Change in Invasively Measured Mean Pulmonary Artery Pressure After Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair Is Associated With Heart Failure Readmission.

BACKGROUND: Pre-existing pulmonary hypertension is associated with poor outcomes after transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr) for mitral regurgitation (MR). However, the impact of an immediate change in mean pulmonary artery pressure (ΔmPAP) following TMVr on outcomes is unknown. METHODS: Patients who underwent TMVr from December 2015 to February 18, 2020 at our institution for symptomatic 3-4+ MR and who had invasive hemodynamics measured immediately pre- and post-TMVR were included. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to examine the association of ΔmPAP (post-TMVr - pre-TMVr mPAP) with the primary endpoint of heart failure (HF) readmission at 1 year. Secondary endpoints included all-cause mortality and the composite endpoint of HF readmission or all-cause mortality at 1 year. RESULTS: Among 55 patients, 55% were men, mean age was 72 ± 14.2 years, and mean ΔmPAP was -1.4 ± 8.2 mm Hg. Overall, HF readmission occurred in 14 (25%), death in 10 (18%), and the composite endpoint in 20 (36%) patients. In multivariable analyses, higher ΔmPAP was significantly associated with HF readmission (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.10, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.00 - 1.21; P = 0.04). ΔmPAP was not associated with death (HR = 1.04, 95% CI: 0.96 - 1.14; P = 0.33), though there was a numerical but statistically non-significant trend towards the composite endpoint (HR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.00 - 1.13; P = 0.06) driven by HF readmission. CONCLUSION: Higher ΔmPAP immediately following TMVr was associated with increased HF readmission at 1 year. Larger prospective studies are needed to validate these data and further explore the utility of ΔmPAP as a novel hemodynamic parameter to predict post-TMVR outcomes.

Significance of Coronary Artery Calcium Found on Non-Electrocardiogram-Gated Computed Tomography During Preoperative Evaluation for Liver Transplant.

Guidelines to evaluate patients for coronary artery disease (CAD) during preoperative evaluation for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) are conflicting. Cardiac catheterization is not without risk in patients with end-stage liver disease. No study to date has looked at the utility of non-electrocardiogram-gated chest computed tomography (CT) in the preliver transplant population. Our hypothesis was that coronary artery calcium scores (CACSs) from chest CT scans ordered during the liver transplant workup can identify patients who would benefit from invasive angiography. Nine hundred and fifty-three patients who underwent coronary angiography as part of their OLT workup were considered. Charts were randomly selected and reviewed for the presence of a chest CT performed before coronary angiography during the OLT workup. Agatston and Weston scores were calculated. CACS results were compared with coronary angiography findings. Nine of 54 patients were found to have obstructive CAD by angiography. Receiver-operating characteristic analysis demonstrated that an Agatston score of 251 and a Weston score of 6 maximized sensitivity and specificity for detection of obstructive coronary disease. An Agatston score <4 or Weston score <2 excluded the presence of obstructive CAD; using these thresholds, 13 patients (24%) or 15 patients (28%), respectively, could have theoretically avoided catheterization without missing significant CAD. In conclusion, our data identify the strength of CACS in ruling out coronary disease in patients being evaluated for OLT. Calcium scoring from non-electrocardiogram-gated CT studies may be integrated into preoperative algorithms to rule out obstructive CAD and help avoid invasive angiography in this high-risk population.

Incidence, Predictors, and Outcomes of New-Onset Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction After Orthotopic Liver Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Adverse cardiovascular events after liver transplantation (LT) are relatively common and are a significant source of early mortality. Although new-onset systolic dysfunction after LT is a reported phenomenon, there is little data regarding its incidence, risk factors, and outcomes. METHODS AND RESULTS: This single-center retrospective study included all adult patients from January 2002 to March 2015 with deceased-donor LT and available preoperative transthoracic echocardiograms (TTEs). In total, 1,760 patients were included in the study, 602 (34.2%) of whom had a postoperative TTE. The primary end point was development of new-onset cardiomyopathy, defined as a new left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of <40% within 180days of transplant. Sixty-nine (11.4%) of the patients who received post-LT TTE had a reduction in LVEF to <40% within 6 months. Clinical parameters of donor and recipient did not show significant impact on development of post-LT LV systolic dysfunction (LVSD). Presence of wall motion abnormalities (P = .004) on preoperative TTE was predictive of development of post-LT LVSD. These patients did not have longer hospitalizations, but they had worse survival. CONCLUSIONS: Post-LT LV systolic dysfunction occurs at higher rates than previously suspected and may develop more frequently in patients with underlying cardiac structural abnormalities, which appear to adversely affect post-LT survival.

