Objective: To test the hypothesis that mitral valve prosthesis–patient mismatch increases postoperative mortality. Methods and results: The effect of mitral valve prosthesis–patient mismatch on ...survival in a cohort of consecutive patients after mitral valve replacement with a mechanical prosthesis was measured, focusing on the lower tail of the normal distribution curve of the prosthetic valve area index. For the calculation of the geometric valve area index (cm2/m2 body surface area), we used specifications for the geometric valve area supplied by the manufacturer. The cut-off value of the 10th percentile of the valve area index was 1.919 cm2/m2. The study population consisted of 428 adult patients who underwent mitral valve replacement by a Medtronic Hall (n=270, 63%) or a St. Jude Medical prosthesis (n=158, 37%). The size of the valves implanted ranged from 25 mm to 31 mm. The valve area index showed a normal distribution curve ranging from 1.43 to 2.98 cm2/m2 with a mean of 2.2 cm2/m2. Group 1 (n=33) had a valve area index ≪1.9 cm2/m2 and group 2 (n=395), ≧1.9 cm2/m2. The 30-day mortality was higher in group 1 than in group 2 (18.2 vs. 4.1%, P=0.005). Multivariate logistic regression analysis of the determinants of the 30-day mortality rendered a small valve area index (≪1.9 cm2/m2) as an independent risk indicator: relative risk 4.3 (95% CI 1.6–9.5; P=0.0043). The difference in overall survival between the two groups was entirely due to the high 30-day mortality in the patients with small valve area indices, congestive heart failure being the main cause of death. Conclusions: By concentrating on the extreme lower tail of the normal distribution of the valve area index, a strong and independent relation was found between relatively small valves (valve area index ≪1.9 cm2/m2) and 30-day mortality. We found no influence of valve size on late mortality beyond the first 30 days.
This study sought to identify risk factors for both late observed and late “excess” mortality after aortic valve replacement and to examine the causes of late mortality.
Because operative mortality ...after aortic valve replacement is very low, the timing of surgical intervention should focus on maximizing long-term survival. However, to judge the effect of valve replacement on long-term survival in an elderly population, it is important to separate mortality resulting from extraneous causes (background mortality) from disease-related mortality (excess mortality). Background mortality can be estimated by calculating expected mortality on the basis of age and gender.
From 1966 to 1986, 643 patients (mean age 59.6 years, 138 21% ≥70 years old) underwent aortic valve replacement, 129 of whom also underwent coronary bypass grafting; 594 patients survived ≥30 days after the procedure. The overall operative mortality rate for isolated aortic valve replacement decreased over time from 25.5% (1966 to 1972) to 2.6% (1980 to 1986). Cumulative total follow-up after discharge was 3,603 patient-years. Multivariate analysis was performed for both observed and excess mortality.
Risk factors for both observed and excess mortality were previous myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, heart failure and atrial fibrillation. Although age ≥70 years was a risk factor for observed mortality (hazard rate ratio HRR2.4, 95% confidence interval CI 1.6 to 3.7), it was not a risk factor for excess mortality. In contrast, isolated aortic regurgitation was an important risk factor for excess mortality only (HRR 3.8, 95% CI 1.3 to 11.2). Late mortality was valve related in 22% of patients, including sudden death in 7% and cerebral vascular accidents in 7%. Congestive heart failure was an important cause of death (21%) irrespective of the time elapsed since aortic valve replacement. In patients with aortic regurgitation, congestive heart failure was the main cause of death (38%); in patients with aortic regurgitation and preoperative heart failure or severe left ventricular dysfunction, heart failure was the cause of death in 44% and 63%, respectively.
Analysis of excess mortality revealed that older age in itself is not a risk factor for late mortality after aortic valve replacement. Aortic regurgitation carries a high risk, probably associated with left ventricular dysfunction at the time of operation. Earlier operation may be warranted in such patients.
Dyspnoea Makowska, Agata M; Jorstad, Harald T; van den Brink, Renée B A ...
Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde,
02/2020, Letnik:
164
Journal Article
Dyspnoea is an important and common symptom in patients with pulmonary or cardiovascular disease. It is a vital signal that we all can experience, for instance during heavy exercise, but it can also ...be an expression of a variety of diseases. In this educational article, we provide an answer to 10 questions on the causes of dyspnoea and the effectiveness of various diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. We propose a strategy to assess dyspnoea in clinical practice. Key points are determining the severity of the problem, forming a differential diagnosis, thinking about the mechanism of dyspnoea and intervening in a timely manner. We conclude that the assessment and treatment of dyspnoea often requires a multidisciplinary approach.
OBJECTIVE: To determine short- and long-term outcome of open-heart surgery in octogenarians. METHODS: We reviewed the medical charts of 130 consecutive octogenarians undergoing open-heart surgery. ...Patients with significant comorbidity were excluded from the study. The effect of cardiac and operative risk factors on mortality and morbidity was evaluated. General practitioners and cardiologists were contacted in order to obtain information on the patients' current medical and functional status. RESULTS: Operative mortality for valve replacement (VR) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) was 11.5%. Four-year survival was 73.5% with 75.9% still living independently. The relative risk for operative mortality was 4.3 in case of extracorporeal bypass time exceeding 95 min and 3.6 in case of significant left main stem disease. The risk of late death increased 2.5 times at a left ventricular ejection fraction lower than 50%. CONCLUSIONS: Our data match the results of similar studies involving large numbers of patients. When a multicenter data bank is missing, the evaluation of a relatively small patient group can yield information that may be as useful to patient and physician as information obtained by large studies. Open-heart surgery in octogenarians carries an acceptable mortality risk and its effectiveness in terms of improved quality of life is good.
