Part. 2: personal life.

PURPOSE: To assess the true conditions and perceptions of the personal lives of men and women working as surgeons in Japan. METHODS: In 2014, all e-mail subscribed members of the Japan Surgical Society (JSS, n = 29,861) were invited to complete a web-based survey. The questions covered demographic information, work environment, and personal life (including marital status, childcare, and nursing care for adult family members). RESULTS: In total, 6211 surgeons (5586 men and 625 women) returned the questionnaires, representing a response rate of 20.8%. Based on the questionnaire responses, surgeons generally prioritize work and spend most of their time at work, although women with children prioritize their family over work; men spend significantly fewer hours on domestic work/childcare than do their female counterparts (men 0.76 h/day vs. women 2.93 h/day, p < 0.01); and both men and women surgeons, regardless of their age or whether they have children, place more importance on the role of women in the family. CONCLUSIONS: The personal lives of Japanese surgeons differed significantly according to gender and whether they have children. The conservative idea that women should bear primary responsibility for the family still pertains for both men and women working as surgeons in Japan.

Programmed death-ligand 1 expression is associated with fibrosarcomatous transformation of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans.

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a locally invading tumor, characterized by the presence of the collagen type I α 1 (COL1A1)-platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) ß fusion gene. We herein report the case of a 31-year-old man with a history of resection of an abdominal wall DFSP. The patient presented with chest pain and a computed tomography scan revealed a large mass in the posterior mediastinum and another mass in the right lung. The mediastinal mass was a sarcomatous lesion expressing the COL1A1-PDGFß fusion gene, suggesting that it represented a metastasis of the DFSP following fibrosarcomatous (FS) transformation. Following resection of the mediastinal metastasis and subsequent radiotherapy, the mass in the right lung was also resected. Due to the emergence of pleural and pancreatic tail metastases, the patient was treated with a combination therapy of adriamycin and ifosfamide. After five courses, the disease progressed and the patient was subsequently treated with pazopanib for ~2 months until further progression. Three years after the diagnosis of the mediastinal metastasis of DFSP, the patient was referred to another hospital for palliative care. The expression of programmed cell death 1 ligand (PD-L1) in the primary and metastatic tumors was investigated: PD-L1 expression was detected in the metastasis but not in the primary tumor. Given that the metastatic tumor exhibited FS transformation (DFSP-FS), PD-L1 expression may be induced by FS transformation, contributing to the metastasis through escape from immune surveillance. Further investigation of the PD-L1 pathway in DFSP and DFSP-FS in primary as well as metastatic sites is required to evaluate the clinical efficacy of therapies targeting the PD-L1 signaling cascade.

Japanese Multicenter Outcomes With the HeartMate II Left Ventricular Assist Device in Patients With Small Body Surface Area.

BACKGROUND: The HeartMate II (HMII) continuous-flow LVAD was approved for Japanese health insurance coverage in April 2013 as a bridge to transplantation (BTT). We report on post-approval Japanese multicenter outcomes, and a comparison between patients with low and high body surface area (BSA). METHODS AND RESULTS: HMII LVAD was implanted in 104 consecutive patients at 15 Japanese centers between April 2013 and July 2014. Perioperative data were submitted to the Japanese Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support. Patients were divided into 2 groups on the basis of BSA less or greater than 1.5 m(2). Survival outcomes, New York Heart Association functional class, and adverse event rates were compared between the 2 groups. Preoperative hemodynamics and INTERMACS profiles were similar between groups. There were more females and younger patients in the low BSA group. The respective 6-month and 1-year death- or pump exchange-free survival rates were excellent: 90% and 90% in the BSA <1.5 group vs. 90% and 85% in the BSA ≥1.5 group. In the BSA <1.5 group, occurrence of hemorrhagic stroke was 10% and occurrence of embolic stroke was 0%, vs. 12% and 8% in BSA ≥1.5 group. Driveline infection was encountered more frequently in the BSA <1.5 group. CONCLUSIONS: Results for HMII LVAD as BTT in the post-approval era showed excellent survival and functional capacity improvement. Of particular interest to the Japanese patient population are the excellent results in patients with small BSA. (Circ J 2016; 80: 1931-1936).

Primary Cardiac T-Cell Lymphoma Localized in the Mitral Valve.

Primary cardiac lymphoma is a rare cardiac tumor, and usually originates from B cells and involves the right side of the heart. We present an extremely rare case of primary cardiac T-cell lymphoma involving the mitral valve alone. A 58-year-old woman who was positive for human T-cell leukemia virus 1 underwent mitral valve replacement because of severe mitral regurgitation. The postoperative pathologic diagnosis of the mitral valve was T-cell lymphoma. Further evaluation revealed no malignancy, except for the mitral valve. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of primary cardiac T-cell lymphoma localized in the mitral valve.

Suturing the gender gap: Income, marriage, and parenthood among Japanese Surgeons.

