Treatment decision for transcatheter aortic valve implantation: the role of the heart team : Position statement paper of the Dutch Working Group of Transcatheter Heart Interventions.

The current paper presents a position statement of the Dutch Working Group of Transcatheter Heart Valve Interventions that describes which patients with aortic stenosis should be considered for transcatheter aortic valve implantation and how this treatment proposal/decision should be made. Given the complexity of the disease and the assessment of its severity, in particular in combination with the continuous emergence of new clinical insights and evidence from physiological and randomised clinical studies plus the introduction of novel innovative treatment modalities, the gatekeeper of the treatment proposal/decision and, thus, of qualification for cost reimbursement is the heart team, which consists of dedicated professionals working in specialised centres.

Clinical recognition of acute aortic dissections: insights from a large single-centre cohort study.

AIMS: Acute aortic dissection (AD) requires immediate treatment, but is a diagnostic challenge. We studied how often AD was missed initially, which patients were more likely to be missed and how this influenced patient management and outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study including 200 consecutive patients with AD as the final diagnosis, admitted to a tertiary hospital between 1998 and 2008. The first differential diagnosis was identified and patients with and without AD included were compared. Characteristics associated with a lower level of suspicion were identified using multivariable logistic regression, and Cox regression was used for survival analyses. Missing data were imputed. RESULTS: Mean age was 63 years, 39% were female and 76% had Stanford type A dissection. In 69% of patients, AD was included in the first differential diagnosis; this was less likely in women (adjusted relative risk [aRR]: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.44-0.99), in the absence of back pain (aRR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.30-0.84), and in patients with extracardiac atherosclerosis (aRR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.43-0.96). Absence of AD in the differential diagnosis was associated with the use of more imaging tests (1.8 vs. 2.3, p = 0.01) and increased time from admission to surgery (1.8 vs. 10.1 h, p < 0.01), but not with a difference in the adjusted long-term all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.46-1.27). CONCLUSION: Acute aortic dissection was initially not suspected in almost one-third of patients, this was more likely in women, in the absence of back pain and in patients with extracardiac atherosclerosis. Although the number of imaging tests was higher and time to surgery longer, patient outcomes were similar in both groups.

Diagnostic accuracy of modified transoesophageal echocardiography for pre-incision assessment of aortic atherosclerosis in cardiac surgery patients.

BACKGROUND: Epiaortic ultrasound scanning (EUS) is regarded as the reference standard for detecting atherosclerosis in the ascending aorta (AA). Combined with appropriate surgical modifications, EUS use can significantly reduce the incidence of postoperative stroke when detecting severe AA atherosclerosis. A recently introduced modification of conventional transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE), known as the A-View method, has proven capable of inspecting the distal AA. The objective of this study was to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of modified TOE in assessing atherosclerosis of the distal AA. METHODS: After approval by the institutional medical ethical committee and after obtaining written informed consent, 465 consecutive patients above 65 yr old, undergoing elective cardiac surgery with a median sternotomy, were included. The study followed a cross-sectional diagnostic design. All consecutive patients underwent modified TOE followed by EUS (reference standard) to assess the severity of distal AA atherosclerosis. We constructed contingency tables to compare the presence (and severity) of atherosclerosis, detected by the two techniques. RESULTS: The positive predictive value of modified TOE for the detection of clinically significant atherosclerosis was 67%, and the negative predictive value was 97%. The sensitivity was 95% and the specificity was 79%. One patient suffered a pulmonary haemorrhage, although he recovered without further sequelae. We did not observe any clinical significant haemodynamic or ventilatory effects. CONCLUSIONS: The high negative predictive value and sensitivity show that modified TOE yields adequate diagnostic accuracy for excluding clinically relevant aorta atherosclerosis without significant cardiopulmonary side-effects, provided that the A-View catheter is introduced carefully.

Resolving the blind spot of transoesophageal echocardiography: a new diagnostic device for visualizing the ascending aorta in cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: Atherosclerosis of the ascending aorta (AA) and stroke after cardiac surgery are related. Knowledge of the location of AA-atherosclerosis pre-sternotomy allows changes in surgical strategy to avoid manipulation of the AA. The gold-standard for assessment of AA-atherosclerosis is intraoperative epiaortic ultrasound scanning (EUS). Transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) is unable to detect atherosclerosis in the distal AA due to the 'blind spot'. A new method [A-View (Aortic-view) method] using a fluid-filled catheter may enhance the assessment of distal AA-atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the A-View method indeed visualizes the distal AA and to assess the safety of this technology. METHODS: In a cross-sectional diagnostic study, 41 patients undergoing cardiac surgery including sternotomy underwent the same work-up including TOE, the A-View method, EUS, and routine operative monitoring. RESULTS: With the A-View method, the distal AA was visible in all (100%) patients. There were no clinical important side-effects associated with the use of the A-View catheter; however, in one patient the endotracheal tube was accidentally dislocated leading to a decrease in Sa(O2). Severity of atherosclerosis visualized with the A-View method compared with EUS results showed good agreement between the two methods [Kappa of 0.69 (0.50-0.88)]. The Bland-Altman analysis showed poor agreement in plaque-size measurements (bias 0.05 cm2, limits of agreement - 0.63 to 0.74 cm2). CONCLUSIONS: The A-View method offers a minimally invasive and safe approach to preoperatively resolving the blind spot of TOE. Compared with EUS, the A-View method yielded satisfactory results in the detection of AA-atherosclerosis. The A-View method seems a promising tool for patients undergoing cardiac surgery to direct surgical management.

