Relative Adrenal Insufficiency Is Associated With Prolonged Postoperative Hemodynamic Instability.

BACKGROUND: We assessed the hypothesis that a significant proportion of patients undergoing cardiac surgery have postoperative relative adrenal insufficiency (RAI), and that this puts them at higher risk of persistent hemodynamic instability. METHODS: A prospective study included 135 patients who underwent cardiac surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass between July 2006 and December 2007. Adrenal function was assessed 36 hours after surgery using a 1-µg cosyntropin (adrenocorticotropic hormone [ACTH]) stimulation test. Relative adrenal insufficiency was defined as a peak cortisol level inferior to 500 nmol/L or an increase in cortisol of less than 250 nmol/L, or both, compared with baseline. The primary endpoint was hemodynamic instability at 48 hours after surgery, defined as persistent requirement for any vasoactive drug. The secondary endpoint was long-term survival. RESULTS: Postoperative RAI was diagnosed in 75 patients (56%). Compared with patients who showed a normal response to the ACTH stimulation test, patients with RAI had significantly higher rates of hemodynamic instability at 48 hours (40% versus 22%, p = 0.03). On multivariable analysis, adrenal response to the ACTH test was a significant independent predictor of hemodynamic instability at 48 hours after surgery (odds ratio 1.06 [95% confidence interval: 1.02 to 1.11] per 10 nmol/L cortisol decrease; p = 0.002). At a mean follow-up of 8.3 ± 2.8 years, patients without perioperative RAI had survival equivalent to that of the general population, whereas patients with RAI had lower than expected survival. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative RAI is common among patients undergoing cardiac surgery and is associated with an increased risk of persistent hemodynamic instability.

Natural history of 40-50 mm root/ascending aortic aneurysms in the current era of dedicated thoracic aortic clinics.

OBJECTIVE: The natural history of root/ascending aortic aneurysms is based on studies from the 1980s to 1990s. Imaging and follow-up guidelines are based on these studies. Dedicated thoracic aortic clinics (TAC) ensure strict patient/imaging follow-up and tight blood pressure (BP) control. The aim of this study was to evaluate the natural history of medically treated root/ascending aortic aneurysms in the current era of dedicated TAC. METHOD: Two hundred and fifty-one patients with 40-50 mm root/ascending aneurysms (all other aortic segments of <40 mm) were identified through a prospective collected databank. Patients were followed in a dedicated TAC. Serial (12-18 months interval) thoraco-abdominal computed tomographies (CTs), tight BP control (24 h arterial blood pressure monitoring) and isometric and exercise BP monitoring were performed. RESULTS: The mean age was 65.4 ± 10.9 years; 29.5% of patients were female. Fifty-nine percent of patients had high BP. Aneurysm aetiology was atherosclerotic in 48.2% of patients, annulo-ectasia in 25.1% of patients, bicuspid valve-related in 21.5% of patients and another aetiology in 5.2% of patients. The initial aneurysm diameter was 46 ± 2.6 mm; 74.1% being between 46 and 50 mm. The mean follow-up (FU) was 4.3 ± 2.5 years, with a mean of 2.8 ± 1.1 CTs/pt. During FU, the increase in aortic size/year was 0.42 ± 0.82 mm/year for the root/ascending aorta (40-45 mm: 0.55 ± 0.77 mm/year vs 46-50 mm: 0.38 ± 0.84 mm/year; P = 0.14), 0.66 ± 1.11 mm/year for the arch, 0.45 ± 1.06 mm/year for the mid-descending aorta, 0.43 ± 1.0 mm/year for the aortic hiatus, 0.39 ± 0.87 mm/year for the suprarenal aorta and 0.41 ± 1.03 mm/year for the infrarenal aorta. Thirty patients (12%) were operated during FU. Surgical indication was disease progression on the aortic valve in 8 patients, root/ascending aorta progression of >50 mm in 14 patients and a root/ascending aorta replacement during FU without progression in 8 patients. One patient was operated emergently for an intramural haematoma after 3 years of follow-up. No patient required operation distal to the aortic arch. Operative mortality was 0/30 (0%). Thirty percent of patients required a concomitant hemiarch replacement. Four patients died during FU, with all deaths resulting from non-aortic causes. Freedom from acute aortic-related event and survival at 5 years were respectively 99.4 and 97.6%. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that the growth rate of 40-50 mm root/ascending aneurysms followed in a dedicated TAC aorta is lower than that shown in previously reported series. Freedom from aortic-related events and survival are high, thus necessitating long-term follow-up. These results challenge the current guidelines in terms of interval between imaging examinations and the extent and type of aortic imaging.

