Prosthesis-patient mismatch affects late survival after valve surgery for severe aortic stenosis.

BACKGROUND: The effect of prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) on late survival after aortic valve replacement (AVR) in patient with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis (AS) remains unclear. Also, late follow-up in previous studies is confined to only one decade. We aimed to determine the effect of PPM on late survival after isolated AVR for symptomatic severe AS during 25 years of follow-up. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to determine late survival in 404 consecutive patients with moderate PPM (N.=86), severe (N.=11), or no/mild PPM (N.=307) after isolated AVR for symptomatic severe AS during a mean follow-up of 25.0±2.9 years. Moderate, severe, and no/mild PPM were defined as indexed effective orifice area of >0.65≤0.85, ≤0.65, and >0.85 cm2/m2, respectively. Multivariable analysis was performed to identify possible independent predictors of decreased late survival, including moderate or severe PPM. RESULTS: Late survival of patients with severe PPM was worse in comparison with those with no/mild PPM: 7.4±2.6 (95% confidence interval 2.2-12.5) vs. 13.6±0.5 (95% confidence interval 12.6-14.6) years, respectively; P=0.020. Late survival of patients with moderate PPM was similar to those with no/mild PPM. Severe PPM was an independent predictor of decreased late survival: hazards ratio 4.002 (95% confidence interval 1.869-8.569); P<0.001. Moderate PPM was not an independent predictor of decreased late survival. CONCLUSIONS: Severe PPM was independently associated with decreased late survival after isolated AVR for symptomatic severe AS during a mean follow-up of 25.0±2.9 years. Therefore, severe PPM should be prevented as much as possible.

Effect of aortic cross-clamp time on late survival after isolated aortic valve replacement.

OBJECTIVES: Longer aortic cross-clamp (ACC) time is associated with decreased early survival after cardiac surgery. Because maximum follow-up in previous studies on this subject is confined to 28 months, it is unknown whether this adverse effect is sustained far beyond this term. We aimed to determine whether longer ACC time was independently associated with decreased late survival after isolated aortic valve replacement in patients with severe aortic stenosis during 25 years of follow-up. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, multivariable analysis was performed to identify possible independent predictors of decreased late survival, including ACC and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time, in a cohort of 456 consecutive patients with severe aortic stenosis, who had undergone isolated aortic valve replacement between 1990 and 1993. RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 25.3 ± 2.7 years. Median (interquartile range) and mean ACC times were normal: 63.0 (20.0) and 64.2 ± 16.1 min, respectively. Age, operative risk scores and New York Heart Association class were similar in patients with ACC time above, versus those with ACC time below the median. Longer ACC time was independently associated with decreased late survival: hazards ratio (HR) 1.01 per minute increase of ACC time (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00-1.02; P = 0.012). Longer CPB time was not associated with decreased late survival (HR 1.00 per minute increase of CPB time [95% CI 1.00-1.00; P = 0.30]). CONCLUSIONS: Longer ACC time, although still within normal limits, was independently associated with decreased late survival after isolated aortic valve replacement in patients with severe aortic stenosis.

New-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation after aortic valve replacement: Effect on long-term survival.

OBJECTIVE: There is a paucity of data on long-term survival of new-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after cardiac surgery. Also, mean follow-up in previous studies is confined to a maximum of one decade. This retrospective, longitudinal cohort study was performed to determine the effect on long-term survival of new-onset POAF after aortic valve replacement (AVR) over a mean follow-up of almost 2 decades. METHODS: Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to determine long-term survival after AVR, performed between January 1, 1990, and January 1, 1994, in 569 consecutive patients without a history of atrial fibrillation, divided into 241 patients (42.4%) with and 328 patients (57.6%) without new-onset POAF. New-onset POAF was considered in multivariable analysis for decreased long-term survival. After AVR, patients with new-onset POAF were treated with the aim to restore sinus rhythm within 24 to 48 hours from onset by medication and when medication failed by direct-current cardioversion before discharge home. RESULTS: Mean follow-up after AVR was 17.8 ± 1.9 years. Incidence of new-onset POAF was 42.4%. Kaplan-Meier overall cumulative survival rates at 15 years of follow-up were similar in the patients with new-onset POAF versus those without: 41.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 35.2-47.7) versus 41.3% (95% CI, 36.0-46.7), respectively. New-onset POAF was not an independent risk factor for decreased long-term survival (hazard ratio 0.815; 95% CI, 0.663-1.001; P = .052). CONCLUSIONS: New-onset POAF after AVR does not affect long-term survival when treatment is aimed to restore sinus rhythm before discharge home.

Prosthesis-Patient Mismatch After Aortic Valve Replacement: Effect on Long-Term Survival.

