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The authors concluded that serum lactate levels are an important prognostic biomarker for 30-day mortality in cardiogenic shock patients treated with temporary mechanical circulatory support, i.e., the Impella CP device or venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The recent study by Scolari et al. [[1]] entitled 'Association between serum lactate levels and mortality in patients with cardiogenic shock receiving mechanical circulatory support: a multicenter retrospective cohort study', published in the I BMC Cardiovascular Disorders i evaluates the prognostic role of serum lactate and lactate clearance over time in cardiogenic shock patients treated with mechanical circulatory support. [Extracted from the article] more...

The article discusses the study on extracorporeal life support (ELS) for patients with severe refractory cardiogenic shock (SRCS), refractory cardiac arrest and severe respiratory failure in a single centre between September 2007 and September 2012. Findings discussed include early ELS application to help in lowering mortality and morbidity in patients, and association of venoarterial ELS initiation delay and increased pre-ELS pH and lactate levels to death in cardiomyopathy patients. more...

The article presents an in vitro study aimed at measuring the efficacy and safety of several pump control modalities combined with a volume buffer capacity (VBC) on centrifugal pump-based extracorporeal life support (ELS) stability and gaseous microemboli (GME) load during conditions of simulated hypovolemia. It concludes that flow and pressure servo control for ELS demonstrate evident deficits in preserving stable and safe ELS flow during hypovolemia. more...

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of randomized, controlled clinical trials studying fast-track treatment in low-risk coronary artery bypass grafting patients. DESIGN: Meta-regression. PATIENTS: Low-risk coronary artery bypass grafting patients. INTERVENTIONS: Fast-track treatments including (high or low) anesthetic dose, normothermia vs. hypothermia, and extubation protocol (within or after 8 hrs). MEASUREMENTS: Number of hours of intensive care unit stay, number of days of hospital stay, prevalence of myocardial infarction, and death. Furthermore, quality of life and cost evaluations were evaluated. The epidemiologic and economic qualities of the different trials were also assessed. MAIN RESULTS: A total of 27 studies evaluating fast-track treatment were identified, of which 12 studies were with major and 15 were without major differences in extubation protocol or anesthetic treatment or both. The use of an early extubation protocol (p=.000) but not the use of a low anesthetic dose (p=.394) or normothermic temperature management (p=.552) resulted in a decrease of the total intensive care unit stay of low-risk coronary artery bypass grafting patients. Early extubation was found to be an important determinant of the total hospital stay for these patients. An influence of the type of fast-track treatment on mortality or the prevalence of postoperative myocardial infarction was not observed. In general, the epidemiologic and economic qualities of included studies were moderate. CONCLUSIONS: Although fast-track anesthetics and normothermic temperature management facilitate early extubation, the introduction of an early extubation protocol seems essential to decrease intensive care unit and hospital stay in low-risk coronary artery bypass grafting patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Study Objectives: Neurologic disorders belong among the most serious complications of cardiac surgery. We tested the hypothesis that combinations of hemodynamic events from apparently normal cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) procedures are related to the development of postoperative neurologic complications and affect the impact of common clinical risk factors.Design: Retrospective study.Setting: Cardiothoracic surgery department in a university hospital.Methods and Patients: A multivariate statistical procedure (ie, cluster analysis) was applied to a data set of automatically recorded perfusions from 1,395 patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting. One-way analysis of variance was used to select five parameters with the strongest significant correlation to postoperative neurologic complications for further cluster analysis. The dependencies in the clusters were tested against common clinical risk factors. To our knowledge, this is the first study of its kind.Results: The following five parameters emerged for cluster analysis: mean arterial pressure (MAP); dispersion of MAP; dispersion of systemic vascular resistance; dispersion of arterial pulse pressure; and the maximum value of mixed venous saturation. Using these parameters, we found four clusters that were significantly different by CPB performance (first cluster, 389 patients; second cluster, 431 patients; third cluster; and fourth cluster, 229 patients). The frequency of postoperative neurologic complications was 0.3% in the first cluster and increased to 3.9% in the fourth cluster. Importantly, the impact of common clinical risk factors for postoperative neurologic complications was affected by the performance of the CPB procedure. For example, the frequency of neurologic complications among patients with cerebrovascular disease in their medical history was 22% in the fourth cluster, whereas it was zero in the second cluster.Conclusions: This study shows that apparently normal CPB procedures affect the impact of common clinical risk factors on postoperative neurologic complications. Patients who underwent CPB procedures with large fluctuations in hemodynamic parameters particularly showed an increased risk for the development of postoperative neurologic complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: Patients undergoing cardiac surgery with the use of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) are often thought to have tissue hypoxia and intraoperative oxygen debt accumulation despite the lack of sufficient data to support this assumption. Methods and results: Oxygen uptake and related parameters, including the plasma lactate and pyruvate concentrations, were studied during the perioperative period in a group of 15 consecutive patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The actual oxygen uptake (VO[sub 2]) and delivery (DO[sub 2]) were compared with the individual expected (computed) oxygen transport values. The mean values of DO[sub 2] and VO[sub 2] were in the range of the expected values. Our results demonstrate a leading role for body temperature in perioperative changes of oxygen consumption rate (r[sup 2] = 0.65, p < 0.001). Plasma lactate and pyruvate did not exceed the physiological range in any patient. However, with initiation of CPB, the lactate to pyruvate (LA/PVA) ratio increased (from 9.87±2.43 at T1 to 12.08 ± 1.51 at T2, p < 0.05). The mean value of the LA/ PVA ratio was elevated during surgery. Later, upon lowering of the plasma lactate concentration in the postoperative period, the LA/PVA ratio decreased to normal values. Without any other evidence of hypoxia, this increase in the LA/PVA ratio could be explained by washout of lactate from previously hypoperfused tissues and intraoperative decrease of lactate clearance. Conclusion: Systemic oxygenation was not impaired during CPB, or during 18 h after surgery in the studied group of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: Early postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is common after cardiac surgery and is associated with late-POAF recurrences. However, little is known about the burden of POAF and its potential impact on long-term outcomes after cardiac surgery, particularly on the risk for late-POAF recurrences., Objective: The purpose of this study was to establish the distribution of POAF burden and to determine the association between early-POAF burden and late-POAF recurrences during 2.5 years of continuous rhythm monitoring after cardiac surgery in patients with and without preoperative history of atrial fibrillation (AF)., Methods: Patients undergoing cardiac surgery were prospectively enrolled and postoperatively continuously monitored with an implantable loop recorder for 2.5 years. All patients underwent extensive clinical assessment at baseline. During follow-up, all AF episodes were registered, and AF associated metrics, such as burden, were calculated for different time intervals. Early-POAF was defined as AF within first 90 postoperative days and late-POAF as AF after this interval., Results: A total of 98 consecutive patients were included. POAF burden during the early postoperative phase was significantly higher compared to the late postoperative phase (P <.001). The longest individual POAF episode was strongly associated with increased POAF burden after adjusting for age, sex, and AF history (standardized Beta: 0.91, P <.001). Also, early-POAF burden was associated with late-POAF (re)occurrence after adjusting for age, sex, AF history (adjusted hazard ratio 1.93, 95% confidence interval 1.42-2.62, P <.001)., Conclusion: POAF burden was significantly associated with the longest individual POAF episode duration. Additionally, greater early-POAF burden was associated with increased late-POAF incidence, highlighting its potential in estimating the risk for long-term POAF recurrences., Competing Interests: Disclosures Dr Schotten received consultancy fees or honoraria from Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI, Switzerland), Roche Diagnostics (Switzerland), EP Solutions Inc. (Switzerland), Johnson & Johnson Medical Limited (United Kingdom), and Bayer Healthcare (Germany); and is co-founder and shareholder of YourRhythmics BV, a spin-off company of the University Maastricht. Dr Maesen is a consultant for AtriCure and Medtronic. All other authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.) more...