Giant cell aortitis: clinical presentation and outcomes in 40 patients consecutively operated on.

OBJECTIVES: Giant cell arteritis (GCA) may affect mid-size and large-size arteries. Although temporal arteritis is a well-characterized clinical entity, GCA of the thoracic aorta remains ill defined. The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical presentation, surgical and mid-term outcomes in patients operated for GCA of the thoracic aorta. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients operated for GCA of the thoracic aorta was conducted. The diagnosis of GCA was established by the pathology report. RESULTS: Forty consecutive patients (mean age of 66.6 ± 9.1 years) with a diagnosis of GCA of the thoracic aorta were operated on. A history of polymyalgia rheumatica or temporal arteritis was positive in 22.5% of patients. Emergency surgery was performed in 10% of patients (3 'type A' dissections and 1 'type B'). Mega-aorta syndrome was present in 10% of patients. Involvement of the ascending aorta was present in 100% of patients. One patient had a previous branched thoracic endovascular replacement (TEVAR) with a type I proximal endoleak. In 4 patients, the thoracic aorta was totally replaced. Eighty-five percent of patients had an arch replacement; 79.4% a hemiarch and 20.6% a full arch. The mean circulatory arrest time was 16.3 ± 12.3 min. Eighty percent of patients had an aortic valve procedure; aortic valve replacement was performed in 50% of them and Bentall-De Bono/valve sparing in 50%. Cerebrovascular accident occurred in 2.5% of patients. No patient died during hospitalization. The mean hospital stay was 8.7 ± 3.0 days. The mean postoperative follow-up time was 4.2 ± 2.3 years, with a mean of 4.2 ± 2.2 thoraco-abdominal computed tomographies (CTs)/patient. Four patients had late reinterventions: 2 were valve-related, 1 for a distal type I endoleak treated with a distal TEVAR extension and 1 type II open thoraco-abdominal replacement for disease progression. One distal type I TEVAR endoleak was treated medically. Aortic diameter progressions on CT (mm/year) were 0.7 ± 1.0 mm for the arch, 1.2 ± 2.0 mm for the isthmus, 1.1 ± 1.7 mm for the mid-descending, 0.7 ± 0.9 mm for the aortic hiatus, 0.5 ± 0.5 mm for the supra-renal aorta and 0.6 ± 0.6 mm for the infra-renal aorta. One patient who declined reoperation on the descending aorta died suddenly 3 years after her initial operation. The 5-year overall survival rate was 91%. CONCLUSIONS: GCA of the thoracic aorta may be suspected in less than 25% of patients preoperatively. Clinical presentation may be acute or chronic with localized or diffused aortic involvement but always involved the ascending aorta. Surgery may be performed with excellent outcomes. Follow-up imaging is mandatory to assess aortic progression.

Renal cell carcinoma with thrombus extending to the hepatic veins or right atrium: operative strategies based on 41 consecutive patients.

