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BACKGROUND Elderly constitute a high-risk subset of patients but are under-represented in clinical revascularization trials. Our aim was to investigate clinical outcomes and prognosis predictors after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in this population. METHODS Unrestricted consecutive patients with ≥75 years who underwent PCI from 2012 to 2015 were enrolled. The primary ischemic endpoint was the composite of 1-year myocardial infarction, definite/probable stent thrombosis and target vessel revascularization. The primary bleeding endpoint was defined according to the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) classification as BARC ≥ 2. RESULTS We enrolled 708 patients (mean age 80 ± 4): 14% were very elderly patients (≥85 years), 27% of patients were diabetic, 23% had chronic kidney disease (CKD), 17% atrial fibrillation and 37% presented acute coronary syndrome. The primary ischemic endpoint was reported in 67 patients (12%): 29 had myocardial infarction (5%), 25 had definite/probable stent thrombosis (4.4%) and 44 had target vessel revascularization (8%). BARC ≥ 2 bleeding was reported in 43 patients (8%). No differences were found in terms of both ischemic and bleeding events between patients with

In patients with severe or critical Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) manifestations, a thromboinflammatory syndrome, with diffuse microvascular thrombosis, is increasingly evident as the final step of pro-inflammatory cytokines storm. Actually, no proven effective therapies for novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection exist. Preliminary observations on anticoagulant therapy appear to be associated with better outcomes in moderate and severe COVID-19 patients with signs of coagulopathy and in those requiring mechanical ventilation. The pathophysiology underlying the prothrombotic state elicited by SARS-CoV-2 outlines possible protective mechanisms of antithrombotic therapy (in primis anticoagulants) for this viral illness. The indications for antiplatelet/anticoagulant use (prevention, prophylaxis, therapy) are guided by the clinical context and the COVID-19 severity. We provide a practical approach on antithrombotic therapy management for COVID-19 patients from a multidisciplinary point of view., Highlights • An endothelial thromboinflammatory syndrome is involved in severe COVID-19 manifestations. • A pathophysiological rationale (anti-inflammatory and direct antiviral effects) motivates the use of antithrombotic therapy • Anticoagulant therapy is associated with better outcomes in case of coagulopathy and mechanical ventilation. • A potential role for antithrombotic therapy in COVID-19 prevention and treatment needs further investigation.

BACKGROUND: Patients awaiting heart transplantation (HTx) often need bridging therapies to reduce worsening and progression of underlying disease. Limited data are available regarding the use of the MitraClip procedure in secondary mitral regurgitation for this clinical condition. METHODS: We evaluated an international, multicenter (17 centers) registry including 119 patients (median age: 58 years) with moderate-to-severe or severe secondary mitral regurgitation and advanced heart failure (HF) (median left ventricular ejection fraction: 26%) treated with MitraClip as a bridge strategy according to 1 of the following criteria: (1) patients active on HTx list (in list group) (n = 31); (2) patients suitable for HTx but awaiting clinical decision (bridge to decision group) (n = 54); or (3) patients not yet suitable for HTx because of potentially reversible relative contraindications (bridge to candidacy group) (n = 34). RESULTS: Procedural success was achieved in 87.5% of cases, and 30-day survival was 100%. At 1 year, Kaplan-Meier estimates of freedom from the composite primary end-point (death, urgent HTx or left ventricular assist device implantation, first rehospitalization for HF) was 64%. At the time of last available follow-up (median: 532 days), 15% of patients underwent elective transplant, 15.5% remained or could be included in the HTx waiting list, and 23.5% had no more indication to HTx because of clinical improvement. CONCLUSIONS: MitraClip procedure as a bridge strategy to HTx in patients with advanced HF with significant mitral regurgitation was safe, and two thirds of patients remained free from adverse events at 1 year. These findings should be considered exploratory and hypothesis-generating to guide further study for percutaneous intervention in high-risk patients with advanced HF. (C) 2020 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. All rights reserved.

