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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]

Objective: To assess the mid-term clinical outcomes, hemodynamics, left ventricular (LV) mass regression, and structural valve deterioration (SVD) in patients implanted with the Perceval aortic sutureless valve across valve sizes., Methods: Data were obtained from a multicenter European trial and a US Investigational Device Exemption trial. Echocardiography data were analyzed by an echocardiography core lab. A mixed-effects regression model was used to assess relationships between hemodynamic outcomes, time from the procedure, and valve sizes. The Valve Academic Research Consortium (VARC)-3 definition for bioprosthetic valve failure was applied., Results: A Perceval sutureless valve was implanted in 970 patients. The median patient age was 77.8 years, 57.2% were female, the median Society of Thoracic Surgeons predicated risk of mortality was 3.3% (range, 2.1%-6.2%), and 33.4% had a concomitant procedure. The median clinical follow-up was 45.7 months (range, 28.2-76.1 months). Small and medium valves were implanted more commonly in women than in men (16.9% vs 1.9% for small and 55.1% vs 19.5% for medium; P < .001). The mean aortic valve gradients decreased significantly postimplantation and remained stable across all valve sizes throughout the follow-up period. All patients were free from severe patient-prosthesis mismatch (with an effective orifice area/m 2 of >0.8). Significant LV mass regression was documented regardless valve sizes, plateaued at -9.1% at 5 years. Freedom from SVD and reintervention were 95.2% and 96.3%, respectively, at 5 years and were independent of implanted valve size (P = .22). The VARC-3 stage 3 bioprosthetic valve failure rate was low, 2.8% at 5 years., Conclusions: The Perceval valve demonstrated low and stable mean gradients, significant LV mass regression, and low SVD and reintervention rates across all valve sizes., (Copyright © 2023 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Current bioprostheses are considered to have improved durability and better hemodynamic performance compared with previous designs, but there are limited comparative data on late outcomes., Methods: From 2009 through 2011, 300 adults with severe aortic valve stenosis undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR) were randomly assigned to receive Edwards Magna, St Jude Epic, or Sorin Mitroflow bioprostheses (n = 100, n = 101, n = 99, respectively). Overall survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards methods, whereas competing risk analysis was used for all time-to-event outcomes. Serial echocardiographic data were fitted with longitudinal models stratified by implant valve size., Results: During median follow-up of 9.8 years (interquartile range, 8.7-10.2), 10-year survival was 50% for the Magna group, 42% for the Epic group, and 41% for the Mitroflow group (P = .415). Cumulative risk of stroke was 9% at 10 years, and rates were comparable for the three groups. Indexed aortic valve area and mean gradients were similar among the three groups receiving 19 mm and 21 mm valves, but in larger (23 mm or more) prostheses, gradients were lower (P < .001) and indexed aortic valve areas were higher in the Magna group (P < .001). The 10-year risk of endocarditis differed by group (P = .033), with higher incidence in the Mitroflow vs the Magna group (7% vs 0%, P = .019). Late risk of reinterventions in the Mitroflow group was 22%, compared with 0% in the Magna group (P < .001) and 5% in the Epic group (P = .008)., Conclusions: The Magna valve had the lowest gradients and largest indexed aortic valve area with larger implant sizes. The Mitroflow bioprosthesis is associated with an increased rate of reintervention and possible increased risk of infection compared with Magna and Epic valves., (Copyright © 2023 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The aim of this study was to report the outcomes of valve-in-valve (ViV) transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) at 5 years., Background: TAVR for degenerated surgical bioprostheses in patients at high risk for reoperative surgery is an important treatment option that may delay or obviate the need for surgical intervention; however, long-term outcomes of this procedure are unknown., Methods: The PARTNER (Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves) 2 ViV and continued access registries prospectively enrolled patients with failed surgical bioprostheses at high risk for reoperation. Five-year clinical and echocardiographic follow-up data were obtained in 95.9% of patients., Results: In 365 (96 registry and 269 continued access) patients, the mean age was 78.9 ± 10.2 years, the mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons predicted risk of surgical mortality score was 9.1 ± 4.7%, and New York Heart Association functional class was III or IV in 90.4%. At 5 years, the Kaplan-Meier rates of all-cause mortality and any stroke were 50.6% and 10.5%, respectively. Using Valve Academic Research Consortium 3 definitions, the incidence of structural valve deterioration, related hemodynamic valve deterioration, or bioprosthetic valve failure at 5 years was 6.6%. Aortic valve re-replacement was performed in 6.3% (n = 14), the majority of which was due to stenosis (n = 6) and combined aortic insufficiency/paravalvular regurgitation (n = 3). The mean gradient, Doppler velocity index, paravalvular regurgitation, and quality of life measured by Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire scores in survivors remained stable from 30 days postprocedure through 5 years., Conclusions: At the 5-year follow-up, TAVR for bioprosthetic aortic valve failure in high surgical risk patients was associated with sustained improvement in clinical and echocardiographic outcomes., Competing Interests: Funding Support and Author Disclosures Dr Hahn has received speaker fees from Abbott Structural, Baylis Medical, and Edwards Lifesciences; has received institutional consulting contracts for which she receives no direct compensation with Abbott Structural, Boston Scientific, Edwards Lifesciences, Medtronic and Novartis, Equity with Navigate; and is Chief Scientific Officer for the Echocardiography Core Laboratory at the Cardiovascular Research Foundation for multiple industry-sponsored trials, for which she receives no direct industry compensation. Dr Webb has received consulting fees from Edwards Lifesciences. Dr Pibarot has received funding from Edwards Lifesciences, Medtronic, Pi-Cardia, and Cardiac Phoenix for echocardiography core laboratory analyses and research studies in the field of transcatheter valve therapies, for which he received no personal compensation; and has received lecture fees from Edwards Lifesciences and Medtronic. Dr Herrmann has received institutional research grants from Abbott, Boston Scientific, Edwards Lifesciences, Highlife, Medtronic, WL Gore; has received consulting fees/speaking honoraria from Edwards Lifesciences, Medtronic, Wells Fargo, and WL Gore; and has equity in Microinterventional Devices. Dr Leipsic has served as a consultant for and owns stock options in Circle Cardiovascular Imaging. Drs Leipsic and Blanke have received funding from Edwards Lifesciences for computed tomography core laboratory analyses in the context of transcatheter valve therapy trials with no direct compensation. Dr Blanke has served as a consultant for Tendyne, Neovasc, and Circle Cardiovascular Imaging. Dr Kodali has received institutional research grants from Edwards Lifesciences, Medtronic, and Abbott; has received consulting fees from Abbott, Admedus, and Meril Lifesciences; and has received equity options from Biotrace Medical and Thubrikar Aortic Valve Inc. Dr Makkar has received research grants from Edwards Lifesciences, Abbott, Medtronic, and Boston Scientific; is a national PI for Portico (Abbott) and Acurate (Boston Scientific) US IDE trials; has received personal proctoring fee from Edwards Lifesciences, and has received travel support from Edwards, Abbott and Boston Scientific. Dr Thourani does research and is a consultant for Abbott Vascular, Allergen, Boston Scientific, Cryolife, Edwards Lifesciences, Gore Vascular, and Jenavalve. Dr Xu is an employee of Edwards Lifesciences. Dr Leon has received institutional research support from Edwards Lifesciences, Medtronic, Boston Scientific, and Abbott; and consulting/advisory board participation for Medtronic, Boston Scientific, Gore, Meril Lifescience, and Abbott. Dr Mack has served as coprimary investigator for the PARTNER Trial for Edwards Lifesciences and the COAPT trial for Abbott; and has served as study chair for the APOLLO trial for Medtronic; he received no direct compensation for any of these activities. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Management of the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 challenges both scientists and physicians to rapidly develop, and urgently assess, effective diagnostic tests and therapeutic interventions. The initial presentation of the disease in symptomatic patients is invariably respiratory, with dry cough being the main symptom, but an increasing number of reports reveal multiple-organ involvement. The aim of this review is to summarize the potential role of the renin-angiotensin system activated phagocytes in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 disease., Methods: Data for this review were identified by searches of PubMed and references from relevant articles using the search terms "SARS," "COVID-19," "renin-angiotensin-system," "phagocyte," "reactive free radical," "antioxidant," "ARDS," "thrombosis," "myocardial," "ischaemia," "reperfusion," "microvascular," and "ACE2." Abstracts and reports from meetings were not included in this work. Only articles published in English between 1976 and 2020 were reviewed., Results: The cellular target of SARS viruses is the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, a critical regulating protein in the renin-angiotensin system. The elimination of this enzyme by the viral spike protein results in excessive activation of phagocytes, migration into the tissues via the high endothelial venules, and an oxidative burst. In the case of an overstimulated host immune response, not only devastating respiratory symptoms but even systemic or multiorgan involvement may be observed., Conclusions: Early-stage medical interventions may assist in returning the exaggerated immune response to a normal range; however, some therapeutic delay might result in excessive tissue damages, occasionally mimicking a systemic disease with a detrimental outcome., (Copyright © 2020 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Produced by senescent cells, the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) is a potential driver of age-related dysfunction. We tested whether circulating concentrations of SASP proteins reflect age and medical risk in humans. We first screened senescent endothelial cells, fibroblasts, preadipocytes, epithelial cells, and myoblasts to identify candidates for human profiling. We then tested associations between circulating SASP proteins and clinical data from individuals throughout the life span and older adults undergoing surgery for prevalent but distinct age-related diseases. A community-based sample of people aged 20-90 years (retrospective cross-sectional) was studied to test associations between circulating SASP factors and chronological age. A subset of this cohort aged 60-90 years and separate cohorts of older adults undergoing surgery for severe aortic stenosis (prospective longitudinal) or ovarian cancer (prospective case-control) were studied to assess relationships between circulating concentrations of SASP proteins and biological age (determined by the accumulation of age-related health deficits) and/or postsurgical outcomes. We showed that SASP proteins were positively associated with age, frailty, and adverse postsurgery outcomes. A panel of 7 SASP factors composed of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), TNF receptor superfamily member 6 (FAS), osteopontin (OPN), TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1), ACTIVIN A, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 3 (CCL3), and IL-15 predicted adverse events markedly better than a single SASP protein or age. Our findings suggest that the circulating SASP may serve as a clinically useful candidate biomarker of age-related health and a powerful tool for interventional human studies.

Background: Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction can occur after cardiac surgery and persist for years. We assessed perioperative RV systolic function in patients undergoing mitral valve (MV) repair and further compared minimally invasive robotic-assisted mitral valve repair (MIMVr) vs standard 'open' MV repair (MVr). Speckle tracking (RV free wall strain [RVS]) was used as a sensitive echocardiography method to assess RV function., Methods: Retrospective analysis, over 3 years, of consecutive patients (n = 158) referred to Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN, USA). Preoperative, pre-discharge and 1 year transthoracic echocardiograms were reviewed. A prospective pilot study was performed for sample size estimation. Primary outcome was RV free wall strain (RVS)., Results: Right ventricular free wall strain declined after MV repair surgery (-22.6 ± 7% vs -15 ± 6%, p < 0.001). There were smaller reductions in RVS in MIMVr vs MVr group (-6.0 ± 9% vs -10.3 ± 8%, p < 0.01), which persisted after adjusting for baseline values (RVS treatment effect 1.5%, p = 0.007). There was greater recovery in MIMVr vs MVr group at 1 year follow-up vs pre-surgery values (-3.4 ± 9% vs -8.1 ± 8% respectively, p < 0.001, RVS treatment effect 1.7%, p = 0.001). Bypass time was higher in the MIMVr group (80min ± 22 vs 40min ± 20, p < 0.0001). The echo findings remained significant correcting for age, pulmonary pressures and change in ejection fraction., Conclusions: Right ventricular systolic dysfunction is common after MV repair surgery. Deterioration in RV contraction is less pronounced following MIMVr vs MVr and is associated with enhanced RV functional recovery at 1 year, albeit not to preoperative levels. This may potentially be associated with clinical functional improvement but further studies are warranted to investigate this., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Purpose: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing cardiac surgery are at substantially increased risk for stroke. Increasing evidence has suggested that surgical left atrial appendage occlusion (S-LAAO) may have the potential to substantially mitigate this stroke risk; however, S-LAAO is performed in a minority of patients with AF undergoing cardiac surgery. We sought to identify factors associated with usage of S-LAAO., Methods: In a nationally-representative, contemporary cohort (07/2011-06/2012) of older patients undergoing cardiac surgery with preoperative AF (n = 11,404) from the Medicare-linked Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database, we evaluated patient and hospital characteristics associated with S-LAAO use by employing logistic and linear regression models., Results: In this cohort (average age, 76 years; 39% female), 4177 (37%) underwent S-LAAO. Neither S-LAAO nor discharge anticoagulation was used in 25% ("unprotected" patients). The overall propensity for S-LAAO decreased significantly with increasing CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc (congestive heart failure; hypertension; age 75 years or older; diabetes mellitus; stroke, transient ischemic attack, or thromboembolism; vascular disease; age 65 to 74 years; sex category (female)) score (p trend  < 0.001). There was substantial variability in S-LAAO use across geographic regions, and S-LAAO was more commonly performed at academic and higher-volume valve surgery centers., Conclusions: Substantial variability in use of S-LAAO exists. In many instances, the procedure is being deferred in the patients that may be poised to benefit the most (i.e., those with increased CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score-defined stroke risk).

