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Journal of Cardiac Surgery Nov 2022Although concomitant pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is used more frequently than the Cox-Maze procedure, which is currently the gold standard treatment for atrial... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Although concomitant pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is used more frequently than the Cox-Maze procedure, which is currently the gold standard treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF), data on the comparative effectiveness of the two procedures after concomitant mitral valve (MV) surgery are still limited.
OBJECTIVE
We conducted a systematic review to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies comparing the mid-term mortality and recurrence of AF after concomitant Cox-Maze and PVI in patients with AF undergoing MV surgery based on 12-month follow-up.
METHODS
Medline, EMBASE databases, and the Cochrane Library were searched from 1987 up to March 2022 for studies comparing concomitant Cox-Maze and PVI. Additionally, a meta-analysis of RCTs was performed to compare the mid-term clinical outcomes between these two surgical ablation techniques.
RESULTS
Three RCTs and three observational studies meeting the inclusion criteria were included in this systematic review with 790 patients in total (532 concomitant Cox-Maze and 258 PVI during MV surgery). Most studies reported that the concomitant Cox-Maze procedure was associated with higher freedom from AF at 12-month follow-up than PVI. Regarding AF recurrence, estimates pooled across the three RCTs indicated large heterogeneity and high uncertainty. In the largest and highest quality RCT, 12-month AF recurrence was higher in the PVI arm (risk ratio = 1.58, 95% CI: 0.91-2.73). In two out of three higher-quality observational studies, 12-month AF recurrence was higher in PVI than in the Cox-Maze arm (estimated adjusted probabilities 11% vs. 8% and 35% vs. 17%, respectively). RCTs demonstrated comparable 12-month mortality between concomitant Cox-Maze and PVI, while observational studies demonstrated the survival benefit of Cox-Maze.
CONCLUSIONS
Concomitant Cox-Maze in AF patients undergoing MV surgery is associated with better mid-term freedom from AF when compared to PVI with comparable mid-term survival. Large observational studies suggest that there might be a mid-term survival benefit among patients after concomitant Cox-Maze. Further large RCTs with longer standardized follow-up are required to clarify the benefits of concomitant Cox-Maze in AF patients during MV surgery.
Topics: Atrial Fibrillation; Catheter Ablation; Humans; Maze Procedure; Mitral Valve; Pulmonary Veins; Recurrence; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 36040710
DOI: 10.1111/jocs.16888 -
Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 2022To evaluate the efficacy and safety of different surgical strategies to preserve pulmonary valve function. Surgical procedures evaluated include intraoperative balloon...
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of different surgical strategies to preserve pulmonary valve function. Surgical procedures evaluated include intraoperative balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty (IBPV), pulmonary valve reconstruction, and commissurotomy and pulmonary cusp augmentation (PCA) in patients who underwent a radical operation for Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The five databases searched in the current study included the Cochrane Library, PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP, and WanFang data. A systematic search for control trials was performed in each database from the start date of each database until December 2021. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to evaluate the quality of included studies.
RESULTS
A total of 15 retrospective studies with a total number of 1,396 participants were included in this study. In subgroup 1 (IBPV vs. TAP), patients undergoing IBPV had a less degree of regurgitation at 1-2 years after the surgery. The reintervention rate increased in the IBPV group at 5 years. In subgroup 2 (pulmonary valve reconstruction vs. TAP), the degree of regurgitation decreased in the pulmonary valve reconstruction group at 1 month after the surgery. In subgroup 3 (valve-sparing operation vs. TAP), the comparison demonstrated decreased rates for surgical mortality and reintervention at 5-10 years after the surgery.
CONCLUSION
We proposed that pulmonary valve function in a radical operation for ToF was preserved. IBPV, pulmonary valve reconstruction, and commissurotomy and PCA can be performed during the surgical procedure based on the developmental status and anatomical characteristics of the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT), pulmonary valve, and pulmonary artery.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
[https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/], identifier [CRD42022300987].
PubMed: 35911536
DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.888258 -
Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy 2022Critical pulmonary stenosis or atresia with intact ventricular septum (PSAIVS) may be managed either by biventricular repair or univentricular palliation. This... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Critical pulmonary stenosis or atresia with intact ventricular septum (PSAIVS) may be managed either by biventricular repair or univentricular palliation. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesize the evidence for the role of fetal echocardiography in predicting the postnatal treatment pathway.
METHODS
PubMed/MEDLINE, CINHAL, Cochrane Library, Academic Search Complete, Web of Science, and Trip Pro were searched for observational studies published before July 2021. Random-effects meta-analysis was performed to identify factors associated with biventricular repair.