BACKGROUND: Mean follow-up in previous studies on the effect of prosthesis-patient mismatch on long-term survival after aortic valve replacement (AVR) is confined to a maximum of one decade. This retrospective longitudinal cohort study was performed to determine the effect on long-term survival of prosthesis-patient mismatch after AVR with a mean follow-up of almost two decades. METHODS: Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to determine long-term survival after AVR in a cohort of 673 consecutive patients, divided into 163 patients (24.2%) with prosthesis-patient mismatch (indexed effective orifice area ≤ 0.85 cm(2)/m(2)) and 510 patients (75.8%) without prosthesis-patient mismatch (indexed effective orifice area >0.85 cm(2)/m(2)). Effective orifice area values of the prosthetic valves were retrieved from the literature or obtained from the charts of the prosthetic valve manufacturers. Cox multiple regression analysis was used to identify possible independent predictors, including prosthesis-patient mismatch, of decreased long-term survival. RESULTS: Median sizes of the implanted mechanical (n = 430) and biologic (n = 243) prostheses were 25 and 23 mm, respectively. Mean follow-up after AVR was 17.8 ± 1.8 years. Prosthesis-patient mismatch was not an independent predictor of decreased long-term survival (hazard ratio, 0.828; 95% confidence interval, 0.669 to 1.025; p = 0.083). Severe prosthesis-patient mismatch (indexed effective orifice area ≤ 0.65 cm(2)/m(2)), occurring in only 17 patients (2.5%), showed an insignificant trend toward decreased long-term survival (hazard ratio, 1.68; 95% confidence interval, 0.97 to 2.91; p = 0.066). CONCLUSIONS: Prosthesis-patient mismatch was not an independent predictor of decreased long-term survival after AVR.

Can late supraclavicular echo Doppler reliably predict angiographical string sign of lima to lad area grafts?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether supraclavicular ultrasonography of left internal mammary artery (LIMA) to left anterior descending (LAD) area grafts can reliably predict (distal) string sign grafts on arteriography. METHODS: Fifty-five patients (42 M, 61 +/- 7 years) with the LIMA to LAD area grafting were prospectively studied. Control arteriography was performed at 1.4 +/- 0.8 years postoperatively. Angiography demonstrated in 46 patients (group I) functional grafts, in 4 patients (group II) sequential distal string sign grafts and in 5 patients (group III) total string sign grafts. Ultrasonography was performed at 1.8 +/- 0.8 year postoperatively and compared with control angiography. Data were tested by unpaired t- and ANOVA tests. The diagnostic accuracy was assessed by the area under the curve of the Receiver Operator Characteristic. A formula was developed to predict the probability of (distal) string sign phenomena of sequential as well as single LIMA grafts. RESULTS: Between the groups all duplex parameters showed a highly significant linear relation (p < or = 0.004) and all parameters between group I and III are significantly different with high Area Under Curve values. The model for the probability of (distal) string sign grafts fitted best with diastolic and systolic peak velocities as the most discriminative factors for (distal) string sign grafts. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative supraclavicular duplex as a method to assess the patency of LIMA to LAD area grafts allows discriminating functional grafts from (distal) string sign grafts.

The elephant trunk technique: operative results in 100 consecutive patients.

OBJECTIVES: To describe morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing the elephant trunk (ET) implantation as the first stage in the repair of their mega aorta and to assess determinants for the occurrence of complications. METHODS: One hundred consecutive patients undergoing an ET implantation between 1984 and June 2001 were retrospectively analyzed. The ET was implanted as an extension of an isolated aortic arch (1%), an aortic valve replacement+ascending aorta+arch (14%), a root replacement+ascending aorta+arch (37%) and an ascending aorta+arch (48%). Indications for surgery were acute aortic dissection (1%), an inflammatory aneurysm (3%), chronic post-dissection (31%) or degenerative (65%) aneurysm. Marfan syndrome was present in six patients. For cerebral protection, we used isolated deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (7%), deep hypothermic circulatory arrest combined with uni- or bilateral antegrade cerebral perfusion (18%) or isolated uni- or bilateral antegrade cerebral perfusion (75%). Uni- and multivariate analysis was used. RESULTS: There were no intraoperative deaths. Hospital mortality was 8%. The causes of death were cardiac in one, rupture of a remote aneurysm in three, tamponade in one and sepsis in three. After multivariate analysis, no single factor emerged as a risk factor for hospital mortality. Permanent and transient neurologic dysfunction occurred in 4 and 2%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed the operative period before 1990 (P=0.029) and emergency (P=0.018) as significant factors for postoperative neurologic dysfunction; after stepwise logistic regression analysis, only emergent operation retained significance (P=0.005). Permanent hoarseness, total atrioventricular block requiring pacemaker implantation and re-thoracotomy for bleeding occurred in 17, 2 and 30%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The first step in the repair of a mega aorta, the implantation of an ET, can be performed with a low mortality and an acceptable morbidity. The risk of central neurologic damage is higher in emergency interventions.