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Introduction: Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumps (IABPs) can be utilized to provide hemodynamic support in high risk patients awaiting coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). There are many indications for IABP and institutional practice patterns regarding the placement of IABPs is variable. As a result, the preoperative placement of an IABP in a patient awaiting CABG is not standardized and may vary according to non-clinical factors. We hypothesize that the rate of IABP placement varies by day of the week.Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis of the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development database from 2006 to 2010 was performed. All patients admitted for CABG were included. Patients who died within 24 h of admission and those who had absolute contraindications to IABP placement were excluded. The primary outcome was preoperative IABP placement versus non-placement. A multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify predictors of IABP placement was performed, adjusting for patient demographics, clinical factors, and system variables.Results: A total of 46,347 patients underwent CABG, of which 7695 (16.60%) had an IABP placed preoperatively. On unadjusted analysis, IABP rates were significantly higher on weekends versus weekdays (20.83% vs. 15.70%, p < 0.001). On adjusted analysis, patients awaiting CABG were 1.30 times more likely to have an IABP placed on weekends than on weekdays (OR: 1.30, 95% CI 1.20-1.40, p < 0.001).Conclusion: The odds of preoperative IABP placement prior to CABG is significantly increased on weekends compared to weekdays, even when controlling for clinical factors. Further exploration of this phenomenon and its associations are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The congenital bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is a heterogeneous condition that is better understood considering 3 types of valvulo-aortopathy presentations: A typical-presentation valvulo-aortopathy, a complex-presentation valvulo-aortopathy and an uncomplicated/undiagnosed-presentation. The burden of BAV-related complications has been elucidated in patients with the typical-presentation valvulo-aortopathy and is discussed in this review. These patients enjoy an overall normal expected long-term survival as long as complications are identified and treated in a timely manner. This notion and the fact that the most dreaded complications (infective endocarditis and aortic dissection) are infrequent, represent important reassuring points for the BAV patient. Common complications such as valve dysfunction and aorta dilatation must be the subject of focused research in prevention and treatment. Conversely, BAV patients with complex-presentation valvulo-artopathy, as well as typical valvulo-aortopathy BAV patients who are older, with advanced valvular dysfunction, and possible late-referral to specialized care, may incur a survival penalty as compared to the general population. An evidence-based discussion of these concepts is provided in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite recent guideline statements, there is still wide practice variation in the use of multiple arterial grafts (MAGs) versus single arterial grafts (SAGs) for patients with multivessel disease undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. This may be related to differences in findings between observational and randomized controlled studies.Objectives: This study sought to compare intermediate-term MAG and SAG outcomes with enhanced matching to reduce selection bias.Methods: New York's cardiac registry identified 63,402 multivessel disease patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2014, to compare outcomes (median follow-up 6.5 years) for patients receiving SAGs and MAGs. SAG and MAG patients were propensity matched using 38 baseline characteristics to reduce selection bias. The primary endpoint was mortality, and secondary endpoints included repeat revascularization and a composite endpoint of mortality, acute myocardial infarction, and stroke.Results: Before matching, 20% of procedures employed MAG. At 1 year, there was no mortality difference between matched MAG and SAG patients (2.4% vs. 2.2%, adjusted hazard ratio [AHR]: 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.93 to 1.32). At 7 years, MAG patients had lower mortality (12.7% vs. 14.3%, AHR: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.79 to 0.93), a lower composite outcome (20.2% vs. 22.8%, AHR: 0.88; 95% CI: 0.83 to 0.93), and a lower repeat revascularization rate (11.7% vs. 14.6%, AHR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.74 to 0.87). At 7 years, the subgroups for which MAG did not have a lower mortality rate included patients with off-pump surgery, 2-vessel disease with right coronary artery disease, recent acute myocardial infarction, renal dysfunction, and patient ≥70 years of age.Conclusions: Mortality and the composite outcome were similar between MAG and SAG patients at 1 year, but lower for MAG after 7 years. Patients of higher volume MAG surgeons experienced lower MAG mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thoracic aortic disease, including thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA), is frequently seen in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV). We hypothesized that BAV morphotype would be associated with aortic aneurysm phenotypes but that other patient variables would significantly modify this relationship. 