Durability of Tricuspid Valve Repair in Patients Undergoing Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation.

Objectives: Benefits of tricuspid valve repair (TVR) in left ventricular assist device (LVAD) patients have been questioned. High TVR failure rates have been reported. Remaining or recurring TR was found to be a risk factor for right heart failure (RHF). Therefore, we assessed our experience. Methods: Since 12/2010, 195 patients have undergone LVAD implantation in our center. Almost half (n = 94, 48%) received concomitant TVR (LVAD+TVR). These patients were included in our analysis. Echocardiographic and clinical data were assessed. Median follow-up was 2.8 years (7 days-0.6 years). Results were correlated with clinical outcomes. Results: LVAD+TVR patients were 59.8 ± 11.4 years old (89.4% male) and 37.3% were INTERMACS level 1 and 2. Preoperative TR was moderate in 28 and severe in 66 patients. RV function was severely impaired in 61 patients reflected by TAPSE-values of 11.2 ± 2.9 mm (vs. 15.7 ± 3.8 mm in n = 33; p < 0.001). Risk for RHF according to EUROMACS-RHF risk score was high (>4 points) in 60 patients, intermediate (>2-4 points) in 19 and low (0-2 points) in 15. RHF occurred in four patients (4.3%). Mean duration of echocardiographic follow-up was 2.8 ± 2.3 years. None of the patients presented with severe and only five (5.3%) with moderate TR. The vast majority (n = 63) had mild TR, and 26 patients had no/trace TR. Survival at 1, 3 and 5 years was 77.4%, 68.1% and 55.6%, 30-day mortality was 11.7% (n = 11). Heart transplantation was performed in 12 patients (12.8%). Conclusions: Contrary to expectations, concomitant TVR during LVAD implantation may result in excellent repair durability, which appears to be associated with low risk for RHF.

Bend relief fenestration might prevent outflow graft obstruction in patients with left ventricular assist device.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with left ventricular assist devices may experience external obstruction of the outflow graft through a gelatinous substance within the bend relief (BR; a stiff tube graft guiding the outflow graft). Preventative strategies have been missing. Having faced this problem, we decided to fenestrate the BR to avoid outflow graft obstruction (OGO). METHODS: Since December 2010, 167 patients underwent left ventricular assist device implantation using HeartMate II or 3. BR fenestration was introduced on July 2018 (108 patients before, 59 after the introduction of BR fenestration). Follow-up computed tomography scans were obtained from all patients and were screened for OGO by 3 independent investigators. Results were correlated with log file history, echocardiographic and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Demographic data were comparable between groups, with mostly male patients. Patients with BR fenestration were older [63 (standard deviation (SD):10.6) vs 58 (SD: 10.7) years] and had shorter support duration [494 (SD: 383) vs 951 (SD: 875) days]. OGO was observed in 5 patients and occurred only in patients without fenestration. Importantly, it occurred late on postoperative Days 412, 462, 1043, 1184 and 1506. Three patients are still asymptomatic. Surgical revision was required in the other 2 patients for pump thrombosis or continuous low flow. One of them died 36 days after revision due to right heart failure. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that fenestration of the BR may be a preventative strategy to avoid external OGO. OGO occurred late, which suggests a careful long-term follow-up.

Right Mini-Thoracotomy for Aortic Plus Mitral with or without Tricuspid Valve Surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Minimally invasive surgery is increasingly performed for isolated aortic or mitral valve procedures. However, combined minimally invasive aortic and mitral valve surgery is rare. We report our initial experience performing multiple valve procedures through a right-sided mini-thoracotomy (RMT) compared with sternotomy. METHODS: A total of 264 patients underwent aortic and mitral with or without tricuspid valve surgery through RMT (n = 25) or sternotomy (n = 239). Propensity score matching was used for outcome comparisons. RESULTS: Of the 264 patients, 25 (age: 72 ± 10 years; 72% male) underwent double (n = 19) and triple valve surgery (n = 6) through RMT and 239 (age: 71 ± 11 years; 54% male) underwent double (n = 176) and triple valve surgery (n = 63) through sternotomy. Sternotomy patients had more co-morbidities and preoperative risk factors (EuroSCORE II 10.25 ± 10.89 vs. RMT 3.58. ± 4.98; p < 0.001). RMT procedures were uneventful without intraoperative complications or conversions to sternotomy. After propensity score matching, surgical procedures were comparable between groups with a higher valve repair rate in RMT. Despite longer cardiopulmonary bypass times in RMT, there was no evidence for differences in 30-day mortality (RMT: n = 2 vs. sternotomy: n = 2) and there were no significant differences in other outcomes. During 5-year follow-up, reoperation was required in sternotomy patients only (n = 2). Follow-up echocardiography showed durable results after valve surgery. RMT patients showed higher survival probability compared with sternotomy, although this difference was not significant (hazard ratio = 0.33; 95% confidence interval: 0.06-1.65; p = 0.18). CONCLUSION: Combined aortic plus mitral with or without tricuspid valve surgery can safely be performed through a RMT with a trend toward better mid-term outcomes.

