Heart surgery in patients on chronic dialysis: is there still room for improvement in early and long-term outcome?

Clinical outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with dialysis-dependent end-stage renal disease and an analysis of the related influencing factors

Perioperative and short/mid-term survival rates of dialysis-dependent patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), and the factors influencing mortality are not well evaluated In China. We retrospectively analyzed the perioperative and postoperative 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates of 53 dialysis-dependent ESRD patients who underwent CABG, and compared the factors related to perioperative mortality and all-cause mortality during the postoperative follow-up. Survival rates were expressed as Kaplan-Meier survival curves, and factors influencing the follow-up survival rates were analyzed using the log rank (Mantel-Cox) test. There were eight perioperative deaths, resulting in 15.1% mortality. Intraoperative intra-aortic balloon pump use (P = 0.01), advanced age (P = 0.0027), and high EuroSCORE II score (P = 0.047) were associated with increased perioperative mortality. Forty-five discharged patients were followed from 2 months to 10 years (median, 4.2 years) postoperatively. There were 19 all-cause deaths, including 10 cardiac deaths (10/19, 52.6%). Comparisons between groups indicated that the presence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) increased mortality during follow-up (P = 0.025); 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 93.3, 79.5, and 66.8%, respectively. The results of the long-rank analysis indicated that the presence of PAD was a risk factor for postoperative survival (log rank χ² = 4.543; P = 0.033). Dialysis-dependent patients with ESRD had high perioperative mortality and unsatisfactory short- and medium-term survival after CABG. PAD was a risk factor affecting patients' postoperative survival. Multidisciplinary teamwork is needed to enhance postoperative management and reduce complications, to improve postoperative survival in these patients.

Definitions of low cardiac output syndrome after cardiac surgery and their effect on the incidence of intraoperative LCOS: A literature review and cohort study

Objectives

Low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS) is a serious complication after cardiac surgery. Despite scientific interest in LCOS, there is no uniform definition used in current research and clinicians cannot properly compare different study findings. We aimed to collect the LCOS definitions used in literature and subsequently applied the definitions obtained to existing data to estimate their effect on the intraoperative LCOS incidences in adults, children and infants.

Design

This is a literature review, followed by a retrospective cohort study.

Setting

This is a single-institutional study from a university hospital in the Netherlands.

Participants

Patients from all ages undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass between June 2011 and August 2018.

Interventions

We obtained different definitions of LCOS used in the literature and applied these to data obtained from an anesthesia information management system to estimate intraoperative incidences of LCOS. We compared intraoperative incidences of LCOS in different populations based on age (infants, children and adults).

Measurements and main results

The literature search identified 262 LCOS definitions, that were applied to intraoperative data from 7,366 patients. Using the 10 most frequently published LCOS definitions, the obtained incidence estimates ranged from 0.4 to 82% in infants, from 0.6 to 56% in children and from 1.5 to 91% in adults.

Conclusion

There is an important variety in definitions used to describe LCOS. When applied to data obtained from clinical care, these different definitions resulted in large distribution of intraoperative LCOS incidence rates. We therefore advocate for standardization of the LCOS definition to improve clinical understanding and enable adequate comparison of outcomes and treatment effects both in daily care and in research.

Mid-term results of surgical aortic valve replacement with bioprostheses in hemodialysis patients

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HD patients underwent SAVR-BP for AS (hospital mortality, 8.8%; 5-year mortality, 42.1%).

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Preoperative risk factors for 5-year mortality: age, hyperlipidemia, LVDd, LVDs, and Japan SCORE.

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Postoperative risk factors for 5-year mortality: length of ICU stay, and albumin level at discharge.

Background

Limited studies have assessed the factors affecting prognosis in hemodialysis (HD) patients who undergo surgical aortic valve replacement with a bioprostheses (SAVR-BP). This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of HD patients who had undergone SAVR-BP for aortic stenosis (AS) and identify the risk factors for mortality.

Methods

This retrospective study included 57 HD patients who had undergone SAVR-BP for AS between July 2009 and December 2020. Multivariate logistic regression was used to predict factors associated with mid-term outcomes and death or survival. Kaplan − Meier curves were also generated for mid-term survival.

