Diagnosis and treatment of early bioprosthetic malfunction in the mitral valve position due to thrombus formation.

Bioprosthetic valve thrombosis is uncommon and the diagnosis is often elusive and may be confused with valve degeneration. We report our experience with mitral bioprosthetic valve thrombosis and suggest a therapeutic approach. From 2002 to 2011, 149 consecutive patients who underwent mitral valve replacement with a bioprosthesis at a single center were retrospectively screened for clinical or echocardiographic evidence of valve malfunction. Nine were found to have valve thrombus. All 9 patients had their native valve preserved, representing 24% of those with preserved native valves. Five patients (group 1) presented with symptoms of congestive heart failure at 16.4 ± 12.4 months after surgery. Echocardiogram revealed homogenous echo-dense film on the ventricular surface of the bioprosthesis with elevated transvalvular gradient, resembling early degeneration. The first 2 patients underwent reoperation: valve thrombus was found and confirmed by histologic examination. Based on these, the subsequent 3 patients received anticoagulation treatment with complete thrombus resolution: mean mitral gradient decreased from 23 ± 4 to 6 ± 1 mm Hg and tricuspid regurgitation gradient decreased from 83 ± 20 to 49 ± 5 mm Hg. Four patients (group 2) were asymptomatic, but routine echocardiogram showed a discrete mass on the ventricular aspect of the valve: 1 underwent reoperation to replace the valve and 3 received anticoagulation with complete resolution of the echocardiographic findings. In conclusion, bioprosthetic mitral thrombosis occurs in about 6% of cases. In our experience, onset is early, before anticipated valve degeneration. Clinical awareness followed by an initial trial with anticoagulation is warranted. Surgery should be reserved for those who are not responsive or patients in whom the hemodynamic status does not allow delay. Nonresection of the native valve at the initial operation may play a role in the origin of this entity.

Infectious complications in kidney transplant: a Lebanese perspective.

OBJECTIVES: Infections remain a frequent, potentially life-threatening complication of kidney transplant. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Between 1998 and 2006, we evaluated the incidence of infections in 114 kidney transplant patients, with a 1-year follow-up. All patients received a posttransplant anti-infectious prophylaxis regimen. Induction therapy was given to 94 patients (82.4%), and maintenance immunosuppression consisted of calcineurin inhibitor (cyclosporin microemulsion or tacrolimus), together with mycophenolate mofetil and prednisone. RESULTS: In total, 56 patients (49.1%) developed a total of 95 infections up to 1-year after kidney transplant, including 46 in-hospital infections in 38 patients. Bacterial infections were the most frequent (97.8%), and were mainly urinary, followed by drain, central line catheter, and pulmonary infections. The most-frequent isolated bacteria were E. coli, followed by Klebsiella, Acinetobacter, and Pseudomonas. No viral infections were detected. Up to 1 year after discharge from the hospital, 49 infections occurred in 26 patients, of which 79.5% were bacterial; mainly urinary tract infections due to E. coli, in addition to 7 cases of cytomegalovirus, 1 herpes, and 2 cases of fungal infections. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first Lebanese study that deals with posttransplant infections in kidney transplant patients and underscores the importance of close patient monitoring and follow-up. Comparison with international data shows similar patterns.

The twin-pass dual access catheter for assessment of the no-reflow phenomenon.

UNLABELLED: The absence of antegrade flow in a coronary artery during an intervention is an ominous finding requiring diagnosis of the underlying cause and rapid treatment to limit myocardial necrosis. The Twin-Pass dual access catheter allows for distal coronary contrast injection without loss of wire position. The aim of this analysis was to determine the opacification and flow features of patients with abrupt arrest of antegrade flow to determine the underlying pathology. METHODS: Coronary angiograms of patients with abrupt arrest of antegrade flow during an intervention that underwent distal vessel contrast injection with the Twin-Pass catheter were retrospectively analyzed for five features: antegrade flow, retrograde flow, myocardial blush, presence of contrast stasis in the vessel wall and evidence of an intraluminal filling defect. The features were then correlated with the underlying pathological process and treatment. RESULTS: Seven patients underwent distal contrast injections. Four specific pathological processes were identified: presence of a proximal occlusive lesion; no-reflow due to distal vascular bed dysfunction; long dissection of the vessel with the distal wire residing in the true lumen or alternatively in the dissection plane. The patients were treated according to the pathology with stenting, intracoronary adenosine or wire repositioning. CONCLUSIONS: Distal vessel contrast injection using the Twin-Pass catheter in the presence of no-reflow is a simple and rapid technique that allows for the definition of four distinct clinical scenarios. This allows for rapid treatment of the underlying pathological process, reducing the period of end-organ ischemia, limiting occasional unnecessary stent deployment and further improving procedural results.

Effect of recipient age on the outcome of kidney transplantation.

We investigated the effect of recipient age (RA) on kidney transplantation outcome in 107 transplant patients, with a follow-up of 1 year. Patients were divided in 3 groups: Group A (RA<50 years; 72 patients), Group B (RA 50-60 years, 19 patients), and Group C (RA>60 years; 16 patients). The rate and severity of acute rejection, infection rate and type, delayed graft function, hospital stay, creatinine levels (3, 6, 12 months), incidence at 1 year of post-transplant hypertension, cholesterol and triglycerides blood levels, and the rate of post-transplant surgical complications, and 1-year graft and patient survival were comparable between the 3 groups. However, creatinine blood level at 1 month and the 1-year fasting blood sugar were significantly higher in Group B. The RA does not seem to be of a significant predictive value, good selection and pre-transplant patient workout are important factors for a better outcome.

Effect of pretransplant hemoglobin blood level on kidney transplant outcome.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the effect of pretransplant hemoglobin level on the outcome of kidney transplant. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were divided in 2 groups: group A < 10 g/dL (80 patients; PTHb < 10 g/dL), and group B > 10 g/dL (69 patients; PTHb = 10 g/dL), and were matched regarding donor age, recipient sex, blood group, donor recipient HLA, and Cytomegalovirus status. RESULTS: The frequency of acute rejection, together with the timing of rejection, the need for antithymocyte globulin Fresenius rescue therapy, infection rate, and posttransplant surgical complications were comparable between both groups. While the 1-year actuarial patient and graft survival rates, delayed graft function, and slow graft function rates were comparable between both groups, longer hospital stay was required for group B (> 10 g/dL) patients (P = .005). Mean serum creatinine levels upon discharge (P = .02), at 6 months (P = .05), and 1 year (P = .02) after discharge were higher in group B (> 10 g/dL) patients. While posttransplant hemoglobin levels were lower than pretransplant levels, they were higher in group B (> 10 g/dL) compared with group A (< 10 g/dL), (P = .019). CONCLUSIONS: Pretransplant hemoglobin level does not affect the outcome of kidney transplant, except for creatinine levels at 1 year.