Cardiac Surgery 2020 Reviewed.

In 2020, nearly 30,000 published references appeared in the PubMed for the search term "cardiac surgery." While SARS-CoV-2 affected the number of surgical procedures, it did not affect outcomes reporting. Using the PRISMA approach, we selected relevant publications and prepared a results-oriented summary. We reviewed primarily the fields of coronary and conventional valve surgery and their overlap with interventional alternatives. The coronary field started with a discussion on trial data value and their interpretation. Registry comparisons of coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention confirmed outcomes for severe coronary artery disease and advanced comorbidities with CABG. Multiple arterial grafting was best. In aortic valve surgery, meta-analyses of randomized trials report that transcatheter aortic valve implantation may provide a short-term advantage but long-term survival may be better with classic aortic valve replacement (AVR). Minimally invasive AVR and decellularized homografts emerged as hopeful techniques. In mitral and tricuspid valve surgery, excellent perioperative and long-term outcomes were presented for structural mitral regurgitation. For both, coronary and valve surgery, outcomes are strongly dependent on surgeon expertise. Kidney disease increases perioperative risk, but does not limit the surgical treatment effect. Finally, a cursory look is thrown on aortic, transplant, and assist-device surgery with a glimpse into the current stand of xenotransplantation. As in recent years, this article summarizes publications perceived as important by us. It does not expect to be complete and cannot be free of individual interpretation. We aimed to provide up-to-date information for decision-making and patient information.

Minimally-invasive mitral valve repair of symmetric and asymmetric Barlow´s disease.

OBJECTIVES: Barlow´s disease represents a wide spectrum of mitral valve pathologies associated with regurgitation (MR), excess leaflet tissue, and prolapse. Repair strategies range from complex repairs with annuloplasty plus neochords through resection to annuloplasty-only. The latter requires symmetric prolapse patterns and central regurgitant jets. We aimed to assess repair success and durability, survival, and intraoperative outcomes with symmetric and asymmetric Barlow's disease. METHODS: Between 09/10 and 03/20, 103 patients (of 1939 with mitral valve surgery) presented with Barlow´s disease. All received surgery through mini-thoracotomy with annuloplasty plus neochords (n = 71) or annuloplasty-only (n = 31). One valve was replaced for endocarditis (repair rate: 99%). RESULTS: Annuloplasty-only patients were older (64 ± 16 vs. 55 ± 11 years, p = 0.008) and presented with higher risk (EuroSCORE II: 4.2 ± 4.9 vs. 1.6 ± 1.7, p = 0.007). Annuloplasty-only patients had shorter cross-clamp times (53 ± 18 min vs. 76 ± 23 min, p < 0.001) and received more tricuspid annuloplasty (15.5% vs. 48.4%, p < 0.001). Operating times were similar (170 ± 41 min vs. 164 ± 35, p = 0.455). In three patients, annuloplasty-only caused intraoperative systolic anterior motion (SAM), which was fully resolved by neochords to the posterior leaflet. There were no conversions to sternotomy or deaths at 30-days. Three patients required reoperation for recurrent MR (at 25 days, 2.8 and 7.8 years). At the latest follow-up, there was no MR in 81.4%, mild in 14.7%, and moderate in 2.9%. Three patients died due to non-cardiac reasons. Surviving patients report the absence of relevant symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Minimally-invasive Barlow's repair is safe with good durability. Annuloplasty-only may be a simple solution for complex but symmetric pathologies. However, it may carry an increased risk of intraoperative SAM.

