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Open in new tab Download slide Open in new tab Download slide OBJECTIVES Although in both the US and European guidelines the 'heart team approach' is a class I recommendation, supporting evidence is still lacking. Therefore, we sought to provide comparative survival data of patients with mitral valve disease referred to the general and the dedicated heart team. METHODS In this retrospective cohort, patients evaluated for mitral valve disease by a general heart team (2009–2014) and a dedicated mitral valve heart team (2014–2018) were included. Decision-making was recorded prospectively in heart team electronic forms. The end point was overall survival from decision of the heart team. RESULTS In total, 1145 patients were included of whom 641 (56%) were discussed by dedicated heart team and 504 (44%) by general heart team. At 5 years, survival probability was 0.74 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.68–0.79] for the dedicated heart team group compared to 0.70 (95% CI 0.66–0.74, P  = 0.040) for the general heart team. Relative risk of mortality adjusted for EuroSCORE II, treatment groups (surgical, transcatheter and non-intervention), mitral valve pathology (degenerative, functional, rheumatic and others) and 13 other baseline characteristics for patients in the dedicated heart team was 29% lower [hazard ratio (HR) 0.71, 95% CI 0.54–0.95; P  = 0.019] than for the general heart team. The adjusted relative risk of mortality was 61% lower for patients following the advice of the heart team (HR 0.39, 95% CI 0.25–0.62; P  < 0.001) and 43% lower for patients following the advice of the general heart team (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.37–0.87; P  = 0.010) compared to those who did not follow the advice of the heart team. CONCLUSIONS In this retrospective cohort, patients treated for mitral valve disease based on a dedicated heart team decision have significantly higher survival independent of the allocated treatment, mitral valve pathology and baseline characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past few years, many have disputed the optimal biomarker for confirming or ruling out a diagnosis of periprocedural myocardial infarction (PMI) and the optimal cut‐off concentrations to apply. In this issue of the Journal of Cardiac Surgery, Niclauss et al. performed a retrospective analysis of CK‐MB and high‐sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs‐cTnT) dynamics and peak concentrations following different cardiac surgical interventions in 400 patients during a 2‐year period in a single center. The authors found that CK‐MB and hs‐cTnT predict PMI with a comparable diagnostic accuracy and discriminatory power >95%. They also attempted to propose an improved, more sensitive threshold of hs‐cTnT for PMI. Their findings could have implications for clinical practice, but more research is warranted to identify more appropriate cut‐offs. This could include hs‐cTnT release pattern, slope steepness, and changes. Ultimately, this could results in patient‐specific model, able to predict expected and abnormal ranges of hs‐cTnT release, enabling an improved and timely diagnosis of PMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: While reported mortality rates on post-cardiotomy extracorporeal membrane oxygenation vary from center to center, impact of baseline surgical status (elective/urgent/emergency/salvage) on mortality is still unknown. Methods: A systematic search was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement using PubMed/Medline databases until March 2018 using the keywords "postcardiotomy," "cardiogenic shock," "extracorporeal membrane oxygenation," and "extracorporeal life support." Relevant articles were scrutinized and included in the meta-analysis only if reporting in-hospital/30-day mortality and baseline surgical status. The correlations between mortality and percentage of elective/urgent/emergency cases were investigated. Inference analysis of baseline status and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation complications was conducted as well. Results: Twenty-two studies (conducted between 1993 and 2017) enrolling N = 2,235 post-cardiotomy extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients were found. Patients were mostly of non-emergency status (65.2%). Overall in-hospital/30-day mortality event rate (95% confidence intervals) was 66.7% (63.3-69.9%). There were no differences in in-hospital/30-day mortality with respect to baseline surgical status in the subgroup analysis (test for subgroup differences; p = 0.406). Similarly, no differences between mortality in studies enrolling <50 versus ⩾50% of emergency/salvage cases was found: respective event rates were 66.9% (63.1-70.4%) versus 64.4% (57.3-70.8%); p = 0.525. Yet, there was a significant positive association between increasing percentage of emergency/salvage cases and rates of neurological complications (p < 0.001), limb complications (p < 0.001), and bleeding (p = 0.051). Incidence of brain death (p = 0.099) and sepsis (p = 0.134) was increased as well. Conclusion: Other factors than baseline surgical status may, to a higher degree, influence the mortality in patients treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for post-cardiotomy cardiogenic shock. Baseline status, however, strongly influences the complication occurrence while on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

View large Download slide View large Download slide OBJECTIVES Saline testing is used in mitral valve (MV) surgery to evaluate the repair intra-operatively. Sometimes, saline testing shows a prolapse of the anterior leaflet, not seen on preoperative echocardiography. Our objective was to investigate the incidence, predisposing factors and consequences of this phenomenon. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed all consecutive patients undergoing surgery for posterior leaflet prolapse between 2013 and 2017. All data, including intraoperative video recordings of the repair and saline testing, were collected prospectively. RESULTS Isolated posterior leaflet repair was performed in 91 patients. In 17 patients (18.7%), saline testing showed an unexpected anterior leaflet prolapse. Patients with unexpected prolapse presented with higher body mass index (BMI) compared to the reference group (27.5 ± 2.3 vs 25.0 ± 4.2, P  = 0.01). Binomial logistic regression analysis showed BMI, surgical approach, number of prolapsing segments, left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular end systolic diameter and left atrial diameter to be predictive for unexpected anterior leaflet prolapse. In patients with unexpected anterior leaflet prolapse, no adequate saline testing was possible and repair was accomplished based on correction of the prolapse as seen on a preoperative echocardiogram. In both groups, 100% repair rate was achieved. Predischarge mitral regurgitation grading showed mild or less mitral regurgitation in all the patients in the unexpected prolapse group in comparison with 98.6% of patients in the reference group. CONCLUSIONS When saline testing shows an unexpected prolapse of the anterior leaflet, not present on preoperative echocardiography, no additional surgical techniques should be performed in order to achieve an excellent postoperative result. Further research is warranted to predict unexpected anterior leaflet prolapse preoperatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

View large Download slide View large Download slide OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to develop a process for modelling and 3-dimensional (3D) printing of different mitral valve diseases for procedural planning and simulation, based on 3D transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE). METHODS 3D TOE was used to reconstruct a fully dynamic 3D view of the diseased valve. Reconstructions were cropped at the level of the valve and captured in mid-systole to assess the coaptation defect. Reconstructions were then exported as a surface mesh. To ensure a watertight and noise-reduced model, the mesh was processed using computer-modelling programmes, whereupon the valve was printed in 3D. For simulation purposes, deformable models were created based on negative mould fabrication and cast in tissue-mimicking silicone. Model validation was performed by intraoperative assessment of the valvular disease and repair strategy. RESULTS The mitral valves of 10 prospective patients with different diseases were modelled. In 6 patients, a 3D printed rigid plastic mitral valve was created for procedural planning, and in 4 patients, a silicone-cast replica was created for procedural simulation. All models were created to scale, implying conservation of in vivo dimensions. Models were validated by in vivo comparison. Total workaround time ranged from 3 to 4 h and 2 to 3 days for rigid plastic and silicone models, respectively. Costs were €15 to €40 and €300, respectively. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated the feasibility of creating rigid plastic and tissue-mimicking silicone mitral valve replications. These models could be used in the future to enhance surgical anatomical interpretation, to facilitate planning and simulation of complex surgeries and for training purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]