A severe secondary mitral regurgitation (SMR) can be found in a significant portion of patients affected by advanced heart failure (AHF). Conventional therapies (optimal medical therapy, devices, surgery) present restricted clinical efficacy in this stage of the left ventricle disease which is burdened by high mortality and morbidity rates. Although the treatment of choice is represented by heart transplantation (HTx), there is an unmet need related to the limited supply of donor hearts (as opposed to the growing prevalence of AHF) and the low eligibility of highly symptomatic patients. In case of concomitant severe SMR, transcatheter mitral valve therapies (repair and replacement) may play a crucial role in this setting. While a direct prognostic improvement after correction of SMR has yet to be proved, AHF patients can benefit from the following: hemodynamic stabilization, symptomatic relief, normalization of pulmonary arterial pressures, and reduction in hospitalizations for acute heart failure. Obtaining these results may lead to the clinical consequences of reaching the HTx in good enough clinical status (bridge to heart transplantation), becoming eligible for the HTx (bridge to HTx candidacy), and being delisted for clinical improvement (bridge to recovery). Therefore, achieving traditional secondary endpoints in patients with AHF and SMR can translate into significant clinical implications.

Purpose The use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and bioprosthetic heart valve is still controversial. The aim of this study was to compare the tolerability and effectiveness of treatment with DOACs versus vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) in patients with AF and a bioprosthetic heart valve in clinical practice. Methods Data for this study were sourced from the multicenter, prospectively maintained AF Research Database (NCT03760874), which includes all patients with AF undergoing follow-up at participating centers through outpatient visits every 3–6 months. The rates of occurrence of thromboembolic events (ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, systemic embolism), major bleed, and intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) were assessed. These data were used for quantifying the net clinical benefit (NCB) of DOACs versus VKAs, in accordance with the following formula: (Thromboembolic events incidence rate with VKAs – Thromboembolic events incidence rate with DOACs) – Weighting factor × (ICH rate with DOACs – ICH incidence rate with VKAs). The database was retrospectively queried for patients with AF who were prescribed a DOAC or VKA and had a history of bioprosthetic heart valve replacement. Findings A total of 434 patients with AF (DOACs, n = 211; VKAs, n = 223) were identified. Propensity score matching identified 130 patients prescribed DOACs (apixaban, 55.4%; rivaroxaban, 30.0%; dabigatran, 13.1%; edoxaban, 1.4%) and the same number of VKA recipients (warfarin, 89.2%; acenocoumarol, 10.8%). The mean (SD) duration of follow-up was 26.8 (2.3) months. The incidence rates of thromboembolic events were 1.3 per 100 person-years in the DOAC group versus 2.0 per 100 person-years in the VKA group (P = 0.14). The incidence rates of major bleed events were 2.6 per 100 person-years in the DOAC group versus 4.9 per 100 person-years in the VKA group (P = 0.47). The incidence rates of ICH were 0.38 per 100 person-years in the DOAC group versus 1.16 in the VKA group (hazard ratio = 0.33; 95% CI, 0.05–2.34; P = 0.3). A positive NCB of DOACs over VKAs of +1.87 was found. Implications According to these data from clinical practice, DOACs seem to be associated with a greater NCB versus VKAs in patients with AF with a bioprosthetic heart valve, primarily due to lower rates of both major bleeds and thromboembolic events.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a well-established procedure which shares common features with percutaneous coronary intervention and surgical aortic valve replacement. Technical and clinical aspects influence the appropriate antithrombotic strategy. Anticoagulation management is a priority in patients with atrial fibrillation and may have a role in preventing bioprosthetic valve thrombosis. In this chapter, we will offer a summary of published studies, current recommendations, and future perspectives on optimal medical therapy after TAVR.

