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An asymptomatic twenty-six-year-old woman with repaired tetralogy of Fallot and a bioprosthetic pulmonary valve presented with a large thrombosis occluding most of her right ventricular outflow tract and main pulmonary arteries. Our Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT) was emergently consulted resulting in considerable discussion regarding treatment modality given the large size and high-risk nature of the thrombosis. Ultimately, she was started on a heparin infusion until she could undergo open thrombectomy and pulmonary valve re-replacement. The patient’s asymptomatic presentation despite the considerable clot burden complicated our approach to management but ultimately led to a measured and timely intervention.

Approximately one-quarter of patients with acute type A aortic dissection (TAAD) present with concomitant malperfusion of coronary arteries, mesenteric circulation, lower extremities, kidneys, brain, and/or coma. It is generally accepted that TAAD patients who present with malperfusion experience higher mortality rates than patients without, although how specific malperfusion syndromes, alone or in combination, affect mortality is not well described.The International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection database was queried for patients who underwent surgical repair of TAAD. Patients were stratified according to the presence/absence of malperfusion at presentation. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate in-hospital mortality according to malperfusion type. Kaplan-Meier estimates were used to estimate 30-day postoperative survival.Six thousand four hundred thirty-seven patients underwent surgical repair of acute TAAD, of whom 2642 (41%) had 1 or more preoperative malperfusion syndromes. Mesenteric malperfusion (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 4.84; P .001) was associated with the highest odds of in-hospital mortality, followed by coma (AOR, 1.88; P = .007), limb ischemia (AOR, 1.73; P = .008), and coronary malperfusion (AOR, 1.51; P = .02). Renal malperfusion (AOR, 1.37; P = .24) and neurologic deficit (AOR, 1.35; P = .28) were not associated with increased in-hospital mortality. In patients who survived to discharge, there was no difference in 1-year postdischarge survival in the malperfusion and no malperfusion cohorts (P = .36).Survival during the index admission after TAAD repair varies according to the presence and type of malperfusion syndromes, with mesenteric malperfusion being associated with the highest odds of in-hospital death. Not only the presence of malperfusion but rather specific malperfusion syndromes should be considered when assessing a patient's risk of undergoing TAAD repair.

BACKGROUND In this study, we compare the clinical characteristics, intraoperative management, and postoperative outcomes of patients with acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) between two academic medical hospitals in the United States and China. METHODS From January 2011 to December 2017, 641 and 150 patients from Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital (NDTH) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) were enrolled. Patient demographics, clinical features, surgical techniques, and postoperative outcomes were compared. RESULTS The annual number of patients presenting with ATAAD at MGH remained relatively stable, while the number at NDTH increased significantly over the study period. The average age was 51 years at NDTH and 61 years at MGH (P

Left-sided partial anomalous pulmonary venous return (left pulmonary veins to left vertical vein) was repaired in a 70-year-old patient by ligation of the vertical vein and connection of the pulmonary veins to the left atrial appendage using a ringed polytetrafluoroethylene tube graft. The graft made the connection technically easier and facilitated a torque-free and tension-free anastomosis that was “stented” open by the rings.

The year 2018 was the centennial of the naming of heparin by Emmett Holt and William Howell and the 102nd anniversary of Jay McLean's discovery of an anticoagulant heparphosphatide at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. This article discusses recently discovered historical artifacts that shed new light on heparin's christening, including McLean's unpublished letter written in 1950 that represents one of the most complete accounts of heparin's discovery before his untimely death. In addition, the article describes the finding of a plaque dedicated to McLean and explores the circumstances of its removal from public display, as learned from interviews with present and former staff members.

Aortic valve surgery in non-elderly patients represents a very challenging patient population. The younger the patient is at the point of aortic valve intervention, the longer their anticipated life expectancy will be, with longer exposure to valve-related complications and risk for re-operation. Although the latest international guidelines recommend aortic valve repair in patients with aortic valve insufficiency, what we see in the real world is that the vast majority of these aortic valves are replaced. However, current prosthetic valves has now been shown to lead to significant loss of life expectancy for non-elderly patients up to 50% for patients in their 40s undergoing mechanical aortic valve replacement. Bioprostheses carry an even worse long-term survival, with higher rates of re-intervention. The promise of trans-catheter valve-in-valve technology is accentuating the trend of bioprosthetic implantation in younger patients, without yet the appropriate evidence. In contrast, aortic valve repair has shown excellent outcomes in terms of quality of life, freedom from re-operation and freedom from major adverse valve-related events with similar life expectancy to general population as it is also found for the Ross procedure, the only available living valve substitute. We are at a time when the paradigm of aortic valve surgery needs to change for the better. To better serve our patients, we must acquire high quality real-world evidence from multiple centers globally - this is the vision of the AVIATOR registry and our common responsibility.

Comprehensive information on the characteristics of surgical heart valves (SHVs) is essential for optimal valve selection. Such information is also important in assessing SHV function after valve replacement. Despite the existing regulatory framework for SHV sizing and labelling, this information is challenging to obtain in a uniform manner for various SHVs. To ensure that clinicians are adequately informed, the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS), The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) and American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) set up a Task Force comprised of cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, engineers, regulatory bodies, representatives of the International Organization for Standardization and major valve manufacturers. Previously, the EACTS–STS–AATS Valve Labelling Task Force identified the most important problems around SHV sizing and labelling. This Expert Consensus Document formulates recommendations for providing SHV physical dimensions, intended implant position and hemodynamic performance in a transparent, uniform manner. Furthermore, the Task Force advocates for the introduction and use of a standardized chart to assess the probability of prosthesis–patient mismatch and calls valve manufacturers to provide essential information required for SHV choice on standardized Valve Charts, uniformly for all SHV models.

