The Year in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia: Selected Highlights From 2023.

This special article is the 16th in an annual series for the Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia. The authors thank the editor-in-chief, Dr. Kaplan, and the editorial board for the opportunity to continue this series, namely the research highlights of the past year in the specialty of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesiology. The major themes selected for 2023 are outlined in this introduction, and each highlight is reviewed in detail in the main article. The literature highlights in the specialty for 2023 begin with an update on perioperative rehabilitation in cardiothoracic surgery, with a focus on novel methods to best assess patients in the preoperative and postoperative periods, and the impact of rehabilitation on outcomes. The second major theme is focused on cardiac surgery, with the authors discussing new insights into inhaled pulmonary vasodilators, coronary revascularization surgery, and discussion of causes of coronary graft failure after surgery. The third theme is focused on cardiothoracic transplantation, with discussions focusing on bridge-to-transplantation strategies. The fourth theme is focused on mechanical circulatory support, with discussions focusing on both temporary and durable support. The fifth and final theme is an update on medical cardiology, with a focus on outcomes of invasive approaches to heart disease. The themes selected for this article are only a few of the diverse advances in the specialty during 2023. These highlights will inform the reader of key updates on various topics, leading to improved perioperative outcomes for patients with cardiothoracic and vascular disease.

Update in lung transplantation: anesthetic considerations.

The field of lung transplantation (LTx) has expanded rapidly since its inception in the early 1960s with the work of James Hardy and colleagues at the University of Mississippi from the work of local single specialty physicians into an international multidisciplinary specialty. Advancements throughout the next several decades have led to the completion of over 70,000 lung transplants worldwide. The unique challenges presented by patients with end-stage lung disease have both evolved and remained consistent since then, yet these challenges are being answered with major improvements and advancements in perioperative care in the 21st century. The current practice of LTx medicine is fundamentally multidisciplinary, and members of the LTx team includes surgeons, physicians, and allied health staff. The integration of anesthesiologists into the LTx team as well as the multidisciplinary nature of LTx necessitates anesthetic considerations to be closely incorporated into emerging surgical, medical, and systems techniques for patient care. This review discusses a host of emerging strategies across the spectrum of LTx, including efforts to expand the donor pool, utilization of perioperative extracorporeal life support, perioperative echocardiography, and anesthetic techniques to mitigate primary graft dysfunction that have all contributed to improved long term outcomes in LTx patients.

Outcomes of Lung Transplantation in Patients With Combined Pulmonary Fibrosis and Emphysema: A Single-Center Experience.

BACKGROUND: Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) is a distinct clinical entity that can progress to end-stage lung disease. Patients with CPFE may develop pulmonary hypertension and face a predicted 1-year mortality of 60%. Lung transplantation is the only curative therapeutic option for CPFE. This report describes our experience after lung transplantation in patients with CPFE. METHODS: This retrospective, single-center study describes short- and long-term outcomes for adult patients who underwent lung transplant for CPFE. RESULTS: The study included 19 patients with explant pathology-proven diagnosis of CPFE. The patients were transplanted between July 2005 and December 2018. Sixteen recipients (84%) had pulmonary hypertension before transplant. Of the 19 patients, 7 (37%) had primary graft dysfunction at 72 hours post-transplant. 1-, 3-, and 5-year freedom from bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome was 100%, 91% (95% CI, 75%-100%), and 82% (95% CI, 62%-100%), respectively. One-, 3-, and 5-year survival was 94% (95% CI, 84%-100%), 82% (95% CI, 65%-100%), and 74% (95% CI, 54%-100%), respectively. CONCLUSION: Our experience demonstrates the safety and feasibility of lung transplant for patients with CPFE. Significant morbidity and mortality without lung transplant coupled with favorable post-transplant outcomes merit prioritization of CPFE in the Lung Allocation Score algorithm for lung transplant candidacy.

The Year in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia: Selected Highlights from 2022.

