[Outcomes of acute type A aortic dissection repairs in Iceland].

OBJECTIVES: Acute type A aortic dissection is a life-threatening disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Treatment is challenging and requires emergency surgery. This study presents for the first time the short- and long-term outcome of acute type A aortic dissection repairs in Iceland. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of 45 patients (mean age 60.7 ± 13.9 years, 68.9% male) treated for type A aortic dissection at Landspitali University Hospital between 1992 and 2014. Data was gathered from medical records about known risk factors, presenting symptoms, type of procedure, complications and operative mortality. RESULTS: Out of 45 operations the majority (73.3%) was performed in the second half of the study period. Nearly all patients presented with chest pain and 46.7% were in shock on arrival. Malperfusion syndrome was apparent in 26.7% of cases. A variety of operative methods were used, including hypothermic circulatory arrest in 31.1% of the cases and one-third of patients needed aortic root replacement. Reoperation rate for postoperative bleeding was 29.3% and perioperative stroke occurred in 14.6% of patients. The 30-day mortality rate was 22.2% (10 patients) and 5- and 10-year survival was 71.4 ± 8.2% and 65.4 ± 9.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The short-term outcomes of surgical repair for acute type A aortic dissection in Iceland is comparable to neighbouring countries, including 30-day mortality and long-term survival. Complications, however, are common, especially reoperations for bleeding. 1Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Landspitali University Hospital, 2Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland. KEY WORDS: Aortic dissection type A, aortic aneurysm, open heart surgery, complications, operative mortality, survival. Correspondence: Arnar Geirsson, arnarge@landspitali.is.

[Outcome of myocardial revascularisation in Iceland]. / Árangur kransaedahjáveituadgerda á Íslandi 2002-2006.

INTRODUCTION: In Iceland over 3500 coronary artery bypass operations have been performed, both On-Pump, using cardiopulmonary bypass and Off-Pump, surgery on a beating heart. The aim was to study their outcome. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study on 720 consecutive patients who underwent surgical revascularisation at Landspítali-The National University Hospital of Iceland between 2002-2006; 513 On-Pump and 207 Off-Pump patients. Complications and operative mortality (<30 days) were compared between the groups and predictors of survival identified using multivariate analysis. RESULTS: The number of males was significantly higher in the On-Pump group, but other risk factors of coronary artery disease, including age and high body mass index, were comparable, as were the number of distal anastomoses and EuroSCORE. The Off-Pump procedure took 25 minutes longer on average and chest tube output was significantly increased, but the amount of transfusions administered was similar. The rate of minor complications was higher in the On-Pump group. Of the major complications, stroke rates were similar in both groups (2%) but the rate of reoperation for bleeding was higher in the On-Pump group. Mean length of hospital stay was one day longer for On-Pump patients but operative mortality was similar for both groups (4% vs. 3%, p=0.68) as was 5 year survival (92% in both groups). In multivariate analysis both EuroSCORE and age predicted outcome of operative mortality and long term survival but type of surgery (On-Pump vs. Off-Pump) was not a predictive variant. CONCLUSIONS: Outcome of myocardial revascularisation in Iceland is good as regards operative mortality and long term survival. This applies to both conventional On-Pump and Off-Pump procedures.

Lower mortality following coronary arterial revascularization in patients taking statins.

OBJECTIVES: Numerous studies have suggested that statins have beneficial non-lipid-lowering effects, including reduction of systemic inflammatory response following surgery. We wanted to evaluate the effect of preoperative statin treatment on complications and operative mortality after coronary arterial revascularization. DESIGN: We performed a retrospective study of 720 consecutive patients who underwent on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) (n = 513) or off-pump (OPCAB) (n = 207) in Iceland from 2002-2006. Patients taking statins preoperatively (n = 529) were compared with those not taking statins (n = 191). Predictors of complications and operative mortality were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Cardiovascular risk profiles were similar. However, hypertension was more common in the statin group but EuroSCORE was slightly lower. Operative mortality was significantly lower in patients taking statins (1.7% vs. 5.8%, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the incidence of major complications. Multivariate analysis showed that preoperative statin treatment was an independent predictor of lower operative mortality (OR = 0.33, p = 0.043), even after adjusting for EuroSCORE, acute operations, advanced age, or other medications. CONCLUSIONS: In this non- randomized study, patients taking statins had lower operative mortality than the controls after adjusting for multiple confounders. The reason for this might be linked to pleiotropic effects of statins.

[Outcome of mitral valve replacement in Iceland]. / Arangur míturlokuskipta á Islandi.

INTRODUCTION: Mitral valve replacement (MVR) is the second most common valvular replacement procedure after aortic valve replacement (AVR). Studies on the outcome of MVR in Iceland have been missing. We therefore studied short and long-term results following MVR in Iceland, MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective nationwide study on 64 patients (mean age 59 years, 63% males) that underwent 66 MVR procedures in Iceland between 1990-2010. Clinical data was retrieved from patient charts and overall survival estimated. The mean follow-up was 7.4 years. RESULTS: Mitral regurgitation or stenosis was the indication for MVR in 71% and 27% of cases, respectively. Nine patients had endocarditis and 8 a recent myocardial infarction. The mean logEuroSCORE was 14.9% (range 1.5-88.4), 83% of the patients were in NYHA class III/IV preoperatively and 24% had previously undergone cardiac surgery. A biological valve was implanted in six cases and a mechanical valve used in 60 cases. Concomitant CABG was performed in 41% of patients and AVR in 20%. Perioperative myocardial infarction (26%), acute respiratory failure (17%), reoperation for bleeding (15%) and acute renal failure requiring dialysis (9%) were the most common major complications. Three patients required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and six patients an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) postoperatively. Minor complications were noted in 61% of cases. Six patients died within 30 days (9%) and five year survival was 69%. CONCLUSION: The frequency of complication following MVR was high and represents the severity of the underlying heart disease. The operative mortality in the current study was in the lower range compared to other studies.

