Laura Giroletti

Early hemodynamics and clinical outcomes of isolated aortic valve replacement with stentless or transcatheter valve in intermediate-risk patients

Objective: Stentless aortic valves have been developed to overcome obstructive limitations associated with stented bioprostheses. The aim of the current multi‐institutional study was to compare hemodynamics of transcatheter (TAVR) and the Freedom SOLO Stentless (FS) valve in an intermediate risk population undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement. Methods: From 2010 to 2014, 420 consecutive patients underwent isolated surgical aortic valve replacement with FS and 375 patients underwent TAVR. Only patients with intermediate operative risk (Society of Thoracic Surgeons score 4‐10) and small aortic annulus (≤23 mm) were included. After a propensity matched analysis 142 patients in each group were selected. Thirty‐day postoperative clinical and echocardiographic parameters were evaluated. Results: Mean prosthesis diameter was 22.2 ± 0.9 mm for FS and 22.4 ± 1.0 mm for TAVR. In‐hospital mortality was 2.1% for FS and 6.3% for TAVR (P = .02). Postoperative FS peak gradients were 19.1 ± 9.6 mm Hg (mean 10.8 ± 5.9 mm Hg); TAVR peak gradients were 20.2 ± 9.5 mm Hg (mean 10.7 ± 6.9 mm Hg) P = .57 (P = .88). Postoperative effective orifice area was 1.93 ± 0.52 cm2 for FS and 1.83 ± 0.3 cm2 for TAVR (P = .65). There was no prostheses‐patient mismatch in either group. Postoperative grade 2‐3 paravalvular leak was present in 3.5% for TAVR and 0.7% for FS. Postoperative permanent pacemaker implant rate was 12% for TAVR and only 1 case (0.7%) in the FS group (P < .001). Conclusions: In patients with small aortic annulus and intermediate risk, both FS and TAVR demonstrated similar excellent hemodynamic performance. TAVR demonstrated greater mortality and rates of pacemaker insertion. Further studies are warranted to validate TAVR indications in this subset of patients.

Hybrid Coronary Revascularization in 100 Patients With Multivessel Coronary Disease

BACKGROUND Hybrid coronary revascularization, meaning, left mammary artery on left anterior descending artery combined with non-left anterior descending artery percutaneous coronary intervention stenting, is considered a viable alternative to conventional coronary artery bypass graft surgery or to multivessel percutaneous coronary intervention, to perform a functionally complete revascularization. METHODS One hundred consecutive patients underwent hybrid coronary revascularization. Coronary risk was assessed by the Synergy Between PCI With Taxus and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score. Long-term outcomes, major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) rate, and repeated target vessels revascularization (TVR) rate were evaluated. RESULTS Mean age was 66.3±12.0 years. Mean SYNTAX score was 28.22±7. Mean European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation II score was 4.05±1.83. Percutaneous coronary intervention was performed in all patients (n=100), in 75% of cases before and in 25% of cases after surgery (interval, 2.2±1.3 months). No in-hospital mortality was reported. At follow-up, 1 cardiac death of acute MI occurred. At 3.5±1.3 years follow-up, overall population freedom from MACCE rate was 82.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 79.5% to 85.7%) and the freedom from TVR rate was 86.1% (95% CI: 82.9% to 89.3%). MACCE and TVR rates were higher in patients with intermediate and high coronary risk than in patients with SYNTAX score of 22 or less, although not statistically significant (p>0.05). Cox regression analysis showed a significant increment of risk for TVR on overall population in patients with diabetes mellitus (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.3-3.5, p=0.03) and in patients with non-left anterior descending artery stented lesions (OR 4.5, with 95% CI 2.8-6.2, p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS Hybrid coronary revascularization is a viable option to perform a minimally invasive, functionally complete revascularization in high-risk patients for conventional revascularization, with better results when performed on patients with a SYNTAX score of 22 or less.

Chest Blunt Trauma: An Uncommon Cause of Aortic Stentless Bioprosthesis Dysfunction.

Acute leaflet rupture occurred in a Freedom Solo (Sorin Group, Milan, Italy) pericardial stentless aortic bioprosthesis after chest blunt trauma 8 years after valve replacement. Intraoperative findings revealed an acute tear of the right cusp at the level of the structural suture line. Pericardial leaflets were not degenerated at histologic analysis. Reoperation was easy, with simple removal of the prosthetic cusps, and a sutureless Perceval (Sorin Group) bioprosthesis was successfully implanted. This is the first reported case of an acute rupture of a stentless aortic bioprosthesis after a chest blunt trauma and the first histologic analysis of an 8-year-old Freedom Solo.

Thoracoscopic Implantation of an Array Electrode in the Pericardium Transverse Sinus to Reduce Defibrillation Threshold

Among the implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients, there is still a subgroup of patients in whom the defibrillation threshold is too high and the maximal shock output of the implantable cardioverter defibrillator can fail to terminate a ventricular arrhythmia. We report a new thoracoscopic minimally invasive approach to place a standard array electrode in the transverse pericardial sinus of a patient implanted with a cardiac resynchronization and defibrillation therapy device with persistent high defibrillation threshold. This approach was developed to achieve very low shock impedance with a consequent increase in the current flow and reduction of defibrillation threshold.

European prospective multicentre study of hybrid thoracoscopic and transcatheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation: the HISTORIC-AF trial

OBJECTIVES The HISTORIC‐AF trial is a prospective, multicentre, single‐arm study designed to evaluate the outcomes of a staged endoscopic and transcatheter ablation in patients with stand‐alone, persistent or long‐standing persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS From 2012 to 2015, 100 consecutive patients were enrolled and underwent thoracoscopic left atrial epicardial isolation (‘box lesion’) followed by transcatheter ablation in case of AF recurrency. The safety end point was the composite outcome of freedom from major adverse events at 30‐days, while efficacy end points were: (i) primary: freedom from AF and stable sinus rhythm following isolated thoracospic ablation >60% and (ii) secondary: freedom from AF and stable sinus rhythm >80% following hybrid ablation (as per HRS criteria). RESULTS No death occurred and surgical thoracoscopic procedure was successfully completed in all patients. Survival free from major adverse events at 30 days was 94%: there were 3 permanent pacemaker implants, 2 episodes of stroke and 1 revision for bleeding. At discharge, 87% of patients were in sinus rhythm. A staged transcatheter ablation was carried out in all patients with AF recurrences at the end of 3 months blanking period (17% of patients). At 12‐months follow‐up, a stable restoration of sinus rhythm was achieved in 75% and 88% of patients following isolated thoracoscopic ablation and hybrid ablation, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The HISTORIC‐AF trial showed that thoracoscopic isolated surgical ablation reached both the safety and the efficacy end points. Hybrid ablation steadily improved rhythm outcomes and may be considered in the future as the treatment of choice for patients with persistent and long‐standing persistent AF. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01622907.