The mid-term effect of intravascular ultrasound on endovascular interventions for lower extremity peripheral arterial disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is an important adjunctive tool for patients with lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD) undergoing endovascular therapy (EVT). The evidence regarding the advantages of IVUS use is evolving, and recent studies have reported conflicting results. We aimed to perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of IVUS during angiography-guided EVT for patients with PAD. METHODS: MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched through April 2023 to identify studies that investigated the outcomes of IVUS with angiography-guided EVT vs angiography-alone-guided EVT. The primary outcome was restenosis/occlusion rate; secondary outcomes were target lesion revascularization, major amputation, and mortality. RESULTS: One randomized controlled trial and 14 observational studies, largely of moderate quality, were included, yielding a total of 708,808 patients with 709,189 lesions that were treated with IVUS-guided EVT (n = 101,405) vs angiography-alone (n = 607,784). Compared with angiography alone, IVUS-guided EVT was associated with a non-significant trend towards decreased restenosis/occlusion (relative risk [RR], 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54-1.00; I2 = 60%). Although the risk of target lesion revascularization and mortality were comparable (RR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.65-1.10; I2 = 70%; RR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.79-1.28; I2 = 43%, respectively), the use of IVUS was also associated with significantly lower risk of major amputation (RR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.67-0.82; I2 = 47%). Subgroup analysis focusing on femoropopliteal disease demonstrated significantly higher patency (RR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.52-0.98; I2 = 73%). However, superiority with major amputation was not observed. CONCLUSIONS: IVUS-guided EVT for PAD may possibly be associated with a lower major amputation rate compared with angiography alone-guided EVT, although the difference in patency remained an insignificant trend in favor of IVUS-guided EVT. Adjunctive use of IVUS during EVT may be beneficial, and further prospective studies are warranted to delineate this relationship and the applicability of this technology in routine practice.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the treatment strategies for coronary artery bypass graft patients with concomitant carotid artery atherosclerotic disease.

OBJECTIVE: Stroke is one of the devastating complications after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Underlying carotid artery atherosclerotic disease is reported to be an independent risk factor. The optimal treatment strategy for these patients remains under debate. METHODS: We aimed to perform a network meta-analysis to evaluate the safety and efficacy of additional carotid interventions for patients with concomitant carotid artery atherosclerotic disease who require CABG by comparing perioperative adverse event rates. All articles through February 2022 were searched using MEDLINE and EMBASE to identify studies that investigated outcomes of CABG only as well as additional staged vs combined carotid interventions by both carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid artery stenting (CAS). RESULTS: Two randomized controlled trials and 23 observational studies were included, yielding a total of 32,473 patients who underwent combined CEA and CABG (n = 20,204), CEA and staged CABG (n = 6882), CABG and staged CEA (n = 340), CAS and CABG regardless of timing and sequences (n = 1224), and CABG only (n = 3823). No strategy showed a significant advantage over CABG only in all perioperative outcomes. CEA and staged CABG was associated with the lowest perioperative stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) rate, significantly lower compared with CAS and CABG (odds ratio [OR], 0.52; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36-0.76) as well as CABG and staged CEA (OR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.23-0.74), but was also associated with the highest perioperative mortality (OR, 2.50; 95% CI, 1.67-3.85, vs CAS and CABG) and myocardial infarction rate (OR, 3.70 [95% CI, 1.16-12.5] and OR, 2.50 [95% CI, 1.35-4.55] vs CAS and CABG, vs combined CEA and CABG, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: CEA and staged CABG are associated with low perioperative stroke/transient ischemic attack rates with a tradeoff of higher mortality and myocardial infarction rate. No strategy showed a significant advantage over the CABG-only strategy in all perioperative outcomes, outlining the importance of a tailored approach and determining proper indications for carotid intervention in these patients.

