Association of HbA1c and utilization of internal mammary arteries with wound infections in CABG.

Background: Deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) remains a serious complication after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We herein aimed to stratify diabetic patients who underwent CABG using bilateral internal mammary artery (BIMA) for levels of glycated hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) and compare postoperative outcomes. Methods: Between January 2010 and August 2020, 4,186 consecutive patients underwent isolated CABG at our center. In 3,229 patients, preoperative HbA1c levels were available. Primary endpoints were wound healing disorder (WHD), DSWI, and 30-day mortality. Patients were stratified according to preoperative HbA1c levels. Patients were further divided into subgroups according to utilization of BIMA. Results: After adjustment, no differences in mortality and stroke rates were seen between group 1 (HbA1c < 6.5%) vs. group 2 (HbA1c ≥ 6.5%). WHD was more frequent in group 2 [2.8 vs. 5.6%; adjusted p = 0.002; adjusted odds ratio (OR), 1.853 (1.243-2.711)] but not DSWI [1.0 vs. 1.5%; adjusted p = 0.543; adjusted OR, 1.247 (0.612-2.5409)]. BIMA use showed a higher rate of WHD [no BIMA: 3.0%; BIMA: 7.7%; adjusted p = 0.002; adjusted OR, 4.766 (1.747-13.002)] but not DSWI [no BIMA: 1.1%; BIMA: 1.8%; adjusted p = 0.615; adjusted OR, 1.591 (0.260-9.749)] in patients with HbA1c ≥ 6.5%. Conclusions: Intraoperative utilization of BIMA is not connected with an increase of DSWI but higher rates of WHD in patients with poor diabetic status and HbA1c ≥ 6.5%. Therefore, application of BIMA should be taken into consideration even in patients with poor diabetic status, while identification of special subsets of patients who are at particular high risk for DSWI is of paramount importance to prevent this serious complication.

Risk factors for long-term mortality after acute aortic dissection-results of the German registry for acute aortic dissection type a long-term follow-up.

OBJECTIVES: Several short-term analyses from German Registry for Acute Aortic Dissection Type A (GERAADA) have been published. This study investigated whether short-term risk factors are transferable to the long-term prognosis of patients. METHODS: Thirty-three centres with 2686 patients participated in the long-term follow-up. A total of 1164 patients died, 1063 survived and 459 were lost to follow-up during the follow-up timeframe (mean duration: 10.2 years). Long-term mortality of the cohort was compared with an age-stratified, German population. RESULTS: One, 5 and 10 years after initial surgery, the survival of the GERAADA patient cohort was 71.4%, 63.4% and 51%, respectively. Without the early deaths (90-day mortality 25.4%), survival was calculated after 1, 5 and 10 years: 95.6%, 83.5% and 68.3%. Higher age, longer extracorporeal circulation time, shorter perioperative ventilation time and postoperative neurologic deficits were predictive of long-term prognosis. In an age-divided landmark analysis, the mortality of aortic dissection surgery survivors was found to be similar to that of the general German population. If patients are sorted in risk groups according to the GERAADA score, long-term survival differs between the risk groups. CONCLUSIONS: If patients have survived an acute postoperative period of 90 days, life expectancy comparable to that of the general German population can be assumed in lower- and medium-risk patients. Whether the GERAADA score can provide valuable insights into the long-term prognosis of patients undergoing surgery for acute aortic dissection type A is still unclear.

Analysing debranching techniques in Frozen Elephant Trunk procedures: a narrative literature review.