Symptomatic thoracic aortic aneurysms are a clinical emergency requiring prompt diagnosis, focused investigation and early treatment. Aneurysmal disease is normally silent. When symptoms occur, they are well recognized as a risk factor for acute aortic event such of rapid expansion, rupture or dissection. Management strategy is based on medical temporization, symptom relief and expedient open surgical and/or endovascular correction. The great physician Sir William Osler observed, “there is no condition more conductive to clinical humility than aneurysm of the aorta.” Although progress has been made since Osler’s observation regarding the challenge posed by aortic disease, the statement remains true to this day.

Coronary artery anomalies have been recognized since antiquity and were described in various anatomical treatises by Renaissance scholars. In the mid-1970s, the clinical significance of anomalies of coronary artery origin and course with respect to sudden death was appreciated, and the first successful surgical unroofing procedure was performed. This chapter describes the embryology and normal anatomy of the coronary arteries and types of coronary artery anomalies and their classification. In particular, it discusses the anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery (AAOCA), diagnosis of AAOCA, and indications for, types, and outcomes of surgical repair for AAOCA.

BACKGROUND Preoperative dental screening before cardiac valve surgery is widely accepted but its required scope remains unclear. This study evaluates two preoperative dental screening (PDS) approaches, a focused approach (FocA) and a comprehensive approach (CompA), to compare postsurgical 90-day mortality. METHODS Retrospective cohort analysis was performed on all patients who underwent valve surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital with FocA and Massachusetts General Hospital with CompA of PDS approach from January 2009 to December 2016. Patients with intravenous drug abuse and systemic infections were excluded. Univariate, multivariable, and subgroup analysis was performed. RESULTS A total of 1835 patients were included in the study. With FocA 96% of patients (1097/1143) received dental clearance in a single encounter with 3.3% receiving radiographs and undergoing dental extractions. With CompA 35.5% of patients (245/692) received dental clearance in a single encounter, 94.2% received radiographs, and 21.8% underwent dental extractions. There was no significant difference in 90-day mortality when comparing both PDS approach (10% vs 8.4%, P = .257). This remained unchanged in a multivariable model after adjusting for risk factors (odds ratio:1.32 [95%CI:0.91-1.93] [P = .14]). Reoperation due to infection was less in FocA (0.5%) vs CompA (2.6) (P

OBJECTIVES Kommerell diverticulum (KD) is a rare congenital vascular anomaly often associated with an aberrant subclavian artery (ASCA). Definitive indications for intervention remain unclear. We present open and endovascular (EV) operative outcomes in a large contemporary series and propose a management algorithm. METHODS Between 2004 and 2020, 224 patients presented with ASCA and associated KD to our institution. Of the 43 (19.2%) patients who underwent operative repair, 31 (72.1%) had open surgical (OS) repair via thoracotomy and 12 (27.9%) had EV repair. Univariable and bivariable statistical analyses were conducted stratified by approach. The median follow-up time was 5.4 years (IQR, 2.9–9.7). RESULTS Patients in EV group were older (68 years vs 47 years, P CONCLUSIONS KD can be managed using open or EV approaches with low morbidity and mortality. Treatment strategy should depend on clinical presentation and patient factors.

Real-time noninvasive monitoring of cerebral blood flow during surgery could improve the morbidity and mortality rates associated with hypothermic circulatory arrests (HCA) in adult cardiac patients. In this study, we used a combined frequency domain near-infrared spectroscopy (FDNIRS) and diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) system to measure cerebral oxygen saturation (SO2) and an index of blood flow (CBFi) in 12 adults going under cardiac surgery with HCA. Our measurements revealed that a negligible amount of blood is delivered to the brain during HCA with retrograde cerebral perfusion (RCP), indistinguishable from HCA-only cases (CBFi drops of 91% ± 3% and 96% ± 2%, respectively) and that CBFi drops for both are significantly higher than drops during HCA with antegrade cerebral perfusion (ACP) (p = 0.003). We conclude that FDNIRS-DCS can be a powerful tool to optimize cerebral perfusion, and that RCP needs to be further examined to confirm its efficacy, or lack thereof.

Objectives We sought to develop strategies for management of the aortic arch in patients with Loeys–Dietz syndrome (LDS) through a review of our clinical experience with these patients and a comparison with our experience in patients with Marfan syndrome (MFS). Methods We reviewed hospital and follow-up records of 79 patients with LDS and compared them with 256 patients with MFS who served as reference controls. Results In the LDS group, 16% of patients presented initially with acute aortic dissection (AAD) (67% type A, 33% type B) or developed AAD during follow-up, compared with 10% of patients with MFS (95% type A, 5% type B). There was no difference between patients with LDS or MFS in need for subsequent arch interventions after aortic root surgery (46% vs 50%, P = 1.0). Among the patients who never had AAD, the need for arch repair at initial root surgery was greater in patients with LDS (5% vs 0.4%, P = .04), as was the need for any subsequent aortic surgery (12% vs 1.3%, P = .0004). Late mortality in patients with LDS after arch repair was greater than in those patients who had no arch intervention (33% vs 6%, P = .007). Conclusions In the absence of dissection, patients with LDS have a greater rate of arch intervention after root surgery than patients with MFS. After a dissection, arch reintervention rates are similar in the 2 groups. Arch intervention portends greater late mortality in LDS.