Long-term outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement: Meta-analysis of Kaplan-Meier-derived data.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is as an alternative treatment to surgical AVR, but the long-term outcomes of TAVR remain unclear. AIMS: This study aimed to analyze long-term outcomes following TAVR using meta-analysis. METHODS: A literature search was performed with MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Google Scholar through November 2022; studies reporting clinical outcomes of TAVR with follow-up periods of ≥8 years were included. The outcomes of interest were overall survival and/or freedom from structural valve deterioration (SVD). Surgical risk was assessed with the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) predicted risk of mortality (PROM) score. A subgroup analysis was conducted for intermediate-/high-surgical risk patients only. RESULTS: Eleven studies including 5458 patients were identified and analyzed. The mean age was 82.0 ± 6.5 years, and mean STS PROM score ranged from 2.9 to 10.6%. Survival rate at 5 and 10 years was 47.7% ± 1.4% and 12.1 ± 2.0%. Five studies including 1509 patients were analyzed for SVD. Freedom from SVD at 5 and 8 years was 95.5 ± 0.7% and 85.1 ± 3.1%. Similar results for survival and SVD were noted in the subgroup analysis of intermediate-/high-risk patients. CONCLUSIONS: Following TAVR, approximately 88% of patients died within 10 years, whereas 85% were free from SVD at 8 years. These date suggest that baseline patient demographic have the greatest impact on survival, and SVD does not seem to have a prognostic impact in this population. Further investigations on longer-term outcomes of younger and lower-risk patients are warranted.

Meta-analysis finds recurrent infection is more common after endovascular than after open repair of infected abdominal aortic aneurysm.

OBJECTIVE: Controversy has continued regarding the use of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) vs open aneurysm repair (OAR) for infected abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). In the present study, we investigated the comparative outcomes of EVAR and OAR for the treatment of infected AAAs. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis using the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases through May 2021. We included studies that had described both EVAR and OAR for the treatment of infected AAAs. The primary endpoints were the rates of recurrent infection and related rupture and/or death. Perioperative and 1-year mortality and readmissions and reinterventions were also analyzed. RESULTS: Fourteen observational studies describing a total of 1203 patients (EVAR, 359 [29.8%]; OAR, 844 [70.2%]) were eligible for qualitative analysis. The baseline characteristics included diabetes mellitus (33.2%), fever at presentation (71.6%), rupture at diagnosis (26.1%), and positive blood cultures (52.5%). The mean follow-up period ranged from 12 to 40 months. The use of EVAR became more prevalent in recent years (2016-2020, 32.4%) compared with the former period (2010-2015, 13.8%; P < .0001). Fenestrated, branched, or concomitant visceral debranching EVAR was performed in 6.1% of cases. In OAR, surgical debridement was consistently performed, and in situ reconstruction was applied in 82.2% and an omental flap in 51.5%. In nine studies considered for quantitative analysis, the patients' background (EVAR, n = 264; OAR, n = 274) were statistically balanced. The crude rates of recurrent infection and related rupture or death were 13.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.8%-18.5%) and 4.9% (95% CI 1.8%-8.0%), respectively. The pooled analyses depicted significantly higher rates of recurrent infection after EVAR than after OAR (relative risk [RR], 2.42; 95% CI, 1.80-3.27; P < .0001; I2 = 0%). Recurrent infection-related rupture or death (RR, 1.51; 95% CI, 0.70-3.23; P = .29; I2 = 0%), perioperative death (RR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.39-1.65; P = .55; I2 = 35%), 1-year mortality (hazard ratio, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.97-1.28; P =.13; I2 = 0%), and readmission or reintervention (RR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.74-1.82; P =.52; I2 = 0%) were not significantly different statistically between the two groups. Funnel plots showed no evidence of publication bias. Sensitivity analyses of leave-one-out meta-analysis confirmed higher rates of recurrent infection after EVAR. CONCLUSIONS: EVAR has become more prevalent as the initial treatment of infected AAAs. Although operative and 1-year survival were similar between OAR and EVAR groups, recurrent infection was more frequent after EVAR. This limitation should be weighed in selecting patients for EVAR in infected AAAs. Postoperative graft and infection surveillance are critical, especially after EVAR.

Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation in elderly patients: Systematic review and a meta-analysis.

AIMS: Catheter ablation (CA) is established therapy for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF); however, there is a limited understanding of CA in elderly patients. We studied the long-term efficacy and periprocedural safety of radiofrequency and cryoballoon CA for elderly patients with AF. METHODS: PubMed and Embase were searched through April 2021 to investigate the comparative outcomes between elderly and non-elderly patients who underwent CA for AF. The primary efficacy and safety endpoints were AF recurrence and procedure-related complications, respectively. Subgroup analyses were performed by procedure type of CA. RESULTS: The search identified 20 observational studies with 110,606 patients, including 8009 elderly patients (7.2%). The risk of AF recurrence was not significantly different between elderly and non-elderly patients (hazard ratio, 1.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.94-2.00; p = .10, I2  = 70%). However, relative to the non-elderly, elderly patients had significantly higher major complications (risk ratio [RR], 1.32; 95% CI, 1.14-1.54], p < .01, I2  = 0%) and overall complications (RR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.00-1.57; p = .05, I2  = 56%) with higher cerebrovascular events (RR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.25-2.25; p = < .01, I2  = 0%). Subgroup analysis with cryoballoon CA showed that procedure-related complications in elderly patients were similar to those in non-elderly patients but not with radiofrequency CA. CONCLUSIONS: CA for AF in elderly patients has comparable long-term efficacy compared to that in non-elderly patients; however, the incidence of procedure-related complications were higher in elderly patients. Cryoballoon CA did not confer a higher procedure-related risk in elderly patients.

Minimally invasive versus conventional aortic valve replacement: The network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Outcome comparisons after surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) with minimally invasive approaches including mini-sternotomy (MS) and right mini-thoracotomy (RMT) and full sternotomy (FS) have been conflicting. Furthermore, the synthesis of mid-term mortality has not been performed. METHODS: MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched through April 2022 to identify propensity score matched (PSM) studies or randomized controlled trial (RCT) which compared outcomes following SAVR among three incisional approaches: FS, MS, or RMT. The network analysis was performed to compare these approaches with random effects model. Mid-term mortality was defined as 1-year mortality. RESULTS: A total of 42 studies met the inclusion criteria enrolling 14,925 patients. RCT and PSM were performed in 13 and 29 studies, respectively. The operative mortality was significantly lower with MS compared to FS (risk ratio [RR]: 0.60, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.41-0.90, p = .01, I2 = 25.8%) or RMT (RR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.27-0.97, p = .03, I2 = 25.8%). RMT had significantly higher risk of reoperation for bleeding compared to MS (RR: 1.65, 95% CI: 1.18-2.30, p = .003, I2 = 0%). Hospital length of stay was significantly shorter with MS compared to FS (mean difference: -0.89 days, 95% CI: -1.58 to -0.2, p = .01, I2 = 95.5%) while it was equivocal between FS and RMT. The mid-term mortality was similar among the three approaches. CONCLUSIONS: While mid-term mortality was comparable among approaches, MS may be a safe and potentially more effective approach than FS and RMT for SAVR in the short term.

Association of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors with mortality and testing positive of COVID-19: Meta-analysis.

