Outcomes of the Ross procedure in patients older versus younger than 50 years old.

OBJECTIVES: The Ross procedure is traditionally considered for young adult patients with aortic valve disease. This study compares long-term outcomes of patients undergoing the Ross procedure who are ≥50 and <50-years old. METHODS: Data were collected from 225 patients undergoing Ross procedure at a single centre from 1994 to 2019. Patients were categorized into younger (<50-years old; n = 156) and older (≥50-years old; n = 69) cohorts. Baseline demographics clinical outcomes were compared. RESULTS: The mean age was 36 ± 8.1 and 55 ± 4.2 years in the younger and older cohort, respectively. Both groups were predominantly male (58.5% vs 69.6%; P = 0.59). The younger group had a higher rate of aortic insufficiency (51% vs 26.1%; P < 0.01), and bicuspid aortic valve (81.4% vs 58.0%; P < 0.01). Aortic stenosis was more prevalent in the older cohort (25.6% vs 58.0%; P < 0.01). Operative mortality was acceptable in both groups (1.3% vs 4.3%; P = 0.15). Survival up to 10 years was not statistically different between 2 groups (96.2% vs 91.3% P = 0.16), whereas survival up to 15 years for younger patients was significantly higher (94.9% vs 85.5%; P = 0.03). After non-cardiac related deaths were excluded, survival up to 15 years (98.7% vs 91.3%; P = 0.02) was significantly lower than younger patients. In both groups, survival after the Ross procedure was similar to the age- and sex-matched US population. CONCLUSIONS: Survival up to 10 years after Ross procedure were similar, but up to 15 years was significantly higher in younger patients. The Ross procedure restored patients from both groups to expected survival. Our results suggest that at experienced centres, the Ross procedure is a safe and reasonable option for patients who are 50 years and older.

Race, neighborhood disadvantage, and survival of Medicare beneficiaries after aortic valve replacement and concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting.

BACKGROUND: Race, neighborhood disadvantage, and the interaction between these 2 social determinants of health remain poorly understood with regards to survival after aortic valve replacement with concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting (AVR+CABG). METHODS: Weighted Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and Cox proportional hazards modeling were used to evaluate the association between race, neighborhood disadvantage, and long-term survival in 205,408 Medicare beneficiaries undergoing AVR+CABG from 1999 to 2015. Neighborhood disadvantage was measured using the Area Deprivation Index, a broadly validated ranking of socioeconomic contextual disadvantage. RESULTS: Self-identified race was 93.9% White and 3.2% Black. Residents of the most disadvantaged quintile of neighborhoods included 12.6% of all White beneficiaries and 40.0% of all Black beneficiaries. Black beneficiaries and residents of the most disadvantaged quintile of neighborhoods had more comorbidities compared with White beneficiaries and residents of the least disadvantaged quintile of neighborhoods, respectively. Increasing neighborhood disadvantage linearly increased the hazard for mortality for Medicare beneficiaries of White but not Black race. Residents of the most and least disadvantaged neighborhood quintiles had weighted median overall survival of 93.0 and 82.1 months, respectively, a significant difference (P < .001 by Cox test for equality of survival curves). Black and White beneficiaries had weighted median overall survival of 93.4 and 90.6 months, respectively, a nonsignificant difference (P = .29 by Cox test for equality of survival curves). A statistically significant interaction between race and neighborhood disadvantage was noted (likelihood ratio test P = .0215) and had implications on whether Black race was associated with survival. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing neighborhood disadvantage was linearly associated with worse survival after combined AVR+CABG in White but not Black Medicare beneficiaries; race, however, was not independently associated with postoperative survival.

Outcomes of redo operations after the Ross procedure.

BACKGROUND: The Ross procedure is not commonly performed, owing to the procedural complexity and the risk of autograft and/or homograft reoperation. This study examined outcomes of patients undergoing Ross reinterventions at a dedicated Ross center. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 225 consecutive patients who underwent a Ross procedure between 1994 and 2019. Index and redo operation characteristics and outcomes were compared between patients with and those without redo operations. Multivariate analysis was used to identify independent predictors of Ross-related reinterventions. Survival was estimated with Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: Sixty-six patients (29.3%) required redo Ross surgery, 41 patients (18.2%) underwent autograft reoperation only, 8 patients (3.6%) had a homograft reintervention, and 17 patients (7.6%) had both autograft and homograft reoperations (12 as a combined procedure and 5 as sequential procedures). The mean time to reintervention was 11 ± 6 years for autograft reoperations and 12 ± 7 years for homograft reoperations. Patients who underwent Ross-related reinterventions were younger (mean, 38 ± 11 years vs 43 ± 11 years; P < .01) and had a higher rate of New York Heart Association class III/IV (56% vs 38%; P = .02) at the index Ross procedure. Most patients undergoing autograft reintervention had aortic insufficiency and/or aneurysm (98.2%; 57 of 58). The primary reason for homograft reintervention was pulmonary stenosis (92%; 23 of 25). The operative mortality of Ross reintervention was 1.5% (1 of 66). Survival at 15 years was similar in patients who required a redo operation and those who did not (91.2% vs 93.9%; P = .23). CONCLUSIONS: Ross reinterventions can be performed safely and maintain patients at the normal life expectancy restored by the index Ross procedure up to 15 years at experienced centers.