Background and Objective: Since 2003, the Frozen Elephant Trunk (FET) technique has attained rising popularity for treating extensive aortic arch pathologies such as acute and chronic aortic dissection, as well as thoracic aortic aneurysm. Conventionally, the FET procedure included a complete resection of the aortic arch and, subsequently, a distal aortic anastomosis of the prosthetic part of the hybrid graft in arch zone 3. Simultaneous to the introduction of the FET technique, the traditional Elephant Trunk technique was simplified by adding debranching techniques which allows for proximalization of the distal aortic anastomosis. Nowadays, modern concepts of aortic arch surgery combine the FET technique with proximalization of the distal anastomosis in arch zone 2 or further proximal, achieved by using different debranching techniques. This review describes different debranching techniques to facilitate arch reconstruction, and aims to critically assess the outcomes and potential clinical advantages of proximalization using debranching in FET surgery. Methods: We conducted a search using the PubMed and Google Scholar electronic databases to evaluate published outcomes of different debranching techniques. An overview of the data synthesis of 21 included studies is reported. Key Content and Findings: Most studies report numeric, but not statistically significant improved outcomes after debranching in FET surgery for mortality, neurological complications, spinal cord injury, kidney failure, bowel ischemia and recurrent nerve palsy. Some studies report statistically significant improved results in isolated endpoints such as neurological, bowel ischemia, and recurrent nerve palsy. Most studies report debranching to be technically easier, but this is difficult to objectively assess and measure. Conclusions: There is an improved numeric outcome of different debranching techniques with proximalization of the distal anastomosis, but without reaching statistical significance. This review shows marked heterogeneity across included studies and highlights the scarce use of existing guidelines in clinical research of open aortic arch surgery as proposed by the International Aortic Arch Surgery Study Group. Furthermore, this review demonstrates the urgent need for multicenter registries or studies to be able to compare the outcome of different surgical techniques for various aortic arch pathologies.

First in Human Implantation of the Thoracoflo Graft: A New Hybrid Device for Thoraco-Abdominal Aortic Repair.

Introduction: Despite a high rate of success when performed in specialised centres, current techniques for thoraco-abdominal aortic repair are associated with serious complications. The problem of spinal cord ischaemia remains unsolved. Surgical technique: The new hybrid graft for thoraco-abdominal aortic repair was developed based on the frozen elephant trunk principle. The device consists of a proximal stent graft for transabdominal retrograde delivery to the descending thoracic aorta, combined with a distal six branched abdominal device for open aortic repair. An additional seventh branch is provided for possible lumbar artery re-implantation. Because the stent graft is implanted via a transabdominal approach, it avoids the need for thoracotomy and extracorporeal circulation. A 56 year old patient with Loeys-Dietz syndrome was placed in a supine position. The aorto-iliac axis was exposed via a midline transperitoneal approach. Following an end to side anastomosis of the iliac branch to the left common iliac artery, the stent graft portion was inserted into the thoracic aorta via the coeliac trunk ostium. After stent implantation and graft de-airing by needle puncture, retrograde blood flow to the abdominal aortic segment, and the lumbar and visceral arteries was established via the end to side iliac anastomosis creating an extra-anatomic bypass. Subsequently, the visceral and renal arteries were anastomosed to the branches. Finally, the aorta was opened and surgical graft attached via the collar. The reconstruction ended with end to end anastomoses of both common iliac arteries to the graft branches. Discussion: The first and successful implantation of the new Thoracoflo hybrid device via a novel surgical technique is reported, eliminating the need for thoracotomy and extracorporeal circulation for thoraco-abdominal aortic repair.

The impact of a standardized Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol in patients undergoing minimally invasive heart valve surgery.

BACKGROUND: An enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol is a multimodal and multi-professional strategy aiming to accelerate postoperative convalescence. Pre-, intra- and postoperative measures might furthermore reduce postoperative complications and hospital length of stay (LOS) in a cost-effective way. We hypothesized that our unique ERAS protocol leads to shorter stays on the intensive care unit (ICU) and a quicker discharge without compromising patient safety. METHODS: This retrospective single center cohort study compares data of n = 101 patients undergoing minimally invasive heart valve surgery receiving a comprehensive ERAS protocol and n = 111 patients receiving routine care. Hierarchically ordered primary endpoints are postoperative hospital length of stay (LOS), postoperative complications and ICU LOS. RESULTS: Patients risk profiles and disease characteristics were comparably similar. Age was relevantly different between the groups (56 (17) vs. 57.5 (13) years, p = 0.015) and therefore adjusted. Postoperative LOS was significantly lower in ERAS group (6 (2) days vs. 7 (1) days, p<0.01). No significant differences, neither in intra- or postoperative complications, nor in the number of readmissions (15.8% vs. 9.9%, p = 0.196) were shown. In hospital LOS (7 (3) days vs. 8 (4) days, p<0.01) and ICU LOS (18.5 (6) hours vs. 26.5 (29) hours, p<0.01) a considerable difference was shown. CONCLUSION: The ERAS protocol for minimally invasive heart valve surgery is safe and feasible in an elective setting and leads to a quicker hospital discharge without compromising patient safety. However, further investigation in a randomized setting is needed.

Pre-surgery optimization of patients' expectations to improve outcome in heart surgery: Study protocol of the randomized controlled multi-center PSY-HEART-II trial.