829 patients between 18 and 90 years with BAV and available raw imaging of the aortic valve and the ascending aorta to its mid-portion prior to aortic valve and aortic surgery were examined. The sinuses of Valsalva and proximal ascending aorta were measured from 2-dimensional co-planar echocardiographic images. We observed strong associations between patient habitus and raw and normalized dimensions of the aortic root and ascending aorta. Patients with R-L morphotype presented at an older age with larger aortic root but similar ascending aortic dimensions. After accounting for patient morphometric characteristics and severity of aortic valve disease, patients with R-L valve morphotype were marginally more likely to have an aortic root aneurysm (86% vs. 78%; P = 0.043), defined as aortic root dimension Z score ≥3. We observed only small differences in aortic dimensions between BAV morphotypes, that are eclipsed by variation in patient habitus. We interpret these findings to mean that BAV patients will not likely benefit from therapies based on aortic valve morphotype. Rather, we propose that all BAV patients should undergo longitudinal follow-up, independent of valve morphotype. Guidelines for aortic surgery based upon dimensions alone may be improved by considering patient characteristics such as age, body size and other characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The natural history of penetrating atherosclerotic ulcers (PAUs) of the descending thoracic aorta remains unclear. Between January 1996 and June 2000, PAU was diagnosed in 36 patients (16 men, 20 women; mean age 74.9 +/- 1.5 years) at Washington University. Imaging studies and hospital records were reviewed. Late follow-up was by search of the Social Security Death Index and telephone interview. None of 16 asymptomatic patients underwent operation. At follow-up (median 457 days), 6 patients had died of unrelated and 2 of unknown causes. Among 20 symptomatic patients, 10 had associated intramural hematoma (5) or dissection (5), of whom 3 underwent operation. At median follow-up (448 days), the 7 unoperated patients remained alive without an aortic operation. Among the remaining 10 symptomatic patients, 3 had an aortic operation and 2 died of unknown causes during follow-up (median 586 days). These data suggest that, in selected cases, PAU may be managed expectantly with careful observation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cardiovascular procedural volumes can serve as metrics of hospital infrastructure and quality, and are the basis for thresholds for initiating transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr) programs. Whether hospital volumes of TMVr, surgical mitral valve replacement or repair (SMVRr), and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are indicators of TMVr quality of care is not known.Methods: We used the 2017 Nationwide Readmissions Database to identify hospitals that performed at least 5 TMVr procedures. Hospitals were divided into quartiles of TMVr volume. Associations of hospital TMVr, SMVRr, and PCI volumes, as well as SMVRr and PCI outcomes with TMVr outcomes were examined. Outcomes studied were risk-standardized in-hospital mortality rate (RSMR) and 30-day readmission rate (RSRR).Results: The study included 3404 TMVr procedures performed across 150 hospitals in the US. The median hospital TMVr volume was 17 (IQR 10, 28). The mean hospital-level RSMR and RSRR for TMVr were 3.0% (95% CI 2.5%, 3.4%) and 14.8% (95% CI 14.5%, 15.0%), respectively. There was no significant association between hospital TMVr volume (as quartiles or as a continuous variable) and TMVr RSMR or RSRR (P > 0.05). Similarly, there was weak or no correlation between hospital SMVRr and PCI volumes and outcomes with TMVr RSMR or RSRR (Pearson correlation coefficients, r = -0.199 to 0.269).Conclusion: In this study, we found no relationship between hospital TMVr, SMVRr, and PCI volume and TMVr outcomes. Further studies are needed to determine more appropriate structure and process measures to assess the performance of established and new TMVr centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with isolated tricuspid regurgitation (TR) in the absence of left-sided valvular dysfunction are often managed nonoperatively.Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of surgery for isolated TR, comparing survival for isolated severe TR patients who underwent surgery with those who did not.Methods: A longitudinal echocardiography database was used to perform a retrospective analysis of 3,276 adult patients with isolated severe TR from November 2001 to March 2016. All-cause mortality for patients who underwent surgery versus those who did not was analyzed in the entire cohort and in a propensity-matched sample. To assess the possibility of immortal time bias, the analysis was performed considering time from diagnosis to surgery as a time-dependent covariate.Results: Of 3,276 patients with isolated severe TR, 171 (5%) underwent tricuspid valve surgery, including 143 (84%) repairs and 28 (16%) replacements. The remaining 3,105 (95%) patients were medically managed. When considering surgery as a time-dependent covariate in a propensity-matched sample, there was no difference in overall survival between patients who received medical versus surgical therapy (hazard ratio: 1.34; 95% confidence interval: 0.78 to 2.30; p = 0.288). In the subgroup that underwent surgery, there was no difference in survival between tricuspid repair versus replacement (hazard ratio: 1.53; 95% confidence interval: 0.74 to 3.17; p = 0.254).Conclusions: In patients with isolated severe TR, surgery is not associated with improved long-term survival compared to medical management alone after accounting for immortal time bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent studies have demonstrated that many patients with acute type A aortic dissection (AD) have aortic diameters of <55 mm at presentation, prompting discussion of lowering the prophylactic surgical guidelines. However, risk of dissection at these smaller diameters is poorly defined.Objectives: The purpose of this study is to understand the risk of AD in moderately dilated ascending aortas using a large echocardiographic data set.Methods: Using an institutional echocardiography database, we identified 4,654 nonsyndromic adults (age: 68.6 ± 13.1 years; 1,003 women) with maximal ascending aortic diameters of 40 to 55 mm. We performed competing risk analysis to determine the independent risk factors of AD or aortic rupture.Results: Five hundred eighty-six individuals (12.6%) had bicuspid aortic valves (BAVs). During follow-up (14,431.5 patient-years), AD and rupture occurred in 13 and 1 patients, respectively, which demonstrated a linearized incidence of AD and/or rupture of 0.1% per patient-year. Elective ascending aortic repair was performed in 176 individuals. On multivariable analyses, independent predictors of AD and/or rupture were age (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01 to 1.12; p= 0.024) and baseline aortic diameters (HR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.36; p = 0.006). The presence of