This article reviews the context and evidence of recent myocardial revascularization trials that compared percutaneous coronary intervention with coronary artery bypass grafting for the treatment of left main and multivessel coronary artery disease. We develop the rationale that some of the knowledge synthesis resulting from these trials, particularly with regard to the claimed noninferiority of percutaneous coronary intervention beyond nondiabetic patients with low anatomic complexity, may have been affected by trial design, patient selection based on suitability for percutaneous coronary intervention, and end point optimization favoring percutaneous coronary intervention over coronary artery bypass grafting. We provide recommendations that include holding a circumspect interpretation of the currently available evidence, as well as suggestions for the collaborative design and conduct of future clinical trials in this and other fields.

Systemic-to-pulmonary shunt failure is a potentially catastrophic complication. We analyzed a large multicenter clinical registry to describe the prevalence and evaluate risk factors.Infants (aged ≤365 days) undergoing shunt operations (systemic artery-to-pulmonary artery or systemic ventricle-to-pulmonary artery) in The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database (STS-CHSD) from 2010 to 2015 were included. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate risk factors for in-hospital shunt failure. Model covariates included patient characteristics, preoperative factors, procedural factors including shunt type, and center effects. Centers with more than 15% missing data for key covariates were excluded.Shunt operations were performed in 9,172 infants (118 centers). In-hospital shunt failure occurred in 674 (7.3%). In multivariable analysis, risk factors for in-hospital shunt failure included lower weight at operation (odds ratio [OR], 1.35; p = 0.001), preoperative hypercoagulable state (OR, 2.47; p = 0.031), and the presence of any other STS-CHSD preoperative risk factors (OR, 1.24; p = 0.038). Shunt failure was less likely with a systemic ventricle-to-pulmonary artery shunt than a systemic artery-to-pulmonary artery shunt (OR, 0.65; p = 0.020). Neither cardiopulmonary bypass nor single-ventricle diagnosis was a risk factor for shunt failure. Patients with in-hospital shunt failure had significantly higher rates of operative mortality (31.9% vs 11.1%, p 0.001) and major morbidity (84.4% vs 29.4%, p0.001), and longer median postoperative length of stay among survivors (45 vs 22 days, p0.001).In-hospital shunt failure is common, and associated mortality risk is high. These data highlight at-risk patients and procedural cohorts that warrant expectant surveillance and may benefit from enhanced antithrombotic prophylaxis or other management strategies to reduce shunt failure. These findings may inform planning of future clinical trials.

Factor XI deficiency is associated with significant bleeding in the setting of trauma and surgery. We present a patient with FXI deficiency and multiple red blood cell allo-antibodies requiring repeat aortic root replacement and discuss the perioperative management of patients with FXI deficiency undergoing cardiac surgery.

Severe mitral valve regurgitation in children can stem from various congenital anomalies that involve the valvar and sub-valvar apparatus. In the rare subgroup of pediatric patients with connective tissue disorders, severe mitral regurgitation is typically associated with massive annular enlargement and severe bi-leaflet prolapse. We present our experience with a simplified form of repair that can result in mitral valve competency and low incidence of stenosis. This repair can be accomplished expeditiously in a group of patients who often present with compensated or decompensated heart failure or who might also need intervention on the aortic root.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) database does not distinguish between a decline in creatinine clearance vs new hemodialysis (HD) when qualifying acute renal failure (ARF) after a cardiac operation. We hypothesized that patients requiring HD experience significantly greater postoperative morbidity and death.We included all patients who underwent STS index cardiac operations at our institution from 2008 to March 2015 and did not have preexisting renal failure (creatinine4.0 mg/dL or preoperative HD). We identified patients meeting STS criteria for ARF: threefold rise in serum creatinine, creatinine exceeding 4.0 mg/dL (non-HD ARF) with minimum rise of 0.5 mg/dL, or HD (ARF-HD). After propensity matching non-HD ARF and ARF-HD groups across 14 variables (including baseline glomerular filtration rate), we compared incidences of our primary outcome, death, and secondary outcomes, intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital length of stay (LOS), and discharge to a location other than home.Among 4,154 study patients, we identified 113 (2.7%) that experienced new-onset non-HD ARF (n = 57) or ARF-HD (n = 56) postoperatively. Propensity matching resulted in 51 well-matched pairs who experienced non-HD ARF or ARF-HD (all p0.10). Patients requiring HD suffered significantly greater operative mortality (67% vs 22%, p0.01), longer ICU LOS (326 vs 176 hours, p0.01), and greater postoperative hospital LOS (34 vs 17 days, p0.01). ARF-HD patients also demonstrated a trend toward higher rates of discharge to a location other than home (71% vs 45%, p = 0.08).After cardiac operations, patients who experienced ARF-HD experienced triple the mortality and double the ICU and postoperative hospital LOS compared with patients who experienced non-HD ARF.

