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Introduction Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has overtaken surgical aortic valve replacement and revolutionized the treatment strategy for aortic valve replacement. Little is known on the disparities among minorities, especially American Indians (AI), undergoing this procedure. We explore TAVR outcomes to identify disparities at our institution. Methods Retrospective chart review was completed on patients who underwent TAVR at a North Dakota community hospital between 2012 and 2021. There were 1133 non-AI and 20 AI patients identified (n = 1153). AI patients were identified by enrollment in nationally recognized tribes, Indian Health Service (IHS), or who self-identified as AI. Patient demographics, preoperative characteristics, procedural information, and outcomes were collected. United States 2020 census data was used for state-wide population racial percentages. Unpaired two tail t test assuming unequal variance and chi-squared tests were used to evaluate data and identify disparities between AI and non-AI. Results AI presented at an earlier age (71 vs. 79; p = .001) with higher rates of diabetes (60% vs. 35%; p = .018) and history of smoking (100% vs. 60%; p ≤ .001) than Caucasian/white (C/W). The Society of Thoracic Surgery (STS) risk scores (3.2% vs. 4.6%; p = .054) and aortic valve mean gradients were lower among AI (42.8 mmHg vs. 47.5 mmHg; p = .010). For those deceased, AI had significantly shorter lifespans post-TAVR compared to C/W (374 days vs. 755 days; p = .004). AI from North Dakota had fewer TAVR procedures performed than expected (4 actual vs. 32 expected; p Conclusions AI undergoing TAVR presented earlier, with higher rates of diabetes and smoking, lower STS risk scores, and lesser aortic valve gradients than C/W. The number of TAVR procedures performed on AI from North Dakota was lower than anticipated despite a nearly 10-year period and the disparities experienced by AI who could have otherwise benefited from TAVR.

BACKGROUND The efficacy of surgical stabilization of rib fracture (SSRF) in patients without flail chest has not been studied specifically. We hypothesized that SSRF improves outcomes among patients with displaced rib fractures in the absence of flail chest. METHODS Multicenter, prospective, controlled, clinical trial (12 centers) comparing SSRF within 72 hours to medical management. Inclusion criteria were three or more ipsilateral, severely displaced rib fractures without flail chest. The trial involved both randomized and observational arms at patient discretion. The primary outcome was the numeric pain score (NPS) at 2-week follow-up. Narcotic consumption, spirometry, pulmonary function tests, pleural space complications (tube thoracostomy or surgery for retained hemothorax or empyema >24 hours from admission) and both overall and respiratory disability-related quality of life (RD-QoL) were also compared. RESULTS One hundred ten subjects were enrolled. There were no significant differences between subjects who selected randomization (n = 23) versus observation (n = 87); these groups were combined for all analyses. Of the 110 subjects, 51 (46.4%) underwent SSRF. There were no significant baseline differences between the operative and nonoperative groups. At 2-week follow-up, the NPS was significantly lower in the operative, as compared with the nonoperative group (2.9 vs. 4.5, p < 0.01), and RD-QoL was significantly improved (disability score, 21 vs. 25, p = 0.03). Narcotic consumption also trended toward being lower in the operative, as compared with the nonoperative group (0.5 vs. 1.2 narcotic equivalents, p = 0.05). During the index admission, pleural space complications were significantly lower in the operative, as compared with the nonoperative group (0% vs. 10.2%, p = 0.02). CONCLUSION In this clinical trial, SSRF performed within 72 hours improved the primary outcome of NPS at 2-week follow-up among patients with three or more displaced fractures in the absence of flail chest. These data support the role of SSRF in patients without flail chest. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic, level II.

Behcet’s disease (BD) is a rare autoimmune disorder that results in diffuse full-thickness vasculitis. Pulmonary artery aneurysms (PAAs) and hemoptysis are known complications of this disease process, with high morbidity and mortality for affected patients. Although medical, endovascular, and surgical treatment strategies have all been described in the literature, there are little data to describe the long-term outcomes of these various treatment modalities and there continues to be a lack of clearly defined algorithms for the management of these patients. We report a case of PAA in the setting of BD who was treated over the course of many years with medical therapy and coil embolization but ultimately failed treatment, sustained a complication of coil erosion and migration into the trachea twice, and required surgical lobectomy for definitive management. We discuss an algorithm for the management of patients with BD who have PAAs.

Traditional management of right-sided infective endocarditis (RSIE) involved intravenous (IV) antibiotics and valvular surgery for refractory cases. Recent advances in percutaneous techniques allow removal of large valvular vegetations using the AngioVac (AngioDynamics, New York) system, which

Optimal antiplatelet and antithrombotic treatment after transcatheter valve replacement (TAVR) is unclear. TAVR valve thrombosis with valve dysfunction and high transvalvular gradients have been reported and treated with warfarin therapy, prompting short-term prophylactic warfarin use in some

Impaired sternal wound healing remains problematic after median sternotomy and can lead to significant morbidity after cardiac surgical procedures. Although metal plating systems exist for closing the sternum, their use is limited by expense and practicality, and simple wire closure remains the most common technique to close the sternum. We describe a cabling technique for sternal closure that is secure, uses standard sternal wire, and may be used on every patient. We have used the technique routinely in 291 patients with no sternal dehiscence or wound healing problems.

