Stented Porcine and Pericardial Bioprostheses - A historical review

Stented bioprostheses have been extensively used clinically to replace diseased cardiac valves with the clear advantage over mechanical prostheses of avoiding the use of chronic anticoagulation in most cases. During the past five decades, however, based on clinical and pathological experience, tissue calcification and cusp tears were identified as the main determinants of failure of porcine and pericardial bioprostheses, respectively. Tissue treatments to mitigate dystrophic calcification together with structural modifications in valve design have produced a current generation of bioprosthetic valves which show excellent overall performance and considerably increased durability when compared with old models. Further ongoing research aims to provide even more durable bioprostheses in order to allow reduction of the age threshold for implantation also in younger subjects, helping to contrast effectively the rapidly expanding role of catheter-based interventions

Extracorporeal life support in mitral papillary muscle rupture: Outcome of multicenter study

Background: Post-acute myocardial infarction papillary muscle rupture (post-AMI PMR) may present variable clinical scenarios and degree of emergency due to result of cardiogenic shock. Veno-arterial extracorporeal life support (V-A ECLS) has been proposed to improve extremely poor pre- or postoperative conditions. Information in this respect is scarce.Methods: From the CAUTION (meChanical complicAtion of acUte myocardial infarcTion: an InternatiOnal multiceNter cohort study) database (16 different Centers, data from 2001 to 2018), we extracted adult patients who were surgically treated for post-AMI PMR and underwent pre- or/and postoperative V-A ECLS support. The end-points of this study were in-hospital survival and ECLS complications.Results: From a total of 214 post-AMI PMR patients submitted to surgery, V-A ECLS was instituted in 23 (11%) patients. The median age was 61.7 years (range 46-81 years). Preoperatively, ECLS was commenced in 10 patients (43.5%), whereas intra/postoperative in the remaining 13. The most common V-A ECLS indication was post-cardiotomy shock, followed by preoperative cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest. The median duration of V-A ECLS was 4 days. V-A ECLS complications occurred in more than half of the patients. Overall, in-hospital mortality was 39.2% (9/23), compared to 22% (42/219) for the non-ECLS group.Conclusions: In post-AMI PMR patients, V-A ECLS was used in almost 10% of the patients either to promote bridge to surgery or as postoperative support. Further investigations are required to better evaluate a potential for increased use and its effects of V-A ECLS in such a context based on the still high perioperative mortality

Modern concepts from old ideas in manufacture of cardiac valve prostheses

In reviewing the history of mechanical prosthetic valves, it appears evident how many improvements and technical advances have been obtained in this field. Looking to the past, it must also be underlined how some old concepts, which can be considered quite revolutionary for those years, clearly indicate the great skill and ingenuity of those who conceived them. Old ideas have been revitalized by modern concepts, and this is exemplified when considering the developments of bileaflet and sutureless prostheses

Postpartum dissection in bovine aorta with anomalous brachiocephalic vessels

A 42-year-old woman, with no evidence of connective tissue disease, presented with acute aortic dissection after an uneventful vaginal delivery following an uncomplicated pregnancy. Emergency computed tomography angiography showed a bovine aortic arch with a separate origin of the left vertebral artery. At surgery, a tricuspid aortic valve was found and the aortic arch was successfully repaired with reimplantation of a button incorporating the origin of the brachiocephalic vessels. Acute aortic dissection throughout pregnancy is uncommon and favoured by hemodynamic, hormonal, and histological changes. Anomalies of the aortic arch branches might represent an increased risk of thoracic aortic diseases

Repair of a giant left ventricular pseudoaneurysm with rupture of the interventricular septum

Presence of two combined mechanical complications of acute myocardial infarction is extremely rare and still associated with a high-operative mortality. We describe a 73-year-old male patient who presented with a giant left ventricular pseudoaneurysm associated with rupture of the interventricular septum. Surgical repair of both lesions was successfully accomplished

Tricuspid regurgitation: new diagnostic and therapeutic evidences

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is most commonly secondary (or functional), defined as regurgitation with apparently anatomically normal leaflets and chords. The cause of secondary TR most likely is dilatation of the tricuspid anulus, tethering of the tricuspid valve (TV) leaflets, right ventricle dilatation caused by left side valvular heart diseases. Primary TR is due to processes that di- rectly affect the tricuspid valve (“organic” valve disease). TV surgery usually is performed at the time of surgery for left sided valvular heart disease. Isolated TV surgery is rarely per- formed and presents 9% operative mortality with a higher adjusted in-hospital mortality for tricuspid replacement compared with repair demonstrating that it is necessary to redefine patient selection criteria and timing for isolated surgical procedures. In recent years, new studies showed preclinical and early clinical evidences on the possibility of treating TR with transcatheter technologies like those used for mitral valve disease, either a leaflet clipping, or an annular remodeling device or a valve replace- ment prosthesis. However, despite the positive data on high-risk patients advocating for a promising future for these transcatheter technologies, they are not available for general clinical use because of anatomical limitations, and because they require advanced imaging mo- dalities for patient selection and procedural guidance. The aim of this review is to provide an updated overview and a clinical perspective on novel tricuspid valve surgical and transcatheter therapies, highlighting potential challenges and future directions

Surgical revascularization for stable coronary syndrome: the ISCHEMIA trial versus a single-centre matched population-a real-world analysis of patients undergoing surgical revascularization

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to test if the current general practice of surgical revascularization is comparable to the setting of International Study of Comparative Effectiveness with Medical and Invasive Approaches (ISCHEMIA) trial and to evaluate the comparative risk of cardiovascular events or death after coronary artery bypass grafting.METHODS: We selected patients undergoing surgical revascularization and matching ISCHEMIA inclusion criteria. Chronic coronary syndrome patients were included if diagnosis of myocardial ischaemia by functional testing and coronary artery disease at angiography were detected. The primary end point was a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, rehospitalization for unstable angina, heart failure and resuscitated cardiac arrest. Secondary end points were death by any cause, cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction and rehospitalization.RESULTS: Among 353 patients, the primary outcome occurred in 62 (17.6%) patients. At 6 months, cumulative event-free survival was 97%, at 1 year 96%, at 5 years 89% and at 10 years 80%. Cumulative risk of the primary composite outcome at 5 years was 11%, 18% in the conservative arm of ISCHEMIA and 16% in the revascularization arm of ISCHEMIA (P < 0.001). Risk of myocardial infarction at 5 years was 7% in surgical patients and 12% and 10% in the conservative and invasive arms of the trial, respectively (P < 0.001).CONCLUSIONS: Long-term results in surgical patients treated for chronic coronary syndromes showed that ISCHEMIA trial findings are not transferable in a 'real-world' scenario and have not changed previous medical practice. A patient-tailored approach, especially with diabetes and reduced left ventricle function, offers the best results in patients with stable coronary artery disease