The comparison of the clinical outcomes and costs between surgical aortic valve replacement and transcatheter aortic valve implantation based on the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the clinical outcomes and costs of surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) for aortic stenosis using the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC) database. METHODS: Using our extraction protocol, we retrospectively analyzed summary tables in the DPC database from 2016 to 2019, which were provided by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. A total of 27,278 patients were available (SAVR, n = 12,534; TAVI, n = 14,744). RESULTS: The TAVI group was older than the SAVR group (SAVR vs. TAVI: 74.6 vs. 84.5 years; P < 0.01), with a lower in-hospital mortality (1.0 vs. 0.6%; P < 0.01) and a shorter hospital stay (26.9 vs. 20.3 days; P < 0.01). TAVI conferred more total medical service reimbursement points than SAVR (493,944 vs. 605,241 points; P < 0.01), especially materials points (147,830 vs. 434,609 points; P < 0.01). Total insurance claims for TAVI were approximately 1 million yen higher than those for SAVR. Regarding the details of costs, only the operation cost was higher, while other costs were lower with TAVI than with SAVR. CONCLUSION: Our analysis revealed that both SAVR and TAVI showed acceptable clinical outcomes. TAVI was associated with higher total insurance claims than SAVR. If the material cost of TAVI operations can be reduced, greater cost-effectiveness can be expected.

[Anastomotic Pseudoaneurysms after Graft Replacement for IgG4-related Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm].

We report a case of pseudoaneurysms at the anastomotic sites after prosthetic graft replacement for Immunogloblin G4 (IgG4)-related thoracic aortic aneurysm. A 69-year-old male patient underwent ascending and aortic arch replacement and open stent graft insertion. Five months after the surgery, pseudoaneurysms at the anastomosis to the brachiocephalic artery and to the left common carotid artery developed, and urgency surgery was performed. The right common carotid artery, the right subclavian artery, and the left common carotid artery were individually reconstructed with grafts, and the anastomoses were wrapped with grafts. In IgG4-related aneurysms, complete resection of the diseased tissue and reinforcement of the anastomosis, such as anastomotic wrapping, are important to prevent anastomotic site failure. While serum IgG4 had normalized after the first surgery, C-reactive protein (CRP) remained elevated until the reoperation. Thus, CRP is considered one of the biomarkers for disease activity in IgG4-related vascular disease.

Papillary fibroelastoma causing severe aortic stenosis.

Herein, we present a rare case of papillary fibroelastoma of the aortic valve, which caused severe aortic stenosis. The papillary fibroelastoma developed on the left ventricular side of the non-coronary cusp, immobilizing the cusp motion and obstructing the left ventricular outflow tract, resulting in severe aortic stenosis that brought on acute heart failure. The patient underwent an urgent surgical treatment, which resulted in a successful outcome. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of papillary fibroelastoma in which aortic stenosis was so severe as to cause congestive heart failure. Learning objective: Papillary fibroelastoma (PFE) is the most commonly observed primary cardiac tumor in adults that commonly involves left heart chambers. While PFEs often cause embolisms, they rarely cause valvular dysfunction. In a case presented herein, a PFE developed on the left ventricular side of the non-coronary cusp, immobilizing the cusp motion and obstructing the left ventricular outflow tract, resulting in severe aortic stenosis that brought on acute heart failure.

[Rupture of Left Ventricular Pseudo-false Aneurysm after Myocardial Infarction].

We herein present a case of ruptured left ventriclular pseudo-false aneurysm. A 73-year-old female had acute myocardial infarction due to occlusion of the left circumflex artery, and subsequently underwent percutaneous coronary intervention. Three weeks later, however, the patient suddenly fell into a state of shock. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed rupture of left ventricular aneurysm, and emergency surgery was performed. A ruptured aneurysm was observed in the posterior wall, and as the wall of the aneurysm was fragile, it was repaired using double-patch technique. Histopathological examination revealed myocardial cells in the aneurysm wall, confirming diagnosis of pseudo-false aneurysm. Pseudo-false aneurysm is a rare type of left ventricular aneurysm. In cases of rupture in acute or subacute phase of myocardial infarction, when the aneurysm wall is fragile, double-patch repair technique effectively ensures hemostasis and prevents future aneurysm formation.