a BAV was not a significant factor (HR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.10 to 8.40; p = 0.95). Estimated risks of AD and/or rupture within 5 years were 0.4%, 1.1%, and 2.9% at baseline aortic diameters of 45, 50, and 55 mm, respectively.Conclusions: Risks of AD and/or rupture were significantly correlated with the aortic diameter and age in patients with moderately dilated ascending aortas. However, the risks were low for diameters <5.0 cm when timely elective aortic repair was performed, regardless of the morphology of the aortic valve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAs) occur in reproducible patterns, but etiologic factors determining the anatomic distribution of these aneurysms are not well understood. This study sought to gain insight into etiologic differences and clinical outcomes associated with repetitive anatomic distributions of TAs. From 3,247 patients registered in an institutional Thoracic Aortic Center database from July 1992 to August 2013, we identified 844 patients with full aortic dimensional imaging by computerized axial tomography or magnetic resonance imaging scan (mean age 62.8 ± 14 years, 37% women, median follow-up 40 months) with TA diameter >4.0 cm and without evidence of previous aortic dissection. Patient demographic and imaging data were analyzed in 3 groups: isolated ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms (AAs; n = 628), isolated descending TAs (DTAs; n = 130), and combined AA and DTA (mixed thoracic aortic aneurysm, MTA; n = 86). Patients with DTA had more hypertension (82% vs 59%, p <0.001) and a higher burden of atherosclerosis (88% vs 9%, p <0.001) than AA. Conversely, patients with isolated AA were younger (59.5 ± 13.5 vs 71.0 ± 11.8 years, p <0.001) and contained almost every case of overt, genetically triggered TA. Patients with isolated DTA were demographically indistinguishable from patients with MTA. In follow-up, patients with DTA/MTA experienced more aortic events (aortic dissection/rupture) and had higher mortality than patients with isolated AA. In multivariate analysis, aneurysm size (odds ratio 1.1, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.16, p <0.001) and the presence of atherosclerosis (odds ratio 5.7, 95% CI 2.02 to 16.15, p <0.001) independently predicted adverse aortic events. We find that DTA with or without associated AA appears to be a disease more highly associated with atherosclerosis, hypertension, and advanced age. In contrast, isolated AA appears to be a clinically distinct entity with a greater burden of genetically triggered disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two guidelines from the American College of Cardiology (ACC), the American Heart Association (AHA), and collaborating societies address the risk of aortic dissection in patients with bicuspid aortic valves and severe aortic enlargement: the "2010 ACCF/AHA/AATS/ACR/ASA/SCA/SCAI/SIR/STS/SVM Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Patients With Thoracic Aortic Disease" (J Am Coll Cardiol 2010;55:e27-130) and the "2014 AHA/ACC Guideline for the Management of Patients With Valvular Heart Disease" (J Am Coll Cardiol 2014;63:e57-185). However, the 2 guidelines differ with regard to the recommended threshold of aortic root or ascending aortic dilatation that would justify surgical intervention in patients with bicuspid aortic valves. The ACC and AHA therefore convened a subcommittee representing members of the 2 guideline writing committees to review the evidence, reach consensus, and draft a statement of clarification for both guidelines. This statement of clarification uses the ACC/AHA revised structure for delineating the Class of Recommendation and Level of Evidence to provide recommendations that replace those contained in Section 9.2.2.1 of the thoracic aortic disease guideline and Section 5.1.3 of the valvular heart disease guideline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine operative outcomes after acute pulmonary embolectomy (APE), a recently adopted, more aggressive surgical approach.Patients and Methods: We retrospectively identified patients who underwent surgical APE from April 1, 2001, through March 31, 2009, and reviewed their clinical records for perioperative outcome. Operations were performed with normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass and a beating heart, absent a patent foramen ovale. For completeness, embolectomy was performed via separate incisions in the left and right pulmonary arteries (PAs) in 15 patients.Results: Of the 18 patients identified, the mean age was 60 years, and 13 patients (72%) were men. Thirteen patients (72%) had been hospitalized recently or had systemic disease. The preoperative diagnosis was established by echocardiography or computed tomography (or both). The median (range) follow-up time for all surviving patients was 16 months (2-74 months). Indications for APE included cardiogenic shock (n=12; 67%) and severe right ventricular dysfunction as shown by echocardiography (n=5; 28%). Seven patients (39%) had an embolus in transit. Seven patients (39%) experienced cardiopulmonary arrest before APE. Four early deaths (22%) occurred; all 4 of these patients had preoperative cardiopulmonary arrest, and 2 had APE via the main PA only, without branch PA incisions. Two late deaths (11%) occurred. Right ventricular function improved in all survivors.Conclusion: The results of emergent APE are encouraging, particularly among patients without cardiopulmonary arrest. It should not be reserved for patients in extremis; rather, it should be considered for patients with right ventricular dysfunction that is an early sign of impending hemodynamic collapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute and chronic aortic diseases have been diagnosed and studied by physicians for centuries. Both the diagnosis and treatment of aortic diseases have been steadily improving over time, largely because of increased physician awareness and improvements in diagnostic modalities. This comprehensive review discusses the pathophysiology and risk factors, classification schemes, epidemiology, clinical presentations, diagnostic modalities, management options, and outcomes of various aortic conditions, including acute aortic dissection (and its variants intramural hematoma and penetrating aortic ulcers) and thoracic aortic