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OBJECTIVE: This study examines outcome and durability of physician made bovine pericardial tube grafts in aortic infections in all anatomical locations. METHODS: This was a retrospective and prospective international multicentre study. Peri-operative and long term outcomes of patients undergoing in situ aortic reconstruction for native or graft infections with physician made bovine pericardial tube grafts between January 2008 and December 2020 in four European tertiary referral centres were analysed. The primary endpoint was recurrent aortic infection. Secondary endpoints were persistent infection, aortic re-operation for infection, graft related complications, and death. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty eight patients (77% male, mean age 67 ± 11 years) were identified: 38 (23%) with native and 130 (77%) with aortic graft infection. The thirty day mortality rate was 15% (n = 26) overall, 11% (n = 4), and 17% (n = 22) for native and aortic graft infections, respectively (p = .45). Median follow up was 26 months (interquartile range [IQR] 10, 51). Estimated survival at one, two, three, and five years was 64%, 60%, 57%, and 50%, and significantly better for native (81%, 77%, 77%, and 69%) than for graft infections (58%, 55%, 51%, and 44%; p = .011). Nine patients (5.3%) had persistent infection and 10 patients (6%) had aortic re-infection after a median of 10 months (IQR 5, 22), resulting in an estimated freedom from re-infection at one, two, three, and five years of 94%, 92%, 90%, and 86%. Estimated freedom from graft complications at one, two, three, and five years was 91%, 89%, 87%, and 87%. CONCLUSION: This multicentre study demonstrates low re-infection rates when using physician made bovine pericardial tube grafts, comparable to those of other biological grafts. The rate of graft complications, mainly anastomotic aneurysms and stenoses, was low, while graft degeneration was absent. Physician made bovine pericardial tube grafts are an excellent tool for in situ reconstruction in the setting of native aortic infection or aortic graft infection.
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OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on acute and elective thoracic and abdominal aortic procedures. METHODS: Forty departments shared their data on acute and elective thoracic and abdominal aortic procedures between January and May 2020 and January and May 2019 in Europe, Asia and the USA. Admission rates as well as delay from onset of symptoms to referral were compared. RESULTS: No differences in the number of acute thoracic and abdominal aortic procedures were observed between 2020 and the reference period in 2019 [incidence rates ratio (IRR): 0.96, confidence interval (CI) 0.89-1.04; P = 0.39]. Also, no difference in the time interval from acute onset of symptoms to referral was recorded (<12 h 32% vs > 12 h 68% in 2020, < 12 h 34% vs > 12 h 66% in 2019 P = 0.29). Conversely, a decline of 35% in elective procedures was seen (IRR: 0.81, CI 0.76-0.87; P < 0.001) with substantial differences between countries and the most pronounced decline in Italy (-40%, P < 0.001). Interestingly, in Switzerland, an increase in the number of elective cases was observed (+35%, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: There was no change in the number of acute thoracic and abdominal aortic cases and procedures during the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, whereas the case load of elective operations and procedures decreased significantly. Patients with acute aortic syndromes presented despite COVID-19 and were managed according to current guidelines. Further analysis is required to prove that deferral of elective cases had no impact on premature mortality.