Background: We conducted a volume-outcome meta-analysis of pulmonary endarterectomy procedures for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension to objectively determine the minimum required annual case load that can define a high-volume centre., Methods: Three electronic databases were systematically queried up to 1 May 2024. Centres were divided in volume tertiles. The primary outcomes were early mortality and long-term survival. Restricted cubic splines were used to demonstrate the volume-outcome relationship and the elbow-method was applied to define high-volume centres. Long-term survival was assessed using Cox frailty models., Results: We included 51 centres (52 consecutive cohorts) and divided them into tertiles (T1: <6 cases per year; T2: 6-15 cases per year, T3: >15 cases per year), comprising a total 11 345 patients (mean age 52.3 years). Overall early mortality was 6.0% (T1: 11.6%; T2: 7.2%; T3: 5.2%; p<0.001), for which a significant nonlinear volume-outcome relationship was observed (p=0.0437) with a statistically determined minimal required volume of 33 cases per year (95% CI 29-35 cases), and a modelled volume of 40 cases per year corresponding to a 5.0% mortality rate. Nevertheless, early mortality still progressively declined in higher volume centres (from 6.7% to 5.4% to 2.9% in centres performing 16-50, 51-100 and >100 procedures annually). In addition, a significant volume effect was observed for long-term survival (adjusted hazard ratio per tertile 0.75, 95% CI 0.63-0.89; p=0.001)., Conclusion: There is a significant association between procedural volume and early mortality in pulmonary endarterectomy. An annual procedural volume of >33-40 cases per year may be used to define a high‑volume centre, although higher volumes still lead to progressively lower mortality rates., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright ©The authors 2025.) more...

Objectives: Previous analyses of the volume-outcome relationship have focused on short-term outcomes such as early mortality. The current study aims to update a novel statistical methodology, facilitating the evaluation of the relation between procedural volume and time-to-event outcomes such as long-term survival, using surgery for acute type A aortic dissection as an illustrative example., Methods: This study employed an existing dataset of type A dissection outcomes, retrieved from literature. Studies were included when reporting on annual case load and long-term survival, which served as the primary outcome of interest. Individual patient data were reconstructed from the included studies, and a hazard ratio was determined per study in relation to overall survival, after which the calculated hazard ratios were incorporated in a restricted cubic-spline model, facilitating the application of the elbow method., Results: Fifty-two studies were included (n = 14 878 patients), with a median follow-up of 5 years. One-, 3-, 5- and 10-year survival of the overall cohort were 82% [95% confidence interval (CI) 82-83%], 79% (95% CI 78-80%), 74% (95% CI 74-75%) and 60% (95% CI 59-62%), respectively. A significant non-linear volume-outcome relation for long-term survival was observed in both the unadjusted and adjusted analyses (P = 0.030 and P = 0.002), with an optimal annual case load of 32 cases/year (95% CI 31-33)., Conclusions: Based on the available data, these findings imply that the annual case volume to achieve optimal long-term survival is located near a procedural volume of 32 cases/year. After accrual of more annual procedures, long-term survival may no longer significantly improve any further., (© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery.) more...

