Background Transcatheter aortic valve implantation has gained widespread acceptance to treat elderly high-risk patients with aortic stenosis. We used a subcutaneous rat model to evaluate whether ...crimping may affect valve long-term durability. Methods Standard Sapien transcatheter valves (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA) were crimped for different durations (1 hour, 1 day, 1 month) and uncrimped, and leaflet pieces as well as control tissue (Perimount Magna, Edwards) were then implanted subcutaneously in 15 male weanling Sprague-Dawley rats for 12 weeks. Grade of calcification was measured by freeze-dried mass and van Kossa staining. Histologic and electron microscopic examination were performed to investigate potential leaflet-fragmentation caused by crimping. Results There were no differences in calcification among the groups. The calcium carbonate concentrations in all samples ranged from 0.1 to 100 mg/g dry weight. Leaflet morphology, however, differed from no fragmentation (control group) to highly fragmented tissue (1-month crimped). These differences reached statistical significance between crimped and non-crimped leaflets ( p < 0.003). Conclusions Transcatheter valve crimping does not necessarily affect leaflet calcification. However, the structural changes of the leaflets that were caused by crimping may have clinical significance. Duration of crimping should be as short as possible, and very tight crimping to small diameters should be avoided.
Background
The efficacy of different cardioplegia solutions on outcomes of complex cardiac operations such as triple valve surgery (TVS) is scarce. Here we compared the outcomes in TVS patients ...receiving either crystalloid (Bretschneider) or blood (Calafiore) cardioplegia.
Methods
Screening of our institutional database with prospectively entered data identified 471 consecutive patients (mean age 70.3 ± 9.2 years; 50.9% male), who underwent TVS (replacement or repair of aortic, mitral and tricuspid valve) between December 1994 and January 2013. In 277 patients, cardiac arrest was induced with HTK-Bretschneider solution (HTK, n = 277, 58.8%), whereas 194 received cold blood cardioplegia (BCP) according to Calafiore (n = 194, 41.2%). Comparisons of perioperative and follow up outcomes were made between cardioplegia groups.
Results
Preoperative patient characteristics and comorbidities were equally balanced between groups. 30-days mortality was similar between groups (HTK: 16.2%; BCP: 18.2%; p = 0.619). Incidence of the cumulative endpoint (30days mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), arrhythmia, low cardiac output syndrome or need for permanent pacemaker implantation) was also comparable (HTK: 47.6%; BCP: 54.8%, p = 0.149). In patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF <40%), 30days mortality was higher in the HTK group (HTK 18/71 22.5%; BCP 5/50 10%; p = 0.037). Five-year survival was similar between groups (52 ± 6% for HTK and 55 ± 5% for BCP patients). In-Hospital mortality was best predicted by length of surgery and reperfusion ratio. Decreased age, shorter bypass time, preserved LVEF and concomitant surgical procedures have been found to be protective from long-term mortality.
Conclusions
Myocardial protection with HTK shows equivalent outcomes compared to BCP during TVS. Patients with reduced left ventricular function may benefit from BCP during TVS.
Background:
Mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening plays a crucial role in cell death during ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Cyclosporine A (CsA) inhibits mPTP opening. This ...study aimed to investigate the effects of CsA treatment during cardioplegia on the mitochondrial function and cardiac IRI.
Methods:
Landrace pigs (52.9 ± 3.7 kg) were subjected to midline sternotomy, cardiopulmonary bypass at 34°C and 90 minutes of cardiac arrest. They received either a single shot of standard 4°C cold histidine-tryptophan-α-ketoglutarate (HTK)-Bretschneider solution (n = 11) or HTK-Bretschneider plus 1.2 mg/L CsA (histidine-tryptophan-α-ketoglutarate plus cyclosporine A (HTK/CsA); n = 11). During reperfusion global left-ventricular function was assessed and myocardial biopsies were harvested at baseline, during ischemia and 45 minutes following reperfusion. High-resolution respirometry and hydrogen peroxide production were measured. Immunohistochemical stainings for apoptosis-inducing factor and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α as well as a flow cytometry-based JC-1 mitochondrial membrane potential assay were performed.
