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J Am Coll Cardiol 2021 Apr 27. Epub 2021 Apr 27.

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.

Background: Transcatheter edge-to-edge (TEER) mitral repair may be complicated by residual or recurrent mitral regurgitation. Increasing need for surgical reintervention has been reported but operative outcomes are ill-defined.

Objectives: This study evaluated national outcomes of mitral surgery after TEER. Read More

Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2021 May 4. Epub 2021 May 4.

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess our 43-year experience with arterial switch operation (ASO) for transposition of the great arteries (TGA) by analysing cardiac outcome measures (hospital and late mortality, reoperations and catheter interventions, significant coronary artery obstruction) and to identify risk factors for reoperation and catheter interventions.

Methods: A total of 490 patients who underwent ASO for TGA from 1977 to 2020 were included in this retrospective, single-centre study. Data on reoperation and catheter intervention of hospital survivors were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using a long-rank test. Read More

World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg 2021 May;12(3):377-386

Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, School of Medicine, Atakent Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.

Objectives: A new congenital heart surgery database (CKCV) with real-time online reporting function was recently developed in Turkey. All standard international parameters were used, but Aristotle Comprehensive Complexity score was modified. In this study, the first analysis of the CKCV Database is reported. Read More

World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg 2021 May;12(3):360-366

Division of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Herma Heart Institute, 5506Medical College of Wisconsin, Children's Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.

Background: Shone syndrome is characterized by coincident mitral valve stenosis and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. Although first described in 1963, little research has expounded surgical outcomes. We sought to evaluate our experience with this cohort, emphasizing outcomes including mortality, morbidity, and cardiac function. Read More

Cardiol J 2021 May 4. Epub 2021 May 4.

Klinik für Innere Medizin I, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany.

Background: Percutaneous tricuspid repair using the edge-to-edge technique is a novel treatment option. More data are needed to better understand which aspects predict a favorable outcome METHODS: Twenty high-risk patients (78.6 ± 8. Read More

ESC Heart Fail 2021 May 3. Epub 2021 May 3.

Klinik und Poliklinik für Kardiologie, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig, Liebigstraße 20, Leipzig, 04103, Germany.

Aims: The study sought to investigate the long-term outcome after transcatheter mitral valve annuloplasty for secondary mitral regurgitation (MR).

Methods And Results: Consecutive patients with symptomatic secondary MR undergoing transcatheter mitral valve annuloplasty with the Carillon device at Leipzig University Hospital between 2012 and 2018 were studied prospectively. Left ventricular (LV) function and MR severity were quantified by standardized echocardiography. Read More

Egypt Heart J 2021 May 3;73(1):42. Epub 2021 May 3.

Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44519, Egypt.

Background: Our aim was to assess safety and efficacy outcomes at 1 year after MitraClip for percutaneous mitral valve repair in patients with severe mitral regurgitation. Twenty consecutive patients with significant MR (GIII or GIV) were selected according to the AHA/ACC guidelines from June 2016 to June 2019 and underwent percutaneous edge-to-edge mitral valve repair using MitraClip with a whole 1 year follow-up following the procedure. The primary acute safety endpoint was a 30-day freedom from any of the major adverse events (MAEs) or rehospitalization for heart failure. Read More

Ann Card Anaesth 2021 Jan-Mar;24(1):99-101

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, NH Rabindranath Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences, Mukundapur, Kolkata, India.

An inadvertent vent in the right ventricle (RV) resulted during dissection of a deep intramyocardial left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB), led to pulmonary artery air embolism and hemodynamic instability, requiring conversion to cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) prior to repair. This required a special maneuver in positioning the patient to identify the RV injury and prevent the pulmonary air embolism. Read More

Front Cardiovasc Med 2021 14;8:665038. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong, China.

Pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (PA/VSD/MAPCAs) is complex and diverse that has led to a variety of treatment strategies. Experience has been largely obtained in the advanced countries. The clinical diversity is greater in China. Read More

Swiss Med Wkly 2021 Mar 29;151:w20491. Epub 2021 Mar 29.

Woman-Mother-Child Department, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Switzerland.

Aims: To describe the early results of complete repair of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) in children older than one year of age.

Methods: We identified all patients older than one year of age who underwent TOF repair between 2007 and 2017. Data collected included type of surgical repair, survival at 30 days after surgery, reintervention within 30 days of surgery, length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), length of stay in hospital, and degree of residual right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) stenosis and pulmonary insufficiency 30 days after surgery. Read More

Pediatr Cardiol 2021 May 2. Epub 2021 May 2.

Pediatric Cardiology Department, Sant Joan de Déu Children Hospital, C/Passeig Sant Joan de Deu, s/n, 08950, Esplugues, Barcelona, Spain.

