Visualization of HeartMate 3 Outflow Graft Twisting by Selective Graft Angiography.

A 55-year-old male patient presented with a history of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation due to ischemic cardiomyopathy. Low-flow alarms were detected on the LVAD, which was temporarily stopped to demonstrate retrograde flow from the aorta through the outflow graft. Selective visualization was performed after engagement of a pigtail catheter in the outflow graft. Twisting at the beginning of the outflow graft was clearly depicted. The patient underwent surgery to correct the twisting. After correction, flow increased immediately back to normal levels.

Left ventricular assist device implantation following multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children due to SARS-CoV-2.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is rare, however, severe hyperinflammatory condition in children generally weeks after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. A subset of MIS-C patients is presented with severe heart failure. We hereby report 8-year-old girl presenting acute severe left ventricular failure. Various medical treatments including inotropic agents and drugs related to SARS-CoV-2 infection and MIS-C were applied. However, venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was needed to be performed. Due to unsuccessful attempts for ECMO weaning, left ventricular assist device was implanted to the patient with temporary right ventricular support from ECMO.

Sutureless Aortic Valve Replacement.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the results of sutureless aortic valve replacement (AVR) with the conventional method. STUDY DESIGN: A case-control study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Cardiovascular Surgery Unit, Istanbul Yeni Yuzyil University, Gaziosmanpasa Hospital, Turkey, from December 2014 to December 2019. METHODOLOGY: Patients undergoing AVR were enrolled. The inclusion criteria were severe symptomatic aortic valve disease, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II or higher, and age >55 years. Perioperative clinical and echocardiographic outcomes were assessed in all patients. RESULTS: Ninety-one patients (45 women, 46 men) underwent AVR (49 sutureless, 42 conventional). The average age was 73.08 ± 7.54 years in the sutureless group and 66.26±8.63 years in the conventional group. The mean cross-clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) times were 72.86 ± 34.09 and 91.88 ± 36.98 minutes, respectively, in the former; and 104.96 ± 41.64 and 119.81 ± 40.45 minutes, respectively, in the latter. In the sutureless group, 30 (61.2%) patients underwent additional procedures such as CABG, mitral interventions, tricuspid repair, ascending aortic surgery, and myxoma removal. Preoperative peak and mean pressure gradients decreased from 76 and 48 mmHg to 16 and 9 mmHg postoperatively in the sutureless group; and from 70.9 and 44 mmHg to 24 and 12 mmHg in the conventional group. Paravalvular leak and permanent pacemaker requirement due to AV-block rates were 6.1%. The mean ICU stay was 3.69±6.75 and 2.31±1.80 days, the mean hospital stay was 10.08±6.56 and 8.62±3.28 days, and the 30-day overall mortality rates were 8.2% and 4.8% in the sutureless and conventional groups, respectively.   Conclusion: Sutureless AVR has advantages of shorter cross-clamp time, reduced CPB duration, and postoperative aortic gradients. However, there was no advantage in terms of mortality or hospital stay. Its benefits could be more prominent in complex cases or minimally invasive surgery. Key Words: Sutureless valves, Aortic valve stenosis, Valve replacement.

Atrial Fibrillation Prediction by Surgical Risk Scores Following Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To compare surgical risk scores including Euroscore II, STS and Logistic Euroscore for their predictive ability about postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF). STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Istanbul Yeni Yuzyil University, Gaziosmanpasa Hospital and Istanbul Mehmet Akif Ersoy Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Center, from June to December 2018. METHODOLOGY: One hundred and four patients, undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting operation, were enrolled. Surgical risk scores, clinical, laboratory and echocardiographic parameters were compared between POAF-positive and POAF-negative groups Results: Of the 104 patients included, 23 (22.1%) patients developed atrial fibrillation postoperatively. Peripheral artery disease, carotid artery disease, current smoking, cardiopulmonary bypass time, left atrial diameter, and Syntax II score were found to be associated with POAF. Among these, peripheral artery disease and cardiopulmonary bypass time were independently related with POAF. Euroscore II (p = 0.005), STS (p = 0.026) and Logistic Euroscore (p = 0.032) were all statistically higher in POAF developing patients. In terms of ROC analysis, area under the curve was higher in Euroscore II (0.697) than STS and Logistic Euroscore (0.658 and 0.652, respectively). CONCLUSION: Euroscore II, STS and Logistic Euroscore were all associated with POAF development. However, Euroscore II could be a better option for the prediction of POAF.