Results:
Hemodynamic parameters were comparable between both groups. The cytochrome C release (HTK: 930.3 ± 804.4 pg/mg, HTK/CsA: 699.7 ± 394.0 pg/mg, p = 0.457) as well as PGC1α content (HTK: 66.7%, HTK/CsA: 33.3%, p = 0.284) was lower in the HTK/CsA group. Respiratory measurements revealed that the oxygen flux under basal respiration was higher in the HTK/CsA group (8.2 ± 1.3 pmol·O2·s−1·mg−1·ww) than in the HTK group (3.8 ± 1.4 pmol·O2·s−1·mg−1·ww, p = 0.045). There were no significant differences regarding histological surrogates of apoptosis and necrosis.
Conclusions:
Supplementing cardioplegic solutions with CsA enhances the basal mitochondrial respiration thereby exerting a cardioprotective effect and diminishing IRI-induced damage. CsA seems to preserve mitochondrial function via non-ROS related pathways.
Background Short-term effects on mitral valve (MV) anatomy after transcatheter edge-to-edge repair using the PASCAL system remain unknown. Precise quantification might allow for an advanced analysis ...of predictors for mean transmitral gradients. Methods and Results Consecutive patients undergoing transcatheter edge-to-edge repair for secondary mitral regurgitation using PASCAL or MitraClip systems were included. Quantification of short-term MV changes throughout the cardiac cycle was performed using peri-interventional 3-dimensional MV images. Predictors for mean transmitral gradients were identified in univariable and multivariable regression analysis. Long-term results were described during 1-year follow-up. A total of 100 patients undergoing transcatheter edge-to-edge repair using PASCAL (n=50) or MitraClip systems (n=50) were included. Significant reductions of anterior-posterior diameter, annular circumference, and area throughout the cardiac cycle were found in both cohorts (
<0.05 for all). Anatomic MV orifice area remained larger in the PASCAL cohort in mid (2.8±1.0 versus 2.4±0.9 cm
;
=0.049) and late diastole (2.7±1.1 versus 2.2±0.8 cm
;
=0.036) compared with the MitraClip cohort. Besides a device-specific profile of independent predictor of mean transmitral gradients, reduction of middiastolic anatomic MV orifice area was identified as an independent predictor in both the PASCAL (
=-0.410;
=0.001) and MitraClip cohorts (
=-0.318;
=0.028). At follow-up, reduction of mitral regurgitation grade to mild or less was more durable in the PASCAL cohort (90% versus 72%;
=0.035). Conclusions PASCAL and MitraClip showed comparable short-term effects on MV geometry. However, PASCAL might better preserve MV function and demonstrated more durable mitral regurgitation reduction during follow-up. Identification of independent predictors for mean transmitral gradients might potentially help to guide device selection in the future.
Background
Impaired left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction is a common finding in patients with aortic stenosis and serves as a predictor of morbidity and mortality after transcatheter aortic valve ...replacement. However, conflicting data on the most accurate measure for LV function exist. We wanted to examine the impact of LV ejection fraction, mean pressure gradient, and stroke volume index on the outcome of patients treated by transcatheter aortic valve replacement.