Objectives: To perform a meta-analysis including all available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to date comparing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and low surgical risk., Background: Current guidelines recommend SAVR for patients with severe symptomatic AS and low surgical risk. A few RCTs have evaluated TAVR in low surgical risk patients but equipoise exists related to TAVR valve durability, paravalvular leak (PVL) and role of TAVR in younger, low surgical risk patients., Methods: Five databases were analyzed from January-2000 to March-2019 for RCTs comparing SAVR to TAVR in low-risk severe AS patients., Results: Four RCTs on low-risk TAVR patients with 2887 patients were included. Mean follow-up was ~24.1 ± 24 months. Early mortality was lower with TAVR compared to SAVR (RR: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.20-0.95, P = 0.038) whereas long-term mortality was similar (RR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.39-1.14, P = 0.141). Both early and long-term stroke rates were similar. TAVR was associated with lower risk of atrial fibrillation, major bleeding, acute kidney injury (AKI) and rehospitalization, but higher rates of permanent pacemaker implantation (PPM) and moderate or severe PVL. There was no difference in major vascular complications, myocardial infarction, endocarditis, aortic valve gradients and valve area at follow-up., Conclusions: In low-risk patients with severe AS, TAVR has a lower early mortality compared to SAVR with no difference in long-term mortality. Although complication rates varied between TAVR and SAVR, our study findings suggest that transfemoral-TAVR is an appropriate treatment option for severe symptomatic AS in patients with low surgical risk., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Dr. Garcia is a consultant for Surmodics, Osprey medical, Medtronic, Edwards Lifesciences, Abbott and Boston Scientific. Research grants from Edwards Life Sciences, Minnesota Veterans Research Foundation and VA Office of Research and Development. The other authors have no relevant disclosures., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for degenerated surgical bioprosthetic aortic valves is associated with favorable early outcomes. However, little is known about the durability and longer-term outcomes associated with this therapy., Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine late outcomes after valve-in-valve TAVR., Methods: Patients with symptomatic degeneration of surgical aortic bioprostheses at high risk (≥50% major morbidity or mortality) for reoperative surgery were prospectively enrolled in the multicenter PARTNER (Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves) 2 valve-in-valve and continued access registries. Three-year clinical and echocardiographic follow-up was obtained., Results: Valve-in-valve procedures were performed in 365 patients. The mean age was 78.9 ± 10.2 years, and the mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons score was 9.1 ± 4.7%. At 3 years, the overall Kaplan-Meier estimate of all-cause mortality was 32.7%. Aortic valve re-replacement was required in 1.9%. Mean transaortic gradient was 35.0 mm Hg at baseline, decreasing to 17.8 mm Hg at 30-day follow-up and 16.6 mm Hg at 3-year follow-up. Baseline effective orifice area was 0.93 cm 2 , increasing to 1.13 and 1.15 cm 2 at 30 days and 3 years, respectively. Moderate to severe aortic regurgitation was reduced from 45.1% at pre-TAVR baseline to 2.5% at 3 years. Importantly, moderate or severe mitral and tricuspid regurgitation also decreased (33.7% vs. 8.6% [p < 0.0001] and 29.7% vs. 18.8% [p = 0.002], respectively). Baseline left ventricular ejection fraction was 50.7%, increasing to 54.7% at 3 years (p < 0.0001), while left ventricular mass index was 136.4 g/m 2 , decreasing to 109.1 g/m 2 at 3 years (p < 0.0001). New York Heart Association functional class improved, with 90.4% in class III or IV at baseline and 14.1% at 3 years (p < 0.0001), and Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire overall score increased (43.1 to 73.1; p < 0.0001)., Conclusions: At 3-year follow-up, TAVR for bioprosthetic aortic valve failure was associated with favorable survival, sustained improved hemodynamic status, and excellent functional and quality-of-life outcomes. (The PARTNER II Trial: Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves II - PARTNER II - Nested Registry 3/Valve-in-Valve [PII NR3/ViV]; NCT03225001)., (Copyright © 2019 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and mitral valve prolapse (MVP) are common but the prevalence and significance of coexistent conditions are unknown. This study investigated the prevalence, phenotypic expression, and clinical significance of coexistent MVP-BAV., Methods and Results: Retrospective comparison of MVP-BAV and MVP-tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) prevalence including de novo echocardiographic analysis of all MVP-BAV patients between 2005 and 2015 was performed. The community prevalence of MVP-BAV was 2.7% vs. 3.4% for MVP-TAV (P = 0.45). Posterior mitral leaflet (PML)-MVP was the most common phenotype in both BAV and TAV (P = 0.38), but anterior mitral leaflet (AML)-MVP was twice more prevalent in BAV (31% vs. 15%, P < 0.0001). Among 130 subjects with coexistent MVP-BAV (81% men, 51 ± 16 years old), 31 (24%) exhibited AML:PML length ratio ≥3:1, termed large-AML prolapse (LAP-BAV), who had predominant BAV regurgitation when compared with those with non-LAP-BAV (P ≤ 0.001). An extreme phenotype of LAP-BAV with giant-AML prolapse and diminutive PML (GAP-BAV) was identified in 18/130 (14%) subjects. Compared with posterior-MVP-BAV, GAP-BAV patients were younger (42 ± 15 vs. 64 ± 12 years, P < 0.0001), had larger aortic annulus (28 ± 3 vs. 26 ± 2 mm, P = 0.01), and 61% had ≥ moderate BAV regurgitation (vs. 16%, P = 0.0007). Mitral repair occurred in 37/130 (28%) subjects. After median follow-up 5.5 months (4-83), 4/5 (80%) GAP-BAV patients required redo surgery for recurrent mitral regurgitation vs. 2/31 (6%) for non-LAP-BAV (P = 0.001)., Conclusion: The community prevalence of coexistent MVP-BAV is comparable to MVP-TAV and their most common phenotype is posterior-MVP. However, anterior-MVP is twice as prevalent in MVP-BAV. A large-AML phenotype (LAP-BAV) with predominant BAV regurgitation affects 24% of MVP-BAV patients. An extreme phenotype of anterior-MVP (GAP-BAV) affects 14% of BAV patients; characterized by exceptionally large AML, diminutive PML, high mitral and aortic regurgitation prevalence, and high mitral repair failure rate., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2018. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objectives: We performed a prospective, single-arm clinical trial approved under a Food and Drug Administration Investigational Device Exemption to assess safety and efficacy of Perceval, a sutureless bovine pericardial aortic valve representing the initial US experience., Methods: From June 2013 to January 2015, 300 patients (mean age 76.7 ± 7.7 years, 54.3% men, 37.3% ≥80 years, median Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality 2.8%), underwent Perceval valve implantation at 18 centers across the United States. Twenty patients (6.7%) had a bicuspid aortic valve and 5 (1.7%) patients had previous aortic valve replacement. A minimally invasive approach was used in 80 (26.7%) and concomitant procedures were performed in 113 (37.8%) patients., Results: Two hundred eighty-nine patients (96.3%) were successfully implanted. Operative mortality (≤30 days) was 1.3% (n = 4) (observed to expected ratio of 0.40). One-year results included all-cause mortality in 5.2% (n = 15), stroke in 1% (n = 3), and endocarditis in 1.7% (n = 5). New permanent periprocedural pacemaker rate was 10.7% (n = 30/281); 2.5% (n = 7/281) resulted from third-degree atrioventricular block. One-year valve-related reoperation was 2.1% (n = 6). At 1-year follow-up, 98% of patients were in New York Heart Association class I/II, left ventricular mass index decreased from 103.5 ± 30.1 g/m 2 at discharge to 95.8 ± 27.1 g/m 2 (P = .001), and 3 (1.3%) moderate paravalvular leaks were identified. Health-related quality of life score increased from 62.7 ± 21.8 before surgery to 85.5 ± 17.8 at 1 year (P < .001)., Conclusions: These results confirm the safety and effectiveness of the Perceval sutureless aortic valve replacement in study patients with lower mortality than expected from a risk prediction model. Persistent hemodynamic benefit and improvement in quality of life at 1 year support the importance of this device in the management of aortic valve disease., (Copyright © 2018 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Scientific guidelines consider atrial fibrillation (AF) complicating degenerative mitral regurgitation (DMR) a debated indication for surgery., Objectives: This study analyzed the prognostic/therapeutic implications of AF at DMR diagnosis and long-term., Methods: Patients were enrolled in the MIDA (Mitral Regurgitation International Database) registry, which reported the consecutive, multicenter, international experience with DMR due to flail leaflets echocardiographically diagnosed., Results: Among 2,425 patients (age 67 ± 13 years; 71% male, 67% asymptomatic, ejection fraction 64 ± 10%), 1,646 presented at diagnosis with sinus rhythm (SR), 317 with paroxysmal AD, and 462 with persistent AF. Underlying clinical/instrumental characteristics progressively worsened from SR to paroxysmal to persistent AF. During follow-up, paroxysmal and persistent AF were associated with excess mortality (10-year survival in SR and in paroxysmal and persistent AF was 74 ± 1%, 59 ± 3%, and 46 ± 2%, respectively; p < 0.0001), that persisted 20 years post-diagnosis and independently of all baseline characteristics (p values <0.0001). Surgery (n = 1,889, repair 88%) was associated with better survival versus medical management, regardless of all baseline characteristics and rhythm (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.26; 95% confidence interval: 0.23 to 0.30; p < 0.0001) but post-surgical outcome remained affected by AF (10-year post-surgical survival in SR and in paroxysmal and persistent AF was 82 ± 1%, 70 ± 4%, and 57 ± 3%, respectively; p < 0.0001)., Conclusions: AF is a frequent occurrence at DMR diagnosis. Although AF is associated with older age and more severe presentation of DMR, it is independently associated with excess mortality long-term after diagnosis. Surgery is followed by improved survival in each cardiac rhythm subset, but persistence of excess risk is observed for each type of AF. Our study indicates that detection of AF, even paroxysmal, should trigger prompt consideration for surgery., (Copyright © 2019 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of surgical left atrial appendage occlusion (s-LAAO) during concomitant cardiac surgery., Methods: We performed a comprehensive literature search through May 31st 2018 for all eligible studies comparing s-LAAO vs no occlusion in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Clinical outcomes during follow-up included: embolic events, stroke, all-cause mortality, atrial fibrillation (AF), reoperation for bleeding and postoperative complications. We further stratified the analysis based on propensity matched studies and AF predominance., Results: Twelve studies (n = 40107) met the inclusion criteria. s-LAAO was associated with lower risk of embolic events (OR: 0.63, 95%CI: 0.53-0.76; P < 0.001) and stroke (OR: 0.68, 95%CI: 0.57-0.82; P < 0.0001). Stratified analysis demonstrated this association was more prominent in the AF predominant strata. There was no significant difference in the incidence risk of all-cause mortality, AF, and reoperation for bleeding and postoperative complications., Conclusion: Concomitant s-LAAO during cardiac surgery was associated with lower risk of follow-up thromboembolic events and stroke, especially in those with AF without significant increase in adverse events. Further randomized trials to evaluate long-term benefits of s-LAAO are warranted., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to further evaluate clinical outcomes in patients with and without PCS., Background: Prior cardiac surgery (PCS) is associated with increased surgical risk and post-operative complications following surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), but whether this risk is similar in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is unclear., Methods: In the PARTNER 2A (Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valve) trial, 2,032 patients with severe aortic stenosis at intermediate surgical risk were randomized to TAVR with the SAPIEN XT valve or SAVR. Adverse clinical outcomes at 30 days and 2 years were compared using Kaplan-Meier event rates and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models. The primary endpoint of the PARTNER 2 trial was all-cause death and disabling stroke., Results: Five hundred nine patients (25.1%) had PCS, mostly (98.2%) coronary artery bypass grafting. There were no significant differences between TAVR and SAVR in patients with or without PCS in the rates of the primary endpoint at 30 days or 2 years. Nevertheless, an interaction was observed between PCS and treatment arm; whereas no-PCS patients treated with TAVR had higher rates of 30-day major vascular complications than patients treated with SAVR (adjusted hazard ratio: 2.66; 95% confidence interval: 1.68 to 4.22), the opposite was true for patients with PCS (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.27; 95% confidence interval: 0.11 to 0.66) (p interaction  <0.0001). A similar interaction was observed for life-threatening or disabling bleeding., Conclusions: In the PARTNER 2A trial of intermediate-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing SAVR versus TAVR, the relative risk for 2-year adverse clinical outcomes was similar between TAVR and SAVR in patients with or without PCS., (Copyright © 2018 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patients with heart failure (HF) and symptomatic secondary mitral regurgitation (SMR) have a poor prognosis, with morbidity and mortality directly correlated with MR