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Emergency cesarean delivery in patients with heart failure increases maternal and fetal mortality. The present study aimed to identify the relationship between the use of anesthesia for delivery and progressive cardiac deterioration in women with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and to examine its implications on maternal and fetal outcomes. Twenty-nine pregnancies in 25 women with DCM from the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Hospital (Suita, Japan) were included in this retrospective longitudinal study. Fourteen of the patients (48.3%) delivered via cesarean section. Among these, 4 patients (13.8%) experienced heart failure within 42 days of delivery. The indication for cesarean delivery was heart failure in 3 patients and induction failure in 1 patient. The types of anesthesia used for these patients included general (n = 1), combined spinal-epidural (n = 2), and epidural (n = 1). Two of these cesarean deliveries were performed preterm. The left ventricular ejection fraction of patients with heart failure was ≤ 35% before 34 weeks gestation. Among the 25 patients without heart failure, 2 exhibited a left ventricular ejection fraction of ≤ 35% before 34 weeks gestation. Meanwhile, the types of anesthesia used for remaining 10 patients who did not experience heart failure included general (n = 1), combined spinal-epidural (n = 8), and epidural (n = 1). The rate of general anesthesia was 25% in patients who experienced heart failure and 4% in others. There was no incidence of maternal or fetal death. A preterm anesthetic evaluation may be warranted to optimize anesthetic management when the ejection fraction decreases to ≤ 35% before 34 weeks gestation in patients with DCM., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Objectives: There is no definitive parameter for left ventricular (LV) preload in patients with a continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD). The intraventricular pressure difference (IVPD) is the maximum pressure difference between the mitral valve and LV apex during diastole; and, in past studies, the IVPD was influenced by volume loading. The authors hypothesized that IVPD in LVAD patients correlates with indexed LVAD flow and that IVPD can serve as a novel parameter of LV preload in this population., Design: A single-center, retrospective, observational study., Setting: A tertiary-care hospital from August 2019 to July 2020., Participants: Sixteen ramp tests for adjustment of LVAD pump speed in 14 adult patients undergoing continuous-flow LVAD implantation., Interventions: Measurement of IVPD during ramp tests., Measurements and Main Results: LVAD flow and IVPD were measured at each LVAD pump speed during the ramp test for the adjustment of LVAD pump speed after patients came off cardiopulmonary bypass during LVAD implantation. A straight, longitudinal view of the left atrium and left ventricle was obtained, and the pressure difference between the mitral valve and LV apex during diastole was measured by transesophageal echocardiography. The maximum pressure difference during diastole was recorded as IVPD. The relationship between indexed LVAD flow (LVAD flow/body surface area) and IVPD was assessed by a multivariate nonlinear regression analysis with the Huber-White sandwich estimator. IVPD correlated with indexed LVAD flow (p < 0.001)., Conclusions: IVPD is a useful indicator of LV preload during LVAD implantation., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest None., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: First, to examine the perioperative association between increased cardiac index (CI) measured using three-dimensional echocardiography (CI3D), two-dimensional echocardiography (CI2D), and FloTrac/Vigileo (CIFT) (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA) after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) and decreased brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) 6 months after CRT. Second, to evaluate the accuracy and tracking ability of CI2D and CIFT., Design: A prospective clinical study., Setting: A cardiac surgery operating room in a single cardiovascular center., Participants: Forty-five patients undergoing elective CRT lead implantation., Interventions: CIFT and CI2D were determined simultaneously before and after CRT using CI3D as the reference method., Measurements and Main Results: BNP was measured before CRT and 6 months after CRT. Areas under the receiver operator characteristic curves (AUCs) were calculated for each method of measurement to predict BNP decrease. AUC was largest for CI3D (AUC = 0.735, p = 0.017). Bland-Altman analysis revealed that the percentage error was 58% for CIFT and 28% for CI2D. A polar plot analysis showed that the mean angular bias was -7.26° and 0.64°, the radial limits of agreement were 70° and 29.4°, and