Aims: Both isolated thoracoscopic and hybrid thoracoscopic atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation techniques have demonstrated favourable outcomes in the management of patients with (long-standing) persistent AF, as compared with catheter ablation. However, it is currently unknown whether there is a difference in short- and long-term outcomes when comparing these two minimally invasive surgical AF ablation procedures. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to investigate these two techniques, with a specific emphasis on long-term freedom from atrial tachyarrhythmias (ATAs)., Methods and Results: A systematic search through PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library databases was performed. All studies reporting on short-term outcomes were included in the meta-analysis. A pooled analysis of long-term freedom from ATA was performed based on Kaplan-Meier (KM) curve-derived individual patient data. Reconstructed individual time-to-event data were analysed in a multivariable Cox frailty model with adjustments for age, sex, type of AF, duration of AF history, and study variable (frailty term in the frailty Cox model). In total, 53 studies were included in the meta-analysis, encompassing 4950 patients. There were no differences in major short-term outcomes (mortality or stroke) between isolated thoracoscopic and hybrid thoracoscopic ablation. A total of 18 studies reported KM curves for long-term freedom from ATA, comprising 2038 patients. Adjusted analysis revealed that hybrid ablation was significantly associated with greater freedom from ATA [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 0.59, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.43-0.83, P < 0.001] compared with isolated thoracoscopic ablation. Additionally, older age (aHR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.03-1.12, P = 0.002) and a higher percentage of male patients (aHR = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01-1.03, P < 0.001) were significantly associated with lower long-term freedom from ATA recurrence., Conclusion: Hybrid thoracoscopic AF ablation is associated with a greater long-term freedom from ATA when compared with isolated thoracoscopic ablation, without differences in complications., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: M.L.M. is a consultant for AtriCure. B.M. is a consultant for AtriCure and Medtronic. The remaining authors have nothing to disclose., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.) more...

Objectives: Totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass grafting (TECAB) is a minimally invasive approach to achieve surgical revascularization through a minimally invasive approach. Still, data regarding non-robotic TECAB are limited. This report presents the results of a TECAB technique using long-shafted instruments, defined as Endo-CABG, from a single-centre experience in 1500 consecutive patients., Methods: One thousand and five hundred patients underwent Endo-CABG between January 2016 and February 2023. Data were collected retrospectively, and patients were followed up for 1 year. The primary outcome of this study was major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE)-free survival. Secondary efficacy outcomes were graft failure and mortality. Furthermore, we analysed factors influencing long-term freedom from MACCE and all-cause mortality., Results: The mean age was 68 [61-75] years, of which 193 (12.87%) were octogenarians. Multivessel disease was present in 1409 (93.93%) patients, and the mean EuroSCORE II was 1.64 [1.09-2.92] %. All patients underwent full arterial revascularization with bilateral internal mammary grafting in 88.47%. Graft failure occurred in 1.80% of cases after 1 year (n = 27). Thirty-day mortality was 1.73% (n = 26), 1-year survival was 94.7% (95% CI: 93.5-95.9%; n = 26) and 1-year MACCE-free survival was 91.7% (95% CI: 90.2-93.2%). Age, left ventricular ejection fraction, arterial hypertension and urgency were significantly associated with 1-year MACCE-free survival., Conclusions: Endo-CABG appears to be a safe procedure, achieves surgical revascularization and provides good outcomes regarding graft failure and MACCE at 1 year, while age, left ventricular ejection fraction, arterial hypertension and urgency were associated with 1-year outcomes., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery.) more...

Background: An increase in cardiac biomarkers is a prerequisite for diagnosing periprocedural myocardial infarction (PMI) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Early-phase risk detection may be aided by modeling time-dependent serum creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) concentrations. This study aimed to model the kinetics of CK-MB while identifying its influencing factors., Methods: Patients who underwent elective CABG and had CK-MB measurements within 72 hours postoperatively were included. The primary outcome was the modeled post hoc kinetics of CK-MB in patients without potential PMI. These patients were defined as having no potential PMI based on the absence of ischemic electrocardiographic abnormalities, imaging abnormalities, in-hospital cardiac arrest, mortality, or postoperative unplanned catheterization. A web-based application was created using mixed-effect modeling to provide an interactive and individualized result., Results: A total of 1589 CK-MB measurements from 635 patients who underwent elective isolated CABG were available for analysis. Of these, 609 patients (96%) had no potential PMI and 26 (4%) had potential PMI. Male sex, aortic cross-clamp time, and cardioplegia type significantly impacted CK-MB concentrations. The diagnostic accuracy of the model had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 82.8% (95% confidence interval, 72.6%-90.2%). A threshold of 7 μg/L yielded a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 80% (positive predictive value, 17%; negative predictive value, 99%) for excluding potential PMI in our study population., Conclusions: CK-MB release after CABG depends on the timing of measurement, patient sex, aortic cross-clamp time, and cardioplegia type. The model (available at https://www.cardiomarker.com/ckmb) can be validated, reproduced, refined, and applied to other biomarkers., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Statement A.M.A.M. reports nonfinancial support from Abbott Diagnostics and Roche Diagnostics. A.W.J.V.H. reports unrestricted institutional grants from Abbott, Roche, Medtronic, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Astra Zeneca. All other authors reported no conflicts of interest. The Journal policy requires editors and reviewers to disclose conflicts of interest and to decline handling or reviewing manuscripts for which they may have a conflict of interest. The editors and reviewers of this article have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.) more...