RESULTS
Eleven individual studies published between 2006 and 2021, including a total of 285 participants (159 biventricular repair; 126 univentricular palliation), met our eligibility criteria. The pooled estimated prevalence of biventricular repair among patients with PSAIVS was 55.6% (95% confidence interval 48.5-62.5%). Those who underwent biventricular repair had greater right to left ventricle and tricuspid to mitral valve dimension ratios, greater TV z score, and longer TV inflow duration/cardiac cycle length by fetal echocardiography. They were also more likely to have significant tricuspid regurgitation and less likely to have ventriculo-coronary connections (VCCs).
CONCLUSIONS
Commonly obtained fetal echocardiographic measurements have strong associations with treatment pathway choice for patients with PSAIVS. Greater RV growth appears to favor biventricular repair, whereas patients with VCC almost invariably undergo univentricular palliation. Future studies should aim to establish how these fetal echocardiographic parameters might predict outcomes for the two treatment pathways.
Topics: Echocardiography; Female; Heart Defects, Congenital; Heart Ventricles; Humans; Pregnancy; Pulmonary Atresia; Pulmonary Valve Stenosis; Treatment Outcome; Ultrasonography, Prenatal; Ventricular Septum
PubMed: 35793649
DOI: 10.1159/000525718 -
The Heart Surgery Forum May 2022This meta-analysis aimed to compare the potential effects of local anesthesia (LA) and general anesthesia (GA) for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
This meta-analysis aimed to compare the potential effects of local anesthesia (LA) and general anesthesia (GA) for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).
MEASUREMENTS
All relevant studies were searched from Pubmed, EMbase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library (January 1, 2016, to June 1, 2021). The main outcomes of this literature meta-analysis were 30-day mortality, procedural time, new pacemaker implantation, total stay in the hospital, use of the vasoactive drug, and intra-and postoperative complications and emergencies, including conversion to open, myocardial infarction, pulmonary complication, vascular complication, renal injury/failure, stroke, transesophageal echocardiography, life-threatening/major bleeding, cardiac tamponade, and emergency PCI. Pooled risk ratio (RR) and mean difference (MD) together with a 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated.
RESULTS
A total of 17 studies, including 20938 patients, in the final analysis, fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Intra-and postoperative complications (myocardial infarction, vascular complication, renal injury/failure, stroke, and cardiac tamponade) undergoing TAVI in severe AS patients under GA do not offer a significant difference compared with LA. No differences were observed between LA and GA for new pacemaker implantation, total stay in the hospital, transesophageal echocardiography, and emergency PCI. LA has lower mortality compared with GA (RR 0.69, P = 0.600), pulmonary complications (RR 0.54, P = 0.278), life-threatening/major bleeding (RR 0.85, P = 0.855), and lower times of conversion to open (RR 0.22, P = 0.746). LA has many advantages, including a shorter procedure duration (MD=-0.38, P = 0.000) and reduction of the use of the vasoactive drug (RR 0.57, P = 0.000).
CONCLUSIONS
For TAVI, both LA with or without sedation and GA are feasible and safe. LA appears a feasible alternative to GA for AS patients undergoing TAVI.
Topics: Anesthesia, General; Anesthesia, Local; Aortic Valve Stenosis; Cardiac Tamponade; Humans; Myocardial Infarction; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention; Postoperative Complications; Stroke; Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement
PubMed: 35787764
DOI: 10.1532/hsf.4631 -
Frontiers in Pediatrics 2022Isolated right ventricular hypoplasia (IRVH), not associated with severe pulmonary or tricuspid valve malformation, is a rare congenital myocardial disease. This study...
BACKGROUND
Isolated right ventricular hypoplasia (IRVH), not associated with severe pulmonary or tricuspid valve malformation, is a rare congenital myocardial disease. This study aims to evaluate the clinical status and outcome of IRVH.
METHODS
A systematic search of keywords on IRVH was conducted. Studies were searched from MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Igaku Chuo Zasshi (Ichushi) published between January 1950 and August 2021.