[The outcomes of coronary artery bypass and aortic valve replacement in elderly patients]. / Árangur kransædahjáveituadgerda og ósædarlokuskipta hjá öldrudum.

OBJECTIVE: To study the outcome of open heart surgery in an increasing population of elderly patients in Iceland. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective study of patients (n=876) that underwent coronary artery bypass (CABG) or aortic valve replacement (AVR) for aortic stenosis in Iceland 2002-2006. Complication rates, operative mortality and long-term survival were compared between patients older (n=221, 25%) and younger (n=655, 75%) than 75 years. Long-term survival of the older group was compared to an age and sex matched reference population. RESULTS: Older patients had a higher incidence of atrial fibrillation (57% vs. 37%, p<0.001), stroke (5% vs. 1%, p=0.009) and operative mortality (9% vs. 2%, p<0.001) following CABG. Length of ICU stay was similar but total length of stay was one day longer in the older cohort. Following AVR, older patients had a higher incidence of atrial fibrillation (90% vs. 71%, p=0.006), ARDS (19% vs. 7%, p=0.04), myocardial infarction (21% vs. 8%, p=0.05) and operative mortality (11% vs. 2%, p=0.04). The ICU stay was a day longer and the total length of stay was about four days longer in the older cohort. A total of 75% of the older patients were alive five years after CABG, compared to 74% of the reference population (p=0.87). Similar numbers for AVR were 65% for the patients compared to 74% in the reference population (p=0.06). CONCLUSION: The rate of complications, operative mortality and length of hospital stay is higher in patients older than 75 years compared to younger patients. Survival of the older group of patients indicates good long-term results after open heart surgery for this patient cohort.

A giant unruptured aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva together with ectasia of the left coronary artery.

A sinus of Valsalva aneurysm is defined as a dilatation of the aortic sinuses, between the aortic valve annulus and the sinotubular junction. They are rare and most frequently involve the right coronary sinus. We report a case of an unruptured giant sinus of Valsalva aneurysm in a patient associated with ectasia of the left main stem and left anterior descending coronary artery. The patient was successfully treated with aortic root replacement using a biologic conduit.

[Impact of obesity on surgical outcomes following coronary artery bypass graft surgery]. / Tengsl offitu við árangur kransæðahjáveituaðgerða.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity has been related to increased postoperative morbidity and mortality following open-heart surgery. However, recent studies have shown no association or even a more favourable outcome in obese patients. This relationship was investigated in a well-defined cohort of patients that underwent myocardial revascularisation in Iceland. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective study including all patients that underwent isolated myocardial revascularisation in Iceland from 2002 to 2006. Altogether 720 patients were divided into two groups, an obese group, with BMI >30 kg/m2 (n=207, 29%), and a non-obese group with BMI ≤30 kg/m2 (n=513, 71%). Patient demographics, complications, operative mortality and long term survival of both groups were compared. RESULTS: Demographics were comparable between the groups. Obese patients were 2.4 years younger, more likely to use statins (83,3% vs. 71,2%, had a significantly lower EuroSCORE (4.3 vs. 5.0) but a slightly longer operation time. Pleural fluid was less often drained in obese patients (8.2 vs. 15.0%) but rates for other complications were similar in both groups, as was operative mortality ≤30 days (2.0% vs. 3.7%), 1 and 5 year survival. In a multivariate analysis obesity was not an independent risk factor for minor or major complications, operative mortality or long term survival. CONCLUSION: The rate of complications and operative mortality after myocardial revascularisation is not significantly higher in obese patients and the same applies to long term survival. This is true even after correcting for confounding factors in a multivariate analysis.

[Reoperation for bleeding following open heart surgery in Iceland]. / Enduradgerdir vegna blaedinga eftir opnar hjartaskurdadgerdir á Islandi.

INTRODUCTION: Postoperative bleeding is a common and potentially fatal complication following open heart surgery, studies reporting a reoperation rate for bleeding in the range of 2-6%. Surgical outcome after such reoperations has not been previously studied in Iceland. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this retrospective study were included all adults that underwent open heart surgery in Iceland during a 6 year period, between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2005. RESULTS: There were 103 reoperations (mean age 68 years, 76% males), but throughout the same 6 year period a total of 1295 open heart procedures were performed, the reoperation-rate being 8%. One third of all patients were on aspirin and 8% on clopidogrel less than 5 days before surgery. The bleeding in the primary operation averaged 1523 ml (range 300-4780) and 3942 ml for the first 24 hours postoperatively. Half of the patients were reoperated on within 2 h and 97% within 24 hours. The patients received on average 16.5 units of packed cells, 15.6 units of plasma and 2.3 sets of thrombocytes. The most common postoperative complication was atrial fibrillation (58.3%), pleural effusion that needed chest tube drainage (24.3%), myocardial infarction (23.3%) and sternal wound infection (11.7%). Median length of stay was 14 days (range 6-85), including 2 days (range 1-38) in ICU. Operative mortality was 15.5% and 1 year crude survival 79.6%. CONCLUSION: Reoperation-rate for bleeding was 8%, which is higher compared to other studies. Bleeding is a serious complication following open heart surgery with high morbidity and significant mortality.