Impact of preoperative Impella support on destination left ventricular assist device outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Although left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation is associated with improved heart failure survival, the impact of pre-implantation Impella support on outcomes is unknown. We undertook this study to evaluate the impact of preoperative Impella support on LVAD outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of all Heartmate 3 LVAD implants. Primary stratification was by the need for preoperative Impella support with the 5.0/5.5 device. Longitudinal survival was assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were developed to evaluate mortality. Secondary outcomes included changes in laboratory values during Impella support. RESULTS: From 2017 to 2021, 87 patients underwent LVAD implantation. Sixteen were supported with a single inotrope, 36 with dual inotropes, 27 with Impella, and 3 with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). When stratified by the need for Impella, there was no difference in survival at 30-days (98.3 [88.2-99.8]% vs. 96.3 [76.5-99.5]%, p = .59), 1-year (91.0 [79.8-96.2] vs. 74.9 [51.7-88.2], p = .10), or at 2 years (87.9 [74.3-94.5] vs. 74.9 [51.7-88.2], p = .15). On multivariable modeling, the need for preoperative Impella was not associated with an increased hazard of 1-year (1.24 [0.23-6.73], p = .81) or 2-year mortality (1.05 [0.21-5.19], p = .95). After 7 (5-10) days of Impella support, recipient creatinine (p < .01), creatinine clearance (p = .02), and total bilirubin (p = .053) improved and lactic acidosis resolved (p < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative Impella support is not associated with increased short or long-term mortality but is associated with improved renal and hepatic function as well as total body perfusion before LVAD implantation.

Outcomes of aortic root enlargement during isolated aortic valve replacement.

OBJECTIVES: Aortic root enlargement (ARE) lowers the risk of patient prosthesis mismatch after surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in patients with small annular size. Whether ARE is associated with increased operative mortality is controversial. This study compares the early and intermediate outcomes in patients undergoing SAVR with and without ARE. METHODS: All patients undergoing isolated SAVR with and without ARE from 2015 to 2020 were analyzed. Propensity-matching was used to adjust for possible confounding variables. Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test were used to estimate and compare overall outcomes and survival in the study cohorts. RESULTS: Among 868 isolated SAVRs, ARE was performed in 54 (6.2%) patients. Before matching, mean age was similar but female sex (67.4% vs. 29.6%; SD: -0.82) and previous AVR (18.9% vs. 3.9%; SD: -0.48) were more common in patients undergoing SAVR + ARE versus SAVR alone. A bovine pericardial patch was used for 81.5% (44 of 54) of ARE, with a Dacron patch in the rest. After propensity matching, the average cardiopulmonary bypass (138.2 ± 34.9 vs. 102.9 ± 33.0 min; p < 0.01) and cross-clamp times (113.8 ± 26.7 vs. 83.0 ± 28.4 min; p < 0.01) were longer in the SAVR + ARE group. There were no significant differences in postoperative stroke, new-onset dialysis, pacemaker placement, reoperation for bleeding, length of hospital stay, or 30-day readmission. Thirty-day mortality (0% vs. 0.6%, p = 1.0) and 5-year survival (96.3% vs. 95.7%, p = 0.86) were also similar. CONCLUSIONS: ARE during surgical AVR can be safely performed without an increase in complications with excellent early and intermediate-term survival.

Effect of Preincisional Liposomal Bupivacaine Sternal Blockade on Poststernotomy Opioid Use.

