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Artificial Intelligence (AI) has greatly affected our everyday lives and holds great promise to change the landscape of medicine. AI is particularly positioned to improve care for the increasingly complex patients undergoing cardiac surgery utilizing immense amount of data generated in the course of their care. When deployed, AI can be used to analyze this information at the patient's bedside more expediently and accurately, all while providing new insights. This review summarizes the current applications of AI in cardiac surgery, from the vantage point of a patient's journey. Applications of AI include pre-operative risk assessment, intraoperative planning, post-operative patient care and out-patient telemonitoring, encompassing the spectrum of cardiac surgical care. Offloading of administrative processes and enhanced experience with information gathering also represent a unique and underrepresented avenue for future utilization of AI. As clinicians, understanding the nomenclature and applications of AI is important to contextualize problems, to ensure problem-driven solutions and for clinical benefit. Precision medicine, and thus clinically relevant AI, remains dependent on data curation and warehousing to gather insights from large multicenter repositories while treating privacy with the utmost importance. AI tasks should not be siloed but rather holistically integrated into clinical workflow to retain context and relevance. As cardiac surgeons, AI allows us to look forward to a bright future of more efficient utilization of our clinical expertise toward high-level decision making and technical prowess.
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BACKGROUND: Gender-affirming mastectomy can improve mental health and gender expression. However, there is no consensus on routine drain usage in gender-affirming surgeries. The purpose of this study is to compare gender-affirming mastectomies with and without drains and review complications. METHODS: An institutional review board-approved, retrospective review was performed to identify patients between 2017-2021 who had double-incision mastectomy, with or without nipple graft, and separated into drain and no-drain cohorts. Patient demographics, outcomes, and postoperative complications were analyzed, including unplanned return to the operating room, seromas, hematomas, postoperative infection, and postoperative antibiotic use. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed. RESULTS: There were 359 patients that had a gender-affirming mastectomy surgery between 2017 and 2021. The mean age was 26.1 years old, and mean body mass index was 27.4. There were 144 patients (40.1%) who had a drain, and 215 patients (59.9%) without a drain. For postoperative complications of all patients, there were 12 (3.3%) unplanned returns to the operating room, 18 seromas (5.0%), 26 hematomas (7.2%), 50 (13.9%) postoperative antibiotic use, and 4 postoperative infections (1.1%). There were no significant differences found between drain use for all postoperative complications, but no-drain use was significantly associated with less prescribed postoperative antibiotics compared to drain use (3.7% and 29.0%, respectively; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Gender-affirming mastectomy surgeries are safe and effective treatment options. No-drain placement was not associated with increased postoperative complications. Surgeons may consider not prescribing routine postoperative antibiotics if using drains, and avoiding drains for gender-affirming mastectomies may be considered in selected individuals based on clinical judgment.
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Drenagem , Mastectomia , Complicações Pós-Operatórias , Cirurgia de Readequação Sexual , Humanos , Feminino , Estudos Retrospectivos , Adulto , Mastectomia/métodos , Masculino , Complicações Pós-Operatórias/epidemiologia , Cirurgia de Readequação Sexual/métodos , Pessoa de Meia-IdadeRESUMO
Mitral valve repair is the ideal intervention for mitral valve disease with excellent long-term survival comparable to the age-matched general population. When the mitral valve is not repairable, mechanical prostheses may be associated with improved survival as compared with biological prostheses. Newer mechanical and biological valve prostheses have the potential to improve outcomes following mitral valve replacement in young patients. Patients presenting for mitral valve surgery after failed transcatheter mitral valve-in-valve have high rates of postoperative mortality and morbidity, exceeding those seen with reoperative mitral valve surgery, which poses issues in young patients who have a higher cumulative incidence of reintervention.
Patients presenting with mitral valve disease, the most common type of heart valve disease, have a survival advantage when they undergo mitral valve repair as opposed to replacement, and this is particularly true for young patients. When the mitral valve is not repairable, mechanical prostheses (prosthetic implants) may be associated with improved survival as compared with biological prostheses, and this difference is mostly observed until the age of 70 years. Newer techniques of treating mitral valve disease without requiring open heart surgery have not yet been shown to be superior or even equivalent to traditional open heart surgery in the general population. Patients presenting for mitral valve surgery after failure of these newer techniques have high rates of death, exceeding those seen with mitral valve reoperation, which has important implications for young patients with mitral valve disease.
