Midterm outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve replacement in patients with active cancer.

OBJECTIVES: The clinical outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients with aortic stenosis (AS) and concomitant active cancer remain insufficiently explored. This study aimed to assess the midterm outcomes of TAVR in patients diagnosed with AS and active cancer. METHODS: Data from the OCEAN-TAVI, a prospective Japanese registry of TAVR procedures, was analysed to compare prognoses and clinical outcomes in patients with and without active cancer at the time of TAVR. RESULTS: Of the 2336 patients who underwent TAVR from October 2013 to July 2017, 89 patients (3.8%) had active cancer, whereas 2247 did not. Among patients with active cancer, 49 had limited-stage cancer (stage 1 or 2). The prevalent cancers identified before TAVR were colon (21%), prostate (18%), lung (15%), liver (11%) and breast (9%). Although the periprocedural complications and 30-day mortality rates were comparable between the groups, the 3-year survival rate after TAVR was notably lower in patients with active cancer (64.7%) than in those without active cancer (74.7%; p=0.016). Nevertheless, the 3-year survival rate of patients with limited-stage cancer (stage 1 or 2) did not significantly differ from those without cancer (70.6% vs 74.7%, p=0.50). CONCLUSIONS: The patients with active cancer exhibited significantly reduced midterm survival rates. However, no distinct disparity existed in those with limited-stage cancer (stage 1 or 2). Although TAVR is a viable treatment in patients with AS with active cancer, the type and stage of cancer and prognosis should be carefully weighed in the decision-making process.

A case of ECPELLA-supported treatment for post-infarction cardiac rupture.

The efficacy and risk of a combination of veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and Impella (Abiomed, Inc., Danvers, MA, USA), an approach known as ECPELLA, for post-infarction cardiac rupture is unclear. We describe the case of a 72-year-old man who presented with acute myocardial infarction. The patient was managed with ECPELLA because of hemodynamic compromise. One week later, there was a sudden increase in venous oxygen saturation. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed ventricular septal rupture, and free wall rupture. Intraventricular thrombus was also observed despite standard anticoagulation therapy. Even with double cardiac rupture, ECPELLA could facilitate left ventricular unloading and sustain hemodynamics. However, because of the risk of device failure due to thrombus aspiration into the Impella, the patient underwent repair surgery. Postoperatively, the patient was temporarily weaned off ECPELLA, and his hemodynamics deteriorated again, and he finally died. Learning objectives: ECPELLA can effectively stabilize the hemodynamics in cases of post-infarction cardiac rupture. However, there are still challenges to address, such as determining optimal ventricular reloading and ECPELLA management for intraventricular thrombus prevention. When using ECPELLA to delay surgery for post-infarction cardiac rupture, it is crucial to strike a balance between hemodynamic stabilization and avoiding potential serious complications.

Feasibility of Nurse-Led Advance Care Planning Before Pre-cardiac Procedures: A Descriptive Study.

Background Shared decision-making is important for deciding whether to perform surgery, especially high-risk surgery, or end-of-life care in cases of serious complications after the surgery. In shared decision-making, surgeons should be aware of patients' values. Therefore, advance care planning (ACP) before the surgery is important. In Japan, the feasibility of ACP, particularly preoperative nurse-led ACP, is yet to be evaluated. Methodology This retrospective, single-center, descriptive study included all adult candidates for open-heart or thoracic aortic surgery and transcutaneous aortic valve implantation (TAVI) referred by their surgeon for a nurse-led preoperative ACP between April 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021. The nurse conducted semi-structured interviews with patients regarding goals of care, unacceptable conditions, undesired procedures, advance directives, and their surrogates and documented them. The content of these interviews and their influence on decision-making were retrospectively investigated. Results Sixty-four patients (median age, 82 years; Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) score, 7.9; EuroSCORE II, 4.2; JapanSCORE, 7.0) were included (open-heart or thoracic aortic surgery 24, TAVI 40). Among them, 63 (98.4%), 56 (87.5%), and 13 (20.3%) patients articulated their goals of care, unacceptable conditions, and undesired procedures. Only one (1.6%) had a written advance directive. Although all of the patients could designated their surrogate, only 11 (17.2%) had shared their values disclosed in the pre-procedure ACP communication with their surrogates. Two patients who planned to undergo open-heart surgery disclosed their wish not to undergo the surgery only to the nurses but could not tell their surgeon; thereafter, the surgery was canceled. Three patients died after the procedure; however, the patients' value disclosed in ACP was not used for the end-of-life decision. Conclusion Nurse-led ACP can be implemented before high-risk cardiac procedures. It may have an impact on the decision-making of surgery although the ACP content may not be utilized for the end-of-life discussion after the procedures between surgeons and the family member.

