Fate of preserved bicuspid valves at time of ascending aortic aneurysmectomy.

BACKGROUND: The fate of the spared bicuspid aortic valve in patients undergoing ascending aortic aneurysm surgery is relatively unknown. Our institutional policy has been to replace all aortic valves with significant abnormalities, as evidenced by intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography or direct visual inspection. In this study, we elaborate our experience regarding the long-term fate of preserved bicuspid aortic valves after ascending aortic aneurysm extirpation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 2000 to 2018, 407 consecutive ascending aortic aneurysm patients with concomitant bicuspid aortic valves underwent surgery by a single surgeon at our institution. Among these, 23 (5.65%) patients did not have their valve replaced, forming the study group. Postoperative and preoperative echocardiograms were compared to determine changes in valve function. RESULTS: Follow-up was complete in 100% of patients. The average time between preoperative and postoperative echocardiograms was 4.50 ± 4.09 years (0.19-15.63). Aortic stenosis or regurgitation changed from none to mild in 5 (21.7%) of patients, with an average echocardiographic interval follow-up of 3.08 years, and from none to severe in 2 (8.7%), with an interval of 11.7 years. One patient required reoperation, including aortic valve replacement, during follow-up. CONCLUSION: Bicuspid aortic valves free of aortic stenosis or insufficiency before surgery and "healthy" appearing at surgery can safely be preserved.

The Impact of Frailty on Outcomes of Proximal Aortic Aneurysm Surgery: A Nationwide Analysis.

(1) Background: This study examines frailty's impact on proximal aortic surgery outcomes. (2) Methods: All patients with a thoracic aortic aneurysm who underwent aortic root, ascending aorta, or arch surgery from the 2016-2017 National Inpatient Sample were included. Frailty was defined by the Adjusted Clinical Groups Frailty Indicator. Outcomes of interest included in-hospital mortality and a composite of death, stroke, acute kidney injury (AKI), and major bleeding (MACE). (3) Results: Among 5745 patients, 405 (7.0%) met frailty criteria. Frail patients were older, with higher rates of chronic pulmonary disease, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. There was no difference in in-hospital death (4.9% vs. 2.4%, p = 0.169); however, the frail group exhibited higher rates of stroke and AKI. Frail patients had a longer length of stay (17 vs. 8 days), and higher rates of non-home discharge (74.1% vs. 54.3%) than non-frail patients (both p < 0.001). Sensitivity analysis confirmed increased morbidity and mortality in frail individuals. After adjusting for patient comorbidities and hospital characteristics, frailty independently predicted MACE (OR 4.29 [1.88-9.78], p = 0.001), while age alone did not (OR 1.00 [0.99-1.02], p = 0.568). Urban teaching center status predicted a lower risk of MACE (OR 0.27 [0.08-0.94], p = 0.039). (4) Conclusions: Frailty is associated with increased morbidity in proximal aortic surgery and is a more significant predictor of mortality than age. Coordinated treatment in urban institutions may enhance outcomes for this high-risk group.

Natural history of descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms.

OBJECTIVES: Elucidating critical aortic diameters at which natural complications (rupture, dissection, and death) occur is of paramount importance to guide timely surgical intervention. Natural history knowledge for descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms is sparse. Our small early studies recommended repairing descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms before a critical diameter of 7.0 cm. We focus exclusively on a large number of descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms followed over time, enabling a more detailed analysis with greater granularity across aortic sizes. METHODS: Aortic diameters and long-term complications of 907 patients with descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms were reviewed. Growth rates (instrumental variables approach), yearly complication rates, 5-year event-free survival (Kaplan-Meier), and risk of complications as a function of aortic height index (aortic diameter [centimeters]/height [meters]) (competing-risks regression) were calculated. RESULTS: Estimated mean growth rate of descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms was 0.19 cm/year, increasing with increasing aortic size. Median size at acute type B dissection was 4.1 cm. Some 80% of dissections occurred below 5 cm, whereas 93% of ruptures occurred above 5 cm. Descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm diameter 6 cm or greater was associated with a 19% yearly rate of rupture, dissection, or death. Five-year complication-free survival progressively decreased with increasing aortic height index. Hazard of complications showed a 6-fold increase at an aortic height index of 4.2 or greater compared with an aortic height index of 3.0 to 3.5 (P < .05). The probability of fatal complications (aortic rupture or death) increased sharply at 2 hinge points: 6.0 and 6.5 cm. CONCLUSIONS: Acute type B dissections occur frequently at small aortic sizes; thus, prophylactic size-based surgery may not afford a means for dissection protection. However, fatal complications increase dramatically at 6.0 cm, suggesting that preemptive intervention before that criterion can save lives.

