Single-Center Prospective Study of Cross-Clamp vs Balloon Occlusion in Robotic Mitral Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Transthoracic aortic cross-clamp and endoaortic balloon occlusion have both been shown to have comparable safety profiles for aortic occlusion. Because most surgeons use only one technique, we sought to compare the outcomes when a homogeneous group of surgeons changed their occlusion technique from aortic cross-clamp to balloon occlusion. METHODS: We changed our technique from aortic cross-clamp to balloon occlusion in November 2022. This allowed us to conduct a prospective treatment comparison study in the same group of surgeons. Propensity score matching was used to match cases (balloon occlusion) 1:3 to controls (aortic cross-clamp) based on age, sex, body mass index, concomitant maze procedure, and tricuspid valve repair. RESULTS: Total of 411 patients underwent robotic mitral surgery from 2020 through 2023. Propensity score matching was used to match 56 balloon occlusion patients to 168 aortic cross-clamp patients. The 224 patients were a median age of 65 years (interquartile range, 55.6-70.0 years), and 119 (53%) were men. All valves were successfully repaired. Balloon occlusion had a shorter median cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time compared with aortic cross-clamp (84.0 vs 94.5 minutes, P = .006). Median cross-clamp time (64.0 vs 64.0 minutes, P = .483) and total surgery time (5.9 vs 6.1 hours, P = .495) did not differ between groups. There were no in-hospital deaths. There were 5 surgeons who performed various combinations of console and bedside roles. CPB, cross-clamp, and surgery durations were not significantly affected by the different surgeon combinations. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with aortic cross-clamp, balloon occlusion has similar perioperative and early postoperative outcomes. Additionally, it likely introduces a 10-minute reduction in total CPB time.

Outcomes of aortic surgery in patients with Takayasu arteritis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the presentation, aortic involvement, and surgical outcomes in patients with Takayasu arteritis undergoing aortic surgery. METHODS: We queried our surgical database for patients with Takayasu arteritis who underwent aortic surgery from 1994 to 2022. RESULTS: There were a total of 31 patients with Takayasu arteritis who underwent aortic surgery. Patients' median age at the time of diagnosis was 35.0 years (interquartile range, 25.0-42.0). The majority were female (n = 27, 87.0%). Most patients (n = 28, 90.3%) were diagnosed before surgery, and 3 patients (9.6%) were diagnosed perioperatively. The median time interval from diagnosis to surgery was 2.8 years (interquartile range, 0.5-13.9). The most common presentation was ascending aorta aneurysm (n = 22, 70.9%), and severe aortic regurgitation was the most common valve insufficiency (n = 17, 54.8%). The most common operation was ascending aorta replacement (n = 20, 64.5%), and aortic valve replacement was the most common valve intervention (n = 17, 54.8%). Active vasculitis was identified in 2 (11.7%) aortic valve specimens. Early mortality was 6.5% (n = 2). A total of 6 deaths occurred over a median follow-up of 13.1 years (interquartile range, 6.1-25.2). Survival at 10 years was 86.7% (95% CI, 75.4-99.7). A total of 5 patients (16.1%) required a subsequent operation in a median of 1.9 years (interquartile range, 0.2-7.4). Freedom from reoperation was 96.9% (95% CI, 90.1-100) at 1 year, 89.4% (95% CI, 78.7-100.0) at 5 years, and 77.5% (95% CI, 61.2-98.1) at 10 and 15 years. CONCLUSIONS: Ascending aorta aneurysm and aortic valve regurgitation are the most frequent presentations in patients with Takayasu arteritis requiring aortic surgery. Surgery in these individuals is safe, with acceptable short- and long-term results.

Resection of a Solitary Right Ventricular Metastasis in Oligorecurrent Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), constituting the predominant manifestation of liver cancer, stands as a formidable medical challenge. The prognosis subsequent to surgical intervention, particularly for individuals presenting with a solitary tumor, relies heavily on the degree of invasiveness. The decision-making process surrounding therapeutic modalities in such cases assumes paramount importance. This case report illuminates a rather unusual clinical scenario. Here, we encounter a patient who, following a disease-free interval, manifested an atypical presentation of HCC, specifically, a solitary cardiac metastasis. The temporal interval of remission adds an additional layer of complexity to the case. Through a multidisciplinary planning process, the decision was made for surgical removal of the metastatic tumor.