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Previous studies have shown the safety of early discharge pathways in selected patients and using selected transcatheter heart valves. Hence, we sought to evaluate the safety of next-day discharge (NDD) in patients who underwent transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TF-TAVI) with the ACURATE neo/neo2 (Boston Scientific, Marlborough, Massachusetts) self-expanding aortic bioprosthesis. Patients who underwent TF-TAVI between January 2018 and April 2023 were prospectively included. Patients were stratified into 3 groups according to discharge times within 24 hours (NDD), between 24 and 48 hours, and those discharged >48 hours after TAVI. The primary outcome was the first unplanned readmission at 30 days after TAVI. Log-rank test was used to assess the differences in the outcome of interest between the groups. A total of 368 all-comers were included in this study. According to discharge times, 204 patients followed NDD, 69 patients 24 to 48 hours discharge, and 95 patients >48 hours discharge after TAVI. The mean age was 84 ± 6.3 years and 61% were women, without differences between the groups. The mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons score was lower in those with NDD versus 24 to 48 hours and >48 hours (2.9 ± 1.0, 3.2 ± 1.2, and 3.4 ± 1.4, respectively, p = 0.014). There were no differences between the groups in terms of preprocedural right bundle branch block or pacemaker. The need for new permanent pacemaker implantation was the leading postprocedural complication; it occurred more frequently in the >48 hours group than the 24 to 48 hours, and <24 hours groups (24% vs 8.6% and 2.2%, p <0.001). There were 5 strokes (1.4%) and all of them occurred in the >48 hours group (p = 0.005). At 30 days after discharge, there were no deaths and no differences in all-cause readmissions (9.3% in <24 hours, 8.6% in 24 to 48 hours, and 19% in >48 hours, log-rank p = 0.087). The readmission rates for new permanent pacemaker implantation requirement were 3.3% (n = 6) in NDD, 0% in 24 to 48 hours, and 1.6% (n = 5) in the >48 hours groups (p = 0.27). In conclusion, in unselected patients who underwent TF-TAVI with the ACURATE neo/neo2 self-expanding bioprosthesis, the NDD pathway is feasible and appears to be safe, without an increased risk of death or all-cause rehospitalization through 30 days after hospital discharge.
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Infective endocarditis involving the aortic root is associated with a high degree of morbidity and mortality. Native aortic root infections can develop from aggressive organisms or from delays in diagnosis or definitive care, whereas prosthetic valve infections commonly result in extensive destruction of the aortic root and neighboring structures. Early detection, tailored antibiotic therapy, thoughtful pre-operative planning, and multidisciplinary heart team management are the keys to optimizing patient outcomes. Aggressive and complete surgical debridement are mandatory prior to aortic root reconstruction. Surgical experience and patient-centered decision making are critical in selecting the optimal reconstructive strategy for the aortic root and adjacent structures. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12055-023-01604-6.
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BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Surgical explantation of transcatheter heart valves (THVs) is rapidly increasing, but there are limited data on patients with THV-associated infective endocarditis (IE). This study aims to assess the outcomes of patients undergoing THV explant for IE. METHODS: All patients who underwent THV explant between 2011 and 2022 from 44 sites in the EXPLANT-TAVR registry were identified. Patients with IE as the reason for THV explant were compared to those with other mechanisms of bioprosthetic valve dysfunction (BVD). RESULTS: A total of 372 patients from the EXPLANT-TAVR registry were included. Among them, 184 (49.5%) patients underwent THV explant due to IE and 188 (50.5%) patients due to BVD. At the index transcatheter aortic valve replacement, patients undergoing THV explant for IE were older (74.3 ± 8.6 vs. 71 ± 10.6 years) and had a lower Society of Thoracic Surgeons risk score [2.6% (1.8-5.0) vs. 3.3% (2.1-5.6), P = .029] compared to patients with BVD. Compared to BVD, IE patients had longer intensive care unit and hospital stays (P < .05) and higher stroke rates at 30 days (8.6% vs. 2.9%, P = .032) and 1 year (16.2% vs. 5.2%, P = .010). Adjusted in-hospital, 30-day, and 1-year mortality was 12.1%, 16.1%, and 33.8%, respectively, for the entire cohort, with no significant differences between groups. Although mortality was numerically higher in IE patients 3 years postsurgery (29.6% for BVD vs. 43.9% for IE), Kaplan-Meier analysis showed no significant differences between groups (P = .16). CONCLUSIONS: In the EXPLANT-TAVR registry, patients undergoing THV explant for IE had higher 30-day and 1-year stroke rates and longer intensive care unit and hospital stays. Moreover, patients undergoing THV explant for IE had a higher 3-year mortality rate, which did not reach statistical significance given the relatively small sample size of this unique cohort and the reduced number of events.