BACKGROUND: Prolonged and excessive opioid use in the postoperative setting is associated with multiple complications. The use of regional analgesia may reduce postoperative opioid use. METHODS: In a placebo-controlled, double-blinded trial patients undergoing sternotomy were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either a liposomal bupivacaine parasternal block or a normal saline parasternal injection. The primary endpoint was total morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) used in the immediate 72-hour postoperative period. Secondary endpoints were intraoperative opioid use, pain scores, time to reach recovery milestones, and incidence of postoperative complications. RESULTS: Twenty-five patients received a normal saline injection, and 27 patients received an anesthetic sternal block. Randomization achieved excellent balance in demographics and comorbidities between the groups. Total postoperative opioid requirements at 72 hours were similar between the treatment and control groups (25.8 ± 10.4 vs 29.4 ± 16.3 MMEs, P = .60). Intraoperative opioid requirements were also similar between the 2 groups (124.8 ± 222.5 vs 114.9 ± 148.0 MMEs, P = .86). Length of stay in the intensive care unit (3.4 ± 2.5 vs 3.5 ± 2.6 days, P = .86) and hospital (8.7 ± 5.0 vs 7.5 ± 3.0 days, P = .45), time until return of bowel function (3.7 ± 1.4 vs 3.3 ± 1.4 days, P = .42), incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation (24% vs 22.2%, P = .88), and incidence of nausea (24% vs 33.3%, P = .46) were similar. CONCLUSIONS: Preincisional sternal blockade with liposomal bupivacaine did not reduce the amount of opioid medication administered to patients in the first 72 hours after sternotomy.

Long-term outcomes of the Ross procedure in adults.

BACKGROUND: The optimal aortic valve replacement for young and middle-aged adults remains elusive. Although several high-volume international centers and surgeons have demonstrated excellent long-term results with the pulmonary autograft (Ross procedure) in adult patients, current guidelines from the United States do not favor this technique. We evaluated long-term clinical and echocardiographic outcomes of adult patients undergoing the Ross procedure at our center. METHODS: A retrospective review of 225 consecutive adult patients undergoing the Ross procedure was completed. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to evaluate overall survival, which was then compared to an age- and sex-matched general population with the log-rank test. Accounting for death as a competing hazard, the cumulative incidence of reintervention and autograft or homograft dysfunction were estimated over the long-term. RESULTS: Mean age was 42±11 years, and 62 (28%) patients were at least 50 years old. A bicuspid aortic valve was present in 179 (80%) patients. The most common indications for surgery were aortic insufficiency (n=94, 43%), aortic stenosis (n=81, 36%), and mixed etiology (n=46, 21%). In-hospital mortality was 0.9%. Overall survival (with 95% confidence intervals) at 1-, 10- and 20-year was 97.8% (95.9-99.7%), 94.2% (91.0-97.4%), and 81.3% (74.8-88.3%), respectively. Overall survival approximated that of the general population (log-rank P=0.32). The cumulative incidence (with 95% confidence intervals) of any autograft or homograft reintervention at 10-, 15-, and 20-year was 16% (12-20%), 28% (21-35%), and 45% (36-54%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The Ross procedure restores a normal life expectancy to young and middle-aged adults with severe aortic valve disease. The need for reintervention increases steadily during the second decade after the Ross procedure, but less than half of patients require any reintervention for up to 20-year.

Development of Multiple Aortic Mycotic Aneurysms After Cardiac Catheterization.

A 71-year-old male with a past medical history of coronary artery bypass surgery developed multiple, infected pseudoaneurysms of the ascending aorta and aortic root 1 year after cardiac catheterization. He underwent aortic root replacement with a 24-mm homograft. Tissue culture from operative specimens revealed invasive Aspergillus fumigatus infection. He was treated with voriconazole for 3 months. After 1 year, he had no recurrence of symptoms, pseudoaneurysm, or fungal infection.

Pathologic confirmation of valve thrombosis detected by four-dimensional computed tomography following valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

A major concern regarding transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is leaflet thrombosis. Four-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) is the preferred imaging modality to evaluate patients with suspected valve thrombosis. To date, the abnormal findings visualized by 4D-CT suggestive of leaflet thrombosis have lacked pathologic confirmation from a surgically explanted valve in a surviving patient. Herein, we provide pathologic confirmation of thrombus formation following surgical explantation of a thrombosed TAVR prosthesis that was initially identified by 4D-CT.

Comparison of Outcomes of Operative Therapy for Acute Type A Aortic Dissections Provided at High-Volume Versus Low-Volume Medical Centers in North Texas.

