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There is a lack of information about cardiac surgery training and professional practice in Latin American (LATAM) countries. This study is the first comparative analysis of cardiac surgical training and professional practice across LATAM and provides the fundamentals for future academic projects of the Latin American Association of Cardiac and Endovascular Surgery (LACES).International survey-based comparative analysis of the training and professional practice of cardiac surgeons across LATAM. Trainees (residents/fellows) and staf (graduated) surgeons from LATAM countries were included.A total of 289 respondents (staf surgeons N=221 [76.5%]; residents/fellows N=68 [23.5%]) from 18 different countries participated in the survey. Most surgeons (N=92 [45.3%]) reported being unsatisfied with their salaries. Most respondents (N=181 [62.6%]) stated that it was difficult to obtain a leadership position, and 149 (73.8%) stated that it was difficult to find a job after completing training. Only half of the trainee respondents (N=32 [47.1%]) reported that their program had all resident spots occupied. Only 22.1% (N=15) of residents/fellows were satisfied with their training programs. The majority (N=205 [70.9%]) of respondents would choose cardiac surgery as their specialty again. Most surgeons (N=129 [63.9%]) and residents/fellows (N=52 [76.5%]) indicated that the establishment of a LATAM cardiac surgery board examination would be beneficial.Modernization and standardization of training, as well as greater access to opportunities, may be required in LATAM to increase professional satisfaction of cardiac surgeons and to reduce disparities in the specialty. Such changes may enhance the regional response to the dynamic challenges in the feld.

This Viewpoint discusses whether or not the evidence cited in the 2021 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions guidelines for coronary artery revascularization support downgrading coronary artery bypass grafting relative to medical therapy.

OBJECTIVES Most evidence for anticoagulation (AC) in aortic bioprosthesis is centred on embolic events, bleeding and reintervention risk. The effect of AC on haemodynamics has not been previously assessed. Our hypothesis was that patients with early AC after aortic valve replacement (AVR) with porcine bioprosthesis have better haemodynamics at 1 year of follow-up. METHODS Prospective, randomized, open-label trial conducted at 2 cardiac surgery centres. All patients undergoing AVR with porcine bioprosthesis were consecutively recruited. The anticoagulated group received warfarin + aspirin and the non-anticoagulated (control) only aspirin. The primary outcome was mean gradient after 1 year of AVR and change in New York Heart Association class. Secondary outcomes were major and minor bleeding, embolic events and prosthetic leak. RESULTS Of 140 participants in the study, 71 were assigned to the anticoagulated group and 69 to the control group. The mean age of the overall population was 72.4 (SD: 7.1) years. Global EuroSCORE was 7.65 (SD: 5.73). At 1 year, the mean gradient was similar between both groups [18.6 (SD: 1.1 mmHg) and 18.1 (SD: 1.0 mmHg) in the control and anticoagulated groups, respectively, P = 0.701]. No differences in functional class at 3 months or 1 year were found among groups. No differences were found among groups in the secondary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS The addition of 3 months of oral AC to anti-aggregation treatment was not detected to affect bioprosthetic haemodynamics nor functional class at 1 year after AVR. Likewise, AC does not lead to the higher incidence of complications.

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), 93% of the population lacks safe, timely, and affordable access to cardiac surgical care when needed. As countries slowly build or expand local, independent cardiac centers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) partially bridge the gap in cardiac surgical care delivery in LMICs. However, little is known about the current scope of cardiac NGOs. Here, we perform an analysis of active NGOs involved with the delivery of cardiac surgical services in LMICs or for patients from LMICs. Cardiac surgery NGOs were identified from medical literature, established NGO databases, and Google Scholar searches. The search was performed between December 2019 and May 2020. NGOs whose websites were not updated or described missions or projects taking place no later than 2015 were considered inactive. Eighty-six NGOs are actively providing cardiac surgery services in LMICs or treating patients from LMICs. Five NGOs performed adult cardiac surgery only, 56 performed pediatric cardiac surgery only, and 25 performed both adult and pediatric cardiac surgery. NGOs originated from 23 different countries and were operational in a total of 111 countries, 96 of them being LMICs. Fifty-three NGOs reported data on annual surgical volume, of which half performed less than 50 operations per year. NGOs effectively address the burden of cardiac surgical disease in LMICs and contribute to local capacity-building. Increased, more detailed, and standardized reporting of the impact and outcomes of NGOs is necessary to better understand annual cardiac surgical volume and to support local centers working towards independent services.

Durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, el servicio militar de Estados Unidos solicito la ayuda de un grupo de estadisticos para analizar los datos recabados durante el conflicto y asesorar sobre la mejor estrategia para reforzar sus aviones(1). Dentro de este grupo asesor, se encontraba el Dr. Abraham Wald, reconocido estadistico austriaco. Al examinar los aviones que retornaban de combate, Wald noto que los principales sitios de impacto de las balas eran en alas, cola, nariz y fuselaje (figura 1). La conclusion que se desprendia de forma natural era que el refuerzo en estos aviones deberia concentrarse en estos sitios, que recibian la mayor cantidad de impactos. Sin embargo, esa conclusion iba en sentido opuesto a la creencia de Wald. El metodo para definir los sectores a reforzar en estos aviones, conllevaba la limitacion de usar solo los datos provenientes de aquellos que lograron retornar. Lo que pudieron concluir, era que los aviones que recibian impactos de bala en nariz, alas, fuselaje y cola lograban retornar a casa. Por lo tanto, el refuerzo debia colocarse en aquellas zonas en las que no habia impactos de bala (como en el motor). A partir de ese momento, se plasma un concepto clave en la vida diaria y en el analisis critico de trabajos cientificos, el sesgo de supervivencia.

The timing for surgical treatment in patients with primary organic severe mitral valve regurgitation and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) systolic is a challenge since it depends upon LV end systolic dimension and LVEF which may be late markers of LV dysfunction. Echocardiography is the most important tool in the diagnosis of mechanisms, etiology, severity, and hemodynamic consequences of mitral regurgitation. The global longitudinal strain (GLS), a new and sensitive method for the detection of LV dysfunction, might be a useful method for the evaluation of preclinical systolic dysfunction. Nevertheless, its role for predicting postoperative outcomes is not well established. A meta-analysis was performed to address the role of GLS in patients with severe mitral regurgitation and preserved LVEF who underwent mitral surgery. We included studies that compared outcomes according to preoperative GLS in regard to survival and postoperative LV function. We included 2358 patients enrolled in 8 studies. Patients with reduced GLS% had worse long term survival after mitral valve surgery (hazard ratio = 1.13, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02–1.26). Patients with preoperatively reduced GLS% had lower LVEF after surgery (mean difference [MD] = −5.06%, 95% CI: −8.97–1.16%) and additionally, patients who presented postoperative LVEF dysfunction had worse preoperative GLS (MD = 4.33, 95% CI: 3.89–4.76). In patients with primary mitral regurgitation, preoperative GLS is a predictor for long term survival and postoperative LVEF. It is a useful parameter to be included when considering early surgery in patients with severe mitral regurgitation and normal LVEF.

Resumen: La trombosis de la válvula protésica biológica (TVPB) era considerada una entidad relativamente rara. Sin embargo, debido al aumento del uso de bioprótesis en cirugía cardíaca y al advenimiento de las prótesis biológicas transcatéter, ha adquirido mayor interés al ser reconocida como causa de disfunción protésica. Aún no se ha establecido la relevancia a largo plazo de la trombosis subclínica, ni están definidas las estrategias terapéuticas óptimas para prevenir la TVPB ni las complicaciones tromboembólicas. En esta revisión se analizan la fisiopatología, el diagnóstico y el tratamiento de la TVPB para contribuir al conocimiento de esta patología. Summary: Bioprosthetic valve thrombosis was considered a relatively rare entity. However, due to the increased use of bioprostheses in cardiac surgery and the advent of transcatheter biological prostheses, it has acquired more attention as a cause of prosthetic dysfunction. The long-term relevance of subclinical thrombosis has not yet been elucidated, nor are the optimal therapeutic strategies to prevent bioprosthetic valve thrombosis or thromboembolic complications. This review aims to provide a summary of the pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of bioprosthetic valve thrombosis to contribute to the knowledge of this pathology. Resumo: A trombose de prótese biológica foi considerada uma entidade relativamente rara. No entanto, devido ao aumento do uso de biopróteses em cirurgia cardíaca e o advento de próteses biológicas transcateter, tornou-se mais interessante como causa de disfunção protética. A relevância a longo prazo da trombose subclínica ainda não foi elucidada, nem são definidas as estratégias terapêuticas ideais para prevenir a trombose de prótese biológica ou complicações tromboembólicas. Esta revisão tem como objetivo fornecer um resumo da fisiopatologia, diagnóstico e tratamento da trombose de prótese biológica para contribuir o conhecimento desta patologia

