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Reinout PE Boezeman,1 Johannes C Kelder,2 Frans GJ Waanders,3 Frans L Moll,4 Jean-Paul PM de Vries1 1Department of Vascular Surgery, St Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, the Netherlands; 2Department of Research and Developments, St Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, the Netherlands; 3Department of Perfusion, St Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, the Netherlands; 4Department of Vascular Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands Objective: Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a noninvasive technique that allows monitoring of regional hemoglobin oxygen saturation (rSO2) values and might have a role in the diagnosis of peripheral arterial disease. We assessed the reproducibility and inter-subject variability of rSO2 values and rSO2 limb-to-arm ratios (LARs) in lower extremities of healthy subjects. Methods: The rSO2 values and rSO2 LARs were calculated in eight healthy subjects without peripheral arterial disease. The rSO2 values were measured at rest at six fixed spots at each lower limb and a reference spot at each upper arm. NIRS provided the rSO2 values without involvement of any other processing technique. After measurements were completed, rSO2 LARs were calculated by dividing the rSO2 value of a lower extremity spot by the rSO2 value of the arm. Measurements were performed twice on 1 day and repeated on 4 different days. Results: Mean coefficients of variation of measurements of rSO2 values and rSO2 LARs at the same spot in the same subject were respectively less than 6% and 8% for every measurement spot over time. Coefficients of variation of measurements at the same spot between different subjects were less than 15% and 19% for every measurement spot respectively. Conclusion: NIRS is an easily applicable, noninvasive tool for measurement of tissue oxygenation of lower extremities in healthy subjects. The reproducibility of rSO2 values and rSO2 LARs at the same measurement spot in the same subject is good. Keywords: NIRS, rSO2, lower extremities, tissue oxygenation

BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis of nonacute heart failure is crucial because prompt initiation of evidence-based treatment can prevent or slow down further progression. To diagnose new-onset heart failure in primary care is challenging. METHODS AND RESULTS: This is a cross-sectional diagnostic accuracy study with external validation. Seven hundred twenty-one consecutive patients suspected of new-onset heart failure underwent standardized diagnostic work-up including chest x-ray, spirometry, ECG, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) measurement, and echocardiography in specially equipped outpatient diagnostic heart failure clinics. The presence of heart failure was determined by an outcome panel using the initial clinical data and 6-month follow-up data, blinded to biomarker data. Of the 721 patients, 207 (28.7%) had heart failure. The combination of 3 items from history (age, coronary artery disease, and loop diuretic use) plus 6 from physical examination (pulse rate and regularity, displaced apex beat, rales, heart murmur, and increased jugular vein pressure) showed independent diagnostic value (c-statistic 0.83). NT-proBNP was the most powerful supplementary diagnostic test, increasing the c-statistic to 0.86 and resulting in net reclassification improvement of 69% (P<0.0001). A simplified diagnostic rule was applied to 2 external validation datasets, resulting in c- statistics of 0.95 and 0.88, confirming the results. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we estimated the quantitative diagnostic contribution of elements of the history and physical examination in the diagnosis of heart failure in primary care outpatients, which may help to improve clinical decision making. The largest additional quantitative diagnostic contribution to those elements was provided by measurement of NT-proBNP. For daily practice, a diagnostic rule was derived that may be useful to quantify the probability of heart failure in patients with new symptoms suggestive of heart failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: In patients suspected of new slow-onset heart failure, data on the comparative diagnostic performance of automated B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) assays are scarce. METHODS AND RESULTS: Two hundred patients referred to a heart failure outpatient diagnostic facility underwent standard diagnostic work-up including echocardiography. The reference standard for the diagnosis of heart failure was an expert panel conclusion. N-terminal pro-BNP on Elecsys and BNP on Axsym and Centaur machines were measured in a single batch. Data were available for 172 patients; 51 had heart failure (29.7%). All 3 tests had high c-statistic values. An intermediate-risk subset of 111 patients (34% with heart failure) was created by excluding patients with very high or very low probability based on history and physical examination, the subgroup most in need of an additional test. Applying different thresholds for ruling heart failure in or out, the positive predicted values in this 'gray zone' group were 75%, 76%, and 72%, respectively, and the negative predictive values 83%, 71%, and 85%, with the remaining 50% of patients having ~18% probability of heart failure. CONCLUSION: In practice, a valid diagnosis in patients suspected of slow-onset heart failure remains elusive for many in the absence of echocardiographic imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the 3-year clinical outcome in patients enrolled in the Primary Stenting of Totally Occluded Native Coronary Arteries II study. Methods: Patients with totally occluded coronary arteries randomized to either sirolimus-eluting Cypher stents (SESs) (Cordis, a Johnson & Joshson Company, Miami Lakes, FL) (100 patients) or bare-metal BxVelocity stents (BMSs) (Cordis) (100 patients) were followed clinically for 3 years. Results: Between 1 and 3 years, there were infrequent additional clinical events that were equally distributed between the SES and the BMS group. After 3 years, target lesion revascularization was 7% in the SES group versus 27% in the BMS group (P < .001); and target vessel revascularization was seen in 11% in the SES group versus 30% in the BMS group (P = .002). Major adverse cardiac events were noted in 10% of the SES group versus 34% in the BMS group (P < .001). There were no statistically significant differences in death, myocardial infarction, and stent thrombosis according to the Academic Research Consortium criteria between the 2 groups. Conclusions: Clinical outcome up to 3 years after implantation of SESs for total coronary occlusions continues to demonstrate a significant reduction in adverse clinical events compared with BMSs without the evidence for either disproportionate late restenosis or late stent thrombosis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