Objectives: Coronary revascularization is frequently performed for coronary artery disease (CAD). This study aims to assess the totality of randomized evidence comparing percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents (DES-PCI) with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for CAD., Methods: A systematic search was applied to 3 electronic databases, including randomized trials comparing DES-PCI with CABG for CAD with 5-year follow-up. A Bayesian hierarchical meta-analytic model was applied. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality at 5 years; secondary outcomes were stroke, myocardial infarction, and repeat revascularization. End points were reported in median relative risks (RRs) and absolute risk differences, with 95% credible intervals (CrIs). Kaplan-Meier curves were used to reconstruct individual patient data., Results: Six studies comprising 8269 patients (DES-PCI, n = 4134; CABG, n = 4135) were included. All-cause mortality at 5 years was increased with DES-PCI (median RR, 1.23; 95% CrI, 1.01-1.45), with a median absolute risk difference of +2.3% (95% CrI, 0.1%-4.5%). For stroke, myocardial infarction, and repeat revascularization, the median RRs were 0.79 (95% CrI, 0.54-1.25), 1.84 (95% CrI, 1.23-2.75), and 1.80 (95% CrI, 1.51-2.16) for DES-PCI, respectively. In a sample of 1000 patients undergoing DES-PCI instead of CABG for CAD, a median of 23 additional deaths, 46 myocardial infarctions, and 85 repeat revascularizations occurred at 5 years, whereas 10 strokes were prevented., Conclusions: The current data suggest a clinically relevant benefit of CABG over DES-PCI at 5 years in terms of mortality, myocardial infarction, and repeat revascularization, despite an increased risk of stroke. These findings may guide the heart-team and the shared decision-making process., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Statement The authors reported no conflicts of interest. The Journal policy requires editors and reviewers to disclose conflicts of interest and to decline handling or reviewing manuscripts for which they may have a conflict of interest. The editors and reviewers of this article have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.) more...

Objectives: Myocardial ischaemia following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a potentially devastating complication. Nevertheless, the incidence, aetiology and prognostic relevance of unplanned coronary angiography (uCAG) remain understudied. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and outcome of patients undergoing urgent, uCAG in the postoperative period following CABG., Methods: We screened all patients undergoing isolated elective CABG in an academic referral centre between 2016 and 2021 and identified patients undergoing uCAG within 30 days of surgery. For uCAG patients, a distinction was made between patients undergoing re-revascularization (REV) and patients receiving conservative management (CON). The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and unadjusted and adjusted long-term survival. Secondary outcomes were the indication for and prevalence of uCAG and urgent revascularization., Results: Of the 1918 patients undergoing isolated CABG, 78 individuals needed uCAG (4.1%), of whom 45 underwent immediate revascularization (REV group; 2.3% overall, 57% within the uCAG group, median age 69.9 years) and 33 were treated conservatively (CONS group; 1.7% overall, 42% within the uCAG group, median age 69.1 years). Patients undergoing uCAG (n = 78) had a higher 30-day mortality than patients not undergoing uCAG (n = 1840, 30-day mortality: 9.0% vs 0.4%, P < 0.001). Long-term survival was significantly decreased in patients undergoing uCAG in both unadjusted (hazard ratio 2.20, 95% confidence interval 1.30-3.73) and EuroSCORE-, age- and sex-adjusted models (hazard ratio uCAG 2.03, 95% confidence interval 1.16-3.56)., Conclusions: Unplanned postoperative coronary angiography is performed in 4.1% of isolated CABG procedures, and patients in need of such urgent invasive evaluation are subjected to decreased short- and long-term survival., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery.) more...

Background/Objectives : Mitral regurgitation (MR) affects millions worldwide, necessitating timely intervention. There are significant clinical challenges in the conservative management of MR, leaving a knowledge gap regarding the impact of multidisciplinary decision-making on treatment outcomes. This study aimed to provide insights into the impact of multidisciplinary decision-making on the survival outcomes of MR patients, focusing on conservative approaches. Methods : This study retrospectively analyzes 1365 patients evaluated by an expert multidisciplinary heart team (MDT) in a single center from 2015 to 2022. Treatments included surgery, catheter-based interventions, and conservative management. Propensity matching was utilized to compare surgery and conservative approaches. Results : Surgical intervention was associated with superior long-term survival outcomes compared to conservative and catheter-based treatments, particularly for degenerative MR (DMR). Survival rates of patients deemed by the MDT to have non-severe DMR were comparable to surgical patients (HR 1.07, 95% CI: 0.37-3.12, p = 0.90). However, non-severe functional MR (FMR) patients trended towards elevated mortality risk (HR 1.77, 95% CI: 0.94-3.31, p = 0.07). Pharmacological treatment for DMR was associated with significantly higher mortality compared to surgery (HR 8.0, 95% CI: 1.78-36.03, p = 0.001). Functional MR patients treated pharmacologically exhibited a non-significantly higher mortality risk compared to surgical intervention (HR 1.93, 95% CI: 0.77-4.77, p = 0.20). Conclusions : Survival analysis revealed significant benefits for surgical intervention, contrasting with elevated mortality risks associated with conservative management. "Watchful waiting" may be appropriate for non-severe DMR, while FMR may require closer monitoring. Further research is needed to assess the impact of regular follow-up or delayed surgery on survival rates, as pharmacological therapy has limited long-term efficacy for DMR. more...