Introduction: the COVID-19 pandemic has determined the application of emergency health measures aimed at preventing progression at national level. International reports have suggested that these measures lead to a lack of care in other pathologies, mainly cardiovascular, and eventually increase out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.Objective: to determine the frequency of emergency consultation for chest pain and out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, assisted by the main pre-hospital emergency services of Montevideo, during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: information was requested to the medical institutions of Montevideo and all over the country, on the numberof consultations for chest pain and total consultations, in the period March 13- April 30 of 2018, 2019 and 2020. The frequency of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Montevideo was requested to the pre-hospital emergency services during the same period. The data is expressed as absolute frequency and incidence rates (x 100,000) with its 95% CI calculated by Fisher.Results: the number of consultations for precordial pain was stable during the 2018-2019 period. During 2020, theseconsultations decreased and represented between 11.3% and 21.7% of the total number of consultations. Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests showed a non significant increase in its incidence rate in 2020 (9.05, 95%IC: 7.15-11.30) compared with 2019 (7.94, 95%IC: 6.19-10.04) and 2018 (7.43, 95%IC: 5.75-9.45).Conclusions: the raw data presented shows that from March 13 to April 30 of 2020, there was a decrease in emergency visits for precordial pain and a non-significant increase in the incidence rate of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.

Resumen: Antecedentes: la endocarditis infecciosa es una enfermedad con elevada morbimortalidad, la cual se encuentra en torno al 25%. Aproximadamente el 50% de los casos requiere tratamiento quirúrgico. En nuestro medio se desconocen las características clínicas y evolutivas de pacientes operados por endocarditis infecciosa activa. Objetivos: primario, determinar mortalidad operatoria (MO) y sobrevida a largo plazo; secundario, definir predictores de embolias, complicaciones locales (CL), MO y endocarditis protésica (EP) en la evolución. Métodos: trabajo retrospectivo y analítico. Se identificaron pacientes que recibieron cirugía cardíaca por endocarditis activa entre enero de 2006 y diciembre de 2017. Mediante regresión logística multivariada se identificaron predictores para los objetivos enunciados. Resultados: se incluyeron 101 pacientes. El microorganismo más frecuentemente encontrado fue Staphylococcus aureus (SA) (15,8%). La topografía fue protésica en 20,8%, aórtica en 46,5%, mitral en 23,8% y mitro-aórtica en 13,9%. La MO fue 11,3% y 29,5% (p=0,025), según ausencia o presencia de CL, único predictor independiente de mortalidad (OR=3,38). El 47,5% presentó CL, siendo la más frecuente el absceso (25,7%). Fueron predictores independientes: EP (OR=5,8), endocarditis valvular aórtica (OR=2,9) y sexo masculino (OR=3,5). La incidencia de EP precoz fue 3% y tardía 4%. El 30% de los pacientes adquirió la EI como consecuencia de un procedimiento médico invasivo en los 6 meses previos. De los siete pacientes con EP en la evolución, seis tenían CL (p

