Efficacy of Intraoperative Low Dose Intravenous Amiodarone in Pharmacologic Cardioversion in Patients with Preoperative Atrial Fibrillation Presenting for Mitral Valve Replacement Surgery Randomized Control Trial.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common form of dysrhythmia observed in the clinical field, causing multiple morbidities, such as thromboembolic complications. Hence, the maintenance of sinus rhythm is superior to rate control. This study tests the efficacy of single- and low-dose amiodarone on the persistence of AF after surgery before transfer to the intensive care unit. METHODS: A double-blinded, randomized controlled trial assessed 113 patients who underwent mitral valve surgery with preoperative chronic AF. Patients were divided into two groups: the control group (N = 55) who received 50 mL of 5% dextrose over 10 min after general anesthesia induction, and the amiodarone group (N = 58) who received 1 mg/kg of amiodarone diluted in 50 mL of 5% dextrose over 10 min shortly after anesthesia induction. RESULTS: The amiodarone group had a statistically significant successful conversion of preoperative AF to normal sinus rhythm in 40 patients (72.73%). The control group demonstrated spontaneous conversion from AF to a normal sinus rhythm in seven patients (12.73%). The sinus rhythm was maintained in 60% of patients (36), as four patients reverted to AF during the hospital stay despite the initial normal sinus rhythm after the operation. In contrast, 53 (96.36%) patients in the control group were discharged from the hospital with a controlled rate of AF. In addition, low-dose amiodarone caused a statistically significant reduction in heart rates at 10, 30, and 60 min after declamping, extended throughout the first 24 h with mean heart rates of 97.233±7.311, 99.509±8.482, and 97.940±7.715 bpm, respectively. In comparison, the control group had heart rates of 115.382±7.547, 115.055±13.919, and 113.618±8.765 bpm at these times. The mean postoperative heart rate at the end of the first 24 h was 97.793±7.189 bpm in the amiodarone group and 113.036±9.737 bpm in the control group. No mortality or need for mechanical support was recorded in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Single and low-dose intraoperative intravenous amiodarone during mitral valve surgery may be practical to aid in pharmacological cardioversion of patients with preoperative chronic AF presenting for mitral valve surgery.

Idiopathic Bradycardia in Unicuspid Unicommissural Aortic Valve Complicated with Infective Endocarditis and Aortic Root Abscess: A Case Report.

Unicuspid aortic valves are among the rarest congenital malformations. They are classified as either acommissural or unicommissural, with the unicommissural being presented in early adulthood. Unicuspid valves share many similarities with bicuspid valves, namely increased rates of valve degeneration and calcification, making them prone to secondary aortic stenosis, regurgitation, or both. Among other similarities are the increased risk of aortic root dilatation, dissection, and left ventricular dilatation. We report our case of a 23-year-old male with unicuspid unicommissural aortic valve with aortic root and left ventricular dilatation. He successfully underwent Wheat procedure.

Left Atrial Roof Incision for Mitral Valve Interventions and Left Atrial Mass Resection: A Safe Alternative for Excellent Exposure. A Single Center Experience.

BACKGROUND: Proper visualization has always been the cornerstone for conducting proper cardiac interventions. Although many incisions have been described for mitral valve exposure, the feasibility of some comes at the expense of proper exposure. When it comes to a small left atrium, larger incisions may venture into critically situated structures, creating a heavy toll of increased morbidity and mortality. We aim to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a superior left atrium approach for mitral valve interventions and left atrial mass resection, particularly in a small left atrium. METHODS: We present our experience and early results as a retrospective study conducted at Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, Ain-Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. A total of 85 patients underwent mitral valve interventions and left atrial mass resection through limited incision in the left atrial dome. RESULTS: The study included 29 female patients and 56 male patients with a mean age of 42.56 ± 7.39 years. Twenty-seven patients were NYHA class I-II and 58 patients were class III-IV. Mean ejection fraction was 55.47 ± 8.56. Three patients had mitral valve repair, 67 patients had mitral valve replacement, and 15 patients had resection of left atrial myxomas. Preoperative atrial fibrillation was present in 27% of the patients. Two patients had new incidence of atrial fibrillation, one patient had new atrial flutter, and one patient had complete heart block, requiring a permanent pacemaker. No mortality occurred in the series, and three patients needed re-exploration for bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: Limited left atrial roof incision provides a safe and feasible exposure for conducting mitral valve interventions and resection of left atrial masses, especially in cases with a small left atrium.