Background: The outcomes of several randomized trials on extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) in patients with refractory out-of-hospital cardiac arrest were examined using frequentist methods, resulting in a dichotomous interpretation of results based on p-values rather than in the probability of clinically relevant treatment effects. To determine such a probability of a clinically relevant ECPR-based treatment effect on neurological outcomes, the authors of these trials performed a Bayesian meta-analysis of the totality of randomized ECPR evidence., Methods: A systematic search was applied to three electronic databases. Randomized trials that compared ECPR-based treatment with conventional CPR for refractory out-of-hospital cardiac arrest were included. The study was preregistered in INPLASY (INPLASY2023120060). The primary Bayesian hierarchical meta-analysis estimated the difference in 6-month neurologically favorable survival in patients with all rhythms, and a secondary analysis assessed this difference in patients with shockable rhythms (Bayesian hierarchical random-effects model). Primary Bayesian analyses were performed under vague priors. Outcomes were formulated as estimated median relative risks, mean absolute risk differences, and numbers needed to treat with corresponding 95% credible intervals (CrIs). The posterior probabilities of various clinically relevant absolute risk difference thresholds were estimated., Results: Three randomized trials were included in the analysis (ECPR, n = 209 patients; conventional CPR, n = 211 patients). The estimated median relative risk of ECPR for 6-month neurologically favorable survival was 1.47 (95%CrI 0.73-3.32) with a mean absolute risk difference of 8.7% (- 5.0; 42.7%) in patients with all rhythms, and the median relative risk was 1.54 (95%CrI 0.79-3.71) with a mean absolute risk difference of 10.8% (95%CrI - 4.2; 73.9%) in patients with shockable rhythms. The posterior probabilities of an absolute risk difference > 0% and > 5% were 91.0% and 71.1% in patients with all rhythms and 92.4% and 75.8% in patients with shockable rhythms, respectively., Conclusion: The current Bayesian meta-analysis found a 71.1% and 75.8% posterior probability of a clinically relevant ECPR-based treatment effect on 6-month neurologically favorable survival in patients with all rhythms and shockable rhythms. These results must be interpreted within the context of the reported credible intervals and varying designs of the randomized trials., Registration: INPLASY (INPLASY2023120060, December 14th, 2023, https://doi.org/10.37766/inplasy2023.12.0060 )., (© 2024. The Author(s).) more...

Minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) has demonstrated its efficacy in diminishing postoperative pain, accelerating early recovery, and facilitating a prompt return to daily activities. Notably, the periareolar incision has gained prominence owing to its superior cosmesis. This article elucidates the procedural details for implementing periareolar incision access in MICS and providing insights into its technique and applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Peyman Sardari Nia is the inventor of various simulators that are commercialized by Simurghy and reports consultancy agreements with NeoChord, Edwards Lifesciences, Medtronic, and Abbott. The other authors do not report any conflict of interest. more...

Background: Serum bone morphogenetic protein 10 (BMP10) blood levels are a marker for history of atrial fibrillation (AF) and for major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with AF, including stroke, AF recurrences after catheter ablations, and mortality. The predictive value of BMP10 in patients undergoing cardiac surgery and association with morphologic properties of atrial tissues are unknown., Objectives: This study sought to study the correlation between BMP10 levels and preoperative clinical traits, occurrence of early and late postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF), and atrial fibrosis in patients undergoing cardiac surgery., Methods: Patients with and without preoperative AF history undergoing first cardiac surgery were included (RACE V, n = 147). Preoperative blood biomarkers were analyzed, left (n = 114) and right (n = 125) atrial appendage biopsy specimens were histologically investigated after WGA staining, and postoperative rhythm was monitored continuously with implantable loop recorders (n = 133, 2.5 years)., Results: Adjusted multinomial logistic regression indicated that BMP10 accurately reflected a history of persistent AF (OR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.10-1.40, P = 0.001), similar to NT-pro-BNP. BMP10 levels were associated with increased late POAF 90 occurrence after adjustment for age, sex, AF history, and early POAF occurrence (HR: 1.07 [per 0.1 ng/mL increase], 95% CI: 1.00-1.14, P = 0.041). Left atrial endomysial fibrosis (standardized β = 0.22, P = 0.041) but not overall fibrosis (standardized Β = 0.12, P = 0.261) correlated with circulating BMP10 after adjustment for age, sex, AF history, reduced LVF, and valvular surgery indication., Conclusions: Increased BMP10 levels were associated with persistent AF history, increased late POAF incidence, and LAA endomysial fibrosis in a diverse sample of patients undergoing cardiac surgery., Competing Interests: Funding Support and Author Disclosures Supported by Netherlands Heart Foundation (CVON2014-09, RACE V Reappraisal of Atrial Fibrillation: Interaction between hyper Coagulability, Electrical remodeling, and Vascular Destabilization in the Progression of AF); European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programmed under grant agreement No 965286. Dr Schotten has received consultancy fees or honoraria from Universitas' della Svizzera Italiana, Roche Diagnostics, EP Solutions Inc, Johnson & Johnson Medical Limited, and Bayer Healthcare, and is a cofounder and shareholder of Your Rhythmics BV, a spinoff company of the Maastricht University. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.) more...

Aims: When out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) becomes refractory, extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) is a potential option to restore circulation and improve the patient's outcome. However, ECPR requires specific materials and highly skilled personnel, and it is unclear whether increased survival and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) justify these costs., Methods and Results: This cost-effectiveness study was part of the INCEPTION study, a multi-centre, pragmatic randomized trial comparing hospital-based ECPR to conventional CPR (CCPR) in patients with refractory OHCA in 10 cardiosurgical centres in the Netherlands. We analysed healthcare costs in the first year and measured HRQOL using the EQ-5D-5L at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs), cost-effectiveness planes, and acceptability curves were calculated. Sensitivity analyses were performed for per-protocol and as-treated subgroups as well as imputed productivity loss in deceased patients. In total, 132 patients were enrolled: 62 in the CCPR and 70 in the ECPR group. The difference in mean costs after 1 year was €5109 (95% confidence interval -7264 to 15 764). Mean quality-adjusted life year (QALY) after 1 year was 0.15 in the ECPR group and 0.11 in the CCPR group, resulting in an ICER of €121 643 per additional QALY gained. The acceptability curve shows that at a willingness-to-pay threshold of €80.000, the probability of ECPR being cost-effective compared with CCPR is 36%. Sensitivity analysis showed increasing ICER in the per-protocol and as-treated groups and lower probabilities of acceptance., Conclusion: Hospital-based ECPR in refractory OHCA has a low probability of being cost-effective in a trial-based economic evaluation., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: R.L. reports support from ABIOMED for consulting lecture work and consultancy on the Medical Advisory Board of Xenios., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.) more...

