Anticoagulation strategy with bivalirudin plus aspirin combination during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for COVID-19-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Background: In this study, we present our experience in treating patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19)-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome using a combined anticoagulant and antiaggregant treatment with intravenous infusion of bivalirudin and aspirin. Methods: Between April 1st, 2020 and January 31st, 2022, a total of 52 adult patients (32 males, 20 females; mean age: 44.5±11.5 years; range, 21 to 71 years) who received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation due to COVID-19-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome and whose anticoagulant treatment consisted of bivalirudin plus aspirin were retrospectively analyzed. During the first 10 days of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, bivalirudin dosing, activated partial thromboplastin time, and activated clotting time, as well as major bleeding events and patient and/or ECMO-circuit thromboses were recorded. Results: The mean bivalirudin dose per day ranged from 0.03 to 0.04 mg/kg/h, with a mean overall dose of 0.036 mg/kg/h. The mean activated partial thromboplastin time was 49.1±6.9 sec throughout 10 days of the application. The percentage of time in the target range for activated partial thromboplastin time was 58.9±20.1% within 10 days of application, compared to 33.1±31.1% for the first 24 h. The mean daily activated clotting time was below the target range within the first three days, but it was consistently within the target range after Day 3. During the first 10 days of the application, no mortality occurred. Major bleeding occurred in 11 patients (21.1%) and circuit thrombosis occurred in three patients (5.8%). Conclusion: In patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for COVID-19-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome, an hourly bivalirudin dose of 0.03 to 0.04 mg/kg/h throughout the first 10 days of application was associated with the targeted anticoagulation profile of 45 to 60 sec. The combination was associated with a comparable rate of major bleeding, but a lower rate of circuit-thrombosis compared to the literature reports.

Outcomes of conservative management in patients with nutcracker syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate outcomes in nutcracker syndrome patients with tolerable symptoms and treated conservatively without invasive interventions. METHODS: This prospective study included patients treated conservatively. Promoting weight gain, the endpoint of the study was spontaneous resolution of symptoms. RESULTS: Sixteen patients (75% female and mean age 24.4 ± 3.5 years) underwent conservative management. Over a mean follow-up of 27.3 months [13-42, interquartile range (IQR)], the diameter ratio (5.5 [5-6.5, IQR] vs 4.3 [4.1-6], p = NS), the peak velocity ratio (6 [5-7, IQR] vs 4.8 [4.8-5.8], p = NS), beak angle (27° [24-30, IQR] vs 29° [24-32]; p = NS), and aortomesenteric angle (26° [23-29, IQR] vs 28° [24-30]; p = NS) exhibited no statistically significant changes. Complete resolution and improvement of symptoms were 28.5% and 31.4%, respectively, while 68.5% remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that a conservative approach contributes to the spontaneous improvement or complete resolution in young adult patients with mild symptoms.

Treatment of Nutcracker Syndrome with Left Renal Vein Transposition and Endovascular Stenting.

BACKGROUND: Nutcracker syndrome is a rare condition that occurs as a result of the entrapment of the left renal vein (LRV) between the aorta and the superior mesenteric artery. It is typically associated with symptoms such as left flank pain, hematuria, proteinuria, and pelvic congestion. The current treatment approach may be conservative in the presence of tolerable symptoms, and surgical or hybrid and stenting procedures in the order of priority in the presence of intolerable symptoms. The aim of this study is to review our experiences to evaluate the results of both methods in this series in which we have a greater tendency toward surgery instead of stenting. METHODS: The clinical data of consecutive patients with nutcracker syndrome who underwent LRV transposition and LRV stenting between July 2019 and October 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into 2 groups based on the methods of treatment: surgical and stenting. For procedure selection, LRV transposition was primarily recommended, with stenting offered to those who declined. Primary end points were morbidity and mortality. Secondary end points included late complications, patency, freedom from reintervention, and resolution of symptoms. Standard basic statistics and survival analysis methods were employed. RESULTS: Nineteen patients with nutcracker syndrome (female: 100%) were treated with LRV stentings (n = 5) and LRV transposition (n = 14). The mean age was 24 (20-27, interquartile range [IQR]) years. The mean follow-up was 23 (9-32, IQR) months. There were no major complications and mortality after both procedures. The most frequent sign and symptom associated with LRV entrapment were left flank pain 100% (n = 19), proteinuria 88% (n = 15), and hematuria 47% (n = 9). The mean peak velocity ratio on Doppler ultrasound was 6.13 (6-6.44, IQR). Aortomesenteric angle, beak angle (beak sign), and mean diameter ratio on computed tomography were 26° (22.6-28.5, IQR), 25° (23.9-28, IQR), and 5.3 (5-6, IQR), respectively. Venous pressure measurements were only used to confirm the diagnosis in 5 patients in the stenting group. The measured renocaval gradient was 4 (3.9-4.4, IQR) mm Hg. After both procedures, the classical symptoms, including left flank pain, proteinuria, and hematuria, resolved in 89.5% (n = 17), 57.8% (n = 11), and 82.3% (n = 15) of the cases, respectively. A total of 4 patients required reintervention, 3 patients after LRV transposition (occlusion, n = 2; stenosis, n = 1), and 1 patient after stenting (occlusion, n = 1). The 1-year and 3-year primary patency for the 19 patients was 87% and 80%, respectively. Three-year primary-assisted patency was 100%. Similarly, the 1-year and 3-year freedom from reintervention rate was 83% and 72%, respectively. Additionally, the 1-year and 3-year primary patency for the surgical group was 91% and 81%, respectively, and the 1-year and 3-year primary patency for the stenting group was 75%. CONCLUSIONS: Nutcracker syndrome should be kept in mind in cases where flank pain and hematuria cannot be associated with kidney diseases. Radiographic evidence must be accompanied by serious symptoms to initiate the treatment of nutcracker syndrome with LRV transposition and endovascular stenting procedures. Both procedures, along with their respective advantages and disadvantages, can be preferred as primary treatments for nutcracker syndrome. Our study demonstrates that both procedures can be safely and effectively performed, yielding good outcomes.