Single-Stage Complete Repair versus Multistage Repair of Tetralogy of Fallot with Borderline Pulmonary Arteries.

BACKGROUND: Tetralogy of Fallot is the most common cyanotic congenital heart defect. Borderline pulmonary anatomy has been associated with a higher risk of mortality and morbidity. Strategies to manage this condition-namely, single- or multistage repair-have long been debated. OBJECTIVE: The overall outcomes of patients with tetralogy of Fallot with borderline pulmonary arteries (McGoon ratio 1.3 to 1.7) with regard to the need for a single-stage or multistage repair and the outcome of each surgical management were evaluated. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective, nonrandomized comparative study designed to evaluate patient outcomes comprised 60 patients with tetralogy of Fallot with borderline pulmonary arteries who underwent surgery at the Cardiothoracic Surgery Academy, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt, between January 2016 and December 2017. After gaining approval from the affiliated ethical and research committee, and informed consent of the guardians, the patients were assigned into one of two groups. Shunt group included 30 patients managed surgically by a modified Blalock-Taussig (MBT) shunt as a part of a multistage repair, and repair group included 30 patients managed surgically by single-stage complete repair. The medical records of the patients were reviewed, and data relating to age, sex, weight, and preoperative oxygen saturation were collected. All patients underwent preoperative echocardiography and multislice computed tomography (CT) with angiography. The follow-up was performed by echocardiography at discharge and at one month and six months after surgery. Multislice CT with angiography was performed in patients who received a shunt once the echocardiography showed acceptable pulmonary arteries. RESULTS: The patients' age ranged from 5 to 50 months with a mean age of 18.63 ± 9.15 (19.84 ± 12.34 for the shunt group and 17.43 ± 8.54 for the repair group). The weight ranged from 5 kg to 18 kg with a mean of 9.6 ± 2.53 (8.82 ± 2.79 for the shunt group and 10.41 ± 2.63 for the repair group). The mean preoperative O2 saturation was 68.95% ± 7.8% for the shunt group and 87.93% ± 6.18% for the repair group. The median McGoon ratio was 1.4 for the shunt group and 1.6 for the repair group, the difference of which was highly significant (P < .0001). The mortality rate in our study was 10% (10% for the shunt group and 10% for the repair group). The morbidity incidence rate was 26.6% for the shunt and repair groups. The ICU stay ranged from 2 to 31 days, with a median of three days for the shunt group (mean 3.61 ± 1.91) and four days for the repair group (mean 6.07 ± 6.63 days). The calculated P value showed a significant difference between the two groups concerning ICU stay. The postoperative SO2 significantly increased to a mean of 85.58 ± 7.05 in the shunt group and 98.14 ± 3.36 in the repair group (P < .0001). CONCLUSION: There was no statistically significant difference between multistage repair and single-stage complete repair regarding morbidity and mortality. Regarding ICU stay, patients in the single-stage had a better outcome. A McGoon ratio of 1.5 can be used as a guideline in the decision-making process.

Measurement of health-related quality of life post aortic valve replacement via minimally invasive incisions.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive aortic surgery is growing in popularity among surgeons. Although many clinical reports have proven both the safety and efficacy from a surgical point of view, there are few data regarding its impact on patients' quality of life and whether there is a difference between ministernotomy and minithoracotomy from the patient perspective. METHODS: This prospective, questionnaire-based, nonrandomized study included 189 patients who underwent aortic valve replacement via a minimally invasive incision between May 2014 and December 2020 and completed at least 1 year of follow-up. The study uses the RAND SF 36-Item Health Survey 1.0 to assess and compare health-related quality of life between ministernotomy and minithoracotomy. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant improvement in the minithoracotomy group with regard to physical functioning, role limitation due to a physical problem, and social functioning (79.69 ± 20.72, 75.28 ± 26.52, 87.91 ± 16.98) compared to the ministernotomy group (70.31 ± 22.88, 58.59 ± 31.17, 66.15 ± 27.32) with p values (0.0036, 0.0001, < 0.0001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Both minimally invasive aortic valve incisions positively impacted patient quality of life. The minithoracotomy incision showed significant improvements in physical capacity and successful patient re-engagement in daily physical and social activities. This, in turn, positively improved their general health status compared to the 1-year preoperative status. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee (REC) at the Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, under the number code (FWA 000017585, FAMSU R 91 /2021).