Methods and Results
Patients treated by transcatheter aortic valve replacement were primarily separated into normal flow (NF; stroke volume index >35 mL/m2) and low flow (LF; stroke volume index ≤35 mL/m2). Afterwards, patients were divided into 5 groups: “NF–high gradient,” “NF–low gradient” (NF‐LG), “LF–high gradient,” “paradoxical LF‐LG,” and “classic LF‐LG.” The 3‐year mortality was the primary end point. Of 1600 patients, 789 (49.3%) were diagnosed as having LF, which was characterized by a higher 30‐day (P=0.041) and 3‐year (P<0.001) mortality. LF was an independent predictor of all‐cause (hazard ratio, 1.29; 95% confidence interval, 1.03–1.62; P=0.03) and cardiovascular (hazard ratio, 1.37; 95% confidence interval, 1.06–1.77; P=0.016) mortality. Neither mean pressure gradient nor LV ejection fraction was an independent predictor of mortality. Patients with paradoxical LF‐LG (35.0%), classic LF‐LG (35.1%) and LF–high gradient (38.1%) had higher all‐cause mortality at 3 years compared with NF–high gradient (24.8%) and NF‐LG (27.9%) (P=0.001). However, surviving patients showed a similar improvement in symptoms regardless of aortic stenosis entity.
Conclusions
LF is a common finding within the aortic stenosis population and, in contrast to LV ejection fraction or mean pressure gradient, an independent predictor of all‐cause and cardiovascular mortality. Despite increased long‐term mortality, high procedural success and excellent functional improvement support transcatheter aortic valve replacement in patients with LF severe aortic stenosis.
Background Infective endocarditis ( IE ) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement is a devastating complication associated with a high mortality. Our objective was to determine the impact of ...cardiac surgery (CS) and antibiotics ( IE - CS ) compared with medical treatment with antibiotics only ( IE - AB x) on 1-year mortality in patients developing IE after transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Methods and Results Patients developing IE after transcatheter aortic valve replacement were included in this retrospective analysis. All-cause 1-year mortality was the primary end point. A total of 20 patients underwent IE - CS compared with 44 patients treated by IE - AB x. In this unmatched cohort, patients treated by IE - AB x were older ( P=0.006), had a higher Society of Thoracic Surgeons score ( P=0.029), and more often had severe chronic kidney disease ( P=0.037). One-year mortality was not different between groups ( IE -CS versus IE-ABx, 65% versus 68.2%; P=0.802). The rate of any complication during treatment was higher in the IE - CS group ( P=0.024). In a matched cohort, baseline characteristics were not significantly different. All-cause 1-year mortality was not different between groups ( IE -CS versus IE-ABx, 65% versus 75%; P=0.490). A Cox regression analysis revealed any indication for surgery (hazard ratio, 6.20; 95% confidence interval, 1.80-21.41; P=0.004), sepsis on admission (hazard ratio, 4.03; 95% confidence interval, 1.97-8.24; P<0.001), and mitral regurgitation ≥2 (hazard ratio, 2.91; 95% confidence interval, 1.33-6.37) as factors associated with 1-year mortality. Conclusions In patients developing IE after transcatheter aortic valve replacement, mortality was predicted by the severity of IE and concomitant mitral regurgitation. In this small, and therefore statistically limited, but high-risk patient cohort, CS provided no significant mortality benefit compared with medical therapy. Individual decision making by a "heart and endocarditis team" is necessary to offer those patients the most reasonable treatment option.
Significant coronary artery disease (CAD) is a common finding in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Assessment of CAD prior to TAVI is recommended by current ...guidelines and is mainly performed via invasive coronary angiography (ICA). In this study we analyzed the ability of coronary CT-angiography (cCTA) to rule out significant CAD (stenosis ≥ 50%) during routine pre-TAVI evaluation in patients with high pre-test probability for CAD.