Results

The in-hospital mortality rate was 8.8%, and the 5-year mortality rate was 42.1%. The independent predictors of 5-year mortality were preoperative age (hazard ratio [HR], 1.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.175–2.083, p = 0.002), hyperlipidemia (HR, 0.02; 95% CI, 0.002–0.297, p = 0.004), left ventricular diastolic diameter (HR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.142–2.649, p = 0.010), left ventricular systolic diameter (HR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.392–0.939, p = 0.025), and Japan SCORE (HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.052–1.563, p = 0.014). The postoperative predictors included intensive care unit stay (HR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.035–1.194, p = 0.004) and albumin level (HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.196–0.725, p = 0.003).

Conclusions

The 5-year prognosis of HD patients undergoing SAVR may be improved by early diagnosis (before the occurrence of LV hypertrophy/enlargement) and nutritional management with oral intake to alleviate postoperative hypoalbuminemia.

Registration number of clinical studies: UMIN000047410.

Outcomes of cardiac surgery in patients with end-stage renal disease: Insights from the Israel national registries

BACKGROUND

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) has been shown to be associated with increased mortality in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. We aimed to compare the short- and mid-term mortality after cardiac surgery of patients with dialysis-dependent ESRD (DD-ESRD) to patients with normal renal function (NRF), using national registries: the ESRD registry, the adult cardiac surgery registry (ACSR), and the National Mortality Registry.

METHODS

The study population comprised 8207 adult patients who underwent either isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), isolated aortic valve replacement (AVR), isolated mitral valve replacement (MVR), or CABG + valve-related procedure, between January 2017 and April 2019. Data were retrospectively extracted and reported to the ACSR by the department of medical records of each medical center.

RESULTS

One hundred and four DD-ESRD patients (mean age 63.2 ± 8.8 years, 83.7% males) were compared with 8103 NRF patients (mean age 64.9 ± 9.8 years, 77.6% males). Median follow-up for the total cohort was of 32.0 months (IQR; 25.0, 40.0). In DD-ESRD compared to NRF patients, 30-day mortality was higher (14.4% vs. 2.3%, respectively, p = 0.0001) and 4-year survival was significantly lower (44% ± 0.06 vs. 91% ± 0.04, respectively, p = 0.0001). Fifty-three percent of DD-ESRD 30-day mortality was caused by sepsis. Risk factors associated with reduced midterm survival included: DD-ESRD patients (HR = 4.7, 95% CI; 1.2-18.2), MVR procedure (HR = 1.5, 95% CI; 1.04-2.1) and combined CABG + valve-related procedure (HR = 1.6, 95% CI; 1.2-2.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative DD-ESRD was associated with a significant increase in 30-day and mid-term mortality after cardiac surgery. The highest mortality rate was observed in valvular and combined procedures.

Trends and Outcomes of Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease on Hemodialysis

Hemodialysis (HD) patients with aortic stenosis are less likely to undergo aortic valve replacement (AVR) due to their excess perioperative mortality. We aimed to evaluate contemporary utilization and outcomes of combined and isolated AVR in HD patients. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was used to identify 142,046 patients who underwent AVR in 2005 to 2014, of whom 2,264 (1.6%) were on HD. Crude and adjusted in-hospital outcomes and costs were assessed in unmatched and propensity-matched cohorts of HD and non-HD patients, respectively. The utilization of AVR in HD patients increased significantly (p = 0.047), with a significant decrease in mortality (p = 0.013). Compared with patients not on HD, crude in-hospital mortality in HD patients was twice higher (11.8% vs 6.2%, p <0.0001). HD patients had more blood transfusion and a trend toward more strokes. Lengths of stay and hospital charges, and rates of nonhome discharges were also higher in the HD group. In the propensity-matched cohorts of HD versus non-HD patients, in-hospital mortality rates after AVR remained twofold higher in the HD group (8.1% vs 3.9%, p <0.001). Rates of blood transfusion, cardiac tamponade, length of stay, hospital charges, and nonhome discharges were also higher in HD patients. In conclusion, AVR utilization in HD patients increased and its associated mortality decreased over the last decade. However, AVR mortality in HD patients remained twofold higher compared with non-HD patients. Also, AVR in HD patients was associated with higher cost, longer hospitalizations, and more frequent nonhome discharges.

