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JTCVS Techniques Apr 2024The Ross operation is a widely accepted option for aortic valve replacement in children, and evidence shows its excellent results in terms of hemodynamics and...
OBJECTIVE
The Ross operation is a widely accepted option for aortic valve replacement in children, and evidence shows its excellent results in terms of hemodynamics and durability. However, indications are still limited due to the fact that it is a technically demanding procedure, only performed by specialized surgeons. On top of that, and despite numerous techniques being applied, autograft dilatation remains a key disadvantage, which can lead to graft failure. In recent years, the ExoVasc Personalized External Aortic Root Support (PEARS) has proven to be a safe and effective option to prevent aortic root dilatation in various aortopathies and is a technique that lends itself to support the pulmonary autograft in the Ross operation.
METHODS
During the past 7 years, we have used the ExoVasc PEARS graft, manufactured from the patients' pulmonary artery measurements from computed tomography scan data, to support the pulmonary autograft in the Ross operation. This graft (manufactured by Exstent Ltd, UK) is implanted at the same time as the autograft. We have reviewed all the patients who underwent this surgery, including demographic data, aorta measurements, operative data, and follow-up assessment consisting of periodic echocardiograms and magnetic resonance imaging scans.
RESULTS
Fifty patients were included in the study. Mean age at the time of the operation was 29.84 years, the youngest patient was 9 years-old. Nineteen patients (38%) had previous sternotomies; 11 of them having had a previous aortic valve replacement. Seventy-two percent of patients had initially a bicuspid aortic valve. Mean diameter of the ascending aorta was 3.83 cm. Forty-four percent of patients required a concomitant reduction aortoplasty due to mismatch sizes between the ascending aorta and the autograft. Mean bypass and crossclamp times were 200.66 and 151.14 minutes, respectively. Median length of stay was 6 days. Mean follow-up was 16.88 months. Two patients required subsequent aortic valve replacement (1 had rheumatic valve disease and the other had iatrogenic damage in his autograft valve leaflet). Ascending aorta dimensions remain stable when compared with immediate postoperative studies. There were no deaths.
CONCLUSIONS
The ExoVasc PEARS graft has proven to be an excellent support in the Ross operation to prevent the autograft failure related to autograft dilatation that can offer several advantages compared with other existing techniques. With this type of support, we believe the Ross indications can be expanded to multiple clinical scenarios, given the good long-term results this operation offers in terms of durability, life expectancy, and hemodynamics.
PubMed: 38835595
DOI: 10.1016/j.xjtc.2024.02.004 -
JTCVS Techniques Apr 2024In select patients with borderline ventricular hypoplasia, we adopted a strategy of initial single-ventricle palliation followed by staged or direct biventricular...
OBJECTIVE
In select patients with borderline ventricular hypoplasia, we adopted a strategy of initial single-ventricle palliation followed by staged or direct biventricular conversion by 2 years of age.
METHODS
Between 2018 and 2023, 14 newborns with borderline hypoplastic heart disease deemed high risk for primary biventricular repair underwent palliative procedures as a neonate/infant, followed by staged or direct biventricular conversion.
RESULTS
Of the 14 patients, 6 had borderline left ventricles and 8 had borderline right ventricles. Index neonatal operations were performed in 12 patients and included the Norwood operation (n = 5), pulmonary artery band (n = 3), ductal stent (n = 3), and hybrid Norwood (n = 1). Five patients underwent direct biventricular conversion, and the remaining 9 patients underwent staged ventricular recruitment operations at a mean age of 6 months (range, 3-11 months). Ventricular recruitment operations included atrial septation with or without ventricular rehabilitation, atrioventricular valve repair, or outflow tract operations. At a mean duration of 8 months (range, 4-10 months) after ventricular recruitment, there was a significant increase in chamber volume, aortic valve, and mitral valve size in patients with borderline left ventricles, and a normalization of the right ventricle:left ventricle end-diastolic volume ratio in patients with borderline right ventricles. To date, 13 of 14 patients have undergone successful biventricular conversion at a mean age of 16 months (range, 4-31 months).
CONCLUSIONS
In select newborns with borderline hypoplastic heart disease, single-ventricle palliation followed by staged or direct biventricular conversion may increase infant survival while allowing for early attainment of a biventricular circulation.
