Elisabeth Cornu

Diagnosis and management of entrapped embolus through a patent foramen ovale

The diagnosis of impending paradoxical embolus by echocardiography is exceptional and its management remains unclear. Through a personal case, we performed an exhaustive review of the medical literature of this rare finding. Since the first report, only 43 cases have ever been reported. The superiority of transesophageal echocardiography is underlined. The clinical features are complex. The classical simultaneous pulmonary and paradoxical embolism is often absent. Therapeutic options are cardiac surgery, thrombolysis or anticoagulation. The early mortality rate is high (21%). In addition, recurrent embolisms are reported when a medical treatment is chosen. The cumulative results of each possibility are described.

Prevalence and Long-Term Outcome of Aortic Prosthesis–Patient Mismatch in Patients With Paradoxical Low-Flow Severe Aortic Stenosis

Background— Patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and paradoxical low flow (PLF) have worse outcome compared with those with normal flow. Furthermore, prosthesis–patient mismatch (PPM) after aortic valve replacement is a predictor of reduced survival. However, the prevalence and prognostic impact of PPM in patients with PLF-AS are unknown. We aimed to analyze the prevalence and long-term survival of PPM in patients with PLF-AS. Methods and Results— Between 2000 and 2010, 677 patients with severe AS, preserved left ventricular ejection fraction, and aortic valve replacement were included (74±8 years; 42% women; aortic valve area, 0.69±0.16 cm2). A PLF (indexed stroke volume ⩽35 mL/m2) was found in 26%, and after aortic valve replacement, 54% of patients had PPM, defined as an indexed effective orifice area ⩽0.85 cm2/m2. The combined presence of PLF and PPM was found in 15%. Compared with patients with noPLF/noPPM, those with PLF/PPM were significantly older, with more comorbidities. They also received smaller and biological bioprosthesis more often (all P<0.01). Although early mortality was not significantly different between groups, the 10-year survival rate was significantly reduced in case of PLF/PPM compared with noPLF/noPPM (38±9% versus 70±5%; P=0.002), even after multivariable adjustment (hazard ratio, 2.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.5–4.45; P=0.0007). Conclusions— In this large catheterization-based study, the coexistence of PLF-AS before surgery and PPM after surgery is associated with the poorest outcome.

Octogenarians With Uncomplicated Acute Type A Aortic Dissection Benefit From Emergency Operation

BACKGROUND The management of acute type A aortic dissection (aTAAD) in octogenarian patients is controversial. This study analyzed the surgical outcomes to identify patients who should undergo operations. METHODS Beginning in January 2000, we established a registry including all octogenarian patients operated on for type A acute aortic dissection. We evaluated 79 consecutive patients enrolled up to December 2010. Their median age was 81.6 years (range, 80 to 89 years). Sixteen patients (20%) presented a complicated type because of a neurologic deficit, mesenteric ischemia, a requirement for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or some combination of those features. Operations followed the standard procedure recommended for younger patients. Follow-up was 95% complete (mean, 4.6±2.8 years). RESULTS The overall in-hospital mortality was 44.3%. The in-hospital mortality among patients with uncomplicated aTAAD was 33.3%. Multivariate analysis identified complicated aTAAD as the only risk factors for in-hospital mortality (p<0.0001). Postoperative complications occurred in 50 patients (68.5%) and were associated with a higher mortality (p<0.0001). The overall survival was 53% at 1 year and 32% at 5 years. In uncomplicated aTAAD, the overall survival was 63% at 1 year and 38% at 5 years. CONCLUSIONS Octogenarians with uncomplicated aTAAD benefit from emergency surgical repair. In those patients, early and midterm outcomes are good and are similar to those in published series of younger patients. Complicated aTAAD should be medically managed.

Release of soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (sFlt-1) during coronary artery bypass surgery

BackgroundThis study was conducted to follow plasma concentrations of sFlt-1 and sKDR, two soluble forms of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery with extracorporeal circulation (ECC).MethodsPlasma samples were obtained before, during and after surgery in 15 patients scheduled to undergo CABG. Levels of sFlt-1 and KDR levels were investigated using specific ELISA.ResultsA 75-fold increase of sFlt-1 was found during cardiac surgery, sFlt-1 levels returning to pre-operative values at the 6th post-operative hour. In contrast sKDR levels did not change during surgery. The ECC-derived sFlt-1 was functional as judge by its inhibitory effect on the VEGF mitogenic response in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Kinetic experiments revealed sFlt-1 release immediately after the beginning of ECC suggesting a proteolysis of its membrane form (mFlt-1) rather than an elevated transcription/translation process. Flow cytometry analysis highlighted no effect of ECC on the shedding of mFlt-1 on platelets and leukocytes suggesting vascular endothelial cell as a putative cell source for the ECC-derived sFlt-1.ConclusionsFlt-1 is released during CABG with ECC. It might be suggested that sFlt-1 production, by neutralizing VEGF and/or by inactivating membrane-bound Flt-1 and KDR receptors, might play a role in the occurrence of post-CABG complication.