Resumen: Introducción: la fibrilación auricular (FA) es la arritmia sostenida más frecuente en la práctica clínica. Asocia un aumento significativo de morbimortalidad. La prevención de fenómenos embólicos es un pilar del tratamiento, basado en gran medida en la anticoagulación oral (ACO). Hay un porcentaje significativo de pacientes que presentan contraindicaciones para ACO, a los cuales se deben ofrecer tratamientos alternativos. La exclusión quirúrgica del apéndice auricular izquierdo (AAI) determina beneficios en tal sentido y se asocia a una menor tasa de eventos neurológicos. Objetivo: primario, valorar la seguridad de la exclusión quirúrgica del AAI en pacientes con FA sometidos a cirugía valvular mitral; secundario, analizar la incidencia de ataque cerebrovascular (ACV) en dicha población y analizar la sobrevida entre los pacientes con y sin exclusión del AAI. Método: estudio unicéntrico, analítico, observacional, retrospectivo, comparando exclusión o no del AAI en pacientes con FA sometidos a cirugía cardíaca sobre válvula mitral, entre enero de 2012 y diciembre de 2018. Las variables se obtuvieron de la base de datos institucional. El seguimiento fue telefónico y la sobrevida fue derivada de datos oficiales nacionales. Resultados: se incluyeron 69 pacientes (en 45 se realizó exclusión del AAI). Como características con diferencias significativas destacan la edad (69,1±8,2 años sin exclusión del AAI; 63,6±10,3 años con exclusión del AAI, p=0,026) y el porcentaje de ablación quirúrgica de FA en cada grupo (29,2% sin exclusión del AAI; 68,9% con exclusión del AAI, p=0,002). Se obtuvo un seguimiento de 33 pacientes, entre los cuales no hubo diferencias significativas en los parámetros considerados. Se evaluó la sobrevida del total de los pacientes incluidos, sin diferencia a largo plazo. Conclusión: según los datos analizados, la exclusión del AAI es un procedimiento seguro que no agrega complicaciones a la cirugía valvular mitral en pacientes con FA. No fue posible demostrar que la exclusión del AAI reduzca de manera significativa la prevalencia de ACV isquémico a largo plazo, ni modifique la sobrevida. Summary: Introduction: atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained cardiac arrythmia in clinical practice. It is associated to significant morbimortality. The prevention of embolic episodes is a pillar of atrial fibrillation treatment and is based mainly on anticoagulation. However, there is a significant proportion of patients with contraindications for anticoagulation, to whom alternative treatments must be offered. Surgical exclusion of the left atrial appendage offers benefits in this regard, and is associated to a lower rate of neurological events. Objective: primary endpoint: to evaluate the safety of the surgical exclusion of the left atrial appendage in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing mitral valve surgery; secondary endpoint: to analyze the incidence of stroke in this population, and to analyze the survival rate in patients with and without left atrial appendage exclusion. Method: a single center, analytic, observational, retrospective study, comparing exclusion and no exclusion of the left atrial appendage in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing mitral valve surgery between January 2012 and December 2018. The variables were obtained from the institutional database. The follow up was telephonic and survival rates were obtained from a national official database. Results: 69 patients were included (45 underwent surgical left atrial appendage exclusion). Statistically significant features between the groups were age (69.1±8.2 years without left atrial appendage exclusion; 63.6±10.3 years with left atrial appendage exclusion, p=0.026), and the rate of surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation (29.2% without exclusion; 68.9% with exclusion, p=0.002). The follow up was carried out in 33, finding no statistically significant differences between the groups. The survival rate of all patients was analyzed, finding no long term differences. Conclusion: according to the data analyzed, left atrial appendage exclusion is a safe procedure, and adds no further complications to mitral valve surgery in patients with atrial fibrillation. It was not possible to prove that left atrial appendage exclusion significantly reduces the long term prevalence of ischemic stroke or modifies the survival rate. Resumo: Introdução: a fibrilação atrial é a arritmia sustentada mais frequente na prática clínica. Associa um aumento significativo na morbimortalidade. A prevenção de fenômenos embólicos é um dos pilares do tratamento, amplamente baseado na anticoagulação oral. Existe uma percentagem significativa de pacientes que apresentam contra-indicações, a quem tratamentos alternativos devem ser oferecidos. A exclusão cirúrgica do apêndice atrial esquerdo determina benefícios nesse sentido e está associada a uma menor taxa de eventos neurológicos. Objetivo: primário: avaliar a segurança da exclusão cirúrgica do apêndice atrial esquerdo em pacientes com fibrilação atrial submetidos a cirurgia valvar mitral; secundário: analisar a incidência de ataque cerebrovascular na referida população e análise de sobrevida em pacientes com e sem exclusão de apêndice atrial esquerdo. Método: estudo de centro único, analítico, observacional, retrospectivo que comparou a exclusão ou não de apêndice atrial esquerdo em pacientes com fibrilação atrial submetidos a cirurgia cardíaca na válvula mitral, entre janeiro de 2012 e dezembro de 2018. As variáveis foram obtidas no banco de dados institucional. O acompanhamento foi por telefone e a sobrevivência foi obtida a partir de dados nacionais oficiais. Resultados: 69 pacientes foram incluídos (45 foram excluídos da apêndice atrial esquerdo). Como elementos estatisticamente significativos, destacam-se a idade (69,1 ± 8,2 anos sem exclusão do apêndice atrial esquerdo; 63,6 ± 10,3 anos com exclusão do apêndice atrial esquerdo, p = 0,026) e a taxa de ablação cirúrgica da fibrilação atrial em cada grupo (29,2% sem exclusão; 68,9% com exclusão, p = 0,002). Foi obtido um seguimento de 33 pacientes, entre os quais não houve diferenças significativas nos parâmetros considerados. A sobrevida de todos os pacientes incluídos foi avaliada, sem diferença na sobrevida a longo prazo. Conclusão: de acordo com os dados analisados, a exclusão do apêndice atrial esquerdo é um procedimento seguro que não agrega complicações à cirurgia valvar mitral em pacientes com fibrilação atrial. Não foi possível demonstrar que a exclusão da apêndice atrial esquerdo reduz significativamente a prevalência de ataque vascular cerebral isquêmico a longo prazo, nem modifica a sobrevida.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has been a global challenge. In times of difficulty such as those that have recently arisen, research is even more necessary to advance in the diagnosis and treatment of different pathologies. Using the extensive development of the media, this year the American Congress of Cardiology was held from March 28 to 30 in a virtual format, allowing professionals from around the world to access multiple scientific activities with the same level of excellence as in face-to-face sessions.We will make a brief summary of some of the main scientific papers presented: Tailored Antiplatelet Initiation to Lessen Outcomes Due to Decreased Clopidogrel Response after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: TAILOR–PCI. Rivaroxaban in Peripheral Artery Disease after Revascularization: VOYAGER PAD trial Vericiguat in Patients with Heart Failure and Reduced Ejection Fraction: VICTORIA Study Group. The Evolut Low Risk Bicuspid Study. PARTNER 3. Two-year clinical and echocardiographic outcomes. Ticagrelor with and without Aspirin in Acute Coronary Syndrome After PCI: the TICO Trial. Apixaban for the Treatment of Venous Thromboembolism Associated with Cancer: Caravaggio trial. Ten-year Outcomes After Drug-eluting Stents Versus Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting for Left Main Coronary Disease: Extended Follow Up of the PRECOMBAT Trial. Anticoagulation with or without Clopidogrel after Transcatheter Aortic-Valve Implantation: POPular TAVI.