Reverse-U Aortotomy (Kirali Incision) for Aortic Valvular Interventions.

BACKGROUND: Surgical incisional approach to the ascending aorta is the main strategic step during valvular and/or subvalvular aortic interventions. Classic aortotomy incisions (transverse or oblique) can be challenging and can cause suboptimal exposure of the aortic root especially for the patients with small aortic annulus or for redo coronary artery bypass patients with patent proximal grafts interposed to the ascending aorta. METHODS: The Kirali incision was used in 91 patients (including 13 reoperations) who underwent an aortic intervention for valvular and subvalvular pathologies. Aortic root was exposed by forming inverted "U" shape incision starting from approximately 3 cm above the right coronary ostium toward the center of the noncoronary annulus and the top of the left-right commissure like a tongue. RESULTS: The aortic valve was replaced with a mechanical prosthesis in 45 patients and with a bioprosthesis in 39 patients including 14 sutureless and 16 stentless prostheses. A total of 29 patients received a concomitant procedure per the following: coronary artery bypass grafting on 8 patients and left ventricular assist device on 7 patients. There was no any problem related to aortotomy incision technique such as bleeding, rupture, dehiscence, or laceration perioperatively. There was no complication related to the procedure during 5-year follow-up. CONCLUSION: This new aortotomy incision technique is a safe procedure that provides good exposure for all kinds of aortic valve interventions and protects grafts and can facilitate aortic root enlargement or aortoplasty easily. This incision has the potential to be an alternative to traditional techniques.

Long-Term Results of Thoracofemoral Bypass in the Initial Treatment of Juxtarenal Total Aortic Occlusion.

BACKGROUND: Thoracofemoral bypass has been applied mostly secondary to previous procedures in the treatment of aortoiliac occlusive disease. However, its application as an initial treatment is less common, and long-term outcomes remain uncertain. The aim of this analysis was to review the 16-year experience and long-term outcomes of 31 consecutive patients who underwent thoracofemoral bypass as the primary procedure. METHODS: All patients who underwent thoracofemoral bypass for severe aortoiliac occlusive disease between 2005 and 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The occlusion and calcified plaques of the abdominal aorta at the renal level were common characteristics of all patients. The patients were divided into 2 groups: severe claudication group (Rutherford III group) and chronic limb-threatening ischemia group (Rutherford IV-V). Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test was used to compare categorical variables between the groups, and t-test or Mann-Whitney U-tests were used to compare continuous variables according to their distributions. The Kaplan-Meier curve was used to depict the time-to-event data. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients [age: 62 (56-67.5); male: 87%] underwent thoracofemoral bypass. Among the 31 patients, 21 (67.7%) belonged to the severe claudication group (Rutherford III), while 10 (32.3%) were in the chronic limb-threatening ischemia (Rutherford IV-V). Twenty-two patients (83.8%) remained asymptomatic after thoracofemoral bypass. The mean follow-up duration was 79 ± 32 months. The 30-day mortality rate was 3.2% (n = 1). Major complications were observed in 9.6% of patients (n = 3; respiratory: 6.4%, retroperitoneal hematoma: 3.2%). No significant difference was found between the claudication and chronic limb-threatening ischemia groups regarding major complications (3.2% vs. 6.4%, P = NS). Minor complications occurred in 41.9% of patients, including pleural effusion 9.6% (n = 3), acute kidney injury 9.6% (n = 3), gastrointestinal bleeding 3.2% (n = 1), paralytic ileus 6.4% (n = 2), and superficial skin infection 12.9% (n = 4). The rate of postoperative superficial skin infection was higher in the chronic limb-threatening ischemia group compared to the claudication group (4 [40%] vs. 0 [0%], P: 0.007). The univariable Cox regression analysis revealed that hypertension and diabetes mellitus were not related to primary patency of the thoracofemoral bypass graft. The 5-year Kaplan-Meier estimated primary patency for the entire study was 96% ± 7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 88.6-100), and the secondary patency was 96.3% ± 6% (95% CI: 89.4-100). The 5-year Kaplan-Meier estimated survival rate after thoracofemoral bypass was 93.4% ± 3 (95% CI: 91-100). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated in this study that thoracofemoral bypass can yield good outcomes when preferred as the initial treatment in selected patients with juxtarenal total aortic occlusion. Despite being a complex surgical technique, thoracofemoral bypass has shown to have safe, acceptable mortality and morbidity rates, as well as excellent long-term follow-up results in selected patients.