How to select the optimal size of frozen elephant trunk in total arch replacement for type A acute aortic dissection.

BACKGROUND: Total arch replacement (TAR) with a frozen elephant trunk (FET) is a common technique for acute aortic dissection, but there is no consensus on the optimal size of the FET. METHODS: Forty-four patients who underwent TAR with FET for acute aortic dissection at our hospital since 2014 were included. The aortic diameter obtained from FET was measured on postoperative computed tomography (CT) and the estimated oversizing ratio was calculated. We investigated the relationship between the estimated oversizing ratio and postoperative outcomes. We also measured the maximum true lumen diameter, circumference of the true lumen, and total aortic diameter at the same level as the FET end on preoperative CT and examined the correlation with the aortic diameter obtained from FET. RESULTS: The average estimated oversizing ratio was 109%. Early postoperative CT showed complete thrombosis of the false lumen in 41 (93.2%) patients. No distal stent graft-induced new entry occurred during follow-up. The correlation coefficients between the three measurements and aortic diameter obtained from FET were 0.64 (maximum true lumen diameter), 0.76 (true lumen diameter calculated from circumference), and 0.72 (total aortic diameter), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The aortic diameter obtained from FET on postoperative CT was strongly correlated with the true lumen diameter calculated from the circumference and total aortic diameter on preoperative CT. It is reasonable to select a size of approximately 130% of the true lumen diameter calculated from the circumference or 80% to 85% of the total aortic diameter.

[Fatal Cerebral Hemorrhage after Mitral Valve Repair for Active Infective Endocarditis:Report of a Case].

Cerebral hemorrhage is a known complication of infective endocarditis (IE) and is associated with a high mortality rate. We herein present a case of fatal cerebral hemorrhage occurring after successful mitral valve repair in a patient in active phase of IE. A 58-year-old male with active IE underwent an urgent mitral valve repair due to systemic embolisms and a massive mobile vegetation on the mitral valve. During the surgery, a rolled autologous pericardium was fixed onto the annulus, therefore we initiated anticoagulation therapy with warfarin. A follow-up brain MRI on the 18th postoperative day showed several cerebral micro bleedings, and on the next day, the patient suffered massive and fatal cerebral hemorrhage. As cerebral hemorrhage can be fatal especially in patients taking anticoagulants, we believe that anticoagulation therapy should be avoided after mitral valve repair in patients who have cerebral micro bleeding in active phase of IE.

Evaluation of the optimal visceral branch configuration in open thoracoabdominal aortic repair by computed tomography.

BACKGROUND: In thoracoabdominal aneurysm (TAAA) repair, our technical modification of visceral reconstruction using longer cut pre-sewn side branches has provided good surgical outcomes. Here, we assessed the long-term durability and patency of revascularized branches using computed tomography (CT) to confirm the validity of our approach. METHODS: Early and late CT evaluations were performed in 11 TAAA patients (males: 5; mean age: 60.6 years) using the Coselli graft to evaluate the position of main graft and the diverging pattern and patency of side branches. Seven of 11 were sutured in an extra-anatomical fashion using longer cut side branches. RESULTS: In Anatomical (n = 4) and Extra-anatomical (n = 7) groups, the early patency of side branches was not significantly different. Although the late patency of right renal artery (RA) was 100% in both groups, the one of left RA was 60% in Extra-anatomical, while 100% in Anatomical. Furthermore, the main graft in Extra-anatomical was significantly posterior and leftward to the spine with left RA side branch diverging at an acute angle. CONCLUSIONS: When a pre-sewn branched graft designed for TAAA is used, the graft should be sutured in a fashion similar to normal patient anatomy to minimize the possibility of kinking of RA side branch for the patency.