Robert C. Neely

Surgical Embolectomy for Acute Massive and Submassive Pulmonary Embolism in a Series of 115 Patients

BACKGROUND Pulmonary embolectomy is often indicated for central pulmonary embolism (PE) with hemodynamic instability, but remains controversial for hemodynamically stable patients with signs of right ventricular dysfunction. Because thrombolytic therapy is often contraindicated postoperatively, we reviewed risk factors and outcomes of pulmonary embolectomy for stable and unstable central PE, particularly in the early postoperative period. METHODS Between October 1999 and September 2013, 115 patients underwent pulmonary embolectomy for central, hemodynamically unstable PE (49 of 115, 43%) or hemodynamically stable PE (56 of 115, 49%). Ten operations for alternate indications (right atrial mass, endocarditis) were excluded for comparison analysis, leaving 105 patients. RESULTS Mean age was 59 ± 13 years; 46 of 105 patients (44%) had recent surgery (within 5 weeks): orthopedic (12 of 46, 25%), neurosurgery (11 of 46, 24%), or general surgery (10 of 46, 22%). Preoperative demographics did not differ between groups, except for the frequency of cardiopulmonary resuscitation among unstable patients (11 of 49, 22%) versus stable patients (0 of 56, 0%; p < 0.001). Operative mortality for the combined groups was 6.6% (7 of 105): unstable 10.2% (5 of 49) versus stable 3.6% (2 of 56; p = 0.247). Of 11 patients requiring preoperative cardiopulmonary resuscitation, 4 died. Six-month, 1-year, and 3-year survival rates were, respectively, 75%, 68.4%, and 65.8% for unstable PE, and 92.6%, 86.7%, and 80.4% for stable PE (p = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS This large series of pulmonary embolectomies demonstrates excellent early and late survival rates for patients with stable PE and unstable PE. These findings confirm pulmonary embolectomy as a beneficial therapeutic option for central PE, especially during the postoperative period when thrombolytic therapy is often contraindicated.

Minimally invasive aortic valve replacement versus aortic valve replacement through full sternotomy: the Brigham and Women’s Hospital experience

BACKGROUND Minimally invasive aortic valve surgery (mini AVR) is a safe and effective treatment option at many hospital centers, but there has not been widespread adoption of the procedure. Critics of mini AVR have called for additional evidence with direct comparison to aortic valve replacement (AVR) via full sternotomy (FS). METHODS Our mini AVR approach is through a hemi-sternotomy (HS). We performed a propensity-score matched analysis of all patients undergoing isolated AVR via FS or HS at our institution since 2002, resulting in 552 matched pairs. Baseline characteristics were similar. Operative characteristics, transfusion rates, in-hospital outcomes as well as short and long term survival were compared between groups. RESULTS Median cardiopulmonary bypass and cross clamp times were shorter in the HS group: 106 minutes [inter-quartile ranges (IQR) 87-135] vs. 124 minutes (IQR 90-169), P≤0.001, and 76 minutes (IQR 63-97) vs. 80 minutes (IQR 62-114), P≤0.005, respectively. HS patients had shorter ventilation times (median 5.7 hours, IQR 3.5-10.3 vs. 6.3 hours, IQR 3.9-11.2, P≤0.022), shorter intensive care unit stay (median 42 hours, IQR 24-71 vs. 45 hours, IQR 24-87, P≤0.039), and shorter hospital length of stay (median 6 days, IQR 5-8 vs. 7 days, IQR 5-10, P≤0.001) compared with the FS group. Intraoperative transfusions were more common in FS group: 27.9% vs. 20.0%, P≤0.003. No differences were seen in short or long term survival, or time to aortic valve re-intervention. CONCLUSIONS Our study confirms the clinical benefits of minimally invasive AVR via HS, which includes decreased transfusion requirements, ventilation times, intensive care unit and hospital length of stay without compromising short and long term survival compared to conventional AVR via FS.