Cardiovascular Surgeons' Medical Perspectives Regarding Social Media Usage: a Survey Analysis

Abstract Introduction: We aimed to evaluate the use of social media among cardiovascular surgery specialists and their respective perspectives. Methods: In total, 173 cardiovascular surgeons were reached through an online survey. The surgeons surveyed were cardiovascular surgery specialists. The questionnaire consisted of 33 questions, including closed-ended and open-ended questions about social media. Results: We found that 73.4% of the participants think that social media facilitates the communication of the patient with the doctor, and 87.9% think that social media increases the publicity of the physician. Furthermore, 80.9% of the participants believe that informing through social media creates information pollution. We found that personal use of Instagram was more common in state hospital cardiac surgeons. The number of patients who contacted surgeons in private hospital for surgery via social media were found to be statistically significant, and it was found that this group benefitted more economically. Conclusion: Social media usage rates of cardiovascular surgeons were found to be high. On the other hand, it was observed that the rate of surgeons who share medical content is low. However, half the cardiovascular surgeons who participated in the study believe that their colleagues do not fully comply with the ethical rules in medical sharing.

The factors associated with progression of tricuspid regurgitation after left-sided double valve replacement in propensity score matched analysis.

Background: This study aims to investigate the association of progression of tricuspid regurgitation following double-valve replacement by comparing the tricuspid valve repair and no repair groups, and to analyze outcomes of patients with non-repaired mild-to-moderate tricuspid regurgitation. Methods: Between January 2014 and September 2017, a total of 157 patients (74 males, 83 females; mean age: 51.7±13.7 years; range, 18 to 78 years) who underwent aortic and mitral valve replacements with/without concomitant tricuspid valve repair were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups: no-repair (n=78) and repair groups (n=79). The primary outcome measure was development of more than moderate tricuspid regurgitation during follow-up. Results: The data were evaluated according to propensity score matched analysis. The progression of tricuspid regurgitation was significantly increased in the no-repair group (p=0.006). Rheumatic etiology was independently associated with the presence of postoperative moderateto- severe tricuspid regurgitation (p=0.004, odds ratio: 3.40). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of the potential complications and mortality and survival rates. A multivariable subgroup analysis for the baseline mild-to-moderate tricuspid regurgitation without repair showed that rheumatic etiology was an independent factor for the progression of postoperative tricuspid regurgitation (p=0.01). Conclusion: Our study results demonstrated that rheumatic etiology was an independent marker for increased tricuspid regurgitation and it was also independently associated with increased tricuspid regurgitation in patients with mild-to-moderate non-repaired patients. The degree of tricuspid regurgitation was improved in the repair group during follow-up.

Cardiovascular Surgeons' Medical Perspectives Regarding Social Media Usage: a Survey Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to evaluate the use of social media among cardiovascular surgery specialists and their respective perspectives. METHODS: In total, 173 cardiovascular surgeons were reached through an online survey. The surgeons surveyed were cardiovascular surgery specialists. The questionnaire consisted of 33 questions, including closed-ended and open-ended questions about social media. RESULTS: We found that 73.4% of the participants think that social media facilitates the communication of the patient with the doctor, and 87.9% think that social media increases the publicity of the physician. Furthermore, 80.9% of the participants believe that informing through social media creates information pollution. We found that personal use of Instagram was more common in state hospital cardiac surgeons. The number of patients who contacted surgeons in private hospital for surgery via social media were found to be statistically significant, and it was found that this group benefitted more economically. CONCLUSION: Social media usage rates of cardiovascular surgeons were found to be high. On the other hand, it was observed that the rate of surgeons who share medical content is low. However, half the cardiovascular surgeons who participated in the study believe that their colleagues do not fully comply with the ethical rules in medical sharing.

COVID-19 ARDS in two patients with left ventricular assist device.