Some have hypothesized that the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARB) may modify susceptibility to coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in humans. Thus, we conducted two meta-analyses to investigate the effect of ACEI and ARB on mortality and susceptibility to COVID-19. Pubmed and EMBASE were searched through June 2020 to identify clinical trials that investigated the testing positive and in-hospital mortality rates for COVID-19 for those who were treated with ACEI and/or ARB and for those who were not treated with ACEI or ARB. The first analysis investigated the testing positive rate of COVID-19. The second analysis investigated the in-hospital mortality rate for patients with COVID-19. Three eligible studies for the first analysis and 14 eligible studies for the second analysis were identified. The first analysis demonstrated that the use of ACEI or ARB did not affect the testing positive rates (odds ratio [OR] [confidence interval [CI]] = 0.96 [0.88-1.04]; p = .69, OR [CI] = 0.99 [0.91-1.08]; p = 0.35, respectively). The second analysis showed that the use of ACEI and/or ARB did not affect in-hospital mortality (risk ratio [RR] 95% [CI]] = 0.88 [0.64-1.20], p = 0.42). The subgroup analysis by limiting studies of patients with hypertension showed ACEI and/or ARB use was associated with a significant reduction of in-hospital mortality compared with no ACEI or ARB use (RR [CI] = 0.66 [0.49-0.89], p = 0.004). Our analysis demonstrated that ACEI and/or ARB use was associated neither with testing positive rates of COVID-19 nor with mortality of COVID-19 patients.

Transcatheter versus surgical aortic valve replacement in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Although a number of studies compared mortality after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with that after surgical aortic replacement (SAVR) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), no meta-analysis of them has been conducted to date. To determine whether TAVI or SAVR is associated with better postprocedural survival in patients with COPD, a meta-analysis of all studies currently available was performed. Design. To identify all comparative studies of TAVI with SAVR in patients with COPD, PubMed and Web of Science were searched through January 2020. Studies meeting the following criteria were included in the present meta-analysis: the design was an observational comparative study or a randomized controlled trial; the study population was patients with COPD; patients were assigned to TAVI versus SAVR; and outcomes included all-cause mortality. Adjusted (if unavailable, unadjusted) odds or hazard ratios with their confidence intervals (CIs) of mortality for TAVI versus SAVR were extracted from each study. Study-specific estimates were combined in the random-effects model. Results. Six eligible studies with a total of 4771 patients with COPD were identified and included in the present meta-analysis. The meta-analysis indicated significantly lower early (in-hospital or 30-day) mortality after TAVI than after SAVR (odds ratio, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.53-0.90; p = .006) but no significant difference in midterm (1-year to 5-year) mortality between TAVI and SAVR (hazard ratio, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.79-1.44; p = .68). Conclusions. In patients with COPD, TAVI was associated with reduced early mortality, while midterm mortality appeared similar, as compared with SAVR.

Outcomes of robotic coronary artery bypass versus nonrobotic coronary artery bypass.

BACKGROUND: Robotic coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) has developed in recent decades, however, prior studies showed conflicting result of robotic CABG compared to nonrobotic CABG in terms of mortality, morbidity, and cost. Herein, we sought to analyze the in-hospital outcomes and health care utilization after robotic CABG compared to nonrobotic CABG, based on data from a nationally representative sample. METHODS: Patients who underwent CABG were identified using the national inpatient sample. Endpoints were in-hospital outcomes, length of stay, and total cost. Procedure-related complications were identified via international classification of diseases (ICD)-9 and ICD-10 coding and propensity score matching analysis was performed. RESULTS: A total of 1,204,125 weighted adults underwent nonrobotic CABG and 7355 underwent robotic CABG in the United States between 2012 and 2017. The comparison of 7330 pairs after propensity score matching showed that in-hospital mortality was higher for those who underwent nonrobotic CABG compared to those who underwent robotic CABG (2.1% vs. 1.1%, p = .029). Similarly, the rates of acute kidney injury, transfusion, postoperative hemorrhage, length of stay, and total cost were higher for nonrobotic CABG compared to robotic CABG (all p < .05). The proportions of routine discharges with (34.5% vs. 40.0%) or without (39.7% vs. 45.0%) home health care were higher among those who underwent robotic, whereas the proportion of transfer to skilled nursing facility/nursing home was more frequent for cases of nonrobotic CABG (22.4% vs. 13.4%). CONCLUSION: Robotic CABG was associated with lower rates of in-hospital mortality, acute kidney injury, transfusion, postoperative hemorrhage, total cost, and shorter hospital stay compared to nonrobotic CABG.