aneurysms. Literature searches of the PubMed database were conducted using the following keywords: aortic dissection, intramural hematoma, aortic ulcer, and thoracic aortic aneurysm. Retrospective and prospective studies performed within the past 20 years were included in the review; however, most data are from the past 15 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study examined the association between cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) hematocrit and postoperative acute renal failure (ARF) in patients undergoing aortic arch surgery with hypothermic circulatory arrest., Methods: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database was queried from 2011 to 2019 for patients undergoing aortic arch surgery with hypothermic circulatory arrest. A multivariable logistic regression model estimated the adjusted odds of postoperative ARF on the basis of CPB hematocrit. Effects were stratified by preoperative kidney function and the duration of hypothermic circulatory arrest by using interaction terms. The study also investigated the association between postoperative ARF and major postoperative outcomes by using multivariable regression models., Results: On adjusted analysis, higher CPB hematocrit (>20%-25%, >25%-30%, >30%) was associated with lower odds of ARF as compared with lower CPB hematocrit (≤20%) (>20-25%, aOR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.65-0.93; P = .006; >25%-30%, aOR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.50-0.84; P = .0007; >30%, aOR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.28-0.72; P = .0008). The predicted probability of postoperative ARF by CPB hematocrit was higher in patients with lower preoperative renal function (estimated glomerular filtration rate, <60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ) (interaction P = .03). The association between hematocrit and postoperative ARF was not significantly modified by hypothermic circulatory arrest time (interaction P = .74). All postoperative outcomes were significantly worse in patients with postoperative ARF (all P < .0001)., Conclusions: Among patients undergoing aortic arch surgery, a higher CPB hematocrit level is associated with reduced likelihood of postoperative ARF. Preoperative renal function, but not hypothermic circulatory arrest duration, significantly modified this association. The maintenance of higher CPB hematocrit may reduce the incidence of postoperative ARF, especially for patients with poor preoperative renal function., Competing Interests: Disclosures The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Approximately one-quarter of patients with acute type A aortic dissection (TAAD) present with concomitant malperfusion of coronary arteries, mesenteric circulation, lower extremities, kidneys, brain, and/or coma. It is generally accepted that TAAD patients who present with malperfusion experience higher mortality rates than patients without, although how specific malperfusion syndromes, alone or in combination, affect mortality is not well described., Methods: The International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection database was queried for patients who underwent surgical repair of TAAD. Patients were stratified according to the presence/absence of malperfusion at presentation. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate in-hospital mortality according to malperfusion type. Kaplan-Meier estimates were used to estimate 30-day postoperative survival., Results: Six thousand four hundred thirty-seven patients underwent surgical repair of acute TAAD, of whom 2642 (41%) had 1 or more preoperative malperfusion syndromes. Mesenteric malperfusion (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 4.84; P < .001) was associated with the highest odds of in-hospital mortality, followed by coma (AOR, 1.88; P = .007), limb ischemia (AOR, 1.73; P = .008), and coronary malperfusion (AOR, 1.51; P = .02). Renal malperfusion (AOR, 1.37; P = .24) and neurologic deficit (AOR, 1.35; P = .28) were not associated with increased in-hospital mortality. In patients who survived to discharge, there was no difference in 1-year postdischarge survival in the malperfusion and no malperfusion cohorts (P = .36)., Conclusions: Survival during the index admission after TAAD repair varies according to the presence and type of malperfusion syndromes, with mesenteric malperfusion being associated with the highest odds of in-hospital death. Not only the presence of malperfusion but rather specific malperfusion syndromes should be considered when assessing a patient's risk of undergoing TAAD repair., (Copyright © 2022 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Studies have demonstrated the devastating effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on vulnerable populations. Although they receive close follow-up, heart transplant recipients represent a particularly vulnerable population, given long-term immunosuppression and comorbid conditions. We sought to investigate the association between race/ethnicity and the probability of death due to COVID-19 in adult heart transplant recipients in the United States., Methods: Adult isolated heart transplant recipients were identified using the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network database. Recipients who were described as deceased or lost to follow-up before January 2020 were excluded. Recipients were stratified into 4 cohorts by race/ethnicity. The primary outcome of interest was death due to COVID-19., Results: A total of 22 157 adult recipients were identified. During the course of follow-up, 153 recipients had COVID-19 reported as the primary cause of death. COVID-19 mortality was significantly different between race/ethnicity cohorts (Black, n = 34 [0.79%]; Hispanic, n = 23 [1.33%]; White, n = 92 [0.60%]; other, n = 4 [0.44%]; P = .007). COVID-19 was listed as a contributing cause of mortality in 0.12% of Black, 0.23% of Hispanic, 0.04% of White, and 0.33% of other recipients (P = .002). No significant difference in non-COVID mortality or all-cause mortality was observed. After multivariable adjustment, Black (hazard ratio, 2.78 [1.40-5.52]; P = .003) and Hispanic (hazard ratio, 3.92 [1.88-8.16]; P < .001) recipients were at higher risk of death due to COVID-19 compared with White recipients., Conclusions: Compared with White recipients, Black and