Thienopyridines are among the most widely prescribed medications, but their use can be complicated by the unanticipated need for surgery. Despite increased risk of thrombosis, guidelines recommend discontinuing thienopyridines 5 to 7 days prior to surgery to minimize bleeding.To evaluate the use of cangrelor, an intravenous, reversible P2Y(12) platelet inhibitor for bridging thienopyridine-treated patients to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery.Prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial, involving 210 patients with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or treated with a coronary stent and receiving a thienopyridine awaiting CABG surgery to receive either cangrelor or placebo after an initial open-label, dose-finding phase (n = 11) conducted between January 2009 and April 2011. Interventions Thienopyridines were stopped and patients were administered cangrelor or placebo for at least 48 hours, which was discontinued 1 to 6 hours before CABG surgery.The primary efficacy end point was platelet reactivity (measured in P2Y(12) reaction units [PRUs]), assessed daily. The main safety end point was excessive CABG surgery-related bleeding.The dose of cangrelor determined in 10 patients in the open-label stage was 0.75 μg/kg per minute. In the randomized phase, a greater proportion of patients treated with cangrelor had low levels of platelet reactivity throughout the entire treatment period compared with placebo (primary end point, PRU240; 98.8% (83 of 84) vs 19.0% (16 of 84); relative risk [RR], 5.2 [95% CI, 3.3-8.1] P.001). Excessive CABG surgery-related bleeding occurred in 11.8% (12 of 102) vs 10.4% (10 of 96) in the cangrelor and placebo groups, respectively (RR, 1.1 [95% CI, 0.5-2.5] P = .763). There were no significant differences in major bleeding prior to CABG surgery, although minor bleeding episodes were numerically higher with cangrelor.Among patients who discontinue thienopyridine therapy prior to cardiac surgery, the use of cangrelor compared with placebo resulted in a higher rate of maintenance of platelet inhibition.clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00767507.

This study sought to evaluate the impact of upstream clopidogrel in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE-ACS) requiring coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) from the ACUITY (Acute Catheterization and Urgent Intervention Triage strategY) trial.Despite benefits of clopidogrel in patients with NSTE-ACS undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, this agent is often not administered upstream (before angiography) as recommended by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines because of potential bleeding in the minority of patients who require CABG.The ACUITY trial enrolled 13,819 patients with NSTE-ACS undergoing early invasive management. The timing of clopidogrel initiation was per investigator discretion. A 5-day washout period before CABG was recommended for patients having received clopidogrel.Of 13,819 patients enrolled, 1,539 (11.1%) underwent CABG before discharge. Clopidogrel-exposed patients had a longer median duration of hospitalization (12.0 days vs. 8.9 days, p0.0001), but fewer adverse composite ischemic events (death, myocardial infarction, or unplanned revascularization) at 30 days; 12.7% vs. 17.3%, p = 0.01), with nonsignificantly different rates of non-CABG-related major bleeding (3.4% vs. 3.2%, p = 0.87) and post-CABG major bleeding (50.3% vs. 50.9%, p = 0.83) compared with those patients not administered clopidogrel. By multivariable analysis, clopidogrel use before CABG was an independent predictor of reduced 30-day composite ischemia (odds ratio: 0.67, 95% confidence interval: 0.48 to 0.92, p = 0.001) but not of increased post-CABG major bleeding (odds ratio: 0.98, 95% confidence interval: 0.80 to 1.19, p = 0.80).Clopidogrel administration before catheterization in patients with NSTE-ACS requiring CABG is associated with significantly fewer 30-day adverse ischemic events without significantly increasing major bleeding, compared to withholding clopidogrel until after angiography. These findings support the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines for upstream clopidogrel administration in all NSTE-ACS patients, including those who subsequently undergo CABG. (Comparison of Angiomax Versus Heparin in Acute Coronary Syndromes [ACS]; NCT00093158).

Thienopyridine administration has a class Ia recommendation in patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Despite this many physicians withhold this treatment until after angiography because of concerns over the minority of patients who may require coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). We sought to evaluate the one year composite ischemic outcomes (death, myocardial infarction, revascularization) in ACS patients requiring CABG based on thienopyridine exposure and timing of CABG. Methods: In the ACUITY trial, thienopyridine administration and timing was left to investigators’ discretion. In the subset of patients requiring CABG, the one year composite ischemic outcome was compared in those not exposed to thienopyridines (group A), those who received thienopyridine and went to CABG ≤120 hours from the last dose (group B) and those who received thienopyridine and went to CABG >120 hours after the last dose (group C). Major bleeding was defined based on ACUITY definitions. Results: CABG was performed in 1539 (11.1%) patients. There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics among the three groups. Mean time from angiography to CABG, major bleeding, and 1-year composite ischemia are presented in the table below. Conclusions: Based on our analysis of ACS patients undergoing CABG in the ACUITY trial, those who received thienopyridine preoperatively and went to CABG >120 hours from the last dose had improved one year composite ischemic outcomes compared to those not exposed or those who received thienopyridine and went to CABG ≤120 hours after the last dose.