Even considering the great strides made in cardiovascular therapy during the past 10 years, intraventricular thrombosis still represents a clinical challenge. An accurate detection of left ventricular thrombosis (LVT) and early initiation of a proper antithrombotic therapy are of absolute importance in preventing potentially life-threatening complications. There are no high-quality studies that address the issue of the optimal anticoagulant regimen in patients with left ventricular thrombosis; moreover, the role of new potent antiplatelet drugs has not been evaluated in randomized trials. Warfarin remains the most commonly used oral anticoagulant while DOACs should be taken under consideration due to convenience in dosing and achieving therapeutic anticoagulation so long as there is no specific indication for warfarin.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac rhythm disorder and often requires oral anticoagulation (OAC) in order to decrease the risk of thromboembolic complications, such as stroke and systemic embolic events. Unless contraindicated, current guidelines suggest that direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) should be preferred over vitamin K antagonists. Of note, nearly 30% of AF patients also present with concomitant coronary artery disease requiring percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) as well as dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) to prevent adverse cardiac events. So, a sizeable proportion of patient’s needs to be treated with a combination of OAC and DAPT, a regimen also known as triple antithrombotic treatment, which in turns will substantially increase the risk of major and fatal bleedings.

Background The role of the target vessel in percutaneous revascularization of chronic total occlusion (CTO) is unclear. Objective We sought to assess the long-term results of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for CTO lesions in each coronary artery and to investigate the impact of successful revascularization and previous myocardial infarction (MI) in the territory of the target vessel. Methods and results Cohort observational study on 1,124 patients who have undergone CTO PCI attempt: 371 on left anterior descending artery (LAD), 485 right coronary artery, and 268 left circumflex. Patients were further stratified by successfully revascularized and not-revascularized CTO (CTO-NR). Vessels affected by a previous MI were defined as infarct-related artery (IRA). The primary endpoint was cardiac death; the secondary endpoint was the combined rate of sudden cardiac-death and sustained ventricular-arrhythmias (SCD/SVAs). Propensity score-matching was performed to evaluate LAD versus NON-LAD CTO. Up to 12-year follow-up, the clinical benefit associated with successful PCI was consistent across the three groups. CTO-NR had the greatest association with cardiac death and SCD/SVAs in each coronary artery and in IRA-CTO patients. Conclusions Unsuccessful percutaneous CTO revascularization was associated with lower cardiac survival and freedom from SCD/SVAs, irrespective of the vessel treated. This result was mainly driven by patients with an IRA CTO.

Background: Conduction disturbances after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are often transient. Limited data exist on anatomic factors predisposing to pacemaker dependency after TAVR. We sought to assess the rate and the possible predictors of pacemaker dependency after TAVR. Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing pacemaker implantation up to 30 days after TAVR between May 2014 and September 2019 were included. Baseline electrocardiographic, computed tomography, and procedural characteristics were collected, including valve implantation depth and membranous septum length, an anatomic surrogate of the distance between the aortic annulus and the His bundle. Pacemaker dependency at 30 days and 1 year and all-cause mortality during follow-up were evaluated. Results: Of 728 TAVR patients, 112 (53.5% men; median age, 81 years) underwent pacemaker implantation after TAVR. Of these, 44.6% (50 of 112) were pacemaker dependent at 30 days and 46.7% (36 of 77) at 1 year. By multivariate analysis, independent predictors of 30-day pacemaker dependency included left ventricular outflow tract calcifications under the left coronary cusp (odds ratio, 5.69 [95% CI, 1.45–22.31]; P =0.013) and a difference between membranous septum length and implantation depth (ΔMSID) ≥3 mm (odds ratio, 7.58 [95% CI, 2.07–27.78]; P =0.002). Conversely, membranous septum length and implantation depth alone were not associated with pacemaker dependency (odds ratio, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.60–1.05]; P =0.11 and odds ratio, 1.11 [95% CI, 0.99–1.24]; P =0.08). At a median follow-up of 28.1 (11.7–48.6) months, pacemaker-dependent patients did not show a worse survival ( P =0.26). Conclusions: Less than half of the patients undergoing pacemaker implantation after TAVR are pacemaker-dependent at midterm follow-up. ΔMSID ≥3 mm and the presence of left ventricular outflow tract calcifications under the left coronary cusp, but not membranous septum length nor implantation depth alone, are predictive of long-term pacemaker dependency after TAVR, thus influencing device selection and programming.