severity. Correction of isolated SMR with surgery is not well established in this population, and medical management remains the preferred approach in most patients. The Cardiovascular Outcomes Assessment of the MitraClip Percutaneous Therapy for Heart Failure Patients with Functional Mitral Regurgitation (COAPT) trial was designed to determine whether transcatheter mitral valve (MV) repair with the MitraClip device is safe and effective in patients with symptomatic HF and clinically significant SMR., Study Design: The COAPT trial is a prospective, randomized, parallel-controlled, open-label multicenter study of the MitraClip device for the treatment of moderate-to-severe (3+) or severe (4+) SMR (as verified by an independent echocardiographic core laboratory) in patients with New York Heart Association class II-IVa HF despite treatment with maximally tolerated guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) who have been determined by the site's local heart team as not appropriate for MV surgery. A total of 614 eligible subjects were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to MV repair with the MitraClip plus GDMT versus GDMT alone. The primary effectiveness end point is recurrent HF hospitalizations through 24 months, analyzed when the last subject completes 12-month follow-up, powered to demonstrate superiority of MitraClip therapy. The primary safety end point is a composite of device-related complications at 12 months compared to a performance goal. Follow-up is ongoing, and the principal results are expected in late 2018., Conclusions: HF patients with clinically significant SMR who continue to be symptomatic despite optimal GDMT have limited treatment options and a poor prognosis. The randomized COAPT trial was designed to determine the safety and effectiveness of transcatheter MV repair with the MitraClip in symptomatic HF patients with moderate-to-severe or severe SMR., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Ventricular-annular decoupling is thought to exist in all degenerative myxomatous mitral valve (MV) diseases. However, the annular physiology of degenerative MV disease may differ when severe mitral regurgitation (MR) presents at different stages. The aim of this study was to assess differences in mitral annular physiology and surgical effects between early- and late-stage severe MR., Methods: Three-dimensional (3D) transesophageal echocardiography was performed before and after MV surgery in 74 patients with degenerative MV disease, including 57 with early-stage severe MR (without left ventricular remodeling) and 17 with late-stage MR (with left ventricular remodeling). A control group comprised 46 patients without MV disease. Novel 3D MV software was used to evaluate mitral annular dynamics. The degree of annular saddle shape was calculated as the ratio of annular height (AH) to lateromedial diameter (LM). Ventricular-annular decoupling was defined as insufficient systolic AH/LM compared with the control group., Results: Prebypass 3D measurements demonstrated that systolic AH/LM in the early-stage group (0.19 ± 0.04) was similar to that in the control group (0.21 ± 0.05; P = .101), while systolic AH/LM in the late-stage group (0.17 ± 0.04) was lower than that in the control group (P = .011). Postbypass comparison showed saddle shape accentuation in the early-stage group (0.20 ± 0.04), similar to that in the control group (P = .3127); the mitral annulus remained flat in the late-stage group (0.17 ± 0.03; P = .004)., Conclusions: Ventricular-annular decoupling, present in the late-stage group, was absent in the early-stage group. MV repair surgery did not disrupt mitral annular saddle shape in the early-stage group; however, it failed to correct annular dysfunction in the late-stage group. Sequential 3D transesophageal echocardiographic analysis provides comprehensive mitral annular evaluation beyond conventional two-dimensional parameters for determining stages of severe MR., (Copyright © 2018 American Society of Echocardiography. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: National outcomes of robotic mitral valve repair (rMVr) compared with sternotomy (sMVr) in older patients are currently unknown., Methods: From 2011 to 2014, all patients aged 65 years and older undergoing MVr in The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database linked to Medicare claims data were identified. Patients who underwent rMVr were propensity matched to patients who underwent sMVr. Standard differences and falsification outcome of baseline characteristics were tested to ensure a balanced match. Cox models were used to calculate 3-year mortality, heart failure readmission, and mitral valve reintervention, adjusting for competing risks where appropriate., Results: After matching, 503 rMVr patients from 65 centers and 503 sMVr from 251 centers were included. There were no significant differences in comorbidities or falsification outcome. Cardiopulmonary bypass and cross-clamp times were longer with rMVr versus sMVr at 125 versus 102 minutes (p < 0.0001) and 85 versus 75 minutes (p < 0.0001), respectively. The rMVr patients had shorter intensive care unit (27 vs 47 hours, p < 0.0001) and hospital stay (5 vs 6 days, p < 0.0001), less frequent transfusion (21% vs 35%, p < 0.0001), and less atrial fibrillation (28% vs 40%, p < 0.0001). Three-year mortality (hazard ratio, 1.21; 95% confidence interval, 0.68 to 2.16; p = 0.52), heart failure readmission (hazard ratio, 1.42; 95% confidence interval, 0.80 to 2.52, p = 0.10), and mitral valve reintervention (hazard ratio, 0.42; 95% confidence interval, 0.15 to 1.18; p = 0.22) did not differ between the groups., Conclusions: The rMVr procedure was associated with less atrial fibrillation, less frequent transfusion requirement, and shorter intensive care unit and hospital stay, without a significant difference in 3-year mortality, heart failure readmission, or mitral valve reintervention. In older patients, rMVr confers short-term advantages without a detriment to midterm outcomes., (Copyright © 2018 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Data from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database were analyzed to identify trends in patient characteristics and outcomes of mitral valve operations in North America., Methods: All patients with isolated primary mitral valve operations with or without tricuspid valve repair, surgical atrial fibrillation ablation, or atrial septal defect closure performed July 2011 to September 2016 were identified. A subgroup analysis assessed patients with degenerative leaflet prolapse (DLP)., Results: Isolated primary mitral valve operations were performed on 87,214 patients at 1,125 centers, increasing by 24% between 2011 (n = 14,442) and 2016 (n = 17,907). The most common etiology was DLP (60.7%); 4.3% had functional mitral regurgitation. Preoperatively, 47.3% of patients had an ejection fraction less than 60% and 34.2% had atrial fibrillation. Overall mitral valve repair rate was 65.6%, declining from 67.1% (2011) to 63.2% (2016; p < 0.0001). Repair rates were related to etiology (DLP, 82.5%; rheumatic, 