The COVID‐19 pandemic has transformed cardiac surgical practices. Limitations in intensive care resources and personal protective equipment have required many practices throughout the globe to pause elective operations and now slowly resume operations. However, much of cardiac surgery is not elective and patients continue to require surgery on an urgent or emergent basis during the pandemic. This continued need for providing surgical services has introduced several unique considerations ranging from how to prioritize surgery, how to ensure safety for cardiac surgical teams, and how best to resume elective operations to ensure the safety of patients. Additionally, the COVID‐19 pandemic has required a careful analysis of how best to carry out heart transplantation, extra‐corporeal membrane oxygenation, and congenital heart surgery. In this review, we present the many areas of multidisciplinary consideration, and the lessons learned that have allowed us to carry out cardiac surgery with excellence during the COVID‐19 pandemic. As various states experience plateaus, declines, and rises in COVID‐19 cases, these considerations are particularly important for cardiac surgical programs throughout the globe.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical and echocardiographic outcomes in aortic valve replacement (AVR) patients with aortic bioprosthesis under oral anticoagulation (OA). Methods: Patients who underwent AVR with bioprosthesiswere prospectively enrolled. They were classified based on postoperative use of OA. Clinical and operative variables were collected. Echocardiographic and clinical follow-ups were performed two years after surgery. The primary outcome evaluated was change in transprosthetic gradient. Secondary outcomes analyzed were change in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, major bleeding episodes, hospitalization, stroke, and transient ischemic attack. Results: We included 103 patients (61 without OA and 42 with OA). Clinical characteristics were similar among groups, except for younger age (76±6.3 vs. 72.4±8.1 years, P=0.016) and higher prevalence of atrial fibrillation (0% vs. 23.8%, P

Background: Emergency sanitary measures imposed to contain spread and infection of SARS-CoV-2 may have collateral effects on care for cardiovascular disease. Global country data regarding incidence of acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) during the pandemia is critical for future health care policy. Our objective was to determine whether emergency sanitary measures imposed in Uruguay during the pandemia for SARS-CoV-2 had a direct impact on the quality of care for STEMI. Methods: We performed a whole country population based retrospective study to determine the incidence for STEMI reperfusion (fibrinolytics and percutaneous) (FBL and PCI respectively) during the emergency sanitary period. Incidence rate of STEMI reperfusion, time to reperfusion and mortality associated with reperfusion was collected from the National Resources Fund (unique governmental based organization in charge of STEMI reperfusion in Uruguay). This same data was retrieved for 2019, 2018 and 2017. Data was Findings: Number of treated patients for STEMI (PCI and FBL) in Uruguay was lower in 2020 (136 patients) compared to 2019 (180 patients), 2018 (182 patients) and 2017 (174 patients). FBL was performed as unique treatment in 5.1%, 7.2%, 7.7% and 12.1% respectively. Incidence rate for STEMI in Uruguay during the studied period in 2020 was lower with a reduced IRR (0.74, 95%CI: 0.59, 0.91) compared with previous years. Median time to reperfusion was similar (4.10h; range 0.67 – 23.50h) compared to 2019 (3.50h; range 0.50 – 23.50h), 2018 (3.60h; range 0.80 – 22.75h) and 2017 (3.70h; range 0.25 – 23.00h) (p=0.4). Mortality after 15 days was similar in 2017 (8%), 2018 (6%), 2019 (11%) and 2020 (8%). Interpretation: Emergency sanitary measures were associated with a decrease in the incidence for STEMI reperfusion without affecting its time to reperfusion and mortality. Funding Statement: No funding was received. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare not to have any interest conflicts. Ethics Approval Statement: The study was approved by the NRF review board and informed consent was collected from all patients before any reperfusion procedure was performed.