RESULTS
Thirty studies met the inclusion criteria. All of these studies were case reports and included 54 patients (25 males and 29 females). The median age of the patients was 2.5 years old (0-15.3 years). Of the 54 patients, 13 (24.1%) reported a family history of cardiomyopathy. Moreover, 50 (92.6%), 19 (35.2%), and 17 (31.5%) patients were diagnosed with cyanosis, finger clubbing, and dyspnea, respectively. Furthermore, 53 (98.2%) patients had a patent foramen ovale or an atrial septal defect (ASD). Z-score of the tricuspid valve diameter on echocardiogram was -2.16 ± 1.53, concomitant with small right ventricular end-diastolic volume. In addition, 29 (53.7%), 21 (38.9%), 7 (13.0%), and 2 (3.7%) patients underwent surgery, ASD closure, Glenn operation, and one and a half ventricular repair, respectively. Among them, nine (20.4%) patients expired, and the multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that infancy, heart failure, and higher right ventricular end-diastolic pressure were risk factors for death.
CONCLUSIONS
IRVH was diagnosed early in children with cyanosis and was associated with high mortality. This systematic review and pooled analysis provided evidence to assess the of IRVH degree in order to evaluate the clinical status and outcome of IRVH.
PubMed: 35529333
DOI: 10.3389/fped.2022.794053 -
Journal of Personalized Medicine Apr 2022Patients with severe aortic valve stenosis and concomitant pulmonary hypertension show a significantly reduced survival prognosis. Right heart catheterization as a... (Review)
Review
Severe Aortic Valve Stenosis and Pulmonary Hypertension: A Systematic Review of Non-Invasive Ways of Risk Stratification, Especially in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.
Patients with severe aortic valve stenosis and concomitant pulmonary hypertension show a significantly reduced survival prognosis. Right heart catheterization as a preoperative diagnostic tool to determine pulmonary hypertension has been largely abandoned in recent years in favor of echocardiographic criteria. Clinically, determination of echocardiographically estimated systolic pulmonary artery pressure falls far short of invasive right heart catheterization data in terms of accuracy. The aim of the present systematic review was to highlight noninvasive possibilities for the detection of pulmonary hypertension in patients with severe aortic valve stenosis, with a special focus on cardiovascular biomarkers. A total of 525 publications regarding echocardiography, cardiovascular imaging and biomarkers related to severe aortic valve stenosis and pulmonary hypertension were analyzed in a systematic database analysis using PubMed Central. Finally, 39 publications were included in the following review. It was shown that the current scientific data situation, especially regarding cardiovascular biomarkers as non-invasive diagnostic tools for the determination of pulmonary hypertension in severe aortic valve stenosis patients, is poor. Thus, there is a great scientific potential to combine different biomarkers (biomarker scores) in a non-invasive way to determine the presence or absence of PH.
PubMed: 35455719
DOI: 10.3390/jpm12040603 -
JACC. Cardiovascular Interventions Mar 2022The authors aimed to identify risk factors and outcomes associated with new-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVES
The authors aimed to identify risk factors and outcomes associated with new-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).
BACKGROUND
NOAF is a common complication after TAVR, although estimates of the precise occurrence are variable. This study sought to quantify the occurrence of NOAF after TAVR and to explore the outcomes and predictors associated with this complication.
METHODS
We searched Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane database from 2016 to 2020 for articles that reported NOAF after TAVR. We extracted data for studies published before 2016 from a previous systematic review. We pooled data using a random effects model.
RESULTS
We identified 179 studies with 241,712 total participants (55,271 participants with pre-existing atrial fibrillation (AF) were excluded) that reported NOAF from 2008 to 2020. The pooled occurrence of NOAF after TAVR was 9.9% (95% CI: 8.1%-12%). NOAF after TAVR was associated with a longer index hospitalization (mean difference = 2.66 days; 95% CI: 1.05-4.27), a higher risk of stroke in the first 30 days (risk ratio [RR]: 2.35; 95% CI: 2.12-2.61), 30-day mortality (RR: 1.76; 95% CI: 1.12-2.76), major or life-threatening bleeding (RR: 1.60; 95% CI: 1.39-1.84), and permanent pacemaker implantation (RR: 1.12; 95% CI: 1.05-1.18). Risk factors for the development of NOAF after TAVR included higher Society of Thoracic Surgeons score, transapical access, pulmonary hypertension, chronic kidney disease, peripheral vascular disease, and severe mitral regurgitation, suggesting that the risk for NOAF is highest in more comorbid TAVR patients.
CONCLUSIONS
NOAF is common after TAVR. Whether AF after TAVR is a causal factor or a marker of sicker patients remains unclear.