the concordance rate was 67.7% and 93.8% for CIFT and CI2D, respectively., Conclusions: CI significantly increased after CRT in patients whose BNP level decreased 6 months after CRT. However, only CI3D could predict decreases in BNP 6 months after CRT. Although CI2D was acceptable compared with CI3D, the tracking ability of CI changes was just below acceptable. CIFT has a wide limit of agreement with CI3D, with a poor tracking ability., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The goal of this study was to compare cardiac output derived from the FloTrac/Vigileo™ system (CO(FT)) with cardiac output measured by 3-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (CO3D) in patients with severe heart failure undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy. The impact of preoperative systemic vascular resistance index on the accuracy of the FloTrac/Vigileo™ system also was investigated., Design: Prospective clinical study., Setting: Cardiac surgery operating room of a single cardiovascular center., Participants: Forty-one patients undergoing elective cardiac resynchronization therapy lead implantation., Interventions: CO3D as the reference method and CO(FT) were determined simultaneously after induction of anesthesia., Measurements and Main Results: Linear regression analysis showed a poor correlation between CO3D and CO(FT) (R² = 0.16). Bland-Altman plots showed wide limits of agreement between CO3D and CO(FT.). Bias was 0.60 ± 0.63 L/min with a high percentage error of 58.2%. Subgroup analysis showed that the percentage error between CO3D and CO(FT) was 74.1% in patients with a cardiac index<2.2 L/min/m(2) and 17.2% in patients with a cardiac index ≥ 2.2 L/min/m(2). Systemic vascular resistance index was significantly higher in patients with a cardiac index<2.2 L/min/m(2) (3,037 ± 820 v 2,461 ± 878; p = 0.039)., Conclusions: The FloTrac/Vigileo™ system is not accurate in patients with low cardiac output, especially those with a cardiac index<2.2 L/min/m(2). A high systemic vascular resistance index in patients with low cardiac index may contribute to this inaccuracy., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Impella (Abiomed, Danvers, MA, USA) is a minimally invasive axial-flow catheter used in severe heart failure. We describe a case in which aortic insufficiency occurred after Impella insertion, required extra surgical intervention twice. A 33-year-old man with familial dilated cardiomyopathy was admitted to our hospital due to acute decompensation of heart failure. Despite intensive medical treatment, his hemodynamic status did not improve. Firstly, Impella was emergently implanted, and HeartMate III (Abbott, Plymouth, MN, USA) implantation was performed 2 weeks after. In the HeartMate III implantation, new aortic insufficiency had revealed and central aortic valve closure was performed concomitantly. However, on postoperative Day1, the coaptation stitch had untied, causing severe aortic insufficiency which led to another emergent operation of aortic valve replacement. We suggest that indications for Impella implantation need to be carefully discussed beforehand, especially with patients who may undergo implantation of left ventricular assist device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To determine the accuracy and trending ability of the fourth-generation FloTrac/Vigileo in patients with low cardiac index by comparing FloTrac/Vigileo-derived cardiac index with that measured by 3-dimensional echocardiography. Design Prospective clinical study. Setting Cardiac surgery operating room in a single cardiovascular center. Participants Twenty-five patients undergoing elective cardiac resynchronization therapy lead implantation. Interventions FloTrac/Vigileo-derived cardiac index and 3-dimensional echocardiography-derived cardiac index were determined simultaneously before and after phenylephrine bolus and cardiac resynchronization therapy using 3-dimensional echocardiography-derived cardiac index as the reference method. Measurements and Main Results Cardiac index measured by the fourth-generation FloTrac/Vigileo had a wide limit of agreement with that measured by 3-dimensional echocardiography, with a percentage error of 59.1%. The tracking ability of the unit after both phenylephrine administration and cardiac resynchronization therapy were measured by concordance rate, and both were below the acceptable limit (72.7% and 85%, respectively). Conclusions The degree of accuracy of the fourth-generation FloTrac/Vigileo in patients with low cardiac index was not acceptable, and high systemic vascular resistance in patients with low cardiac index may have contributed to this inaccuracy. The tracking ability of the fourth-generation FloTrac/Vigileo after phenylephrine administration or cardiac resynchronization therapy was below acceptable limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]