Immune-Mediated Non-Infectious Periaortitis After Aortic Graft Replacement Surgery: A Case Report Highlighting the Need for Immunosuppressive Therapy.

BACKGROUND A non-infectious inflammatory reaction against replaced aortic graft for aortic dissection often manifests as fever, malaise, and peri-graft effusion. It usually lasts less than 1 month and subsides spontaneously without immunosuppressive treatment. CASE REPORT A 49-year-old man underwent ascending aorta and total arch replacement for acute thoracic aortic dissection. He had fever, malaise, nausea, and elevated serum C-reactive protein for 1 month postoperatively. Pathological examination of the aorta revealed no aortitis, and repeated blood cultures were negative. We also noted periaortic graft fluid collection, and a small amount of pleural and pericardial effusions. We suspected post-pericardiotomy syndrome. Colchicine and prednisolone were administered, with an excellent clinical response. Three weeks after discontinuation of a 7-week prednisolone treatment, the same symptoms recurred and gradually worsened. Prednisolone was restarted 6 months after the first surgery, with good clinical response. Thereafter, he developed left-sided weakness and dysarthria, being diagnosed as ischemic stroke. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed fluid collection with contrast leak around the aortic grafts, suggesting peel dehiscence, and thrombus formation in anastomotic pseudoaneurysm. He underwent surgical repair. He was diagnosed with non-infectious periaortitis, likely due to an immune reaction to the grafts, based on an excellent clinical response to immunosuppressive therapy. CONCLUSIONS We report a case of non-infectious periaortitis around a thoracic aortic graft, probably with an immune-mediated mechanism, requiring immunosuppressive treatment. When fever persists after aortic graft replacement surgery, non-infectious periaortitis should be considered and immunosuppressive treatment should be considered to prevent critical complications of anastomotic pseudoaneurysm and graft dehiscence.

A Novel Technique of No-Touch Endoscopic Saphenous Vein Harvesting.

No-touch saphenous vein harvesting is considered an ideal procedure for harvesting good-quality veins, whereas endoscopic vein harvesting (EVH) is considered ideal for decreasing wound complications. The no-touch EVH (NT-EVH) technique, which was developed in 2018, is one of the best vein-harvesting procedures. We have improved this method in several aspects since our initial experience. Herein, we present the details of this technique.

Validation study of EuroSCORE II for dialysis patients: A single-center study in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE) II is a predictive model for in-hospital mortality after cardiac surgery. Although it has good performance among the general population undergoing cardiac surgery, it has not been validated among dialysis patients, who have a higher rate of mortality after cardiac surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the model in predicting in-hospital mortality in maintenance dialysis patients undergoing cardiac surgery. METHODS: This retrospective, single-center study included adult patients on maintenance dialysis who underwent open cardiac surgery at our institution. Calibration performance of EuroSCORE II for in-hospital death was determined based on the comparison between expected and observed mortalities for low- (EuroSCORE II <4 %), intermediate- (4-8 %), and high-risk (>8 %) groups. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was investigated to determine the model's discrimination performance. RESULTS: A total of 163 patients (male, 73.6 %; median age, 70 years; median dialysis vintage, 9 years; median EuroSCORE II, 3.3 %) were included. The mortality rate was 9.2 %. The observed mortality rates (vs. mean expected mortality) rates were 2.1 % (vs. 2.4 %), 7.5 % (vs. 5.5 %), and 34.5 % (vs. 21.1 %) in the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups, respectively. Its AUROC was 0.825 (95 % confidence interval, 0.711-0.940). CONCLUSIONS: Although EuroSCORE II model adequately estimated in-hospital mortality in the low-and intermediate-risk groups (EuroSCORE II <8 %), it underestimated in-hospital mortality in the high-risk group (EuroSCORE II >8 %) among maintenance dialysis patients. The discrimination performance of the model for in-hospital death was good among maintenance dialysis patients.