Myocardial functional changes in transfemoral versus transapical aortic valve replacement.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has greatly expanded the treatment options available for patients with severe aortic stenosis at high surgical risk. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We compared changes in myocardial function in TAVR with a transfemoral (TF) versus a transapical (TA) approach at a major tertiary hospital from 2012-2016. Traditional echocardiographic measures of cardiac structure and function were tracked, alongside the use of two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography to measure myocardial strain and strain rates. RESULTS: For the entire cohort with complete data at all time points (n = 42), between the pre-TAVR baseline (mean: 20.1 d) and the post-TAVR 1-mo follow-up (mean: 32.7 d), global longitudinal strain significantly increased (from -15.6% to -18.2%, P < 0.001). When comparing the TF (n = 31) and TA (n = 11) groups, TA patients showed persistently impaired apical longitudinal strain at the 1-mo follow-up (-15.9% versus -22.3%, P < 0.05). In terms of clinical outcomes, both groups (n = 131 for TF, n = 53 for TA) were similar in terms of 30-d mortality, readmission rate, and risk of post-TAVR acute kidney injury. However, TA patients experienced significantly longer length of hospitalization (7.58 versus 3.92 d, P = 0.02), intensive care unit hours (105.4 versus 47.1 h, P = 0.02), and were at a greater risk of long-term (>72 h) intensive care unit stay (45% versus 25%, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing TA-TAVR exhibit impaired apical longitudinal strain, although global myocardial function is similar to TF-TAVR otherwise. Myocardial strain measured by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography appears to be a sensitive method to detect subtle cardiac remodeling after TAVR.

Ruptured Papillary Muscles After Chordae-Preserving Bioprosthetic Mitral Valve Replacement.

Bioprosthetic valve-associated masses in the perioperative period are rare. This report describes the case of a 68-year-old man with perivalvular masses that were initially discovered on a routine postoperative transthoracic echocardiogram 7 days after chordae-preserving mitral valve replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting. An intraoperative transesophageal echocardiogram demonstrated ruptured papillary muscles. This case report describes the differential diagnosis and surgical management of this rare finding.

Prognostic Significance of Left Ventricular Fibrosis in Patients With Congenital Bicuspid Aortic Valve.

This study sought to evaluate the prognostic value of left ventricular (LV) fibrosis assessed by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) of the myocardium during cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), which is associated with early aortic valve fibrosis and calcification. To what degree the LV myocardial wall is affected by fibrosis and its prognostic value is currently unknown. This is a retrospective, single-center study evaluating all adult patients with BAV who had CMR and followed from March 2002 to March 2016. CMR and transthoracic echocardiogram images were reviewed. Clinical data were abstracted from the electronic medical record. A total of 29 patients were included in the study, of which 11 (38%) had CMR studies that demonstrated the presence of LGE. Patients with LGE had significantly higher aortic valve mean gradients by echocardiography when compared with LGE-negative patients (30.3 ± 7.2 mm Hg vs 14.7 ± 3.6 mm Hg, p = 0.049). They were also more likely to have LV hypertrophy. Patients with LGE were 10 times more likely to need aortic valve replacement within 1 year of the CMR study than did patients without LGE (55% vs 5.5%, p = 0.0028). In conclusion, evaluation of LGE by CMR as a marker of LV myocardial fibrosis can have additional prognostic value when evaluating patients with aortic stenosis secondary to BAV.

Cardiac Amyloidosis: Diagnosis and Treatment Strategies.

Cardiac amyloidosis in the United States is most often due to myocardial infiltration by immunoglobulin protein, such as in AL amyloidosis, or by the protein transthyretin, such as in hereditary and senile amyloidosis. Cardiac amyloidosis often portends a poor prognosis especially in patients with systemic AL amyloidosis. Despite better understanding of the pathophysiology of amyloid, many patients are still diagnosed late in the disease course. This review investigates the current understanding and new research on the diagnosis and treatment strategies in patients with cardiac amyloidosis. Myocardial amyloid infiltration distribution occurs in a variety of patterns. Structural and functional changes on echocardiography can suggest presence of amyloid, but CMR and nuclear imaging provide important complementary information on amyloid burden and the amyloid subtype, respectively. While for AL amyloid, treatment success largely depends on early diagnosis, for ATTR amyloid, new investigational agents that reduce production of transthyretin protein may have significant impact on clinical outcomes. Advancements in the non-invasive diagnostic detection and improvements in early disease recognition will undoubtedly facilitate a larger proportion of patients to receive early therapy when it is most effective.

Changes in myocardial deformation after transcatheter and surgical aortic valve replacement.

Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) has emerged as a novel angle-independent modality in assessing myocardial velocity, deformation, and strain. Its role in assessing change before and after aortic valve replacement in patients with aortic stenosis (AS) has recently generated interest. This review summarizes the practical utility and clinical implications of myocardial deformation by STE after surgical or transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Overall, atrial strain and ventricular strain as measured by STE improve after surgical and transcatheter aortic intervention in short- and long-term follow-up with evidence of a more pronounced acute improvement in patients who undergo TAVR. STE assessment of strain, particularly global longitudinal strain, can detect subtle changes in myocardial systolic function prior to conventional variables such as left ventricular ejection fraction and is clinically useful in predicting mortality and symptom development in patients with AS. This underscores the emerging role of STE in monitoring post-procedural improvements in cardiac function as well as the potential value in guiding optimal timing of AS intervention.

Echocardiography and Alternative Cardiac Imaging Strategies for Long-Term Cardiotoxicity Surveillance of Cancer Survivors Treated with Chemotherapy and/or Radiation Exposure.

Cardiotoxicity from chemotherapy is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer survivors. Cardiotoxic effects include left ventricular systolic dysfunction, coronary artery disease, hypertension, bradycardia, arrhythmias, pericardial disease, valvular disease, and radiation-induced restrictive cardiomyopathy. Noninvasive cardiac imaging has been at the forefront of detecting cardiotoxicity in patients receiving chemotherapeutic agents known to adversely affect cardiac structure and function. Regimens for cardiotoxicity surveillance prior to and during chemotherapy administration have been proposed; however, optimal screening for and treatment of long-term cancer survivors have yet to be clarified. This review focuses on the most common imaging modalities for assessing cardiac dysfunction along with newer imaging technologies, and reviews suggested long-term surveillance strategies in cancer survivors following chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Concepts in cardio-oncology: definitions, mechanisms, diagnosis and treatment strategies of cancer therapy-induced cardiotoxicity.

There has been considerable improvement in cancer survival rates, primarily through improved preventive strategies and novel anticancer drugs. Cancer is now becoming a chronic illness and as such both short and long-term cardiotoxic effects of cancer therapy are becoming more apparent. This has led to the emergence of a new multidisciplinary specialty known as cardio-oncology, with the purpose of identifying patients who are at a higher risk for developing cardiotoxicity so that appropriate surveillance, treatment and follow-up strategies may be instituted early. The mechanisms of cardiotoxicity caused by commonly used anticancer agents are reviewed, along with the latest advances in diagnostic and preventative strategies, with the overall objective of allowing cancer patients to continue both lifesaving and palliative treatments for their malignancy.

Direct Percutaneous Repair of Left Ventricular Pseudoaneurysm via Transthoracic Deployment of a Ventricular Septal Defect Closure Device.

In this case report, we describe direct percutaneous delivery of a muscular-ventricular-septal-defect occluder device to close a left ventricular pseudoaneurysm. The occluder was positioned and deployed with the aid of concurrent transthoracic ultrasonography, transesophageal echocardiography, and fluoroscopy. In contrast with previously published reports, we describe and illustrate a direct transthoracic route across the pseudoaneurysmal sac, which obviated the need for indirect transfemoral or transapical approaches.

Comprehensive hemodynamic comparison and frequency of patient-prosthesis mismatch between the St. Jude Medical Trifecta and Epic Bioprosthetic aortic valves.

BACKGROUND: Patient-prosthesis mismatch (PPM) has been reported with a wide range of bioprosthetic valves after aortic valve replacement (AVR) and has been associated with multiple adverse outcomes. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that a novel low-profile stented pericardial tissue bioprosthesis for AVR, the Trifecta aortic valve, would have superior hemodynamics, a lower incidence of PPM, and an improvement in clinical outcomes. Its hemodynamic performance was evaluated, and a comparison was performed with a traditional stented pericardial bioprosthesis (Epic) with respect to hemodynamics, PPM, and clinical events. METHODS: One hundred twenty-four patients (mean age, 73.6 ± 11.0 years) underwent AVR. Prosthetic valve types used were Trifecta (n = 75 [60.5%]) and Epic (n = 49 [39.5%]). Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography was used to evaluate hemodynamic variables before and after AVR. RESULTS: Postoperative comparison of the Epic valve and the Trifecta valve revealed a lower mean pressure gradient (16.5 ± 6.7 vs 8.8 ± 3.4 mm Hg, P < .001), a lower peak gradient (33.3 ± 11.8 vs 19.4 ± 8.6 mm Hg, P < .001), and higher indexed effective orifice area (0.8 ± 0.2 vs 1.1 ± 0.4 cm(2)/m(2), P < .001), favoring the Trifecta valve across several valve sizes. Severe PPM (6% vs 27%, P < .001) and valvular-related complications at follow-up (14.3% vs 36.7%, P = .005) were less frequent in the Trifecta group. CONCLUSIONS: The hemodynamic performance of the Trifecta valve is superior to that of the Epic valve across many conventional prosthesis sizes, and its implantation resulted in lower rates of severe PPM. These improvements were associated with lower valvular-related adverse events.