Concerns over prolonged allograft ischemia have limited the widespread adoption of long-distance organ procurement in heart transplantation (HT). We sought to assess whether donor distance from the center of transplantation independently affects mortality.We queried the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database for adults undergoing isolated HT from 2005 to 2012. Risk-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were constructed for the primary outcomes of 30-day and 1-year mortality, and the independent impact of donor distance from transplantation center at the time of procurement was assessed.We included 14,588 heart transplant recipients. The mean distance from location of the donor heart to transplantation center was 184.4 ± 214.6 miles; 1,214 HTs (8.3%) occurred at the same location as the donor heart. Ischemic times were inversely related to the distance from the site of donor procurement to recipient transplantation. After risk adjustment, longer donor distances (in miles) were associated with a significantly lower risk of mortality at both 30 days (hazard ratio [HR] 0.9993, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.9988 to 0.9998, p 0.01) and 1 year (HR 0.9994, 95% CI: 0.9989 to 0.9999, p = 0.015). Risk-adjusted hazards for mortality were significantly reduced in recipients receiving hearts from more than 25 miles away. The hazard reduction was greatest in recipients receiving donor hearts from more than 500 miles away (1-year HR 0.64, p0.01; 30-day HR 0.47, p0.01).Longer distances between donor location and center of heart transplantation are associated with a reduced hazard for survival at 30 days and 1 year, despite greater ischemic times. Future studies are necessary to elucidate the protective factors surrounding long-distance heart donation.

A best evidence topic in cardiac surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether surgical septal myectomy (SM) is more beneficial than alcohol septal ablation (ASA) in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. Altogether 218 articles were found using the reported search, of which 15 studies represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. There were 14 observational studies and 1 meta-analysis study. The authors, journal, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes and results of these articles are tabulated. Surgical SM was generally performed in younger patients whereas percutaneous ASA was favoured in patients with advanced age and significant co-morbidities. In a large study comprising 716 patients, the reduction of median residual left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) gradient at 3 months was comparable after ASA (102 ± 52-10 mmHg) and SM (92 ± 39-9 mmHg). The New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class and symptomatic improvement for either approach was comparable. Findings from the meta-analysis study showed that patients who underwent ASA had a higher incidence of post-procedure device implantation (odds ratio 3.09; P 0.00001), as reported in 6 other studies. The risk of permanent pacemaker insertion during follow-up (FU) varied between 2.4-12.5% in SM and 1.7-22.0% in ASA. Isolated surgical myectomy and ASA are safe and effective in abolishing outflow obstruction, although the resolution of LVOT pressure gradient is more complete with surgery. The post-procedural and late mortality rates between the 2 groups are consistently low and comparable in carefully selected patients. Nonetheless, ASA is associated with the increased likelihood of complications such as permanent pacemaker implantation, early sustained-VT and VF, and re-intervention. Overall, when performed by experienced cardiologists and surgeons, both techniques are safe and effective in most cases and therefore treatment should be offered based on patient choice.

In pediatric patients with connective tissue disorders (CTDs), early cardiac presentation often involves severe mitral regurgitation (MR) associated with severe bileaflet prolapse and, less frequently, aortic root enlargement. We adopted a simplified repair to address MR and prevent systolic anterior motion (SAM) in this unique group of patients.Retrospective review of clinical and echocardiographic data of all pediatric patients (age 18 years) with CTD and MR undergoing simplified repair at 3 institutions (2000-2014).Eighteen children who underwent surgery for severe MR and bileaflet prolapse were identified. All were treated with ring annuloplasty and Alfieri edge-to-edge repair. Median age and weight were 8.2 years (range, 0.4-17.2 years) and 24.9 kg (5.6-63.3 kg), respectively. Median left ventricular end diastolic dimension median z score was 4.9 (2.1-11.9). One patient died (5.6%), and there were no other major complications. Among survivors, 94.4% had mild regurgitation or less, with no stenosis or SAM at median clinical follow-up of 2.4 years (range, 0-13.9 years). Median left ventricular end-diastolic dimension z score regressed to 1.3 (-0.5 to 4.3).In pediatric patients with CTD and severe MR, a simplified approach is associated with intermediate-term competence, absence of SAM or significant stenosis, and regression of left ventricular enlargement.

A double interatrial septum (DIS) is a rare finding during echocardiographic evaluation and can often be mistaken for other more common atrial anomalies. The interatrial cavity created by the septum creates a low-flow state that increases risk of thrombus formation and thromboembolic events. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) plays a vital role in accurate diagnosis as a DIS is often not seen during transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). In this case, we report a patient who presented for surgery with a preoperative diagnosis of an atrial myxoma, was instead discovered to have a DIS, and then subsequently underwent DIS resection without complication. We discuss the differential of a DIS, including an atrial septal pouch, cor triatriatum, atrial myxoma, and aneurysmal interatrial septum and the classic features of each anomaly for appropriate diagnosis and management. How to cite this article Wyrobek J, Brown CH IV, Kostibas MP, Mayer SA, Cameron DE, Hayanga HK. Double Interatrial Septum appearing as an Atrial Myxoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature. J Perioper Echocardiogr 2017;5(1):16-20.