[A patient with heart failure and a new murmur: not always a valvular problem]. / Een nieuw hartgeruis bij een patiënt met hartfalen: niet altijd een klepafwijking.

A 78-year-old man presented with dyspnoea and a 57-year-old with chest pain. Both had a history of coronary atherosclerosis and were now found to have a cardiac murmur. They proved to have a ventricular septal rupture (VSR) that had not been recognized as such. In the older man, the myocardial infarction that caused the VSR had initially not been recognized and in both men the clinical course was erroneously attributed to heart failure caused by myocardial infarction alone. Both underwent surgical correction of the VSR; the older man died due to postoperative intestinal necrosis, the younger man recovered. Patients with a high cardiac-risk profile, atypical chest pain, symptoms ofdyspnoea and a new specific murmur should be suspected of having a VSR. Early recognition and treatment of VSR may reduce mortality significantly.

Brain death-induced alterations in myocardial workload and high-energy phosphates: a phosphorus 31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy study in the cat.

BACKGROUND: Hemodynamic deterioration resulting from brain death-induced myocardial left ventricular dysfunction may preclude heart donation. A reduced myocardial high-energy phosphate content, assessed by biopsy specimens, has been suggested to be responsible for this phenomenon. By applying phosphorus 31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy, in vivo myocardial high-energy phosphate metabolism can be studied continuously. METHODS: Twelve cats were sedated, intubated, ventilated, and studied for 240 minutes. Heart rate, arterial blood pressure, and arterial blood gases were monitored. Central venous pressure was kept constant. Myocardial work was expressed as rate-pressure product (RPP=heart rate x systolic arterial blood pressure). After sternotomy a radio frequency surface coil was positioned onto the left ventricle. A parietal trephine hole was drilled, and an inflatable balloon was inserted. The animal was placed into a 4.7 T horizontal 40 cm bore magnet interfaced to a spectrometer. Brain death (n=6) was induced by rapid inflation of the balloon; the six other cats served as a sham-operated control group. 31P spectra were obtained in 30 seconds, with ventilation and arterial blood pressure curve triggering. The phosphocreatine/to/adenosine triphosphate ratio, as an estimator of energy metabolism, was calculated. RESULTS: Brain death was established within 30 seconds after inflation of the balloon. Changes in RPP were characterized by a triphasic profile with a maximum increase from 19.3+/-1.4 x 10(3) to 87.5+/-8.1 x 10(3) mm Hg x min(-1) (p < .0001 vs control group) at 2 minutes after inflation of the balloon. Subsequently, RPP decreased and was normalized at 15 minutes after inflation. The third phase was characterized by hemodynamic deterioration, which became significant at 180 minutes and resulted in mean arterial pressure of 71+/-12 mm Hg (p < .05 vs control group) at the end of the experimental period. RPP deteriorated to 14.6+/-2.0 x 10(3) mm Hg x min(-1) (p < .05 vs control group) at 240 minutes. Because the heart rate remained constant during the third phase, the decrease in RPP was caused by a decrease in systolic arterial blood pressure. The initial phosphocreatine/adenosine triphosphate ratio of 1.65+/-0.16 varied to 1.52+/-0.06 at 2 minutes, and to 1.73 +/-0.17 (all values NS vs control group and vs initial ratio) at 240 minutes. CONCLUSIONS: The energy status of the heart is not affected by brain death. Therefore brain death-induced hemodynamic deterioration is not caused by impaired myocardial high-energy phosphate metabolism.

Mitral valve repair-related hemolysis: a report of two cases.

Two patients are described who suffered from progressive intravascular hemolysis following different kinds of reconstructive surgery of the mitral valve. Within the context of increasing numbers of operations aimed to preserve the mitral valve, the importance and difficulty of prompt recognition and adequate treatment of this very uncommon but potential lethal complication are emphasised.