Hispanic recipients experienced higher rates of COVID-19 mortality after transplantation. These findings suggest that racial/ethnic disparities of COVID-19 mortality in the general population persist in adult heart transplant recipients., (Copyright © 2023 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Numerous studies have identified the associations of socioeconomic factors with outcomes of cardiac procedures. The majority have focused on easily measured factors like sex, race, and insurance status, or on socioeconomic characteristics of patients' 5-digit zip codes. The impact of more granular census-derived socioeconomic information on outcomes has rarely been studied., Methods: The independent impact of the Area Deprivation Index (ADI) on short-term mortality and readmissions was tested on patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery in New York by using it in logistic regression models in conjunction with patient risk factors and typical disparities measures (race, ethnicity, payer). Changes in hospitals' risk-adjusted outcomes and outlier status with the addition of socioeconomic measures were also tested., Results: After adjusting for numerous patient characteristics, patients in the fourth and fifth highest ADI quintiles (most deprived) were more likely to experience in-hospital/30-day mortality after CABG surgery (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08, 2.20; and AOR 1.50, 95% CI 1.02, 2.21), respectively. ADI was not associated with readmissions, but African Americans (AOR 1.49, 95% CI 1.18, 1.87), Hispanics (AOR 1.33, 95% CI 1.06, 1.65) and Medicaid patients (AOR 1.34, 95% CI 1.09, 1.64) were more likely to be readmitted., Conclusions: Patients with high ADIs are more likely to experience short-term mortality after CABG surgery. African Americans, Hispanics, and Medicaid patients are more likely to experience 30-day readmissions. This information should be taken into account when monitoring patients to reduce adverse events following surgery, and more studies related to ADI are needed to fully understand its implications., (Copyright © 2022 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) has encouraged lung transplantation with HCV positive donors. Early trials have been promising; however, nationwide data have not been previously examined., Methods: The United Network for Organ Sharing registry was queried for adult patients receiving lung transplants from 2016 to 2019. We excluded multiorgan transplants, incomplete data, and loss to follow-up. Nucleic acid testing (NAT) determined HCV status. Propensity matching was performed for comparison of outcomes., Results: Hepatitis C virus NAT-positive lungs were transplanted in 189 patients, compared with 9511 recipients of NAT-negative lungs. The HCV NAT-positive donors were younger (mean 33 vs 35 years, P = .017) with higher rates of Pao 2 /Fio 2 greater than 300 (83.6% vs 76.5%, P = .029). Recipients of NAT-positive lungs had lower lung allocation scores (mean 39.3 vs 42.4, P = .009). Distance traveled was significantly further for HCV viremic donor lungs (mean 416 vs 206 miles, P < .001). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated no difference in survival (P = .56). There were no differences in airway dehiscence (P = .629), acute rejection (P > .999), or reintubation (P = .304). At mean follow-up of 395 days, 63 recipients of NAT-positive lungs (40%) seroconverted, 14 with viremia. One-year mortality rates among seroconverted patients was 6% and did not differ significantly from 14% in nonseroconverted patients or 13.2% in recipients of HCV-negative lungs., Conclusions: Short-term outcomes of lung transplantation from HCV viremic donors are promising, with no difference in early complications or survival. The effects of seroconversion and long-term outcomes including chronic rejection and infection need to be further explored., (Copyright © 2022 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To examine trends in utilization of hearts from hepatitis C virus (HCV) viremic donors for transplantation, a strategy to expand organ availability., Methods: The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) registry was queried for adult patients undergoing heart transplantation between 2015 and 2019. We excluded multiorgan transplants, incomplete data, and loss to follow-up. Nucleic acid testing (NAT) defined HCV status., Results: Between 2015 and 2019, a total of 11,393 adults underwent heart transplantation: 326 from HCV NAT + donors and 11,067 from NAT - donors. The use of NAT + hearts increased from 1 in 2015 to 137 in 2018 against a static number of NAT - organs. The use of NAT + hearts varied significantly across regions and individual centers. More than 75% of NAT + hearts were transplanted in the Northeast region, leading to further travel (mean, 299 miles vs 173 miles for NAT - transplantations; P < .001), with longer ischemic times (mean: 3.52 hours vs 3.10 hours; P < .001). More than one-half of NAT + transplantations were performed by 5 individual centers, and a single institution accounted for >20% of all transplantations from viremic donors. Survival in the 2 groups did not differ by Kaplan-Meier analysis (P = .240), and multivariable regression showed no differences in acute rejection (P = .455) or 30-day mortality (P = .490). Of the 326 recipients of NAT + hearts, 38 seroconverted and 14 became viremic within 1 year. Survival was 100% in the viremic patients and 97.4% in seroconverted patients at 1 year., Conclusions: Heart transplantation from HCV viremic donors continues to increase but varies significantly across UNOS regions and individual centers. Short-term outcomes are comparable, but effects of seroconversion and long-term outcomes remain unclear., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Most studies of patients with isolated proximal left anterior descending (PLAD) coronary artery disease do not include all 3 procedural options: percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), conventional coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, or minimally invasive CABG., Methods: New York's cardiac registries were used to identify patients who underwent revascularization for isolated PLAD disease between January 1, 2010, and November 30, 2016, in New York State. After exclusions, 14,327 patients, of whom 13,115 received PCI, 1001 