PubMed: 38835569
DOI: 10.1016/j.xjtc.2024.02.006 -
JTCVS Techniques Apr 2024Infants with single ventricle heart disease and severe atrioventricular valve regurgitation have poor outcomes following conventional staged palliation. As such,...
BACKGROUND
Infants with single ventricle heart disease and severe atrioventricular valve regurgitation have poor outcomes following conventional staged palliation. As such, ventricular assist device (VAD) placement along with hybrid stage 1 palliation has been proposed as a bridge to heart transplant. We present a novel surgical technique for VAD implantation concurrent with hybrid stage 1 that avoids cardiopulmonary bypass.
METHODS
We performed a retrospective review of our institutional experience with this novel surgical technique.
RESULTS
Three patients (weight, 2.7-3.5 kg; age, 3 to 5 days) underwent hybrid stage 1 with VAD placement, consisting of bilateral 3.5-mm expandable polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) pulmonary artery bands, a ductal stent, a 6-mm Berlin Heart outflow cannula onto the main pulmonary trunk with a 10-mm graft, a 6-mm Berlin Heart outflow cannula onto the right atrium, and a 10-mL Berlin Heart pump. In patients with severe aortic arch hypoplasia or coarctation, a 4-mm PTFE graft was sewn from the VAD outflow graft to the innominate artery to protect coronary and cerebral perfusion. Procedures were performed off bypass with minimal blood product use. Patients were extubated on postoperative days 2, 2, and 5. There were no procedural complications. All patients were transferred out of the intensive care unit and demonstrated appropriate weight gain. Anticoagulation strategy was bivalirudin and antiplatelet therapy. The patients underwent transplantation after 149 days, 157 days, and 288 days of support.
CONCLUSIONS
Off-pump single ventricle VAD placement is technically feasible and can be done at the time of hybrid stage 1 palliation with minimal operative morbidity as a bridge to transplant.
PubMed: 38835568
DOI: 10.1016/j.xjtc.2023.10.022 -
Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 2024To explore the clinical value of echocardiography in detecting fetal cardiac axis abnormalities during middle pregnancy for diagnosing conus arteriosus malformation, and...
Relationship between diagnosis of conus arteriosus malformation and genetic diagnosis results in fetal cardiac axis abnormalities by echocardiography during middle pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the clinical value of echocardiography in detecting fetal cardiac axis abnormalities during middle pregnancy for diagnosing conus arteriosus malformation, and to compare and analyze the genetic diagnosis results, in order to provide evidence for clinical diagnosis and intervention.
METHODS
Four hundred twenty-one fetuses with conus arteriosus malformation from January 2020 to October 2023 were included as the conus arteriosus malformation group, and 917 healthy fetuses (all single fetuses) matched at the same gestational age were selected as the healthy group.
RESULTS
There was no significant difference in gestational weeks between two groups ( > 0.05). The age of pregnant women in conus arteriosus malformation group was lower compared to healthy group ( < 0.05), and the fetal cardiac axis in conus arteriosus malformation group was significantly higher compared to healthy group ( < 0.05). Among the fetuses with conus arteriosus malformation, tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), transposition of the great arteries (TGA) and double outlet right ventricle (DORV) had the highest proportions, accounting for 38.00%, 18.29% and 17.58%, respectively. Among all types of conus arteriosus malformations, atresia pulmonary valve syndrome associated with TOF, persistent truncus arteriosus and DORV exhibited higher proportions of fetal cardiac axis abnormalities, at 75.00%, 36.84% and 27.03%, respectively, while TGA and interrupted aortic arch associated with B-type interruption had lower proportions of fetal cardiac axis abnormalities, at 2.60% and 4.55%, respectively. Genetic testing was conducted on 73 cases (17.34%) of fetuses with conus arteriosus malformation in this study. Among them, fetal cardiac axis abnormalities were considered positive for genetic results due to factors such as aneuploidy, copy number abnormalities, and single-gene pathogenicity. A total of 31 cases tested positive for genetic anomalies, with a positive rate of approximately 42.47%.
CONCLUSION
In the middle pregnancy, the fetal cardiac axis in cases of conus arteriosus malformation was significantly higher than in normal fetuses. Moreover, there were variations in fetal cardiac axis among different types of conus arteriosus malformations, and these differences were notably associated with genetic diagnostic results.