Early results of ring-reinforced conduit and curved porcine patch in Sano-Norwood procedure.

BACKGROUND: Patch augmentation of the aortic arch as well as construction of an unobstructed pulmonary blood supply are two important surgical targets in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. In this report, we aimed to present our preliminary results with a combination of two relatively new approaches in Norwood-Sano procedure. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed in 10 newborns with the diagnosis of hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Our surgical approach incorporated the interposition of a 6.0-mm ring-reinforced tube graft with the "dunked technique" between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery; and reconstruction of the aortic arch using a curved porcine pericardial patch which is specifically designed for the Norwood procedure. RESULTS: Mean age and body weight at the time of the Sano-Norwood operation were 7.3 ± 2.4 days and 3164 ± 406 g, respectively. We encountered 1 (10%) early and 1 (10%) late mortality. All of the patients were discharged without any residual gradients at the aortic arch. Four out of eight patients underwent stage 2 bidirectional cavopulmonary anastomosis at a median age of 5 months (range, 4-6 months). Pericardial patch augmentation of the left pulmonary artery was deemed mandatory in one of our patients. CONCLUSIONS: The dunked technique of interposing a ring-reinforced conduit between the right ventricle and pulmonary artery along with the utilization of a curved porcine pericardial patch specifically designed for aortic arch reconstruction are promising modifications of the Sano-Norwood procedure in newborns with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

Outflow graft twisting of Heartmate III left ventricular-assisted device: A case report.

Outflow graft twisting of Heartmate III left ventricular-assisted device is a rare device complication and, due to the recent reports from transplant centers, the firm and the United States Food and Drug Administration have announced explanatory measures. When the outflow graft twisting occurs, the diagnosis and treatment should be done without any delay due to serious decline in the device output and unstable hemodynamics. This article describes the first case of an outflow graft twisting in Turkey.

Endovascular stenting of mid-aortic syndrome due to Takayasu arteritis.

Introduction-patients: Takayasu arteritis may involve various parts of the aorta and its major branches. It leads to occlusive or aneurysmal disease of the vessel. It can be treated either with surgery or percutaneous intervention. We report a successful endovascular treatment of stenosis of the descending thoracic and abdominal aorta in a 19-year-old female. Methods-results-conclusions: Self-expandable nitinol stent was deployed and adequate opening of the aorta was obtained in this patient. Long-term durability of endovascular approach is a matter of debate. We also reviewed the sufficiency of endovascular treatment versus surgery.

Timing of coronary artery bypass surgery in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and postoperative outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to assess whether a cardiac troponin T (cTnT) level 1 ng/ml or below threshold is safe and to evaluate mid-term follow-up results in stable patients with non-ST-segment elevation after acute myocardial infarction. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Among cTnT positive patients who presented to the emergency unit with chest pain and received coronary angiography, 100 patients who underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) constituted the study group (group 1). The same number of patients (n = 100) who were cTnT negative and underwent an isolated CABG operation under elective conditions were selected as the control group (group 2). RESULTS: Among preoperative criteria, group 1 had significantly higher smoking rates (74% vs. 41%, p = 0.0001), and significantly lower ejection fraction values (47.1 ±8.25, 54.69 ±8.73, p = 0.0001). There were no significant differences between the groups with respect to operative parameters. Postoperative follow-up periods were significantly longer in group 1 (23.25 ±14 vs. 17.55 ±7.95 months, p = 0.001). Average waiting time for cTnT to drop below the 1 ng/ml threshold value was 5.73 ±2.95 (1-12) days. Intra-aortic balloon pump use in Groups 1 and 2 was 3% and 1%, respectively. There were no hospital mortalities in either group. Mortality rates at mid term were 6% in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study compared two groups positive and negative for preoperative cTnT. The findings show that it is safe to wait until cTnT levels decrease to the 1 ng/ml threshold value in cTnT positive patients having a stable course. This waiting period is not very long, which is significant with respect to potential complications.

Gastrointestinal complications after open heart surgery: incidence and determinants of risk factors.