17.5%). Of the 29,970 mitral valve replacements, 16.2% were preceded by an attempted repair. Repair techniques included prosthetic annuloplasty (94.3%), leaflet resection (46.5%), and artificial cord implantation (22.7%). Bioprosthetic valves were implanted with increasing frequency (2011, 65.4%; 2016, 75.8%; p < 0.0001). Less-invasive operations were performed in 23.0% and concomitant tricuspid valve repair in 15.7%. Unadjusted operative mortality was 3.7% (replacements) and 1.1% (repairs)., Conclusions: Patients undergoing primary isolated mitral valve operations commonly have ventricular dysfunction, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure. Although contemporary outcomes are excellent, earlier guideline-directed referral and increased frequency and quality of repair may further improve results of mitral valve operations., (Copyright © 2018 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Despite preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), patients with significant primary mitral regurgitation (MR) often have reduced exercise capacity. In asymptomatic patients with ≥3+ primary MR undergoing rest-stress echocardiography (RSE), we sought to evaluate the incremental impact of left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS) on exercise capacity., Methods: A total of 660 asymptomatic patients with ≥3+ primary MR, non-dilated LV and LVEF ≥60% (mean age, 57±14 years, 66% men, body mass index or BMI 25±4 kg/m 2 ) who underwent RSE at our center between 2001 and 2013 were included. Standard RSE data were obtained. Average resting LV-GLS was measured using Velocity Vector Imaging., Results: Mean mitral effective regurgitant orifice, resting right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) and LV-GLS were 0.45±0.2 cm 2 , 31±12 mmHg and -21.7%±2%, respectively; 28% had flail mitral leaflet. Mean metabolic equivalents (METs) and post-stress RVSP were 9.9±3, and 46±15 mmHg; 28% achieved <100% age-gender predicted METs. No patient had ischemia or significant arrhythmias. On logistic regression, resting LV-GLS [odds ratio (OR), 1.40, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21-1.55, BMI (OR, 1.11, 95% CI: 1.06-1.17)] and resting RVSP 1.22 (1.02-1.49) were independent predictors of exercise capacity. Area under the curve for association between 100% age-gender predicted METs and various factors were as follows: (I) BMI (0.60, 95% CI: 0.55-0.65, P<0.001); (II) resting RVSP (0.57, 95% CI: 0.52-0.62, P=0.006) and LV-GLS (0.66, 95% CI: 0.61-0.70, P<0.001)., Conclusions: In asymptomatic patients with ≥3+ primary MR, non-dilated LV and preserved LVEF, LV-GLS is independently associated with exercise capacity, beyond known predictors., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: MA Gillinov reports following financial conflicts of interest—speakers’ bureau for Atricure, Edwards, Medtronic and St. Jude’s Medical. He also reports equity stake in Pleuraflow. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Background: Valve-in-valve (ViV) transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has been shown to be feasible, yet the safety and efficacy in relation to native valve (NV) TAVR are not known., Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of ViV TAVR for failed surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) by comparing it with the benchmark of NV TAVR., Methods: Patients who underwent ViV-TAVR (n = 1,150) were matched 1:2 (on sex, high or extreme risk, hostile chest or porcelain aorta, 5-m-walk time, and Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality for reoperation) to patients undergoing NV-TAVR (n = 2,259). Baseline characteristics, procedural data, and in-hospital outcomes were obtained from the Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry. The 30-day and 1-year outcomes were obtained from linked Medicare administrative claims data., Results: Unadjusted analysis revealed lower 30-day mortality (2.9% vs. 4.8%; p < 0.001), stroke (1.7% vs. 3.0%; p = 0.003), and heart failure hospitalizations (2.4% vs. 4.6%; p < 0.001) in the ViV-TAVR compared with NV-TAVR group. Adjusted analysis revealed lower 30-day mortality (hazard ratio: 0.503; 95% confidence interval: 0.302 to 0.839; p = 0.008), lower 1-year mortality (hazard ratio: 0.653; 95% confidence interval: 0.505 to 0.844; p = 0.001), and hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio: 0.685; 95% confidence interval: 0.500 to 0.939; p = 0.019) in the ViV-TAVR group. Patients in the ViV-TAVR group had higher post-TAVR mean gradient (16 vs. 9 mm Hg; p < 0.001), but less moderate or severe aortic regurgitation (3.5% vs. 6.6%; p < 0.001). Post-TAVR gradients were highest in small SAVRs and stenotic SAVRs., Conclusions: Comparison with the benchmark NV-TAVR shows ViV-TAVR to be a safe and effective procedure in patients with failed SAVR who are at high risk for repeat surgery., (Copyright © 2018 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: At a center where surgeons favor mitral valve (MV) repair for all subsets of leaflet prolapse, we compared results of patients undergoing repair for simple versus complex degenerative MV disease., Methods: From January 1985 to January 2016, 6153 patients underwent primary isolated MV repair for degenerative disease, 3101 patients underwent primary isolated MV repair for simple disease (posterior prolapse), and 3052 patients underwent primary isolated MV repair for complex disease (anterior or bileaflet prolapse), based on preoperative echocardiographic images. Logistic regression analysis was used to generate propensity scores for risk-adjusted comparisons (n = 2065 matched pairs). Durability was assessed by longitudinal recurrence of mitral regurgitation and reoperation., Results: Compared with patients with simple disease, those undergoing repair of complex pathology were more likely to be younger and female (both P values < .0001) but with similar symptoms (P = .3). The most common repair technique was ring/band annuloplasty (3055/99% simple vs 3000/98% complex; P = .5), followed by leaflet resection (2802/90% simple vs 2249/74% complex; P < .0001). Among propensity-matched patients, recurrence of severe mitral regurgitation 10 years after repair was 6.2% for simple pathology versus 11% for complex pathology (P = .007), reoperation at 18 years was 6.3% for simple pathology versus 11% for complex pathology, and 20-year survival was 62% for simple pathology versus 61% for complex pathology (P = .6)., Conclusions: Early surgical intervention has become more common in patients with degenerative MV disease, regardless of valve prolapse complexity or symptom status. Valve repair was associated with similarly low operative risk and time-related survival but less durability in complex disease. Lifelong annual echocardiographic surveillance after MV repair is recommended, particularly in patients with complex disease., (Copyright © 2018 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Competing interests: AMG is a consultant for CryoCath Technologies, Edwards Lifesciences, Medtronic, St. Jude Medical, Abbott Laboratories, and Atricure.