Preoperative Evaluation in Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease and Chronic Kidney Disease

Optimal preoperative management of dialysis patients remains challenging. Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) have higher mortality in the perioperative setting compared with non-ESRD patients. However, it is well established that dialysis should be done on the day before surgery. Additional dialysis session prior to surgery does not improve outcomes. All dialysis patients should undergo blood work to check electrolytes and especially serum potassium prior to any surgery. Some medications, including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, and diuretics, should be stopped prior to surgery to minimize hemodynamic changes during surgery. The dialysis access should be carefully examined for any signs of infection. The arteriovenous fistula or graft should be evaluated for patency. Glycemic control in diabetic ESRD and chronic kidney disease patients is very important, and clinicians should be aware of the risk of bleeding and the appropriate analgesics that can be used in dialysis patients in the perioperative setting. In conclusion, preoperative evaluation in patients with ESRD should be a multidisciplinary approach.

Predictive factors of long-term survival in the octogenarian undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement: 12-year single-centre follow-up

The improvement of life expectancy created more surgical candidates with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis and age >80. Therefore, the main objective of this observational, retrospective single-centre study is to compare the long-term survival of octogenarians that have undergone surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) to the survival of the general population of the same age and to establish whether any perioperative characteristics can anticipate a poor long-term result, limiting the prognostic advantage of the procedure at this age. From 2000 to 2014, 264 octogenarians underwent AVR at our institution. Perioperative data were retrieved from our institutional database and patients were followed up by telephonic interviews. The follow-up ranged between 2 months and 14.9 years (mean 4.1 ± 3.1 years) and the completeness was 99.2 %. Logistic multivariate analysis and Cox regression were respectively applied to identify the risk factors of in-hospital mortality and follow-up survival. Our patient population ages ranged between 80 and 88 years. Isolated AVR (I-AVR) was performed in 136 patients (51.5 %) whereas combined AVR (C-AVR) in 128 patients (48.5 %). Elective procedures were 93.1 %. Logistic EuroSCORE was 15.4 ± 10.6. In-hospital mortality was 4.5 %. Predictive factors of in-hospital mortality were the non-elective priority of the procedure (OR 5.7, CI 1.28-25.7, p = 0.02), cardiopulmonary bypass time (OR 1.02, CI 1.01-1.03, p = 0.004) and age (OR 1.36, CI 1.01-1.84, p = 0.04). Follow-up survival at 1, 4, 8 and 12 years was 93.4 % ± 1.6 %, 72.1 % ± 3.3 %, 39.1 % ± 4.8 % and 20.1 % ± 5.7 %, respectively. The long-term survival of these patients was not statistically different from the survival of an age/gender-matched general population living in the same geographic region (p = 0.52). Predictive factors of poor long-term survival were diabetes mellitus (HR 1.55, CI 1.01-2.46, p = 0.05), preoperative creatinine >200 μmol/L (HR 2.07, CI 1.21-3.53, p = 0.007) and preoperative atrial fibrillation (HR 1.79, CI 1.14-2.80, p = 0.01). In our experience, AVR can be safely performed in octogenarians. After a successful operation, the survival of these patients returns similar to the general population. Nevertheless, the preoperative presence of major comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus, renal dysfunction and atrial fibrillation significantly impact on long-term results.

Coronary artery bypass: predictors of 30-day operative mortality in Jordanians

To determine the risk factors and rate of 30-day operative mortality among Jordanian patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass surgery, we reviewed the records (January, 2005 to July, 2009) of 1,046 consecutive patients. Demographic and perioperative data were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analysis. The 30-day operative mortality rate was 5.9%. Significant independent predictors of death were age>65 years, female sex, heart failure, ejection fraction≤35%, prolonged inotropic support, mechanical ventilation>12 h, postoperative pneumonia, and postoperative stroke. The 30-day operative mortality rate was comparable to that reported in other countries.

Left ventricular aneurysm repair without ventriculotomy

We describe a simple technique for left ventricular aneurysm without ventriculotomy. After confirming there is no thrombus in the left ventricular aneurysm, the aneurysm is pushed into the left ventricle and fixed with horizontal mattress sutures and running vertical sutures. This technique has quite low risk of bleeding.