Antibody Response to SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination in Heart Failure Patients: Retrospective Single-Center Cohort Study.

We sought to investigate the impact of heart failure on anti-spike antibody positivity following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Our study included 103 heart failure (HF) patients, including those with and without left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) selected from our institutional transplant waiting list as well as 104 non-heart failure (NHF) patients who underwent open heart surgery at our institution from 2021 to 2022. All the patients received either heterologous or homologous doses of BNT162b2 and CoronaVac. The median age of the HF group was 56.0 (interquartile range (IQR): 48.0-62.5) and the NHF group was 63.0 (IQR: 56.0-70.2) years, and the majority were males in both groups (n = 78; 75.7% and n = 80; 76.9%, respectively). The majority of the patients in both the HF and NHF groups received heterologous vaccinations (n = 43; 41.7% and n = 52; 50.3%, respectively; p = 0.002). There was no difference in the anti-spike antibody positivity between the patients with and without heart failure (p = 0.725). Vaccination with BNT162b2 led to significantly higher antibody levels compared to CoronaVac alone (OR: 11.0; 95% CI: 3.8-31.5). With each passing day after the last vaccine dose, there was a significant decrease in anti-spike antibody positivity, with an OR of 0.9 (95% CI: 0.9-0.9). Furthermore, hyperlipidemia was associated with increased antibody positivity (p = 0.004).

Association of Age, Sex, and Heart Failure Etiology in Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device Patients.

BACKGROUND: Advanced heart failure studies demonstrate that ischemic factors increase in prevalence with age and are more prominent in men. Ejection fraction (EF) cannot be preserved in these patients, and ischemic cardiomyopathy develops. Non-ischemic factors are more prominent in female heart failure patients, where the EF is preserved. Although an age-associated increase in the rate of heart failure is acknowledged in both sexes, etiologic classifications by sex-based age groups are still lacking. This study examined the etiology of heart failure according to age and sex in ventricular assist device patients. METHODS: The patient population included 457 end-stage heart failure patients who received a continuous flow-left ventricular assist device at Ege University Hospital between 2010 and 2017. Age, sex, and cardiomyopathy etiology data were obtained from the hospital database. The Mann-Whitney U test was applied to test the statistical significance among subgroups (95% CI, P < .05 for statistical significance). RESULTS: The prevalence of ischemic cardiomyopathy was significantly lower in male patients aged 18 to 39 years compared to older patients. Conversely, no difference was seen among female patients. The prevalence of dilated cardiomyopathy was higher in male patients who were 18 to 39 years of age compared to older patients, but no difference was present among the female patients. CONCLUSIONS: Age and heart failure etiology were demonstrated to be interrelated in men but not in women. The fact that etiologic factors of advanced heart failure in women have a wider range than in men makes the current classification systems insufficient for use in female populations.

Our Single Center Experiences with Left Ventricular Assist Device Exchange.

BACKGROUND: Mechanical circulatory support technology continues to evolve to satisfy the needs of advanced heart failure patients. Despite improvements, various problems occur frequently, and surgical exchange of the pump can be a feasible treatment option. Optimal patient selection is key to success in exchange operations. METHODS: Using a retrospective observational cohort design, this study aims to evaluate preoperative profiles and clinical courses of patients' undergoing a device exchange operation and identified possible contributors to in-hospital mortality. Currently, 155 left ventricular assist device (LVAD) patients are being followed up in our program. In total, 15 of 155 patients underwent a pump exchange operation. Baseline characteristics, clinical features, and laboratory results were evaluated. The primary outcome was all-cause in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Of the 15 patients who underwent a pump exchange operation, thrombosis was the primary cause in 12. Five patients experienced in-hospital mortality within 30 days of LVAD exchange. The international normalized ratio (INR) was higher in patients who experienced in-hospital mortality (2.4 [±0.6] vs 1.2 [±0.4], P = .005) than in patients who survived to discharge. In addition, preoperative lactate levels were significantly higher in patients who died within 30 days (2.9 [±2.6] vs 0.9 [±0.4], P = .019). CONCLUSIONS: Higher INR and lactate levels could possibly contribute to in-hospital mortality, which underlines the importance of right ventricular function in this patient population. Careful evaluation of the right heart function is of great importance before exchange operations, and preoperative hemodynamic stability is crucial for better postoperative outcomes.

Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction in patients with Ebstein anomaly.

Objective: In this study, we investigated the clinical characteristics of patients with Ebstein anomaly and left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction as well as possible mechanisms of obstruction as assessed by 2-dimensional echocardiography. Methods: We queried our institutional echocardiography and surgical databases for patients with the diagnosis of Ebstein anomaly seen from 1985 through 2022. Fourteen patients had the additional diagnosis of LVOT obstruction identified from transthoracic echocardiography. Results: The mean age of the 14 patients at the time that LVOT obstruction was identified was 51.9 ± 9.9 years, and 11 (78%) were female. LVOT obstruction (mean gradient 61.0 ± 25.7 mm Hg) was documented at the time of initial diagnosis of Ebstein anomaly for 8, and in the remaining, was recognized on follow-up imaging. Dynamic LVOT obstruction with systolic anterior motion (SAM) was the most common mechanism and was mostly accompanied by leftward septal movement and septal hypertrophy. Seven of the 9 patients with SAM had the diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Leftward bowing of the septum appeared to be the sole cause of LVOT obstruction in 3 and a contributing factor to SAM in 4. Among the 13 patients who underwent an operation for Ebstein anomaly, 7 had concomitant septal myectomy and 3 had a subsequent procedure. Conclusions: There are multiple mechanisms of LVOT obstruction in patients with Ebstein anomaly, including SAM and leftward bowing of the interventricular septum, which may exist alone or in combination. Septal myectomy at the time of tricuspid valvuloplasty is safe and effectively reduces gradients in the outflow tract and may prevent the need for subsequent reintervention.

Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in a patient with left ventricular assist device.

Left ventricular assist devices provide circulatory support to heart failure patients while awaiting a suitable donor heart. However, with their increased duration of therapy, complications are seen frequently. Although coagulation disorders (bleeding and thrombosis) are the most common complications, infection is also a major complication associated with significant morbidity. We report a case of a 53-year-old male with a left ventricular assist device who presented with driveline infection. He subsequently developed pancytopenia and was diagnosed with haemophagocytosis. Immediate treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin and methylprednisolone was started. His blood cell count returned to normal levels and the patient became eligible for heart transplantation again. Our case represents the rare occurrence of haemophagocytosis in a patient, which, if unnoticed, could lead to fatal consequences.

Targeted Minimally Invasive Parathyroidectomy for Ectopic Aortopulmonary Adenoma Under Gamma Probe Guidance.

We report a case of 53-year-old woman with the parathyroid adenoma (PA) located in the aortopulmonary window with an aberrant right subclavian artery. Her preoperative calcium level was 11.3 mg/dL (reference range = 8.8-10.6 mg/dL). The parathyroid hormone level was significantly elevated at 127.4 pg/mL (reference range = 12-88 pg/mL) as measured on immunoradiometric assay. Dual-phase technetium-99m-labeled sestamibi parathyroid scintigraphy and fluorine-18 F-fluorocholine positron emission tomography/computed tomography revealed a mediastinal tumor measuring 3 × 5 × 6 mm located anterolateral to the aortopulmonary window. Minimally invasive removal of PA was performed through 3.5-cm reverse J-shaped partial upper sternotomy to the third intercostal space. Postoperative recovery was uneventful, and serum calcium and parathyroid hormone levels normalized within 24 hours of surgery. Our case represents the rare occurrence of a mediastinal PA associated with aberrant right subclavian artery treated with targeted minimally invasive approach using different imaging modalities including technetium-99m-sestamibi scintigraphy and fluorine-18 F-fluorocholine positron emission tomography/computed tomography, and intraoperative use of gamma probe for precise localization PA.