BACKGROUND: In Japan, gender inequality between males and females in the medical profession still exists. We examined gender gaps in surgeons' incomes. METHODS: Among 8,316 surgeons who participated in a 2012 survey by the Japan Surgical Society, 546 women and 1,092 men within the same postgraduation year were selected randomly with a female-to-male sampling ratio of 1:2 (mean age, 36 years; mean time since graduation, 10.6 years). RESULTS: Average annual income was 9.2 million JPY for women and 11.3 million JPY for men (P < .0001). A general linear regression model showed that the average income of men remained 1.5 million JPY greater after adjusting for gender, age, marital status, number of children, number of beds, current position, and working hours (Model 1). In Model 2, in which 2 statistical interaction terms between annual income and gender with marital status and number of children were added together with variables in Model 1, both interactions became significant, and the gender effect became nonsignificant. For men, average annual income increased by 1.1 million JPY (P < .0001) when they were married and by 0.36 million JPY per child (P = .0014). In contrast, for women, annual income decreased by 0.73 million JPY per child (P = .0005). CONCLUSIONS: Male surgeons earn more than female surgeons, even after adjusting for other factors that influenced a surgeon's salary. In addition, married men earn more than unmarried men, but no such trend is observed for women. Furthermore, as the number of children increases, annual income increases for men but decreases for women.

Transgenic Expression of the Formin Protein Fhod3 Selectively in the Embryonic Heart: Role of Actin-Binding Activity of Fhod3 and Its Sarcomeric Localization during Myofibrillogenesis.

Fhod3 is a cardiac member of the formin family proteins that play pivotal roles in actin filament assembly in various cellular contexts. The targeted deletion of mouse Fhod3 gene leads to defects in cardiogenesis, particularly during myofibrillogenesis, followed by lethality at embryonic day (E) 11.5. However, it remains largely unknown how Fhod3 functions during myofibrillogenesis. In this study, to assess the mechanism whereby Fhod3 regulates myofibrillogenesis during embryonic cardiogenesis, we generated transgenic mice expressing Fhod3 selectively in embryonic cardiomyocytes under the control of the ß-myosin heavy chain (MHC) promoter. Mice expressing wild-type Fhod3 in embryonic cardiomyocytes survive to adulthood and are fertile, whereas those expressing Fhod3 (I1127A) defective in binding to actin die by E11.5 with cardiac defects. This cardiac phenotype of the Fhod3 mutant embryos is almost identical to that observed in Fhod3 null embryos, suggesting that the actin-binding activity of Fhod3 is crucial for embryonic cardiogenesis. On the other hand, the ß-MHC promoter-driven expression of wild-type Fhod3 sufficiently rescues cardiac defects of Fhod3-null embryos, indicating that the Fhod3 protein expressed in a transgenic manner can function properly to achieve myofibril maturation in embryonic cardiomyocytes. Using the transgenic mice, we further examined detailed localization of Fhod3 during myofibrillogenesis in situ and found that Fhod3 localizes to the specific central region of nascent sarcomeres prior to massive rearrangement of actin filaments and remains there throughout myofibrillogenesis. Taken together, the present findings suggest that, during embryonic cardiogenesis, Fhod3 functions as the essential reorganizer of actin filaments at the central region of maturating sarcomeres via the actin-binding activity of the FH2 domain.

Disuse Atrophy of the Aortic Valve After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation.

A 31-year-old woman underwent implantation of a DuraHeart left ventricular assist device as bridge to transplantation. Aortic insufficiency was not observed before implantation but developed after implantation and became severe approximately 2 years later. Macroscopically, the aortic valve excised during heart transplantation showed no morphologic alteration. Microscopically, the collagen fibers in the fibrosa layer and the elastic fibers in the ventricularis layer of the valve leaflets were reduced in number, with irregular arrangement. These characteristics can be explained by a disuse atrophic change, and may lead to a better understanding of the mechanism underlying the development of aortic insufficiency.

Subacute pulmonary embolism in a hemodialysis patient, successfully treated with surgical thrombectomy.

A 53-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a 1-month history of gradually progressive resting dyspnea and lumbar backache. For the preceding 6 years, she had received regular hemodialysis for end-stage renal disease caused by autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease and had taken tamoxifen for 3 years as post-operative chemotherapy for breast cancer. Before admission, the patient's symptoms had been attributed to volume overload, based on right thoracic fluid and leg edema. However, despite volume correction by dialysis therapy, her symptoms had not improved. The patient was transferred to our hospital, where she was diagnosed with subacute pulmonary embolism (PE). Emergent pulmonary thrombectomy was performed using cardio-pulmonary bypass. The patient was discharged from our hospital on post-operative day 23. Recent reports have shown that hemodialysis patients have a relatively higher risk of PE compared with the general population. Our case had additional risk factors for PE: female sex, decreased protein C level, tamoxifen use, and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. These factors may have had a synergistic effect on the onset of PE.

Preliminary report on the cost effectiveness of ventricular assist devices.

