Mitral valve-in-valve with 4D intracardiac echocardiography: Procedural and imaging technique.

Transcatheter mitral valve-in-valve (ViV) has emerged as a safe and effective therapeutic option for patients with a degenerated mitral bioprosthesis. As procedural techniques mature and operator experience improve, there is a push to adopt a "minimalist" approach of using conscious sedation instead of general anesthesia for faster recovery. The heavy reliance on fluoroscopy for ViV deployment makes feasible the use of intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) instead of transesophageal echocardiography for other procedural imaging requirements. We hereby use a case example to illustrate a step-by-step approach of using four-dimensional ICE to guide transcatheter mitral ViV under conscious sedation.

A Rare Case of Radiation-Associated Aortic and Mitral Valve Stenosis Treated With Transcatheter Valve Replacements.

Radiation therapy is the standard of care for achieving cure for many thoracic malignancies, but it can result in long-term cardiovascular sequelae such as valve disease. We describe a rare case of severe aortic and mitral stenosis due to prior radiation therapy for giant cell tumor treated successfully with percutaneous aortic and off-label mitral valve replacements. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).

A new surgical technique for left atrial reduction in giant left atrium.

Objective: The study objective was to evaluate the safety and clinical and echocardiographic outcomes of a new surgical technique in adult patients diagnosed with a giant left atrium. Methods: We analyzed a cohort of patients who underwent left atrium reduction surgery between January 2016 and June 2020 performed by a specialized surgical team in 2 national reference centers in Lima, Peru. We assessed the major adverse valvular-related events and the New York Heart Association functional class as primary clinical outcomes. Also, our primary echocardiographic endings were the diameter, area, and volume of the left atrium. We assessed these variables at 3 time periods: baseline (t0), perioperative period (t1), and extended follow-up (t2: 12 ± 3.4 months). We carried out descriptive and bivariate exploratory statistical analysis for dependent measures. Results: We included 17 patients, 70.6% of whom were women. Rheumatic mitral valve disease (76.5%) was the main etiology. We performed 14 (82.4%) mitral valve replacements and 3 repairs. Major adverse valvular-related events occurred in 1 patient (5.9%) (hemorrhagic stroke) at t1. A significant reduction in the size of the left atrium was observed: diameter (77 mm vs 48 mm, P < .001), area (75 cm2 vs 31 cm2, P < .001), and volume (332 cm3 vs 90 cm3, P < .001). Compared with t0 and t1, these echocardiographic findings remained without significant changes during t2. Conclusions: Our surgical left atrium reduction technique was associated with improved clinical functionality and reduced left atrium measures in patients with a giant left atrium undergoing mitral valve surgery.

Results of mitral valve reconstruction using substitute extracellular matrix.

Background: During the ongoing search for an ideal patch material for reconstructive heart surgery, several versions of extracellular matrix (ECM) have been used. However, long-term performance in different cardiac positions is unknown. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of outcomes after mitral valve surgery using ECM in 29 patients from 2011 to 2014. Clinical and echocardiographic follow-up was reviewed (mean time, 6.3 ± 2.8 years). Results: ECM was used to reconstruct the posterior mitral annulus in 69% and to repair the mitral leaflet in 65% of the patients. The most prevalent etiology was dystrophic calcification of the annulus (80%) versus endocarditis for leaflet repair (60%). Fifty-five percent of the patients who required annular reconstruction received a mitral valve replacement (MVR). There were 2 perioperative deaths (7%). Long-term data were analyzed according to surgical technique; namely, isolated leaflet repair compared with annular reconstruction with or without MVR. There were 3 late deaths (1 per group). Overall survival was 83% at 7 years. Ninety percent of cases with mitral valve repair with or without annular reconstruction were free from more than mild mitral regurgitation, compared with 45% in the MVR and annular reconstruction group. The mechanism of failure was patch degeneration creating a severe paravalvular leak due to prosthesis dehiscence. Conclusions: ECM used to repair the mitral valve leaflets with or without annular reconstruction offers acceptable results. However, caution should be taken with the use of ECM adjacent to prosthetic valve material because of a high rate of failure associated with patch degeneration.

