Surgical management of aortic regurgitation secondary to Behcet's disease.

Background: Aortic regurgitation (AR) related to Behcet's disease (BD) is rare, but usually fatal. Perivalvular leakage (PVL) is high if AR related to BD treated with regular AVR. In this study, we report the surgical management of AR secondary to BD. Methods: Between September 2017 and April 2022, 38 patients with AR secondary to Behcet's disease had surgery in our center. 17 patients did not have a BD diagnosis before surgery, 2 of them were diagnosed during surgery and received Bentall procedure. The remaining 15 patients received conventional AVR. 21 patients were diagnosed as BD before surgery, all of them received modified Bentall procedures. All patients were followed up by regular outpatient visits, transthoracic echocardiogram and CT angiography were performed to evaluate the aorta and aortic valve. Results: Seventeen patients did not have a BD diagnosis at the time of surgery. Out of them, 15 patients received conventional AVR, and a total of 13 patients suffered PVL after surgery. Twenty-one patients had a BD diagnosis before surgery. They received modified Bentall procedures and IST and steroids were given both pre- and post-surgery. In this group treated with Bentall procedure no patient suffered PVL during follow up. Conclusions: PVL is a complex scenario after conventional AVR for AR in BD. Modified Bentall procedure seems superior to isolated AVR in these cases. The use of IST and steroids before and after surgery in combination with modified Bentall procedure could have a role in effectively reducing PVL.

Massive Bleeding After Surgical Repair in Acute Type A Aortic Dissection Patients: Risk Factors, Outcomes, and the Predicting Model.

Background: Massive bleeding throughout aortic repair in acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) patients is a common but severe condition that can cause multiple serious clinical problems. Here, we report our findings regarding risk factors, short-term outcomes, and predicting model for massive bleeding in ATAAD patients who underwent emergent aortic repair. Methods: A universal definition of perioperative bleeding (UDPB) class 3 and 4 were used to define massive bleeding and comprehensively evaluate patients. A total of 402 consecutive patients were enrolled in this retrospective study during 2019. Surgical strategies used to perform aortic arch procedures included total arch and hemiarch replacements. In each criterion, patients with massive bleeding were compared with remaining patients. Multivariable regression analyses were used to identify independent risk factors for massive bleeding. Logistic regression was used to build the model, and the model was evaluated with its discrimination and calibration. Results: Independent risk factors for massive bleeding included male sex (OR = 6.493, P < 0.001), elder patients (OR = 1.029, P = 0.05), low body mass index (BMI) (OR = 0.879, P = 0.003), emergent surgery (OR = 3.112, P = 0.016), prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass time (OR = 1.012, P = 0.002), lower hemoglobin levels (OR = 0.976, P = 0.002), increased D-dimer levels (OR = 1.000, P = 0.037), increased fibrin degradation products (OR = 1.019, P = 0.008), hemiarch replacement (OR = 5.045, P = 0.037), total arch replacement (OR = 14.405, P = 0.004). The early-stage mortality was higher in massive bleeding group (15.9 vs. 3.9%, P = 0.001). The predicting model showed a well discrimination (AUC = 0.817) and calibration (χ2 = 5.281, P = 0.727 > 0.05). Conclusion: Massive bleeding in ATAAD patients who underwent emergent aortic repair is highly associated with gender, emergent surgery, increased D-dimer levels, longer CPB time, anemia, and use of a complex surgical strategy. Since massive bleeding may lead to worse outcomes, surgeons should choose suitable surgical strategies in patients who are at a high risk of massive bleeding.

Risk Factors for Mortality in Patients with Aortoesophageal Fistula Related to Aortic Lesions.

OBJECTIVE: Aortoesophageal fistula (AEF) related to aortic aneurysm and dissection is an uncommon but life-threatening condition. We performed a systematic review of risk factors for mortality and factors associated with the prognosis of AEF. METHODS: A systematic search of the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases was performed. Clinical characteristics, diagnostic methods, and treatments were assessed in terms of their ability to predict mortality. RESULTS: The systematic review identified 184 eligible articles including 219 patients with AEF. Multivariable Cox regression revealed positive correlations of hemorrhagic shock (hazard ratio (HR): 1.824, 95% CI: 1.217-2.735, P = 0.004), sepsis (HR: 1.714, 95% CI: 1.112-2.641, P = 0.015), multiorgan failure (HR: 3.060, 95% CI: 1.470-6.368, P = 0.003), and conservative treatment (HR: 5.257, 95% CI: 3.405-8.116, P < 0.001) with mortality and a negative correlation between combination therapy (aortic graft replacement and esophagectomy) and mortality (HR: 0.319, 95% CI: 0.125-0.813, P = 0.017). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the 1-year cumulative survival rate was 42.5 ± 3.8%. The overall fistula-related mortality rate was 47.0% (103/219). The most common causes of death were bleeding (54.9%) and infection (29.2%). CONCLUSIONS: We found that hemorrhagic shock, sepsis, and multiorgan failure were risk factors for death in patients with AEF. Additionally, conservative treatment was associated with a higher rate of mortality, while combined aortic graft replacement and esophagectomy improved the prognosis.