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Endocardite , Falha de Prótese , Infecções Relacionadas à Prótese , Sistema de Registros , Substituição da Valva Aórtica Transcateter , Humanos , Masculino , Feminino , Idoso , Substituição da Valva Aórtica Transcateter/efeitos adversos , Substituição da Valva Aórtica Transcateter/mortalidade , Infecções Relacionadas à Prótese/epidemiologia , Infecções Relacionadas à Prótese/mortalidade , Endocardite/cirurgia , Endocardite/mortalidade , Remoção de Dispositivo , Próteses Valvulares Cardíacas/efeitos adversos , Bioprótese/efeitos adversos , Resultado do Tratamento , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Complicações Pós-Operatórias/epidemiologia , Complicações Pós-Operatórias/etiologiaRESUMO
This case report describes the rare occurrence of a ventricular septal defect (VSD) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in an 88-year-old male patient with aortic stenosis and other comorbidities. Initially asymptomatic, the patient was discharged but readmitted 2 weeks later with decompensated heart failure. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) revealed an increase in the size of the VSD and right ventricular dilation. Surgical intervention was chosen over percutaneous closure due to the patient's condition. A bovine pericardial patch was successfully used for repair. This case highlights the importance of vigilant post-TAVI monitoring and individualized treatment for TAVI-related complications.
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Estenose da Valva Aórtica , Comunicação Interventricular , Substituição da Valva Aórtica Transcateter , Humanos , Masculino , Substituição da Valva Aórtica Transcateter/efeitos adversos , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Comunicação Interventricular/cirurgia , Estenose da Valva Aórtica/cirurgia , Ecocardiografia Transesofagiana , Bovinos , Animais , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Awareness of Medicare reimbursement is important for gender-affirming surgeons who treat transgender patients with Medicare. In 2014, Medicare began to provide coverage for medically necessary transition-related surgery. The purpose of this study was to analyze trends in Medicare reimbursement rates for gender-affirming surgery procedures from 2014 to 2022. METHODS: The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Look-Up Tool provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services was used, and the Current Procedural Terminology codes for 43 gender-affirming surgery services were obtained. Monetary units, conversion factors, relative value units (RVUs) for work, facility, and malpractice costs for 30 transmasculine and 13 transfeminine procedures were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were performed to account for inflation and to determine the relative differences between 2014 and 2022. RESULTS: For all gender-affirming surgery procedures covered by Medicare, the average relative difference of monetary units decreased by 2.99% between 2014 and 2022. On average, there was a 3.97% decrease of work-based RVU charges for transmasculine procedures and a 1.73% decrease of work-based RVU charges for transfeminine procedures. After adjusting for inflation, the average relative difference of monetary units for all gender-affirming surgery procedures decreased by 23.42% between 2014 and 2022. CONCLUSIONS: Reimbursement rates for gender-affirming surgery procedures covered under Medicare have decreased over the observed period, and trends in reimbursement rates have not kept up with consumer price index inflation. Gender-affirming surgeons should be conscious of these changes in reimbursement rates and advocate for fairer compensation to promote medical care among an underserved population.
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Medicare , Cirurgia de Readequação Sexual , Humanos , Estados Unidos , Medicare/economia , Feminino , Masculino , Cirurgia de Readequação Sexual/economia , Reembolso de Seguro de Saúde/economia , Reembolso de Seguro de Saúde/tendênciasRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Traditional criterion for intervention on an asymptomatic ascending aortic aneurysm has been a maximal aortic diameter of 5.5 cm or more. The 2022 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association aortic guidelines adopted cross-sectional aortic area/height ratio, aortic size index, and aortic height index as alternate parameters for surgical intervention. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of using these newer indices on patient eligibility for surgical intervention in a prospective, multicenter cohort with moderate-sized ascending aortic aneurysms between 5.0 and 5.4 cm. METHODS: Patients enrolled from 2018 to 2023 in the randomization or registry arms of the multicenter trial, Treatment In Thoracic Aortic aNeurysm: Surgery versus Surveillance, were included in the study. Clinical data were captured prospectively in an online database. Imaging data were derived from a core computed laboratory. RESULTS: Among the 329 included patients, 20% were female. Mean age was 65.0 ± 11.6 years, and mean maximal aortic diameter was 50.8 ± 3.9 mm. In the one-third of all patients (n = 109) who met any 1 of the 3 criteria (ie, aortic size index ≥3.08 cm/m2, aortic height index ≥3.21 cm/m, or cross-sectional aortic area/height ≥ 10 cm2/m), their mean maximal aortic diameter was 52.5 ± 0.52 mm. Alternate criteria were most commonly met in women compared with men: 20% versus 2% for aortic size index (P < .001), 39% versus 5% for aortic height index (P < .001), and 39% versus 21% for cross-sectional aortic area/height (P = .002), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: One-third of patients in Treatment In Thoracic Aortic aNeurysm: Surgery versus Surveillance would meet criteria for surgical intervention based on novel parameters versus the classic definition of diameter 5.5 cm or more. Surgical thresholds for aortic size index, aortic height index, or cross-sectional aortic area/height ratio are more likely to be met in female patients compared with male patients.