Trifecta versus perimount bioprosthesis for surgical aortic valve replacement; systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies suggested higher rates of early structural valve degeneration or reintervention for the Trifecta valve compared to other valves. Thus, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing the outcomes of the Trifecta valve and the Perimount valves in patients who underwent a surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). METHODS: All randomized control trials and observational studies which investigated the outcomes of the Trifecta valve and Perimount valves were identified with PubMed and EMBASE. The endpoints were the rates of reintervention and all-cause mortality. Hazard ratios (HRs) for reintervention and all-cause mortality were combined with the random-effects model. RESULTS: Our search identified 6 eligible observational studies which enrolled a total of 11,135 patients who underwent SAVR with either the Trifecta valve (n = 4932) or Perimount (n = 6203). Pooled analyses demonstrated that the reintervention rates were significantly higher with the Trifecta valve compared with Perimount valves (HR [95% confidence interval {CI}] = 3.16 [1.83-5.46]; p < .0001; I2 = 40%). In contrast, all-cause mortality was not significantly different between the two groups (HR [95% CI] = 1.09 [0.75-1.58]; p = .32, I2 = 12%). CONCLUSION: Our analysis showed that AVR with the Trifecta valve was associated with higher rates of reintervention compared for that with the Perimount valve. Although further long-term randomized trials are warranted, surgeons need to be cautious when choosing a bioprosthetic valve for patients undergoing SAVR.

Harvesting techniques of the saphenous vein graft for coronary artery bypass: Insights from a network meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The optimal harvesting technique of saphenous vein (SVG) in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is still to be elucidated. The present study aimed to compare the methods of SVG harvesting technique, which were open vein harvesting (OVH), endoscopic vein harvesting (EVH), and no-touch vein harvesting (NT), using a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and propensity-score matched (PSM) studies. METHODS: MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched through April 2021 to identify RCTs and PSM studies that investigated the outcomes in patients who underwent CABG with the SVG using one of three methods; OVH, EVH, and NT. The outcomes of interest were all-cause mortality, the rates of revascularization, and graft failure. Risk ratios (RRs) were extracted for the rates of graft failure, and hazard ratios (HRs) were extracted for all-cause mortality and the rates of revascularization. RESULTS: Eligible seven RCT and five PSM studies were identified which enrolled a total of 8111 patients. All-cause mortality was significantly lower in patients with EVH compared with OVH (HR [95% confidence interval (CI)] =0.77 [0.65-0.92], p = .0032). The rates of revascularization were similar among the groups. The rate of graft failures was significantly lower in patients with NT compared with OVH (HR [95% CI] =0.54 [0.32-0.90], p = .019) and with EVH (HR [95% CI] =0.39 [0.17-0.86], p = .023). CONCLUSION: NT vein harvesting is favorable for graft patency, and OVH showed higher all-cause mortality than EVH. Further well-powered RCTs are needed to confirm our findings.

Network meta-analysis of treatment strategies in patients with coronary artery disease and low left ventricular ejection fraction.

OBJECTIVE: The optimal treatment strategy in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and low left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) remains controversial. Herein, we conducted a network meta-analysis comparing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and optimal medical therapy (OMT) in patients with CAD and low LVEF. METHODS: MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched through March, 2021 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and propensity-score matched (PSM) studies comparing CABG, PCI, and OMT. We extracted hazard ratios (HRs) of the outcomes. RESULTS: A total of three RCTs and 10 PSM trials were identified, yielding a total of 18,855 patients with CAD with low EF who were treated with CABG (n = 9241), PCI (n = 8771), or OMT (n = 1003). All-cause mortality was significantly lower in patients with CABG compared with those with PCI or OMT (HR [95% confidence interval (CI)] = 0.72 [0.62-0.82], p < .001, HR [95% CI] = 0.65 [0.51-0.82], p = .004, respectively), while no difference was observed between PCI and OMT. The rates of MI were significantly lower in patients treated with CABG compared to those treated with PCI or OMT. However, the subgroup analysis by limiting the PCI group to patients who received drug-eluting stent (DES) showed similar all-cause mortality between CABG and PCI, while both CABG and PCI were associated with lower all-cause mortality compared with OMT. CONCLUION: The present study demonstrated that CABG was the appropriate treatment strategy in patients with CAD and low LVEF. Further long-term trials were warranted to investigate outcomes of PCI with DES compared with CABG.