Introduction: Right ventricular (RV) dilatation is the determining prognostic factor in the long-term follow up of patients with repaired Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). The objective of this study is to analyze whether the results vary depending on the timing of the complete repair and on the surgical technique applied.

Material-methods: This is a retrospective longitudinal study in which patients with standard TOF were divided into 3 groups depending on their age at surgical repair: group 1 = Early repair (n = 12,1-8 months), group 2 = Late repair (n = 26, > 8 months), and group 3 = Late repair with previous palliative surgery (n = 17, > 8 months). Read More

Neuroradiology 2021 May 1. Epub 2021 May 1.

School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences (BMEIS), King's College London, London, UK.

Purpose: A retrospective study was performed to study the effect of fetal surgery on brain development measured by MRI in fetuses with myelomeningocele (MMC).

Methods: MRI scans of 12 MMC fetuses before and after surgery were compared to 24 age-matched controls without central nervous system abnormalities. An automated super-resolution reconstruction technique generated isotropic brain volumes to mitigate 2D MRI fetal motion artefact. Read More

Int J Cardiol 2021 Apr 28. Epub 2021 Apr 28.

Section of Cardiovascular Imaging, Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute, Cleveland Clinic, OH, United States. Electronic address:

Background: Mitral annular disjunction (MAD) is an increasingly recognized entity associated with mitral valve prolapse (MVP), ventricular arrhythmias and death. Few studies have investigated the utility of myocardial deformation analysis in MAD. We compared chamber quantification including strain by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) between MVP patients with and without MAD. Read More

Ann Thorac Surg 2021 Apr 27. Epub 2021 Apr 27.

GVM Care&Research, Dept of Cardiovascular Surgery, Maria Eleonora Hospital, Palermo (PA), Italy; GVM Care&Research, Maria Cecilia Hospital, Cotignola (RA), Italy. Electronic address:

Background: The decision to treat moderate ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) at the time of coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) remains controversial. We previously conducted a prospective randomized trial that showed a benefit of adding restricted annuloplasty to bypass surgery (CABG-Ring group) in terms of ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) grade, NYHA classification, and left ventricle reverse remodeling. Here, we present the long-term (>10 years) follow-up data from this randomized trial. Read More

Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 2021 Apr 30. Epub 2021 Apr 30.

Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.

Giant basilar apex aneurysms are associated with significant therapeutic challenges.1-6 Multiple techniques exist to treat giant basilar apex aneurysms, including direct clipping, stent-assisted coil embolization, and proximal occlusion with bypass revascularization.7-9 Hypothermic circulatory arrest was a useful adjunct for surgical repair of these aneurysms but has been abandoned because of associated risks. Read More

Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2021 Apr;25(8):3296-3299

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.

Objective: Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is an uncommon but frequently fatal complication following acute myocardial infarction. In medically treated patients, mortality rates exceed 90%, while the surgical repair is associated with better outcomes, even though optimal surgical timing is still under debate.

Case Report: We present the case of a 78-years-old man with no previous remarkable cardiological history admitted to our Emergency Department with the diagnosis of anterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction and significant reduction of left ventricular ejection fraction. Read More

Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2021 Apr 29:2184923211013999. Epub 2021 Apr 29.

Division of Human Pathology, Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

Cardiac calcified amorphous tumors are rare non-neoplastic intracavitary masses with unknown cause. A 60-year-old man presented with sustained ventricular tachycardia. Transthoracic echocardiography and contrast-enhanced angio-computed tomography demonstrated an expanding 73 × 40 mm sized calcified mass in the left ventricle. Read More

Kardiol Pol 2021 Apr 29. Epub 2021 Apr 29.

Background: Presence of mitral annular calcification (MAC) affects prognosis in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). MAC frequently coexists with calcifications of mitro-aortic continuity (CMAC).

Aims: We aimed at qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis of calcifications of the mitral complex - MAC and CMAC in multi-slice computed tomography, in order to assess their impact on the occurrence and dynamics of mitral regurgitation (MR) following TAVI. Read More

Am J Case Rep 2021 Apr 29;22:e931359. Epub 2021 Apr 29.

Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.

BACKGROUND Systolic anterior motion (SAM) is the dynamic anteriorly directed movement of the anterior mitral valve leaflet during systole toward the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT). The history of SAM in progressive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is unclear. It is believed that SAM is an irreversible process that progresses as the gradient over the LVOT increases. Read More

FASEB J 2021 May;35(5):e21604

Biosciences Institute, Centre for Life, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK.