Importance Delirium occurs in up to 52% of patients after cardiac surgery and may result from changes in cerebral perfusion. Using intraoperative cerebral autoregulation monitoring to individualize and optimize cerebral perfusion may be a useful strategy to reduce the incidence of delirium after cardiac surgery. Objective To determine whether targeting mean arterial pressure during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) using cerebral autoregulation monitoring reduces the incidence of delirium compared with usual care. Design, Setting, and Participants This randomized clinical trial nested within a larger trial enrolled patients older than 55 years who underwent nonemergency cardiac surgery at a single US academic medical center between October 11, 2012, and May 10, 2016, and had a high risk for neurologic complications. Patients, physicians, and outcome assessors were masked to the assigned intervention. A total of 2764 patients were screened, and 199 were eligible for analysis in this study. Intervention In the intervention group, the patient’s lower limit of cerebral autoregulation was identified during surgery before CPB. On CPB, the patient’s mean arterial pressure was targeted to be greater than that patient’s lower limit of autoregulation. In the control group, mean arterial pressure targets were determined according to institutional practice. Main Outcomes and Measures The main outcome was any incidence of delirium on postoperative days 1 through 4, as adjudicated by a consensus expert panel. Results Among the 199 participants in this study, mean (SD) age was 70.3 (7.5) years and 150 (75.4%) were male. One hundred sixty-two (81.4%) were white, 26 (13.1%) were black, and 11 (5.5%) were of other race. Of 103 patients randomized to usual care, 94 were analyzed, and of 102 patients randomized to the intervention 105 were analyzed. Excluding 5 patients with coma, delirium occurred in 48 of the 91 patients (53%) in the usual care group compared with 39 of the 103 patients (38%) in the intervention group (P = .04). The odds of delirium were reduced by 45% in patients randomized to the autoregulation group (odds ratio, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.31-0.97;P = .04). Conclusions and Relevance The results of this study suggest that optimizing mean arterial pressure to be greater than the individual patient’s lower limit of cerebral autoregulation during CPB may reduce the incidence of delirium after cardiac surgery, but further study is needed. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier:NCT00981474

There is growing concern over the impact of fatigue and long work hours on patient safety. Our objective was to determine the perioperative outcomes and hospital costs associated with starting nonemergent cardiac surgical cases after 3 pm.A retrospective analysis was performed on adult patients who underwent elective coronary artery bypass or valve surgery at our institution between July 2011 and March 2018. Cases were defined as "late start" if the incision time was after 3 pm. Postoperative outcomes, 30-day mortality, and total hospital costs were compared between propensity-matched samples of early-starting and late-starting cases.Of 2463 elective cases, 352 (14%) started after 3 pm. In propensity-matched samples, patients who had a late start demonstrated no difference in 30-day mortality (1% vs1%; P = .10) or postoperative complications, such as prolonged ventilation (5% vs 7%; P = .37), renal failure (2% vs 1%), or stroke (2% vs 1%; P = .23) compared with patients who had an early start. A late start did not impact the median duration of ventilation (4 vs 5 hours; P = .72), intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (26 vs 22 hours; P = .28), or postoperative length of stay (6 vs 7 days; P = .37). In addition, there were no significant differences in total hospital cost (P = .09), operating room cost (P = .22), or ICU cost (P = .05).We report no differences in perioperative outcomes, operative mortality, length of stay, or total hospital cost for elective cases that start after 3 pm. This may be attributable to the resources available at a large quaternary center regardless of time of day.

Intraoperative surgical prosthetic heart valve (SHV) choice is a key determinant of successful surgery and positive postoperative outcomes. Currently, many controversies exist around the sizing and labeling of SHVs rendering the comparison of different valves difficult. To explore solutions, an expert Valve Labelling Task Force was jointly initiated by the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS), The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) and the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS). The EACTS–STS–AATS Valve Labelling Task Force, comprising cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, engineers, regulators and representatives from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and major valve manufacturers, held its first in-person meeting in February 2018 in Paris, France. This article was derived from the meeting's discussions. The Task Force identified the following areas for improvement and clarification: reporting of physical dimensions and characteristics of SHVs determining and labeling of SHV size, in vivo and in vitro testing, and reporting of SHV hemodynamic performance and thrombogenicity. Furthermore, a thorough understanding of the regulatory background and the role of the applicable ISO standards, together with close cooperation between all stakeholders (including regulatory and standard- setting bodies), is necessary to improve the current situation. Cardiac surgeons should be provided with appropriate information to allow for optimal SHV choice. This first article from the EACTS–STS–AATS Valve Labelling Task Force summarizes the background of SHV sizing and labeling and identifies the most important elements where further standardization is necessary.

In recent years there has been a growing awareness of and focus on connective tissue diseases (CTDs) and associated cardiovascular pathology, particularly in children. These diseases are hereditary disorders of the connective tissues of the body. Many CTDs impose risk of structural heart defects, including patent ductus arteriosus, bicuspid aortic valve, coarctation of the aorta, and atrioventricular valve disease. Children with CTDs are prone to aortic dissection, aneurysm, and aortic rupture, and in fact, aortic dissection is the primary cause of morbidity and mortality in the most common CTDs. Advances in genetic analysis have had a significant impact on the identification and management of children with CTDs, providing a better understanding of their cause and phenotypes, improving management strategies, and offering insights into long-term prognosis. In this chapter we provide a description of the most common CTDs that affect the pediatric population and their associated cardiovascular pathology.