Cardiac Surgery 2019 Reviewed.

For the year 2019, almost 25,000 published references can be found in PubMed when entering the search term "cardiac surgery." We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses approach for article selection and reviewed the main fields of adult cardiac surgery (i.e., coronary, valve, aortic, and heart failure surgery). The past decade has experienced an enormous development of interventional techniques that compete more and more with classic surgery. This contest was broadly visible in 2019. It peaked over the interpretation of the EXCEL trial data, where percutaneous coronary intervention and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for left main disease were compared. A novel pathomechanism for CABG was proposed, potentially answering open questions in the field. In aortic valve surgery, two low-risk trials comparing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) to classic aortic valve replacement (surgical aortic valve replacement) received attention for showing equal or superior short-term outcomes for TAVI. Longer follow-up information from recent trials became available presenting results emphasizing the need for joint decision making. While publications addressing surgery on the aorta and the mitral and tricuspid valves were less abundant, there was substantial activity regarding left ventricular assist device support and heart transplantation. This article attempts to summarize the most pertinent publications. It does not expect to be complete and cannot be free of individual interpretation. We aimed to provide a condensed summary of 2019s publications with a stimulus for in-depth reading and a basis supporting patient information.

Predictors of Outcome for Aortic Valve Reimplantation Including the Surgeon-A Single-Center Experience.

INTRODUCTION: Aortic valve reimplantation is considered technically demanding. We searched for predictors of long-term outcome including the surgeon as risk factor. METHODS: We selected all aortic valve reimplantations performed in our department between December 1999 and January 2017 and obtained a complete follow-up. The main indications were combined aortic aneurysm plus aortic valve regurgitation (AR), 69% and aortic dissections (15%). In 14%, valves were bicuspid. Cusp repair was performed in 27% of patients. One-third received additional procedures (coronary artery bypass grafting, mitral, or arch surgery). We performed multivariable analyses for independent risk factors of short- and long-term outcomes, including "surgeon" as variable. Twelve different surgeons operated on 193 patients. We created three groups: surgeons A and B with 84 and 64 procedures, respectively, and surgeon C (10 surgeons for 45 patients). RESULTS: Cardiopulmonary bypass and clamp times were 176 ± 45 and 130 ± 24 minutes, respectively. In-hospital mortality was 2%. Postoperatively, 5% had mild and 0.5% had moderate AR. Kaplan-Meier's survival estimates, freedom from reoperation, and freedom from severe AR at 12 years were 97 ± 1, 93 ± 2, and 91 ± 3%, respectively. Age and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease appeared as risk factors for perioperative complications by univariate analysis. Age, coronary artery disease, and duration of cardiopulmonary bypass, but not surgeon, presented as risk factors by multivariable analysis. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that if a David procedure is performed successfully, long-term durability may be excellent. They also suggest that good and durable results are possible even with limited experience of the operating surgeon.

An 86-Year-Old Female with Mitral Regurgitation and Significant Pectus Excavatum.

Background We report the case of minimally invasive mitral valve repair in an 86-year-old female with symptomatic structural mitral regurgitation and severe pectus excavatum. Case Description The case summarizes four areas of repetitive heart team discussions. First, should an 86-year-old patient still be treated invasively? Second, if so, should treatment be interventional or surgical? Third, if surgical, should we replace or repair at that age and fourth which surgical access is best with respect to her chest deformation? Conclusion We chose to surgically repair the valve using a minimally invasive approach. The patient was extubated 3 hours after surgery and discharged after 7 days.

Cardiac surgery 2018 reviewed.