Quantitative in vivo assessment of human mitral valve coaptation area after undersized ring annuloplasty repair for ischemic mitral regurgitation.

Objectives: Long-term outcomes of mitral valve repair procedures to correct ischemic mitral regurgitation remain unpredictable, due to an incomplete understanding of the disease process and the inability to reliably quantify the coaptation zone using echocardiography. Our objective was to quantify patient-specific mitral valve coaptation behavior from clinical echocardiographic images obtained before and after repair to assess coaptation restoration and its relationship with long-term repair durability. Methods: To circumvent the limitations of clinical imaging, we applied a simulation-based shape-matching technique that allowed high-fidelity reconstructions of the complete mitral valve in the systolic configuration. We then applied this method to an extant database of human regurgitant mitral valves before and after undersized ring annuloplasty to quantify the effect of the repair on mitral valve coaptation geometry. Results: Our method was able to successfully resolve the coaptation zone into distinct contacting and redundant regions. Results indicated that in patients whose regurgitation recurred 6 months postrepair, both the contacting and redundant regions were larger immediately postrepair compared with patients with no recurrence (P < .05), even when normalized to account for generally larger recurrent valves. Conclusions: Although increasing leaflet coaptation area is an intuitively obvious way to improve long-term repair durability, this study has implied that this may not be a reliable target for mitral valve repair. This study underscores the importance of a rigorous understanding of the consequences of repair techniques on mitral valve behavior, as well as a patient-specific approach to ischemic mitral regurgitation treatment within the context of mitral valve and left ventricle function.

An Integrative, Multiparametric Approach to Mitral Regurgitation Evaluation: A Case-Based Illustration.

Echocardiography is the first-line modality for assessing mitral regurgitation (MR). In addition to evaluation of the MR jet characteristics, echocardiography can provide quantitative parameters of MR severity. This case series illustrates the importance of integrating multiple parameters in the evaluation of MR and the role of multimodality imaging. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).

Radiofrequency Ablation for Prevention of Outflow Tract Obstruction in Percutaneous Mitral Valve-in-Valve Replacement.

Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) can complicate percutaneous mitral valve replacement and may preclude patients considered high surgical risk from transcatheter therapies. We report a case of mitral valve-in-valve procedure in a patient at high risk for LVOTO. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).

Intractable Heart Failure From a Severe Mitral Paravalvular Leak in Surgically Created Bipartite Left Atrium.

We describe a 38-year-old Middle Eastern woman with a long history of multiple cardiac surgical procedures for mitral valve disease who presented with intractable heart failure from severe mitral paravalvular regurgitation requiring multiple medical admissions since 2019. She was deemed a very high surgical risk and was treated successfully with a percutaneous technique. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).

EUS-guided biopsy of an intraventricular mass in a patient with ventricular tachycardia.

Video 1Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy of an intraventricular mass in a patient with ventricular tachycardia.

Mitral valve repair for extreme billowing and prolapsing valve.

Objectives: We describe our method and results of mitral valve repair up to 20 years in a defined group of patients with mitral regurgitation caused by an extreme billowing and prolapsing valve. Methods: An extreme billowing and prolapsing valve was defined by the presence of excess tissue on both leaflets and prolapse of 2 or more of the 3 segments of each leaflet. Among 1344 consecutive patients who underwent mitral valve repair for degenerative mitral regurgitation between 1991 and 2012 at the Sakakibara Heart Institute, 73 patients met our definition of an extreme billowing and prolapsing valve. From these 73 patients, 67 patients who underwent mitral valve repair based on the surgical strategy we developed in July 1996 were enrolled in this study. Our strategy of mitral valve repair for extreme billowing and prolapsing valves consists of (1) volume reduction of the leaflets, (2) physiologic remodeling annuloplasty for long anterior leaflet, and (3) wide usage of artificial chordae. Results: Mean age of the patients was 46.6 ± 12.9 years. There were no hospital deaths and 6 late deaths in this series. Kaplan-Meier survival at 10 years was 96.8 ± 2.2%. There were 2 reoperations. Cumulative incidence rate of mitral valve reoperation and moderate or severe mitral regurgitation at 10 years was 1.8 ± 1.8% and 11.2 ± 4.0%. Number of artificial chordal replacement was associated with decreased risk of recurrent moderate mitral regurgitation (hazard ratio, 0.60; P = .03). Conclusions: Long-term echo follow-up demonstrates good results of mitral valve repair for extreme billowing and prolapsing valves using our strategy.