Endoscopically assisted selective antegrade cardioplegia in minimally invasive aortic valve replacement for patients with aortic insufficiency.

Objective: In minimally invasive aortic valve replacement via a right minithoracotomy for patients with significant aortic insufficiency, optimal cardioplegia delivery procedures remain controversial. This study aimed to describe and evaluate endoscopically assisted selective cardioplegia delivery in minimally invasive aortic valve replacement for aortic insufficiency. Methods: Between September 2015 and February 2022, 104 patients (mean age, 66.0 ± 14.3 years) with moderate or greater aortic insufficiency underwent endoscopically assisted minimally invasive aortic valve replacement at our institutions. For myocardial protection, potassium chloride and landiolol were systemically administered before aortic crossclamping, and cold crystalloid cardioplegia was delivered selectively to the coronary arteries using step-by-step endoscopic procedures. The early clinical outcomes were also evaluated. Results: Eighty-four patients (80.7%) had severe aortic insufficiency, and 13 patients (12.5%) had aortic stenosis and moderate or greater aortic insufficiency. A regular prosthesis was used in 97 cases (93.3%), and a sutureless prosthesis was used in 7 cases (6.7%). The mean operative, cardiopulmonary bypass, and aortic crossclamping times were 169.3 ± 36.5, 102.4 ± 25.4, and 72.5 ± 21.8 minutes, respectively. No patients underwent a conversion to full sternotomy or required mechanical circulatory support during or after surgery. No operative deaths or perioperative myocardial infarctions occurred. The median intensive care unit and hospital stays were 1 and 5 days, respectively. Conclusions: Endoscopically assisted selective antegrade cardioplegia delivery is safe and feasible for treating minimally invasive aortic valve replacement in patients with significant aortic insufficiency.

Diagnostic delay of acute mitral regurgitation during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Diagnostic errors or delays can cause serious consequences for patient safety, especially in the emergency department. Anchoring bias is one of the major factors leading to diagnostic error. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the high probability of COVID-19 in febrile patients could be a major cause of anchoring bias leading to diagnostic error. In addition, certain evaluations such as auscultation are difficult to perform on a casual basis due to the increased risk of contact infection, which lead to inadequate assessment of the patients with valvular disease. Acute mitral regurgitation (MR) could be a fatal disease in the emergency department, especially if there is a diagnostic error or delay in diagnosis. It is often reported that diagnosis can be difficult even though there is no treatment other than emergent surgery. The diagnosis of acute MR has become more difficult because coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic could affect our daily practice especially in febrile patients. We report a case of a diagnostic delay of a febrile patient because of anchoring bias during the COVID-19 pandemic. CASE PRESENTATION: A 45-year-old man presented to the emergency department complaining of acute dyspnea and fever. Based on vital signs and computed tomography of the chest, acute pneumonia due to COVID-19 was suspected. Auscultation was avoided because of facility rule based on concern of contact infection. After admission to the intensive care unit, Doppler echocardiography revealed acute mitral regurgitation, and transesophageal echocardiography revealed mitral valve tendon rupture. After confirming the negative result for the polymerase chain reaction of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, mitral valvuloplasty was performed on the third day after admission. The patient was discharged 14 days after admission without complications. CONCLUSIONS: In COVID-19 pandemic, anchoring bias suspecting COVID-19 among febrile patients becomes a strong heuristic factor. A thorough history and physical examination is still important in febrile patients presenting with dyspnea to ensure the correct diagnosis of acute mitral regurgitation.