The PSY-HEART-I trial indicated that a brief expectation-focused intervention prior to heart surgery improves disability and quality of life 6 months after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). However, to investigate the clinical utility of such an intervention, a large multi-center trial is needed to generalize the results and their implications for the health care system. The PSY-HEART-II study aims to examine whether a preoperative psychological intervention targeting patients' expectations (EXPECT) can improve outcomes 6 months after CABG (with or without heart valve replacement). EXPECT will be compared to Standard of Care (SOC) and an intervention providing emotional support without targeting expectations (SUPPORT). In a 3-arm multi-center randomized, controlled, prospective trial (RCT), N = 567 patients scheduled for CABG surgery will be randomized to either SOC alone or SOC and EXPECT or SOC and SUPPORT. Patients will be randomized with a fixed unbalanced ratio of 3:3:1 (EXPECT: SUPPORT: SOC) to compare EXPECT to SOC and EXPECT to SUPPORT. Both psychological interventions consist of 2 in-person sessions (à 50 minute), 2 phone consultations (à 20 minute) during the week prior to surgery, and 1 booster phone consultation post-surgery 6 weeks later. Assessment will occur at baseline approx. 3-10 days before surgery, preoperatively the day before surgery, 4-6 days later, and 6 months after surgery. The study's primary end point will be patients' illness-related disability 6 months after surgery. Secondary outcomes will be patients' expectations, subjective illness beliefs, quality of life, length of hospital stay and blood sample parameters (eg, inflammatory parameters such as IL-6, IL-8, CRP). This large multi-center trial has the potential to corroborate and generalize the promising results of the PSY-HEART-I trial for routine care of cardiac surgery patients, and to stimulate revisions of treatment guidelines in heart surgery.

Risk factors for impaired neurological outcome after thoracic aortic surgery.

Background: We aimed to identify risk factors for an impaired postoperative neurological outcome after thoracic aortic surgery. Methods: Data from all patients undergoing thoracic aortic surgery between 2010 and 2020 at our institution were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for permanent postoperative neurological deficit (ND) (stroke), which was defined as a ND lasting at least seven days. Results: Thoracic aortic surgery was performed in 1,334 patients. Of these, 286 (21.4%) underwent emergency surgery. The mean EuroSCORE II was 8.6±10.1. A perioperative stroke occurred in 94 patients (7.0%). Of all strokes, 62.8% (n=59) were considered of embolic and 24.5% (n=23) of hemodynamic origin. In elective procedures, stroke rates ranged from 0.5% after valve-sparing root replacement to 8.1% after arch surgery. Adjusted logistic regression identified advanced age [>70 years; odds ratio (OR), 1.83; P=0.009], acute type A dissection (ATAD) (OR, 1.69; P=0.0495), aortic arch surgery (OR, 3.24; P<0.001), concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) (OR, 2.19; P=0.005), and high extracorporeal circulation (ECC) time (>230 min; OR, 1.70; P=0.034) as independent risk factors for all strokes. Secondary endpoint analyses revealed that risk factors for hemodynamic stroke were arch surgery, advanced age (>70 years), atherosclerosis, and ATAD. Risk factors for embolic stroke were arch surgery, concomitant CABG and preoperative cerebral malperfusion. Conclusions: Identified independent risk factors for all strokes were advanced age, ATAD, arch surgery, concomitant CABG, and high ECC time. Hemodynamic and embolic strokes show distinct risk profiles.

Treatment of the aortic root in acute aortic dissection type A: insights from the German Registry for Acute Aortic Dissection Type A.