Background Limited data are available regarding the independent prognostic role of atrial fibrillation (AF) after transcatheter mitral valve repair with MitraClip. Aims We sought to evaluate the real impact of pre-operative AF in a wide series of patients with heart failure (HF) and secondary mitral regurgitation (MR) after MitraClip treatment. Methods The study included 605 patients with severe secondary MR from a multicenter international registry. Patients were stratified into two groups according to the presence or absence of pre-operative AF. The overall prevalence of pre-operative AF was 44%. Primary endpoint was 5-year overall death, secondary endpoints were 5–year cardiac death and first re-hospitalization for acute HF. Results At 5-year Kaplan-Meier (KM) analysis conducted in the entire study cohort, compared to patients without AF those with AF had significantly more adverse events in term of overall death (67% vs. 43%; p Conclusion In this large 5-year analysis of patients with HF undergoing MitraClip treatment for severe secondary MR, AF is common and associated with higher rates of both overall- and cardiac-death. However, AF doesn't seem to affect the benefit of the procedure in term of re-hospitalization for HF. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

BACKGROUND Stroke is a feared complication of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). OBJECTIVES With this meta-analysis we aimed to evaluate the incidence of 30-day stroke with TAVR and SAVR focusing on its possible correlation with surgical risk. METHODS Major electronic databases were searched for studies published between January 2002 and October 2019 reporting the rates of 30-day stroke after TAVR and SAVR. Data were pooled using fixed- and random-effects models. The primary outcome of the study was stroke rate within 30-day from TAVR or SAVR. Results were stratified according to surgical risk score (high, intermediate and low). RESULTS A total of 23 studies were identified (TAVR: 14,589 patients; SAVR: 11,681 patients). Regardless of the model used, in the overall population TAVR was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of stroke compared with SAVR (fixed effect: OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.66-0.92, p = .003; random-effects: OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.64-1.00, p = .045). Rates of 30-day stroke after TAVR and SAVR were not significantly different in the high- (OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.44-1.98, p = .105) and intermediate-risk groups (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.63-1.36, p = .319), while low-risk patients had a lower rate of 30-day stroke after TAVR than SAVR (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.50-0.83, p

Left ventricular thrombosis (LVT) is a major risk factor for systemic thromboembolism and might complicate both the acute and the chronic phase of ischaemic heart disease after myocardial infarction and, less frequently, non-ischaemic cardiomyopathies. The pathophysiology of thrombus formation is complex and involves the three aspects of Virchow’s triad: blood stasis, prothrombotic state, and tissue injury. Advances in technology have improved the detection rate of intracardiac thrombi, but several uncertainties still remain regarding the optimal treatment strategy within daily clinical practice. Of note, anticoagulation therapy with heparin and vitamin K antagonists decreases the risk of embolic stroke though exposing patients to an undeniable risk of bleeding complications. Although limited data on the off-label use of direct oral anticoagulants have reported safety and efficacy for LVT resolution, yet more evidence is needed to justify their use in clinical practice.

Background Incidence of coronary access (CA) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) at long-term follow-up remains unknown. CA and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) after TAVR might present technical challenges, particularly with supra-annular devices. Methods Patients undergoing CA after being treated with TAVR at our institution were included in the study. Coronary interventions for coronary obstruction during TAVR procedure were excluded. Incidence, feasibility and outcomes of CA after TAVR were analyzed. Results Out of 912 patients aged 80 ± 7 years treated with TAVR at our institution between 2007 and 2018, 48 (5.3%) underwent CA at a median follow up of 769 [363-1,471] days. Twenty-one had received a SAPIEN XT, 15 a SAPIEN 3, 6 Corevalve, 2 Evolut Pro, 2 JenaValve, and 2 Lotus valve. PCI was indicated in 26 (54%) cases. Seventeen (35%) procedures were performed for acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Independent predictors of CA after TAVR were younger age, previous PCI, and CABG. CA of both vessels was feasible in all patients with an intra-annular device, while the right coronary artery was not engaged in two patients with a supra-annular valve. PCI was successful in all but one case. All-cause mortality was similar between patients needing CA for ACS and those who had other clinical indications. Conclusions In this high-risk AS population, incidence of CA after TAVR at long-term follow-up was rather low. CA and PCI were safe and successful in most cases, with a lower rate of selective CA for supra-annular devices.