OBJECTIVES: The natural history of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with tumour thrombus extending at or above the hepatic veins is dismal. Different surgical approaches have been described including cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. We here report our experience in terms of surgical techniques and outcomes on 41 consecutive patients presenting an RCC extending to the hepatic veins or the right atrium. A surgical decision-making algorithm is discussed. METHODS: Retrospective review of 41 patients operated for RCC extending in the retrohepatic vena cava (extent level III-IV) between 2000 and 2015. Patients were operated by a dedicated urology/cardiac surgery team. RESULTS: The mean age was 62.6 ± 10.4 years; 39% were female. Surgery was emergent in 7.3% of patients, 2.4% of patients had preoperative dialysis, 4.9% required a redo sternotomy and 19.5% had coronary artery disease. Tumour thrombus extended above the diaphragm in 23 patients (level IV) and to the level of hepatic veins (level III) in 18 patients. CPB was used in 38 patients. Arterial cannulation was in the aorta or femoral artery in 14 patients during the initial experience. In the current era, the axillary artery and the innominate artery were used in 12 patients each. Mean CPB, cross-clamp and circulatory arrest times were, respectively, 96.5 ± 42.9, 21.1 ± 16.4 and 10.2 ± 8.2 min (mean temperature of 25.7 ± 4.9°C). Hepatic exclusion without the use of CPB was performed to excise the thrombus in 3 patients. A right nephrectomy was performed in 25 patients, a left in 15 patients and a bilateral nephrectomy in 1 patient. Five patients had a partial inferior vena cava (IVC) resection, with 4 patients requiring a patch reconstruction of the IVC. Three patients had an infrarenal IVC ligation. One patient suffered a cerebrovascular accident in the postoperative period. One in-hospital death occurred (in-hospital mortality 2.4%). The mean follow-up was 1.9 ± 2.0 years. Twenty-three patients died during follow-up; 21 were disease-related. Three-year survival rate was 37.1%. CONCLUSION: High-level RCC tumour thrombus is a rare clinical entity, the treatment of which is complex and requires dedicated operative teams. The operative technique should be tailored according to the level of extension and the extent of vena cava obstruction/occlusion of the tumour thrombus. Contemporary operative techniques may be conducted with excellent results. Mid-term survival is limited, supporting the necessity to pursue research efforts towards establishing effective adjunct therapies.

Should Endovascular Therapy Be Considered for Patients With Connective Tissue Disorder?

Because of early diagnosis, strict imaging follow-up, and advances in medical and surgical management, life expectancy of Marfan patients has dramatically improved since the 1970s. Although disease of the root and ascending aorta are more frequent in patients with connective tissue disorders, a subset of patients present with diffuse disease that might involve any portion of the thoracoabdominal aorta. Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has gained widespread acceptance for the treatment of different pathologies of the descending aorta. In contrast, TEVAR in patients with connective tissue disorders is associated with a high risk of early and mid-term complications and reinterventions. Currently, a consensus of experts recommend that an open approach should be reserved for use in acceptable risk candidates with connective tissue disorders. TEVAR should be considered solely in patients in a complex repeat surgical setting or in patients judged to have prohibitive open surgical risk. Finally, as a bridge to a definite open repair, TEVAR might be life-saving in patients with connective tissue disorders who present with exsanguination or severe malperfusion. Future developments in stent-graft technology might decrease stent-graft-related complications in patients with connective tissue disorders, although securing a device with radial force in a fragile aorta in the long-term will be challenging.

Newborns Referred for Therapeutic Hypothermia: Association between Initial Degree of Encephalopathy and Severity of Brain Injury (What About the Newborns with Mild Encephalopathy on Admission?).

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article was to describe the severity of brain injury and/or mortality in a cohort of newborns referred for therapeutic hypothermia, in relation to the degree of encephalopathy on admission, and to especially look at the ones with initial mild encephalopathy. STUDY DESIGN: Term newborns with perinatal depression referred to our neonatal intensive care unit for possible hypothermia treatment from 2008 to 2012 were enrolled prospectively. The modified Sarnat score on admission was correlated with severity of brain injury on brain imaging and/or autopsy. RESULTS: A total of 215 newborns were referred for possible cooling. Sixty percent (128/215) were cooled. Most of the not-cooled newborns with an available brain magnetic resonance imaging (85% = 50/59) had an initial mild encephalopathy, and 40% (20/50) developed brain injury. Some cooled newborns had an initial mild encephalopathy (12% = 13/108); only 31% (4/13) developed brain injury. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated that several newborns with an initial mild encephalopathy developed subsequent brain injury, especially when they were not cooled.

Arch to Descending Aorta Extra-anatomic Aortic Repair for Thoracic Stent Graft Infection.

We report a case of a pedunculated mass of the aortic isthmus. The patient was treated with bilateral carotid-subclavian bypass and a stent graft to cover the thrombus within the distal arch. The postoperative course was complicated by a stent graft infection. The patient underwent graft explantation with aortic continuity using extra-anatomic bypass from the aortic arch to the distal descending aorta.