Topics: Aortic Valve Stenosis; Atrial Fibrillation; Humans; Risk Factors; Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 35331452
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcin.2022.01.018 -
Journal of the American Heart... Apr 2022Background Pulmonary arterial end-diastolic forward flow (EDFF) following repaired tetralogy of Fallot has been thought to represent right ventricular (RV) restrictive... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Background Pulmonary arterial end-diastolic forward flow (EDFF) following repaired tetralogy of Fallot has been thought to represent right ventricular (RV) restrictive physiology, but is not fully understood. This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to clarify its physiological and clinical correlates, and to define a framework for understanding EDFF and RV restrictive physiology. Methods and Results PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and reference lists of relevant articles were searched for observational studies published before March 2021. Random-effects meta-analysis was performed to identify factors associated with EDFF. Forty-two individual studies published between 1995 and 2021, including a total of 2651 participants (1132 with EDFF; 1519 with no EDFF), met eligibility criteria. The pooled estimated prevalence of EDFF among patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot was 46.5% (95% CI, 41.6%-51.3%). Among patients with EDFF, the use of a transannular patch was significantly more common, and their stay in the intensive care unit was longer. EDFF was associated with greater RV indexed volumes and mass, as well as smaller E-wave velocity at the tricuspid valve. Finally, pulmonary regurgitation fraction was greater in patients with EDFF, and moderate to severe pulmonary regurgitation was more common in this population. Conclusions EDFF is associated with dilated, hypertrophied RVs and longstanding pulmonary regurgitation. Although several studies have defined RV restrictive physiology as the presence of EDFF, our study found no clear indicators of poor RV compliance in patients with EDFF, suggesting that EDFF may have multiple causes and might not be the precise equivalent of RV restrictive physiology.
Topics: Diastole; Humans; Pulmonary Valve Insufficiency; Tetralogy of Fallot; Tricuspid Valve; Ventricular Dysfunction, Right; Ventricular Function, Right
PubMed: 35301867
DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.121.024036 -
Translational Pediatrics Feb 2022Reports on effectiveness and safety after the implant of pulmonary autograft (PA) living tissue in Ross procedure, to treat both congenital and acquired disease of the... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Reports on effectiveness and safety after the implant of pulmonary autograft (PA) living tissue in Ross procedure, to treat both congenital and acquired disease of the aortic valve and left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT), show variable durability results. We undertake a quantitative systematic review of evidence on outcome after the Ross procedure with the aim to improve insight into outcome and potential determinants.
METHODS
A systematic search of reports published from October 1979 to January 2021 was conducted (PubMed, Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase and Cochrane library) reporting outcomes after the Ross procedure in patients with diseased aortic valve with or without LVOT. Inclusion criteria were observational studies reporting on mortality and/or morbidity after autograft aortic valve or root replacement, completeness of follow-up >90%, and study size n≥30. Forty articles meeting the inclusion criteria were allocated to two categories: pediatric patient series and young adult patient series. Results were tabulated for a clearer presentation.
RESULTS
A total of 342 studies were evaluated of which forty studies were included in the final analysis as per the eligibility criteria. A total of 8,468 patients were included (7,796 in pediatric cohort and young adult series and 672 in pediatric series). Late mortality rates were remarkably low alongside similar age-matched mortality with the general population in young adults. There were differences in implantation techniques as regard the variability in stress and the somatic growth that recorded conflicting outcomes regarding the miniroot the subcoronary approach.
DISCUSSION
The adaptability of lung autograft to allow for both stress variability and somatic growth make it an ideal conduit for Ross's operation. The use of the miniroot technique over subcoronary implantation for better adaptability to withstand varying degrees of stress is perhaps more applicable to different patient subgroups.
PubMed: 35282027
DOI: 10.21037/tp-21-351 -
Health Technology Assessment... Jan 2022The management of chronic thoracic aortic aneurysms includes conservative management, watchful waiting, endovascular stent grafting and open surgical replacement. The...
BACKGROUND
The management of chronic thoracic aortic aneurysms includes conservative management, watchful waiting, endovascular stent grafting and open surgical replacement. The Effective Treatments for Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms (ETTAA) study investigates timing and intervention choice.
OBJECTIVE
To describe pre- and post-intervention management of and outcomes for chronic thoracic aortic aneurysms.
DESIGN
A systematic review of intervention effects; a Delphi study of 360 case scenarios based on aneurysm size, location, age, operative risk and connective tissue disorders; and a prospective cohort study of growth, clinical outcomes, costs and quality of life.
SETTING
Thirty NHS vascular/cardiothoracic units.
PARTICIPANTS
Patients aged > 17 years who had existing or new aneurysms of ≥ 4 cm in diameter in the arch, descending or thoracoabdominal aorta.
INTERVENTIONS
Endovascular stent grafting and open surgical replacement.