Objectives This study sought to compare clinical outcome of polymer-free amphilimus-eluting stent (PF-AES) versus biodegradable-polymer biolimus-eluting stent (BD-BES) in “all-comer” diabetes mellitus (DM) and non-DM patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention. Background The PF-AES has shown promising preliminary results in patients with DM. Methods Data from 2 multicentre-national registries (the ASTUTE and the INSPIRE-1) were used to analyse 1776 patients stratified in non-DM and DM. A double 1:1 propensity-score matched analysis (PF-AES vs. BD-BES) was performed in each group to adjust for clinical and procedural characteristics. Primary stent-efficacy and stent-safety endpoints were 1-year target-lesion revascularization (TLR) and target-lesion failure (TLF, composed of cardiac-death, target-vessel myocardial infarction and any TLR). Results After propensity-score matching, 850 patients were stratified as non-DM (425 PF-AES/425 BD-BES) and 480 as DM patients (240 PF-AES/240 BD-BES). Both TLF (20 of 425 [5%] vs. 24 of 425 [6%]; Plog-rank = 0.527) and TLR (9 of 425 [2%] vs. 18 of 425 [4%]; Plog-rank = 0.079) were similar between PF-AES and BD-BES in non-DM patients. In DM, TLF (12 of 240 [5%] vs. 31 of 240 [13%]; Plog-rank = 0.002) and TLR (9 of 240 [4%] vs. 21 of 240 [9%]; Plog-rank = 0.019) were significantly lower in PF-AES compared to BD-BES. Upon multivariate analysis, the most powerful predictors of TLF were chronic kidney disease in non-DM (OR 4.24, 95% CI: 2.07–8.70, p < 0.001) and stent type in DM patients (OR 2.76, 1.36–5.56, p = 0.005). Conclusions This matched-cohort study suggests that PF-AES has better safety and efficacy profile than BD-BES in patients with DM.

Background Subjects with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) have been excluded from transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) randomized trials. Methods With this meta-analysis of observational studies we first compared TAVR outcomes of BAV vs. tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) patients, stratifying the results by device generation. Then, we looked for differences between balloon-expandable (BE) and self-expandable (SE) bioprostheses in BAV patients. Primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes were 30-day stroke, moderate-severe paravalvular leakage, new pacemaker implantation, vascular complications and 1-year mortality. Results Thirteen studies (11,032 patients, 7291 TAV and 3741 BAV) and seven studies (706 patients, 367 treated with BE, 339 with SE valve) met inclusion criteria. Thirty-day (OR = 1.13; 95% CI 0.88–1.46, p = 0.33) and 1-year mortality (OR = 1.02; 95% CI 0.77–1.37, p = 0.87) were similar between patients receiving TAVR for BAV or TAV. Subjects treated for BAV were at higher risk of conversion to conventional surgery (OR = 2.35; 95% CI 1.30–4.23, p = 0.005), implantation of a second valve (OR = 2.06; 95% CI 1.31–3.25; p = 0.002), moderate/severe paravalvular leakage (PVL) (OR = 1.67; 95% CI 1.29–2.17; p = 0.0001) and device failure (OR = 1.26; 95% CI 1.02–1.56; p = 0.04). Rates of adverse events decreased significantly with the use of new-generation devices, but outcome differences remained consistent. BAV patients treated with BE vs. SE valves had similar 30-day and 1-year mortality, stroke and moderate-severe PVL. Balloon-expandable valves were associated with lower rates of a second valve and new pacemaker implantation but carried higher risk of annular rupture. Conclusions BAV patients treated with TAVR had similar 30-day and 1-year mortality as well as stroke and new pacemaker implantation rates compared to TAV subjects, but carried higher risk of moderate/severe PVL, conversion to surgery and device failure. Event rates significantly decreased with the use of new-generation devices, but TAVR still showed better procedural results in TAV compared to BAV.