In total, 460 consecutive patients undergoing pre-TAVI CT (mean age 79.6 ± 7.4 years) were included. All patients were examined with a retrospectively ECG-gated CT-scan of the heart, followed by a high-pitch-scan of the vascular access route utilizing a single intravenous bolus of 70 ml iodinated contrast medium. Images were evaluated for image quality, calcifications, and significant CAD; CT-examinations in which CAD could not be ruled out were defined as positive (CAD
). Routinely, patients received ICA (388/460; 84.3%; Group A), which was omitted if renal function was impaired and CAD was ruled out on cCTA (Group B). Following TAVI, clinical events were documented during the hospital stay.
cCTA was negative for CAD in 40.2% (188/460). Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV in Group A were 97.8%, 45.2%, 49.6%, and 97.4%, respectively. Median coronary artery calcium score (CAC) was higher in CAD
-patients but did not have predictive value for correct classification of patients with cCTA. There were no significant differences in clinical events between Group A and B.
cCTA can be incorporated into pre-TAVI CT-evaluation with no need for additional contrast medium. cCTA may exclude significant CAD in a relatively high percentage of these high-risk patients. Thereby, cCTA may have the potential to reduce the need for ICA and total amount of contrast medium applied, possibly making pre-procedural evaluation for TAVI safer and faster.
Purpose: This study aims to analyze the clinical outcomes after isolated mitral valve (MV) repair in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF <50%) with focus on perioperative ...characteristics, survival, and freedom from reoperations.Methods: Between 1997 and 2015, 557 patients with reduced LVEF (age: 62.8 ± 11.7 years, male: 320) underwent MV repair for symptomatic mitral regurgitation (MR). Etiologies were dilated non-ischemic cardiomyopathy and ischemic cardiomyopathy in 487 (87.4%) and 70 (12.6%) patients, respectively; these were classified into three different subgroups: LVEF 40%–49% (group 1), 30%–39% (group 2), and <30% (group 3).Results: Overall, 294, 145, and 118 patients had an LVEF of 40%–49%, 30%–39%, and <30%, respectively. Logistic EuroSCORE was significantly higher (P <0.001) as the LVEF worsened. The survival analysis for groups 1–3, respectively, revealed the following: 30-day mortality: 1.4%, 3.4%, and 7.6% (P <0.001); 1-year survival: 93.9%, 89.4%, and 82% (P <0.001); 5-year survival: 81.2%, 75.2%, and 58% (P <0.001).Conclusion: MV repair in patients with impaired LVEF could be performed safely with good clinical short- and mid-term outcome. Nevertheless, reduced preoperative LVEF correlates with worse perioperative and long-term survival.
Severe inborn cardiac malformations are typically corrected in cardioplegia, with a cardio-pulmonary bypass (CPB) taking over body circulation. During the operation the arrested hearts are subjected ...to a global ischemia/reperfusion injury. Although the applied cardioplegic solutions have a certain protective effect, application of additional substances to reduce cardiac damage are of interest.
18 domestic piglets (10–15 kg) were subjected to a 90 min CPB and a 120 min reperfusion phase without or with the application of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (10 mg/kg body weight) or minocycline (4 mg/kg body weight), with both drugs given before and after CPB. 18 additional sham-operated piglets without or with epigallocatechin-3-gallate or minocycline served as controls. In total 36 piglets were analyzed (3 CPB-groups and 3 control groups without or with epigallocatechin-3-gallate or minocycline respectively; 6 piglets per group). Hemodynamic and blood parameters and ATP-measurements were assessed. Moreover, a histological evaluation of the heart muscle was performed.
Piglets of the CPB-group needed more catecholamine support to achieve sufficient blood pressure. Ejection fraction and cardiac output were not different between the 6 groups. However, cardiac ATP-levels and blood lactate were significantly lower and creatine kinase was significantly higher in the three CPB-groups. Markers of apoptosis, hypoxia, nitrosative and oxidative stress were significantly elevated in hearts of the CPB-group. Nevertheless, addition of epigallocatechin-3-gallate or minocycline significantly reduced markers of myocardial damage. Noteworthy, EGCG was more effective in reducing markers of hypoxia, whereas minocycline more efficiently decreased inflammation.
While epigallocatechin-3-gallate or minocycline did not improve cardiac hemodynamics, markers of myocardial damage were significantly lower in the CPB-groups with epigallocatechin-3-gallate or minocycline supplementation.
PDF
