Background:The effect of multiple prior percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) before subsequent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) on long-term outcomes has not been well elucidated.Methods ...and Results:Between 2007 and 2016, 1,154 patients undergoing primary isolated CABG in our institution had no prior PCI (Group N), 225 had a single prior PCI (Group S), and 272 had multiple prior PCIs (Group M). Cumulative incidences of all-cause death, cardiac death and myocardial infarction (MI) at 10 years post-CABG were highest in Group M. After adjusting for confounders, the risk of all-cause death was higher in Group M than in Group N (hazard ratio HR 1.45; 95% confidence interval CI, 1.10–1.91; P<0.01). Between Groups N and S, however, the risk of all-cause death was not different. The risks of cardiac death and MI were likewise higher in Group M than in Group N (HR, 2.39; 95% CI, 1.55–3.71; P<0.01 and HR, 3.65; 95% CI, 1.16–11.5; P=0.03, respectively), but not different between Groups N and S. The risk of repeat revascularization was not different among any of the groups.Conclusions:Multiple prior PCIs was associated with higher risks of long-term death and cardiovascular events. The incidence of repeat revascularization after CABG was low regardless of the history of single/multiple PCIs.
Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) plays pivotal roles in regulating tumor angiogenesis as well as physiological vascular function. The major VEGF-A isoforms, VEGF-A121 and VEGF-A165, in ...serum, plasma, and platelets have not been exactly evaluated due to the lack of the appropriate assay system. Antibodies against human VEGF-A121 and VEGF-A165 (hVEGF-A121 and hVEGF-A165) were successfully produced and Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA) for hVEGF-A121 and hVEGF-A165 were separately created by these monoclonal antibodies. The measurement of recombinant hVEGF-A121 and hVEGF-A165 by the created ELISA showed no cross-reaction between hVEGF-A121 and hVEGF-A165 in conditioned media from HEK293 cells transfected with either hVEGF-A121 or hVEGF-A165 expression vector. The levels of VEGF-A121 and VEGF-A165 in serum, plasma, and platelets from 59 healthy volunteers proved that VEGF-A121 level was higher than VEGF-A165 in both plasma and serum in all the cases. VEGF-A121 or VEGF-A165 in serum represented higher level than that in plasma. In contrast, the level of VEGF-A165 was higher than VEGF-A121 in platelets. The newly developed ELISAs for hVEGF-A121 and hVEGF-A165 revealed different ratios of VEGF isoforms in serum, plasma, and platelets. Measuring these isoforms in combination provides useful information as biomarkers for diseases involving VEGF-A121 and VEGF-A165.
The optimal treatment for aortic thrombus remains to be determined, but surgical treatment is indicated when there is a risk for thromboembolism.
A 47-year-old male presented with weakness in his ...left arm upon awakening. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography and transesophageal echocardiography revealed a mobile pedunculated object suggestive of a thrombus arising from the ascending aorta and extending to the left common carotid artery. It was removed under hypothermic circulatory arrest and direct cannulation of the left carotid artery to avoid carotid thromboembolism. Histopathological examination revealed that the object was a thrombus. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course and was discharged 9 days after surgery.
When a thrombus in the aortic arch extends to the neck arteries, direct cannulation of the neck arteries with selective cerebral perfusion via cervical incision is a useful technique.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
To determine the incidence of bioprosthetic structural valve deterioration in dialysis patients undergoing aortic valve replacement compared to that in patients without ...dialysis.
METHODS
This single-centre retrospective observational study included 1159 patients who underwent aortic valve replacement using bioprosthetic valves for aortic stenosis and/or regurgitation at our institution between 2007 and 2017 patients with dialysis (group D, n = 134, 12%) or without dialysis (group N, n = 1025, 88%). To adjust for potential differences between groups in terms of initial preoperative characteristics or selection bias, a propensity score analysis was conducted. The final sample that was used in the comparison included 258 patients, as follows: 129 patients with dialysis (group D) and 129 patients without dialysis (group N). The cumulative incidences of all-cause death, cardiac death and moderate or severe structural valve deterioration were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method.
