Aortic Annuloplasty: Focus on the Use of an External Teflon Ring

Aortic annuloplasty has been clearly demonstrated to have a protective influence in aortic valve repair. Over the past 20 years, different annuloplasty concepts have been proposed by different groups. However, the most appropriate approach to enable long-term annular stability remains highly controversial. The aim of this article is to give a general overview of all types of aortic annuloplasty, particularly focusing on the use of an external Teflon ring, as proposed by our group. In this technique, external root dissection is performed in the same fashion as for reimplantation; the only difference is that it is necessary to go below the coronary ostia take-off. A series of pledgeted sutures (usually between 6 and 9 sutures) are placed at the level of the virtual basal ring. The external ring is made using a Teflon strip with a length of 8 to 9 cm, to reduce the annulus to a diameter of between 21 and 23 mm. The sub-annular sutures are then passed at the appropriate level through the Teflon strip and the strip is parachuted outside the aortic root base, passing under the coronary ostia. The two ends of the Teflon strip are tied at the level of the non-coronary sinus. Aortic annuloplasty is a crucial step to improve valve competence and stabilization. While several techniques offer good mid- to long-term results, annuloplasty with an external Teflon ring appears to be a simple and effective alternative to guarantee stable root diameters. Longer follow-up studies are needed to confirm the mid- to long-term results.

Twenty-year experience of aortic valve reimplantation using the Valsalva graft

OBJECTIVES

Over the past 20 years, valve-sparing aortic root replacement has aroused increasing interest because of a progressive attitude towards the preservation of natural tissue. Aortic reimplantation is the most used technique to spare the valve, allowing simultaneously aortic root replacement and aortic annular stabilization. The reimplantation into a graft with sinuses guarantees an optimal anatomic and functional reconstruction with established good results at 15 years. The aim of this study is to report the world longest follow-up (up to 20 years) of aortic valve reimplantation using the Valsalva graft.

METHODS

From February 2000 to December 2021, 265 consecutive patients with aortic root aneurysm received aortic valve reimplantation using the Valsalva graft. From 2018, leaflet plication with the routine use of calliper was performed. For each patient, we performed both intraoperative and post-procedural transoesophageal echocardiography. All patients were followed with clinical assessment and echocardiography. The mean duration of follow-up was 85 ± 63 months.

RESULTS

The study cohort had a median age of 55 ± 18 and 87.2% were male. The aortic root aneurysm was associated to bicuspid aortic valve in 18.9% of patients and to Marfan syndrome in 10.6% of cases. 55.9% had an aortic regurgitation ≥ 2+. Overall survival at 15 was 87.6 ± 3.4. Freedom from cardiac death was stable at 99.6 ± 0.4 at 5, 10 and 15 years. Freedom from recurrent AR ≥3+ and freedom from reoperation remained stable at 10 and 15 years at 92.2 ± 2.1 and 95.9 ± 1.6, respectively. There was a minimal incidence of infective endocarditis (0.8%), thromboembolism (2.2%) and haemorrhage (2.0%). Six out of 7 patients requiring reoperation had surgery in the first period of our experience (last in 2004). Early suboptimal results had a negative effect on residual aortic regurgitation. Moreover, we hypothesized that the routine use of calliper may have contributed to a further improvement of the outcome, even if these data need to be confirmed by a longer follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

The first long-term follow-up after aortic valve reimplantation using the Valsalva graft demonstrated excellent results. These long-term results gradually improved with learning curve, remaining stable during the second decade of observation. The systematic use of calliper may have contributed to a further improvement of the outcome.

Reimplantation versus aortic ring annuloplasty in bicuspid valve with borderline aortic root ectasia

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Biological Valves Impervious to Calcification: Is this Holy Grail a Cup Ready to Drink?

An indefinitely lasting bioprosthesis that does not require anticoagulation treatment is the holy grail of substitutive heart surgery. However, this goal is not yet in sight with the present state of technology. Over the past few years, tremendous advances have been achieved regarding tissue anticalcification processes, hemodynamic performance and future-proofing by ensuring compatibility with transcatheter valve-in-valve procedures. The Inspiris Resilia valve (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA) was designed to incorporate all of these enhancements. It is now leaving the experimental phase and is being tested in the real world. We present here a comprehensive review of the evolution of biological prostheses, details of new anticalcification technologies, and early results of published studies as well as the experience at the European Hospital (Rome, Italy), the site of the first European implant and a leading center in various protocols. In our two years of experience with the Inspiris Resilia, there have been no cases of structural valve deterioration, endocarditis, detachment or periprocedural complication, and gradients seem to be superior to those with the previous generation of Edwards valves. While longer-term experience is clearly needed, the results thus far are encouraging.