This special article is the 15th in an annual series for the Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia. The authors thank the editor-in-chief Dr. Kaplan and the editorial board for the opportunity to continue this series, namely the research highlights of the past year in the specialties of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesiology. The major themes selected for 2022 are outlined in this introduction, and each highlight is reviewed in detail in the main body of the article. The literature highlights, in the specialties for 2022, begin with an update on COVID-19 therapies, with a focus on the temporal updates in a wide range of therapies, progressing from medical to the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and, ultimately, with lung transplantation in this high-risk group. The second major theme is focused on medical cardiology, with the authors discussing new insights into the life cycle of coronary disease, heart failure treatments, and outcomes related to novel statin therapy. The third theme is focused on mechanical circulatory support, with discussions focusing on both right-sided and left-sided temporary support outcomes and the optimal timing of deployment. The fourth and final theme is an update on cardiac surgery, with a discussion of the diverse aspects of concomitant valvular surgery and the optimal approach to procedural treatment for coronary artery disease. The themes selected for this 15th special article are only a few of the diverse advances in the specialties during 2022. These highlights will inform the reader of key updates on a variety of topics, leading to the improvement of perioperative outcomes for patients with cardiothoracic and vascular disease.

Perioperative Circulatory Support and Management for Lung Transplantation: A Case-Based Review.

Lung transplantation (LTx) historically was performed with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) or Off-pump. Recent data suggest an increased interest in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as perioperative circulatory support by many lung transplantation centers worldwide. However, there are no established guidelines for anesthetic management for LTx. We present a patient with a history of systemic sclerosis and interstitial lung disease complicated by acute onset of systemic pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure undergoing LTx. We aim to discuss perioperative circulatory support, including ECMO bridge to LTx, and how best to consider the varied intraoperative strategies of CPB vs ECMO vs off-pump during LTx, intraoperative maintenance, and coagulation management.

Initial experience and outcomes with a hybrid extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and cardiopulmonary bypass circuit for lung transplantation.

Background: The utilization of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) for intraoperative support during lung transplantation has increased over the past decade. Although veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) has recently emerged as the preferred modality over cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), many centers continue to use both forms of ECLS during lung transplantation. Our novel hybrid VA-ECMO/CPB circuit allows for seamless transition from VA-ECMO to CPB at a significant cost savings compared to a standalone VA-ECMO circuit. This study describes our initial experience and outcomes in the first 100 bilateral lung transplantations using this novel hybrid VA-ECMO/CPB circuit. Methods: Medical records from September 2017 to May 2021 of the first 100 consecutive patients undergoing bilateral lung transplantation with intraoperative hybrid VA-ECMO support were examined retrospectively. We excluded patients with single lung transplants, retransplantations, preoperative ECLS bridging, and veno-venous (VV) ECMO and those supported with CPB only. Perioperative recipient, anesthetic, perfusion variables, and outcomes were assessed. Results: Of the 100 patients supported with VA-ECMO, 19 were converted intraoperatively to CPB. Right ventricular dysfunction was seen in 37% of patients, and the median mean pulmonary artery pressure was 28 mm Hg. No oxygenator clotting was observed with a median heparin dose of 13,000 units in the VA-ECMO group. Primary graft dysfunction grade 3 at 72 hours was observed in 10.1% of all patients and observed 1-year mortality was 4%. Conclusions: The use of a hybrid VA-ECMO/CPB circuit in our institution allows for rapid conversion to CPB with acceptable outcomes across a diverse recipient group at a significantly reduced cost compared to standalone VA-ECMO circuits.

Intraoperative Epicardial Ultra-High Frequency Ultrasound in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Surgery.

The use of intraoperative epicardial ultrasound in order to aid physicians and surgeons in open cardiac surgery has been established for quite some time. Recently, the development of ultra-high frequency ultrasound (UFHUS), 50-70 megahertz (MHz) technology has resulted in high-resolution imaging capabilities previously unavailable for clinical use. This report is the first to describe the use of intraoperative UFHUS epicoronary scanning to assess coronary anatomy and visualize cardioplegia flow within native coronary vessels.

Multidisciplinary Approach for Lung Transplantation due to COVID-19.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel etiology of end-stage lung disease, has resulted in major disruptions to the process of health care delivery worldwide. These disruptions have led to team-based innovations globally, resulting in a broad range of new processes in cardiopulmonary perioperative management. A key intersection of multidisciplinary teamwork and COVID-19 is found in lung transplantation, in which diverse teams collaborate throughout the perioperative period to achieve optimal outcomes. In this article, we describe the multidisciplinary approach taken by Mayo clinic in Florida to manage patients with COVID-19 presenting for lung transplantation.

The Year in Cardiothoracic Transplant Anesthesia: Selected Highlights From 2020 Part I - Lung Transplantation.

This special article focuses on the highlights in cardiothoracic transplantation literature in the year 2020. Part I encompasses the recent literature on lung transplantation, including the advances in preoperative assessment and optimization, donor management, including the use of ex-vivo lung perfusion, recipient management, including those who have been infected with coronavirus disease 2019, updates on the perioperative management, including the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and long-term outcomes.