PubMed: 38832316
DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2024.1377095 -
Saudi Medical Journal Jun 2024To evaluate the relationship between severity of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and pulmonary hypertension.
OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the relationship between severity of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and pulmonary hypertension.
METHODS
Cross-sectional study of 118 patients with pulmonary hypertension was carried out at a single center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between 2018-2021. Patients who had pulmonary or tricuspid valves organic diseases, previously undergone tricuspid or pulmonary valve surgeries, had permanent pacemakers or critically ill were excluded.
RESULTS
A high proportion of patients were women (n=100, 85%) and obese (n=57, 48%). Patients with more than mild TR had higher systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) than those with trivial or mild regurgitation (<0.001). There was a significant association between severity of TR (<0.001) and right chambers size (=0.001). Furthermore, pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) was significantly higher in patients with mild right ventricular impairment (=0.001).
CONCLUSION
Increase in degree of TR and right atrial size were predictors of elevated sPAP. Our findings highlight the interplay among TR, right heart size, ventricular function, and PAP. Understanding these associations can aid in risk stratification, monitoring disease progression, and potentially guiding treatment in those patients.
Topics: Humans; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency; Female; Male; Hypertension, Pulmonary; Cross-Sectional Studies; Middle Aged; Severity of Illness Index; Adult; Saudi Arabia; Ventricular Dysfunction, Right; Aged; Heart Atria; Obesity; Echocardiography
PubMed: 38830663
DOI: 10.15537/smj.2024.45.6.20240071 -
Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal May 2024Blood-filled cysts of the heart valves are frequently reported at postpartum autopsies of infants. They are seen as round nodules mostly in the paediatric age group in... (Review)
Review
Blood-filled cysts of the heart valves are frequently reported at postpartum autopsies of infants. They are seen as round nodules mostly in the paediatric age group in infants less than 2 months of age and disappear spontaneously within 6 months of life. We report a unique case of an 11-month-old girl who presented at a tertiary healthcare hospital in 2022 with a blood-filled cyst on the posterior leaflet of the pulmonary valve that was successfully treated. This case report highlights the characteristics and course of a paediatric patient with blood-filled cysts. Further studies are yet needed to better understand the diagnostic approaches to blood-filled cysts as well as treatment modalities to fill the gap in clinical settings.
Topics: Female; Humans; Infant; Cysts; Pulmonary Valve
PubMed: 38828236
DOI: 10.18295/squmj.5.2023.037 -
Indian Journal of Thoracic and... May 2024Infective endocarditis frequently spreads beyond the valve tissue, especially in the aortic location. Invasive endocarditis may lead to abscess formation or fistula,...
Infective endocarditis frequently spreads beyond the valve tissue, especially in the aortic location. Invasive endocarditis may lead to abscess formation or fistula, with substantial tissue loss. Here, the case of a 31-year-old male patient with destructive aortic and pulmonary valve endocarditis and a subaortic mural defect who underwent patch closure of the ventricular septal defect and aortic and pulmonary root replacement and right coronary artery bypass graft is presented. This is an uncommon condition and stress is placed on imaging of the technical aspects of the case.
PubMed: 38827554
DOI: 10.1007/s12055-024-01728-3 -
Frontiers in Medicine 2024Jejunal diverticulosis is a rare condition. Most of the time, it is asymptomatic; but it can cause severe complications such as intestinal perforation, mechanical... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Jejunal diverticulosis is a rare condition. Most of the time, it is asymptomatic; but it can cause severe complications such as intestinal perforation, mechanical occlusion, and hemorrhage.
CASE PRESENTATION
A patient aged 78 years, with a history of biological aortic valve prosthesis, atrial fibrillation, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, presented in the emergency department for acute abdominal pain in the lower abdominal floor, nausea, and inappetence. Abdominal computed tomography revealed an inflammatory block in the hypogastrium, agglutinated small intestinal loops, fecal stasis, and air inclusions. Pulled mesentery and associated internal hernia are suspected. Exploratory laparotomy was performed, revealing an inflammatory block in the hypogastrium, whose dissection revealed inner purulent collection and the appearance of jejunal diverticulitis, a diagnosis confirmed by histopathological examination. Segmental resection of the jejunum with double-layer terminal-terminal enteroenteric anastomosis, lavage, and drainage was performed. The evolution was favorable.