[A Case of Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer with Massive Cancerous Ascites Responsive to KM-CART].

A 79-year-old woman visited our hospital complaining of bloating. An abdominal enhanced CT scan revealed pancreatic body cancer with cancerous ascites and multiple liver metastases. We started gemcitabine(GEM)plus nab-paclitaxel chemotherapy. Chemotherapy was not continued because she was unable to take oral medication owing to increased cancerous ascites. We conducted modified KM-cell-free and concentrated ascites reinfusion therapy(KM-CART). Her symptoms improved, and she began having oral intake after KM-CART. Chemotherapy was then re-initiated. Seven months have now passed since we started chemotherapy, and we can continue chemotherapy while conducting KM-CART repeatedly. KM- CART is useful for treating unresectable pancreatic cancer with massive cancerous ascites in terms of continuing chemotherapy.

Meta-analysis of phase-specific survival after elective endovascular versus surgical repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm from randomized controlled trials and propensity score-matched studies.

OBJECTIVE: Although endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) significantly decreases perioperative mortality compared with open surgical repair (OSR), we have not concluded superiority between EVAR and OSR beyond the perioperative period. The aim of this study was to compare phase-specific survival after EVAR vs OSR. METHODS: The review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline. Embase and MEDLINE were searched up to November 2019 to identify randomized controlled trials and propensity score-matched studies that investigated ≥2-year all-cause mortality (primary outcome) after EVAR vs OSR for intact infrarenal AAA. For each study, the hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) of mortality for EVAR vs OSR was calculated using survival curves for the following specific phases: early term (0-2 years after repair), midterm (2-6 years after repair), long term (6-10 years after repair), and very long term (≥10 years after repair). The risk ratio (RR) in the perioperative (in-hospital or 30-day) period was also extracted. Phase-specific HRs or RRs were separately pooled using the random effects model. Sensitivity analyses were performed by removing one study at a time to confirm that our findings were not derived from any single study. Funnel plot asymmetry was also examined using the linear regression test. RESULTS: Our search identified four randomized controlled trials and seven propensity score-matched studies enrolling a total of 106,243 AAA patients assigned to EVAR (n = 53,123) or OSR (n = 53,120). The mortality after EVAR compared with OSR was significantly lower in the perioperative period (RR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.29-0.51; P < .00001) and similar in the early-term period (HR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.84-1.03; P = .16). Notably, significantly higher mortality was observed in the EVAR group compared with the OSR group in the midterm period (HR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.03-1.29; P = .01). However, similar mortality was observed between the EVAR group and the OSR group in the long-term (HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.96-1.17; P = .27) and very-long-term (HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 0.93-1.47; P = .19) periods. In sensitivity analyses, the significant benefit of EVAR in the perioperative period and that of OSR in the midterm period were not changed. No funnel plot asymmetry was identified in all analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with OSR, EVAR was associated with lower perioperative mortality and higher mortality in the midterm period for intact infrarenal AAA. The superiority of EVAR was absent in the early-term period, and the inferiority of EVAR in the midterm period disappeared in the long-term and very-long-term periods.