Root Reimplantation and Aortic Annuloplasty With External Ring in Bicuspid Aortic Valve: An Anatomical Comparison

Aortic annuloplasty has demonstrated to be a protective factor in valve-sparing root replacement and aortic valve repair. Both reimplantation for aortic root aneurysms and external ring annuloplasty for isolated aortic regurgitation have demonstrated good long-term results. The aim of this anatomical study is to compare aortic reimplantation with Valsalva graft with aortic external ring annuloplasty in bicuspid aortic valves, analyzing their morphological features with CT scan. We selected 56 patients with bicuspid aortic valve who underwent reimplantation procedure with Valsalva graft or external ring annuloplasty; after propensity-matching, 2 homogeneous groups of 10 patients each were obtained. Through multiplanar ECG-gated CT-Scan reconstructions, pre- and postoperative, aortic annular, and valve geometrical characteristics were compared (diameters, perimeter, area and ellipticity index for the annulus; effective height, coaptation length and commissural height for the valve). Aortic root volume was also analyzed. Postoperative comparison of the two groups showed similar geometric features of the aortic annulus in terms of major and minor diameters, perimeter, area and ellipticity index. Analysis of valve's parameters showed similar results in terms of effective height and coaptation length (respectively 10.9 ± 2.1 mm and 7.5 ± 1.9 mm in External Ring group and 10.1 ± 2.0 mm and 7.6 ± 1.6 mm in the Reimplantation group). Both techniques achieve an efficient annuloplasty with similar anatomical results on bicuspid the aortic valves. The stability of these results needs to be confirmed by long-term clinical and echocardiographic follow-up.

Towards a better comprehension of acute mesenteric ischemia after cardiac surgery. An analysis of 33 patients

BACKGROUND

Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) after cardiac surgery is a rare but serious complication associated to high mortality. The time of onset is the key point to correctly evaluate the clinical scenarios.

METHODS

Data from adult patients who underwent laparotomy for AMI after elective or urgent cardiac surgery were reviewed (January 2005 - December 2019) to report their anatomoclinical features in relationship to time of onset. Early events (within 48 hours) were allocated to Group 1, whereas late onsets were allocated to Group 2.

RESULTS

The incidence of risk factors for non occlusive mesenteric ischemia was higher in Group 1 (chronic renal failure 80% vs 38.8%, P <0.05, use of inotropes 60% vs 5.5%, P <0.01, early oligo-anuria requiring CRRT 80% vs 16.6%, P <0.01, prolonged ventilation 46.6% vs 5.5%, P <0.05), where a significative occurrence of postoperative de novo atrial fibrillation was noted in Group 2 (55% vs 5.5%, P <0.01). The number of patients who required bowel resection was proportionally higher in the Group 2.

CONCLUSIONS

Two well distinct categories of AMI after cardiac surgery can be classified. The first consists of patients with well-known risk factors developing ischemia as a result of severe visceral hypoperfusion The second consists of patients with low comorbidity who experience late AMI as a consequence of "trigger events", mainly de novo atrial fibrillation. This classification may be useful to better alert the medical staff to the possibility of bowel ischemia at any time after cardiac surgery, promoting early diagnosis and treatment.

KEY WORDS

Mesenteric ischemia, Cardiovascular pathology.

The Neochord Procedure After Failed Surgical Mitral Valve Repair

Surgical mitral valve reintervention is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and repeat repair is not always feasible. We examine the clinical outcomes of the NeoChord procedure after failed conventional mitral valve repair. A total of 312 patients were treated with the NeoChord repair procedure between January 2014 and December 2018 at 5 European centers. Clinical and echocardiographic data were reviewed to identify patients who had a prior surgical mitral valve repair procedure. The primary endpoint (Patient Success) was a composite of placement of at least 2 neochordae and end-procedure mitral valve regurgitation (MR) ≤ mild, freedom from death, stroke, structural or functional procedure failure (MR > moderate), procedure or device-related unplanned procedures, cardiac-related rehospitalization, or worsening NYHA functional class at 1 and 2-year FU. Fifteen (15) patients were identified who required reoperation for failed surgical mitral valve repair. Mean time-to-reoperation was 2.7 years (2.2-6.1). Median intensive care unit stay was 24 hours and median hospitalization time was 7 days (6-8). No in-hospital deaths were observed. At discharge, mitral regurgitation was ≤ mild in 13 patients (86.7%). Patient success and freedom from more than mild MR were 92.3 ± 7.4% and 83.9 ± 10.4% at 1 and 2-year follow-up respectively. One high-risk patient presented with severe recurrent MR and died during surgical reintervention due to an acute aortic dissection. Selected patients can be successfully treated with the NeoChord procedure after failed surgical mitral valve repair. These results support a wider adoption of the NeoChord procedure as a first-line minimally invasive, alternative therapy to treat failed mitral valve repair.

External Stents for Vein Grafts in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: Targeting Intimal Hyperplasia

INTRODUCTION

Progressive saphenous vein graft (SVG) failure remains a key limitation to the long-term success of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). SVG disease after the first year is dominated by intimal hyperplasia, which predisposes the SVG to thrombosis and accelerated atherosclerosis. The objective of this study was to review and summarize the latest experimental and clinical data on the use of mechanical external stents for vein grafts.

METHODS

In January 2020, the PubMed database was searched using the terms "external stent", "CABG", "saphenous vein graft" and "intimal hyperplasia". The results were reviewed and only randomized experimental and clinical studies that analyzed the effect of external stenting on venous intimal hyperplasia were included in the analysis, together with studies that investigated the clinical benefit of external stenting.