Quantitative biomechanical optimization of neochordal implantation location on mitral leaflets during valve repair.

Objective: Suture pull-out remains a significant mechanism of long-term neochordal repair failure, as demonstrated by clinical reports on recurrent mitral valve regurgitation and need for reoperation. The objective of this study was to provide a quantitative comparison of suture pull-out forces for various neochordal implantation locations. Methods: Posterior leaflets were excised from fresh porcine mitral valves (n = 54) and fixed between two 3-dimensional-printed plates. Gore-Tex CV-5 sutures (WL Gore & Associates Inc) were placed with distances from the leading edge and widths between anchoring sutures with values of 2 mm, 6 mm, and 10 mm for a total of 9 groups (n = 6 per group). Mechanical testing was performed using a tensile testing machine to evaluate pull-out force of the suture through the mitral valve leaflet. Results: Increasing the suture anchoring width improved failure strength significantly across all leading-edge distances (P < .001). Additionally, increasing the leading-edge distance from 2 mm to 6 mm increased suture pull-out forces significantly across all suture widths (P < .001). For 6-mm and 10-mm widths, increasing the leading-edge distance from 6 mm to 10 mm increased suture pull-out forces by an average of 3.58 ± 0.15 N; in comparison, for leading-edge distances of 6 mm and 10 mm, increasing the suture anchoring width from 6 mm to 10 mm improves the force by an average of 7.09 ± 0.44 N. Conclusions: Increasing suture anchoring width and leading-edge distance improves the suture pull-out force through the mitral leaflet, which may optimize postrepair durability. The results suggest a comparative advantage to increasing suture anchoring width compared with leading-edge distance.

Severe mitral regurgitation causing unilateral pulmonary edema: A case report.

This is a case of a 70-year-old male patient with a history of degenerative mitral valve disease who presented to the emergency department with progressively worsening dyspnea. Prominent findings were rapid atrial fibrillation and unilateral pulmonary edema. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography revealed chordal rupture-related severe-eccentric mitral regurgitation. The patient underwent surgical mitral valve repair. Learning objectives: •To acknowledge that the clinical presentation may not be as dramatic when acute mitral regurgitation (MR) is superimposed on chronic MR, due to the increased left atrium compliance•To bear in mind that eccentric jets of severe MR can cause unilateral pulmonary infiltrates, mimicking a primary pulmonary process•To remind that rapid atrial fibrillation might be the result rather than the cause of acute cardiac decompensation.

Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation to Facilitate Transcutaneous Mitral Valve Replacement in Critical Mitral Stenosis.

Biological mitral valve restenosis after replacement in rheumatic heart disease is a rare complication. This case illustrates venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation to facilitate transcatheter mitral valve replacement in a patient with suprasystemic pulmonary pressure and cardiogenic shock with multiorgan failure secondary to critical mitral stenosis of a bioprosthetic valve.(Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).

Multi-spectrum robotic cardiac surgery: Early outcomes.