Objectives: Replicating 3-dimensional prints of patient-specific mitral valves in soft materials is a cumbersome and time-consuming process. The aim of this study was to develop a method for a direct 3-dimensional printing of patient-specific mitral valves in soft material for simulation-based training and procedural planning., Methods: A process was developed based on data acquisition using 3-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography Cartesian Digital Imaging and Communication of Medicine format, image processing using software (Vesalius3D, Blender, Meshlab, Atum3D Operation Station), and 3-dimensional printing using digital light processing, an additive manufacturing process based on photopolymer resins. Experiments involved adjustment of 3 variables: curing times, model thinness, and lattice structuring during the printing process. Printed models were evaluated for suitability in physical simulation by an experienced mitral valve surgeon., Results: Direct 3-dimensional printing of a patient's mitral valve in soft material was completed within a range of 1.5 to 4.5 hours. Prints with postcuring times of 5, 7, 10, and 15 minutes resulted in increased stiffness. The mitral valves with 2.0-mm and 2.4-mm thinner leaflets felt more flexible without tear of the sutures through the material. The addition of lattice structures made the prints more compliant and better supported suturing., Conclusions: Direct 3-dimensional printing of a realistic and flexible patient-specific mitral valve was achieved within a few hours. A combination of thinner leaflets, reduced curing time, and lattice structures enabled the creation of a realistic patient-specific mitral valve in soft material for physical simulation., Competing Interests: P.S.N. is the inventor of the Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve simulator that is commercialized by Simurghy and reports consultancy agreements with NeoChord, Edwards Lifesciences, Medtronic, Abbott, and Fujifilm. All other authors reported no conflicts of interest. The Journal policy requires editors and reviewers to disclose conflicts of interest and to decline handling or reviewing manuscripts for which they may have a conflict of interest. The editors and reviewers of this article have no conflicts of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s).) more...

This paper presents an overview of the development of an integrated patient-centred cardiac care registry spanning the initial 5 years (September 2017 to December 2022). The Netherlands Heart Registration facilitates registration committees in which mandated cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons structurally evaluate quality of care using real-world data. With consistent attendance rates exceeding 60%, a valuable network is supported. Over time, the completeness level of the registry has increased. Presently, four out of six quality registries show over 95% completeness in variables that are part of the quality policies of cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery societies. Notably, 93% of the centres voluntarily report outcomes related to open heart surgery and (trans)catheter interventions publicly. Moreover, outcomes after implantable cardioverter-defibrillator and pacemaker procedures are transparently reported by 26 centres. Multiple innovation projects have been initiated by the committees, signalling a shift from publishing outcomes transparently to collaborative efforts in sharing healthcare processes and investigating improvement initiatives. The next steps will focus on the entire pathway of cardiac care for a specific medical condition instead of focusing solely on the outcomes of the procedures. This redirection of focus to a comprehensive assessment of the patient pathway in cardiac care ultimately aims to optimise outcomes for all patients., (© 2024. The Author(s).) more...

Ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm (ATAA) remains a significant medical concern, with its asymptomatic nature posing diagnostic and monitoring challenges, thereby increasing the risk of aortic wall dissection and rupture. Current management of aortic repair relies on an aortic diameter threshold. However, this approach underestimates the complexity of aortic wall disease due to important knowledge gaps in understanding its underlying pathologic mechanisms.Since traditional risk factors cannot explain the initiation and progression of ATAA leading to dissection, local vascular factors such as extracellular matrix (ECM) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) might harbor targets for early diagnosis and intervention. Derived from diverse embryonic lineages, VSMCs exhibit varied responses to genetic abnormalities that regulate their contractility. The transition of VSMCs into different phenotypes is an adaptive response to stress stimuli such as hemodynamic changes resulting from cardiovascular disease, aging, lifestyle, and genetic predisposition. Upon longer exposure to stress stimuli, VSMC phenotypic switching can instigate pathologic remodeling that contributes to the pathogenesis of ATAA.This review aims to illuminate the current understanding of cellular and molecular characteristics associated with ATAA and dissection, emphasizing the need for a more nuanced comprehension of the impaired ECM-VSMC network., (© 2024. The Author(s).) more...

Background: Prospective, trial-based data comparing health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients surviving out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) through extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) or conventional CPR (CCPR) are scarce. We aimed to determine HRQoL during 1-year after refractory OHCA in patients treated with ECPR and CCPR., Methods: We present a secondary analysis of the multicenter INCEPTION-trial, which studied the effectiveness of ECPR versus CCPR in patients with refractory OHCA. HRQoL was prospectively assessed using the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire. Poor HRQoL was pragmatically defined as an EQ-5D-5L health utility index (HUI) > 1 SD below the age-adjusted norm. We used mixed linear models to assess the difference in HRQoL over time and univariable analyses to assess factors potentially associated with poor HRQoL., Results: A total of 134 patients were enrolled, and hospital survival was 20% (27 patients). EQ-5D-5L data were available for 25 patients (5 ECPR and 20 CCPR). One year after OHCA, the estimated mean HUI was 0.73 (0.05) in all patients, 0.84 (0.12) in ECPR survivors, and 0.71 (0.05) in CCPR survivors (p-value 0.31). Eight (32%) survivors had a poor HRQoL. HRQoL was good in 17 (68%) patients, with 100% in ECPR survivors versus 60% in CCPR survivors (p-value 0.14)., Conclusion: One year after refractory OHCA, 68% of the survivors had a good HRQoL. We found no statistically significant difference in HRQoL one year after OHCA in patients treated with ECPR compared to CCPR. However, numerical differences may be clinically relevant in favor of ECPR., Competing Interests: 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., (© 2024 The Author(s).) more...