RESULTS

Eight experimental and four clinical trials met the search criteria. Controlled trials in different large animal models concluded that external stenting significantly reduced intimal hyperplasia 3-6 months post implantation, and reduced both thrombosis rates and the development of lumen irregularities. Data from randomized controlled trials with a follow-up period of 1-4.5 years supported the pre-clinical findings and demonstrated that external stents significantly reduced vein graft disease.

CONCLUSION

Strong evidence indicates that supporting the vein with external stents is safe and leads to clear advantages at both the anatomical and cellular levels. With the further accumulation of consistent positive results, external stenting of SVG may become the standard of care in future CABG.

Long-term follow-up of Bentall procedure using the Perimount bioprosthesis and the Valsalva graft

OBJECTIVES

Bentall procedure is the gold standard for aortic root pathologies when valve repair is not feasible. The development of durable bioprosthetic valves and improved vascular conduits allowed the implementation of bioprosthetic composite grafts; hereby, we performed a retrospective analysis of long-term follow-up of Bentall procedure using the Valsalva graft and the Perimount Magna Ease prosthesis.

METHODS

From June 2000 to March 2019, 309 patients received an aortic root and valve replacement with a bioprosthetic composite graft. The mean age was 69 ± 6.9 years, and the majority were men (88%); most of them were affected by aortic stenosis (86%) and the mean aortic root diameter was 48.6 ± 5.5 mm.

RESULTS

Freedom from cardiac death was 76.8% [confidence interval (CI) 32.5-94.0] at 16 years. Freedom from thromboembolism, haemorrhage, structural valve deterioration and infective endocarditis was 98.2% (CI 96.0-98.9), 95.2% (CI 87.1-98.2), 87.5% (CI 63.2-97.1) and 79.6% (CI 45.3-95.6) at 16 years, respectively. Freedom from reoperation was 74.7% (CI 41.9-90.6).

CONCLUSIONS

These data indicate that, in experienced centres, the Bentall procedure is a safe and effective intervention. This is the first long-term follow-up that analyses the results after implantation of a composite graft made with the Perimount Magna Ease aortic valve and the Valsalva graft.

Latest Advances in Cardiac Valvular Replacement

The original monograph on valvular prostheses in Surgical Technology International was published in 1993. It represents a milestone and a reference point for critically organizing information on a complex and rapidly evolving topic. The last update was published in 2010. Since then, there have been significant developments regarding both "traditional" surgical prosthesis and valves for transcatheter implantation. Both bioprostheses and mechanical prostheses continue to evolve with respect to both their design and materials to further optimize hemodynamics and prevent a patient-prosthesis mismatch. Each type of prosthesis has its own Achilles's heel: limited durability leading to structural failure for bioprostheses, and the need for anticoagulation for mechanical prostheses. After a long period of only marginal improvements, new techniques for tissue preservation and manufacturing seem to have placed surgeons on the verge of a minor revolution regarding bioprostheses. In addition, in the realm of mechanical prostheses, the many promises of silicon-free pyrolitic carbon still need to be confirmed, while an extremely cautious approach with new anticoagulants has left patients out of the non-dose-adjusted revolution, which has radically improved the quality of life of other patients, such as those suffering from atrial fibrillation. On the other hand, transcatheter therapies are maturing, and the next few years will probably see an even stronger shift in the treatment of patients away from surgical theaters to cath labs, or perhaps to a new mixed theater (which could lead to a new mixed surgeon/catheter expert professional). This paper provides device descriptions and images of the technologies that are considered to be predominant, at least for the moment, to help orient surgeons and to serve as a reference for students. This report would not have been possible without the prior work of Profs. Denton Cooley and Eric Jamieson.

Prospective Randomized Clinical Trial of HEMOPATCH Topical Sealant in Cardiac Surgery

OBJECTIVE

Hemostasis is a critical component of all surgical procedures and especially cardiac surgery. In addition to traditional means, topical hemostatic agents have been reported to be extremely effective in terminating bleeding during cardiac procedures. We compared a hemostatic matrix sealant agent (HEMOPATCH Baxter Healthcare Corporation, Deerfield, IL) with alternative topical hemostatic treatment in patients undergoing ascending aorta surgery with moderate bleeding.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Following sample size calculation, in a prospective randomized study design, 85 patients were treated with HEMOPATCH matrix sealant and 85 patients received alternative treatment (dry or wet gauze compression or similar [control group]). The primary outcome measure was the percentage of patients with successful hemostasis within three minutes of HEMOPATCH or traditional treatment application. Other study outcome measures were postoperative blood loss and the rate of transfusion of blood products.

RESULTS

A statistically higher rate of successful hemostasis within three minutes was observed in the HEMOPATCH group (97.6% [83/85] vs. 65.8% [56/85] in the control group; p< 0.001). The percentages of patients with postoperative bleeding and the rate of transfusion were lower in the HEMOPATCH group than in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of HEMOPATCH is effective in terminating bleeding in patients undergoing ascending aorta cardiac procedures. Fewer patients treated with HEMOPATCH required blood transfusion. The cost-utility profile of HEMOPATCH should be addressed in dedicated trials.