OBJECTIVES: Surgery of the aortic root in acute aortic dissection type A (AADA) remains a topic of vague evidence since the extend of dissection and surgeons' capability and interpretation of the disease vary remarkably. We aimed to interpret root operation strategies in the German Registry for Acute Aortic Dissection cohort. METHODS: German Registry for Acute Aortic Dissection collected the data of 56 centres between July 2006 and June 2015. A total of 3382 patients undergoing operations for AADA were included and divided into 3 groups according to aortic root procedure types: supracommissural replacement (SCR), conduit replacement (CR) and valve sparing root replacement (VSRR). RESULTS: Patients in SCR (2425, 71.7%) were significantly older than CR (681, 20.1%) and VSRR (276, 8.2%) (63.4 vs 57.5 vs 54.2 years; P < 0.001), more female (38.9% vs 32.0% vs 26.1%; P < 0.001) and presented with less aortic regurgitation (26.3% vs 57.1% vs 56.5%; P < 0.001). VSRR presented with slightly less multiple organ malperfusion (11.6% vs 12.0% vs 10.9%; P = 0.045) and were more often diagnosed for Marfan syndrome (2.4% vs 5.1% vs 9.1%; P < 0.001). Thirty-day mortality was lower for VSRR (11.6%) compared to SCR (16.1%) and CR (19.8%; P = 0.010). Despite longer procedural times, multivariable regression showed no influence of total arch replacement for VSRR on mortality compared to CR (odds ratio 0.264; 95% confidence interval, 0.033-2.117; P = 0.21). CONCLUSIONS: SCR remains the procedure of choice in elderly and compromised patients. Extended root preservation techniques may be applied even in combination with extended aortic arch surgery for selected patients for AADA with promising early outcomes.

Treatment of the Aortic Root in Acute Aortic Dissection Type A: Insights from the German Registry for Acute Aortic Dissection Type A (GERAADA) Registry.

OBJECTIVES: Surgery of the aortic root in acute aortic dissection type A (AADA) remains a topic of vague evidence since the extend of dissection and surgeons' capability and interpretation of the disease vary remarkably. We aimed to interpret root operation strategies in the German Registry for Acute Aortic Dissection (GERAADA) cohort. PATIENTS AND METHODS: GERAADA collected the data of 56 centers between July 2006 and June 2015. A total of 3382 patients undergoing operations for AADA were included and divided into three groups according to aortic root procedure types: supracommissural replacement (SCR), conduit replacement (CR) and valve sparing root replacement (VSRR). RESULTS: Patients in SCR (2425, 71.7%) were significantly older than CR (681, 20.1%) and VSRR (276, 8.2%) (63.4 vs 57.5 vs 54.2 yrs; p < 0.001), more female (38.9 vs 32.0 vs 26.1%; p < 0.001) and presented with less aortic regurgitation (26.3 vs 57.1 vs 56.5%; p < 0.001). VSRR presented with slightly less multiple organ malperfusion (11.6 vs 12.0 vs 10.9%; p = 0.045) and were more often diagnosed for Marfan syndrome (2.4 vs 5.1 vs 9.1%; p < 0.001). Thirty-day mortality was lower for VSRR (11.6%) compared to SCR (16.1%) and CR (19.8%; p = 0.010). Despite longer procedural times multivariable regression showed no influence of total arch replacement for VSRR on mortality compared to CR (OR 0.264; 95% CI, 0.033-2.117; p = 0.21). CONCLUSIONS: SCR remains the procedure of choice in elderly and compromised patients. Extended root preservation techniques may be applied even in combination with extended aortic arch surgery for selected patients for AADA with promising early outcomes.

Modified use of a 4-branched frozen elephant trunk prosthesis for treatment of a right-sided aortic arch aneurysm with an aberrant left subclavian artery.

Right aortic arch aneurysm originating from a Kommerell's diverticulum associated with an aberrant left subclavian artery is a rare congenital entity. We report a case of an asymptomatic 60-year-old female with right aortic arch aneurysm with an aberrant left subclavian artery, treated with a modified frozen elephant trunk technique using a 4-branched prosthesis, with the perfusion branch as an extra-anatomical bypass to the aberrant left subclavian artery. This case demonstrates short-term safety and efficacy of this technique.

Outcome of the frozen elephant trunk procedure as a redo operation.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to determine the outcome of patients undergoing an elective frozen elephant trunk (FET) procedure as a redo operation following previous cardiac surgery. METHODS: One hundred and eighteen consecutive patients underwent FET procedures between October 2010 and October 2019 at our centre. Patients were registered in a dedicated database and analysed retrospectively. Clinical and follow-up characteristics were compared between patients undergoing a FET operation as a primary (primary group) or a redo procedure (redo group) using logistic regression and Cox regression analysis. Emergency procedures (n = 33) were excluded from the analysis. RESULTS: A total of 36.5% (n = 31) of the FET procedures were redo operations (redo group) and 63.5% (n = 54) of the patients underwent primary surgery (primary group). There was no significant difference in the 30-day mortality [primary group: 7.4%; redo group: 3.2%; 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.19-35.29); P = 0.63] and the 3-year mortality [primary group: 22.2%; redo group: 16.7%; 95% CI (0.23-3.23); P = 0.72] between redo and primary cases. Furthermore, the adjusted statistical analysis did not reveal significant differences between the groups in the occurrence of transient or permanent neurological deficit, paraplegia, acute renal failure and resternotomy. The redo group showed a higher rate of recurrent nerve palsy, which did not reach statistical significance [primary group: 3.7% (n = 2); redo group: 19.4% (n = 6); P = 0.091]. CONCLUSIONS: Elective FET procedures as redo operations performed by a dedicated aortic team following previous cardiac surgery demonstrate an adequate safety profile.

