Berhane Worku

Pulmonary Embolectomy in the Treatment of Submassive and Massive Pulmonary Embolism

Objectives: Significant improvements in outcomes after pulmonary embolectomy have resulted in a broadening of indications. We reviewed our experience with pulmonary embolectomy over the past 12 years with an emphasis on preoperative comorbidities and postoperative morbidity and mortality. Methods: All patients undergoing pulmonary embolectomy over the past 12 years at our institution were analyzed via retrospective chart review. Data on preoperative characteristics, operative procedures and postoperative outcomes were collected. Results: Twenty patients underwent pulmonary embolectomy between 1999 and 2011. The average age was 56 years (range 24-81) and 10 patients (50%) were female. All patients demonstrated right ventricular dysfunction and 19 (95%) demonstrated contraindications to thrombolysis. Twelve patients (60%) demonstrated intermittent hypotension, 4 (20%) required intubation and 3 (15%) demonstrated preoperative or intraoperative cardiac arrest. Survival to discharge was 95%. Conclusions: Pulmonary embolectomy has been shown to be safe and effective in the treatment of massive pulmonary embolism (PE). We achieved a 95% survival rate in a cohort of patients with significant comorbid status. Pulmonary embolectomy should be considered early in the therapeutic algorithm for patients with submassive PE presenting with right ventricular dysfunction to prevent progression. It can also be performed with good outcomes in those already suffering hemodynamic compromise.

Factors Associated with Successful Thrombus Extraction with the AngioVac Device: An Institutional Experience

BACKGROUNDnThe AngioVac (AngioDynamics, Latham, NY) device utilizes a venovenous bypass circuit for percutaneous venous thrombectomy and has been applied in the setting of iliocaval thrombosis as well as right heart thrombus and pulmonary emboli. We describe our experience with the AngioVac device in 12 patients with a variety of indications with the goal of identifying factors correlating with successful thrombectomy.nnnMETHODSnFrom August 2013 to June 2015, 12 patients underwent AngioVac percutaneous thrombectomy at our institution. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative data were retrospectively analyzed.nnnRESULTSnIndications for thrombectomy included iliocaval thrombosis in 33% (4), right heart thrombus in 42% (5), and pulmonary embolus in 25% (3). We experienced a 58% complete success rate. Partial success was achieved in 17%, and no thrombus was extracted in 25%. Iliocaval and right heart thrombi were the most amenable to AngioVac thrombectomy with 100% (4/4) and 60% (3/5) complete success rates, respectively. Pulmonary embolus was the least amenable to thrombectomy with a 33% partial success rate (1/3) and 67% failure rate (2/3).nnnCONCLUSIONnThe AngioVac devices allow for percutaneous thrombectomy in the setting of iliocaval and right heart thrombus in patients for whom medical therapy fails or for those in whom surgical intervention is considered high risk. Pulmonary emboli are less amenable, likely due to limited steeribility of the device. Larger studies are needed to make more definitive conclusions, and newer iterations of the device will likely allow for improved outcomes.

Transapical mitral valve-in-valve implantation for patients in cardiogenic shock.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation has demonstrated excellent results in high risk and inoperable patients, and been extended to valve-in-valve implantation for those with prosthetic aortic and, more recently, mitral valve failure. Despite its use in high risk and inoperable patients, active cardiogenic shock has historically been considered a contraindication. We describe 2 patients in acute cardiogenic shock from prosthetic mitral valve failure treated with transcatheter mitral valve-in-valve implantation. Transcatheter mitral valve therapies should be considered in patients in cardiogenic shock from prosthetic mitral valve failure, although, larger studies are needed to make any strong recommendation.