Introduction: Acute aortic dissection (AAD) is a devastating surgical emergency, with high operative mortality. Several scoring algorithms have been used to establish the expected mortality in these patients. Our objective was to define the predictive factors for mortality in our center and to validate the EuroSCORE and Penn classification system. Methods: Patients who underwent surgery for AAD from 2006 to 2016 were retrieved from the institution’s database. Preoperative, operative and postoperative variables were collected. Observed and expected mortality was calculated by EuroSCORE. Logistic regression analysis and Cox regression analysis were performed to find predictors of operative mortality and survival, respectively. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted for logistic EuroSCORE, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was calculated. Results: 87 patients (27.6% female) underwent surgery for AAD. The mean age was 58.6±9.7 years. Expected and observed operative mortality was 25.8±15.1% and 20.7%, respectively. Penn Aa, Ab and Abc shared similar observed/expected (O/E) mortality ratio. The only independent predictor of operative mortality (OR: 3.63; 95% CI: 1.19-11.09) and survival (HR: 2.6; 95% CI: 1.5-4.8) was female gender. EuroSCORE showed a very poor prediction capacity, with an AUC=0.566. Conclusion: Female gender was the only independent predictor of operative mortality and survival in our institution. EuroSCORE is a poor scoring algorithm to predict mortality in AAD, but with consistent results for Penn Aa, Ab and Abc.

resumen está disponible en el texto completo Summary: Introduction: the amino-terminal pro brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in heart failure. Its use as a prognosis predictor of postoperative evolution in cardiac surgery has not been established. Objective: to determine if the value of preoperative NT in cardiac surgery is associated with postoperative evolution parameters. Primary objective: to evaluate its association with the length of stay in intensive care unit. Secondary objectives: to evaluate its association with the time of mechanical ventilation and inotropic agents requirements. To determine the evolution of NT-proBNP concentration after cardiopulmonary bypass. Methods: multicentric retrospective study, endorsed by the Research Committee of the National Institute of Cardiac Surgery and the Ethic Research Committee of the Clinic Hospital. It included patients who underwent cardiac surgery between March and August 2018. NT-proBNP was measured during anesthesia induction and after cardiopulmonary bypass. A possible association of preoperative NT-proBNP with risk factors and type of procedure performed was studied. By analysing the ROC curve, the area under curve (AUC) was calculated and then, the best cut-off value of NT-proBNP to predict prolonged intensive care unit stay was determined. Intensive care unit stays, mechanical ventilation and inotropic requirements were defined as prolonged when they exceeded 2 days, 6 and 24 hours respectively. Through the use of multivaried logistics, the predicting value of NT-proBNP was determined for each one of the aforementioned variables. A value of alfa 0.05 was considered significant. Results: a total of 155 patients were included in the study. Age, creatininemia, and left ventricular ejection fraction were 65.8±11.4 years, 1.15±1.10 mg/dl and 52.8±11.9% respectively. Female prevalence was 30.3%, arterial hypertension 77.4%, diabetes mellitus 25.2% and dyslipidemia 50.3%. In 42.6% isolated myocardial revascularization was performed, in 12.9% myocardial revascularization plus one or more valve procedures, and in 44.5% isolated valve procedures. In all cases there was a significant reduction between preoperative (443 pg/ml, interquartile range 143-1.193) and postoperative NT-proBNP (362 pg/ml, interquartile range 138-939) (p

“Este es un dia para recordar y contarle a nuestros nietos”, dijo el Dr. E. Braunwald. A medida que el auditorio estallaba en aplausos, las acciones de una de las empresas mas importantes en valvulas transcateter (TAVI) subieron de 175 a 190 dolares. Esta aseveracion puede ser analizada desde dos puntos de vista: El dia en que TAVI reemplazo de forma completa a la sustitucion valvular aortica quirurgica (SVA). El dia en que los ensayos clinicos randomizados (ECR) perdieron credibilidad como metodologia para generar evidencia. La evolucion en el tratamiento intervencionista de las arterias coronarias comienza desde las lesiones mas simples hasta las lesiones mas complejas.En el caso del tratamiento intervencionista de la valvula aortica, la evolucion terapeutica es la contraria, desde el paciente de mayor riesgo al de menor riesgo y complejidad. ?Alguna vez el lector se detuvo a pensar la razon por la cual se invierte este proceso?