Case-matched Comparison of Cardiovascular Outcome in Loeys-Dietz Syndrome versus Marfan Syndrome.

Background: Pathogenic variants in TGFBR1, TGFBR2 and SMAD3 genes cause Loeys-Dietz syndrome, and pathogenic variants in FBN1 cause Marfan syndrome. Despite their similar phenotypes, both syndromes may have different cardiovascular outcomes. Methods: Three expert centers performed a case-matched comparison of cardiovascular outcomes. The Loeys-Dietz group comprised 43 men and 40 women with a mean age of 34 ± 18 years. Twenty-six individuals had pathogenic variants in TGFBR1, 40 in TGFBR2, and 17 in SMAD3. For case-matched comparison we used 83 age and sex-frequency matched individuals with Marfan syndrome. Results: In Loeys-Dietz compared to Marfan syndrome, a patent ductus arteriosus (p = 0.014) was more prevalent, the craniofacial score was higher (p < 0.001), the systemic score lower (p < 0.001), and mitral valve prolapse less frequent (p = 0.003). Mean survival for Loeys-Dietz and Marfan syndrome was similar (75 ± 3 versus 73 ± 2 years; p = 0.811). Cardiovascular outcome was comparable between Loeys-Dietz and Marfan syndrome, including mean freedom from proximal aortic surgery (53 ± 4 versus 48 ± 3 years; p = 0.589), distal aortic repair (72 ± 3 versus 67 ± 2 years; p = 0.777), mitral valve surgery (75 ± 4 versus 65 ± 3 years; p = 0.108), and reintervention (20 ± 3 versus 14 ± 2 years; p = 0.112). In Loeys-Dietz syndrome, lower age at initial presentation predicted proximal aortic surgery (HR = 0.748; p < 0.001), where receiver operating characteristic analysis identified ≤33.5 years with increased risk. In addition, increased aortic sinus diameters (HR = 6.502; p = 0.001), and higher systemic score points at least marginally (HR = 1.175; p = 0.065) related to proximal aortic surgery in Loeys-Dietz syndrome. Conclusions: Cardiovascular outcome of Loeys-Dietz syndrome was comparable to Marfan syndrome, but the severity of systemic manifestations was a predictor of proximal aortic surgery.

Simplified frozen elephant trunk technique for combined open and endovascular treatment of extensive aortic diseases.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to analyse the impact of a simplified frozen elephant trunk (FET) technique on early outcome. METHODS: Between October 2010 and August 2018, 92 consecutive patients (mean age 64.4 ± 12.2 years) underwent FET surgery. Underlying pathologies were thoracic aneurysm in 35 patients, acute aortic dissection in 25 patients and chronic dissection in 32 patients. Thirty patients underwent a simplified FET technique with deployment of the stent graft in arch zone 2 with an extra-anatomic bypass to the distal left subclavian artery using the third branch of the Thoraflex™ Hybrid Plexus prosthesis via a supraclavicular access during reperfusion. These patients were compared to 62 patients who received the conventional FET procedure, in which a distal anastomosis is performed in arch zone 3. RESULTS: Circulatory arrest (41.7 ± 10.5 vs 76.5 ± 33.0 min; P < 0.001) and antegrade cerebral perfusion times (60.9 ± 13.5 vs 92.1 ± 33.1 min; P < 0.001) were significantly reduced in zone 2 vs zone 3 patients, respectively. The 30-day mortality rate was 3.3% (n = 1) in zone 2 patients vs 17.7% (n = 11) in zone 3 patients (P = 0.75). Stent deployment in zone 2 was associated with significantly reduced rates of postoperative stroke [zone 2: n = 0 (0.0%); zone 3: n = 11 (17.7%), P = 0.046] and recurrent nerve palsy [zone 2: n = 1 (3.3%); zone 3: n = 14 (22.6%), P = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: Simplifying the FET procedure leads to reduced circulatory arrest and cerebral perfusion times and improves early outcome.