Mitral Valve-in-Valve Implantation as an Elective or Rescue Procedure in High-Risk Patients

BACKGROUNDnTransapical transcatheter mitral valve-in-valve implantation (TA-MVIVI) for bioprosthetic valve failure is an emerging alternative to reoperation in high-risk patients. We report our outcomes in a patient population with a high proportion of cardiogenic shock.nnnMETHODSnRetrospective review was performed of all patients undergoing TA-MVIVI with an Edwards Sapien (Edwards Life sciences, Irvine, CA) prosthesis at our center between the years 2013 andxa02017.nnnRESULTSnNineteen patients with bioprosthetic mitral valve failure were included (mean age 78 ± 12 years). All patients were New York Heart Association functional class III or greater; The Society of Thoracic Surgeons mean score was 22.0 ± 17.5. The TA-MVIVI was performed in the setting of cardiogenic shock in 12 of 19 patients (63%). The primary mechanism for valve failure was regurgitation in 58%, stenosis in 21%, and mixed in 21%. All patients underwent successful TA-MVIVI with no deaths, strokes, or myocardial infarctions at 30 days. Two patients had brief postprocedural cardiac arrest but had full recovery. Mean transmitral gradient decreased from 12 ± 5 mm Hg to 5 ± 3 mm Hg (pxa0= 0.0005). There was 1 death from unknown causes within the first year (5.2%). At a mean follow-up of 339 days (range, 30 to 1291), trace transvalvular regurgitation had developed in 3 of 19 patients (15.8%). There was no paravalvular regurgitation. At last follow-up, 89.5% of patients were New York Heart Association class I or II.nnnCONCLUSIONSnTransapical transcatheter mitral valve-in-valve implantation can safely be performed in a patient population with a high proportion of cardiogenic shock with favorable clinical outcomes.

Paradoxical embolus in transit.

Thrombus straddling a patent foramen ovale, namely, a paradoxical embolus in transit, is a rarely identified entity signifying impending arterial embolism. We report a series of 3 patients with preoperatively or intraoperatively identified paradoxical embolus in transit. All patients underwent surgical evacuation and had unremarkable postoperative courses with no episodes of arterial embolization. Surgical embolectomy should be considered early in the treatment of paradoxical embolus in transit.

Standard imaging techniques in transcatheter aortic valve replacement

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become a widely accepted therapeutic option for patients with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis at intermediate, high, or extreme risk for conventional surgery as determined through a heart team approach. Two valve prostheses are currently available and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved in the United States for TAVR: the self-expandable Medtronic CoreValve (Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA) and the balloon-expandable Edwards Sapien Valve (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine CA, USA). The preoperative evaluation for TAVR includes transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) for the diagnosis of aortic stenosis. Cardiac computed tomography (CTA) has become the imaging modality of choice for annular sizing. Aortic root dimensions and coronary ostia height, and the degree of annular and left ventricular outflow tract calcification are also assessed to estimate the risk of coronary obstruction, annular rupture, and postoperative aortic regurgitation. Finally, CTA is essential to determine the adequacy of the peripheral vasculature for a transfemoral approach. Intraoperatively, fluoroscopy is mandatory for valve positioning, whereas the use of TTE or transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) varies by center. TTE is used for postoperative surveillance of valve function.

Short- and mid-term results after transapical transcatheter aortic valve replacement in nonagenarians.

BACKGROUNDnRecent reports have suggested that advanced age may preclude favorable outcomes in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), particularly when performed via transapical (TA) access. However, detailed examinations of TA-TAVR in nonagenarian patients are lacking in the contemporary literature. We therefore describe our experience with 25 consecutive nonagenarians who underwent TA-TAVR and report their short- and mid-term outcomes.nnnMETHODSnWe identified all patients 90 years old or greater who underwent TA-TAVR between 2009-2014 at our institution. Demographic, comorbidity and echocardiographic data were obtained for all patients as were their in-hospital, 30-day, and 1-year outcomes. Overall survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.nnnRESULTSnThe mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons predicted risk of mortality was 10.2% (SD±3.4). Twenty-four nonagenarians received TA-TAVR secondary to severe aortic stenosis while 1 had a valve-in-valve procedure for a regurgitant bioprosthetic valve. There were no conversions to open surgery, no aborted procedures, and no in-hospital deaths or strokes; 44% of patients (N.=11) were discharged to home. Five patients required cardiac rehospitalization within the first 30 days and 2 experienced strokes during the first year. Overall 30-day and 1-year survival were 100% and 83%, respectively.nnnCONCLUSIONSnTA-TAVR can safely be performed on nonagenarians subjected to otherwise standard selection criteria. Chronology should not stand as a routine contraindication to this procedure; rather, comorbidities and functional status should define patient eligibility for TA-TAVR.