RESULTS
Operative mortality was significantly higher in group D than group N (9% vs 0%, P = 0.001). Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that in group D, the incidence was significantly higher for all-cause death (P < 0.001, 50% vs 18% at 5 years), cardiac death (P = 0.001, 18% vs 5% at 5 years) and moderate or severe structural valve deterioration (P < 0.001, 29% vs 5% at 5 years) compared with group N.
CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of structural valve deterioration in dialysis patients undergoing aortic valve replacement was higher than that in patients without dialysis. Bioprosthetic valves should be carefully selected in dialysis patients undergoing aortic valve replacement.
A 66-year-old-man who had undergone partial aortic arch and descending aortic graft replacement for a dissecting aortic aneurysm presented to our hospital with pain and beating swelling of his left ...back shoulder. Enhanced computed tomography and aortic angiography revealed graft rupture caused by one of the claws of a rib fixation strut. Furthermore, another claw had invaded a lung. We performed emergency thoracic endovascular aortic repair, and removed all of the struts 3 weeks later. Claw-type rib fixation struts have the potential to injure other organs, including prosthetic grafts. Careful follow-up is mandatory after implantation of this type of strut.
Neonatal Marfan syndrome is the most severe form of Marfan syndrome usually showing critical cardio-respiratory symptoms from the neonatal period or early infancy. We report a boy with this syndrome ...who presented with heart failure at 3 months of age and was referred to our department at 6 months old after intense medical treatment. He had enophthalmos, funnel chest, arachnodactyly, and Steinberg's thumb sign, but had no family history of Marfan syndrome or other cardiac diseases. Left ventricular dilatation, severe mitral regurgitation and moderate tricuspid regurgitation were noted on echocardiography. Mitral valvuloplasty and tricuspid annuloplasty were performed, and the regurgitation improved to trivial and mild level, respectively. However, rapid exacerbation of mitral regurgitation occurred, and the patient fell into circulatory collapse which needed circulatory support with extracorporeal membrane oxygenator (ECMO) on 18th postoperative day. In the emergency operation, the previous surgical procedures on the mitral valve were intact and we thought that rapid progression of the mitral annular dilatation and valve expansion to be the cause of exacerbation. Mitral valve replacement (Regent® 21 mm aortic) was performed, and the cardiac function improved, but ECMO was still needed because of the depressed respiratory function. Furthermore, tricuspid regurgitation due to annular dilatation and valve expansion was aggravated rapidly which needed tricuspid valve replacement (ATS® 20 mm mitral) 9 days after the mitral valve replacement. ECMO was ceased on the 37th day and the patient was extubated on 71st day. He was discharged from the hospital 5 months after the first operation. One year has passed after discharge, and he is doing well with anticoagulation. In the treatment of neonatal Marfan syndrome, surgical procedure for valve repair is still controversial and it should be remembered that rapid exacerbation of the atrioventricular valve can occur even after satisfactory valve repair and there should be no hesitation regarding surgical intervention when needed.
Background Heart failure might be an important determinant in choosing coronary revascularization modalities. There was no previous study evaluating the effect of heart failure on long‐term clinical ...outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) relative to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Methods and Results Among 14 867 consecutive patients undergoing first coronary revascularization with PCI or isolated CABG between January 2011 and December 2013 in the CREDO‐Kyoto PCI/CABG registry Cohort‐3, we identified the current study population of 3380 patients with three‐vessel or left main coronary artery disease, and compared clinical outcomes between PCI and CABG stratified by the subgroup based on the status of heart failure. There were 827 patients with heart failure (PCI: N=511, and CABG: N=316), and 2553 patients without heart failure (PCI: N=1619, and CABG: N=934). In patients with heart failure, the PCI group compared with the CABG group more often had advanced age, severe frailty, acute and severe heart failure, and elevated inflammatory markers. During a median 5.9 years of follow‐up, there was a significant interaction between heart failure and the mortality risk of PCI relative to CABG (interaction P =0.009), with excess mortality risk of PCI relative to CABG in patients with heart failure (HR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.28–2.42; P <0.001) and no excess mortality risk in patients without heart failure (HR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.80–1.34; P =0.77). Conclusions There was a significant interaction between heart failure and the mortality risk of PCI relative to CABG with excess risk in patients with heart failure and neutral risk in patients without heart failure.