Is there a need for adjunct cerebral protection in conjunction with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest during noncomplex hemiarch surgery

OBJECTIVE Different cerebral protection strategies are currently being practiced during noncomplex hemiarch surgery without randomized control studies to show their relative efficacy. We hypothesized that deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) alone was adequate for cerebral protection in noncomplex hemiarch surgery. METHODS Four hundred sixty-seven patients underwent noncomplex hemiarch surgery between January 2002 and December 2012. Calcified aortas and total arch surgeries were excluded. DHCA alone was used for 276 patients, DHCA with antegrade cerebral perfusion (ACP) was used for 114 patients, and DHCA with retrograde cerebral perfusion (RCP) was used for 77 patients. RESULTS Preoperative characteristics were similar between groups (12.3% in the DHCA group, 12.3% in the ACP group, and 10.3% in RCP group were reoperations). Patients in the DHCA group had shorter cardiopulmonary bypass times (193 minutes vs 217 minutes; P ≤ .005) and total lower body ischemic times (21 minutes vs 30 minutes; P ≤ .001) than ACP, but not RCP. Rates of reoperations for bleeding, postoperative stroke, and new renal failure did not differ between groups. New onset of cerebrovascular events were seen in 5.4% of patients in the DHCA group versus 6.2% of patients in the ACP group and 6.4% of patients in the RCP group (all P values > .7). Operative mortality in the DHCA group was 4.7% versus 2.6% in the ACP group and 2.6% in the RCP group (all P values > .4). Cox proportional hazard modeling showed no survival differences between groups. CONCLUSIONS Outcomes and survival using DHCA alone were comparable to adjunct cerebral protection methods in patients undergoing noncomplex hemiarch surgery. DHCA alone is as safe as other adjunct complex cerebral protection techniques and simplifies operation without additional risk.

The safety of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest in aortic valve replacement with unclampable aorta in non-octogenarians

OBJECTIVES Aortic valve replacement (AVR) in patients with severely atherosclerotic aortas (porcelain aorta) presents a significant technical challenge. Two strategies are deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) during conventional surgery and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The aim of this study was to examine the outcomes in patients who underwent DHCA for AVR with a porcelain aorta to identify whether older patients are more suitable for TAVR. METHODS Between October 2004 and December 2012, 122 patients underwent AVR using DHCA for atherosclerotic aorta. Patients with concomitant valve surgery were excluded. Overall, 63.9% (78/122) were of age <80 (non-octogenarian group, NOG) and 36.1% (44/122) were >80 (octogenarian group, OG). Of the total cohort, 62.3% (76/122) had concomitant coronary artery bypass graft surgery. RESULTS The mean age for the whole cohort was 75.7 ± 8.5 years; 70.2 ± 8.1 years for the NOG and 83.4 ± 2.6 years for the OG (P = 0.001). The OG had a higher rate of preoperative renal failure (20.5%, 9/44 vs 7.7%, 6/78, P = 0.048) and trends towards a greater history of cerebrovascular disease (9.1%, 4/44 vs 1.3%, 1/78, P = 0.056), but fewer reoperations (6.8%, 3/44 vs 19.2%, 15/78, P = 0.069). Cardiopulmonary bypass time, aortic cross-clamp time and circulatory arrest time were similar between the two groups. Postoperative complication rates were similar except for permanent stroke (OG 18.2%, 8/44 vs NOG 6.4%, 5/78, P = 0.065). The overall operative mortality rate was 8.2% (10/122); however, the OG had significantly higher operative mortality compared with the NOG (15.9%, 7/44 vs 3.8%, 3/78, P = 0.035). One- and 5-year survival rates were 88.9 and 79.3% for the NOG versus 75.0 and 65.9% for the OG (P = 0.027), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Postoperative neurological events and operative mortality were, respectively, 3- and 4-fold higher in octogenarians undergoing AVR using DHCA. Such patients may represent suitable candidates for TAVR if favourable outcomes are demonstrated in patients with atherosclerotic aortas. Surgical AVR remains the standard treatment option with excellent outcomes for patients <80 years old with unclampable aortas.

Ventricular assist device for failing systemic ventricle in an adult with prior mustard procedure.

