Long-term outcomes of isolated mechanical versus bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement in different age groups of propensity-matched patients.

OBJECTIVES: Prothesis choice in isolated mitral valve replacement for patients aged 75 years or younger remains debated as most studies comparing prothesis type have included large proportions of combined operations and benefits are influenced by concomitant procedures. This study compared long-term outcomes of isolated mechanical versus bioprosthetic mitral valves in different age groups of propensity-matched populations. METHODS: This is a retrospective, multicentre, propensity-matched observational study. Baseline characteristics, operative details and long-term outcomes (mortality and freedom from surgical/transcatheter reintervention) were collected. RESULTS: Totally, 1536 isolated mitral valve replacements (806 mechanical, 730 bioprosthetic) were performed between 2000 and 2017. Over 90% of eligible patients successfully underwent propensity matching, yielding 226 each of mechanical and bioprosthetic valves in patients aged <65 years and 171 each of bioprosthetic and mechanical valves in patients aged 65-75 years with median follow-up of 13 years (maximum 20 years). In matched patients <65 years, 10-year survival was superior with mechanical valves versus bioprosthetic valves (78.2% vs 69.8%, P = 0.029), as was 10-year freedom from reintervention (96.2% vs 81.3%, P < 0.001). For matched patients between 65 and 75 years, there were no differences between mechanical and bioprosthetic valves in 10-year survival (64.6% vs 60.8%, P = 0.86) or 10-year freedom from reintervention (94.0% vs 97.2%, P = 0.23). Rates of post-operative stroke, gastrointestinal bleeding, renal failure and permanent pacemaker insertion were similar. CONCLUSIONS: In patients requiring isolated mitral valve replacement, mechanical valves confer significantly better long-term survival and freedom from reintervention for patients <65 years, while no benefit is observed at age 65-75 years compared to bioprosthetic valves.

Successful thrombolysis of early bioprosthetic mitral valve thrombosis following extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: Case report.

Introduction: Bioprosthetic mitral valve thrombosis (BPMVT) following post-operative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a rare complication with high mortality.Case Report: A 75-year-old man with a flail posterior mitral leaflet underwent a bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement and was subsequently placed on central veno-arterial high flow ECMO following intractable shock after protamine administration. He developed BPMVT over the following 48 hr, which did not resolve with 3 weeks of systemic heparin. He was then treated successfully with 3 days of continuous low dose (1 mg/hr) Tissue Plasminogen Activator (TPA). He suffered no bleeding consequences and had a complete cardiac and end-organ recovery.Discussion: Slow TPA infusion may be an acceptable treatment strategy for alleviating thrombotic burden from a bioprosthetic valve, even in the post-operative setting.

2023 Update on equity, diversity, and inclusion in Canadian cardiac surgery.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Despite efforts to diversify the medical field, cardiac surgery remains amongst the least diverse specialties. Specifically, the percentage of women and racial minorities has remained low in past few decades. This may impact prospective trainee recruitment and surgical care. This paper highlights recent efforts that aim to promote diversity and inclusion of the Canadian cardiac surgical workforce. RECENT FINDINGS: Formal programs have been established to support students at different stages of training. In 2022, the Canadian Society for Cardiac Surgery has released an equity, diversity, and inclusion statement to summarize the current state and the strategic goals to accomplish a more just working environment. At the local level, the University of Toronto Next Surgeon high school pilot program, provided low-income, women, and racial minority students mentorship and experiential exposure to our field. Also, the University of Toronto, scholarships funded summer research with cardiac surgeons for women, as well as Black and Indigenous medical students. SUMMARY: Tangible efforts that target high school, undergraduate, and medical students are underway to promote equity and diversity of cardiac surgeons in Canada. Future studies that evaluate the gaps and identify bottlenecks could better guide interventions at institutions across the country.

Inter- and Intra-rater Reliability of the Checketts' Grading System for Pin-site Infections across All Skin Colours.