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BACKGROUND: To date, there are no studies investigating the safety and outcomes of facial feminization surgery (FFS) as an outpatient procedure. This is the first study of its kind analyzing the outcomes of ambulatory FFS based on a comparison of complications, post-operative emergency department or urgent care (ED/UC) visits, and readmissions between patients who underwent FFS with admission versus same-day surgery. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on all patients who underwent FFS in a single integrated healthcare system. Patient charts were reviewed for operative details, complications, post-operative ED/UC visits, readmission, and demographic factors. Major outcomes including complications, readmissions, and ED/UC visits were compared between groups with same-day discharge and post-operative hospital admission. RESULTS: Of 242 patients included in the study, ED/UC visits were comparable between patients discharged same-day (18.2%) and patients admitted post-operatively (21.6%, p = 0.52). Logistic regression showed no significant difference in the composite outcomes of minor complications, major complications, and readmissions (15.6% for ambulatory versus 19.3% for admission, p = 0.46). Temporary nerve palsy, infection, and hematoma were the most common post-operative complications. However, covariates of a lower face procedure and operative time were shown to have significant differences in the composite complication outcome (p = 0.04 and p = 0.045, respectively). CONCLUSION: Ambulatory FFS is a safe practice with no associated increase in adverse outcomes including complications, ED/UC visits, and readmission when compared to post-operative admission. Adoption of same-day FFS should be considered by high-volume gender health centers to potentially benefit from increased scheduling flexibility and efficiency, increased access to care, and lower healthcare costs.
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Procedimentos Cirúrgicos Ambulatórios , Readmissão do Paciente , Complicações Pós-Operatórias , Humanos , Feminino , Procedimentos Cirúrgicos Ambulatórios/efeitos adversos , Estudos Retrospectivos , Complicações Pós-Operatórias/epidemiologia , Adulto , Readmissão do Paciente/estatística & dados numéricos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Face/cirurgia , Resultado do Tratamento , Serviço Hospitalar de Emergência/estatística & dados numéricos , Feminização , Cirurgia de Readequação Sexual/métodosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Tricuspid valve annuloplasty (TA) during mitral valve repair (MVr) is associated with increased risk of permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation, but the magnitude of risk and long-term clinical consequences have not been firmly established. OBJECTIVES: This study assesses the incidence rates of PPM implantation after isolated MVr and following MVr with TA as well as the associated long-term clinical consequences of PPM implantation. METHODS: State-mandated hospital discharge databases of New York and California were queried for patients undergoing MVr (isolated or with concomitant TA) between 2004 and 2019. Patients were stratified by whether or not they received a PPM within 90 days of index surgery. After weighting by propensity score, survival, heart failure hospitalizations (HFHs), endocarditis, stroke, and reoperation were compared between patients with or without PPM. RESULTS: A total of 32,736 patients underwent isolated MVr (n = 28,003) or MVr + TA (n = 4,733). Annual MVr + TA volumes increased throughout the study period (P < 0.001, trend), and PPM rates decreased (P < 0.001, trend). The incidence of PPM implantation <90 days after surgery was 7.7% for MVr and 14.0% for MVr + TA. In 90-day conditional landmark-weighted analyses, PPMs were associated with reduced long-term survival among MVr (HR: 1.96; 95% CI: 1.75-2.19; P < 0.001) and MVr + TA recipients (HR: 1.65; 95% CI: 1.28-2.14; P < 0.001). In both surgical groups, PPMs were also associated with an increased risk of HFH (HR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.27-1.90; P < 0.001) and endocarditis (HR: 1.95; 95% CI: 1.52-2.51; P < 0.001), but not with stroke or reoperation. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to isolated MVr, adding TA to MVr was associated with a higher risk of 90-day PPM implantation. In both surgical groups, PPM implantation was associated with an increase in mortality, HFH, and endocarditis.
