Evolution of pulmonary valve reconstruction with focused review of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene handmade valves.

OBJECTIVES: Many surgeons develop unique techniques for unmet needs for right ventricular outflow reconstruction to resolve pulmonary regurgitation after corrective surgery for congenital heart diseases. Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) stands out as a reliable synthetic material, and clinical results with handmade ePTFE valves have been promising. This review focuses on the historical evolution of the use of ePTFE in pulmonary valve replacement and in the techniques for pioneering the translation of the handmade ePTFE trileaflet design for the transcatheter approach. METHODS: We searched for and reviewed publications from 1990 to 2020 in the Pubmed database. Nineteen clinical studies from 2005 to 2019 that focused on ePTFE-based valves were summarized. The evolution of the ePTFE-based valve over 3 decades and recent relevant in vitro studies were investigated. RESULTS: The average freedom from reintervention or surgery in the recorded ePTFE-based valve population was 90.2% at 5 years, and the survival rate was 96.7% at 3 years. CONCLUSIONS: Non-inferior clinical results of this ePTFE handmade valve were revealed compared to allograft or xenograft options for pulmonary valve replacement. Future investigations on transferring ePTFE trileaflet design to transcatheter devices should be considered.

The Effect of Haemodialysis Access Types on Cardiac Performance and Morbidities in Patients with Symptomatic Heart Disease.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about whether the arteriovenous type haemodialysis access affects cardiac function and whether it is still advantageous to the uremic patient with symptomatic heart disease. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective comparative study. Patients with heart disease and end-stage renal disease that had a new chronic access created between January 2007 and December 2008 and met the inclusion criteria were assessed. The endpoint was major adverse event (MAE)-free survivals of arteriovenous access (AVA) and tunneled cuffed double-lumen central venous catheter (CVC) groups. Whether accesses worsened heart failure was also evaluated. RESULTS: There were 43 CVC patients and 60 AVA patients. The median follow-up time from access creation was 27.6 months (IQR 34.7, 10.9~45.6). Although CVC patients were older than AVA patients (median age 78.0, IQR 14.0 vs. 67.5, IQR 16.0, respectively, p = .009), they manifested non-inferior MAE-free survival (mean 17.1, 95% CI 10.3~24.0 vs. 12.9, 95% CI 8.5~17.4 months in CVC and AVA patients, respectively, p = .290). During follow-up, more patients in the AVA group than in the CVC group deteriorated in heart failure status (35 of 57 vs. 10 of 42, respectively, odds ratio 5.1, p < .001). Preoperative-postoperative pairwise comparison of echocardiographic scans revealed an increased number of abnormal findings in the AVA group (Z = 3.91, p < .001), but not in the CVC group. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with both symptomatic heart disease and end stage renal disease (ESRD), CVC patients showed non-inferior MAE-free survival in comparison to those in the AVA group. AV type access could deteriorate heart failure. Accordingly, uremic patients with symptomatic heart disease are not ideal candidates for AV type access creation.