One-stage hybrid procedure for distal aortic arch disease: mid-term experience at a single center.

BACKGROUND: This study analyzes the outcomes of a one-stage hybrid procedure combining thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) with extra-anatomic bypass in patients with distal aortic arch disease. METHODS: This retrospective study collected 103 hybrid procedures combining TEVAR with extra-anatomic bypass (mean age, 62.2±9.3 years; 90 males) performed from January 2009 to January 2019 at Beijing Anzhen Hospital. We analyzed 30-day and mid-term outcomes including survival rate and the incidence of stroke, spinal cord injury (SCI), and endoleak. RESULTS: Five deaths (4.6%) occurred within 30 days, including type I endoleak in Zone 1 (n=1), hemorrhagic shock (n=1), stroke (n=2), and stent migration (n=1). Two patients developed SCI. The median follow-up time was 39.5 (interquartile range, 13.6-69.0) months. In all, 14 late deaths occurred; these were due to stroke (n=2), severe pneumonia (n=1), aortic rupture caused by type I endoleak (n=3), and sudden death (n=8). Six late endoleaks occurred including three type I and one type II in Zone 1 and two type I in Zone 2. In a competing risks analysis, the incidences of reintervention at 7 years, late death, and survival without reintervention were 8%, 22%, and 70%, respectively. In a Cox risk model, stroke (HR, 21.602; 95% CI: 2.798-166.796; P=0.003) was the only risk factor for 30-day mortality. Stroke (HR, 19.484; 95% CI: 5.245-72.380; P<0.001), SCI (HR, 15.548; 95% CI: 2.754-87.786; P=0.002), and endoleak (HR, 4.626; 95% CI: 1.068-20.040; P=0.041) were independent risk factors for long-term mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The one-stage hybrid procedure provides acceptable mid-term results with good mid-term patency of extra-anatomic bypass. Strict selection of patients suitable for hybrid repair can effectively improve the survival rate and reduce the incidence of complications. At the same time, close follow-up patients should receive close long-term follow-up after hybrid procedure.

Eighty-six cases of laparoscopic vaginoplasty using an ileal segment.

BACKGROUND: The surgical management of the absence of the vagina is a complex problem and constitutes a significant technical challenge. As the laparoscopy has been an important tool for the treatment of uterovaginal anomalies, we evaluated the feasibility of laparoscopic vaginoplasty using an ileal segment retrospectively. METHODS: Totally 86 patients who underwent laparoscopic vaginoplasty using an ileal segment in Beijing Anzhen Hospital during February 2004 to July 2007 were enrolled in this study. Of the 86 patients, 70 (81.4%) underwent primary operations and 16 (18.6%) secondary operations. Nineteen (22.1%) patients underwent total laparoscopic vaginoplasty and 67 (77.9%) patients underwent laparoscope-assisted vaginoplasty. The operation time, cost of hospitalization, and hospital duration were compared between the two laparoscopic groups. The Student's t test and the Mann-Whitney test were used to examine the differences. RESULTS: All the surgeries were successfully completed with no any intraoperative complication. There were three major surgical complications in the postoperative period: one case of intra-abdominal hemorrhage, one case of meatal stenosis, and one case of intestinal obstruction. The mean follow-up period of this series was 18 months. Seventy-eight patients were satisfied with their sexual lives after the surgeries except 5 women complaining of vaginal stenosis and 3 with no sexual partner during the follow-up. Significant differences were obtained between total laparoscopic and laparoscope-assisted vaginoplasty groups, such as the operation time, cost of hospitalization, and hospital duration (P < 0.01). There were no significant differences in sexual function between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The laparoscopic vaginoplasty using an ileal segment is satisfactory for cosmetic, functional, and anatomic results. Vaginoplasty with an ileal segment, performed by either total laparoscopic or laparoscope-assisted techniques, has a high success rate for a functional vagina.