For the year 2018, more than 22,000 published references can be found in PubMed when entering the search term "cardiac surgery". As in the last 4 years, this review focusses on conventional cardiac surgery publications which provide important and interesting information especially relevant for non-surgical colleagues. Interventional techniques have been considered if they were published in the context of classic surgical techniques. We have again reviewed the fields of coronary revascularization and valve surgery and briefly touched on aortic surgery and surgery for terminal heart failure. For revascularization of complex coronary artery disease, bypass grafting was reconfirmed as gold standard and computer-tomographic angiography established equipoise for decision-making with classic angiography. For aortic valve treatment, some new longer-term outcomes from TAVI vs. SAVR trials confirmed equipoise of both treatments for high and medium risk. New information was provided for INR-management of mechanical aortic valves as well as long-term experiences for alternatives to mechanical valves (i.e., Ross and the relatively new Ozaki procedure). In the mitral and tricuspid field, prevalence data illustrate a significant amount of under-treatment for mitral and tricuspid valve regurgitation and evidence for life prolonging-effects of surgery. Finally, elongation of the ascending aorta was identified as new risk factor for aortic dissection and 2 years outcome of the newest generation of left ventricular assist devices demonstrate impressive improvements in outcome. While this article attempts to summarize the most pertinent publications, it does not expect to be complete and cannot be free of individual interpretation. As in recent years, it provides a condensed summary that is intended to give the reader "solid ground" for up-to-date decision-making in cardiac surgery and a stimulus for in-depth reading.

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting using Bilateral Internal Thoracic Arteries through a Left-Sided Minithoracotomy: A Single-Center Starting Experience.

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) using bilateral internal thoracic artery (BITA) is associated with the best long-term survival. However, using BITA increases the risk of sternal wound infections with conventional sternotomy. We describe here our initial results of minimally invasive CABG (MICS-CABG) using BITA. METHODS: Patients were operated through an incision similar to that of standard minimally invasive direct CABG. All operations were performed off-pump. We evaluated patient's quality of life (QoL) using the Medical Outcomes trust, 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). RESULTS: Between February 2016 and August 2017, we performed 21 cases of MICS-CABG using BITA. There was no intraoperative complication and no conversion to sternotomy or to on-pump. Two patients required reexploration through the same minithoracotomy for postoperative bleeding. Two cases of early postoperative graft failure were identified. There was no stroke or in-hospital mortality. The median duration of follow-up was 13 months, with a maximum of 19 months. Relief of angina was achieved in all patients. There was one readmission for superficial wound infection, which was conservatively treated. An 84-year-old man died 4 months after the operation. The remaining 20 patients attested good QoL with the SF-36 questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS: Myocardial revascularization using BITA can be safely achieved off-pump through a left-sided minithoracotomy with good postoperative and short-term outcomes.

Minimally Invasive, Isolated Tricuspid Valve Redo Surgery: A Safety and Outcome Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Isolated tricuspid valve (TV) surgery is considered a high risk-procedure. The optimal surgical approach is controversial. We analyzed our experience with isolated TV redo surgery performed either minimally invasively (redo-MITS) or through sternotomy. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed all patients with previous cardiac surgery who underwent redo-MITS (n = 26) and compared them to redo-Sternotomy (n = 17). A group of primary-MITS (n = 61) served as control. RESULTS: The redo-MITS approach consisted of a right anterolateral mini-thoracotomy, transpericardial right atrial access, and beating heart TV surgery without caval occlusion. Redo-MITS patients were oldest and had the most comorbidities (EuroScore II: 9.83 ± 6.05% versus redo-Sternotomy: 8.42 ± 7.33% versus primary-MITS: 4.15 ± 4.84%). There were no intraoperative complications or conversions to sternotomy in both MITS groups. Redo-Sternotomy had the highest 30-day mortality (24%), the poorest long-term survival, and the highest perioperative complication rate. Redo-MITS did not differ in perioperative outcome from primary-MITS. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified redo-Sternotomy (odds ratio [OR] = 9.76; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.88-63.26), liver cirrhosis (OR = 9.88; 95% CI 2.20-54.20), and body mass index (BMI) (OR = 1.16; 95% CI 1.02-1.35) as independent predictors of 30-day mortality. The Cox model revealed redo-Sternotomy (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.67; 95% CI 1.18-6.03), liver cirrhosis (HR = 3.31; 95% CI 1.45-7.58), and pulmonary hypertension (HR = 2.26; 95% CI 1.04-4.92) as risk factors for poor long-term survival. TV surgery significantly reduces NYHA class. CONCLUSION: Minimally invasive, isolated TV surgery as reoperation without caval occlusion and on the beating heart can be safe and may improve clinical outcome.