The purposes of this study are to determine the prevalence of specific postoperative CT findings following Stanford type A aortic dissection repair in the early postoperative period and to determine if these postoperative findings are predictive of adverse clinical outcome. Patients who underwent type A dissection repair between January 2012 and December 2014 were identified from our institutional cardiac surgery database. Postoperative CT exams within 1 month of surgery were retrospectively reviewed to determine sizes and attenuation of mediastinal, pericardial, and pleural fluid, and the presence or absence of pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax, or lung consolidation. Poor early clinical outcome was defined as length of stay (LOS) > 14 days. Student’s t test and chi-square test were used to determine the relationship between postoperative CT features and early clinical outcome. Thirty-nine patients (24 M, 15 F, mean age 58.5 ± 13.7 years) underwent type A dissection repair and mean LOS was 17.3 ± 21.2 days. A subset of 19 patients underwent postoperative CTs within 30 days of surgery, and there was no significant relationship between LOS and sizes and attenuation of mediastinal, pericardial, and pleural fluid, and the presence or absence of pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax, or lung consolidation. CT features such as mediastinal, pericardial, and pleural fluid were ubiquitous in the early postoperative period. There was no consistent CT feature or threshold that could reliably differentiate between “normal postoperative findings” and early postoperative complications.

Delayed sternal closure (DSC) is commonly used to optimize hemodynamic stability after neonatal and infant heart surgery. We hypothesized that duration of sternum left open (SLO) was associated with rate of infection complications, and that location of sternal closure may mitigate infection risk.Infants (age ≤365 days) undergoing index operations with cardiopulmonary bypass and DSC at STS Congenital Heart Surgery Database centers (from 2007 to 2013) with adequate data quality were included. Primary outcome was occurrence of infection complication, defined as one or more of the following: endocarditis, pneumonia, wound infection, wound dehiscence, sepsis, or mediastinitis. Multivariable regression models were fit to assess association of infection complication with: duration of SLO (days), location of DSC procedure (operating room versus elsewhere), and patient and procedural factors.Of 6,127 index operations with SLO at 100 centers, median age and weight were 8 days (IQR, 5-24) and 3.3 kg (IQR, 2.9-3.8); 66% of operations were STAT morbidity category 4 or 5. At least one infection complication occurred in 18.7%, compared with 6.6% among potentially eligible neonates and infants without SLO. Duration of SLO (median, 3 days; IQR, 2-5) was associated with an increased rate of infection complications (p0.001). Location of DSC procedure was operating room (16%), intensive care unit (67%), or other (17%). Location of DSC was not associated with rate of infection complications (p = 0.45).Rate of occurrence of infectious complications is high among infants with sternum left open following cardiac surgery. Longer duration of SLO is associated with increased infection complications.

Previous analyses of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Adult Cardiac Surgery Database have demonstrated a reduction over time of risk-adjusted operative mortality after coronary artery bypass grafting. The STS Congenital Heart Surgery Database (STS CHSD) was queried to assess multiinstitutional trends over time in discharge mortality and postoperative length of stay (PLOS).Since 2009, operations in the STS CHSD have been classified according to STAT (The Society of Thoracic Surgeons-European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery) Congenital Heart Surgery Mortality Categories. The five STAT Mortality Categories were chosen to be optimal with respect to minimizing variation within categories and maximizing variation between categories. For this study, all index cardiac operations from 1998 to 2014, inclusive, were grouped by STAT Mortality Category (exclusions: patent ductus arteriosus ligation in patients weighing less than or equal to 2.5 kg and operations that could not be assigned to a STAT Mortality Category). End points were discharge mortality and PLOS in survivors for the entire period and for 4-year epochs. The Cochran-Armitage trend test was used to test the null hypothesis that the mortality was the same across epochs, by STAT Mortality Category.The analysis encompassed 202,895 index operations at 118 centers. The number of centers participating in STS CHSD increased in each epoch. Overall discharge mortality was 3.4% (6,959 of 202,895) for 1998 to 2014 and 3.1% (2,308 of 75,337) for 2011 to 2014. Statistically significant improvement in discharge mortality was seen in STAT Mortality Categories 2, 3, 4, and 5 (p values for STAT Mortality Categories 1 through 5 are 0.060,0.001, 0.015,0.001, and0.001, respectively). PLOS in survivors was relatively unchanged over the same time intervals. Sensitivity analyses reveal that the finding of declining risk-stratified rates of discharge mortality over time is not simply attributable to the addition of more centers to the cohort over time.This 16-year analysis of STS CHSD reveals declining discharge mortality over time, especially for more complex operations.

Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) is an autosomal dominant genetic connective tissue disorder associated with aortic aneurysmal disease. Kommerell diverticulum (KD) is a rare aortic diverticulum, for which the indication for surgery and the surgical techniques remain subjects of debate. We describe our experience with a successful total aortic arch replacement including KD resection through a median sternotomy for a pediatric patient with LDS.