of whom underwent CABG surgery, and 211 of whom underwent minimally invasive CABG were monitored through the end of 2017 to compare outcomes. Registry data were matched to vital statistics data to obtain deaths occurring after discharge and matched to claims data to obtain subsequent admissions for myocardial infarction and stroke., Results: There were no significant differences in mortality or in mortality/myocardial infarction/stroke after 7 years (with median follow-up times in excess of 4 years) among the 3 procedures after adjusting for differences in patient risk factors. However, conventional CABG surgery was associated with a lower subsequent revascularization rate than PCI (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.45; 95% confidence interval, 0.35-0.58) and minimally invasive CABG surgery (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.46; 95% confidence interval, 0.32-0.66)., Conclusions: Among patients with isolated PLAD disease undergoing any of 3 revascularization options (PCI, conventional CABG surgery, or minimally invasive CABG surgery), conventional CABG surgery was associated with lower subsequent revascularization rates, but there were no differences in mortality or mortality/myocardial infarction/stroke rates., (Copyright © 2021 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Complete handover of anesthesia care to a second anesthesiologist has been demonstrated to be associated with worse short-term adverse outcomes among cardiac surgery patients, but little information from multi-institutional studies is available., Methods: New York's cardiac surgery registry was used to identify patients who underwent cardiac surgery in New York between 2010 and 2016 with and without complete handovers of anesthesia care. A retrospective observational study with inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) based on the propensity score was used to adjust for differences in preoperative patient characteristics while comparing differences in the primary outcome (in-hospital/30 day mortality), major complications in the index admission or within 30 days of the index surgery, readmissions within 30 days, and length of stay., Results: A total of 8.5% of the 103,102 cardiac surgery procedures involved complete handovers. After adjustment, there was a difference between patients with and without handovers in the primary outcome (2.86% vs 2.48%, adjusted risk ratio [ARR] = 1.15 [1.01-1.31]). There was no difference in readmissions within 30 days (13.7% vs 14.4%, ARR = 0.95 [0.90-1.00]), and the differences in complications and length of stay were not clinically meaningful (adjusted differences of <10%)., Conclusions: Cardiac surgery patients in New York who had complete anesthesia handovers experienced higher short-term mortality rates, but there were no meaningful differences in other outcomes. Unnecessary handovers should be carefully monitored.

Background: Hybrid coronary revascularization (HCR) treats multivessel coronary artery disease by combining a minimally invasive surgical approach to the left anterior descending artery with percutaneous coronary intervention for non-left anterior descending diseased coronary arteries. The objective of this study is to compare HCR and conventional coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery medium-term outcomes., Methods: Data from multivessel disease patients in New York's cardiac surgery and percutaneous coronary intervention registries in 2010 to 2016 were used to compare mortality and repeat revascularization rates for HCR and conventional CABG after using propensity matching to reduce selection bias., Results: There was a total of 303 HCR (0.80%) patients and 37 556 conventional CABG patients after exclusions. After propensity matching, the respective median follow-up times were 3.72 years and 3.76 years. There was no difference between HCR and conventional CABG in survival at 6 years (80.9% versus 85.8%%, adjusted hazard ratio, 1.44 [0.90-2.31]), but HCR had higher mortality excluding deaths during the first year (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.88 [1.10-3.23]). Conventional CABG patients were more likely to be free from repeat revascularization at 6 years than HCR patients (88.2% versus 76.6%; hazard ratio, 2.22 [1.44-3.42])., Conclusions: HCR is rarely performed for patients with multivessel coronary artery disease. HCR and conventional CABG had no different 6-year mortality rates, but HCR had higher mortality after 1 year and higher rates of subsequent revascularization that were caused by both the need for repeat revascularization in the left anterior descending artery where minimally invasive CABG was performed, and in the coronary arteries where percutaneous coronary intervention was performed. Graphic Abstract: A graphic abstract is available for this article.

Background: Operative mortality (in-hospital during the index admission or within 30 days of the procedure after discharge) is commonly used as a quality of care measure for public reporting of cardiac surgery outcomes, but the ability to capture out-of-hospital deaths accurately remains undetermined. The objective of the study was to estimate the impact of incomplete reporting of out-of-hospital deaths on hospital risk-adjusted mortality and outlier status., Methods: New York State's 2014 to 2016 cardiac registry data were used to compare the capture of 30-day postprocedure deaths after discharge with and without the use of national and state-level vital statistics data for all 54,442 patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass graft, cardiac valve surgery, or both. Hospital risk-adjusted operative mortality rates and mortality outliers were compared based on statistical models that were developed with and without the use of vital statistics data., Results: Thirty-day deaths postprocedure after discharge ranged from 10% to 39% of all operative deaths among cardiac surgical procedures. More than 30% of these deaths were missing without vital statistics confirmation for 7 of the 10 cardiac procedures examined, and more than 40% were missing for 5 of the procedures examined. When vital statistics data were used to confirm 30-day postprocedure deaths after discharge, an additional high outlier for valve surgery was identified., Conclusions: Operative mortality after cardiac surgery is often