Acute mesenteric ischemia is a rare but serious complication of open heart surgery. Between January 2009 and January 2012, 1360 adult patients underwent open heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass at our institution; 29 patients presented gastrointestinal complications. Eight patients developed acute mesenteric ischemia and all of them died. Significant predictors of the complication were New York Heart Association functional class III/IV, history of extensive atherosclerosis and chronic renal failure, acute renal failure following surgery, low cardiac output, use of 2 or more vasoconstrictor drugs, prolonged mechanical ventilation, and multiorgan failure. Atherosclerosis is a multisystemic disease that affects several organs. Radiologic evaluation of mesenteric arterial system should be performed in high-risk patient populations. Perioperative percutaneous and open vascular procedures will reduce the risk of acute mesenteric ischemia that may develop after cardiac surgery and consequent morbidity and mortality rates.

Serum lactate level has prognostic significance after pediatric cardiac surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The determination of postoperative course after cardiac surgery has always been a challenging issue. It is more sophisticated in the pediatric age group. The aim of this investigation was to identify whether increased concentrations of lactate in arterial blood has a predictive value for postoperative morbidity and mortality after heart surgery. METHODS: From May 2002 to June 2003, 60 infants operated on at the authors' institution were included in this prospective study. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to their respective postoperative serum lactate values. After the stabilization period in the intensive care unit (first 3 hours postoperatively), samples for serum lactate were obtained from arterial blood at 3 (t1), 6 (t2), and 12 hours (t3) postoperatively. The patients were subdivided into 2 groups according to their respective mean serum lactate values. A value of 4.8 mmol/L (3 times the normal upper limit) was chosen as a threshold for serum lactate. The patients with a mean value of greater than 4.8 mmol/L (group 1) were compared with the remaining group of patients (group 2). The relationship between serum mean lactate level and intraoperative and postoperative clinical variables was evaluated. RESULTS: Among the patients in this study, 26 (43.3%) had a serum mean lactate level more than 4.8 mmol/L and 34 (56.7%) had a level of 4.8 mmol/L or less. Age, aortic cross-clamping time, cardiopulmonary bypass time, and the lowest hematocrit during cardiopulmonary bypass were significant variables that influenced the postoperative serum mean lactate level. Six patients died in the postoperative period and 54 infants survived. The hospital mortality was significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2 (19.0% v 2.9%; p = 0.037, kappa = 0.179). Multivariate analysis revealed that serum mean lactate level correlated significantly with inotrope score, intubation time, and intensive care unit stay. CONCLUSIONS: Blood lactate concentration of 4.8 mmol/L or higher during the early postoperative hours identifies a group of patients with increased risk of postoperative morbidity and mortality.

The benefits of continuous ultrafiltration in pediatric cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammatory response and capillary leak syndrome, caused by extracorporeal circulation, have negative effects on the function of vital organs during the postoperative period. Modified ultrafiltration (MUF) has been developed as an alternative method to reduce the detrimental effects of cardiopulmonary bypass. The aim of this prospective, randomized study is to analyze the effects of MUF in a pediatric population undergoing congenital cardiac surgery. METHODS: Twenty-seven patients who underwent open-heart surgery at our institution were included in this prospective study. They were randomized into two groups as follows: Group I (n=14) of conventional ultrafiltration during bypass and Group II (n=13) receiving both conventional and modified ultrafiltration during and after the cessation of the bypass, respectively. The amount of prime volume, postoperative chest drain loss, transfusion requirements, hemodynamical parameters, duration of mechanical ventilatory support, and length of intensive care unit stay were compared between the two groups. During the postoperative period, the concentrations of hematological, biochemical and inflammatory parameters were also compared by analyzing the blood samples obtained at various time points. RESULTS: MUF resulted in a significant increase in hemoglobin, hematocrit and platelet levels, and significantly reduced the amount of chest tube output and transfused blood and blood products. MUF also shortened the duration of postoperative mechanical ventilatory support, length of the intensive care unit stay and improved postoperative hemodynamical parameters. During the early postoperative hours, IL-8 is significantly reduced in patients undergoing MUF, however, the concentrations of IL-8 were similar in both groups at the end of 24 h. CONCLUSIONS: MUF decreases the duration of mechanical ventilatory support, the length of intensive care unit stay, the need for blood transfusion and improves postoperative hemodynamics. It is associated with increased levels of hemoglobin, hematocrit and platelets. We can conclude that MUF attenuates the inflammatory response by decreasing the levels of inflammatory mediators.