Increased Risk of Perioperative Ischemic Stroke in Patients Who Undergo Noncardiac Surgery with Preexisting Atrial Septal Defect or Patent Foramen Ovale

Closure of small fenestrations without optimal rims with a PDA coil far from primary atrial septal defects: a new approach

An ostium secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) is a CHD that can be treated percutaneously since 1974, mostly cases with only one main defect. In cases with fenestrations close to the main defect, a single occluder can be used for treatment because the discs extend beyond the waist of the device. In some cases where the defects are far from each other, they may require either more than one device or surgical closure. We present two patients in whom we observed fenestrations far from the primary defect. Initially, the main ASDs were closed with an ASD occluder, and then the fenestrations were closed with a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) coil, resulting in complete closure of both defects. This shows that closing small fenestrations that are far away from the primary interatrial defect without rims and using other devices instead, such as a PDA coil, is feasible and can avoid the need for an open-heart surgical procedure; moreover, it is important to note that leaving these fenestrations open can have the same physiology as a patent foramen oval.

Perioperative care of patients with recent stroke undergoing nonemergent, nonneurological, noncardiac, nonvascular surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To systematically review and perform a meta-analysis of published literature regarding postoperative stroke and mortality in patients with a history of stroke and to provide a framework for preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care in an elective setting.

RECENT FINDINGS

Patients with nonneurological, noncardiac, and nonvascular surgery within three months after stroke have a 153-fold risk, those within 6 months have a 50-fold risk, and those within 12 months have a 20-fold risk of postoperative stroke. There is a 12-fold risk of in-hospital mortality within three months and a three-to-four-fold risk of mortality for more than 12 months after stroke. The risk of stroke and mortality continues to persist years after stroke. Recurrent stroke is common in patients in whom anticoagulation/antiplatelet therapy is discontinued. Stroke and time elapsed after stroke should be included in the preoperative assessment questionnaire, and a stroke-specific risk assessment should be performed before surgical planning is pursued.

SUMMARY

In patients with a history of a recent stroke, anesthesiology, surgery, and neurology experts should create a shared mental model in which the patient/surrogate decision-maker is informed about the risks and benefits of the proposed surgical procedure; secondary-stroke-prevention medications are reviewed; plans are made for interruptions and resumption; and intraoperative care is individualized to reduce the likelihood of postoperative stroke or death.

Postoperative Complications, Readmissions, Lengths of Stay, and Cost Analyses of Patients Who Have Atrial Septal Defects After Total Joint Arthroplasty

BACKGROUND

Atrial septal defects (ASDs) are a common congenital heart defect. This study aimed to determine whether patients diagnosed with ASDs undergoing total joint arthroplasty have differences in 1) medical complications, 2) readmissions, 3) lengths of stay (LOS), and 4) costs.

METHODS

Using an administrative claims data set, a retrospective query from 2010 to 2020 was performed. The ASD patients were 1:5 ratio matched with controls, yielding a total of 45,695 total knee arthroplasty (TKA) (ASD = 7,635, control = 38,060) and 18,407 total hip arthroplasty (THA) (ASD = 3,084, control = 15,323) patients. Outcomes included medical complications, readmissions, LOS, and costs. Logistical regressions were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and P values. P values < 0.001 were significant.

RESULTS

The ASD patients had higher odds of medical complications after TKA (38.8 versus 21.0%; OR 2.09; P < .001) and THA (45.2 versus 23.5%; OR 2.1; P < .001), noticeably deep vein thromboses, strokes, and other thromboembolic complications. The ASD patients were not significantly more likely to be readmitted after TKA (5.3 versus 4.7%; OR 1.13; P = .033) or THA (6.0 versus 5.7%; OR 1.05; P = .531). Patient LOS was not significantly greater in ASD patients undergoing TKA (3.2 versus 3.2 days; P = .805) but was greater after THA (5.3 versus 3.76 days; P < .001). Same-day surgery costs were not significantly increased in ASD patients after TKA ($23,892.53 versus $23,453.40; P = .066) but were after THA ($23,981.93 versus $23,579.18; P < .001). Costs within 90 days were similar between cohorts.

CONCLUSION

The ASD patients have greater 90-day complications following primary total joint arthroplasty. Providers may consider preoperative cardiac clearance or adjusting anticoagulation in this population to mitigate these risks.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III.