The aim of the present study was to perform a cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) of ventricular assist devices (VAD) implantation surgery in the Japanese medical reimbursement system. The study group consisted of thirty-seven patients who had undergone VAD implantation surgery for dilated cardiomyopathy (n = 25; 67.6 %) or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (n = 4; 10.8 %), and others (n = 8; 21.6 %). Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were calculated using the utility score and years of life. Medical reimbursement bills were chosen as cost indices. The observation period was the 12-month period after surgery. Then, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was calculated according to the VAD type. In addition, the prognosis after 36 months was estimated on the basis of the results obtained using the Markov chain model. The mean preoperative INTERMACS profile score was 2.35 ± 0.77. Our results showed that the utility score, which indicates the effectiveness of VAD implantation surgery, improved by 0.279 ± 0.188 (ΔQALY, p < 0.05). The cost of VAD implantation surgery was 313,282 ± 25,275 (ΔUS$/year) on the basis of medical reimbursement bills associated with therapeutic interventions. The calculated result of CEA was 364,501 ± 190,599 (ΔUS$/QALY). The improvement in the utility score was greater for implantable versus extracorporeal VADs (0.233 ± 0.534 vs. 0.371 ± 0.238) and ICER was 303,104 (ΔUS$/ΔQALY). Furthermore, when we estimated CEA for 36 months, the expected baseline value was 102,712 (US$/QALY). Therefore, VAD implantation surgery was cost effective considering the disease specificities.

Long-term results after treatment of the ascending aorta for bicuspid aortic valve patients.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the long-term results of aortic valve replacement for bicuspid aortic valve patients with or without surgical treatment of the ascending aorta. METHODS: A total of 145 bicuspid aortic valve patients had undergone aortic valve replacement since 1974 at our institution. No surgical treatment (Group-N; n = 115) was performed in the ascending aorta if the diameter was less than 40 mm. We wrapped an ascending aorta of 40-50 mm with an artificial graft (Group-W; n = 19), and performed replacement (Group-R; n = 11) if the ascending aorta measured more than 50 mm. Follow-up was completed for 144 patients (99.3 % of the cases). RESULTS: The hospital mortality rate was 1.4 %. There were no significant differences among Groups N, W and R in the freedom from valve-related death and cardiac death at 10 years after surgery. The rates of freedom from aorta-related events in the three groups at 10 years after surgery were 98.3 % (Group-N), 100 % (Group-W) and 100 % (Group-R). CONCLUSIONS: The long-term survival was equivalent among the three groups, and the rates of freedom from aorta-related death or events were low. Our surgical protocol for the treatment of the enlarged ascending aorta associated with BAV is appropriate.

Jarvik 2000 axial-flow ventricular assist device placement to a systemic morphologic right ventricle in congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries.

Few descriptions of the implantation and management of an implantable ventricular assist device in patients with complex congenital heart disease exist in the literature. The Jarvik 2000 axial-flow ventricular assist device (Jarvik Heart, Inc., NYC, NY, USA) can be placed in either the left or the right ventricle. We present the case of a 60-year-old man with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries who underwent successful placement of a Jarvik 2000 axial-flow ventricular assist device in a systemic morphologic right ventricle.

Left ventricular pacing can be a complementary solution for systolic anterior motion after mitral valve plasty.

A 54-year old man underwent redo mitral valve (MV) plasty because of recurrent mitral regurgitation (MR). Intraoperative transoesophageal echocardiography revealed severe MR and turbulent flow at the left ventricular (LV) outflow tract associated with systolic anterior motion of the MV. Various medical treatments, additional surgical correction, and atrial and right ventricular pacing had failed to resolve the MR associated with systolic anterior motion. LV pacing, however, markedly attenuated MR. Temporary LV pacing was discontinued on postoperative day 2, and subsequently MR associated with systolic anterior motion has not recurred. LV dyssynchrony resulting from conduction disturbances might cause systolic anterior motion immediately after MV plasty. We speculate that LV pacing eliminated LV dyssynchrony and improved the MR associated with systolic anterior motion. Temporary LV pacing can be performed easily and safely at the time of MV plasty. LV pacing can be a complementary treatment for systolic anterior motion and resultant MR.

Long-Term Comparison of Three Types of Aortic St. Jude Medical Mechanical Prosthesis in Japanese Patients.

BACKGROUND: The long-term results achieved with aortic St. Jude Medical (SJM) mechanical prostheses in various age groups of Japanese patients have not been previously compared or reported. METHODS AND RESULTS: Since 1981, a total of 240 SJM valves were implanted in 79 patients using the Standard model, in 58 patients with the Hemodynamic Plus model, and in 103 patients with the Regent model for aortic valve replacement (AVR). Follow-up was completed for 2,397 patient-years in 97.5% of the patients, among whom the effect of age was compared, and the subjects were divided into younger (<65 years) and older (≥65 years) groups. Hospital mortality rate was 2.5%. No structural valve deterioration was observed during the follow-up period. In addition, no significant differences were observed in long-term survival between the 3 models. In contrast, significantly better rates of freedom from all-cause death (P<0.0001), valve-related death (P=0.0018) and valve-related morbidity (P=0.0021), including bleeding events (P=0.0007), were observed in the younger group (n=157, 50.6±1.0 years old) than in the older group (n=83, 72.5±0.7 years old). CONCLUSIONS: All types of SJM valve used for single AVR achieved satisfactory early and long-term results in each age group even 25 years after surgery. When selecting this prosthesis for elderly patients, however, relatively worse performance may be expected compared with that observed in younger patients.