The consideration for treatment of mitral regurgitation is dependent on its underlying cause: degenerative or functional. The percutaneous MitraClip treatment is mostly suitable for patients with ...severe, symptomatic mitral regurgitation and additional risk factors, who therefore do not qualify for surgical treatment but still have a life expectancy of more than one year. The MitraClip treatment has undergone technical improvements in the past ten years and has a low rate of periprocedural and postprocedural complications. Patients with severe functional mitral regurgitation, a relatively preserved left ventricular function, and a limited left ventricular volume benefit most from a MitraClip treatment. The number of MitraClip procedures in the Netherlands is strongly increasing and has shown good results. Besides the development of the MitraClip and introduction of new devices, careful patient selection is the most important instrument to achieve better results.
There is a wide array of recommendations for the management of anticoagulant therapy in patients with mechanical heart valves. Especially the optimal intensity of vitamin K antagonists (VKA) is a ...ongoing matter of debate. On the basis of several studies, recommendations for daily clinical practice can be made. In this review, we discussed the studies and the different guidelines. Guidelines for the prevention of thromboembolic complications in patients with atrial fibrillation are more stringent. VKA with a target INR between 2.0 and 3.0 is more effective in the prevention of stroke than aspirin, especially in the presence of riskfactors for thromboembolism (age above 65, previous thromboembolism, history of hypertension and diabetes, enlarged left atrial diameter and left ventricular dysfunction). In the absence of clinical or echocardiographical riskfactors for thromboembolism, patients may be safely treated with aspirin.
Clinical decision-making in an individual elderly patient with severe aortic stenosis (AS) is difficult. The prognosis is influenced by increased age and various cardiac morbidity and comorbidity, ...and the benefit of surgery is uncertain because the prognosis with conservative treatment has rarely been described. The study aim was to identify those patients who would gain from surgical therapy.
The long-term survival of a cohort of elderly patients after an initial diagnosis of severe aortic stenosis was analyzed. Multivariate analysis was used to develop patient profiles on the basis of four main variables of age, severity of AS, cardiac morbidity, and comorbidity, to illustrate the benefit of surgical treatment over conservative treatment.
A total of 280 consecutive patients aged > or = 70 years (median age 78 years) with a first-time diagnosis of isolated AS made between 1991 and 1993 was included. Of these patients, 120 underwent surgery. The seven-year predicted survival ranged from 6.9% to 83% in surgically treated patient, and from 0.6% to 48% in conservatively treated patients. The benefit of surgical treatment over conservative treatment was greatest in patients aged < 80 years, with a more critical AS, cardiac morbidity, and without (7-year survival 78% versus 14%) or with (7-year survival 56% versus 1%) comorbidity. Minimal benefit was seen in patients aged > 80 years with a less critical AS and without cardiac morbidity.
This model illustrated the benefit of surgical treatment over conservative treatment in 16 different profiles of elderly patients with severe AS. These findings may provide support for clinical decision making in individuals within this patient group.
In patients after cardiac surgery, hypotension, defined as a mean arterial pressure less than 65 mmHg despite adequate filling pressures and positive inotropic medication, poses a problem. In ...addition, it is often difficult to determine whether these patients have suffered irreversible myocardial injury or if they are likely to recover. In this study, left and right ventricular function, as assessed by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), was related to mortality both (1) quantitatively, using fractional area change (FAC), and (2) qualitatively, using a segmental wall motion analysis, which assigned a score to myocardial wall segments, in order to determine whether this technique can be used to predict survival. Mortality rate was very high in patients with biventricular and especially right ventricular failure (FAC less than 35%). Left and right ventricular wall motion abnormality indices were significantly better in survivors compared to nonsurvivors, but no distinct cut-off value could be determined. A wall motion index derived from only 6 segments at the mid-papillary muscle level was found to be as reliable as one based on 16 segments of the entire left ventricle. Thus, TEE provided information about the degree of left and right ventricular dysfunction by using a single cross-section at the papillary muscle level. It identified patients at high risk of death, ie, those with compromised right and biventricular function.
Because mitral valve competence after mitral valve reconstruction is awkward to assess during this procedure, we evaluated in this respect transesophageal color-coded Doppler echocardiography in 23 ...patients undergoing mitral valve reconstruction for severe mitral regurgitation. Transesophageal echocardiographic examinations were performed after induction of anesthesia but before sternotomy (baseline), after mitral valve repair before decannulation, and at sternal closure, all at similar mean aortic pressure and echocardiographic instrument settings. The degree of mitral regurgitation by transesophageal color Doppler flow mapping was visually quantified on a 5-point scale (0 to 4), pending the left atrial extent of the regurgitant jet. This was compared with the degree of mitral regurgitation by left ventricular cineangiography performed within several weeks after operation and also visually quantified on a 5-point scale (0 to 4), with use of the right anterior oblique projection. There was good correlation between the two methods (r = 0.83; p less than 0.001). We conclude that residual mitral regurgitation, as assessed by transesophageal color flow mapping in the operating room, highly correlates with the ultimate mitral regurgitation by cineangiography. Therefore transesophageal echocardiography can be helpful for evaluation of mitral valve competence during mitral valve reconstruction, and hence, in case of repair failure, allow valve replacement in the same surgical session, thus avoiding reoperation.
PDF