Prevention of perioperative stroke in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery

About 300 million adults undergo non-cardiac surgery annually. Although, in this setting, the incidence of perioperative stroke is low, the absolute number of patients experiencing a stroke is substantial. Furthermore, most patients with this complication will die or end up with severe disability. Covert brain infarctions are more frequent than overt strokes and are associated with postoperative delirium, cognitive decline, and cerebrovascular events at 1 year after surgery. Evidence shows that traditional stroke risk factors including older age, hypertension, and atrial fibrillation are also associated with perioperative stroke; previous stroke is the strongest risk factor for perioperative stroke. Increasing evidence also suggests the pathogenic role of perioperative events, such as hypotension, new atrial fibrillation, paradoxical embolism, and bleeding. Clinicians involved in perioperative care should be aware of this evidence on prevention strategies to improve patient outcomes after non-cardiac surgery.

Impact of patent foramen ovale on short-term outcomes in children with biliary atresia undergoing living donor liver transplantation: a retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the impact of patent foramen ovale (PFO) on the short-term outcomes of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) in children with biliary atresia.

METHODS

With the approval of the hospital ethics committee, 304 children with biliary atresia who underwent LDLT in our center from January 2020 to December 2021 were enrolled. According to the results of echocardiography before the operation, the subjects were divided into the PFO group (n = 73) and the NoPFO group (n = 231). The baseline characteristics; intraoperative recipient-related data and donor-related data; incidence of postreperfusion syndrome (PRS); postoperative mechanical ventilation time; ICU stay duration; postoperative hospital stay duration; liver function index; incidences of postoperative complications including acute renal injury (AKI), graft dysfunction, hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) and portal vein thrombosis (PVT); and one-year survival rate were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

The median age in the PFO group was 6 months and that in the NoPFO group was 9 months (P < 0.001), and the median height (65 cm) and weight (6.5 kg) in the PFO group were significantly lower than those in the NoPFO group (68 cm, 8.0 kg) (P < 0.001). The preoperative total bilirubin level (247 vs. 202 umol/L, P = 0.007) and pediatric end-stage liver disease (PELD) score (21 vs. 16, P = 0.001) in the PFO group were higher than those in the NoPFO group. There were no significant differences in the intraoperative PRS incidence (46.6% vs. 42.4%, P = 0.533 ), postoperative mechanical ventilation time (184 vs. 220 min, P = 0.533), ICU stay duration (3.0 vs. 2.5 d, P = 0.267), postoperative hospital stay duration (22 vs. 21 d, P = 0.138), AKI incidence (19.2% vs. 24.7%, P = 0.333), graft dysfunction incidence (11.0% vs. 12.6%, P = 0.716), HAT incidence (5.5% vs. 4.8%, P = 0.762), PVT incidence (2.7% vs. 2.2%, P = 0.675) or one-year survival rate (94.5% vs. 95.7%, P = 0.929) between the two groups.

CONCLUSION

The presence of PFO has no negative impact on short-term outcomes in children with biliary atresia after LDLT.

Patent foramen Ovale-related paradoxical embolism after noncardiac surgery

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a remnant of the fetal circulation that remains in a significant portion of the adult population, predisposing to a higher risk of stroke. This risk is further elevated in the postoperative hypercoagulative period. Here we present a case where a patient underwent a total knee arthroplasty and presented with right-sided hemiparesis on post-operative day 2. Subsequently, the patient underwent percutaneous PFO closure with a 25-mm Amplatzer PFO Occluder (Abbott; Chicago, IL, USA). The patient has not had a stroke since the PFO closure. Recent randomized trials have demonstrated superiority of percutaneous PFO closure over standard-of-care medical therapy for secondary prevention of PFO-associated stroke. Since post-operative PFO-associated stroke is under-recognized in clinical practice, further large-cohort studies are needed to evaluate whether PFO screening and device closure would decrease post-operative stroke risk for noncardiac surgeries.

Learning Objective

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a remnant of the fetal circulation commonly found in the adult population, which can increase the risk of stroke. Stroke is a complication of PFO, yet closure of this remnant only occurs on a specific case-by-case basis. Further research in this area is required to determine whether a larger population would benefit from PFO closure.

Total Joint Arthroplasty in Patients With Atrial Septal Defects: What Are the 90-Day Complications?

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Level of evidence

Patent foramen ovale and perioperative stroke in noncardiac surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is associated with perioperative stroke in noncardiac surgery. The magnitude of this association was assessed in a systematic review and meta-analysis.