The surgical approach to the axilla in breast cancer has been a controversial issue for more than three decades. Data from recently published trials have provided practice-changing recommendations in this scenario. However, further controversies have been triggered in the surgical community, resulting in heterogeneous diffusion of these recommendations. The development of clinical guidelines for the management of the axilla in patients with breast cancer is a work in progress. A multidisciplinary team discussion was held at the research hospital Policlinico San Matteo from the Universita degli Studi di Pavia with the aim to update recommendations for the management of the axilla in patients with breast cancer. An evidence-based approach is presented. Our multidisciplinary panel determined that axillary dissection after a positive sentinel lymph node biopsy may be avoided in cN0 patients with micro/macrometastasis to ≤2 sentinel nodes, with age ≥40y, lesions ≤3 cm, who have not received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and have planned breast conservation (BCS) with whole breast radiotherapy (WBRT). Cases with gross (>2 mm) ECE in SLNs are evaluated on individual basis for completion ALND, axillary radiotherapy or omission of both. Patients fulfilling the criteria listed above who undergo mastectomy, may also avoid axillary dissection after multidisciplinary discussion of individual cases for consideration of axillary irradiation. Women 70 years or older with hormone receptors positive invasive lesions ≤3 cm, clinically negative nodes, and serious or multiple comorbidities who undergo BCS with WBRT, may forgo axillary staging/surgery (if mastectomy or larger tumor, comorbidities and life expectancy are taken into account).

Objective: Laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) for Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most important indications for the minimally invasive approach. Our study aims to analyze the experience of the Italian Group of Minimally Invasive Liver Surgery with laparoscopic surgical treatment of HCC, with a focus on tumor location and how it affects morbidity and mortality. Methods: 38 centers participated in this study; 372 cases of LLR for HCC were prospectively enrolled. Patients were divided into two groups according to the HCC nodule location. Group 1 favorable location and group 2 unfavorable location. Perioperative outcomes were compared between the two groups before and after a propensity score match (PS) 1:1. Results: Before PS in group 2 surgical time was longer; conversion rate was higher; postoperative transfusion and comprehensive complication index were also higher. PS was performed with a cohort of 298 patients (from 18 centers), with 66 and 232 patients with HCC in unfavorable and favorable locations, respectively. After PS matching, 62 patients from group 1 and group 2 each were compared. Operative and postoperative course were similar in patients with HCC in favorable and unfavorable LLR locations. Surgical margins were found to be identical before and after PS. Conclusions: These results show that LLR in patients with HCC can be safely performed in all segments because of the extensive experience of all surgeons from multiple centers in performing traditional open liver surgery as well as laparoscopic surgery.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to evaluate the long-term risk of cardiac death and sudden cardiac death (SCD) and/or sustained ventricular arrhythmias (SVAs) in patients with coronary chronic total occlusions (CTO) revascularised versus those with CTO not revascularised by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).MethodsFrom a cohort of 1357 CTO-PCI patients, 1162 patients who underwent CTO PCI attempt were included in this long-term analysis: 837 patients were revascularised by PCI (CTO-R group) and 325 were not revascularised (CTO-NR group). Primary adverse endpoint was the incidence of cardiac death; secondary endpoint was the cumulative incidence of SCD/SVAs.ResultsUp to 12-year follow-up (median 6 year), compared with CTO-R patients, those with CTO-NR had significantly higher rate of cardiac death (13%[43/325]vs6%[48/837]; pConclusionsAt long-term follow-up, patients with CTO not revascularised by PCI had worse outcomes compared with those with CTO revascularised, with >2-fold risk of cardiac death and threefold risk of SCD/SVAs. The presence of an infarct-related artery (IRA CTO) not revascularised identified the category of patients with the highest rate of adverse events .

Representing the prevalent primary hepatic malignancy, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is concurrently the sixth most common cancer worldwide and the third dominant cause of mortality due to cancer (1,2).

