Heart Transplantation from COVID-19-Positive Donors: A Word of Caution.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, efforts to maintain solid-organ transplantation have continued, including the use of SARS-CoV-2-positive heart donors. METHODS: We present our institution's initial experience with SARS-CoV-2-positive heart donors. All donors met our institution's Transplant Center criteria, including a negative bronchoalveolar lavage polymerase chain reaction result. All but 1 patient received postexposure prophylaxis with anti-spike monoclonal antibody therapy, remdesivir, or both. RESULTS: A total of 6 patients received a heart transplant from a SARS-CoV-2-positive donor. One heart transplant was complicated by catastrophic secondary graft dysfunction requiring venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and retransplant. The remaining 5 patients did well postoperatively and were discharged from the hospital. None of the patients had evidence of COVID-19 infection after surgery. CONCLUSION: Heart transplants from SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction-positive donors are feasible and safe with adequate screening and postexposure prophylaxis.

Off pump surgical epicardial closure of left anterior descending to pulmonary artery fistula.

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery fistulae (CAF) are rare anomalies. Left anterior descending(LAD) to Pulmonary artery (PA) CAF, represent a minority of cases. Large fistulas, create a significant shunt and a "steal phenomenon", and can lead to myocardial ischemia and heart failure (HF) if left untreated. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a 57 years old female with a large LAD to PA fistulae. Given the rare occurrence and the predominance of low shunt of LAD to PA CAF, this case is functionally exceptional in this fistulae variant, causing a significant shunt which resulted in daily cardiac ischemic chest pain. Diagnosis work up included a nuclear stress test, Coronary Angiography and 3-D Coronary Computed Tomography Angiogram (CCTA). Traditionally, surgery has been the main therapy for symptomatic CAF, but transcatheter closure has emerged as a less invasive strategy and is a valuable alternative or even preferable if no associated cardiac conditions are present, provided the anatomical characteristics of the fistulae are appropriate. The surgical approach includes off pump epicardial interruption of the fistula or closure through a cardiac chamber (trans-cameral) or transpulmonary, or epicardial closure using Cardiopulmonary bypass. Caution must be taken in cases of CAF with Coronary Artery (CA) aneurysm in dominant CA, or drainage into the Coronary Sinus, as the possibility of ischemic complications are higher. Due to anatomical considerations and tortuosity of the fistulae, our patient was considered not amenable for percutaneous closure and surgery was opted. Epicardial closure of the fistula was performed on a beating heart, off pump. Outcome was favorable with complete resolution of ischemic symptoms. CONCLUSION: Symptomatic, high shunt CAF must be interrupted. The presence of daily ischemic symptoms in our case report patient, is worth to be remarked. Alternatives for fistulae closure are transcatheter or surgery, depending on anatomic variables and the presence of associated cardiac conditions. Surgical epicardial closure of LAD to PA fistulae variant can be done with very low mortality and morbidity, but other variants with coronary aneurysm, drainage in the coronary sinus or other concomitant cardiac defects, may result in ischemic complications and higher perioperative mortality and worse long- term outcome.

Feocromocitoma cardíaco / Cardiac pheochromocytoma

Los feocromocitomas cardíacos primarios (FCP) son sumamente infrecuentes. Hasta el presente son menos de 50 los casos comunicados en el mundo. Presentamos el caso de un tumor intrapericárdico, que resultó ser un feocromocitoma primario, en una mujer de mediana edad, cuyo signo principal fue hipertensión arterial severa(HTAs). Los estudios diagnósticos por imágenes corroboraron la presencia de un tumor intrapericárdico como único hallazgo y los estudios bioquímicos de catecolaminas y sus metabolitos excretados por orina reafirmaron el diagnóstico etiológico. El tumor fue resecado quirúrgicamente sin complicaciones mediante cirugía cardíaca convencional con circulaciónextracorpórea (CEC) y paro cardíaco con cardioplejía. Siete meses después de la operación, la paciente se encuentra asintomática y normotensa.

Feocromocitoma cardíaco / Cardiac pheochromocytoma

Los feocromocitomas cardíacos primarios (FCP) son sumamente infrecuentes. Hasta el presente son menos de 50 los casos comunicados en el mundo. Presentamos el caso de un tumor intrapericárdico, que resultó ser un feocromocitoma primario, en una mujer de mediana edad, cuyo signo principal fue hipertensión arterial severa(HTAs). Los estudios diagnósticos por imágenes corroboraron la presencia de un tumor intrapericárdico como único hallazgo y los estudios bioquímicos de catecolaminas y sus metabolitos excretados por orina reafirmaron el diagnóstico etiológico. El tumor fue resecado quirúrgicamente sin complicaciones mediante cirugía cardíaca convencional con circulaciónextracorpórea (CEC) y paro cardíaco con cardioplejía. Siete meses después de la operación, la paciente se encuentra asintomática y normotensa. (AU)