INTRODUCTION: Conventional percutaneous coronary intervention for the treatment of in-stent restenosis (ISR) has shown a high rate of ISR (30-55%). Considering the need for both extrusion of hyperplastic intima and additional stent expansion, a cutting balloon might be more effective for the treatment of ISR. METHODS: We prospectively assessed the immediate and 8-month outcome of balloon angioplasty using the Barath Cutting Balloon in 100 consecutive patients (mean age: 60.5 +/- 10.8 years, 71% male). RESULTS: In 73 lesions (73%), a good result was reached with the cutting balloon only. In 21 lesions (21%) postdilatation and in 6 lesions (6%) predilatation with a conventional balloon was necessary. The mean inflation pressure was 8.7 +/- 2.0 (range: 6.0-18.0) atm. Before the procedure the mean minimal luminal diameter (MLD) was 0.95 +/- 0.45 mm. Quantitative coronary analysis showed a mean diameter stenosis of 65%+/- 16%. Immediately after the procedure the mean MLD was 2.42 +/- 0.54 mm with a mean diameter stenosis of 19%+/- 13%. Two patients died during the follow-up period (1 stroke, 1 nonvascular). At 8-month follow-up 26 patients (26%) reported to have anginal complaints CCS class II-IV of whom 16 (16%) needed target lesion revascularization. CONCLUSION: Treatment of ISR using the Barath Cutting Balloon can be performed safely with good immediate results and a relatively low need for repeated target lesion revascularization at 8-month follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In patients who underwent surgical myectomy for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM), additional mitral valve repair may offer additional benefits in terms of further reducing left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) gradients, systolic anterior motion (SAM), and mitral regurgitation (MR). We performed a systematic review of the literature to evaluate the evidence of surgical myectomy with additional secondary chordal cutting in patients with HOCM. A systematic literature search in MEDLINE and EMBASE was performed until April 2024. The primary outcome studied was postoperative echocardiographic LVOT gradient. A random effects meta-analysis of means was performed for the primary outcome. The secondary outcomes studied were postoperative residual MR grade, 30-day new permanent pacemaker implantation, and in-hospital mortality. From 1,911 unique publications, a total of 6 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria and comprised 471 patients with a pooled mean preoperative resting LVOT gradient of 84 mm Hg (95% confidence interval [CI]: 76-91). The postoperative pooled mean LVOT gradient was 11 mm Hg (95% CI: 10-12) with a low heterogeneity ( I 2  = 44%). The residual LVOT gradient exceeding 30 mm Hg was present in nine (1%) patients. MR grade 3 or 4 at hospital discharge was present in seven (1%) patients. The 30-day new permanent pacemaker implantation rate was 7% and the in-hospital mortality was 0.4%. This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrate that combining surgical myectomy with secondary chordal cutting can be performed safely and effectively eliminate LVOT obstruction in HOCM patients. Further studies are needed to determine the additive effectiveness of additional secondary chordal cuttings., Competing Interests: None declared., (The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).)

Background: Prebiopsy magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) increases the detection rate of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa). Prostate-specific membrane antigen-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PSMA PET/CT) maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of the prostate may offer additional value in predicting the likelihood of csPCa in biopsy., Methods: A single-center cohort study involving patients with biopsy-proven PCa who underwent both MRI and PSMA PET/CT between 2020 and 2021. Logistic regression models were developed for International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) Grade Group (GG) ≥ 2 and GG ≥ 3 using noninvasive prebiopsy parameters: age, (log-)prostate-specific antigen (PSA) density, PI-RADS 5 lesion presence, extraprostatic extension (EPE) on MRI, and SUVmax of the prostate. Models with and without SUVmax were compared using Likelihood ratio tests and area under the curve (AUC). DeLong's test was used to compare the AUCs., Results: The study included 386 patients, with 262 (68%) having ISUP GG ≥ 2 and 180 (47%) having ISUP GG ≥ 3. Including SUVmax significantly improved both models' goodness of fit (p < 0.001). The GG ≥ 2 model had a higher AUC with SUVmax 89.16% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 86.06%-92.26%) than without 87.34% (95% CI: 83.93%-90.76%) (p = 0.026). Similarly, the GG ≥ 3 model had a higher AUC with SUVmax 82.51% (95% CI: 78.41%-86.6%) than without 79.33% (95% CI: 74.84%-83.83%) (p = 0.003). The SUVmax inclusion improved the GG ≥ 3 model's calibration at higher probabilities., Conclusion: SUVmax of the prostate on PSMA PET/CT potentially improves diagnostic accuracy in predicting the likelihood of csPCa in prostate biopsy., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Postoperative myocardial injury (PMI) is associated with morbidity and mortality, but the aetiology remains unclear. We studied whether PMI is associated with perioperative systemic inflammation. The objective is the examination of the relationship between inflammatory biomarkers (Interleukin 6[IL-6], C-reactive protein [CRP]) and PMI, detected by elevated cardiac troponin (cTn), in patients undergoing elective open abdominal aortic surgery., Methods: This prospective, single-center, observational cohort study included 54 patients undergoing elective open abdominal aortic surgery between March 2018 and April 2021. Patients were routinely treated with aspirin. IL-6 and CRP were measured preoperatively, directly after surgery, 24 hr and 48 hr postoperatively. The primary outcome was cTn release assessed by a fifth-generation high-sensitive cTn assay. Multivariable generalized linear regression models were used to evaluate the association between inflammatory biomarkers and cTn concentrations., Results: Fifteen patients (27.8%) developed PMI. IL-6 directly and 24 hr postoperatively was associated with elevated cTn concentrations (1.28 [1.07-1.54], P = 0.009) and 1.75 [1.18-2.59], P = 0.006, respectively). Also, CRP directly and 24 hr postoperatively was associated with elevated cTn concentrations (1.25 [1.06-1.47], P = 0.009) and 1.61 [1.1-2.33], P = 0.013, respectively). No association was found between IL-6 or CRP and cTn concentrations when measured at 48 hr postsurgery., Conclusions: Biomarkers of inflammation are associated with elevated postoperative cTn concentrations in the early postoperative period in patients undergoing elective open abdominal aortic surgery., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Study Objectives: To prospectively validate drug-induced sleep endoscopy with mandibular advancement maneuvers as a prediction tool for treatment success of oral appliance treatment (OAT)., Methods: Seventy-seven patients diagnosed with moderate obstructive sleep apnea were included and underwent drug-induced sleep endoscopy. The upper airway collapse was assessed using the VOTE classification. Additionally, three mandibular advancement maneuvers were performed to predict treatment success of OAT. If the maneuver was negative, the level and degree and configuration of the persistent collapse was described according to the VOTE classification. All patients were treated with OAT and completed a follow-up sleep study with OAT in situ without regard to their anticipated response to treatment., Results: Sixty-four patients completed 6-month follow up. A positive jaw thrust maneuver proved to be significantly associated with favorable OAT response, whereas the chin lift maneuver and the vertical chin lift maneuver were not. Additionally, a persistent lateral oropharyngeal collapse when performing any mandibular advancement maneuver was significantly associated with unfavorable OAT response., Conclusions: The current findings suggest that a jaw thrust maneuver should be preferred over the chin lift maneuver for predicting OAT response. Patients with a positive jaw thrust maneuver should be counseled toward favorable OAT response, whereas those with persistent lateral oropharyngeal collapse should be advised about the likelihood of unfavorable OAT response. A negative jaw thrust maneuver did not prove to be a significant predictor for unfavorable response to OAT. Consequently, uncertainties arise regarding the justification of performing drug-induced sleep endoscopy solely for predicting the efficacy of OAT. However, the results of the current study could be influenced by heterogeneity in the assessment of respiratory parameters, variability in the performance of the mandibular advancement maneuvers, and the instability of bolus technique sedation., Clinical Trial Registration: Registry: Netherlands Trial Register; Name: Drug-induced Sleep Endoscopy: a prediction tool for success rate of oral appliance treatment; Identifier: NL8425; URL: https://www.onderzoekmetmensen.nl/en/trial/20741., Citation: Veugen CCAFM, Kant E, Kelder JC, Schipper A, Stokroos RJ, Copper MP. The predictive value of mandibular advancement maneuvers during drug-induced sleep endoscopy for treatment success of oral appliance treatment in obstructive sleep apnea: a prospective study. J Clin Sleep Med . 2024;20(3): 353-361., (© 2024 American Academy of Sleep Medicine.)