Immediate surgery is standard therapy for acute type A aortic dissections (TAAD). Because of its low incidence, many smaller cardiac surgery programs do not routinely perform this procedure because it may negatively affect outcomes. Many high-risk, low-volume (LV) surgical procedures are now preferentially performed in reference centers. We compared the outcomes of surgery for TAAD in high-volume (HV) and LV centers in a single metropolitan area to determine the optimal setting for treatment. Thirty-five of the 37 cardiac surgery programs in the Dallas Ft. Worth metropolitan area participate in a regional consortium to measure outcomes collected in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Database. From January 01, 2008, to December 31, 2014, 29 programs had treated TAAD. Those programs performing at least 100 operations for TAAD were considered HV centers and the others LV. Surgery for TAAD was performed in 672 patients over the 7-year study period with HV centers performing 469 of 672 (70%) of the operations. Despite similar preoperative characteristics, operative mortality was significantly lower in HV versus LV centers (14.1% vs 24.1%; p = 0.001). There was no significant difference in postoperative paralysis rates (2.6% vs 4.5%; p = 0.196), stroke rates (10.7% vs 9.4%; p = 0.623), or 30-day readmission rates (12.1% vs 15.5%; p = 0.292). An improved survival rate in HV centers was maintained over a 5-year follow-up period. Surgery for TAAD in a single large metropolitan area was most commonly performed in HV centers. In conclusion, the treatment of acute thoracic aortic dissection is recommended to be performed in reference centers because of lower early and midterm mortality.

Outcomes of Treatment of Nonagenarians With Severe Aortic Stenosis.

BACKGROUND: Because nonagenarians with aortic stenosis (AS) often present as frail with more comorbid conditions, long-term outcomes and quality of life are important treatment considerations. The aim of this report is to describe survival and functional outcomes of nonagenarians undergoing treatment for AS by surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of all patients aged 90 years or more undergoing treatment for AS between 2007 and 2013 at two centers. Outcomes were compared between SAVR and TAVR. Long-term survival was compared with an age- and sex-matched population from the Social Security Actuarial Life Table. RESULTS: In all, 110 patients underwent treatment for isolated AS (20 SAVR and 90 TAVR). Mean age was 91.85 ± 1.80 years, and 50.9% were female. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons mean predicted risk of mortality was 11.11% ± 5.74%. Operative mortality was 10.9% (10.0% SAVR; 11.1% TAVR); 2.7% of patients had a stroke. The TAVR patients were more likely to be discharged home (75.9% versus 55.6% for SAVR, p = 0.032). Mean follow-up was 1.8 ± 1.5 years, with a 1-year and 5-year survival of 78.7% and 45.3%, respectively, which approximated the US actuarial survival. There was a significant improvement in quality of life as measured by the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire at 1 year compared with baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of AS approximates natural life expectancy in select nonagenarians, with no significant difference in long-term survival between SAVR and TAVR. Importantly, patient quality of life improved at 1 year. With appropriate selection, nonagenarians with severe AS can benefit from treatment.

Congenital anomalies of the aortic arch in acute type-a aortic dissection: implications for monitoring, perfusion strategy, and surgical repair.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether management of acute Stanford type-A aortic dissection differs in patients with congenital anomalies of the aortic arch compared with standard institutional practice. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of all consecutive patients from 2001 through 2011. SETTING: Quaternary referral center for surgical management of thoracic aortic disease. PARTICIPANTS: All patients with arch anomalies who underwent surgery for acute Stanford type-A aortic dissection during the study period (n = 43). INTERVENTIONS: Surgical management, anesthetic monitoring, and perfusion strategy were analyzed in a retrospective fashion. No new interventions were undertaken as part of this study. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Management differed most in patients with an aberrant right subclavian artery (n = 5), because the institutional standard of right axillary artery cannulation with left upper extremity arterial pressure monitoring was not possible. In patients with one of two "bovine" arch patterns (n = 32), management differed in the conduct of selective antegrade cerebral perfusion, which could include clamping above or below the takeoff of the left common carotid artery (and, therefore, produced unilateral or bilateral antegrade cerebral perfusion). All patients with a connective tissue disorder exhibited a bovine arch pattern. Management of patients with a right arch (n = 3) reflected the opposite of management for normal anatomy (for patients with traditional mirror-image branching) or opposite that of the aberrant right subclavian group (for patients who had a corresponding aberrant left subclavian artery). CONCLUSIONS: Rational management reflected the anatomic variations observed. These results support the importance of interdisciplinary planning, especially in an emergency, to optimize outcome.

Anesthetic management for reentry sternotomy in a patient with a full stomach and pericardial tamponade from left ventricular rupture.