ObjectiveTo evaluate changes in demographics, clinical practices and long-term clinical outcomes of patients with ST segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) before and beyond ...2010.DesignMulticentre retrospective cohort study.SettingThe Coronary Revascularization Demonstrating Outcome Study in Kyoto (CREDO-Kyoto) AMI Registries Wave-1 (2005–2007, 26 centres) and Wave-2 (2011–2013, 22 centres).Participants9001 patients with STEMI who underwent coronary revascularisation (Wave-1: 4278 patients, Wave-2: 4723 patients).Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe primary outcome was all-cause death at 3 years. The secondary outcomes were cardiovascular death, cardiac death, sudden cardiac death, non-cardiovascular death, non-cardiac death, myocardial infarction, definite stent thrombosis, stroke, hospitalisation for heart failure, major bleeding, target vessel revascularisation, ischaemia-driven target vessel revascularisation, any coronary revascularisation and any ischaemia-driven coronary revascularisation.ResultsPatients in Wave-2 were older, more often had comorbidities and more often presented with cardiogenic shock than those in Wave-1. Patients in Wave-2 had shorter onset-to-balloon time and door-to-balloon time, were more frequently implanted drug-eluting stents, and received guideline-directed medication than those in Wave-1. The cumulative 3-year incidence of all-cause death was not significantly different between Wave-1 and Wave-2 (15.5% and 15.7%, p=0.77). The adjusted risk of all-cause death in Wave-2 relative to Wave-1 was not significant at 3 years (HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.83 to 1.03, p=0.14), but lower beyond 30 days (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.75 to 0.98, p=0.03). The adjusted risks of Wave-2 relative to Wave-1 were significantly lower for definite stent thrombosis (HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.81, p=0.001) and for any coronary revascularisation (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.81, p<0.001), but higher for major bleeding (HR 1.34, 95% CI 1.20 to 1.51, p=0.005).ConclusionsWe could not demonstrate improvement in 3-year mortality risk from Wave-1 to Wave-2, but we found reduction in mortality risk beyond 30 days. We also found risk reduction for definite stent thrombosis and any coronary revascularisation, but an increase in the risk of major bleeding from Wave-1 to Wave-2.
Objective Wound infection is a rare but life-threatening complication after coronary artery bypass grafting. Risk factors for wound infection after off-pump bypass grafting and the validity of using ...bilateral internal thoracic arteries harvested in a skeletonized fashion remain unclear, especially in patients with diabetes. Methods The data of 1500 consecutive patients having off-pump bypass grafting were prospectively collected from our database based on EuroSCORE. This cohort represents 95% of all patients undergoing coronary bypass during that period and 77% of patients undergoing off-pump bypass grafting who received bilateral internal thoracic artery grafts. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed for patients with and without wound infection and in the diabetic subgroup. Results Ninety-eight patients had wound infections: 76, impaired wound healing; 7, superficial sternal wound infection; and 12, deep sternal wound infection. Patients with wound infections had a higher prevalence of female gender, atrial fibrillation, history of congestive heart failure, chronic renal failure, peripheral vascular disease, and diabetes. Patients with a wound infection more frequently had bilateral internal thoracic artery grafting, longer operation time, longer hospital stay, and a higher mortality rate. Blood transfusions were required in 43.9% of patients with wound infections and 28.1% of those without wound infections. On logistic regression analysis, female gender and history of congestive heart failure, chronic renal failure, and diabetes mellitus were independent risk factors for wound infection. In patients with diabetes, female gender, atherosclerosis obliterans, chronic renal failure, and use of bilateral internal thoracic artery grafts were independent risk factors for wound infection. Conclusions Risk factors for wound infection after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting are comparable with those previously reported for conventional bypass grafting. In patients with diabetes, the use of bilateral internal thoracic arteries, even when harvested in a skeletonized fashion, is a risk factor. Thus, appropriate precautions should be taken in patients with diabetes.
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