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an established treatment option for patients with severe aortic valve stenosis, but is still associated with relatively high rates of pacemaker implantation and paravalvular regurgitation. Routine preoperative computed tomography (CT) combined with patient-specific computer modelling can predict the interaction between the TAVI device and the patient's unique anatomy, allowing physicians to assess the risk for paravalvular regurgitation and conduction disorders in advance to the procedure. The aim of this trial is to assess potential improvement in the procedural outcome of TAVI by applying CT-based patient-specific computer simulations in patients with suitable anatomy for TAVI., Methods: The GUIDE-TAVI trial is an international multicenter randomized controlled trial including patients accepted for TAVI by the Heart Team. Patients enrolled in the study will be randomized into 2 arms of each 227 patients. In patients randomized to the use of FEops HEARTGuide (FHG), patient-specific computer simulation with FHG is performed in addition to routine preoperative CT imaging and results of the FHG are available to the operator(s) prior to the scheduled intervention. In patients randomized to no use of FHG, only routine preoperative CT imaging is performed. The primary objective is to evaluate whether the use of FHG will reduce the incidence of mild to severe PVR, according to the Valve Academic Research Consortium 3. Secondary endpoints include the incidence of new conduction disorders requiring permanent pacemaker implantation, the difference between preoperative and final selected valve size, the difference between target and final implantation depth, change of preoperative decision, failure to implant valve, early safety composite endpoint and quality of life., Conclusions: The GUIDE-TAVI trial is the first multicenter randomized controlled trial to evaluate the value of 3-dimensional computer simulations in addition to standard preprocedural planning in TAVI procedures., Competing Interests: Disclosures The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: We describe the current treatment of elderly patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) enrolled in a national registry., Methods: The POPular AGE registry is a prospective, multicentre study of patients ≥ 75 years of age presenting with NSTEMI, performed in the Netherlands. Management was at the discretion of the treating physician. Cardiovascular events consisted of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction and ischaemic stroke. Bleeding was classified according to the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) criteria., Results: A total of 646 patients were enrolled between August 2016 and May 2018. Median age was 81 (IQR 77-84) years and 58% were male. Overall, 75% underwent coronary angiography, 40% percutaneous coronary intervention, and 11% coronary artery bypass grafting, while 49.8% received pharmacological therapy only. At discharge, dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin and P2Y 12 inhibitor) was prescribed to 56.7%, and 27.4% received oral anticoagulation plus at least one antiplatelet agent. At 1‑year follow-up, cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction or stroke had occurred in 13.6% and major bleeding (BARC 3 and 5) in 3.9% of patients. The risk of both cardiovascular events and major bleeding was highest during the 1st month. However, cardiovascular risk was three times as high as bleeding risk in this elderly population, both after 1 month and after 1 year., Conclusions: In this national registry of elderly patients with NSTEMI, the majority are treated according to current European Society of Cardiology guidelines. Both the cardiovascular and bleeding risk are highest during the 1st month after NSTEMI. However, the cardiovascular risk was three times as high as the bleeding risk., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

This registry assessed the impact of conservative and invasive strategies on major adverse clinical events (MACE) in elderly patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Patients aged ≥75 years with NSTEMI were prospectively registered from European centers and followed up for one year. Outcomes were compared between conservative and invasive groups in the overall population and a propensity score-matched (PSM) cohort. MACE included cardiovascular death, acute coronary syndrome, and stroke. The study included 1190 patients (median age 80 years, 43% female). CAG was performed in 67% (N = 798), with two-thirds undergoing revascularization. Conservatively treated patients had higher baseline risk. After propensity score matching, 319 patient pairs were successfully matched. MACE occurred more frequently in the conservative group (total population 20% vs. 12%, adj HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.37-0.77, p = 0.001), remaining significant in the PSM cohort (18% vs. 12%, adj HR 0.50, 95% CI 0.31-0.81, p = 0.004). In conclusion, an early invasive strategy was associated with benefits over conservative management in elderly patients with NSTEMI. Risk factors associated with ischemia and bleeding should guide strategy selection rather than solely relying on age.

