Sustained Use of the Impella 5.0 Heart Pump Enables Bridge to Clinical Decisions in 34 Patients

We studied whether sustained hemodynamic support (>7 d) with the Impella 5.0 heart pump can be used as a bridge to clinical decisions in patients who present with cardiogenic shock, and whether such support can improve their outcomes. We retrospectively reviewed cases of patients who had Impella 5.0 support at our hospital from August 2017 through May 2019. Thirty-four patients (23 with cardiogenic shock and 11 with severely decompensated heart failure) underwent sustained support for a mean duration of 11.7 ± 9.3 days (range, ≤48 d). Of 29 patients (85.3%) who survived to next therapy, 15 were weaned from the Impella, 8 underwent durable left ventricular assist device placement, 4 were escalated to venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support, and 2 underwent heart transplantation. The 30-day survival rate was 76.5% (26 of 34 patients). Only 2 patients had a major adverse event: one each had an ischemic stroke and flail mitral leaflet. None of the devices malfunctioned. Sustained hemodynamic support with the Impella 5.0 not only improved outcomes in patients who presented with cardiogenic shock, but also provided time for multidisciplinary evaluation of potential cardiac recovery, or the need for durable left ventricular assist device implantation or heart transplantation. Our study shows the value of using the Impella 5.0 as a bridge to clinical decisions.

Optimisation of Perioperative Cardiovascular Management to Improve Surgical Outcome II (OPTIMISE II) trial: study protocol for a multicentre international trial of cardiac output-guided fluid therapy with low-dose inotrope infusion compared with usual care in patients undergoing major elective gastrointestinal surgery

INTRODUCTION

Postoperative morbidity and mortality in older patients with comorbidities undergoing gastrointestinal surgery are a major burden on healthcare systems. Infections after surgery are common in such patients, prolonging hospitalisation and reducing postoperative short-term and long-term survival. Optimal management of perioperative intravenous fluids and inotropic drugs may reduce infection rates and improve outcomes from surgery. Previous small trials of cardiac-output-guided haemodynamic therapy algorithms suggested a modest reduction in postoperative morbidity. A large definitive trial is needed to confirm or refute this and inform widespread clinical practice.

METHODS

The Optimisation of Perioperative Cardiovascular Management to Improve Surgical Outcome II (OPTIMISE II) trial is a multicentre, international, parallel group, open, randomised controlled trial. 2502 high-risk patients undergoing major elective gastrointestinal surgery will be randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio using minimisation to minimally invasive cardiac output monitoring to guide protocolised administration of intravenous fluid combined with low-dose inotrope infusion, or usual care. The trial intervention will be carried out during and for 4 hours after surgery. The primary outcome is postoperative infection of Clavien-Dindo grade II or higher within 30 days of randomisation. Participants and those delivering the intervention will not be blinded to treatment allocation; however, outcome assessors will be blinded when feasible. Participant recruitment started in January 2017 and is scheduled to last 3 years, within 50 hospitals worldwide.

ETHICS/DISSEMINATION

The OPTIMISE II trial has been approved by the UK National Research Ethics Service and has been approved by responsible ethics committees in all participating countries. The findings will be disseminated through publication in a widely accessible peer-reviewed scientific journal.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ISRCTN39653756.

New Pulmonary Valvuloplasty Technique by Use of an Hourglass-Shaped Balloon in 3 Adults with Severe Pulmonary Valve Stenosis

Percutaneous balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty is the preferred therapy for pulmonary valve stenosis. However, the designs of the cylindrical balloons historically used for valvuloplasty have limitations, especially in patients who have large pulmonary annular diameters. The hourglass-shaped V8 Aortic Valvuloplasty Balloon may prove to be an effective alternative. The balloon has 2 large bulbous segments that are separated by a narrowed waist. The geometric shape is maintained throughout inflation, improving fixation and enabling broader leaflet opening. We present our first experience with the V8 balloon in 3 adults who had severe, symptomatic pulmonary valve stenosis. In addition to describing their cases, we detail our sizing technique for pulmonary valvuloplasty with the V8 balloon. Our successful results suggest that the V8 balloon is efficient and safe for balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty in adults with severe pulmonary valve stenosis.

Percutaneous Valvuloplasty for Bioprosthetic Tricuspid Valve Stenosis

Percutaneous transcatheter tricuspid balloon valvuloplasty (PTTBV) is an accepted treatment option for symptomatic severe native tricuspid valve stenosis, although surgical tricuspid valve replacement remains the treatment of choice. There have been few reports of successful PTTBV for bioprosthetic tricuspid valve stenosis. We present case reports of 3 patients from our hospital experience. Two of the 3 cases were successful, with lasting clinical improvement, whereas the 3rd patient failed to show a reduction in valve gradient. We describe the standard technique used for PTTBV. We present results from a literature review that identified 16 previously reported cases of PTTBV for bioprosthetic severe tricuspid stenosis, with overall favorable results. We conclude that PTTBV should perhaps be considered for a select patient population in which symptomatic improvement and hemodynamic stability are desired immediately, and particularly for patients who are inoperable or at high surgical risk.

Direct Measurement of Left Atrial Pressure during Routine Transradial Catheterization

Left atrial pressure indicates the left ventricular filling pressure in patients who have systolic or diastolic left ventricular dysfunction or valvular heart disease. The use of indirect surrogate methods to determine left atrial pressure has been essential in the modern evaluation and treatment of cardiovascular disease because of the difficulty and inherent risks associated with direct methods (typically the transseptal approach). One method that has been widely used to determine left atrial pressure indirectly is Swan-Ganz catheterization, in which a balloon-flotation technique is applied to measure pulmonary capillary wedge pressure; however, this approach has been associated with several limitations and potential risks. Measuring left ventricular end-diastolic pressure has also been widely used as a simple means to estimate filling pressures but remains a surrogate for the gold standard of directly measuring left atrial pressure. We describe a simple, low-risk method to directly measure left atrial pressure that involves the use of standard coronary catheterization techniques during a transradial procedure.