Background. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) promote wound healing, including after radiotherapy (RT) and surgery. The use of MSCs in regenerative medicine in the context of malignancy, such as to enhance wound healing post-RT/surgery in patients with soft tissue sarcomas (STSs), requires safety validation. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of human MSCs on STS growth in vitro and local recurrence and metastasis in vivo. Methods. Human primary STS and HT-1080 fibrosarcoma lines were transduced to express luciferase/eGFP (enhanced green fluorescent protein). Sarcoma cells were co-cultured or co-injected with bone marrow–derived MSCs for growth studies. Xenograft tumor models were established with STS lines in NOD/SCID/γcnull mice. To emulate a clinical scenario, subcutaneous tumors were treated with RT/surgery prior to MSC injection into the tumor bed. Local and distant tumor recurrence was studied using histology and bioluminescence imaging. Results. MSCs did not promote STS proliferation upon co-culture in vitro, which was consistent among MSCs from different donors. Co-injection of MSCs with sarcoma cells in mice exhibited no significant tumor-stimulating effect, compared with control mice injected with sarcoma cells alone. MSC administration after RT/surgery had no effect on local recurrence or metastasis of STS. Discussion. These studies are important for the establishment of a safety profile for MSC administration in patients with STS. Our data suggest that MSCs are safe in STS management after standard of care RT/surgery, which can be further investigated in early-phase clinical trials to also determine the efficacy of MSCs in reducing morbidity and to mitigate wound complications in these patients.

Background Transit-time flow measurement (TTFM) is the gold standard for intraoperative detection of graft failure. Several reports show that TTFM and distal coronary bed quality (DCBQ) may also be useful for midterm detection of graft failure. Nonetheless, there are no data regarding their predictive role on long-term outcomes. Methods Patients with three-vessel disease who underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in 2006 and received at least one graft to the left anterior descending artery (LAD) or to the first obtuse marginal (OM1) or posterior descending artery (PDA) were included. Baseline characteristics, mean graft flow, pulsatility index, and subjective impression of DCBQ for each coronary territory were collected. Long-term cardiovascular (CV) and overall survival, operative mortality, and new percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were evaluated. Results A total of 177 patients underwent isolated CABG. The OM1 was grafted in 131 patients, the LAD in 169 patients, and the PDA in 100 patients. Neither DQCB nor TTFM were predictors for new PCI. Independent predictors for overall survival were age, previous acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and DQCB of OM1 (odds ratio [OR] = 2.97; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15–7.71). Age, previous AMI, and DCBQ of OM1 (OR = 2.5; 95% CI: 1.39–4.81) were independent predictors for CV survival. Conclusions TTFM on patients with functioning grafts does not predict long-term survival or performance of new PCI. Subjective evaluation of distal coronary bed, especially of the OM1, has a strong impact on long-term outcomes.

Objectives Postoperative vasoplegia (PV) is a common haemodynamic disorder after cardiac surgery and is associated with high operative mortality. Preventive and potent therapeutic measures are critical to improve the outcome. Identification of risk factors for PV may increase awareness and prompt therapeutic action. Our objective was to pool the available evidence on the risk factors for PV in cardiac surgery and to perform a meta-analysis. Methods PubMed, Embase, Ovid and Google Scholar databases were searched for studies published between 1965 and 2017. Three investigators independently screened the studies and extracted the data. Pooled estimates were obtained by a random effects model. Preoperative and operative patient data were gathered to determine their association with PV. Results The search yielded 109 potential studies for inclusion. Of these, 10 articles were analysed and their data extracted. The total number of patients included was 30 035 patients (1524 with vasoplegia and 28 511 without vasoplegia). The only preoperative variable that was significantly associated with PV was renal failure [odds ratio (OR) 1.47; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17-1.86]. Patients with isolated coronary artery bypass grafting had a lower risk for PV (OR 0.36; 95% CI 0.22-0.59), whereas previous cardiac surgery (OR 2.03; 95% CI 1.27-3.26) and combined procedures increased its incidence (OR 2.12; 95% CI 1.82-2.47). PV increased with higher use of red blood cells (OR 2.12; 95% CI 1.82-2.47), longer aortic cross-clamp (mean difference 8.15 min; 95% CI 8.79-27.50 min) and cardiopulmonary bypass (mean difference 25.72 min; 95% CI 12.75-38.69 min) duration. Conclusions Patients with renal failure, higher use of red blood cell, longer and combined cardiac surgery procedures are at a higher risk for PV. Measures to promptly identify and treat PV in these patients should be considered.