Single-center experience with an inner branched arch endograft.

OBJECTIVE: Whereas open repair is the "gold standard" for most aortic arch diseases, a subgroup of patients might benefit from an endovascular approach. The introduction of branched stent grafts with dedicated design to address the challenges of the ascending aorta and the aortic arch has opened an entirely new area of treatment for these patients. We investigated the early outcomes of branched thoracic endovascular aortic repair (b-TEVAR) in various types of disease of the aortic arch. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted of prospectively collected data from a single center of all consecutive patients treated with b-TEVAR. The indication for elective endovascular repair was consented in an interdisciplinary case conference. All patients were treated with a custom-made inner branched arch endograft with two internal branches (Cook Medical, Bloomington, Ind) and left-sided carotid-subclavian bypass. Study end points were technical success, 30-day mortality, and complications as well as late complications and reinterventions. RESULTS: Between 2012 and 2017, there were 54 patients (38 male; median age, 71 years) treated with diseases of the aortic arch. Indications for therapy involved degenerative aortic arch or proximal descending aortic aneurysms requiring arch repair (n = 24), dissection with or without false lumen aneurysms (n = 26), and penetrating aortic ulcers (n = 4). Forty-three cases (80%) were performed electively and 11 urgently for contained ruptures (n = 3) or symptomatic aneurysms (n = 8) with endografts already available for the patient or with grafts of other patients with similar anatomy. Technical success was achieved in 53 cases (98%). The 30-day mortality and major stroke incidence were 5.5% (3/54) and 5.5% (3/54), respectively; in-hospital mortality was 7.4% (n = 4), and minor strokes (including asymptomatic new cerebral lesions) occurred in 5.5% (n = 3). There were two cases of transient spinal cord ischemia with complete recovery and one of paraplegia. No retrograde type A dissections or cardiac injuries were observed. Three early stent graft-related reinterventions were necessary to correct proximal endograft kinking with type IA endoleak in one patient, a bridging stent graft stenosis in another patient, and false lumen persistent perfusion from dissected supra-aortic vessels in the last patient. Mean in-hospital stay was 14 ± 8 days. During a mean follow-up of 12 ± 9 months, three nonaorta-related deaths and one aorta-related death distal to the arch repair were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of aortic arch diseases with b-TEVAR is feasible and safe with acceptable mortality and stroke rates.

Minimally invasive endoscopic surgery versus catheter-based device occlusion for atrial septal defects in adults: reconsideration of the standard of care.

Objectives: Percutaneous ostium secundum atrial septal defect (ASD II) closure has become the standard of care for treatment of congenital ASD II in adults. Nevertheless, patients are frequently ineligible for this technique due to challenging morphology. In such cases, closure via minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) is an appropriate treatment option. The aim of this study is to compare outcomes of MICS and use of a percutaneous Amplatzer septal occluder (ASO) device for treatment of ASD II in adults. Methods: From July 2002 to June 2014, 95 patients underwent MICS for congenital ASD II closure. During the same period, 169 patients underwent ASO procedure. Outcomes in terms of remaining ASD II, new onset atrial fibrillation (AF), post-interventional stroke, myocardial infarction and the post procedural implementation of anticoagulation were compared. Results: Apart from age (38.3 ± 12.7 vs 49.6 ± 15.7 years, P < 0.0001) the groups did not differ in baseline characteristics. A significantly higher rate of residual ASD II was found in the ASO group at 3 months (0% vs 30.8%, P < 0.0001), 6 months (0% vs 15.9%, P < 0.0001) and 12 months follow-up (0% vs 7.1%, P = 0.005). A significantly higher rate of new-onset AF was seen in the ASO group (0% vs 9.5%, P = 0.0008). Conclusions: MICS for ASD II is a safe and reproducible procedure with 0% mortality in our cohort. More complete closure of ASD, decreased rates of new onset AF and decreased need for oral anticoagulation are the advantages of the MICS procedure. Compared with the current standard of care, the MICS approach is feasible regardless of ASD morphology.

Warfarin anticoagulation in acute type A aortic dissection survivors (WATAS).