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Marca-Passo Artificial , Valva Tricúspide , Humanos , Feminino , Masculino , Idoso , Marca-Passo Artificial/efeitos adversos , Valva Tricúspide/cirurgia , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Valva Mitral/cirurgia , Estudos Retrospectivos , Anuloplastia da Valva Cardíaca/efeitos adversos , Complicações Pós-Operatórias/epidemiologia , Complicações Pós-Operatórias/etiologia , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Symptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) at high risk for surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) sustain comparable improvements in health status over 5 years after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) or SAVR. Whether a similar long-term benefit is observed among intermediate-risk AS patients is unknown. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess health status outcomes through 5 years in intermediate risk patients treated with a self-expanding TAVR prosthesis or SAVR using data from the SURTAVI (Surgical Replacement and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) trial. METHODS: Intermediate-risk patients randomized to transfemoral TAVR or SAVR in the SURTAVI trial had disease-specific health status assessed at baseline, 30 days, and annually to 5 years using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ). Health status was compared between groups using fixed effects repeated measures modelling. RESULTS: Of the 1,584 patients (TAVR, n = 805; SAVR, n = 779) included in the analysis, health status improved more rapidly after TAVR compared with SAVR. However, by 1 year, both groups experienced large health status benefits (mean change in KCCQ-Overall Summary Score (KCCQ-OS) from baseline: TAVR: 20.5 ± 22.4; SAVR: 20.5 ± 22.2). This benefit was sustained, albeit modestly attenuated, at 5 years (mean change in KCCQ-OS from baseline: TAVR: 15.4 ± 25.1; SAVR: 14.3 ± 24.2). There were no significant differences in health status between the cohorts at 1 year or beyond. Similar findings were observed in the KCCQ subscales, although a substantial attenuation of benefit was noted in the physical limitation subscale over time in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: In intermediate-risk AS patients, both transfemoral TAVR and SAVR resulted in comparable and durable health status benefits to 5 years. Further research is necessary to elucidate the mechanisms for the small decline in health status noted at 5 years compared with 1 year in both groups. (Safety and Efficacy Study of the Medtronic CoreValve® System in the Treatment of Severe, Symptomatic Aortic Stenosis in Intermediate Risk Subjects Who Need Aortic Valve Replacement [SURTAVI]; NCT01586910).
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Estenose da Valva Aórtica , Valva Aórtica , Artéria Femoral , Nível de Saúde , Próteses Valvulares Cardíacas , Qualidade de Vida , Recuperação de Função Fisiológica , Índice de Gravidade de Doença , Substituição da Valva Aórtica Transcateter , Humanos , Estenose da Valva Aórtica/cirurgia , Estenose da Valva Aórtica/diagnóstico por imagem , Estenose da Valva Aórtica/fisiopatologia , Feminino , Masculino , Fatores de Tempo , Substituição da Valva Aórtica Transcateter/efeitos adversos , Substituição da Valva Aórtica Transcateter/instrumentação , Resultado do Tratamento , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Fatores de Risco , Valva Aórtica/cirurgia , Valva Aórtica/fisiopatologia , Valva Aórtica/diagnóstico por imagem , Medição de Risco , Implante de Prótese de Valva Cardíaca/instrumentação , Implante de Prótese de Valva Cardíaca/efeitos adversos , Cateterismo Periférico/efeitos adversos , Punções , Desenho de PróteseRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To describe phalloplasty subunits and determine the preferred crowdsourced esthetics. Esthetic ideals are often used to guide reconstruction, and there has been an increase in the number of gender-affirming surgeries and reconstructive phalloplasties performed. However, there is a paucity of literature describing ideal phalloplasty esthetics. METHODS: Phallus esthetic subunits were defined, and a split testing-based survey was used. Subjects were solicited via Craigslist, Amazon Mechanical Turk, and Reddit and distributed among health care co-workers. Computer-generated images with variable ratios of glans, corona, and shaft were provided and respondents were asked to select the most esthetically pleasing photo. Demographic information was gathered. Univariate and multivariate regression were performed. RESULTS: A total of 1029 people responded to the survey request and 909 people (88.3%) completed the entire survey. There were 440 respondents who self-identified as male, 334 female, 92 transgender male, and 25 transgender female. The health care field was the profession for 55.4%. Health care providers had 65.3% higher odds of preferring the longer shaft length-to-width ratio, 30.3% less odds of preferring a bilateral taper of the glans, and 48.4% less odds of preferring an angulated shaft compared to non-health care providers (P = .006, P = .021, P <.001, respectively). When compared to males, transgender females were more than 13 times likely to prefer an angulated glans corona junction (P = .008). CONCLUSION: The ideal phallic esthetic varies by individual, and there were statistically significant preferences across age, education, health care status, gender, and sexual orientation. This study can serve as a guide on phalloplasties for patients and gender-affirming surgeons.
