Percutaneous Transhepatic Venous Access for Left Atrial Appendage Closure in a Patient with Left Sided Inferior Vena Cava with Hemiazygos Continuation.

The transfemoral venous approach is the standard for Left Atrial Appendage Closure (LAAC) using the WATCHMAN device. However in patients without a patent inferior vena cava, an alternate access site can be utilized. We present a case of a patient with left sided inferior vena cava with hemiazygos continuation who had clinical indication for LAAC and in whom a transhepatic approach was successfully utilized.

Comparative effectiveness of revascularization strategies for early coronary artery disease: A multicenter analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this analysis was to examine the comparative effectiveness of coronary artery bypass grafting versus percutaneous coronary intervention among patients aged less than 60 years. METHODS: We performed a multicenter, retrospective analysis of all cardiac revascularization procedures from 2005 to 2015 among 7 medical centers. Inclusion criteria were age less than 60 years and 70% stenosis or greater in 1 or more major coronary artery distribution. Exclusion criteria were left main 50% or greater, ST-elevation myocardial infarction, emergency status, and prior revascularization procedure. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, the final study cohort included 1945 patients who underwent cardiac surgery and 2938 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention. The primary end point was all-cause mortality stratified by revascularization strategy. Secondary end points included stroke, repeat revascularization, and 30-day mortality. We used inverse probability weighting to balance differences among the groups. RESULTS: After adjustment, there was no significant difference in 30-day mortality (surgery: 0.8%; percutaneous coronary intervention: 0.7%, P = .86) for patients with multivessel disease. Patients undergoing surgery had a higher risk of stroke (1.3% [n = 25] vs 0.07% [n = 2], P < .001). Overall, surgery was associated with superior 10-year survival compared with percutaneous coronary intervention (hazard ratio, 0.71; 95% confidence interval, 0.57-0.88; P = .002). Repeat procedures occurred in 13.4% (n = 270) of the surgery group and 36.4% (n = 1068) of the percutaneous coronary intervention group, with both groups mostly undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention as their second operation. Accounting for death as a competing risk, at 10 years, surgery resulted in a lower cumulative incidence of repeat revascularization compared with percutaneous coronary intervention (subdistribution hazard ratio, 0.34; 95% confidence interval, 0.28-0.40; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients aged less than 60 years with 2-vessel disease that includes the left anterior descending or 3-vessel coronary artery disease, surgery was associated with greater long-term survival and decreased risk of repeat revascularization.

A multi-center analysis of readmission after cardiac surgery: Experience of The Northern New England Cardiovascular Disease Study Group.

BACKGROUND: Readmissions after cardiac surgery are common and associated with increased morbidity, mortality and cost of care. Policymakers have targeted coronary artery bypass grafting to achieve value-oriented health care milestones. We explored the causes of readmission following cardiac surgery among a regional consortium of hospitals. METHODS: Using administrative data, we identified patients readmitted to the same institution within 30 days of cardiac surgery. We performed standardized review of readmitted patients' medical records to identify primary and secondary causes of readmission. We evaluated causes of readmission by procedure and tested for univariate associations between characteristics of readmitted patients and nonreadmitted patients in our clinical registry. RESULTS: Of 2218 cardiac surgery patients, 272 were readmitted to the index hospital within 30 days for a readmission rate of 12.3%. Median time to readmission was 9 days (interquartile range 4-16 days) and only 13% of patients were evaluated in-office before readmission. Readmitted patients were more likely to have had valve surgery (31.3% vs 22.7%) than patients not readmitted. Readmitted patients were also more likely to have preoperative creatinine more than or equal to 2 mg/dL (P = .015) or congestive heart failure (CHF) (P = .034), require multiple blood transfusions or sustained inotropic support (P < .001), and experience postoperative atrial fibrillation (P = .022) or renal insufficiency (P < .001). Infection (26%), pleural or pericardial effusion (19%), arrhythmia (16%), and CHF (11%) were the most common primary etiologies leading to readmission. CONCLUSIONS: Ensuring early follow-up for high-risk patient groups while improving early detection and management of the principal drivers of readmission represent promising targets for decreasing readmission rates.

Optical coherence tomography versus intravascular ultrasound in the evaluation of observer variability and reliability in the assessment of stent deployment: the OCTIVUS study.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the variability in the assessment of coronary stents among interventional cardiologists (readers) using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). BACKGROUND: IVUS is established and validated in the evaluation of coronary stent. For cardiologists without core lab expertise, the utility of IVUS is limited by image quality. OCT yields higher image resolution; however, the consistency with which these readers interpret OCT images has not been fully evaluated or compared with IVUS. METHODS: OCT and IVUS image sets (five pairs) obtained after stent placement were reviewed by readers with clinical experience in both modalities. Parameters assessed included stent expansion and symmetry, reference vessel and in-stent cross-sectional area (CSA) and diameter, and stent strut apposition as well as Multicenter Ultrasound Stenting in Coronaries criteria. These interpretations were compared with core lab readings and examined for interobserver variability. RESULTS: The interobserver variability for measurement of in-stent CSA was 1.34 mm(2) using IVUS compared with 0.85 mm(2) using OCT (P = 0.024). Variation in the deviation from core lab measurement of in-stent CSA for IVUS was 1.48 mm(2) compared with 0.87 mm(2) for OCT (P = 0.042). The interobserver agreement for obtaining the Multicenter Ultrasound Stenting in Coronaries criteria using IVUS was 80.4% compared with 81.1% using OCT (P = 0.78). Compared with the corelab measurement, the readers obtained an agreement of 72.7% using IVUS vs. 67.3% using OCT (P = 0.43). CONCLUSION: In the assessment of deployed coronary stents by practicing cardiologists, OCT images are interpreted more consistently compared with IVUS and can be used to assess stent deployment using IVUS-validated metrics.