Introduction: Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) is increasingly used as a supportive treatment for refractory out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Still, there is a paucity of data evaluating favorable and unfavorable prognostic characteristics in patients considered for ECPR., Methods: We performed a previously unplanned post-hoc analysis of the multicenter randomized controlled INCEPTION-trial. The study group consisted of patients receiving ECPR, irrespective of initial group randomization. The patients were divided into favorable survivors (cerebral performance category [CPC] 1-2) and unfavorable or non-survivors (CPC 3-5)., Results: In the initial INCEPTION-trial, 134 patients were randomized. ECPR treatment was started in 46 (66%) of 70 patients in the ECPR treatment arm and 3 (4%) of 74 patients in the conventional treatment arm. No statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics, medical history, or causes of arrest were observed between survivors ( n  = 5) and non-survivors ( n  = 44). More patients in the surviving group had a shockable rhythm at the time of cannulation (60% vs. 14%, p  = 0.037), underwent more defibrillation attempts (13 vs. 6, p  = 0.002), and received higher dosages of amiodarone (450 mg vs 375 mg, p  = 0.047) despite similar durations of resuscitation maneuvers. Furthermore, non-survivors more frequently had post-ECPR implantation adverse events., Conclusion: The persistence of ventricular arrhythmia is a favorable prognostic factor in patients with refractory OHCA undergoing an ECPR-based treatment. Future studies are warranted to confirm this finding and to establish additional prognostic factors. Clinical trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov registration number NCT03101787., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: ‘Roberto Lorusso reports consulting fees from Medtronic, LivaNova, Getinge, and Abiomed and participates in an advisory board of Eurosets and Xenios, which are not related to this work. All other authors report no conflicts of interest.’., (© 2024 The Author(s).) more...

Objectives: The use of cerebral embolic protection (CEP) during transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has been studied in several randomised trials. We aimed to perform a systematic review and Bayesian meta-analysis of randomised CEP trials, focusing on a clinically relevant reduction in disabling stroke., Methods: A systematic search was applied to three electronic databases, including trials that randomised TAVI patients to CEP versus standard treatment. The primary outcome was the risk of disabling stroke. Outcomes were presented as relative risk (RR), absolute risk differences (ARDs), numbers needed to treat (NNTs) and the 95% credible intervals (CrIs). The minimal clinically important difference was determined at 1.1% ARD, per expert consensus (NNT 91). The principal Bayesian meta-analysis was performed under a vague prior, and secondary analyses were performed under two informed literature-based priors., Results: Seven randomised studies were included for meta-analysis (n=3996: CEP n=2126, control n=1870). Under a vague prior, the estimated median RR of CEP use for disabling stroke was 0.56 (95% CrI 0.28 to 1.19, derived ARD 0.56% and NNT 179, I 2 =0%). Although the estimated posterior probability of any benefit was 94.4%, the probability of a clinically relevant effect was 0-0.1% under the vague and informed literature-based priors. Results were robust across multiple sensitivity analyses., Conclusion: There is a high probability of a beneficial CEP treatment effect, but this is unlikely to be clinically relevant. These findings suggest that future trials should focus on identifying TAVI patients with an increased baseline risk of stroke, and on the development of new generation devices., Prospero Registration Number: CRD42023407006., Competing Interests: Competing interests: AW reports proctoring fees from Medtronic, Edwards and Abbott; serves at the medical advisory board of Medtronic, Edwards and Abbott; and received grant support from Medtronic, Edwards and Abbott. AJL is the principal investigator of the Emboline Study. AvtH received unrestricted grants from Abbott, Roche, Medtronic, Boehringer Ingelheim and AstraZeneca. All other authors report no conflict of interest., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.) more...

Background: Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is a frequent complication after cardiac surgery that is associated with late atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrences (late-POAF) and increased morbidity and long-term mortality., Objectives: This study sought to determine device-detected POAF incidence and to identify clinical variables associated with POAF, both in patients with and without preoperative AF history., Methods: A total of 133 consecutive patients undergoing cardiac surgery were prospectively enrolled and continuously monitored with an implantable loop recorder for 2.5 years after surgery. Preoperative transthoracic echocardiography, 12-lead electrocardiogram, blood biomarkers, and clinical data were analyzed to develop prediction models for early- and late-POAF., Results: In patients without preoperative AF history, early-POAF within the first 90 postoperative days occurred in 41 (47.1%) of 87 patients. Late-POAF after the first 90 postoperative days occurred in 22 (25%) of 87 patients, and 20 of these patients also had early-POAF during the first 90 days (20 of 22 [91%]). Increased right atrial minimum volume indexed for body surface area (RAVI min ) and early-POAF were independently associated with late-POAF. A prediction model for late-POAF, which included RAVI min >11 mL/m 2 , age >65 years, and early-POAF, achieved an area under the curve of 0.82 (95% CI: 0.72-0.92). For patients with preoperative AF-history, late-POAF recurrences were frequent (22 of 33 [67%]). Increased RAVI min was independently associated with a higher incidence of late-POAF., Conclusions: In patients with and without AF history, late-POAF recurrences are frequent, including in patients undergoing surgical AF ablation. In patients with no history of AF, late-POAF might be predicted with excellent accuracy by using a combination of preoperative variables. In patients with a history of AF, signs of advanced AF substrate (eg, increased right atrial volumes) were associated with long-term AF recurrences. [Reappraisal of Atrial Fibrillation: Interaction Between Hypercoagulability, Electrical Remodeling, and Vascular Destabilisation in the Progression of AF; NCT03124576]., Competing Interests: Funding Support and Author Disclosures This work was supported by the Netherlands Heart Foundation (CVON2014-09, RACE V [Reappraisal of Atrial Fibrillation: Interaction Between Hypercoagulability, Electrical Remodeling, and Vascular Destabilisation in the Progression of AF]; and grant number 01-002-2022-0118, EmbRACE [Electro-Molecular Basis and the Therapeutic management of Atrial Cardiomyopathy, Fibrillation and Associated Outcomes]), the European Union (ITN Network Personalize AF: Personalized Therapies for Atrial Fibrillation: a translational network, grant number 860974; CATCH ME [Characterizing Atrial fibrillation by Translating its Causes into Health Modifiers in the Elderly], grant number 633196; and MAESTRIA [Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence Early Detection Stroke Atrial Fibrillation], grant number 965286). Dr Schotten has received consultancy fees or honoraria from Università della Svizzera Italiana, Roche Diagnostics, EP Solutions Inc, Johnson & Johnson Medical Limited, and Bayer Healthcare; and is co-founder and shareholder of YourRhythmics BV, a spin-off company of the University Maastricht. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.) more...