MAIN OUTCOMES
Pre-intervention aneurysm growth, pre-/post-intervention survival, clinical events, readmissions and quality of life; and descriptive statistics for costs and quality-adjusted life-years over 12 months and value of information using a propensity score-matched subsample.
RESULTS
The review identified five comparative cohort studies (endovascular stent grafting patients, = 3955; open surgical replacement patients, = 21,197). Pooled short-term all-cause mortality favoured endovascular stent grafting (odds ratio 0.71, 95% confidence interval 0.51 to 0.98; no heterogeneity). Data on survival beyond 30 days were mixed. Fewer short-term complications were reported with endovascular stent grafting. The Delphi study included 20 experts (13 centres). For patients with aneurysms of ≤ 6.0 cm in diameter, watchful waiting was preferred. For patients with aneurysms of > 6.0 cm, open surgical replacement was preferred in the arch, except for elderly or high-risk patients, and in the descending aorta if patients had connective tissue disorders. Otherwise endovascular stent grafting was preferred. Between 2014 and 2018, 886 patients were recruited (watchful waiting, = 489; conservative management, = 112; endovascular stent grafting, = 150; open surgical replacement, = 135). Pre-intervention death rate was 8.6% per patient-year; 49.6% of deaths were aneurysm related. Death rates were higher for women (hazard ratio 1.79, 95% confidence interval 1.25 to 2.57; = 0.001) and older patients (age 61-70 years: hazard ratio 2.50, 95% confidence interval 0.76 to 5.43; age 71-80 years: hazard ratio 3.49, 95% confidence interval 1.26 to 9.66; age > 80 years: hazard ratio 7.01, 95% confidence interval 2.50 to 19.62; all compared with age < 60 years, < 0.001) and per 1-cm increase in diameter (hazard ratio 1.90, 95% confidence interval 1.65 to 2.18; = 0.001). The results were similar for aneurysm-related deaths. Decline per year in quality of life was greater for older patients (additional change -0.013 per decade increase in age, 95% confidence interval -0.019 to -0.007; < 0.001) and smokers (additional change for ex-smokers compared with non-smokers 0.003, 95% confidence interval -0.026 to 0.032; additional change for current smokers compared with non-smokers -0.034, 95% confidence interval -0.057 to -0.01; = 0.004). At the time of intervention, endovascular stent grafting patients were older (age difference 7.1 years; 95% confidence interval 4.7 to 9.5 years; < 0.001) and more likely to be smokers (75.8% vs. 66.4%; = 0.080), have valve disease (89.9% vs. 71.6%; < 0.0001), have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (21.3% vs. 13.3%; = 0.087), be at New York Heart Association stage III/IV (22.3% vs. 16.0%; = 0.217), have lower levels of haemoglobin (difference -6.8 g/l, 95% confidence interval -11.2 to -2.4 g/l; = 0.003) and take statins (69.3% vs. 42.2%; < 0.0001). Ten (6.7%) endovascular stent grafting and 15 (11.1%) open surgical replacement patients died within 30 days of the procedure ( = 0.2107). One-year overall survival was 82.5% (95% confidence interval 75.2% to 87.8%) after endovascular stent grafting and 79.3% (95% confidence interval 71.1% to 85.4%) after open surgical replacement. Variables affecting survival were aneurysm site, age, New York Heart Association stage and time waiting for procedure. For endovascular stent grafting, utility decreased slightly, by -0.017 (95% confidence interval -0.062 to 0.027), in the first 6 weeks. For open surgical replacement, there was a substantial decrease of -0.160 (95% confidence interval -0.199 to -0.121; < 0.001) up to 6 weeks after the procedure. Over 12 months endovascular stent grafting was less costly, with higher quality-adjusted life-years. Formal economic analysis was unfeasible.
LIMITATIONS
The study was limited by small numbers of patients receiving interventions and because only 53% of patients were suitable for both interventions.
CONCLUSIONS
Small (4-6 cm) aneurysms require close observation. Larger (> 6 cm) aneurysms require intervention without delay. Endovascular stent grafting and open surgical replacement were successful for carefully selected patients, but cost comparisons were unfeasible. The choice of intervention is well established, but the timing of intervention remains challenging.
FUTURE WORK
Further research should include an analysis of the risk factors for growth/rupture and long-term outcomes.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN04044627 and NCT02010892.
FUNDING
This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Vol. 26, No. 6. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.
Topics: Adolescent; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic; Child; Cohort Studies; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Endovascular Procedures; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Quality of Life; Stents
PubMed: 35094747
DOI: 10.3310/ABUT7744