Vilius Janusauskas

Acute safety and efficacy of the NeoChord procedure

OBJECTIVES Transapical off-pump mitral valve repair using the NeoChord device has been proposed to treat degenerative mitral valve regurgitation. This prospective study sought to evaluate acute safety and efficacy of this innovative, minimally invasive, transcatheter mitral valve repair approach. METHODS Symptomatic patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR) were selected if they presented a favourable valve anatomy (the presence of leaflet flail/prolapse with consistent overlap of tissue). Early device success was defined as placement of at least two neochordae with residual mitral regurgitation ≤ 2+ after the procedure. The primary acute safety and efficacy end points were evaluated at 30 days. RESULTS Between February 2013 and June 2014, in Padua and Vilnius University Hospitals, a total of 62 patients were treated, with a median age of 66 years (IQR 52-76) and a median EuroSCORE I of 1.9% (IQR 0.9-6). Fifty-six patients (88.9%) presented with a posterior leaflet prolapse, 4 (6%) with an anterior leaflet prolapse and 3 (5%) with a combined disease. Early procedural success was achieved in all patients. Two neochordae were implanted in 2 patients (3%), 3 in 20 (32%), 4 in 28 (44%), 5 in 10 (16%), 6 in 2 (3%) and 7 in 1 (2%). At 30 days, major adverse events included only 1 acute myocardial infarction (2%) successfully treated percutaneously and 2 cases of sepsis (3%). Mitral regurgitation at 30 days was absent in 29 patients (46%), Grade 1+ in 16 (25%), Grade 2+ in 10 (16%), Grade 3+ in 7 (11%) and Grade 4+ in 1 (2%). All 8 patients with MR >2+ were successfully reoperated with conventional surgery or NeoChord reintervention. CONCLUSIONS Initial results with the NeoChord procedure in a small number of patients indicate that transapical off-pump mitral valve repair is feasible and safe. Efficacy is maintained up to the 30-day follow-up with significant clinical benefit for patients.

Small Intestinal Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Metastasis in the Left Ventricle

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMTs) are rare and usually appear in childhood and adolescence. These tumors often take a benign course, but tend to reoccur in a quarter of cases and metastasize locally. Distant IMT metastases are extremely uncommon. To our knowledge, metastatic spread to the heart has not been reported. We present a case of a 43-year-old woman with small intestinal IMT metastatic spread to the cavity of the left ventricle, stomach, liver, vertebra, and pelvic bones. The cardiac tumor was resected, and the patient survived for 9 months. She dies because the progression of IMT at other sites.

TCT-42 Transcatheter echo guided Mitral Valve Repair with Neochord Implantation for posterior leaflet disease: Results from Neochord Independent International Registry

Transapical off-pump mitral valve repair with neochordae implantation (TOP-MINI) is an innovative procedure to treat degenerative mitral valve regurgitation (MR). Assess initial results of the Neochord Independent International Registry (NIIR) for isolated treatment of posterior mitral leaflet (PML

An early European experience with transapical off-pump mitral valve repair with NeoChord implantation†

OBJECTIVES Transapical off-pump NeoChord repair is a novel minimally invasive surgical procedure to treat degenerative mitral valve regurgitation. The aim was to evaluate 1-year clinical results of the NeoChord procedure in a consecutive cohort of patients. METHODS Between February 2013 and July 2016, 213 patients were enrolled in the NeoChord Independent International Registry. All patients presented severe mitral regurgitation due to flail/prolapse of 1 or both leaflets, and they all completed postoperative echocardiographic assessment up to 1 year. We identified the primary end point as composed of procedural success, freedom from mortality, stroke, reintervention, recurrence of severe mitral regurgitation, rehospitalization and decrease of at least 1 New York Heart Association functional class at 1-year follow-up. We also compared outcomes according to the anatomical classification (Type A: isolated central posterior leaflet disease; Type B: posterior multisegment disease; Type C: anterior, bileaflet, paracommissural disease with/without leaflet/annular calcifications). RESULTS The median age was 68 years (interquartile range 56-77), and the median EuroSCORE II was 1.05% (interquartile range 0.67-1.76). The number of Type A, B and C patients was 82 (38.5%), 98 (46%) and 33 (15.5%), respectively. Procedural success was achieved in 206 (96.7%) patients. At 1-year follow-up, overall survival was 98 ± 1%. Composite end point was achieved in 84 ± 2.5% for the overall population and 94 ± 2.6%, 82.6 ± 3.8% and 63.6 ± 8.4% in Type A, Type B and Type C patients, respectively (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that the NeoChord procedure is safe, effective and reproducible. Clinical and echocardiographic efficacy is maintained up to 1 year with significant differences among the anatomical groups. Specific anatomical selection criteria are necessary to achieve stable results.