Objective: The robotic cardiac surgery program at our current institution began in 2013 with an experienced and dedicated team. This review analyzes early outcomes in the first 1103 patients. Methods: We reviewed all robotic procedures between July 2013 and February 2021. Primary outcomes were mortality and perioperative morbidity. Our robotic approach is totally endoscopic for all cases: off-pump for coronary and epicardial procedures, and on-pump with the endoballoon for mitral valve and other intracardiac procedures. Results: There were 1103 robotic-assisted cardiac surgeries over 7 years. A total of 585 (53%) were off-pump totally endoscopic coronary artery bypasses, 399 (36%) intracardiac cases (including isolated and concomitant mitral valve procedures, isolated tricuspid valve repair, CryoMaze, atrial or ventricular septal defect repair, benign cardiac tumor, septal myectomy, partial anomalous pulmonary venous drainage, and aortic valve replacement); 80 (7%) epicardial electrophysiology-related procedures (epicardial atrial fibrillation ablation, left atrial appendage ligation, lead placement, and ventricular tachycardia ablation); and 39 (4%) other epicardial procedures (pericardiectomy, unroofing myocardial bridge). Mortality was 1.2% (observed/expected ratio, 0.7). In the totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass and intracardiac groups, mortality was 1.0% (observed/expected, 0.6) and 1.5% (observed/expected, 0.87), respectively. There were 8 conversions to sternotomy (0.7%) and 24 (2.2%) take-backs for bleeding. Mean hospital and intensive care unit lengths of stay were 2.74 ± 1.26 days and 1.28 ± 0.57 days, respectively. Conclusions: This experience demonstrates that a robotic endoscopic approach can safely be used in a multitude of cardiac surgical procedures both on- and off-pump with excellent early outcomes. An experienced surgeon and team are necessary. Longer-term follow-up is warranted.

A 16-Year Natural History of a Congenital Pseudoaneurysm of the Mitral-Aortic Intervalvular Fibrosa.

Pseudoaneurysm of the mitral aortic intervalvular fibrosa is a rare condition most often reported as sequela of endocarditis and surgical trauma, with congenital cases being very uncommon. This case describes a congenital pseudoaneurysm of the mitral aortic intervalvular fibrosa and stable 16-year natural history. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).

Biomechanical analysis of neochordal repair error from diastolic phase inversion of static left ventricular pressurization.

Objective: Neochordal implantation is a common form of surgical mitral valve (MV) repair. However, neochord length is assessed using static left ventricular pressurization, leading surgeons to evaluate leaflet coaptation and valve competency when the left ventricle is dilating instead of contracting physiologically, referred to as diastolic phase inversion (DPI). We hypothesize that the difference in papillary muscle (PM) positioning between DPI and physiologic systole results in miscalculated neochord lengths, which might affect repair performance. Methods: Porcine MVs (n = 6) were mounted in an ex vivo heart simulator and PMs were affixed to robots that accurately simulate PM motion. Baseline hemodynamic and chordal strain data were collected, after which P2 chordae were severed to simulate posterior leaflet prolapse from chordal rupture and subsequent mitral regurgitation. Neochord implantation was performed in the physiologic and DPI static configurations. Results: Although both repairs successfully reduced mitral regurgitation, the DPI repair resulted in longer neochordae (2.19 ± 0.4 mm; P < .01). Furthermore, the hemodynamic performance was reduced for the DPI repair resulting in higher leakage volume (P = .01) and regurgitant fraction (P < .01). Peak chordal forces were reduced in the physiologic repair (0.57 ± 0.11 N) versus the DPI repair (0.68 ± 0.12 N; P < .01). Conclusions: By leveraging advanced ex vivo technologies, we were able to quantify the effects of static pressurization on neochordal length determination. Our findings suggest that this post-repair assessment might slightly overestimate the neochordal length and that additional marginal shortening of neochordae might positively affect MV repair performance and durability by reducing load on surrounding native chordae.