Assessment of carotid artery stenosis and lower limb peripheral ischemia before coronary artery bypass grafting operations: a non-randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Atherosclerosis is a systemic disease affecting the coronary, carotid, and lower limb arteries. Cerebrovascular accidents and lower limb ischemia are devastating postoperative complications. We aimed to evaluate the role of non-selective routine arterial duplex scanning in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). METHODS: This non-randomized clinical trial included 360 patients scheduled for elective isolated CABG who were divided into two groups: low-risk (n = 180) and high-risk (n = 180). Both groups underwent preoperative carotid and lower limb ultrasound screening for associated arteriopathy. RESULTS: 16 (8.9%) patients and 22 (12.2%) patients showed ≥70% carotid artery stenosis while 11 patients (6.1%) and 20 patients (11.1%) showed ≥50% lower limb arterial stenosis in the low-risk group and the high-risk group, respectively; though the difference was not statistically significant in both the cases (p > 0.1). CONCLUSION: Routine preoperative peripheral arterial screening by sonography is a feasible and effective strategy to avoid unnecessary post CABG complications. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03516929 , Registered in 24 th of April 2018.

Mechanical Prosthetic Valve Sparing for Aortic Root Abscess Complicated by Infective Endocarditis.

Aortic root abscess complicated by infective endocarditis of a mechanical prosthetic valve is associated with morbidity and death. We retrospectively report our experience with a valve-sparing technique for managing this condition. From October 2014 through November 2017, 41 patients at our center underwent surgery for aortic root abscess complicated by infective endocarditis of a mechanical prosthetic valve. Twenty (48.7%) met prespecified criteria for use of our valve-sparing technique after careful assessment of the mechanical valve and surrounding tissues. Our technique involved draining the abscess, aggressively débriding all infected and necrotic tissues, and then repairing the resulting defect by suturing a Gelweave patch to the healthy aortic wall and to the cuff of the valve. We successfully preserved the mechanical aortic valve in all 20 patients. Two (10%) died early (≤30 d postoperatively) of low cardiac output syndrome with progressive heart failure, superadded septicemia, and multisystem organ failure. At 1-year follow-up, the 18 surviving patients (90%) were symptom free and had a well-functioning mechanical aortic valve with no paravalvular leak. We conclude that, in certain patients, our technique for managing aortic root abscess and sparing the mechanical aortic valve is a safe and less time-consuming approach with relatively low mortality and encouraging midterm follow-up outcomes.

Evaluation of Tricuspid Valve Repair Without Annuloplasty Ring in Intravenous Drug Abusers.

BACKGROUND: Tricuspid valve endocarditis among intravenous (IV) drug abusers is increasing in prevalence in modern societies. The increased risk of reinfection in such patients makes surgical reintervention a risky decision. Repair is preferred over replacement to minimize the presence of foreign material in a potentially infected field. METHODS: A retrospective, observational, comparative, nonrandomized study included all living patients presenting with isolated tricuspid valve endocarditis due to IV drug abuse who had undergone tricuspid valve repair or replacement. Of 223 patients who were operated on between January 2014 and January 2016, 128 underwent tricuspid valve replacement (replacement group), and 95 underwent tricuspid valve repair (repair group). RESULTS: Before hospital discharge, 87 patients of the repair group had mild tricuspid regurgitation (TR), and 8 had moderate TR by transthoracic echocardiography. The 6-month follow-up showed that 86 patients still had mild TR, 7 had moderate TR, and only 1 progressed to severe TR. After 1 year, 84 patients still had mild TR, 6 had moderate TR, and 4 had severe TR. At the 2-year follow-up, 78 patients still had mild TR, 11 had moderate TR, and only 5 had severe TR. CONCLUSIONS: Valve repair can be considered a proper surgical plan in isolated endocarditis among IV drug abusers with results comparable to a replacement and ensuring the minimal use of foreign material in such patients.