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Crowdsourcing , Transexualidade , Humanos , Masculino , Feminino , Genitália Masculina , Transexualidade/cirurgia , Estética , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Accurate benchmarking of outcomes after elective open total arch replacement is important for surgical decision making and for comparisons with emerging endovascular technologies. METHODS: A multicentre registry of consecutive aortic arch procedures in 9 centres across Canada contained 250 elective total arch replacements from 2010 to 2021. A total of 728 patients undergoing elective hemiarch replacement over the same time period was used as a comparator group. Propensity score matching was used to construct 202 well matched pairs. RESULTS: Patients undergoing total arch replacement were 63.2 ± 13.6 years old, and 34% were female. These patients were more likely to have connective tissue disorders compared with patients undergoing hemiarch replacement. When under hypothermic circulatory arrest, the total arch group uniformly used antegrade cerebral perfusion with median nadir temperature of 24°C (interquartile range [IQR] 21-25°C), and median duration 33 minutes (IQR 23-51 minutes). Before matching, in-hospital mortality and stroke rates were 5.2% and 10%, respectively, for the total arch group. After matching, the total arch group had in-hospital mortality similar to the hemiarch group (P = 0.58). Rates of stroke were also not statistically different (P = 0.11). The total arch group was more likely to experience delirium, prolonged intubation, increased intensive care unit length of stay, and transfusions. CONCLUSIONS: Elective total arch replacement is performed with good in-hospital mortality rates that are similar to rates after elective hemiarch repairs. However, total arch replacement was associated with significantly higher rates of other morbidities, including delirium and prolonged intubation.
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Aorta Torácica , Mortalidade Hospitalar , Sistema de Registros , Humanos , Feminino , Masculino , Aorta Torácica/cirurgia , Canadá/epidemiologia , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Mortalidade Hospitalar/tendências , Complicações Pós-Operatórias/epidemiologia , Implante de Prótese Vascular/métodos , Idoso , Procedimentos Cirúrgicos Eletivos/métodos , Procedimentos Cirúrgicos Eletivos/estatística & dados numéricos , Pontuação de Propensão , Resultado do Tratamento , Aneurisma da Aorta Torácica/cirurgia , Estudos RetrospectivosRESUMO
Aims: Thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs) carry a risk of catastrophic dissection. Current strategies to evaluate this risk entail measuring aortic diameter but do not image medial degeneration, the cause of TAAs. We sought to determine if the advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisition strategy, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), could delineate medial degeneration in the ascending thoracic aorta. Methods and results: Porcine ascending aortas were subjected to enzyme microinjection, which yielded local aortic medial degeneration. These lesions were detected by DTI, using a 9.4â T MRI scanner, based on tensor disorientation, disrupted diffusion tracts, and altered DTI metrics. High-resolution spatial analysis revealed that fractional anisotropy positively correlated, and mean and radial diffusivity inversely correlated, with smooth muscle cell (SMC) and elastin content (P < 0.001 for all). Ten operatively harvested human ascending aorta samples (mean subject age 61.6 ± 13.3 years, diameter range 29-64â mm) showed medial pathology that was more diffuse and more complex. Nonetheless, DTI metrics within an aorta spatially correlated with SMC, elastin, and, especially, glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content. Moreover, there were inter-individual differences in slice-averaged DTI metrics. Glycosaminoglycan accumulation and elastin degradation were captured by reduced fractional anisotropy (R2 = 0.47, P = 0.043; R2 = 0.76, P = 0.002), with GAG accumulation also captured by increased mean diffusivity (R2 = 0.46, P = 0.045) and increased radial diffusivity (R2 = 0.60, P = 0.015). Conclusion: Ex vivo high-field DTI can detect ascending aorta medial degeneration and can differentiate TAAs in accordance with their histopathology, especially elastin and GAG changes. This non-destructive window into aortic medial microstructure raises prospects for probing the risks of TAAs beyond lumen dimensions.