Introduction: Chronic pancreatitis (CP) has a negative impact on quality of life (QoL). Because CP is a chronic condition, multiple assessments of QoL are required to obtain a thorough understanding of its impact on patients. Such studies are currently lacking. This study aims to gain insight into the course and predictors of QoL in patients with CP using prospective longitudinal data from a large cohort of patients., Methods: Post hoc analysis of consecutive patients with definite CP registered in a prospective database between 2011 and 2019 in the Netherlands. Patient and disease characteristics, nutritional status, pain severity, medication usage, pancreatic function, and pancreatic interventions were assessed from medical records and through standard follow-up questionnaires. The physical and mental component summary scales of the Short-Form 36 were used to assess physical and mental QoL at baseline and during follow-up. The course of both physical and mental QoL and their associated factors were longitudinally assessed by using generalized linear mixed models., Results: Overall, 1,165 patients with definite CP were included for this analysis. During 10-year follow-up, generalized linear mixed model analyses revealed improvements in both physical (41.6-45.2, P < 0.001) and mental (45.9-46.6, P = 0.047) QoL. Younger age, current alcohol consumption, employment, no need for dietetic consultation, no steatorrhea, lower Izbicki pain score, and pain coping mechanism were positively associated with physical QoL ( P < 0.05). For mental QoL, a positive correlation was found between employment, nonalcoholic CP, no need for dietetic consultation, no steatorrhea, lower Izbicki pain score, pain coping mechanism, and surgical treatment. No association was observed between disease duration and longitudinal QoL per patient., Discussion: This nationwide study provides insight into the dynamics of physical and mental QoL in patients with CP over time. Important and potentially influenceable factors to improve QoL are nutritional status, exocrine pancreatic function, employment status, and patients' coping strategy., (Copyright © 2023 by The American College of Gastroenterology.)

Background: In some patients with progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease (ILD), disease is caused by carriage of a mutation in a surfactant-related gene (SRG) such as SFTPC, SFTPA2, or ABCA3. However, no aggregated data on disease evolution and treatment outcome have been presented for these patients., Research Question: In adult patients with ILD with an SRG mutation, what is the course of lung function after diagnosis and during treatment and the survival in comparison with patients with sporadic idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (sIPF) and familial pulmonary fibrosis (FPF)?, Study Design and Methods: We retrospectively examined the clinical course of a cohort of adults with an SRG mutation by screening 48 patients from 20 families with an SRG mutation for availability of clinical follow-up data. For comparison, 248 patients with FPF and 575 patients with sIPF were included., Results: Twenty-three patients with ILD (median age: 45 years; 11 men) with an SRG mutation fulfilled criteria. At diagnosis, patients with an SRG mutation were younger and less often male, but had lower FVC (72% predicted) and diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (46% predicted) compared with patients with FPF or sIPF. In the SRG mutation group, median FVC decline 6 months after diagnosis was -40 mL and median transplant-free survival was 44 months and not different from patients with FPF or sIPF. FVC course was not different among the three cohorts; however, a significantly larger decrease in FVC was found while patients received immunomodulatory or antifibrotic treatment compared with those receiving no treatment. Subsequent analysis in the SRG group showed that patients with a surfactant mutation (n = 7) treated for 6 months with antifibrotic drugs showed stable lung function with a median change in FVC of +40 mL (interquartile range, -40 to 90 mL), whereas patients with an SRG mutation treated with immunomodulatory drugs showed a variable response dependent on the gene involved., Interpretation: This study showed that patients with ILD carrying an SRG mutation experience progressive loss of lung function with severely reduced survival despite possible beneficial effects of treatment., (Copyright © 2022 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The disadvantages of mitral valve replacement with a bioprosthesis in the long-term may not play an important role if the shorter life expectancy of older patients is taken into account. This study aims to evaluate whether mitral valve replacement in the elderly is associated with similar outcome compared to repair in the short- and long-term. All patients aged 70 years and older undergoing minimally invasive mitral valve surgery were studied retrospectively. Primary outcome was 30-day complication rate, secondary outcome was long-term survival and freedom from re-operation. 223 Patients underwent surgery (124 replacement and 99 repair) with a mean age of 76.4 ± 4.2 years. 30-Day complication rate (replacement 73.4% versus repair 67.7%; p=.433), 30-day mortality (replacement 4.0% versus repair 1.0%; p=.332) and 30-day stroke rate (replacement 0.0% versus repair 1.0%; p=.910) were similar in both groups. Multivariable cox regression revealed higher age, diabetes and left ventricular dysfunction as predictors for reduced long-term survival, while a valve replacement was no predictor for reduced survival. Sub analysis of patients with degenerative disease showed no difference in long-term survival after propensity weighting (HR 1.4; 95%CI 0.84 - 2.50; p=.282). The current study reveals that mitral valve repair and replacement in the elderly can be achieved with good short- and long-term results. Long-term survival was dependent on patient related risk factors and not on the type of operation (replacement versus repair)., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery (MIMVS) has become the standard approach for mitral valve pathology in many centres. The anterolateral mini thoracotomy access is beneficial in reoperative surgery by avoiding repeat sternotomy associated risks. The aim of this study is to analyse the safety of this technique. All patients undergoing reoperative MIMVS between 2008 and 2019 were studied retrospectively. Primary endpoint was 30-day major complications and mortality; secondary outcome was long term survival, reoperation rate and rate of more than moderate recurrent regurgitation. 146 Patients underwent reoperative MIMVS with a mean age of 68 ± 8 years. The composite outcome of 30-day major complication and mortality was 29.5%. 30-Day mortality was 6.2% and stroke rate 3.4%. Survival for the whole cohort was 89.7 ± 2.5% at 1-year, 71.6 ± 4.3% at 5 year and 50.9 ± 5.9% at 8-year follow up. Cox regression analysis revealed reduced left ventricular function (HR 2.8; 95%CI 1.5 - 5.0), GFR < 60 (HR 2.1; 95%CI 1.2 - 3.7) and active endocarditis (HR 6.4; 95%CI 2.7 - 15.4) as variables associated with reduced long-term survival. The cumulative incidence of re-operation after mitral valve replacement was 11.3 ± 3.2% at 5-year and for repair 16.2 ± 7.5% at 5-year. The cumulative incidence of more than moderate recurrent regurgitation after mitral valve repair was 25.4 ± 9.0% at 3-year. Minimally invasive access in reoperative mitral valve surgery in the current study showed similar 30-day mortality and stroke rate compared to repeat sternotomy results reported in literature., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction and Hypothesis: Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is a common multifactorial condition affecting 6 to 27% of women aged 18-50 years worldwide. This study was conducted to review and meta-analyse the current literature on the reduction of chronic pelvic pain after botulinum toxin A (BTA) injection., Method: In July 2021 we performed a systematic search in PubMed and EMBASE to assess the benefits of BTA injection in pelvic floor muscles in women with chronic pelvic pain. Primary outcome was reduction in visual analogue scale (VAS) after treatment. Secondary outcomes evaluated were: reduction of dyspareunia, pelvic floor resting pressure and quality of life. Identified reports were assessed on quality of reporting and risk of bias. Standardized mean difference (SMD) was used to combine and analyse outcomes of the included studies., Results: Eight studies with 289 participants were considered eligible to be included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. After recalculating SMD into VAS scores (0-100), long-term follow-up (24-26 weeks) showed a significant 15-point improvement in VAS scores (95% CI: 8.8-21.5) for non-menstrual pelvic pain and a 13-point improvement (95% CI: 2.1-24.0) for dyspareunia. BTA injection had a significant effect on pelvic floor resting pressure and quality of life., Conclusion: There is limited scientific evidence on the effectiveness of BTA injections in pelvic floor muscles in women with chronic pelvic pain. The available studies show that BTA injections significantly reduce pain levels and improve quality of life at 6 months follow-up., Prospero Id: CRD42018105204., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Postoperative myocardial injury (PMI) after major vascular surgery, detected by elevated cardiac troponin (cTn), has been associated with morbidity and mortality. It is unclear whether the pathophysiology of PMI is determined by increased platelet activity., Objective: To examine the relationship between platelet activation (P-selectin expression) and PMI in patients undergoing elective open abdominal aortic surgery., Methods: This prospective, single-centre, observational, cohort study included 33 patients undergoing elective open abdominal aortic surgery between March 2018 and April 2021. Patients were routinely treated with aspirin. Unstimulated platelet activation was measured by platelet bound P-selectin expression (range 0-100 %). Explorative coagulation measurements were: stimulated platelet aggregation measured with the VerifyNow® assay (aspirin cartridge), with the Multiplate® analyzer (ASPI, ADP and TRAP) and stimulated coagulation status evaluated by the TEG® Hemostasis Analyzer System (global hemostasis cartridge). The primary outcome was cTn release assessed by the fifth generation high-sensitive cTn assay. Multivariable generalized linear mixed models were used to evaluate the association between platelet function and cTn concentrations over time., Results: Ten patients (30.3 %) developed PMI. Increased P-selectin expression directly after surgery was associated with the cTn concentrations over 48 h (β = 1.39 (1.1-1.75), P = 0.0064). No association was found between P-selectin measured later after surgery (at 24 h or 48 h) and cTn concentrations. Furthermore, there was no association between the explorative coagulation parameters and cTn release., Conclusion: Platelet reactivity, assessed by P-selectin expression measured directly after surgery is associated with PMI, assessed by elevated cTn concentrations in the early postoperative period in patients undergoing elective open abdominal aortic surgery., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Current guidelines recommend treating atrial fibrillation (AF) patients who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with triple antithrombotic therapy (TAT) for up to one month in patients at high thrombotic risk. It is unclear how to select these high-risk patients., Aims: The aim of this study was to identify patients at high thrombotic risk who might benefit from TAT over double antithrombotic therapy (DAT)., Methods: This study was a post hoc subanalysis of the RE-DUAL PCI trial. A Cox proportional hazards model was built by stepwise selection of plausible predictor variables for a composite ischaemic endpoint, defined as cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI), stent thrombosis (ST) or ischaemic stroke. The effect of TAT versus DAT was calculated for those patients with the highest proportion of predicted thrombotic risk. A simplified risk score was constructed based on beta-coefficients., Results: For 209 patients (7.7%) the composite ischaemic endpoint occurred during the first year. The simplified risk score contained six variables. In patients with a score ≥5 (n=154, 5.7%), a significant reduction in the composite of MI and ST was observed with TAT versus DAT (6.3% vs 21.0%, p=0.041), without a penalty in terms of bleeding. In patients at low thrombotic risk, a significant increase in bleeding was observed without a reduction of ischaemic events., Conclusions: Our findings support the use of DAT in the majority of patients. A small subgroup of patients might benefit from TAT and we propose a novel clinical risk score to select these patients.