METHODS

Electronic databases were searched up to June 2022 for studies assessing the association between patent foramen ovale and perioperative stroke in adult patients undergoing noncardiac surgery. The primary analysis was limited to studies reporting effect estimates adjusted for significant clinical confounders. We calculated the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS

We included nine retrospective and two prospective observational studies, including 21 257 082 patients. The presence of a patent foramen ovale was independently associated with stroke at 30 days after surgery (aOR=6.68 [95% CI: 3.51-12.73]; P<0.001) and at longest follow-up available (aOR=7.36 [95% CI: 3.56-15.21]; P<0.001). The odds of stroke at 30 days varied according to surgical specialty: neurosurgery (aOR=4.52 [95% CI: 3.17-6.43]), vascular surgery (aOR=7.15 [95% CI: 2.52-20.22]), thoracic surgery (aOR=10.64 [95% CI: 5.97-18.98]), orthopaedic surgery (aOR=11.85 [95% CI: 5.38-26.08]), general surgery (aOR=14.40 [95% CI: 10.88-19.06]), and genitourinary surgery (aOR=17.28 [95% CI: 10.36-28.84]).

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of a patent foramen ovale is associated with a large and consistent increase in odds of stroke across all explored surgical settings. Prospective trials should further explore this association by systematically assessing patent foramen ovale and stroke prevalence and identifying a specific population at risk. This is crucial for the elaboration of prevention plans and may improve perioperative outcomes.

Risk of Perioperative Stroke in Patients with Patent Foramen Ovale: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a common congenital cardiac abnormality. Risk of stroke increases perioperatively; however, the association of PFO with perioperative stroke risk remains unclear. We conducted a systematic review to inform the risk of perioperative stroke in patients with PFO undergoing surgery.

METHODS

EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Cochrane databases were searched from inception to January 2020. We described methods used for establishing PFO and perioperative stroke diagnosis. We conducted meta-analyses to obtain pooled estimates for risk of stroke in patients with and without PFO in different surgical populations.

RESULTS

Ten articles with a total of 20,858,011 patients met the eligibility criteria. Prevalence of PFO ranged from 0.06-1.4% based on ICD code diagnosis and 10.4-40.4% based on echocardiography diagnosis. Perioperative stroke was observed in 0-25% of patients with PFO, and 0-16.7% without PFO. Studies that use echocardiography to diagnose PFO found no association between PFO and perioperative stroke. Studies that used ICD codes, found strong association but were highly heterogenous. PFO was not associated with a risk of perioperative stroke in cardiac and transplant surgeries. While the adjusted odds ratios for stroke were substantial for orthopedic, general, genitourinary, neuro, and thoracic surgeries (with PFO status established based on ICD codes), data heterogeneity and quality of data create significant uncertainty.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, PFO is likely a risk factor for perioperative stroke in select types of surgeries. However, this is based on a very low-quality evidence. Rigorous, prospective studies are needed to further investigate this relationship.

[Thalamic infarction following paradoxical embolism during total hip replacement : Case report and pathophysiological considerations]

Because of a painful right-sided coxarthrosis a 57-year-old female patient underwent a cementless total arthroplasty under general anesthesia. Except for Asperger's syndrome and an occlusion of a vein in her left eye she stated no other diseases or complaints, especially no cardiac problems. Postoperatively she developed neurological symptoms of left-sided hemiparesis and hemihypesthesia. A cranial computer tomography was performed and a right-sided infarction of the thalamic region was found. A patent foramen ovale (PFO) and atrial septal aneurysm were detected 5 days later. The incidence of a PFO is given as 25% of the population. A paradoxical air embolism in the presence of a PFO is a feared complication in neurosurgical interventions in a semi-sitting or sitting position. Corpuscular emboli, such as bone, cement, fat or wound debris may be the reason for paradoxical embolisms in combination especially with partial or total hip replacement. The kind of embolism in the case described could not be clarified. Deep vein thrombosis or cardiac arrhythmia could be excluded. Therefore, it can be considered most likely that the operation site was the source of the embolism. The trigger for a paradoxical embolism is a reversal of the pressure difference between the right and left atria: normally the left atrial pressure exceeds the right atrial pressure by ca. 2-4 mm Hg, resulting possibly in a small clinically irrelevant left-to-right shunt. If the pulmonary arterial circulation is compromised and pulmonary vascular resistance increases, the pressure gradient between the left and right atria reverses and a right-to-left shunt can occur causing a paradoxical embolism. Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) ventilation during anesthesia could be an important reason for a shunt reversal between the right and left atria and therefore favoring a paradoxical embolism but the pathophysiological role of PEEP has not yet been finally clarified.