HeartMate 3 implantation with an emphasis on the biventricular configuration.

OBJECTIVES: Right ventricular failure following implantation of a durable left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is a major driver of mortality. Reported survival following biventricular (BiVAD) or total artificial heart (TAH) implantation remains substantially inferior to LVAD alone. We report our outcomes with LVAD and BiVAD HeartMate 3 (HM3). METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing implantation of an HM3 LVAD between November 2014 and December 2021, at The Alfred, Australia were included in the study. Comparison was made between the BiVAD and LVAD alone groups. RESULTS: A total of 86 patients, 65 patients with LVAD alone and 21 in a BiVAD configuration underwent implantation. The median age of the LVAD and BiVAD groups was 56 years (Interquartile range 46-62) and 49 years (Interquartile range 37-55), respectively. By 4 years after implantation, 54% of LVAD patients and 43% of BiVAD patients had undergone cardiac transplantation. The incidence of stroke in the entire experience was 3.5% and pump thrombosis 5% (all in the RVAD). There were 14 deaths in the LVAD group and 1 in the BiVAD group. The actuarial survival for LVAD patients at 1 year was 85% and BiVAD patients at 1 year was 95%. CONCLUSIONS: The application of HM 3 BiVAD support in selected patients appears to offer a satisfactory solution to patients requiring biventricular support.

Post Cardiotomy Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation: Australian Cohort Review.

BACKGROUND: Over the last two decades, technological advancements in the delivery of extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) have seen its use broaden and results improve. However, in the post cardiotomy ECMO patient group, survival remains very poor without significant improvements over the last two decades. Our study aims to report on the Australian experience, with the intention of providing background data for the formation of guidelines in the future. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from the Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) Database was performed. The ANZSCTS database captures at least 60% of cardiac surgical data in Australia, annually. Data was collected on adult patients who received ECMO post cardiotomy from September 2016 to November 2017 inclusive. Transplant and primary cardiomyopathy patients were excluded. RESULTS: Of the 16,605 adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery in the 15-month period of the study, 87 patients required post cardiotomy ECMO (0.52%). The average age of the entire cohort was 56 years. Overall survival to discharge was 43.7% (n=38). Multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated that multiorgan failure (MOF), increasing age and longer cardiopulmonary bypass time were significant predictors of in hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Post cardiotomy ECMO support is an uncommon condition. Survival in this study appears to be better than historical reports. Identification of poor prognostic indicators in this study may help inform the development of guidelines for the most appropriate use of this support modality.

A real-life experience with HeartMate III.

BACKGROUND: The HeartMate III (HM3) left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is the most recent LVAD to receive CE Mark and the Food and Drug Administration approval. It is a fully magnetically levitated pump with no reported haemolysis, pump thrombosis or pump failure in the first in-man study (a previous stody). It has now received market approval in the European Union, United States of America, and Australia. We reviewed our real-life experience with the device, to assess outcomes over the medium term. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of prospectively collected data for 33 consecutive patients implanted with a HM3 LVAD between November 2014 and October 2018 at The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. RESULTS: Of the 33 patients, 31 remained alive at the census date, with only two early deaths and 11 patients transplanted. There were no pump thromboses, but there were three cases of clot ingestion (two on the right and one on the left). Seven patients required permanent biventricular assist device support. The duration of HM3 support at the time of census was a median of 196 (interquartile range, 118-386) days. CONCLUSION: This series demonstrates excellent results of the HM3 LVAD in an uncensored, real-life, consecutive group of patients in a single institution.

Intra-aortic Balloon Pump Use With Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation-A Mock Circulation Loop Study.

Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is used in cardiogenic shock refractory to inotropic support and intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) support. Peripheral ECMO can lead to ventricular distention, and IABP can be used to mitigate these effects. The aim of this study was to quantify the effects of IABP concomitant with ECMO, under different simulated hemodynamic conditions in a mock circulatory loop. Different simulated states of isolated left ventricular (LV) failure and biventricular failure with graded LV failure severities were supported with ECMO and ECMO with IABP. The impact on left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), volume (LVEDV), coronary flow rate, and cerebral flow rate were evaluated. Left ventricular volumes and pressures increased from the heart failure states with the addition of ECMO. The IABP provided between 3% and 7% reductions in LVEDP and between 1% and 10% reductions in LVEDV. The addition of IABP had minimal effect on cerebral blood flow (0% to 7%), but the variable impact on coronary blood flow with increased diastolic coronary flow of 23% to 50%, but the reduction in mean coronary flow by up to 30%. The efficacy of the IABP was strongly related to ventricular contractility. This study demonstrates the need for careful IABP selection concomitant with ECMO.

Angiofibromatoid histiosarcoma of the pulmonary artery.

We describe the surgical management of a rare pulmonary angiomatoid fibrous histiosarcoma (AFH). A 62-year-old lady presented with shortness of breath and found to have a large left main pulmonary artery defect that was positron emission tomography-avid. Following discussion in a thoracic multidisciplinary team meeting it was deemed unsafe to biopsy considering its intravascular position. The patient proceeded to theatre for a left pneumonectomy. She was successfully discharged home by Day 7. On follow-up the patient is well, and free of malignancy. AFH is an incredibly rare form of sarcoma, and in particular in the thoracic region. We have demonstrated successful oncological resection of a rare intravascular lesion in the pulmonary artery.

Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery: A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is common after cardiac surgery and linked to poorer short-term and long-term outcomes; however, conflicting evidence exists on stroke risk and how the index procedure affects outcomes. This study aims to provide a comprehensive review of the published outcomes of POAF after cardiac surgery, examined as a whole and by index procedure. METHODS: A systematic review of POAF after cardiac surgery was conducted. Outcomes related to POAF were analyzed in a meta-analysis, and aggregate survival data were derived to examine long-term survival. RESULTS: Sixty-one studies with 239,018 patients were identified, the majority (78.7%) undergoing coronary surgery. POAF occurred in 25.5% of patients and was associated with significantly higher rates of early mortality and stroke (odds ratio [OR], 1.74; P < .001; and OR, 2.21, P < .001, respectively) along with longer intensive care and overall hospital length of stay (mean difference 0.8 days, P = .008; and mean difference 2.8 days, P < .001, respectively). After a median of 6.6 years (range, 0.5-20 years), mortality and stroke remained significantly higher for those with POAF (OR, 1.57, P < .001; and OR, 1.81, P = .001). Pooled hazard ratio for long-term mortality was significantly higher for patients who underwent coronary surgery compared with isolated valve surgery. CONCLUSIONS: POAF is common after cardiac surgery and is associated with significantly higher rates of both short-term and long-term stroke and mortality as well as increased hospital stay. Differences in hazard for long-term survival may be due to the underlying pathophysiological risk factors for POAF, which differ by surgical procedure.

Contemporary outcomes of continuous-flow biventricular assist devices.

BACKGROUND: Significant right ventricular failure (RVF) complicating left ventricular assist device (LVAD) placement has been reported at 10-30%. Although primarily indicated for left ventricular failure, ventricular assist devices (VADs) have become utilized in a biventricular setup to combat right ventricular failure (RVF) following LVAD implantation. With the advent of continuous-flow LVADs (CF-LVADs) superseding their pulsatile predecessors, the shift towards CF-biventricular assist devices (CF-BiVADs) come with the prospect of improved outcomes over previous pulsatile BiVADs. We aim to review the literature and determine the outcomes of CF-BiVAD recipients. METHODS: A systematic review was performed to determine the outcomes of CF-BiVADs. Pre-operative demographics and device configuration data was collected. Primary outcomes evaluated were short-term survival, long-term survival, duration of support, and survival to transplant. Secondary outcomes evaluated included intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital length of stay (ICU-LOS and HLOS, respectively), pump thrombosis, pump exchange. Median and interquartile range was reported where appropriate. A major limitation was the likely overlap of cohorts across publications, which may have contributed to some selection bias. RESULTS: Of 1,282 screened, 12 publications were evaluated. Sample size ranged from 4 to 93 CF-BiVAD recipients, and follow-up ranged from 6 to 24 months. Mean age ranged from 34 to 52 years old. Forty-five percent of CF-BiVADs had right atrial (RA-) inflow cannulation, with the remaining being right ventricular (RV). Thirty-day survival was a median of 90% (IQR 82-97.8%) and 12-month survival was a median of 58.5% (IQR 47.5-62%). Where reported, rate of pump thrombosis (predominantly the right VAD) was a median of 31% (IQR 14-36%), although pump exchange was only 9% (IQR 1.5-12.5%). CONCLUSIONS: RVF post-LVAD implantation is a high morbidity and mortality complication. There is no on-label continuous-flow RVAD currently available. Thus, the modifications of LVADs for right ventricular support to combat pump thrombosis has resulted in various techniques. BiVAD recipients are predominantly transplant candidates, and complications of pump thrombosis and driveline infection whilst on wait-list are of great consequence. This study demonstrates the need for an on-label CF-BiVAD.

Contemporary outcomes of continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices-a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: End stage heart failure is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, and its prevalence is expected to rise with the ageing population. For suitable patients, orthotopic heart transplantation remains the gold standard therapy, however, a paucity of donor organs has led to the development of left ventricular assist devices (LVAD). These devices can be utilized as either a bridge-to-transplant (BTT) or as an alternative to heart transplantation. While these devices can prolong life and improve quality of life, they are associated with a significant number of adverse events. We aim to systematically review the literature to quantify survival and the incidence of adverse events following implantation of continuous-flow LVADs (cf-LVAD). METHODS: A systematic review was performed to determine outcomes following implantation of a cf-LVAD. Primary outcomes were survival and frequency of adverse events (such as bleeding, infection, thrombosis, stroke and right ventricular failure). Secondary outcomes included quality of life and assessment of functional status. RESULTS: Sixty-three studies reported clinical outcomes of 9,280 patients. Survival after cf-LVAD varied between studies. Industry-funded trials generally reported better overall survival than the single- and multi-center case series, which showed significant variation. The largest registry report documented twelve, twenty-four and forty-eight-month survival rates of 82%, 72% and 57% respectively. The most commonly reported adverse events were gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB), device-related infection, neurological events and right heart failure (RHF). Bleeding, RHF and infection were the most frequent complications experienced by those supported with cf-LVAD, occurring in up to 35%, 40% and 55% of patients, respectively. Quality of life as measured using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) and functional status as measured with the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) improved after cf-LVAD implantation with no decline evident two years after implantation. CONCLUSIONS: The paucity of donor hearts has led to the development of left-ventricular assist devices as a BTT or as a destination therapy (DT). Outcomes after cf-LVAD implantation are excellent, with short-term survival comparable to heart transplantation, but long-term survival remains limited due to the incidence of post-implantation adverse events. Despite these complications, quality of life and functional status improve significantly post-implantation and remain improved over the long-term. This study demonstrates the potential benefits of cf-LVAD therapy whilst also identifying adverse events as an area of increased morbidity and mortality.