Resumen: La infección sobre injerto protésico a nivel de aorta ascendente se considera una rara complicación con una incidencia de 0,5%-6%, pero de alta mortalidad (88%), incluso con tratamiento quirúrgico. Los factores de riesgo vinculados a este tipo de infección son: diabetes mellitus, insuficiencia renal e insuficiencia cardíaca. El microorganismo más frecuentemente implicado es Staphylococcus aureus. La presentación clínica puede ser muy variada, desde cuadros oligosintomáticos hasta sepsis. En cuanto al diagnóstico, los métodos de imagen clásicos (ecocardiograma, angiotomografía aórtica) resultan de gran relevancia. En la última década, la tomografía por emisión de positrones ha adquirido un rol relevante en las situaciones que presentan dudas diagnósticas, como es el caso del paciente que analizaremos. Summary: Infection in a prosthetic graft in the ascending aorta is considered an infrequent complication with an incidence of 0.5%-6% but with high mortality (88%), even with surgical treatment. Related risk factors are diabetes mellitus, kidney failure and heart failure. The most frequent microorganism is Staphylococcus aureus. Clinical presentation can be very variable, from oligosymptomatic to sepsis. The classical imaging methods (ultrasonography, aortic angiotomography) are very relevant for diagnosis. In the last decade, positron emission tomography has acquired a relevant role in cases with diagnostic doubts, such as the patient to be analyzed. Resumo: A infecção em prótese ao nível da aorta ascendente é considerada uma complicação rara, com incidência de 0,5%-6% mas com alta mortalidade (88%), mesmo com tratamento cirúrgico. Os fatores de risco ligados a esse tipo de infecção são: diabetes mellitus, insuficiência renal e insuficiência cardíaca. O microrganismo mais frequentemente implicado é o Staphylococcus aureus. A apresentação clínica pode ser muito variada, desde casos oligossintomáticos até sepse. Com relação ao diagnóstico, os métodos clássicos de imagem (ecocardiografia, angiotomografia aórtica) são altamente relevantes. Nas últimas décadas, a tomografia por emissão de pósitrons tem adquirido papel relevante nos casos que apresentam dúvidas diagnósticas como as do paciente, que será analisado.

Resumen: La endocarditis infecciosa (EI) es una enfermedad infrecuente, heterogénea en su presentación, con una alta mortalidad global y frecuente indicación de cirugía cardíaca. Presentamos el caso de una joven con EI a S. caprae y múltiples embolias preoperatorias graves. Dado que se presenta al ingreso con infección en curso, absceso esplénico y vegetación remanente de muy alto riesgo embólico, plantea un dilema terapéutico en cuanto a oportunidad quirúrgica y orden en que deben resolverse las complicaciones de su enfermedad infecciosa. En este caso se procedió a cirugía vascular, posteriormente esplenectomía y por último cirugía valvular, todas en breve plazo, logrando resolver la patología integralmente y sin complicaciones. Summary: Infective endocarditis is an infrequent disease, heterogeneous presentation, with high mortality, and frequent indication of heart surgery. We introduce the case of a young woman, with S. caprae infective endocarditis, and multiple preoperative serious emboli. Since she presents at admission with infection in progress, splenic abscess and mitral vegetation with high embolic risk, it poses a therapeutic dilemma regarding surgical opportunity and the order in which the complications should be resolved. In this case we proceeded to vascular surgery, then splenectomy and finally valve surgery, all in a short time, to solve the pathology integrally and without complications. Resumo: A endocardite infecciosa é uma doença infrequente, de apresentação heterogênea, com alta mortalidade e frequente indicação de cirurgia cardíaca. Apresentamos o caso de uma jovem mulher com endocardite infecciosa a S. caprae e múltiplos êmbolos pré-operatórios graves. Por se apresentar na admissão com infecção em curso, abscesso esplênico e vegetação mitral com alto risco embólico, apresenta um dilema terapêutico em relação à oportunidade cirúrgica e a ordem em que as complicações devem ser resolvidas. Neste caso precedeu à cirurgia vascular, depois à esplenectomia e finalmente à cirurgia valvar, tudo em um curto espaço de tempo, para resolver integralmente a patologia e sem complicações.