Objectives: Thoracoscopic hybrid ablation is an effective and safe rhythm control strategy for patients with complex forms of atrial fibrillation. Its effect on left atrial function has not yet been studied., Methods: In a retrospective single-centre analysis of patients undergoing thoracoscopic hybrid ablation, the left atrial emptying fraction was calculated using the biplane modified Simpson method in the apical 2- and 4-chamber views on transthoracic echocardiography. Left atrial strain (reservoir, conduction and contractility) was quantified using dedicated software., Results: Sixty-seven patients were included (mean age 64 years, long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation in 69%, median atrial fibrillation history duration 64 months). At baseline, left atrial function and contractility were poor. The reservoir and contractile strain improved postprocedure compared to baseline [15 (standard deviation (SD): 8) and 17 (SD: 6); P = 0.013; 3 (SD: 5) and 4 (SD: 4), P = 0.008], whereas the left atrial volume indexed to the body surface area was reduced [51 ml/m2 (SD: 14) and 47 ml/m2 (SD: 18), P = 0.0024]. In patients with preoperative (long-standing) persistent atrial fibrillation and in patients with rhythm restoration, improvements in the emptying fraction, (reservoir and contractile) strain and the left ventricular ejection fraction were observed, whereas the left atrial volume decreased (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: In this cohort of patients with severely diseased left atria, improvement in left atrial contractility and in the emptying fraction after thoracoscopic hybrid ablation for atrial fibrillation in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation is mainly due to rhythm restoration. Interestingly, the procedure itself also results in improved left atrial reservoir strain and reversed left atrial remodelling by reducing left atrial volume., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery.) more...

Objectives: The aim of surgical treatment of mitral valve disease is to reverse heart failure and to restore life expectancy and quality of life (QoL). In mitral valve surgery, QoL has not been studied extensively, especially regarding the surgical approach. The current study aimed to evaluate QoL after mitral valve surgery through full sternotomy and a minimally invasive approach (MIMVS)., Methods: All patients undergoing mitral valve surgery between 2013-2018 through sternotomy or a MIMVS approach (right anterolateral mini-thoracotomy, sternal-sparing), with or without concomitant tricuspid valve surgery, surgical ablation, or atrial septal defect closure were eligible for inclusion in this multicentre nationwide registry in the Netherlands. Quality of life was measured using the 12- and 36-item short form surveys, before surgery and postoperatively at 1 year. Independent predictors for loss of QoL were evaluated., Results: 485 patients were included (full sternotomy: n = 276, and MIMVS: n = 209). Overall, patients experienced a significant increase in physical component score (56 [42-75] vs 74 [57-88], p < 0.001) and mental component score at 1-year (63 [52-74] vs 70 [59-86], p < 0.001). Baseline QoL scores and new onset of atrial arrhythmia were independently associated with a clinically relevant reduction in physical and mental QoL., Conclusions: Mitral valve surgery is associated with significant improvement in physical and mental QoL. Baseline QoL scores and new onset of atrial arrhythmia are associated with a clinically relevant reduction in postoperative QoL., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery.) more...

Objectives: In endoscopic mitral valve surgery, optimal exposure is crucial. This study aims to develop a predictive model for poor mitral valve exposure in endoscopic surgery, utilizing preoperative body profiles and computed tomography images., Methods: We enrolled patients undergoing endoscopic mitral valve surgery with available operative video and preoperative computed tomography. The degree of valve exposure was graded into 0 (excellent), 1 (fair), 2 (poor) and 3 (very poor). Intrathoracic dimensions-anteroposterior width (chest anteroposterior) and left-to-right width (chest width) of the thorax, height of right hemi-thorax (chest height), angle between the left ventricular axis and the horizontal plane (left ventricle apex angle), heart width, level of diaphragm in midline, and vertical distance between the midline diaphragm level and the highest top of the right diaphragm (Δdiaphragm) were measured., Results: Among 263 patients, mitral valve exposure was graded as 0 in 131 (49.8%), 1 in 72 (27.4%), 2 in 46 (17.5%) and 3 in 14 (5.3%). Body mass index, chest width, left ventricle apex angle, heart width and Δdiaphragm were identified as independent predictors of grades 2 and 3 exposure by stepwise logistic regression analysis, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.822 (P < 0.001). Univariate logistic regression for grade 3 exposure prediction revealed that Δdiaphragm had the largest area under the curve (0.826, P < 0.001)., Conclusions: Poor mitral valve exposure occurred in approximately one-fourth of the endoscopic surgery series and might be predicted preoperatively using body mass index and computed tomography measurements to help determine the surgical approach., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery.) more...