Purpose: Invasive fractional flow reserve (FFR), the reference standard for identifying significant coronary artery disease (CAD), can be estimated non-invasively by computed tomography-derived fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR). Commercially available off-site CT-FFR showed improved diagnostic accuracy compared to coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) alone. However, the diagnostic performance of this lumped-parameter on-site method is unknown. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of on-site CT-FFR in patients with suspected CAD., Methods: A total of 61 patients underwent CCTA and invasive coronary angiography with FFR measured in 88 vessels. Significant CAD was defined as FFR and CT-FFR below 0.80. CCTA with stenosis above 50% was regarded as significant CAD. The diagnostic performance of both CT-FFR and CCTA was assessed using invasive FFR as the reference standard., Results: Of the 88 vessels included in the analysis, 34 had an FFR of ≤ 0.80. On a per-vessel basis, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy were 91.2%, 81.4%, 93.6%, 75.6% and 85.2% for CT-FFR and were 94.1%, 68.5%, 94.9%, 65.3% and 78.4% for CCTA. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.91 and 0.85 for CT-FFR and CCTA, respectively, on a per-vessel basis., Conclusion: On-site non-invasive FFR derived from CCTA improves diagnostic accuracy compared to CCTA without additional testing and has the potential to be integrated in the current clinical work-up for diagnosing stable CAD., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background: Guidelines recommending antibiotic prophylaxis at emergency cholecystectomy for cholecystitis were based on low-quality evidence. The aim of this trial was to demonstrate that omitting antibiotics is not inferior to their prophylactic use., Methods: This multicentre, randomized, open-label, non-inferiority clinical trial randomly assigned adults with mild-to-moderate acute calculous cholecystitis (immediate cholecystectomy indicated) to 2 g cefazolin administered before incision or no antibiotic prophylaxis. The primary endpoint was a composite of all postoperative infectious complications in the first 30 days after surgery. Secondary endpoints included all individual components of the primary endpoint, other morbidity, and duration of hospital stay., Results: Sixteen of 226 patients (7.1 per cent) in the single-dose prophylaxis group and 29 of 231 (12.6 per cent) in the no-prophylaxis group developed postoperative infectious complications (absolute difference 5.5 (95 per cent c.i. -0.4 to 11.3) per cent). With a non-inferiority margin of 10 per cent, non-inferiority of no prophylaxis was not proven. The number of surgical-site infections was significantly higher in the no-prophylaxis group (5.3 versus 12.1 per cent; P = 0.010). No differences were observed in the number of other complications, or duration of hospital stay., Conclusion: Omitting antibiotic prophylaxis is not recommended., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of BJS Society Ltd. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: The effect of prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) on late survival after aortic valve replacement (AVR) in patient with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis (AS) remains unclear. Also, late follow-up in previous studies is confined to only one decade. We aimed to determine the effect of PPM on late survival after isolated AVR for symptomatic severe AS during 25 years of follow-up., Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to determine late survival in 404 consecutive patients with moderate PPM (N.=86), severe (N.=11), or no/mild PPM (N.=307) after isolated AVR for symptomatic severe AS during a mean follow-up of 25.0±2.9 years. Moderate, severe, and no/mild PPM were defined as indexed effective orifice area of >0.65≤0.85, ≤0.65, and >0.85 cm 2 /m 2 , respectively. Multivariable analysis was performed to identify possible independent predictors of decreased late survival, including moderate or severe PPM., Results: Late survival of patients with severe PPM was worse in comparison with those with no/mild PPM: 7.4±2.6 (95% confidence interval 2.2-12.5) vs. 13.6±0.5 (95% confidence interval 12.6-14.6) years, respectively; P=0.020. Late survival of patients with moderate PPM was similar to those with no/mild PPM. Severe PPM was an independent predictor of decreased late survival: hazards ratio 4.002 (95% confidence interval 1.869-8.569); P<0.001. Moderate PPM was not an independent predictor of decreased late survival., Conclusions: Severe PPM was independently associated with decreased late survival after isolated AVR for symptomatic severe AS during a mean follow-up of 25.0±2.9 years. Therefore, severe PPM should be prevented as much as possible.