Older Age at Completion of Fontan Procedure Is Associated with Improved Percentage of Predicted Maximum Oxygen Uptake

We tested the hypothesis that later completion of the Fontan procedure is associated with improved exercise capacity in the current period of staged single-ventricle palliation. We performed a retrospective study, in Fontan patients, of exercise stress test data from April 2003 through March 2011. Patients were included if they had received staged palliations in accordance with current surgical strategy, defined as the performance of a superior cavopulmonary connection at ≤1 year of age, followed in subsequent years by Fontan completion. Patients with a pacemaker or respiratory exchange ratio <1 were excluded. Early and late Fontan groups were created on the basis of whether Fontan completion had been performed at <4 or ≥ 4 years of age. The primary predictor variable was age at Fontan completion, and the primary marker of exercise performance was the percentage of predicted maximum oxygen consumption. During the study period, 55 patients were identified (mean age, 11.7 ± 2.8 yr). Older age at Fontan completion correlated positively with higher percentages of predicted maximum oxygen consumption (R=0.286, P=0.034). Patients in whom Fontan completion was performed at ≥4 years of age had higher percentages of predicted maximum oxygen consumption than did those in whom completion was at <4 years of age (84.4 ± 21.5 vs 72.9 ± 18.1; P=0.041). Later Fontan completion might be associated with improved exercise capacity in patients palliated in accordance with contemporary surgical strategy.

Impact of hemodynamic monitoring on clinical outcomes

In recent years, there has been a tremendous growth in available hemodynamic monitoring devices to support clinical decision-making in the operating room and intensive care unit. In addition to the "tried and true" heart rate and blood pressure monitors, there are several newer applications of existing technologies including arterial waveform analysis, intraoperative and bedside critical care echocardiography, esophageal Doppler, and tissue oximetry, among others. Several monitoring devices demonstrate positive effect on outcomes, especially when used in conjunction with specific goal-directed therapy protocols to achieve a desired clinical effect. Other devices remain in the validation stage, awaiting comprehensive comparison to established techniques. While these new technologies offer promising advances in intraoperative and critical care, they are often quite costly and many devices lack strong evidence for widespread adoption into clinical practice. In this review, we highlight the current data on clinical outcomes with the use of available hemodynamic monitoring devices.

Central venous pressure and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure: fresh clinical perspectives from a new model of discordant and concordant heart failure

Heart-failure phenotypes include pulmonary and systemic venous congestion. Traditional heart-failure classification systems include the Forrester hemodynamic subsets, which use 2 indices: pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) and cardiac index. We hypothesized that changes in PCWP and central venous pressure (CVP), and in the phenotypes of heart failure, might be better evaluated by cardiovascular modeling. Therefore, we developed a lumped-parameter cardiovascular model and analyzed forms of heart failure in which the right and left ventricles failed disproportionately (discordant ventricular failure) versus equally (concordant failure). At least 10 modeling analyses were carried out to the equilibrium state. Acute discordant pump failure was characterized by a "passive" volume movement, with fluid accumulation and pressure elevation in the circuit upstream of the failed pump. In biventricular failure, less volume was mobilized. These findings negate the prevalent teaching that pulmonary congestion in left ventricular failure results primarily from the "backing up" of elevated left ventricular filling pressure. They also reveal a limitation of the Forrester classification: that PCWP and cardiac index are not independent indices of circulation. Herein, we propose a system for classifying heart-failure phenotypes on the basis of discordant or concordant heart failure. A surrogate marker, PCWP-CVP separation, in a simplified situation without complex valvular or pulmonary disease, shows that discordant left and right ventricular failures are characterized by differences of ≥ 4 and ≤ 0 mmHg, respectively. We validated the proposed model and classification system by using published data on patients with acute and chronic heart failure.

Successful use of the Impella device in giant cell myocarditis as a bridge to permanent left ventricular mechanical support

Idiopathic giant cell myocarditis is a rare condition with a poor prognosis. Patients with giant cell myocarditis typically die of refractory ventricular arrhythmias or progressive congestive heart failure in about 3 months. The benefit of immunosuppressive therapy varies among patients with giant cell myocarditis, and no factors that would predict which patients will respond to therapy have been identified. Mechanical circulatory support devices, from intra-aortic balloon pumps to more permanent systems, have been used for ventricular support in cases of acute heart failure.Herein, we describe a case of giant cell myocarditis in a previously healthy 44-year-old woman who presented with cardiogenic shock. She was supported hemodynamically with the Impella Recover LP 2.5 left ventricular assist device until a permanent device could be surgically implanted. To our knowledge, this is the 1st reported case of the successful use of the Impella device for hemodynamic support in a patient with giant cell myocarditis until more definitive treatment could be instituted.

Management of patients supported on the Hemopump cardiac assist system

The Hemopump Cardiac Assist System is a relatively new intraarterial, axial-flow circulatory assist device that offers temporary left ventricular support to patients in refractory cardiogenic shock, without requiring major surgery for insertion. Use of the Hemopump is associated with a low complication rate. Device-related morbidity is extremely rare. Because the Hemopump is safe for use in community hospitals, the number of patients supported by this device is expected to increase. In this report, we present general guidelines for the care of patients supported by the Hemopump. We describe techniques for the management of afterload reduction, supravalvular dislodgement, device malfunction, ventricular ectopy, intracardiac shunting, and inflow cannula obstruction.