Association Between Cardiac Surgeons' Number of Years in Practice and Surgical Outcomes in New York Cardiac Centers.

Importance: More than half of US cardiothoracic surgeons are older than 55 years, and the association between surgeon number of years in practice and surgical outcomes remains unclear. Objective: To assess the association between cardiac surgeons' time in practice and operative outcomes for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and valve surgery. Design, Setting, and Participants: Cross-sectional analysis performed of surgeon-level outcomes data from the 2014-2016 New York State Cardiac Data Reporting System across the 38 New York cardiac surgery centers. Years in practice were characterized as early career (<10 years) and late career (≥10 years). Participants were 120 cardiothoracic surgeons who performed CABG and 112 cardiothoracic surgeons who performed valve procedures between 2014 and 2016. Data were analyzed in April 2020. Surgeons who trained outside of the United States or had unclear training history were excluded. Main Outcomes and Measures: Risk-adjusted operative mortality rate (RAMR). Mortality was defined as all-cause death within 30 days of surgery or within the index hospitalization, whichever was longer. Risk adjustment was performed by a multivariable risk model developed by the New York State Department of Public Health. Restricted cubic spline curve identified the association between risk-adjusted mortality rate and surgeon number of years in practice. Linear regression models adjusted for surgeons' annual case volumes. Results: A total of 112 CABG surgeons and 120 valve surgeons performed 39 436 CABG and 18 596 valve procedures between 2014 and 2016. The median number of surgeon years in practice was 20.0 (interquartile range [IQR], 12.0-28.5) years. The median surgeon annual case volume was 160.0 (IQR, 92.5-245.0) for CABG procedures and 104.0 (IQR, 43.0-210.0) for valve procedures. The median RAMR was 1.3% (IQR, 0.2%-2.2%) for CABG procedures and 3.1% (IQR, 1.7%-5.1%) for valve procedures. Surgeons with less than 10 years of practice had higher RAMR for valve procedures compared with surgeons with more than 10 years of practice (4.0 [IQR, 1.5-7.7] vs 2.9 [IQR, 1.7-4.7]; P = .20), but the finding was not statistically signficant. The RAMR for surgeons with less than 10 years of practice was similar compared with surgeons with more than 10 years of practice for CABG procedures (1.3 [IQR, 0.3-2.1] vs 1.3 [IQR, 0.0-2.2]; P = .73). A lower number of years in practice was significantly associated with higher RAMR for valve procedures (RAMR estimates for linear term: -1.144; 95% CI, -1.955 to -0.332; P = .006; quadratic term: 0.059; 95% CI, 0.015 to 1.102; P = .008; and cubic term: -0.001; 95% CI, -0.002 to 0.000; P = .01). This association was not observed for CABG. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study, compared with late-career cardiac surgeons, early-career cardiac surgeons were associated with worse risk-adjusted outcomes for valve operations but not for CABG. This finding suggests certain competence deficiency for valve surgery early after finishing training in cardiac surgery.

Combined Valve Operations in the Aortic and Mitral Positions With or Without Added Tricuspid Valve Repair.

There is limited clinical evidence on when to address tricuspid regurgitation in patients with aortic and mitral valve disease requiring surgical intervention. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential added value of performing a tricuspid valve repair concomitantly in patients requiring double valve surgery (DVS) of the aortic and mitral valves. We reviewed 223 cases of multivalve surgery from 2011 to 2016. In this single-institution series, 190 underwent DVS in aortic and mitral positions and 33 had triple valve surgery in aortic, mitral, and tricuspid positions. Preoperative and postoperative echocardiograms were evaluated to determine changes in valve function. A logistic regression model was performed to assess relationship of patient comorbidities and type of valve operations to perioperative adverse events. Mid-term survival was similar between the 2 groups (P = 0.541). Compared to DVS, TVS was not associated with an increased risk of perioperative adverse events, including need for pacemaker or mortality on multivariable analysis. Within the DVS subgroup, 19.8% of patients experienced improvement in tricuspid valve function with decrease in the degree of tricuspid regurgitation within a 6-month postoperative follow-up. Our study indicates that repairing the tricuspid valve while addressing the aortic and mitral valves does not pose significant additional risk. The observed improvement of the degree of tricuspid regurgitation without tricuspid operation suggests the need to further define subpopulations of patients with multivalvular disease.

Left Atrial to Femoral Artery Full Cardiopulmonary Bypass: A Novel Technique for Descending and Thoracoabdominal Aortic Surgery.