BACKGROUND: Early survivors of acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD) remain at risk for late death and late aortic events. However, the frequency and long-term effects of warfarin anticoagulation on long-term outcome in post-surgical AAAD survivors have not been elucidated. METHODS: Two tertiary care centers performed a retrospective observational cohort study of warfarin anticoagulation in AAAD in 243 persons with early survival of surgical repair (WATAS). Serial postoperative tomographic imaging was available in 106 persons. RESULTS: A total of 88 postoperative AAAD survivors (36%) were on long-term warfarin anticoagulation. The indication for anticoagulation was a mechanical aortic prosthesis in 46 (52%), atrial fibrillation in 33 (38%), stroke in 7 (8%), and pulmonary embolism in 1 (1%). The indication for anticoagulation remained unclear in 1 person (1%). Survival and aortic event free survival were 98.3±0.01 and 98.7±0.01 at 1 year, and 76.4±0.03 and 91.8±0.02 at 5 years, respectively, with no differences irrespective of warfarin anticoagulation. Multivariate Cox regression analysis established higher age (P<0.001), and operation extending into the descending aorta (P=0.030) as independent predictors of late death. Follow-up without tomographic imaging independently predicted increased long-term mortality (P<0.001) and lower rates of documented aortic events (P=0.003). Kaplan-Meyer analysis showed a relationship of aortic diameter growth ≥0.5 cm per year with late death (P=0.041) and with late aortic events (P<0.001). However, rapid aortic growth did not relate to warfarin anticoagulation. CONCLUSIONS: Warfarin anticoagulation is frequent in postsurgical AAAD and it is administered for vital indications. Warfarin anticoagulation does not relate to late mortality or to late aortic events. Rapid aortic growth predicts late mortality and late aortic events, but warfarin anticoagulation is not associated with aortic growth. Follow-up tomographic imaging is mandatory for long-term survival after surgical repair of AAAD.

Long-term follow-up after autologous skeletal myoblast transplantation in ischaemic heart disease.

OBJECTIVES: Short-term follow-up after autologous skeletal myoblasts (ASM) transplantation (Tx) (Myoblast Autologous Grafting in Ischaemic Cardiomyopathy (MAGIC) Phase II Study) for the treatment of ischaemic cardiomyopathy revealed improved left ventricular (LV) remodelling. Our study reports the longest long-term worldwide follow-up of a single-centre cohort, focusing on the safety and efficacy of ASM-Tx. METHODS: The multicentre MAGIC Phase II Study involved 120 patients and was conducted between 2004 and 2006. Out of the 120 patients involved in the entire study, the cohort treated at our institution contained 7 patients only. These 7 patients received ASM-Tx (injection volume: 400 million cells, n = 2 low dosage; 800 million cells, n = 2 high dosage) or placebo (n = 3) injections, in addition to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). After closure of the MAGIC registry, we conducted a long-term follow-up for our 7-patient cohort. The mean follow-up was 72.0 ± 5.3 months. The follow-up was complete for echo data, implanted cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) report, clinical investigation and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class. RESULTS: At final follow-up, all the patients were alive, and 5 were in NYHA class 1 or 2. There were 6 hospitalizations for congestive heart failure during the follow-up (1 patient from each group). One patient (placebo group) was treated twice for ventricular fibrillation by the ICD. The LV ejection fraction remained stable in all the three groups (31.1 ± 3.9% preoperative vs 29.4 ± 4.4% at final follow-up). The LV volumes were reduced in the high-dosage group, remained unchanged in the low-dosage group and deteriorated in the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS: Our long-term data confirm the findings of the MAGIC study. The LV function did not improve, but the long-term LV volumes in the high-dosage group were reduced. During the follow-up, there were also no additional arrhythmogenic incidences. Our data could imply that CABG in combination with ASM-Tx is safe and has beneficial therapeutic effects in the long-term. However, due to the small patient number, the clinical impact is limited.

Use of initial biventricular mechanical support in a case of postinfarction ventricular septal rupture as a bridge to surgery.

The incidence of postinfarction ventricular septal rupture is declining as coronary revascularization techniques have become available for a large number of patients. However, morbidity and mortality rates associated with this complication remain high. We report the case of a patient suffering from acute myocardial infarction who developed a postinfarction ventricular septal defect. Instead of attempting surgical closure, he was placed on biventricular mechanical support. After 2 weeks, surgical closure of the defect and concomitant explantation of the assist device were successfully performed. This approach may represent a new treatment option restoring hemodynamic stability and avoiding surgery on freshly infarcted myocardium.