The Checketts' grading system (CGS) is the only classification that provides both a description of how to visually grade the infection and the appropriate course of treatment. There are no studies on the reliability of this system nor on whether skin colour can influence applicability. This study aims to determine the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of the CGS to assess whether this scale could be used as a universal grading system across all skin colours. A survey consisting of 134 anonymised photographs of pin-site infections was sent out to orthopaedic surgeons specialising in limb lengthening and reconstruction and to patients or carers of individuals who had external fixators. For each photograph, the participants were asked to grade the infection using the CGS, rate their confidence in their chosen grade on a Likert scale and assign a treatment option. The participants were supplied with the CGS at the beginning of the survey, after the 45th and 90th photographs. The inter-rater reliability of the CGS between the surgeons, expressed as an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), was poor-to-moderate at both time points (ICC = 0.56 for baseline survey and ICC = 0.48 for follow-up). This was similar for the patient or caretaker group. There was a lower inter-rater reliability for grading of dark skin as opposed to light skin by surgeons but not for patients or caretakers. The inter-rater reliability of treatment decisions between the surgeons was poor at both time points (kappa = 0.30 and 0.22) with similar inter-rater reliability for dark (kappa = 0.26 and 0.23) compared with light skin (kappa = 0.29 and 2.6). This was similar for the patient or caretaker group. The surgeons' confidence (Table 4) in grading was low (median = 1). The patient or caretaker group's confidence in their grading was modest (median = 2). The reliability of the CGS as assessed here demonstrates poor-to-moderate inter-rater reliability which makes interpretation of published pin site infection rates using this scale difficult. The design of new grading systems will need to consider skin colour to reduce inequities in medical decision-making. How to cite this article: Groenewoud R, Chhina H, Bone J, et al. Inter- and Intra-rater Reliability of the Checketts' Grading System for Pin Site Infections across All Skin Colours. Strategies Trauma Limb Reconstr 2023;18(1):2-6.

A Proactive Approach for Managing COVID-19: The Importance of Understanding the Motivational Roots of Vaccination Hesitancy for SARS-CoV2.

IMPORTANCE: Vaccination hesitancy-the reluctance or refusal to be vaccinated-is a leading global health threat (World Health Organization, 2019). It is imperative to identify the prevalence of vaccination hesitancy for SARS-CoV2 in order to understand the scope of the problem and to identify its motivational roots in order to proactively prepare to address the problem when a vaccine eventually becomes available. OBJECTIVE: To identify (1) the prevalence of vaccination hesitancy for a SARS-CoV2 vaccine, (2) the motivational roots of this hesitancy, and (3) the most promising incentives for improving the likelihood of vaccination uptake when a vaccine does become available. DESIGN SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A cross-sectional sample of 3,674 American and Canadian adults assessed during the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020. MAIN OUTCOMES: Measures of vaccination intention (i.e., "If a vaccine for COVID-19 was available, would you get vaccinated?"), attitudes toward vaccines in general and specific to SARS-CoV2 using the Vaccination Attitudes Examination Scale, and incentives for getting vaccinated for those who reported they would not get vaccinated. RESULTS: Many American (25%) and Canadian (20%) respondents said that they would not get vaccinated against SARS-CoV2 if a vaccine was available. Non-adherence rates of this magnitude would make it difficult or impossible to achieve herd immunity. Vaccine rejection was most strongly correlated with mistrust of vaccine benefit, and also correlated with worry about unforeseen future effects, concerns about commercial profiteering from pharmaceutical companies, and preferences for natural immunity. When asked about incentives for getting vaccinated, respondents were most likely to report that evidence for rigorous testing and safety of the vaccine were of greatest importance. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Vaccination hesitancy is a major looming problem for COVID-19. To improve vaccine uptake, it is imperative that the vaccine is demonstrated to the public to be rigorously tested and not perceived as rushed or premature in its dissemination.