Left atrial-femoral artery (LA-FA) bypass with a centrifugal pump and no oxygenator is commonly used for descending and thoracoabdominal aortic (DTAA) operations, mitigating the deleterious effects of cross-clamping. We present our initial experience performing DTAA replacement under LA-FA (left-to-left) cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) with an oxygenator. DTAA replacement under LA-FA bypass with an oxygenator was performed in 14 consecutive patients (CPB group). The pulmonary vein and femoral artery (or distal aorta) were cannulated and the full CPB machine were used, including oxygenator, roller pump, pump suckers, and kinetically enhanced drainage. The CPB group was compared with 50 consecutive patients who underwent DTAA replacement utilizing traditional LA-FA bypass without an oxygenator (LA-FA group). Perioperative data were collected and statistical analyses were performed. All CPB patients maintained superb cardiopulmonary stability. The pump sucker permitted immediate salvage and return of shed blood. Superb oxygenation was maintained at all times. High-dose full CPB heparin was reversed without difficulty. The CPB group required markedly fewer blood transfusions than the LA-FA group (2.21 vs. 5.88 units, p < 0.004). The 30-day mortality rate was 7.1% ( n = 1) and there were no paraplegia cases in the CPB group versus 7 (14%) deaths and 3 (6%) paraplegia cases in the LA-FA group. Traditional LA-FA bypass without an oxygenator avoids high-dose heparin. In the present era, heparin reversal is more secure. Our experience finds that the novel application of LA-FA CPB with an oxygenator is safe and suggests improved hemodynamics (immediate return of shed blood) and a hemostatic advantage (avoidance of loss of coagulation factors in the cell saver).

Nonsyndromic Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms and Dissections-Is Screening Possible?

Nonsyndromic thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection (TAAD) account for 95% of all TAAD cases and comprise a subset in which the lack of obvious clinical signs makes diagnosis a challenge. Despite the potentially fatal natural history, timely diagnosis and prophylactic surgical intervention allow restoration of near-normal life expectancy in TAAD patients, underlining the critical importance of screening tests. To date, more than 30 TAAD disease-causing genes have been identified, and over 30% of nonsyndromic TAAD patients have a genetic mutation in 1 or more of these genes. Whole exome sequencing allows routine genetic testing in a clinical setting by screening for all TAAD-related genes, thus facilitating personalized aortic care. Additionally, increased vigilance upon diagnosis of certain TAAD-related diseases ("guilty associates") and the emergence of modern radiologic and novel serologic screening tests will further bolster efforts to detect undiagnosed asymptomatic nonsyndromic TAAD.

Prevalence of Incidentally Identified Thoracic Aortic Dilations: Insights for Screening Criteria.

BACKGROUND: Systematic screening for ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms and dilations does not exist currently with unknown prevalence and diagnostic yields. We evaluated the prevalence of ascending thoracic aortic dilation. METHODS: Computed tomography scans including the chest in adult patients carried out during 2016 were reviewed at our institution. Aortic dilation was defined as the ascending thoracic aorta diameter ≥ 4.0 cm, with sensitivity analyses using height-indexed values and thresholds of 3.5, 4.25, and 4.5 cm. The prevalence of aortic dilation was evaluated by age and sex. Potential diagnostic yield along the continuum of age threshold was calculated by sex. RESULTS: Of the 5662 scans from unique patients, the prevalence of aortic dilation was 2.1% overall, 3.2% for males and 0.9% for females. Patients with aneurysms were significantly older (70.2 ± 9.9 vs 58.3 ± 16.4 years, P < 0.001) and more likely to be male (81.0% vs 54.2%, P < 0.001). The highest diagnostic yield of aneurysm ≥ 4.5 cm in females occurred at the age threshold of ≥ 73 years, with the yield of 0.5%. The highest diagnostic yield of aneurysm ≥ 4.5 cm in males occurred at age ≥ 84 years, with the yield of 5.7%. In males, the diagnostic yields at age thresholds of ≥ 50, ≥ 60, and ≥ 70 years were 1.3%, 1.6%, and 2.2%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Aortic dilation was identified in 2.8% of individuals with age ≥ 50 years. In females, aneurysm was uncommon. In males, there was an incremental increase in the diagnostic yield with age. Male patients with age ≥ 50 years may be the demographic group with a high prevalence of dilation.

Genes Associated with Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm and Dissection: 2019 Update and Clinical Implications.

Thoracic aortic aneurysm is a typically silent disease characterized by a lethal natural history. Since the discovery of the familial nature of thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection (TAAD) almost 2 decades ago, our understanding of the genetics of this disorder has undergone a transformative amplification. To date, at least 37 TAAD-causing genes have been identified and an estimated 30% of the patients with familial nonsyndromic TAAD harbor a pathogenic mutation in one of these genes. In this review, we present our yearly update summarizing the genes associated with TAAD and the ensuing clinical implications for surgical intervention. Molecular genetics will continue to bolster this burgeoning catalog of culprit genes, enabling the provision of personalized aortic care.