underreported owing to a considerable percentage of out-of-hospital cardiac surgery deaths that are missed by reporting centers. This can adversely affect the assessment of hospital risk-adjusted mortality in public reports., (Copyright © 2020 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Patients undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) are at risk of developing prolonged atrial fibrillation (AF) after surgery. Prophylactic interventions such as left atrial appendage amputation (LAAA) and pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) impose cost and operative risk, discouraging routine use. To guide such interventions, we investigated preoperative predictors of AF., Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on patients undergoing SAVR between 2011 and 2017. Patients were excluded if they had a preoperative history of AF or underwent a LAAA or PVI. Baseline characteristics were compared between those who did and did not develop prolonged postoperative AF. Predictors of prolonged AF were identified using multivariable logistic regression., Results: Of 720 patients identified, 170 (25%) developed prolonged (beyond 30 days) AF. Compared with patients who did not develop AF, those who developed prolonged AF were older (70.1 vs 62.4 years, P < .001), had a greater incidence of hypertension (78% vs 61%, P < .001), and were less likely to smoke (16% vs 31%, P < .01). On multivariable regression, older age (odds ratio, 1.05; P < .01) and left atrial enlargement (odds ratio, 1.66; P = .04) were predictors of prolonged AF. In this high-risk cohort, the incidence of prolonged postoperative AF was 40%., Conclusions: Older age and left atrial enlargement identify a stratum of patients at high risk of developing prolonged postoperative AF after SAVR. Multicenter, prospective studies should investigate the value of prophylactic interventions such as LAAA, Cox maze, or PVI in these individuals to obviate the consideration of late anticoagulation., (Copyright © 2019 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is recognized as a risk factor for acute renal failure (ARF), but the dose effect of time on bypass is unknown. We therefore examined the risk of ARF associated with increasing CPB time stratified by preoperative renal function., Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 3889 patients undergoing cardiac surgery on CPB without circulatory arrest between 2011 and 2017 excluding those with a diagnosis of dialysis-dependent renal failure and those who had an intra-aortic balloon pump. Postoperative ARF was defined as a 3-fold increase in creatinine level, creatinine level > 4 mg/dL, or requirement for dialysis. A logistic regression model was built to identify predictors of ARF and to determine the probability of ARF., Results: Postoperative ARF occurred in 72 patients (2%) overall. Of 100 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate <30 mL/min/1.73 m 2 , 22% developed ARF, of which 16 required dialysis. Thirty-day mortality was 31% for those with ARF compared with <1% for those without ARF (P < .01). Risk factors for ARF included obesity (odds ratio, 3.03; P < .01), increasing preoperative creatinine level (odds ratio, 4.21; P < .01), CPB time scaled by a factor of 10 minutes (odds ratio, 1.06; P = .04), and postoperative transfusion (odds ratio, 11.94; P < .01). The adjusted probability of ARF as a function of CPB time was determined and stratified by preoperative glomerular filtration rate., Conclusions: Increasing CPB duration is associated with postoperative ARF, particularly among those with preoperative renal impairment. For patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate <30 mL/min/1.73 m 2 the risk increases exponentially with time., (Copyright © 2019 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Beginning in 2002, all 14 Massachusetts nonfederal cardiac surgery programs submitted Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) National Database data to the Massachusetts Data Analysis Center for mandatory state-based analysis and reporting, and to STS for nationally benchmarked analyses. We sought to determine whether longitudinal prevalences and trends in risk factors and observed and expected mortality differed between Massachusetts and the nation., Methods: We analyzed 2003 to 2014 expected (STS predicted risk of operative [in-hospital + 30-day] mortality), observed, and risk-standardized isolated coronary artery bypass graft mortality using Massachusetts STS data (N = 39,400 cases) and national STS data (N = 1,815,234 cases). Analyses included percentage shares of total Massachusetts coronary artery bypass graft volume and expected mortality rates of 2 hospitals before and after outlier designation., Results: Massachusetts patients had significantly higher odds of diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, low ejection fraction, and age ≥75 years relative to national data and lower odds of shock (odds ratio, 0.66; 99% confidence interval, 0.53-0.83), emergency (odds ratio, 0.57, 99% confidence interval, 0.52-0.61), reoperation, chronic lung disease, dialysis, obesity, and female sex. STS predicted risk of operative [in-hospital + 30-day] mortality for Massachusetts patients was higher than national rates during 2003 to 2007 (P < .001) and no different during 2008 to 2014 (P = .135). Adjusting for STS predicted risk of operative [in-hospital + 30-day] mortality, Massachusetts patients had significantly lower odds (odds ratio, 0.79; 99% confidence interval, 0.66-0.96) of 30-day mortality relative to national data. Outlier programs experienced inconsistent, transient influences on expected mortality and their percentage shares of Massachusetts coronary artery bypass graft cases., Conclusions: During 12 years of mandatory public reporting, Massachusetts risk-standardized coronary artery bypass graft mortality was consistently and significantly lower than national rates, expected rates were comparable or higher, and evidence for risk aversion was conflicting and inconclusive., (Copyright © 2019 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The purposes of this study are to compare outcomes of mitral valve repair (MV-repair) and mitral valve replacement for patients with severe mitral regurgitation with preserved ventricular function and no congestive heart failure (CHF) symptoms and to examine