The Mustard procedure is a palliative surgical procedure used to repair complete transposition of the great arteries. Cardiac transplantation remains the only definitive therapy for patients who develop heart failure after a Mustard procedure. However, pulmonary hypertension represents a major hemodynamic contraindication. The use of a ventricular assist device as destination therapy has not yet been established after a Mustard procedure. Here, we present the case of a 41-year-old patient who presented with systemic right ventricular failure following Mustard procedure complicated by pulmonary hypertension. The patient received a HeartMate II (Thoratec, Pleasanton, CA) ventricular assist device as a bridge to decision.

Pulmonary Kirsten Rat Sarcoma Virus Mutation Positive Mucinous Adenocarcinoma Arising in a Congenital Pulmonary Airway Malformation, Mixed Type 1 and 2

Congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) is a developmental abnormality of the lung, which results from an abnormality of branching during fetal development of the lung. We report the case of an 18 year-old woman who developed Kirsten rat sarcoma virus (KRAS) mutation positive mucinous adenocarcinoma of the lung (AC) in association with mixed CPAM type 1 and 2. This case is unique as KRAS mutation positive AC is present in a setting of both CPAM 1 and 2 in the same lesion.

The Use of Lidocaine Containing Cardioplegia in Surgery for Adult Acquired Heart Disease

Del Nido cardioplegia, a crystalloid‐based solution with lidocaine as a key element, is given as a single dose and has been used successfully in congenital cardiac surgery.

The 2014 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology guideline for the management of patients with valvular heart disease: A changing landscape

The American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Cardiology (ACC) have updated the practice guidelines for the treatment of patients with valvular heart disease (VHD). The writing committee and task force members were experts in all aspects of valvular disease and included representatives from the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, American Society of Echocardiography, and surgical representatives from The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and Society of Thoracic Surgery (STS). Importantly, the writing committee members were free of industry affiliations. The original AHA/ACC VHD guidelines were released in 1998, revised in 2006, and updated in 2008. The recent growth in therapeutic options for VHD requires the incorporation of evolving techniques and current evidence to determine best practice. With the expansion of transcatheter and minimally invasive valve surgery, the question is not simply should we intervene, but how and when. To outline concomitant nonsurgical therapeutic advances, the Task Force coined the phrase guideline-directed medical therapy ‘‘to represent optimal medical therapy as defined by [the] ACC/AHA guideline (primarily class I)–recommended therapies.’’ Thus, the current guidelines reflect updates in medical and surgical advances, with new sections summarizing the role of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and transcatheter approaches for the mitral valve. Evolving approaches for aortic aneurysms and valve type choices are also discussed. For severe aortic stenosis, surgical AVR remains a class I, level of evidence A, recommendation for low or intermediate surgical risk candidates meeting the criteria for valve replacement. Drawing from several large, multiinstitutional, randomized controlled trials, the guidelines state that ‘‘TAVR is recommended in patients who meet an indication for AVR who have a prohibitive risk for

Current Readings: Status of Surgical Treatment for Endocarditis

Valve endocarditis is associated with high morbidity and mortality and requires a thorough evaluation including early surgical consultation to identify patients who may benefit from surgery. We review 5 recent articles that highlight the current debates related to best treatment strategies for valve endocarditis. Recent publications have focused on neurologic risk assessment, timing of surgery, and prognostic factors associated with native and prosthetic valve endocarditis. The initial patient assessment and management is best performed by a multidisciplinary team. Future investigations should focus on identifying surgical candidates early and the outcomes affected by replacement valve choice in both native and prosthetic valve endocarditis.

New Approaches to Cardiovascular Surgery

Modern treatment of cardiovascular disease requires a patient-centered approach. With several technological advances, the options for treatment must be carefully weighed and novel approaches tested for safety and efficacy. In this article, we outline some of the new approaches available to cardiothoracic surgeons for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, including off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, transcatheter valve replacement, and hybrid and robotic technology. We discuss current evidence and controversies and highlight the challenges that we face in training surgeons in an environment of ever-evolving surgical techniques.