Aortic Angulation Does Not Impact Outcomes in Self-Expandable or Balloon-Expandable Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Objectives: The role of aortic angulation in attenuating procedural success in balloon-expandable (BE) and self-expandable (SE) transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has been controversial. Methods: We retrospectively assessed patients undergoing SE and BE TAVR who had an aortic angle measured on multidetector computed tomography at a single tertiary referral center. The primary outcome was device success, measured per the Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 criteria. Clinical outcomes at 30 days (including mortality) were also assessed. Results: A total of 251 patients were identified; 182 patients received a BE valve and 69 patients an SE valve. The median aortic angle was 46.8° (range 24.4–70°) in the BE group and 43.3° (range 20–71°) in the SE group. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, aortic angulation did not affect device success. Mortality at 30 days and 12 months and postprocedural clinical outcomes were similarly not associated with aortic angulation. Conclusion: In this cohort of patients undergoing BE and SE TAVR over a wide range of aortic angles, we found no associations between angle and device success or any other clinical metrics. Increased aortic angulation does not adversely affect outcomes in BE or SE TAVR.

Systemic blood pressure trends and antihypertensive utilization following continuous-flow left ventricular assist device implantation: an analysis of the interagency registry for mechanically assisted circulatory support

BackgroundnElevated systemic blood pressure (SBP) has been linked to complications in Continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (CF-LVADs), including stroke and pump thrombosis. We queried Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (INTERMACS) to describe the response of SBP to CF-LVAD implantation and to delineate contemporary trends in antihypertensive (AH) utilization for patients with these pumps.nnnMethodsnWe identified all CF-LVAD implantations in patients older than 18 years from 2006-2014, excluding those whose durations were less than 30 days. Pre-implant patient demographics and characteristics were obtained for each record. SBPs [i.e., mean arterial pressures (MAPs)], AH-use data, and vital status were tabulated, extending up to 5 years following implantation.nnnResultsnA total of 10,329 CF-LVAD implantations were included for study. Post-implant, SBPs increased rapidly during the first 3 months but plateaued thereafter; AH utilization mirrored this trend. By 6 months, mean MAPs climbed 12.2% from 77.6 mmHg (95% CI: 77.4-77.8) pre-implantation to 87.1 mmHg (95% CI: 86.7-87.4) and patients required a mean of 1.8 AH medications (95% CI: 1.75-1.78) -a 125% increase from AH use at 1-week post-implantation (0.8 AHs/patient, 95% CI: 0.81-0.83) but a 5.3% decrease from pre-implant utilization (1.9 AHs/patient, 95% CI: 1.90-1.92). Once medication changes stabilized, the most common AH regimens were lone beta blockade (15%, n=720) and a beta blocker plus an ACE inhibitor (14%, n=672).nnnConclusionsnSBP rises rapidly after CF-LVAD implantation, stabilizing after 3 months, and is matched by concomitant changes in AH utilization; this AH use has increased over consecutive implant years.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement as a Bridge to Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation

We describe a case of the pre-emptive use of transcatheter aortic valve replacement in a patient with end-stage ischemic cardiomyopathy and native aortic stenosis/aortic insufficiency as a bridge to left ventricular assist device implantation. The use of this strategy can not only medically optimize patients before left ventricular assist device implantation but also provide a minimally invasive bridge to left ventricular assist device support, avoiding concomitant surgical aortic valve replacement or closure.