Background: The Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves 2A (PARTNER-2A) randomized trial compared outcomes of transfemoral transcatheter and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in intermediate-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis. The purpose of the present study was to perform an in-depth analysis of outcomes after SAVR in the PARTNER-2A trial., Methods: From January 2012 to January 2014, 937 patients underwent SAVR at 57 centers. Mean age was 82 ± 6.7 years and 55% were men. Less-invasive operations were performed in 140 patients (15%) and concomitant procedures in 198 patients (21%). Major outcomes and echocardiograms were adjudicated by an independent events committee. Follow-up was 94% complete to 2 years., Results: Operative mortality was 4.1% (n = 38, Society of Thoracic Surgeons predicted risk of mortality: 5.2% ± 2.3%), observed to expected ratio (O/E) was 0.8, and in-hospital stroke was 5.4% (n = 51), twice expected. Aortic clamp and bypass times were 75 ± 30 minutes and 104 ± 46 minutes, respectively. Patients having severe prosthesis-patient mismatch (n = 260, 33%) had similar survival to patients without (p > 0.9), as did patients undergoing less-invasive SAVR (p = 0.3). Risk factors for death included cachexia (p = 0.004), tricuspid regurgitation (p = 0.01), coronary artery disease (p = 0.02), preoperative atrial fibrillation (p = 0.001), higher white blood cell count (p < 0.0001), and lower hemoglobin (p = 0.0002)., Conclusions: In this adjudicated prospective study, SAVR in intermediate-risk patients had excellent results at 2 years. However, there were more in-hospital strokes than expected, most likely attributable to mandatory neurologic assessment after the procedure. No pronounced structural valve deterioration was found during 2-year follow-up. Continued long-term surveillance remains important., (Copyright © 2018 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Importance: The left atrial appendage is a key site of thrombus formation in atrial fibrillation (AF) and can be occluded or removed at the time of cardiac surgery. There is limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of surgical left atrial appendage occlusion (S-LAAO) for reducing the risk of thromboembolism., Objective: To evaluate the association of S-LAAO vs no receipt of S-LAAO with the risk of thromboembolism among older patients undergoing cardiac surgery., Design, Setting, and Participants: Retrospective cohort study of a nationally representative Medicare-linked cohort from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (2011-2012). Patients aged 65 years and older with AF undergoing cardiac surgery (coronary artery bypass grafting [CABG], mitral valve surgery with or without CABG, or aortic valve surgery with or without CABG) with and without concomitant S-LAAO were followed up until December 31, 2014., Exposures: S-LAAO vs no S-LAAO., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was readmission for thromboembolism (stroke, transient ischemic attack, or systemic embolism) at up to 3 years of follow-up, as defined by Medicare claims data. Secondary end points included hemorrhagic stroke, all-cause mortality, and a composite end point (thromboembolism, hemorrhagic stroke, or all-cause mortality)., Results: Among 10 524 patients undergoing surgery (median age, 76 years; 39% female; median CHA2DS2-VASc score, 4), 3892 (37%) underwent S-LAAO. Overall, at a mean follow-up of 2.6 years, thromboembolism occurred in 5.4%, hemorrhagic stroke in 0.9%, all-cause mortality in 21.5%, and the composite end point in 25.7%. S-LAAO, compared with no S-LAAO, was associated with lower unadjusted rates of thromboembolism (4.2% vs 6.2%), all-cause mortality (17.3% vs 23.9%), and the composite end point (20.5% vs 28.7%) but no significant difference in rates of hemorrhagic stroke (0.9% vs 0.9%). After inverse probability-weighted adjustment, S-LAAO was associated with a significantly lower rate of thromboembolism (subdistribution hazard ratio [HR], 0.67; 95% CI, 0.56-0.81; P < .001), all-cause mortality (HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.79-0.97; P = .001), and the composite end point (HR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.76-0.91; P < .001) but not hemorrhagic stroke (subdistribution HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.53-1.32; P = .44). S-LAAO, compared with no S-LAAO, was associated with a lower risk of thromboembolism among patients discharged without anticoagulation (unadjusted rate, 4.2% vs 6.0%; adjusted subdistribution HR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.17-0.40; P < .001), but not among patients discharged with anticoagulation (unadjusted rate, 4.1% vs 6.3%; adjusted subdistribution HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.56-1.39; P = .59)., Conclusions and Relevance: Among older patients with AF undergoing concomitant cardiac surgery, S-LAAO, compared with no S-LAAO, was associated with a lower risk of readmission for thromboembolism over 3 years. These findings support the use of S-LAAO, but randomized trials are necessary to provide definitive evidence.

Objective: To compare mitral valve repair (MVRepair) and mitral valve replacement (MVReplace) trends in the Veterans Affairs (VA) Surgical Quality Improvement Program., Methods: Trends were compared by bivariate analyses, followed by backward stepwise selection and multivariable logistic modeling to determine the effect of preoperative comorbidities and facility-level factors on MVRepair (vs MVReplace) rate. A subgroup analysis focused on patients who underwent elective surgery for isolated primary degenerative mitral regurgitation. Propensity matching was done in the overall and primary degenerative cohorts., Results: From October 2000 to October 2013, 4165 veterans underwent MVRepair (n = 2408) or MVReplace (n = 1757) for MV disease of any cause at 40 VA medical centers (procedural volume, 0-29/y; median 7/y). The MVRepair percentage increased from 48% in 2001 to 63% in 2013 (P < .001). MVRepair rates varied widely among centers; center volume explained only 19% of this variation after adjustment for case mix (R 2  = 0.19, P = .005). Unadjusted 30-day and 1-year mortality rates were lower after MVRepair than after MVReplace (3.5% vs 4.8%, P = .04; 9.8% vs 12.1%, P = .02). Among the propensity-matched patients (n = 2520), 30-day and 1-year mortality were similar after MVRepair and MVReplace. In the propensity-matched primary degenerative subgroup (n = 664), unadjusted long-term mortality for up to 10 years postoperatively was lower after MVRepair (28% vs 37%, P = .003), as was risk-adjusted long-term mortality (hazard ratio, 0.78; 95% confidence interval, 0.61-1.01)., Conclusions: In the VA Health System, mortality after MV operations is low. Despite the survival advantage associated with MV repair in primary mitral regurgitation, repair is infrequent at some centers, representing an opportunity for quality improvement., (Copyright © 2017 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The study objective was to assess the technical and process improvement and clinical outcomes of robotic mitral valve surgery by examining the first 1000 cases performed in a tertiary care center., Methods: We reviewed the first 1000 patients (mean age, 56 ± 10 years) undergoing robotic primary mitral valve surgery, including concomitant procedures (n = 185), from January 2006 to November 2013. Mitral valve disease cause was degenerative (n = 960, 96%), endocarditis (n = 26, 2.6%), rheumatic (n = 10, 1.0%), ischemic (n = 3, 0.3%), and fibroelastoma (n = 1, 0.1%). All procedures were performed via right chest access with femoral perfusion for cardiopulmonary bypass., Results: Mitral valve repair was attempted in 997 patients (2 planned replacements and 1 resection of fibroelastoma), 992 (99.5%) of whom underwent valve repair, and 5 (0.5%) of whom