TAVR for severe aortic stenosis and papillary fibroelastoma in a high-risk setting.

Papillary fibroelastomas (PFE) are rare benign cardiac tumours mainly originating on aortic and mitral valvular surfaces. Management is individualised, but most recommend surgical excision due to thromboembolic risk. We report a 75-year-old man with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis compounded by PFE. Redo sternotomy aortic valve replacement was deferred in favour of the trans-apical (TAVR) approach. This report highlights, for the first time, the application of TAVR as a strategy for aortic valve stenosis and PFE to mitigate risk posed by injury to patent internal mammary arterial graft in close proximity to the manubrium, and complications due to the patient's multiple comorbidities.

Midterm outcomes after the rescue THV-in-THV procedure: Insights from the multicenter prospective OCEAN-TAVI registry.

OBJECTIVES: To confirm whether the rescue transcatheter heart valve in the transcatheter heart valve (THV-in-THV) procedure is effective and feasible, we aimed to assess the midterm outcomes following rescue THV-in-THV procedures. The trends in the usage of the rescue THV-in-THV procedure at the time of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) have also been explored. BACKGROUND: Midterm outcomes of the rescue THV-in-THV procedure have been poorly defined, though it is popular as an effective method to bail-out some complications in TAVI. METHODS: We reviewed data from the Optimized transCathEter vAlvular iNtervention-Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (OCEAN-TAVI) registry and compared the outcomes of TAVI with rescue THV-in-THV and TAVI without rescue THV-in-THV. We also examined the annual rates of rescue THV-in-THV procedures in all the TAVI procedures between 2013 and 2017. RESULTS: Among 2,588 patients who underwent TAVI, 26 patients have required rescue THV-in-THV for valve malposition (n = 23) or severe transvalvular regurgitation because of stuck THV leaflets (n = 3). Three cases needed an open conversion, and two died in the hospital. The rates of new permanent pacemaker implantation, acute kidney injury, and stroke were higher in the THV-in-THV group. A two-year cumulative survival and echocardiographic outcomes succeeding rescue THV-in-THV procedure were comparable to non-THV-in-THV cases. The rate of rescue THV-in-THV procedure lessened from 2.6% in 2013 to 0.6% in 2017. CONCLUSIONS: The rescue THV-in-THV procedure is an effective and feasible option for THV malpositioning and stuck valve. It has given a comparable survival and a stable valve function over midterm observation periods.

Clinical outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in nonagenarians from the optimized catheter valvular intervention-TAVI registry.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate 30-day and 2-year clinical outcomes, and predictors of 2-year mortality in nonagenarians undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). BACKGROUND: TAVI has been applied to nonagenarians. However, sufficient clinical data in nonagenarians who could benefit from TAVI are limited. METHODS: We evaluated the data from the optimized catheter valvular intervention-TAVI registry. Clinical outcomes were compared between patients' age ≥90 years and age <90 years. Predictive factors of 2-year mortality were assessed by multivariable Cox regression analyses. RESULTS: From October 2013 to May 2017, a total of 375 nonagenarians (age ≥90 years) and 2,213 younger patients (age <90 years) were included. Although nonagenarians had a higher surgical risk score, 30-day clinical outcomes were similar between two groups. There were no significant differences in 2-year mortality (22.0% vs. 17.3%; p = .11) and stroke (5.5% vs. 3.9%; p = .31); however, 2-year heart failure readmission was higher in nonagenarians (13.3% vs. 9.0%; p = .03). After adjusting covariates, age ≥90 years was not independent predictor for 2-year outcomes. In nonagenarians, female sex (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.43; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.26-0.74; p = .002), chronic kidney disease grade ≥4 (HR = 2.14; 95% CI = 1.21-3.64; p = .01), and Clinical Frailty Scale ≥4 (HR = 1.82; 95% CI = 1.02-3.42; p = .04) were independently associated with 2-year mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical outcomes of TAVI in selected nonagenarians were favorable. Severe renal dysfunction and frailty may be important factors to predict mid-term mortality after TAVI in nonagenarians.