Coronavirus disease 2019 affected millions of people and caused pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome and increased mortality worldwide. Data from multicenter studies showed that concomitant chronic diseases are associated with severe coronavirus disease. Patients with left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support may also be vulnerable to the disease. Some symptoms of COVID-19 infection like dyspnea and fatigue can overlap with heart failure or LVAD dysfunction. Careful evaluation should be made to diagnose and treat these patients. In these two cases with COVID-19, here we presented the first two patients supported with LVAD in Turkey.

Asymmetric dimethylarginine: Is it a risk facgtor in the repair of aortic coarctation?

BACKGROUND: Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, causes endothelial dysfunction which is an important risk factor for mortality in adult cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to investigate whether there was a relationship between the aortic cross-clamping (ACC) time and serum ADMA level in aortic coarctation surgery and importance of the serum ADMA level as a marker of mortality and morbidity. METHOD: Twenty-two patients undergoing surgery for aortic coarctation in the neonatal and early infant period were included in the study, and the patients were divided into two groups according to the aortic cross-clamping time (Group I: <20-min, Group II: >20-min). RESULTS: In Group I, preoperative and postoperative mean ADMA values of the patients were 0.57 ± 0.78 and 0.54 ± 0.83 µmol/L, respectively. In Group II, preoperative and postoperative mean ADMA values of the patients were 0.69 ± 0.93 and 1.10 ± 0.30 µmol/L, respectively. Preoperative-postoperative change of ADMA correlates with ACC time (r = .802, p < .005) and duration of postoperative inotropic support (r = .719, p < .05). Also a high correlation has been found between the ACC time and duration of inotropic support in both groups (r = .689, p < .05). CONCLUSION: Perioperative serum ADMA levels could be used as a prognostic bio-marker in the patients undergoing aortic coarctation repair. Treatments to reduce serum ADMA levels can be valuable for preventing mortality and morbidity which develop after surgeries in a transient ischemia setting by clamping the aorta.

Can Moderate Patient Prosthesis Mismatch Be Tolerated in a Selected Group of Patients with Aortic Valve Replacement?

INTRODUCTION: In this study, we aimed to determine the incidence of patient prosthesis mismatch (PPM) and its effects on ejection fraction (EF), gradients, and late survival. METHODS: 200 patients who underwent isolated mechanical AVR between March 2013 and May 2016 were retrospectively evaluated based on patient records. RESULTS: 200 patients were included in the study. No PPM was detected in 42 (21%) patients, moderate PPM in 122 (61%), and severe PPM in 36 (18%) patients. A significant decrease was found in all groups in terms of mean valve gradients and LVMI (preoperative LVMI compared with postoperative LVMI at the 12th month) (P < .001). A 30% decrease in mean LVMI in the no PPM and moderate PPM groups and a 20% decrease in the severe PPM group were detected at the 6th month. CONCLUSION: In our postoperative data, we found that EF was preserved, the transvalvular gradient reduced, and LVMI decreased. There was no difference in mortality rates between the control (no PPM) group and the moderate PPM group. Taking into account our patient groups, we can say that no-to-moderate PPM has no major effect on left ventricular remodeling in patients with preserved left ventricular functions.

Transition from Conventional Technique to Less Invasive Approach in Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantations.

Surgical treatments for heart failure patients are being increasingly performed every year. While experiences in this field are increasing, transition to alternative surgical approaches to minimize incisions is gaining popularity. However, there are clinics that still avoid performing these techniques. In the current study, we aim to present our experiences in transitioning to a minimally invasive technique by comparing two groups. One group was operated with a minimally invasive technique that has been performed in the learning curve period, while the second was operated with a familiar and standard technique. One hundred twenty patients who were implanted with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) from April 2015 to January 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The first 30 LVAD-implanted patients via less invasive approach (since April 2017) were included in group 1, and the last 30 isolated LVAD implanted patients via standard full sternotomy were included in group 2. Early clinical outcomes were compared between these two groups. There were no significant differences between two groups in terms of demographic features and preoperative statuses. Group 1 had significantly lesser mortality rates, cardiopulmonary bypass times, drainages, and blood products. Hospital stays had no significant difference between the groups, while extubation times and ICU stays were significantly lesser in group 1. Left ventricular assist device implantation through thoracotomy and ministernotomy is as feasible as that done through the conventional full sternotomy technique. In this group of patients with a high risk of bleeding, besides providing less hemorrhage, we believe that the surgical procedure was not more difficult than the conventional method.

Treatment of upper extremity lymphedema with minimally invasive supermicrosurgery technique.

A 51-year-old female patient was admitted to our clinic with numbness and anesthesia in the left upper extremity. There was widespread peripheral edema above and below the left elbow. Symptoms of the patient were associated with axillary lymphatic nodular dissection during previous the mastectomy operation. The patient was successfully treated using the supermicrosurgery technique via lymphaticovenular anastomosis.