CONCLUSION
Based on our brief review, the diagnosis of complicated jejunal diverticulosis is difficult and sometimes not accurately established, even by high-resolution imaging techniques, with diagnostic laparotomy being necessary for these situations. Surgical treatment should be considered before severe complications develop.
PubMed: 38818398
DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1413254 -
Journal of Surgical Case Reports May 2024Most cases of secondary spontaneous pneumothorax in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis are caused by rupturing of the visceral pleura caused by . The...
Most cases of secondary spontaneous pneumothorax in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis are caused by rupturing of the visceral pleura caused by . The check-valve airway mechanism in the lungs is generally involved in the formation of pulmonary cysts, which often cause spontaneous pneumothorax. Herein, we describe a rare case of repeated spontaneous pneumothorax suspected to have been caused by pulmonary cyst formation as a result of a tuberculoma. The patient was a man with a family history of pulmonary tuberculosis. Pulmonary cysts were gradually enlarged on the peripheral side of a lung mass in the upper lobe of the patient's right lung, who experienced two spontaneous pneumothoraxes in the area. Exploratory surgery was performed to diagnose the lung mass and treat the pneumothorax, resulting in a final diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculoma. A check-valve mechanism caused by the pulmonary tuberculoma was suspected based on the patient's clinical course.
PubMed: 38817789
DOI: 10.1093/jscr/rjae365 -
International Journal of Cardiology Sep 2024The possibility to resheath some transcatheter heart valves (THV) facilitates the optimization of self-expandable devices implantation. However, resheating manoeuvres... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
BACKGROUND
The possibility to resheath some transcatheter heart valves (THV) facilitates the optimization of self-expandable devices implantation. However, resheating manoeuvres (expecially when repeated) increase the interaction between the transcatheter prosthesis and the patient's tissues potentially causing side-effects.
AIMS
To assess the clinical outcomes of resheathing at midterm follow-up with a focus on the safety of multiple resheathing.
METHODS
This retrospective observational study included all consecutive patients who underwent TAVI with a self-expandable supra-annular THV between December 2018 and December 2022. Primary endpoint was a composite of cardiovascular (CV) mortality, neurological events, non-fatal acute myocardial infarction and CV rehospitalizations. All clinical endpoints were assessed according to VARC-3 criteria.
RESULTS
469 TAVI procedures with self-expandable supra-annular THV were included in the study. The attempt to resheath and the resheath manoeuvres number was prospectively recorded into an electronic database. Resheating was attempted in 253 (53.9%) cases; 1, 2 and ≥ 3 resheathing were performed in respectively 122 (26.0%), 63 (13.4%) and 68 (14.5%) procedures. At a median follow-up of 640 days (interquartile range 340-1033 days), the incidence of the primary endpoint did not differ between 0 vs. ≥1 (22.7 vs. 26.1%, LogRank p = 0.584) and < 3 vs. ≥3 resheathing groups (24.2 vs. 26.5% LogRank p = 0.963). Furthermore, no significant differences in the primary endpoint were observed between 0, 1-2 and ≥ 3 resheathing (p = 0.84).
CONCLUSIONS
Our study found that resheathing of self-expandable THVs during TAVI did not result in worse clinical outcomes compared with no resheathing at mid-term follow-up. These results are independent from the number of resheathing, underling the safety of multiple resheathing in terms of peri-procedural and mid-term outcome.
CONDENSED ABSTRACT
In this retrospective observational study of 469 patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) for symptomatic severe aortic stenosis with self-expanding valves, we investigated the influence of resheathing on mid-term clinical outcomes. Specifically, we focused on the safety of multiple resheathing procedures. Our findings revealed no significant impact of resheathing on medium-term outcomes. The primary endpoint, a composite of cardiovascular mortality, neurological events, non-fatal acute myocardial infarction, and cardiovascular rehospitalizations, did not show statistically significant differences between no resheathing, single resheathing and multiple resheathing groups. Our study suggests that resheathing, even when performed multiple times, does not appear to significantly affect clinical outcomes at mid-term follow-up.
Topics: Humans; Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement; Male; Female; Retrospective Studies; Aged, 80 and over; Aged; Aortic Valve Stenosis; Prosthesis Design; Heart Valve Prosthesis; Follow-Up Studies; Treatment Outcome; Postoperative Complications
PubMed: 38815673
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2024.132218