Background MitraClip implantation has evolved as a new tool for treatment of inoperable or high-risk patients with severe functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) due to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Limited data are available regarding MitraClip outcomes comparing patients with ischemic and non-ischemic DCM. Methods From 2008 to 2016, 314 patients received MitraClip for FMR at four institutions: Brescia, Zurich and Milan. Patients were stratified according to MR aetiology in non-ischemic FMR (n = 99) and ischemic FMR (n = 215). Preoperative risk factors, operative variables and outcomes up to 2-year were evaluated. A multivariable Cox Proportional Hazards survival model with covariate adjustments was used to assess the relationship between FMR aetiology and 2-year cardiac mortality. Results As expected, patients with ischemic FMR had significantly more risk factors and comorbidities. Overall procedural success rate was 80% and in-hospital cardiac mortality was 3% without significant differences between aetiology. Two-year overall (25% vs. 19%, p = 0.574) and cardiac (18% vs. 16%, p = 0.990) mortality rates were comparable. No differences were detected in terms of re-hospitalization rates (32%), LVAD implantation (4.5%) and mitral valve surgery (1%). LVEF ≤ 25%, LVEDV > 216 ml, NT-proBNP ≥ 10.000 pg/ml and AF were the strongest baseline predictors of 2-year cardiac mortality. Greater improvements of 6MWT and NYHA functional class were observed in patients with non-ischemic FMR. Conclusions The ischemic or non-ischemic aetiology of DCM did not affect in-hospital and 2-year cardiac mortality after MitraClip in patients with FMR. In case of unfavorable baseline clinical condition, the indication for MitraClip should be carefully weighed in favour of conservative medical therapy alone or left ventricular assist device.

In case of liver tumor, surgical resection is the therapeutic gold standard to increase patient survival. Among liver resections, right hepatectomy (RH) is defined as a major hepatectomy. The first aim of this study was to analyze the overall morbidity and mortality of patients undergoing RH, the second aim was to assess changes in both patients characteristic and surgical parameters and mortality rates in a single center institution.From 2001 to December 2015, 225 RH were performed in our center. We analyzed two time period: 2001-2007 and 2008-2015.Ninety days post operative mortality was observed in 9 cases (4%) for the overall cohort. We observed a difference between the two groups in the use of Pringle Maneuver (p0,001). This result is consistent in each major surgical indication: HCC (p=0,001), CLM (p=0,015) and BT (p=0,015). The estimated blood losses improved (p=0,028), particularly for the HCC cases (p=0,024). No difference was observed in terms of number of transfusions received between the two groups. Reduced length of stay was observed in the second group (p0,001), more markedly for CLM cases (p=0,001).To further improve the outcomes of RH, it is important to performed this major hepatectomy in hepatobiliary centers with an overall liver resection experience of at least few hundred cases.

MitraClip implantation has evolved as a new tool for treatment of inoperable or high-risk patients with severe functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) due to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Limited data are available regarding MitraClip outcomes comparing patients with ischemic and non-ischemic DCM.

A case of adenocarcinoma arising in a 39-year-old patient after restorative proctocolectomy is reported. The patient underwent an ileal pouch-anal anastomosis with double-stapled technique for severe ulcerative colitis 18 years earlier, without evidence of associated neoplasm or dysplasia in operative specimen. After endoscopic diagnosis of adenocarcinoma, the patient was submitted to excision of the pouch and permanent ileostomy, followed by combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Pathology showed an AJCC stage III moderately differentiated mucinous adenocarcinoma. The patient died 24 months after the operation, due to cancer progression. There are 50 reported cases in the indexed medical literature of carcinoma arisen after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis. Twenty-five out of these arose after mucosectomy and hand-sewn anastomosis, and 25 after stapling technique. Furthermore, in 48% of the patients, dysplasia or cancer was already present at the time of the colectomy. The increase of reported cases suggests a routine long-term endoscopic surveillance in patients with long-standing ileal pouches, especially in presence of dysplasia or cancer in the proctocolectomy specimen.