variations in surgeon choice of procedure and outcomes by surgeon volume., Methods: In total, 2259 consecutive patients in 42 New York State hospitals with the characteristics mentioned previously who underwent mitral valve repair (1801, 79.7%) or replacement between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2014, were identified from a mandatory statewide clinical registry. Propensity-matching was used to compare mortality and competing risk analyses were used to compare nonfatal outcomes. Median follow-up was 4.0 years. The use of mitral repair and risk-adjusted mortality for surgery were also examined as a function of individual surgeon mitral case volume., Results: Propensity-matched patients who underwent MV-repair experienced a significantly lower mortality rate at 4 years (3.5% vs 12.1%, P < .001). Greater-volume surgeons were more likely to perform MV-repairs (92% vs 84%, 74%, and 69% in lower volume quartiles, respectively). No significant differences in mortality were observed among volume quartiles., Conclusions: Patients with chronic severe primary mitral valve regurgitation with preserved ventricular function and no CHF symptoms who underwent MV-repair experienced lower mortality and no different reoperation, CHF, or stroke readmission rates than patients who underwent replacement. Greater-volume surgeons were more likely than their lower volume counterparts to choose mitral repair. Repair should be considered as the surgical option for these patients whenever possible., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The outcome of surgery for acute aortic dissection is improving, but many debates remain as to the optimal treatment. These include the necessary extent of the operation proximally and distally, as well as the use of endovascular technologies.

Objectives: Although percutaneous closure of the left atrial appendage is supported as a potential alternative to lifelong anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation, comprehensive evidence on surgical left atrial appendage closure in heart surgery is limited., Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis of studies comparing patients who underwent open cardiac surgery with or without left atrial appendage closure. A literature search was performed on PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Trials databases. Outcomes of interest were 30-day/in-hospital mortality and cerebrovascular accident. I 2 statistics were used to evaluate heterogeneity, and publication bias was evaluated by Begg's and Egger's tests., Results: We reviewed 1284 articles and selected for main analysis 7 articles including 3897 patients (1963 in the left atrial appendage closure group and 1934 in the non-left atrial appendage closure group). Among the 7 studies, 3 were randomized-controlled studies, 3 were propensity-matched studies, and 1 was a case-matching study. At 30-day/in-hospital follow-up, left atrial appendage closure was significantly associated with decreased risk of mortality and cerebrovascular accident (odds ratio, 0.384, 95% confidence interval, 0.233-0.631 for mortality, and odds ratio, 0.622, 95% confidence interval, 0.388-0.998 for cerebrovascular accident). Stratified analysis demonstrated that this association was more prominent in preoperative atrial fibrillation strata., Conclusions: Concomitant surgical left atrial appendage closure should be considered at the time of open cardiac surgery, particularly among those in atrial fibrillation preoperatively. The benefit of left atrial appendage closure for patients not in atrial fibrillation and for those undergoing nonvalvular surgery is still unclear. Further prospective investigations are indicated., (Copyright © 2018 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Complex adult coarctations associated with arch hypoplasia and aneurysms require a range of surgical approaches depending upon anatomy. Extraanatomic bypass is an important strategy that enables the surgeon to avoid the risks of extensive dissection/mobilization. Extraanatomic bypass can be accomplished from the ascending to lower descending thoracic aorta via an intrapericardial route lateral to the right atrium and posterior to the inferior vena cava; however, this approach incompletely addresses post-stenotic aneurysmal disease. In the case of complex coarctation with aneurysm, we prefer an alternate approach to exclude the aneurysm, routing the bypass graft anterior to the phrenic nerve to the upper descending thoracic aorta., (Copyright © 2018 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Teaching the next generation operative cardiac surgery while maintaining the highest level of patient care is an ever-increasing challenge given the growing proportion of patients with multiple comorbidities, the loss of more straightforward cases to percutaneous interventions, and the pressure of public reporting. No study to date has compared the outcomes of similar cases performed entirely ("skin-to-skin") by the resident with those performed entirely by the staff to confirm the safety of this practice., Methods: A total of 100 consecutive cardiac cases performed skin-to-skin by the resident (group R) were matched by procedure 1:1 to nonconsecutive cases performed by a single attending surgeon (group A). Patients were excluded from the analysis if there was overlap in any portion of the procedure by the trainee or the attending., Results: Patients in group A were similar to those in group R with respect to age, gender, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, left ventricular ejection fraction, and diabetes mellitus. Mean operative times were longer in group R (4.6 vs 2.7 hours, P < .001), as were cardiopulmonary bypass times (96 vs 50 minutes, P < .001) and aortic crossclamp times (78 vs 39 minutes, P < .001). There were no significant differences in red blood cell transfusions, reexplorations, stroke, length of stay, or wound infections. There were no in-hospital or 30-day deaths., Conclusions: Our data indicate that trainees can be educated in operative surgery under the current paradigm, despite longer operative times, without sacrificing outcome quality. It is reasonable to expect academic programs to continue providing trainees significant experience as primary operating surgeons., (Copyright © 2018 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)