Background: Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPI) are still used in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who undergo primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), although discussion about its clinical benefit is ongoing., Methods: GPI use was analyzed in this subanalysis of the POPular Genetics trial, which randomized STEMI patients to CYP2C19 genotype-guided treatment (clopidogrel or ticagrelor) or standard treatment with ticagrelor/prasugrel. The composite thrombotic endpoint consisted of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI), definite stent thrombosis, and stroke at 30 days. The combined bleeding endpoint consisted of Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes (PLATO) major and minor bleeding at 30 days. Univariable and multivariable analyses in addition to a propensity score-matched (PSM) analysis were conducted., Results: In total, 2378 patients, of whom 1033 received GPI and 1345 did not, were included. In multivariable analysis, GPI administration was associated with fewer thrombotic events (hazard ratio [HR] 0.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.09-0.55) and MIs (HR 0.24, 95% CI 0.08-0.73). Furthermore, GPI administration was associated with an increase in bleedings (HR 2.02, 95% CI 1.27-3.19), driven by minor bleedings (HR 2.32, 95% CI 1.43-3.76), without a significant difference in major bleedings (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.19-2.57). In the PSM analysis, no significant association was found., Conclusion: In STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI, GPI administration was associated with a reduction in thrombotic events at a cost of an increase in (mostly minor) bleedings in multivariable analysis, while propensity score analysis did not show significant associations., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Sutureless coronary anastomotic devices are intended to facilitate minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting (MICS-CABG) by easing and eventually standardizing the anastomotic technique. Within this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aim to determine patency and to evaluate safety outcomes for the sutureless anastomoses., Methods: CENTRAL, MEDLINE, and EMBASE were searched from database start till August 2021 in a predefined search strategy combining the key concepts: 'coronary artery bypass grafting', 'sutureless coronary anastomoses', and 'hand-sewn coronary anastomoses' by the Boolean operation 'AND'. Study characteristics, patient demographics, interventional details, and all available outcome data were extracted. A meta-analysis was performed on patency at longest follow-up. Safety outcomes were presented., Results: A total of eleven trials towards six sutureless anastomotic devices were included, comprising 3724 patients (490 sutureless and 3234 hand-sewn). There was no significant difference in patency at a mean follow-up duration of 546.3 (range 1.5-2691) days, with a risk ratio of 0.77 (95% CI 0.55-1.06). MACE was reported in 4.5% sutureless and 3.9% hand-sewn patients, including all-cause mortality (resp. 1.3 vs. 1.9%), myocardial infarction (resp. 1.6 vs. 1.7%), and coronary revascularization (resp. 1.8 vs. 0.5%). Incomplete hemostasis occurred in 24.8% of the sutureless anastomoses. Intra-operative device failure forced conversion to hand-sewn or redo-anastomosis in 5.8% of the sutureless cases., Conclusion: Based on the systematic review and meta-analysis including six devices, we conclude that sutureless coronary anastomotic devices appear safe and effective when used by well-trained and dedicated surgical teams.

Background: Aspirin is important for preventing thrombotic events but also increases bleeding complications. Minimizing bleeding while preventing thrombotic events remains challenging in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Establishing the patient's preoperative aspirin response could distinguish patients at risk for perioperative blood loss., Objective: Aim was to compare 12-h blood loss after CABG between aspirin-sensitive and aspirin-resistant patients., Patients/methods: The primary analysis of this substudy of the POPular CABG trial (NCT02352402) included patients that used aspirin monotherapy preoperatively. A preoperative platelet function test by the VerifyNow aspirin assay was performed before CABG and patients were classified as aspirin-sensitive or aspirin-resistant based on an aspirin reaction units cutoff value of 550. The primary end point was 12-hour blood loss after CABG. The secondary end point was, among others, clinical bleeding events after CABG., Results: A total of 128 patients were included in the primary analysis. Of these, 116 patients were aspirin sensitive and 12 were aspirin resistant. Mean blood loss 12 hours after CABG was 555 ± 278 mL in aspirin-sensitive patients and 406±110 mL in aspirin-resistant patients ( P  = .04). All bleeding events (n = 15; 11.7%) occurred in aspirin-sensitive patients., Conclusions: In patients who are on aspirin preoperatively, aspirin sensitivity was associated with 12-hour blood loss after CABG, suggesting that preoperative VerifyNow aspirin testing could identify patients undergoing CABG at high risk for perioperative bleeding., (© 2021 The Authors. Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH).)