Myocardial infarction leads to a rapid innate immune response that is ultimately required for repair of damaged heart tissue. We therefore examined circulating monocyte dynamics immediately after reperfusion of the culprit coronary vessel in STEMI patients to determine whether this correlated with level of cardiac injury. A mouse model of cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury was subsequently used to establish the degree of monocyte margination to the coronary vasculature that could potentially contribute to the drop in circulating monocytes. Read More

In Vivo 2021 May-Jun;35(3):1901-1905

Emergency Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases "Prof. Dr. C.C. Iliescu", Bucharest, Romania.

Background/aim: Left ventricular aneurysms are complications following acute myocardial infarction. Left posterior left ventricular aneurysms occurring in a submitral position constitute a minor entity, and those leaving the mitral apparatus intact are extremely rare.

Case Report: Herein, we report the case of a 58-year-old patient with a past medical history of coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction with a giant left posterior left ventricular aneurysm with moderate mitral valve incompetence. Read More

World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg 2021 Apr 28:2150135120975761. Epub 2021 Apr 28.

Fundacion Cardioinfantil Instituto de Cardiologia, Bogota, Colombia.

We present the case of transient left ventricular dysfunction secondary to impaired left coronary artery filling after aortopulmonary window repair, caused by intraoperative diagnosis of anomalous left coronary artery from pulmonary artery. Immediate recognition and repair allowed for uneventful recovery of the patient. Read More

J Card Surg 2021 Apr 28. Epub 2021 Apr 28.

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.

Background: Great variability exists in repair strategies for the tetralogy of Fallot. While transannular patching, as introduced by Kirklin, was a breakthrough for primary repair, pulmonary regurgitation and a need for reoperation have led to the development of methods that preserve the natural morphology of the right ventricular outflow tract.

Methods: State-of-the-art details of tetralogy of Fallot repair are explained from the standpoint of architectural preservation, especially with regard to sparing native tissue such as the annulus, valve, or infundibulum. Read More

Cardiol Young 2021 Apr 28:1-6. Epub 2021 Apr 28.

Department of Cardiac Surgery, Beijing Children's Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, China.

Objectives: Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery is associated with high mortality if not timely surgery. We reviewed our experience with anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery to assess the preoperative variables predictive of outcome and post-operative recovery of left ventricular function.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted and collected data from patients who underwent anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery repair at our institute from April 2005 to December 2019. Read More

Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2021 Apr 27. Epub 2021 Apr 27.

Department of Congenital Heart Disease, Evelina London Children's Hospital, London, UK.

Pediatr Cardiol 2021 Apr 26. Epub 2021 Apr 26.

Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.

Patients after surgical repair of Tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF) may suffer a decrease in left ventricular (LV) function. The aim of our study is to evaluate a novel method of assessing LV torsion in patients with rTOF, as an early indicator of systolic LV dysfunction. Motion tracking based on image registration regularized by the equilibrium gap principle, known as equilibrated warping, was employed to assess LV torsion. Read More

J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth 2021 Mar 27. Epub 2021 Mar 27.

Department Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anaesthesia, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology, Trivandrum, India.

A double-outlet left ventricle (DOLV) is a congenital cardiac anomaly that rarely is encountered. This case report demonstrates the echocardiographic features of DOLV in the form of the pulmonary artery arising completely from the left ventricle with D-looped ventricles, especially when evaluated by intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), along with the correlation of characteristic features with cardiac computerized tomography. The features pertinent to the differentiation of DOLV from double-outlet right ventricle and congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries by echocardiography have been described. Read More

Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg 2021 Apr 24. Epub 2021 Apr 24.

Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiac Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.

Objectives: This study was conducted to determine if gender bias explains the worse outcomes in women than in men who undergo mitral valve surgery for degenerative mitral regurgitation.

Methods: Patients who underwent mitral valve surgery for degenerative mitral regurgitation with or without concomitant ablation surgery for atrial fibrillation were identified from the Cardiovascular Research Database of the Clinical Trial Unit of the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and were defined according to the Society of Thoracic Surgery National Adult Cardiac Surgery Database. Of the 1004 patients (33% female, mean age 62. Read More

Ann Thorac Surg 2021 Apr 20. Epub 2021 Apr 20.

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama, JAPAN.

Surgical restoration of subvalvular geometry is very important to prevent recurrence of ischemic/functional mitral regurgitation (MR). We evaluated an approach to the radical repair of left ventricular (LV) remodeling for three different cases with responsible coronary lesions. Leaflet tethering was corrected by tugging of the papillary-ventricular complex, which consists of the base of papillary muscles and posterior LV wall. Read More

Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2021 Apr 23. Epub 2021 Apr 23.

Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.

Objectives: This study presents the results of 17 years of experience with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) repair and the analysis of factors associated with repair failure and early echocardiographic outcome.

Methods: Between 2003 and 2020, a total of 206 patients [mean age: 44.5 ± 15. Read More