Impact of perioperative acute kidney injury as a severity index for thirty-day readmission after cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: Of patients undergoing cardiac surgery in the United States, 15% to 20% are re-hospitalized within 30 days. Current models to predict readmission have not evaluated the association between severity of postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) and 30-day readmissions. METHODS: We collected data from 2,209 consecutive patients who underwent either coronary artery bypass or valve surgery at 7 member hospitals of the Northern New England Cardiovascular Disease Study Group Cardiac Surgery Registry between July 2008 and December 2010. Administrative data at each hospital were searched to identify all patients readmitted to the index hospital within 30 days of discharge. We defined AKI stages by the AKI Network definition of 0.3 or 50% increase (stage 1), twofold increase (stage 2), and a threefold or 0.5 increase if the baseline serum creatinine was at least 4.0 (mg/dL) or new dialysis (stage 3). We evaluate the association between stages of AKI and 30-day readmission using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: There were 260 patients readmitted within 30 days (12.1%). The median time to readmission was 9 (interquartile range, 4 to 16) days. Patients not developing AKI after cardiac surgery had a 30-day readmission rate of 9.3% compared with patients developing AKI stage 1 (16.1%), AKI stage 2 (21.8%), and AKI stage 3 (28.6%, p < 0.001). Adjusted odds ratios for AKI stage 1 (1.81; 1.35, 2.44), stage 2 (2.39; 1.38, 4.14), and stage 3 (3.47; 1.85 to 6.50). Models to predict readmission were significantly improved with the addition of AKI stage (c-statistic 0.65, p = 0.001) and net reclassification rate of 14.6% (95% confidence interval: 5.05% to 24.14%, p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: In addition to more traditional patient characteristics, the severity of postoperative AKI should be used when assessing a patient's risk for readmission.

Quantification of the variability associated with repeat measurements of left ventricular two-dimensional global longitudinal strain in a real-world setting.

BACKGROUND: Global longitudinal strain (GLS) derived from two-dimensional speckle-tracking is an emerging technology, but lack of industry standards limits its application. Prior studies support using this tool to identify subclinical disease through serial changes, but the variability introduced by a change in vendor or reader is not well defined. METHODS: Fifty study subjects were prospectively identified to include four subgroups to ensure a broad range of GLS: normal (n = 20), left ventricular hypertrophy (n = 10), ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (n = 10), and systolic heart failure (n = 10). Raw data were obtained using equipment from two vendors during the same session, and GLS was analyzed using an offline workstation. Intraobserver and interobserver variation was measured using correlation coefficients, intraclass correlation coefficients, and Bland-Altman plots. RESULTS: GLS measurements were highly reproducible by the same reader or a different reader using vendor 1 and vendor 2 or comparing vendors (correlation coefficients and intraclass correlation coefficients ≥ 0.95). However, the Bland-Altman plots suggested that the variation in repeat GLS measurements may range from ± 2% to ± 5% on the basis of a change in vendor, reader, or both. CONCLUSIONS: The expected variation in GLS measurements associated with a change in vendor, reader, or both should be considered when making conclusions about significant changes in serial measurements.

Preoperative white blood cell count and risk of 30-day readmission after cardiac surgery.

Approximately 1 in 5 patients undergoing cardiac surgery are readmitted within 30 days of discharge. Among the primary causes of readmission are infection and disease states susceptible to the inflammatory cascade, such as diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and gastrointestinal complications. Currently, it is not known if a patient's baseline inflammatory state measured by crude white blood cell (WBC) counts could predict 30-day readmission. We collected data from 2,176 consecutive patients who underwent cardiac surgery at seven hospitals. Patient readmission data was abstracted from each hospital. The independent association with preoperative WBC count was determined using logistic regression. There were 259 patients readmitted within 30 days, with a median time of readmission of 9 days (IQR 4-16). Patients with elevated WBC count at baseline (10,000-12,000 and >12,000 mm(3)) had higher 30-day readmission than those with lower levels of WBC count prior to surgery (15% and 18% compared to 10%-12%, P = 0.037). Adjusted odds ratios were 1.42 (0.86, 2.34) for WBC counts 10,000-12,000 and 1.81 (1.03, 3.17) for WBC count > 12,000. We conclude that WBC count measured prior to cardiac surgery as a measure of the patient's inflammatory state could aid clinicians and continuity of care management teams in identifying patients at heightened risk of 30-day readmission after discharge from cardiac surgery.