Infected aortic aneurysm caused by Helicobacter cinaedi: case series and systematic review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter cinaedi is rarely identified as a cause of infected aneurysms; however, the number of reported cases has been increasing over several decades, especially in Japan. We report three cases of aortic aneurysm infected by H. cinaedi that were successfully treated using meropenem plus surgical stent graft replacement or intravascular stenting. Furthermore, we performed a systematic review of the literature regarding aortic aneurysm infected by H. cinaedi. CASE PRESENTATION: We present three rare cases of infected aneurysm caused by H. cinaedi in adults. Blood and tissue cultures and 16S rRNA gene sequencing were used for diagnosis. Two patients underwent urgent surgical stent graft replacement, and the other patient underwent intravascular stenting. All three cases were treated successfully with intravenous meropenem for 4 to 6 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: These cases suggest that although aneurysms infected by H. cinaedi are rare, clinicians should be aware of H. cinaedi as a potential causative pathogen, even in immunocompetent patients. Prolonged incubation periods for blood cultures are necessary for the accurate detection of H. cinaedi.

Novel quantitative and objective structured assessment of technical skill for slip knotting.

OBJECTIVE: Currently, no quantitative and objective method has been established for evaluating competencies in basic surgical techniques. The aim of this study was to develop a structured assessment tool for slip knotting and verify how well current board certification system discriminates the level of basic surgical skill. METHODS: We examined 171 cardiovascular surgical fellows using a novel assessment method for slip knotting that was developed by the committee of the Under-Forty of the Japanese Society of Cardiovascular Surgery. We compared the scores and examinees' surgical experience for validation. We analyzed the relationship between board certification and the scores. RESULTS: The scores differentiated the general surgical board-certified surgeons from those without certification. Surgical experiences such as training years and number of operated cases and scores were correlated. Among the board-certified surgeons, the group with daily off-the-job training, or simulator-based skill training had a significantly higher mean score (67.4 ± 3.0 vs 55.4 ± 3.1, p = 0.008) and lower rate of poor scorers (7.1% vs 38.5%, p = 0.004). A multivariate analysis revealed that board certification did not predict high scores. Daily off-the-job training was the only independent predictor of high scores (odds ratio: 2.41, 95% confidence interval: 0.01-1.20, p = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: This novel quantitative and objective assessment tool for technical skill in slip knotting was found to be valid to examine the skill for slip knotting. In this study, current board certification discriminated the level of basic surgical skill. However, it could not distinguish extremely low scorers perfectly. Some board-certified surgeons showed poor technical competency, especially those without off-the-job training.

Correction to: Novel quantitative and objective structured assessment of technical skill for slip knotting.

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[How to Implant a Prosthetic Valve in the Aortic and Mitral Valve Positions].

We surgeons have to achieve a good result for surgical valve replacement which is not inferior to trans-catheter heart valve treatments. This column aimed to learn fundamental skills for surgical valve implantation and to learn types of suturing techniques. For updated information, we mentioned about choice of valve and suturing technique for valve-in-valve procedure into surgical valve. We should take into consideration valve type, size, and how-to implantation of surgical valve which would affect the future valve-in-valve procedure.

Successfully Treated Nonocclusive Mesenteric Ischemia After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

An 80-year-old man with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Postoperatively, the patient was hemodynamically stable without inotropic or mechanical support. Approximately 30 hours after the procedure, he developed severe abdominal pain, and a blood test result showed elevated serum lactate level. We suspected nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia and performed emergency selective angiography of the superior mesenteric artery, which showed vasospasm. We confirmed the diagnosis of nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia, and it was treated successfully with intraarterial infusion of vasodilators into the superior mesenteric artery.