Liver transplantation is the treatment of choice for patients with acute and chronic end-stage liver disease, when no other medical treatment is possible. Despite high rates of 1- to 5-year survival, long-term adverse effects of immunosuppressant agents remain of major concern. Current research and clinical efforts are made to develop immunosuppressant agents that minimize adverse effects along with a low rate of graft rejection. Tailoring immunosuppressive therapy to individual patients by the use of proliferation signal inhibitors seems to be the best way to minimize toxicity and increase efficacy. Recently everolimus has been introduced in clinical practice; among its adverse effects an increased incidence of arterial graft thrombosis in renal transplants, vascular anastomosis leakage, impaired wound healing, and thrombotic microangiopathy have been reported. We present the case of a 54-year-old patient submitted to liver transplantation for end-stage liver disease treated by an extra-anatomic aortoiliac-hepatic arterial graft anastomosis and early postoperative introduction of everolimus for acute renal failure. Postoperative period was characterized by two abdominal collections and reactivation of cytomegalovirus infection that were treated by percutaneous drainage and antiviral therapy, respectively; the patient is well after 8-month followup with patency of the arterial conduit and no leakage.

Background: A potential mechanism of the infection would be an infected donor, contamination at the time of the infusion and/or packaging, back-table procedure, and finally during the transplantation, all are potential sources of infection. The aim of our study is to analyze the incidence and significance of infection in the preservation solution according with the graft temperature. The second aim was to analyze the impact graft temperature on the clinical infections and the ischemia reperfusion injury. Methods: Sixteen donors were prospectively included in this study, including 9 males and 7 females. The liver graft temperature monitoring shows variation in four different phases: at the harvesting beginning, before the graft packaging, at the beginning of the backtable, at the end of the backtable. Results: There was no correlation between the functionality of the graft and the temperature of the perfusion fluid. Conclusions: In conclusion, we did not found a correlation between graft temperature, culture of the preservation solution and early post-transplant follow up.

Despite the technical difficulties, laparoscopic ileocolic resection for Crohn’s disease (CD) has become widely accepted in recent years, due to its potential benefits. There are numerous reports concerning the use of laparoscopy in successfully treating CD, including two randomized trials and few comparative studies. For the most part, these reports outline use of laparoscopic approach in primary distal ileal or ileocolic disease, with a careful selection of the patients. The purpose of this comparative case–control study was to point out potential advantages and disadvantages in short- and long-term outcomes of the laparoscopic approach compared with the open one. From January 1999 to January 2004, 200 patients were admitted in our Surgical Unit for complicated primary CD. 100 patients (group 1) underwent a laparoscopic ileocolic resection, 100 patients (group 2), with alike demographic and clinical characteristics, underwent the same procedure using a traditional approach. The incidence of perforative disease was 32 and 40% in groups 1 and 2, respectively. Average operative time was 140 min (range 90–245 min) in the video-assisted group and 98 min (range 65–255 min) in group 2 (P

A74-year-oldwhitewomanpresentedwithanapproximately 1-year history of median longitudinal ridging of the right thumb that had evolved in a deep fissure along with distal onycholysis. She had previously been diagnosed as having onychomycosis and had been treated with topical and systemic antimycotic drugs, with no improvement. The medial part of the nail plate had progressively become thin and brittle, causing median longitudinal fissuring of the whole nail and isolating 2 lateral parts of normal nail plate (Figure 1). The nail bed, which was exposed by onychodystrophy, was yellowish red and had a few scales. The nail fold was not involved, and the hyponychium was not ulcerated and looked only slightly hyperkeratotic. The digital pulp was normal and painless. A punch biopsy specimen of the lesion was obtained, and a total excision of the nail apparatus was subsequently performed. The specimens were stained with hematoxylin-eosin (Figure 2) and HMB-45 (Figure 3). What is your diagnosis?

Right ventricular dysfunction (RVdisf) is predictor of poor outcome in patients with heart failure and valvular disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact and the evolution of RVdisf in patients with moderate-severe functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) after MitraClip. From October