A 57-year-old man presented with chest pain and shortness of breath 1 month after left ventricular aneurysmectomy and ventricular septal defect closure for post-infarct left ventricular aneurysm and ventricular septal defect. Echocardiography revealed a large recurrent ruptured inferior left ventricular aneurysm with high-velocity flow into a 5 cm posterolateral pericardial effusion. Thirty minutes earlier, the patient had eaten a full meal. Rapid sequence induction was performed with midazolam, ketamine, and succinylcholine. Moderate hypotension was treated effectively and the patient tolerated controlled transition to cardiopulmonary bypass. The ventricular defect was oversewn and reinforced with bovine pericardium. The patient had a difficult but ultimately successful recovery. Options for anesthetic management in the setting of tamponade and a full stomach are discussed, with a brief review of the evidence relating to this clinical problem.

Aortic valve and ascending aorta guidelines for management and quality measures: executive summary.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Clinical Practice Guidelines are intended to assist physicians and other health care providers in clinical decision making by describing a range of generally acceptable approaches for the diagnosis, management, or prevention of specific diseases or conditions. These guidelines should not be considered inclusive of all proper methods of care or exclusive of other methods of care reasonably directed at obtaining the same results. Moreover, these guidelines are subject to change over time, without notice. The ultimate judgment regarding the care of a particular patient must be made by the physician in light of the individual circumstances presented by the patient.

Myofiber angle distributions in the ovine left ventricle do not conform to computationally optimized predictions.

Recent computational models of optimized left ventricular (LV) myofiber geometry that minimize the spatial variance in sarcomere length, stress, and ATP consumption have predicted that a midwall myofiber angle of 20 degrees and transmural myofiber angle gradient of 140 degrees from epicardium to endocardium is a functionally optimal LV myofiber geometry. In order to test the extent to which actual fiber angle distributions conform to this prediction, we measured local myofiber angles at an average of nine transmural depths in each of 32 sites (4 short-axis levels, 8 circumferentially distributed blocks in each level) in five normal ovine LVs. We found: (1) a mean midwall myofiber angle of -7 degrees (SD 9), but with spatial heterogeneity (averaging 0 degrees in the posterolateral and anterolateral wall near the papillary muscles, and -9 degrees in all other regions); and (2) an average transmural gradient of 93 degrees (SD 21), but with spatial heterogeneity (averaging a low of 51 degrees in the basal posterior sector and a high of 130 degrees in the mid-equatorial anterolateral sector). We conclude that midwall myofiber angles and transmural myofiber angle gradients in the ovine heart are regionally non-uniform and differ significantly from the predictions of present-day computationally optimized LV myofiber models. Myofiber geometry in the ovine heart may differ from other species, but model assumptions also underlie the discrepancy between experimental and computational results. To test the predictive capability of the current computational model would we propose using an ovine specific LV geometry and comparing the computed myofiber orientations to those we report herein.

Alterations in lateral left ventricular wall transmural strains during acute circumflex and anterior descending coronary occlusion.

BACKGROUND: Increased circumferential-radial shear in the midlateral left ventricle adjacent to ischemic myocardium has been observed during acute midcircumflex ischemia in open-chest animals. Extending this work, we studied transmural strains in closed-chest animals during acute proximal-circumflex (pCX) and proximal-left anterior descending (pLAD) occlusions. METHODS: Six sheep had radiopaque markers implanted to silhouette the left ventricle and measure regional systolic fractional area shortening; three transmural bead columns were inserted into the midlateral wall for transmural myocardial strain analysis. After 8 weeks, three-dimensional marker coordinates were obtained using biplane videofluoroscopy, both before and during separate 1-minute pLAD and pCX balloon occlusions. Systolic strains were assessed along circumferential, longitudinal, and radial axes, and then transformed into fiber strains using quantitative microstructural measurements. RESULTS: Acute pLAD occlusion and pCX occlusion caused similar hemodynamic insults. Systolic fractional area shortening revealed that the beads were in the ischemic territory during pCX occlusion, but adjacent to the ischemic myocardium during pLAD occlusion. Transmural circumferential strain and fiber shortening fell in the ischemic region during pCX occlusion, but remained normal when adjacent to the ischemic myocardium during pLAD occlusion. Circumferential-radial shear strain increased in the lateral left ventricle during pCX occlusion, but reversed in this same region during pLAD occlusion. Longitudinal-radial shear also decreased during pLAD occlusion. CONCLUSIONS: Reversal of lateral wall circumferential-radial shear and decreased longitudinal-radial shear during acute pLAD occlusion reflects altered mechanical interaction between ischemic and nonischemic myocardium. Increased circumferential-radial shear during pCX occlusion also reflects mechanical interaction. The direction of circumferential-radial shear deformation depends on the location of the adjacent ischemic territory.