A year ago, we had the good fortune to participate in the planning of an International Symposium on Grown-Up Congenital Heart Disease. It was a collaborative effort between Policlinico Agostino Gemelli/Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome and Johns Hopkins University. Two very interesting articles from this symposium, one ‘‘medical’’ and one ‘‘surgical,’’ are included in this issue of World Journal for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery. In the early stages of planning the program for the 2015 Symposium in Rome, we sent an informal opinion survey to colleagues engaged in the practices of cardiac surgery and cardiology across the United States. The objective of the survey was to seek an answer to the question ‘‘Is It Adult Congenital Heart Surgery?’’ and to see whether we could then summarize a position that would qualify as ‘‘consensus.’’ What we learned is that ‘‘Adult Congenital Heart Surgery, like other things of beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.’’ A list of 37 specific clinical scenarios was provided to the survey recipients, and they were asked to simply respond YES or NO to the question ‘‘Is it adult congenital heart surgery?’’ The question was not whether the operations described should be done in a general hospital or a children’s hospital . . . . . .Not whether they should be entered in a Congenital Heart Surgery Database or an Adult Cardiac Surgery Database . . . . . .Not whether the surgeons should have specialized training or credentials . . . The question was, simply, which scenarios do you consider to be ‘‘Adult Congenital Heart Surgery?’’ The survey was sent to thirty-six individuals, made up of equal numbers of Pediatric/Congenital Heart Surgeons, Adult Cardiac Surgeons, and Cardiologists who specialize in the care of adult patients with congenital heart disease, all in the United States. The Adult Cardiac Surgeons were deliberately chosen on the basis of having experience and expertise with complex cardiac surgery including aortic surgery – no run-ofthe-mill ‘‘valve and CABG guys’’ among them! When the answers provided by the thirty respondents were considered as a single group, more than two-thirds of the group had replied ‘‘YES’’ with respect to roughly one half of the clinical scenarios. These included such things as

Prophylactic aortic root replacement improves survival in patients with Marfan syndrome with aortic root aneurysms, but the optimal procedure remains undefined.Adult patients with Marfan syndrome who had Bentall or aortic valve-sparing root replacement (VSRR) procedures between 1997 and 2013 were identified. Comprehensive follow-up information was obtained from hospital charts and telephone contact.One hundred sixty-five adult patients with Marfan syndrome (aged20 years) had either VSRR (n = 98; 69 reimplantation, 29 remodeling) or Bentall (n = 67) procedures. Patients undergoing Bentall procedure were older (median, 37 vs 36 years; P = .03), had larger median preoperative sinus diameter (5.5 cm vs 5.0 cm; P = .003), more aortic dissections (25.4% vs 4.1%; P.001), higher incidence of moderate or severe aortic insufficiency (49.3% vs 14.4%; P.001) and more urgent or emergent operations (24.6% vs 3.3%; P.001). There were no hospital deaths and 9 late deaths in more than 17 years of follow-up (median, 7.8 deaths). Ten-year survival was 90.5% in patients undergoing Bentall procedure and 96.3% in patients undergoing VSRR (P = .10). Multivariable analysis revealed that VSRR was associated with fewer thromboembolic or hemorrhagic events (hazard ratio, 0.16; 95% confidence interval, 0.03-0.85; P = .03). There was no independent difference in long-term survival, freedom from reoperation, or freedom from endocarditis between the 2 procedures.After prophylactic root replacement in patients with Marfan syndrome, patients undergoing Bentall and valve-sparing procedures have similar late survival, freedom from root reoperation, and freedom from endocarditis. However, valve-sparing procedures result in significantly fewer thromboembolic and hemorrhagic events.

OBJECTIVES: Perioperative blood pressure management by targeting individualized optimal blood pressure, determined by cerebral blood flow autoregulation monitoring, may ensure sufficient renal perfusion. The purpose of this study was to evaluate changes in the optimal blood pressure for individual patients, determined during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and during early postoperative period in intensive care unit (ICU). A secondary aim was to examine if excursions below optimal blood pressure in the ICU are associated with risk of cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CSA-AKI). METHODS: One hundred and ten patients undergoing cardiac surgery had cerebral blood flow monitored with a novel technology using ultrasound tagged near infrared spectroscopy (UT-NIRS) during CPB and in the first 3 h after surgery in the ICU. The correlation flow index (CFx) was calculated as a moving, linear correlation coefficient between cerebral flow index measured using UT-NIRS and mean arterial pressure (MAP). Optimal blood pressure was defined as the MAP with the lowest CFx. Changes in optimal blood pressure in the perioperative period were observed and the association of blood pressure excursions (magnitude and duration) below the optimal blood pressure [area under the curve (AUC) < OptMAP mmHgxh] with incidence of CSA-AKI (defined using Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes criteria) was examined. RESULTS: Optimal blood pressure during early ICU stay and CPB was correlated (r= 0.46, P< 0.0001), but was significantly higher in the ICU compared with during CPB (75 ± 8.7 vs 71 ± 10.3 mmHg, P= 0.0002). Thirty patients (27.3%) developed CSA-AKI within 48 h after the surgery. AUC < OptMAP was associated with CSA-AKI during CPB [median, 13.27 mmHgxh, interquartile range (IQR), 4.63–20.14 vs median, 6.05 mmHgxh, IQR 3.03–12.40, P= 0.008], and in the ICU (13.72 mmHgxh, IQR 5.09–25.54 vs 5.65 mmHgxh, IQR 1.71–13.07, P= 0.022). CONCLUSIONS: Optimal blood pressure during CPB and in the ICU was correlated. Excursions below optimal blood pressure (AUC < OptMAP mmHgXh) during perioperative period are associated with CSA-AKI. Individualized blood pressure management based on cerebral autoregulation monitoring during the perioperative period may help improve CSA-AKI-related outcomes.