underwent valve replacement. Intraoperative postrepair echocardiography showed that 99.7% of patients receiving repair (989/992) left the operating room with no or mild mitral regurgitation, and predischarge echocardiography showed that mitral regurgitation remained mild or less in 97.9% of patients (915/935). There was 1 hospital death (0.1%), and 14 patients (1.4%) experienced a stroke; stroke risk declined from 2% in the first 500 patients to 0.8% in the second 500 patients. Over the course of the experience, myocardial ischemic and cardiopulmonary bypass times (P < .0001), transfusion (P = .003), and intensive care unit and postoperative lengths of stay (P < .05) decreased., Conclusions: Robotic mitral valve surgery is associated with a high likelihood of valve repair and low operative mortality and morbidity. The combination of algorithm-driven patient selection and increased experience enhanced clinical outcomes and procedural efficiency., (Copyright © 2017 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Robotic and minimally invasive mitral valve (MV) procedures have been performed with increasing frequency over time. These alternatives offer similar efficacy to that achieved via standard median sternotomy, particularly in large volume centers, along with low perioperative morbidity and mortality rates. Moreover, patient acceptance is oftentimes increased due to less postoperative pain and shorter recovery times, as well as superior cosmetic results. However, these techniques are technically complex and associated with a significant learning curve. The following review offers an overview of the most relevant aspects related to minimally invasive and robotic MV repair. Although these techniques are well established in referral centers, future innovations should concentrate on decreasing complexity and improving reproducibility of these procedures., (Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction  Moderate mitral regurgitation (MR) of ischemic etiology has been associated with worse outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Studies comparing concomitant mitral valve replacement/repair (MVR/Re) with CABG and standalone CABG have reported conflicting results. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the published literature. Patients and Methods  We searched using PubMed, Cochrane, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Google scholar databases from January 1960 to June 2016 for clinical trials comparing CABG to CABG + MVR/Re for moderate MR. Pooled risk ratio or mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for individual outcomes were calculated using random effects model and heterogeneity was assessed using Cochrane's Q-statistic. Results  A total of 11 studies were included. Mean follow-up was 35.3 months. All-cause mortality (Mantel-Haenszel [MH] risk ratio [RR]: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.75-1.24, p  = 0.775), early mortality (MH RR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.39-1.07, p  = 0.092), and stroke rates (MH RR 0.65, 95% CI: 0.21-2.03, p  = 0.464) were similar between CABG and CABG + MVR/Re groups. Adverse event at follow-up was lower with CABG (MH RR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.61-1.32, p  = 0.584). MD of change from baseline in left ventricular (LV) end-systolic dimension (MD: - 2.50, 95% CI: - 5.21 to - 0.21, p  = 0.071) and LV ejection fraction (MD: 0.48, 95% CI: - 2.48 to 3.44, p  = 0.750) were not significantly different between the groups. Incidence of moderate MR (MH RR: 3.24, 95% CI: 1.79-5.89, p  < 0.001) was higher in the CABG only group. Conclusion  Addition of MVR/Re to CABG in patients with moderate ischemic MR did not result in improvement in early or overall mortality, stroke risk, or intermediate markers of LV function when compared with CABG alone., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Background: Surgical ablation (SA) for atrial fibrillation (AF) effectively restores sinus rhythm. Incompletely defined risk has previously limited concomitant performance of SA during cardiac operations. The study goals were to define performance trends and risk-adjusted outcomes for contemporary SA., Methods: From July 2011 to June 2014, 86,941 patients with AF, but without endocarditis, underwent primary nonemergent cardiac operations in The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) database. Cochran-Armitage tests examined performance trends of SA for six operative categories: mitral valve repair or replacement (MVRR) with or without coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), aortic valve replacement (AVR) with or without CABG, CABG, AVR with MVRR, stand-alone SA, and other concomitant operations. The risk of concomitant SA was analyzed by propensity matching 28,739 patient-pairs with and without SA by AF type, primary operation, and STS comorbid risk variables using greedy 1:1 matching algorithms., Results: Among all patients with AF, 48.3% (42,066 of 86,941) underwent SA. Mitral operations had the highest rate of SA (MVRR ± CABG 68.4% [14,693 of 21,496]; MVRR + AVR 59.1% [1,626 of 2,750]). The AVR ± CABG and isolated CABG rates were 39.3% (6,816 of 17,349) and 32.8% (9,156 of 27,924), respectively. Nearly half of other concomitant operations underwent SA, 47.6% (6,939 of 14,586). Performance frequency increased throughout the study period. After propensity matching, SA was associated with a reduction in relative risk (RR) of 30-day mortality (RR 0.92, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.85 to 0.99) and stroke (RR 0.84, 95% CI: 0.74 to 0.94), but an increase in renal failure (RR 1.12, 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.22) and pacemaker implantation (RR 1.33, 95% CI: 1.24 to 1.43)., Conclusions: Contemporary utilization of SA is increasing across all operative categories. Performance of SA is accompanied by a 30-day reduction in mortality and stroke. These findings further refine our understanding of the role of SA in the treatment of AF., (Copyright © 2017 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Frailty confers risk for surgical morbidity and mortality. Whether patient-reported measures of health, well-being, or quality of life respond differently to surgery in non-frail and frail individuals is unknown., Methods: Older adults with severe aortic stenosis presenting for surgery were assessed for frailty using Cardiovascular Health Study Criteria. Patient-reported measures of functional capacity (Duke Activity Status Index [DASI]), physical and mental health (Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-Physical and Mental Component Scales [SF-12 PCS and SF-12 MCS, respectively]), well-being (linear analogue self-assessment [LASA]), and quality of life (LASA) were administered before and 3 months after surgery., Results: Of 103 participants (mean age of 80.6 years), 54 were frail. Frail participants had lower baseline DASI, SF-12 PCS, SF-12 MCS, physical well-being, and quality of life scores than non-frail participants. At follow-up, frail participants showed significant improvement in physical function, with DASI and SF-12 PCS scores improving by 50% and 14%, respectively. Non-frail subjects did not significantly improve in these measures. SF-12 MCS scores also improved to a greater extent in frail compared to non-frail participants (3.6 vs < 1 point). Furthermore, the frail participants improved to a greater extent than non-frail participants in physical well-being (21.6 vs 7.1 points) and quality of life measures (25.1 vs 8.7 points)., Conclusions: Frailty is prevalent in older adults with severe aortic stenosis and is associated with poor physical and mental function, physical well-being, and quality of life. In response to surgery, frail participants exhibited greater improvement in these patient-centered outcomes than non-frail peers., (© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)