Diagnosis and Management of Cirrhotic Cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy refers to the structural and functional changes in the heart leading to either impaired systolic, diastolic, electrocardiographic, and neurohormonal changes associated with cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy is present in 50% of patients with cirrhosis and is clinically seen as impaired contractility, diastolic dysfunction, hyperdynamic circulation, and electromechanical desynchrony such as QT prolongation. In this review, we will discuss the cardiac physiology principles underlying cirrhotic cardiomyopathy, imaging techniques such as cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and scintigraphy, cardiac biomarkers, and newer echocardiographic techniques such as tissue Doppler imaging and speckle tracking, and emerging treatments to improve outcomes. METHODS: We reviewed available literature from MEDLINE for randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, cross-sectional studies, and real-world outcomes using the search terms "cirrhotic cardiomyopathy," "left ventricular diastolic dysfunction," "heart failure in cirrhosis," "liver transplantation," and "coronary artery disease". RESULTS: Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy is associated with increased risk of complications such as hepatorenal syndrome, refractory ascites, impaired response to stressors including sepsis, bleeding or transplantation, poor health-related quality of life and increased morbidity and mortality. The evaluation of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy should also guide the feasibility of procedures such as transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, dose titration protocol of betablockers, and liver transplantation. The use of targeted heart rate reduction is of interest to improve cardiac filling and improve the cardiac output using repurposed heart failure drugs such as ivabradine. Liver transplantation may also reverse the cirrhotic cardiomyopathy; however, careful cardiac evaluation is necessary to rule out coronary artery disease and improve cardiac outcomes in the perioperative period. CONCLUSION: More data are needed on the new diagnostic criteria, molecular and biochemical changes, and repurposed drugs in cirrhotic cardiomyopathy. The use of advanced imaging techniques should be incorporated in clinical practice.

Escherichia coli prosthetic valve endocarditis from a non-genitourinary source.

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a rare cause of infective endocarditis due to its lack of traditional virulence factors that promote endocardial adherence. Previous case reports of E. coli infective endocarditis demonstrate specific risk factors to include advanced age over 70, female sex, diabetes, immunosuppression, and intravascular or cardiac devices. Antecedent genitourinary infection is the most common source. We present a case of a 55-year-old Honduran man with a recent bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement and tricuspid valve repair who presented with one month of subjective fevers, night sweats, anorexia, and significant weight loss. After extensive work-up, the patient was diagnosed with E. coli infective endocarditis secondary to E. coli growth in blood cultures and a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) revealing a vegetation on his prosthetic mitral valve. An indolent gastrointestinal source was suspected to be the source of infection with imaging only notable for mild periappendiceal stranding concerning for a possible site of antecedent inflammation. He was treated with a 6-week course of ceftriaxone and gentamicin inpatient and then discharged on trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole suppressive therapy with serial echocardiographic follow-up given the persistent small vegetation on repeat echocardiogram. Our case report and review of ten recent cases of prosthetic valve endocarditis described in the literature illustrates several common features of the epidemiology, presentation, and management of E. coli prosthetic valve endocarditis including more commonly reported non-genitourinary sources of bacteremia, a trend towards more frequent surgical interventions, and a declining mortality rate.

Left ventricular vortex analysis by high-frame rate blood speckle tracking echocardiography in healthy children and in congenital heart disease.

BACKGROUND: High-frame rate blood speckle tracking (BST) echocardiography is a new technique for the assessment of intracardiac flow. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of left ventricular (LV) vortices in healthy children and in those with congenital heart disease (CHD). METHODS: Characteristics of LV vortices were analyses based on 4-chamber BST images from 118 healthy children (median age 6.84 years, range 0.01-17 years) and 43 children with CHD (median age 0.99 years, range 0.01-14 years). Both groups were compared after propensity matching. Multiple linear regression was used to identify factors that independently influence vortex characteristics. RESULTS: Feasibility of vortex imaging was 93.7% for healthy children and 95.6% for CHD. After propensity matching, there were no overall significant differences in vortex distance to apex, distance to interventricular septum (IVS), height, width, sphericity index, or area. However, multiple regression analysis revealed significant associations of LV morphology with vortex characteristics. Furthermore, CHD involving LV volume overload and CHD involving LV pressure overload were both associated with vortices localized closer to the IVS. CONCLUSIONS: LV vortex analysis using high-frame rate BST echocardiography is feasible in healthy children and in those with CHD. As they are associated with LV morphology and are modified in some types of CHD, vortices might yield diagnostic and prognostic value. Future studies are warranted to establish applications of vortex imaging in the clinical setting.