Background: Based on studies at tertiary centres it is known that patch test reading on Day (D) 7 may show additional positive reactions. Female gender, higher age and allergen groups of topicals and corticosteroids were identified as predictive factors., Objectives: The first aim was to study the value of reading patch tests on D2, D3 and D7 at a secondary referral centre. The second aim was to investigate the predictive potential of the factors sex, age, atopic dermatitis, body location, allergen group and clinical relevance for a positive reaction only on D7., Methods: Retrospective data from patients tested between 2013 and 2016 were evaluated. The factors sex, age, atopic dermatitis, body location, allergen group and clinical relevance were tested by regression analysis., Results: Two hundred and sixty-three out of a total of 396 patients had a positive reaction only on D2, D3 and D7 in 14 (2.5%), 152 (27.5%) and 61 (11.0%) occasions, observed in 10 (2.5%), 108 (27.3%) and 51 (12.9%) patients, respectively. These reactions were deemed relevant in 0 (0%), 12 (2.2%) and 9 (1.6%) occasions, observed 0 (0%), 11 (2.8%) and 9 (2.3%) patients, respectively. Higher age and allergen groups of metals, fragrances and resins were predictive for late positive reactions., Conclusions: D7 patch test reading should also be routinely adopted at secondary referral centres. D7 positive reactions were associated with higher age and sensitization to metals, fragrances and resins., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (© 2021 The Authors. Skin Health and Disease published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Association of Dermatologists.)

The incidence of geriatric ankle fractures is rising and the potential for complications is high in this population. Little is known about factors associated with increased postoperative complications after surgical fixation of ankle fractures in older-age patients. The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to assess the epidemiology and risk factors for complications after surgically treated ankle fractures in geriatric patients. All patients who were 65 years or older and had a surgically treated ankle fracture were included. Pilon fractures, patients who were initially treated conservatively or who had less than 1 month of follow-up were excluded. Postoperative complications, demographic-, fracture- and surgical data of 282 patients were recorded from two level 2 trauma centers between 2012 and 2017. A total of 87 (30.9%) patients developed a complication, of which wound related complications were most frequently reported. Superficial and deep wound infections were observed in 27 (9.6%) and 18 (6.4%) patients, respectively. Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated increased age to be an independent predictive variable for the occurrence of postoperative complications (odds ratio 1.04; 95% confidence interval 1.00-1.09), while cast immobilization for more than 2 weeks was a protective factor for the development of wound related complications (odds ratio 0.34; 95% confidence interval 0.17-0.66). In conclusion, the incidence of postoperative complications among geriatric patients after surgical treatment of ankle fractures is high and patients should be informed accordingly., (Copyright © 2021 the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Natriuretic peptides are helpful in detecting chronic heart failure (HF) in primary care; however, there are a lack of data evaluating thresholds recommended by clinical guidelines. This study assesses the diagnostic accuracy of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) using combined individual patient data from two studies in the UK and the Netherlands., Methods and Results: Random effects methods were used to estimate the performance characteristics of NT-proBNP thresholds recommended by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. New onset HF was diagnosed in 313 of 1073 (29.2%) participants. Age, sex, and atrial fibrillation-adjusted NT-proBNP was a better predictor of HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) than HF preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), with area under receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.82 95% CI (0.78 to 0.86) vs. 0.71 (0.66 to 0.75). In persons aged 70 years and over, the ESC threshold at 125 ng/L for detection of all-cause HF had summary negative predictive value (NPV) of 84.9% (81.6 to 88.2), positive predictive value (PPV) 68.1% (63.1 to 73.3), sensitivity 74.9% (69.5 to 80.3), and specificity 80.1% (76.9 to 83.4); the NICE threshold at 400 ng/L had summary NPV of 74.7% (72.1 to 77.2), PPV 81.8% (73.3 to 89.5), sensitivity 43.5% (37.2 to 49.8), and specificity 94.5% (92.3 to 96.7)., Conclusions: N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide is better at detecting HFrEF than HFpEF in a primary care setting. In persons aged 70 and over, the ESC threshold of 125 ng/L is more accurate at detecting and excluding HF than the higher level suggested in NICE guidelines. More prospective data are required to establish the optimal NP threshold for detecting chronic HF in general practice., (© 2021 The Authors. ESC Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Society of Cardiology.)

[Figure: see text].

Multiple non-invasive tests are performed to diagnose coronary artery disease (CAD), but all are limited to either anatomical or functional assessments. Computed tomography derived Fractional Flow Reserve (CT-FFR) based on patient-specific lumped parameter models is a new test combining both characteristics simulating invasive FFR. This study aims to evaluate the added value of CT-FFR over other non-invasive tests to diagnose CAD. Patients with clinical suspicion of angina pectoris between 2010 and 2011 were included in this cross-sectional study. All underwent stress electrocardiography (X-ECG), SPECT, CT coronary angiography (CCTA) and CT-FFR. Invasive coronary angiography (ICA) and FFR were used as reference standard. Five models mimicking the clinical workflow were fitted and the area under receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was used for comparison. 44% of the patients included in the analysis had a FFR of ≤ 0.80. The basic model including pre-test-likelihood and X-ECG had an AUROC of 0.79. The SPECT-strategy had an AUROC of 0.90 (p = 0.008), CCTA-strategy of 0.88 (p < 0.001), 0.93 when adding CT-FFR (p = 0.40) compared to 0.94 when combining CCTA and SPECT. This study shows adding on-site CT-FFR based on patient-specific lumped parameter models leads to an increased AUROC compared to the basic model. It improves the diagnostic work-up beyond SPECT or CCTA and is non-inferior to the combined strategy of SPECT and CCTA in the diagnosis of hemodynamically relevant CAD.

Invasive fractional flow reserve (FFR) adoption remains low mainly due to procedural and operator related factors as well as costs. Alternatively, quantitative flow ratio (QFR) achieves a high accuracy mainly outside the intermediate zone without the need for hyperaemia and wire-use. We aimed to determine the diagnostic performance of QFR and to evaluate a QFR-FFR hybrid strategy in which FFR is measured only in the intermediate zone. This retrospective study included 289 consecutive patients who underwent invasive coronary angiography and FFR. QFR was calculated for all vessels in which FFR was measured. The QFR-FFR hybrid approach was modelled using the intermediate zone of 0.77-0.87 in which FFR-measurements are recommended. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy on a per vessel-based analysis were 84.6%, 86.3% and 85.6% for QFR and 88.0%, 92.9% and 90.3% for the QFR-FFR hybrid approach. The diagnostic accuracy of QFR-FFR hybrid strategy with invasive FFR measurement was 93.4% and resulted in a 56.7% reduction in the need for FFR. QFR has a good correlation and agreement with invasive FFR. A hybrid QFR-FFR approach could extend the use of QFR and reduces the proportion of invasive FFR-measurements needed while improving accuracy.