Blunt chest trauma: a right pulmonary vein rupture

This report describes the case of a 37-year-old man who fell from 6 m height and presented an isolated rupture of the right pulmonary vein. The patient had a low blood pressure without any sign of intrathoracic injury. An echocardiogram revealed a tamponade with hemodynamic intolerance. The repair was made using cardiopulmonary bypass which made the inspection and total repair of the lesions easier. This case is unusual because of the isolated lesion and the few articles about similar reports founded in an extended literature review. Mechanisms and generation of blunt chest trauma lesions are discussed.

Usefulness of Postoperative Heart Rate as an Independent Predictor of Mortality After Coronary Bypass Grafting

Heart rate (HR) predicts mortality and cardiovascular events in the general population and in patients with coronary artery disease. However, little evidence is available for patients after coronary revascularization. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of ambulatory postoperative HR after coronary artery bypass grafting. Data from a prospective cohort study enrolling patients who underwent nonurgent coronary artery bypass grafting from 1998 to 2002 were analyzed. Baseline postoperative HR was measured 2 months after surgery, and patients were followed annually thereafter. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. The secondary outcome combined any of the following events: death, nonfatal acute coronary syndromes, stroke or transient ischemic attack, secondary coronary revascularization, or vascular surgery. Seven hundred ninety-four patients (mean age 65.8 ± 9.3 years) were eligible for follow-up, predominantly men (84.1%). The mean follow-up duration was 3.2 ± 1.3 years, during which 40 patients (5.0%) died. In the univariate analysis, HR >90 beats/min was significantly associated with all outcomes. After adjustments for major confounding factors and the use of β blockers, postoperative HR >90 beats/min remained significantly associated with the secondary outcome (hazard ratio 2.26, 95% confidence interval 1.04 to 4.91, p = 0.04). Association of postoperative HR >90 beats/min with all-cause mortality was only borderline in the multivariate analysis (hazard ratio 3.57, 95% confidence interval 0.90 to 14.17, p = 0.07), because of the limited sample population size. In conclusion, postoperative HR >90 beats/min may be associated with poor prognoses in patients with coronary artery disease, even after surgical revascularization.

Alterations in plasma soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (sFlt-1) concentrations during coronary artery bypass graft surgery: relationships with post-operative complications

BackgroundPlasma concentrations of sFlt-1, the soluble form of the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGF), markedly increase during coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery with extracorporeal circulation (ECC). We investigated if plasma sFlt-1 values might be related to the occurrence of surgical complications after CABG.MethodsPlasma samples were collected from the radial artery catheter before vascular cannulation and after opening the chest, at the end of ECC just before clamp release, after cross release, after weaning from ECC, at the 6th and 24th post-operative hour. Thirty one patients were investigated. The presence of cardiovascular, haematological and respiratory dysfunctions was prospectively assessed. Plasma sFlt-1 levels were measured with commercially ELISA kits.ResultsAmong the 31 investigated patients, 15 had uneventful surgery. Patients with and without complications had similar pre-operative plasma sFlt-1 levels. Lowered plasma sFlt-1 levels were observed at the end of ECC in patients with haematological (p = 0.001, ANOVA) or cardiovascular (p = 0.006) impairments, but not with respiratory ones (p = 0.053), as compared to patients with uneventful surgery.ConclusionThese results identify an association between specific post-CABG complication and the lower release of sFlt-1 during ECC. sFlt-1-induced VEGF neutralisation might, thus, be beneficial to reduce the development of post-operative adverse effects after CABG.

Which echocardiographic parameters improve the risk prediction for peri-operative outcomes in patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery: a prospective study:

Objective: To assess the performance of transthoracic echocardiographic parameters to predict operative mortality and morbidity in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, and to assess its incremental prognostic value as compared to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) score. Materials and methods: We prospectively collected the clinical and biological data required to calculate the STS score in patients hospitalised for coronary artery bypass grafting. Preoperative transthoracic echocardiography was performed for each patient. The primary endpoint was 30-day mortality or major morbidity (i.e. stroke, renal failure, prolonged ventilation, deep sternal wound infection, reoperation) as defined by the STS. The secondary endpoint was prolonged hospitalisation for over 14 days. Results: A total of 172 patients was included (mean age 66.1±10.2 years, 12.2% were women). The primary endpoint occurred in 33 patients (19.2%), and 28 patients (16.3%) had a prolonged hospital stay. Independent predictive factors for the primary endpoint were an increased left atrial volume (>31 mL/m²; odds ratio (OR) 3.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.38–9.12; P=0.004) and a decreased tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (<20 mm; OR 3.45, 95% CI 1.47–8.21; P=0.008). The predictive value of the multivariate model increased when the two echocardiographic parameters were added to the STS score (area under the curve 0.598 vs. 0.695, P=0.001; integrated discrimination improvement 7.44%). Conclusion: In patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, preoperative assessment of left atrial size and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion should be performed systematically, as it provides additional prognostic information to the STS score.