Racial disparities in in-hospital outcomes after left ventricular assist device implantation.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies of patients undergoing various cardiac surgeries demonstrated worse outcomes among African-American (AA) patients. It remains unclear if the race is a predictor of outcomes among left ventricular assist device (LVAD) recipients. METHODS: Patients who underwent LVAD implantation between 2010 and 2017 were identified using the National Inpatient Sample. The race was classified as Caucasians vs AA vs Hispanics, and endpoints were in-hospital outcomes, length of stay, and cost. Procedure-related complications were identified via the International Classification of Diseases-9 (ICD-9) and ICD-10 coding and analysis performed via mixed-effect models. RESULTS: A total of 27 132 adults (5114 unweighted) underwent LVAD implantation in the U.S. between 2010 and 2017, including Caucasians (63.8%), AA (23.8%), and Hispanics (6%). The number of LVAD implantations increased in both Caucasians and AA during the study period. AA LVAD recipients were younger, with higher rates of females and mostly comorbidities, but lower rates of coronary artery disease and bypass grafting compared to Caucasians and Hispanics. Medicaid and median income at the lowest quartile were more frequent among AA LVAD recipients. We did not identify differences in stroke, bleeding complications, tamponade, infectious complications, acute kidney injury requiring hemodialysis, and in-hospital mortality among racial groups. AA LVAD recipients had lower rates of routine discharge than Caucasians and Hispanics, longer length of stay than Caucasians, but similar cost of hospitalization. After adjustment for clinical comorbidities, race was not a predictor of in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSION: We identified differences in clinical characteristics but not in in-hospital complications among LVAD recipients of a different races.

Prognostic impact of baseline C-reactive protein levels on mortality after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels can predict mortality after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), we performed a meta-analysis of currently available studies. METHODS: All studies investigating the prognostic impact of baseline (preprocedural) CRP levels on all-cause mortality after TAVI were identified by means of searching PubMed and Google Scholar through May 2019. For each study, (preferentially, adjusted rather than unadjusted) odds/hazard ratios (ORs/HRs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals of mortality per standard-deviation (SD) (or unit) increase in CRP levels or those for high vs low CRP levels. RESULTS: Our search identified 14 eligible studies including a total of 3449 patients undergoing TAVI and reporting early (in-hospital to 3-month) and midterm (1-year to 3-year) all-cause mortality after TAVI. Pooled analyses demonstrated associations of high-baseline CRP levels with a marginal, but statistically nonsignificant increase in early mortality (pooled OR/HR per SD increase in CRP levels, 2.72; P = .09 and pooled OR/HR for high vs low CRP levels, 3.32; P = .07) and a statistically significant increase in midterm mortality after TAVI (pooled OR/HR per SD increase in CRP levels, 1.45; P < .0001 and pooled OR/HR for high vs low CRP levels, 1.78; P < .00001). Excluding HRs for high-sensitivity CRP, combining ORs/HRs of 1-year mortality, pooling HRs of ≥2-year mortality, and combining adjusted HRs did not alter the primary results. CONCLUSION: High-baseline CRP levels may predict increased midterm, but not early, mortality after TAVI.

Baseline left ventricular diastolic dysfunction affects midterm mortality after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether preprocedural left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction impairs midterm mortality after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) for patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS), we performed a meta-analysis of currently available evidence. METHODS: We identified all studies investigating impact of preprocedural severity of LV diastolic dysfunction on midterm (≥1-year) all-cause mortality after TAVI for patients with AS through a search of databases (MEDLINE and EMBASE) until September 2019. From each study, we extracted an adjusted (if unavailable, unadjusted) hazard ratio (HR) of midterm mortality. We pooled study-specific estimates in the random-effects model. RESULTS: Ten eligible studies with a total of 2380 patients with AS undergoing TAVI were identified. In accordance with pooled analyses, higher-grade preprocedural LV diastolic dysfunction was associated with significantly worse midterm all-cause mortality after TAVI compared to lower-grade dysfunction (HR for grade II vs I, 1.15; P = .002; HR for grade III vs I, 1.35; P = .001; HR for grade III vs II; 1.16, P = .002; HR for grade II-III vs I, II-III vs 0-I, or III vs I-II, 1.34; P < .00001 [primary meta-analysis]; HR per grade, 1.16; P = .003). No funnel plot asymmetry for the primary meta-analysis (for grade II-III vs I, II-III vs 0-I, or III vs I-II) was identified, which probably indicated no publication bias (P = .381 by the linear-regression test). CONCLUSION: Higher-grade preprocedural LV diastolic dysfunction was associated with worse midterm all-cause mortality after TAVI for patients with AS compared to lower-grade dysfunction.