Comprehensive hemodynamic performance and frequency of patient-prosthesis mismatch of the St. Jude Medical Trifecta bioprosthetic aortic valve.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: The study aim was to evaluate the performance of a new stented pericardial bioprosthesis, the Trifecta (St. Jude Medical, St. Paul, MN, USA), for aortic valve replacement (AVR) with respect to valvular hemodynamics and frequency of patient-prosthesis mismatch (PPM). PPM has been reported in a wide range of bioprosthetic valves following AVR, and has been associated with multiple adverse outcomes. It was hypothesized that the Trifecta aortic valve would have superior hemodynamics and an acceptable incidence of PPM following AVR. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was performed between January 2010 and May 2012, following 75 patients (mean age 71.9 _ 11.1 years) who had undergone AVR with a Trifecta valve for aortic stenosis (88%) or regurgitation (12%) at the authors' institutions. Intraoperative three-dimensional and Doppler transesophageal echocardiography were used to evaluate hemodynamic variables before and after AVR, as well as pre-discharge. RESULTS: Echocardiographic evaluation showed a preoperative average mean gradient (MG) of 40.6 ± 21.6 mmHg, an average peak gradient (PG) of 72.1 ± 19.4 mmHg, and an average effective orifice area index (EOAI) of 0.39 ± 0.20 cm2/m2. Postoperative mean pressure gradient measurements showed a postoperative average MG of 8.76 ± 3.75 mmHg (p < 0.001), an average PG of 19.4 ± 8.6 mmHg (p < 0.001), and EOAI of 1.09 ± 0.36 cm2/m2 (p < 0.001), which demonstrated a significantly improved hemodynamic performance across all valve sizes. Postoperative MG versus measured EOAI demonstrated a fairly linear relationship (R2 = 0.0703), rather than a rapid increase in MG with EOAI < 0.85 and < 0.65, as was seen with previous valve designs. Severe PPM (defined as EOAI ≤ 0.65 cm2/m2) was found in four patients (6%), while moderate PPM (EOAI > 0.65 and < 0.85 cm2/m2) was seen in 11 patients (16%). CONCLUSION: The Trifecta pericardial valve demonstrated excellent hemodynamic performance at all valve sizes, and resulted in very low postoperative transvalvular pressure gradients and PPM, without the need for aortic root enlargement.

Accuracy of stress myocardial perfusion imaging to diagnose coronary artery disease in end stage liver disease patients.

Patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) who also have underlying coronary artery disease (CAD) may be at increased risk for undergoing hemodynamically challenging orthotopic liver transplantation. Noninvasive single-photon emission computed tomographic (SPECT) imaging is often used to determine whether a patient with ESLD has unsuspected CAD. The objective of this study was to determine the accuracy of SPECT imaging for detection of CAD in patients with ESLD. Patients with ESLD who underwent coronary angiography and SPECT imaging before orthotopic liver transplantation were analyzed retrospectively. The predictive accuracy of clinical risk factors was calculated and compared to the results of SPECT imaging. There were 473 SPECT imaging studies. Adenosine SPECT imaging had a sensitivity of 62%, specificity of 82%, positive predictive value of 30%, and negative predictive value of 95% for diagnosing severe CAD. Regadenoson SPECT imaging had a sensitivity of 35%, specificity of 88%, positive predictive value of 23%, and negative predictive value of 93% for diagnosing severe CAD. The accuracy of a standard risk factor analysis showed no statistical difference in predicting CAD compared with adenosine (sensitivity McNemar's p = 0.48, specificity McNemar's p = 1.00) or regadenoson (sensitivity McNemar's p = 0.77, specificity McNemar's p = 1.00) SPECT studies. In conclusion, the 2 pharmaceutical agents had low sensitivity but high specificity for diagnosing CAD. However, because the sensitivity of the test is low, the chances of missing patients with ESLD with CAD is high, making SPECT imaging an inaccurate screening test. A standard risk factor analysis as a predictor for CAD in patients with ESLD is less expensive, has no radiation exposure, and is as accurate as SPECT imaging.