Shorter intubation periods after cardiac surgery are associated with decreased morbidity and mortality. Although the Society of Thoracic Surgeons uses a 6-hour benchmark for early extubation, the time threshold above which complications increase is unknown. Using an institutional Society of Thoracic Surgeons database, we identified 3007 adult patients who underwent 1 of 7 index cardiac operations from 2010-2014. Patients were stratified by the duration of time to extubation after surgery-0-6, 6-9, 9-12, and 12-18 hours. Aggregate outcomes were compared among time-to-extubation cohorts. Primary outcomes included operative mortality and a composite of major postoperative complications; secondary outcomes included prolonged postoperative hospital length of stay (PLOS) (14 days) and reintubation. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to control for case mix. In results, extubation percentages in each time cohort were hours 0-6-36.4%, 6-9-25.6%, 9-12-12.5%, and 12-18-10.5%. Patients extubated in hours 12-18 vs12 experienced a significantly higher risk of operative mortality (odds ratio = 2.7, 95% CI: 1.0-7.5, P = 0.05) and the composite complication outcome (odds ratio = 3.6, 95% CI: 2.2-6.1, P0.01); however, insignificant differences were observed in those extubated in hours 6-9 vs 0-6 nor in hours 9-12 vs 0-9. An identical trend was observed for our secondary outcomes of PLOS and reintubation. In conclusion, our results indicate that the risks of operative mortality, major morbidity, and PLOS do not significantly increase until the time interval to extubation exceeds 12 hours. Cardiac surgery programs should be evaluated on their ability to extubate patients within this time interval.

With improvements in care, an increasing number of patients with coarctation of the aorta (CoA) are surviving into adulthood. Little is known about the management of late complications in adulthood. A retrospective study of 115 adult patients with a history of CoA was performed at a single

Objectives Preoperative dental screening (PDS) before valvular surgery has been adopted widely by cardiac surgeons to prevent poor outcomes associated with infections of oral origin. However, there is limited evidence to guide PDS protocols. This study was designed to compare a focused approach versus a comprehensive approach to PDS to determine its association with 90-day mortality. Study Design A retrospective cohort analysis was performed on 1835 adult patients who underwent elective valvular surgery and PDS at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) from January 2009 to December 2016. Patients with a history of intravenous drug abuse were excluded. At the MGH (n = 692), PDS involved a detailed dental examination, including diagnostic radiography and definitive therapy for teeth with active and/or chronic disease (comprehensive protocol). At the BWH (n = 1143), PDS consisted of minimal number of diagnostic radiographs limited to symptomatic teeth and intervention only when active signs of disease were observed (focused protocol). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to compare 90-day mortality rates after surgery with the 2 different approaches. Results There were no differences in demographic characteristics and baseline comorbidities between the 2 study sites. At the MGH, 340 (49.2%) of 692 patients received dental clearance at the initial visit, with 94.2% (n = 652) undergoing radiography. Dental findings included carious teeth (n = 250; 36.2%), root tips (n = 118; 17%), periodontically hopeless teeth (n = 48; 6.9%), and periapical infections (n = 149; 21.6%); 40 patients (5.8%) were symptomatic. Extractions were performed in 151 patients (21.8%), and 15 (2.2%) had postoperative complications. At the BWH, 1097 of 1143 patients (96%) received dental clearance at the initial visit, with 3.3% (n = 38) undergoing radiography. Dental findings included carious teeth (n = 197; 17.2%), root tips (n = 135; 11.8%), periodontically hopeless teeth (n = 27; 2.4%), and periapical infections (n = 20; 1.7%); 16 patients (1.4%) were symptomatic. Extractions were performed in 38 patients (3.3%), and 4 (0.4%) had postoperative complications. There was no significant differences in 90-day mortality rates between the 2 study sites (10% vs 8.4%; P = .317). This remained unchanged in a multivariate model after adjusting for demographic characteristics and baseline comorbidities (odds ratio [OR] focused vs comprehensive: 1.32; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.91–1.93); P = .14). Conclusions Despite the differences in PDS protocols at both study sites, there was no significant difference in 90-day mortality rates after valvular surgery. Further randomized comparative prospective studies are needed to validate and expand on these findings.

This article reviews the context and evidence of recent myocardial revascularization trials that compared percutaneous coronary intervention with coronary artery bypass grafting for the treatment of left main and multivessel coronary artery disease. We develop the rationale that some of the knowledge synthesis resulting from these trials, particularly with regard to the claimed noninferiority of percutaneous coronary intervention beyond nondiabetic patients with low anatomic complexity, may have been affected by trial design, patient selection based on suitability for percutaneous coronary intervention, and end point optimization favoring percutaneous coronary intervention over coronary artery bypass grafting. We provide recommendations that include holding a circumspect interpretation of the currently available evidence, as well as suggestions for the collaborative design and conduct of future clinical trials in this and other fields.