Lymph node cancer of the mediastinum with a putative necrotic primary lesion in the lung: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Although mediastinal lymph node cancer is presumed to originate in the lung, the primary site is usually unidentified, so the pathological course remains unclear. We recently encountered a case of mediastinal lymph node cancer having a putative primary lesion remaining in the lung as a necrotic focus. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was a 56-year-old man who visited our department because computed tomography screening had revealed a nodular shadow in the lingular segment. However, on positron emission tomography, fluorine-18 deoxyglucose accumulation was detected in a subcarinal lymph node and not in the nodule in the lingular segment. Biopsy of the lung tumor and the lymph node was performed via minimal thoracotomy. Intraoperative pathologic examination showed necrosis alone and no malignant findings in the lung tumor. By contrast, carcinoma was detected in the lymph node. Additional subcarinal lymph node dissection was performed. Results of postoperative histopathologic examination indicated poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the subcarinal lymph node. Meanwhile, the nodule in the lingular segment was speculated to be a spontaneously resolved primary focus of lung cancer. CONCLUSIONS: In this case, the primary lung cancer focus resolved spontaneously after lymph node metastasis, explaining the pathogenesis underlying mediastinal lymph node cancer of unknown primary site. For similar cases of malignancy, aggressive treatment, including surgery, is effective.

Debulking surgery for venous hemangioma arising from the epicardium: report of a case.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac hemangiomas are rare benign vascular tumors that can occur in any cardiac layer: endocardium, myocardium, or epicardium. Histologically, cardiac hemangiomas may be classified as capillary, cavernous, or arteriovenous; venous hemangiomas are extremely rare. CASE PRESENTATION: A 46-year-old man reported experiencing precordial discomfort. Computed tomography revealed a massive tumor adjacent to the right ventricle. The right coronary artery was found to be located at the center of the tumor. Cardiovascular angiography showed that the artery was completely encased by the tumor without any obstruction and that the right ventricular lumen was compressed by the tumor. Surgical debulking of the tumor was performed under cardiopulmonary bypass, and the frozen section led to a diagnosis of benign hemangioma. The tumor was debulked as much as possible until the right coronary artery appeared. For decompression of the heart, the pericardium was left open to the thoracic cavity and unsutured. Histopathologic examination revealed a diagnosis of epicardial venous hemangioma. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac hemangioma should be included in the differential diagnosis of mediastinal tumor in reference to the location and flow of the coronary artery. Surgical resection, or at least tumor debulking, is required to confirm the diagnosis and prevent further complications and has a favorable clinical outcome.

Surgical treatment for mediastinal abscess induced by endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a useful and less invasive procedure for the definitive diagnosis of mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes. However, infectious complications can occur after EBUS-TBNA, although they are extremely rare. CASE PRESENTATION: A 66-year-old man with necrotic and swollen lower paratracheal lymph nodes underwent EBUS-TBNA. A mediastinal abscess developed 9 days post-procedure. Surgical drainage and debridement of the abscess were performed along with lymph node biopsy followed by daily washing of the thoracic cavity. Surgical treatment was effective, leading to remission of the abscess. Biopsy revealed that the tumor was squamous cell carcinoma with no radiologically detected cancer elsewhere in the body. Mediastinal lung cancer was thus confirmed. Subsequent chemoradiotherapy led to the remission of the tumor. CONCLUSIONS: Mediastinitis after EBUS-TBNA is rare but should be considered, particularly if the target lymph nodes are necrotic. Mediastinitis can lead to serious and rapid deterioration of the patient's condition, for which surgical intervention is the treatment of choice.