Objectives: Longer aortic cross-clamp (ACC) time is associated with decreased early survival after cardiac surgery. Because maximum follow-up in previous studies on this subject is confined to 28 months, it is unknown whether this adverse effect is sustained far beyond this term. We aimed to determine whether longer ACC time was independently associated with decreased late survival after isolated aortic valve replacement in patients with severe aortic stenosis during 25 years of follow-up., Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, multivariable analysis was performed to identify possible independent predictors of decreased late survival, including ACC and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time, in a cohort of 456 consecutive patients with severe aortic stenosis, who had undergone isolated aortic valve replacement between 1990 and 1993., Results: Mean follow-up was 25.3 ± 2.7 years. Median (interquartile range) and mean ACC times were normal: 63.0 (20.0) and 64.2 ± 16.1 min, respectively. Age, operative risk scores and New York Heart Association class were similar in patients with ACC time above, versus those with ACC time below the median. Longer ACC time was independently associated with decreased late survival: hazards ratio (HR) 1.01 per minute increase of ACC time (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00-1.02; P = 0.012). Longer CPB time was not associated with decreased late survival (HR 1.00 per minute increase of CPB time [95% CI 1.00-1.00; P = 0.30])., Conclusions: Longer ACC time, although still within normal limits, was independently associated with decreased late survival after isolated aortic valve replacement in patients with severe aortic stenosis., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Background: Computed tomography (CT) is considered the imaging modality of choice to diagnose pulmonary arteriovenous malformations PAVMs. The drawback of this technique is that it requires ionizing radiation. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging does not have the limitation, but little is known about the performance of MR compared to CT for the detection of PAVMs. The aim of this study is to investigate the sensitivity of contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CE-MRA) in the detection of PAVMs with feeding artery diameters (FAD) > 2 mm., Methods: Patients with a grade 2 or 3 shunt on screening transthoracic contrast echocardiography (TTCE) were asked to participate. Included patients underwent chest CT and CE-MRA. CT was considered the reference standard. CT and CE-MRA scans were anonymized and assessed for the presence of PAVMs with FAD > 2 mm by one and two readers respectively. Data analysis was performed on per patient and per PAVM basis., Results: Fifty-three patients were included. 105 PAVMs were detected on CT, 45 with a FAD ≥ 2 mm. In per patient analysis, sensitivity and specificity of CE-MRA were 92% and 97% respectively for reader 1 and 92% and 62% for reader 2. Negative and positive predictive value (NPV/PPV) were 93% and 96% for R1 and 90% and 67% for R2. In per PAVM analysis, sensitivity, specificity, NPV and PPV were 96%, 99%, 100% and 86% for R1 and 93%, 96%, 100% and 56% for R2, respectively., Conclusions: CE-MRA has excellent sensitivity and NPV for detection of PAVMs with FAD ≥ 2 mm and can therefore be used to detect these PAVMs. We are hopeful that future advancements in CE-MRA technology will reduce false positive rates and allow for more broad use of CE-MRA in PAVM diagnosis and management.

Background: Approximately 15% of saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) occlude during the first year after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) despite aspirin use. The POPular CABG trial (The Effect of Ticagrelor on Saphenous Vein Graft Patency in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Surgery) investigated whether ticagrelor added to standard aspirin improves SVG patency at 1 year after CABG., Methods: In this investigator-initiated, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial, patients with ≥1 SVGs were randomly assigned (1:1) after CABG to ticagrelor or placebo added to standard aspirin (80 mg or 100 mg). The primary outcome was SVG occlusion at 1 year, assessed with coronary computed tomography angiography, in all patients that had primary outcome imaging available. A generalized estimating equation model was used to perform the primary analysis per SVG. The secondary outcome was 1-year SVG failure, which was a composite of SVG occlusion, SVG revascularization, myocardial infarction in myocardial territory supplied by a SVG, or sudden death., Results: Among 499 randomly assigned patients, the mean age was 67.9±8.3 years, 87.1% were male, the indication for CABG was acute coronary syndrome in 31.3%, and 95.2% of procedures used cardiopulmonary bypass. Primary outcome imaging was available in 220 patients in the ticagrelor group and 223 patients in the placebo group. The SVG occlusion rate in the ticagrelor group was 10.5% (51 of 484 SVGs) versus 9.1% in the placebo group (43 of 470 SVGs), odds ratio, 1.29 [95% CI, 0.73-2.30]; P =0.38. SVG failure occurred in 35 (14.2%) patients in the ticagrelor group versus 29 (11.6%) patients in the placebo group (odds ratio, 1.22 [95% CI, 0.72-2.05])., Conclusions: In this randomized, placebo-controlled trial, the addition of ticagrelor to standard aspirin did not reduce SVG occlusion at 1 year after CABG. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02352402.

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), an autosomal dominant disease, is characterized by telangiectases and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Untreated AVMs, especially in the lungs-pulmonary AVMs (PAVMs)-can result in morbidity with a decreased life expectancy. We have investigated whether HHT patients, systematically screened for HHT-related organ involvement and treated if needed, have a similar survival as persons without HHT. We included all individuals screened for HHT between 2004 and 2016 with a genetically or clinically confirmed diagnosis (HHT group) or excluded diagnosis (non-HHT control group). The social security number was used to confirm status as dead or alive in December 2019. We included 717 HHT patients and 471 controls. There was no difference in survival between the HHT and the non-HHT control group. The HHT group had a life expectancy of 75.9 years (95% confidence interval (CI) 73.3-78.6), comparable to the control group (79.3 years, 95% CI 74.8-84.0, Mantel-Cox test: p = 0.29). In conclusion, the life expectancy of HHT patients systematically screened for HHT-related organ involvement and treated if needed in an HHT center of excellence was similar compared to their controls, justifying systematic screening and treatment in HHT patients.