The Year in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia: Selected Highlights from 2021.

This special article is the fourteenth in an annual series for the Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia. The authors thank the Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Kaplan, and the editorial board for the opportunity to continue this series; namely, the research highlights of the past year in the specialty of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesiology. The major themes selected for 2021 are outlined in this introduction, and each highlight is reviewed in detail in the main body of the article. The literature highlights in the specialty for 2021 begin with an update on structural heart disease, with a focus on updates in arrhythmia and aortic valve disorders. The second major theme is an update on coronary artery disease, with discussion of both medical and procedural management. The third major theme is focused on the perioperative management of patients with COVID-19, with the authors highlighting literature discussing the impact of the disease on the right ventricle and thromboembolic events. The fourth and final theme is an update in heart failure, with discussion of diverse aspects of this area. The themes selected for this fourteenth special article are only a few of the diverse advances in the specialty during 2021. These highlights will inform the reader of key updates on a variety of topics, leading to improvement of perioperative outcomes for patients with cardiothoracic and vascular disease.

Practical considerations for developing a lung transplantation anesthesiology program.

The advancement in lung transplantation outcomes has been secondary to ongoing improvements within multiple medical specialties. The recent emergence of literature describing the impact of anesthetic management on perioperative outcomes has led to the beginnings of formalized training fellowships within lung transplantation anesthesiology. Practical considerations for the development of a lung transplantation anesthesiology program, both clinical and educational, are herein described.

Pericardiectomy for Constrictive Pericarditis: Analysis of Outcomes.

Constrictive pericarditis is caused by pericardial inflammation and fibrosis, leading to diastolic heart failure. The diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion because it often can mimic restrictive myocardial disease and cardiac tamponade and can be associated with severe tricuspid regurgitation and chronic liver disease. Patients who remain undiagnosed can experience a 90% mortality rate, and for those who undergo pericardiectomy, the survival rate varies significantly, depending on the underlying etiology and preoperative functional class of the patient. In this article, the authors review the pathophysiology, echocardiographic findings, management, and surgical outcomes of constrictive pericarditis to aid the cardiothoracic anesthesiologist in the perioperative management of this disorder.

Anesthetic considerations in lung transplantation: past, present and future.

Lung transplantation is a very complex surgical procedure with many implications for the anesthetic care of these patients. Comprehensive preoperative evaluation is an important component of the transplant evaluation as it informs many of the decisions made perioperatively to manage these complex patients effectively and appropriately. These decisions may involve pre-emptive actions like pre-habilitation and nutrition optimization of these patients before they arrive for their transplant procedure. Appropriate airway and ventilation management of these patients needs to be performed in a manner that provides an optimal operating conditions and protection from ventilatory injury of these fragile post-transplant lungs. Pain management can be challenging and should be managed in a multi-modal fashion with or without the use of an epidural catheter while recognizing the risk of neuraxial technique in patients who will possibly be systemically anticoagulated. Complex monitoring is required for these patients involving both invasive and non-invasive including the use of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and continuous cardiac output monitoring. Management of the patient's hemodynamics can be challenging and involves managing the systemic and pulmonary vascular systems. Some patients may require extra-corporeal lung support as a planned part of the procedure or as a rescue technique and centers need to be proficient in instituting and managing this sophisticated method of hemodynamic support.

The Year in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia: Selected Highlights from 2020.

THIS SPECIAL article is the 13th in an annual series for the Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia. The authors thank the editor-in-chief, Dr Kaplan, and the editorial board for the opportunity to continue this series; namely, the research highlights of the past year in the specialty of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesiology.1 The major themes selected for 2020 are outlined in this introduction, and each highlight is reviewed in detail in the main body of the article. The literature highlights in the specialty for 2020 begin with an update on valvular disease, with a focus on updates in management of aortic and mitral valve disorders. The second major theme is an update on coronary artery disease, with discussion of both medical and surgical management. The third major theme is focused on the perioperative management of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), with the authors highlighting literature discussing medical, surgical, and anesthetic considerations for their cardiac care. The fourth major theme is an update in heart failure, with discussion of medical, psychosocial, and procedural aspects of this complicated disease process. The fifth and final theme focuses on the latest analyses regarding survival in heart transplantation. The themes selected for this 13th special article are only a few of the diverse advances in the specialty during 2020. These highlights will inform the reader of key updates on a variety of topics, leading to improvement of perioperative outcomes for patients with cardiothoracic and vascular disease.