Successful Treatment of Right Heart Thrombi and Acute Massive Pulmonary Embolism by Repeated Thrombolysis

We present the case of a 19 year old female who underwent a massive pulmonary embolism with thrombus in right ventricle (RV) and acute RV failure. Thrombolytic treatment had failed and repeated thrombolysis was given after 24 hours. Treatment was successful and on the eleventh day of hospitalization the patient was discharged. The current guidelines do not give clear directions for the management of patients with acute massive pulmonary embolism who do not respond to fibrinolytic therapy. A repeated thrombolysis could be an alternative treatment over surgical embolectomy for these patients.

Surgical vs. catheter-based paravalvular mitral valve leak closure (trans apical approach). Early results. Single center experience.

Following surgical mitral valve replacement paravalvular leaks may occur in up to 17% of patients. A significant fraction of these patients present with a symptoms of heart failure and/or anaemia. Conventional surgical closure is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Alternative transcatheter closure has been developed and being introduced into the clinical practice with a reasonable success. More evidence is needed to compare the efficacy and safety between surgical and catheter-based paravalvular mitral valve leak closure.

Retrospective analysis of single-center early and midterm results of transapical catheter‑based mitral paravalvular leak closure with a purpose-specific device

Introduction Due to the recent lack of definitions to establish the severity of paravalvular leak (PVL) and endpoints for its treatment, the effectiveness and safety of a new device for PVL closure have not been comprehensively analyzed. Aim To analyze a single center’s experience of mitral PVL closure in a surgical transapical catheter-based fashion with a purpose-specific device. Material and methods This is a retrospective cohort study of patients following transapical catheter-based mitral PVL closure with a purpose-specific device. Data were analyzed at baseline, perioperatively, at discharge, at six months and annually after the procedure. Results Nineteen patients underwent surgical transapical catheter-based mitral PVL closure with the Occlutech PLD Occluder. Mean follow-up time was 20 ±7 (range: 9–33) months. The patients’ mean age was 64 ±7 years, and 11 (58%) were male. Technical, device and individual patient success at follow-up was achieved in 18 (95%), 16 (84%) and 16 (84%) patients respectively. Median intensive therapy unit stay was one day (1–4) and mean hospital stay was 11 ±4 days. A reduction of paravalvular regurgitation to a mild or lesser degree was achieved in 18 (95%) patients. There were no strokes or myocardial infarctions at follow-up. There were no deaths at 30 days after the procedure. One (5%) patient expired due to progression of heart failure 12 months after surgery. None of the patients required immediate conversion to full sternotomy. Conclusions Surgical transapical catheter-based mitral PVL closure with the Occlutech PLD Occluder is a safe and clinically effective treatment.

Occlutech® Paravalvular Leak Device (PLD)

Since the first reported use of the double-umbrella Rashkind device [1] in 1992, transcatheter paravalvular leak (PVL) closure has been performed extensively by many centers around the world.

Prophylactic use of an intra-aortic balloon pump in a high-risk patient with peripartum cardiomyopathy requiring cesarean delivery

The use of intra-aortic balloon counter-pulsation for circulatory support in pregnant women with cardiac failure is limited to several case reports. Few publications have addressed the use of intra-aortic balloon counter-pulsation during delivery. We report a case using prophylactic intra-aortic balloon counter-pulsation during the management of a cesarean delivery in a patient with peripartum cardiomyopathy. A 28-year-old primigravid female at 37weeks of gestation was admitted with signs of worsening heart failure, and transthoracic echocardiography revealed a decreased left ventricular ejection fraction of 25%. A plan to proceed with cesarean delivery, using hemodynamic support with intra-aortic balloon counter-pulsation, was made during a multidisciplinary meeting. Shortly after initiation of intra-aortic balloon counter-pulsation, the patients hemodynamics improved, with a decrease in heart rate and an increase in mean arterial blood pressure. After uneventful cesarean delivery of a healthy 3.2kg infant, the patient was transferred to intensive care and was extubated three hours later. Due to hemodynamic instability, intra-aortic balloon counter-pulsation support and vasopressor infusion were maintained for four postoperative days. The patient was discharged from the hospital on diuretics and beta-blocker treatment after 20days. Heart failure persisted, requiring heart transplantation 25months later. This report highlights the role of a multidisciplinary team approach in the management of delivery in an obstetric patient with peripartum cardiomyopathy.

Fusion of real-time 3D transesophageal echocardiography and cardiac fluoroscopy imaging in transapical catheter-based mitral paravalvular leak closure

Corresponding author: Aleksejus Zorinas, Heart Surgery Centre, Vilnius University Hospital Santariskiu Klinikos, Santariskiu 2, 08406 Vilnius, Lithuania, phone: +370 52365000, fax: +370 52365111, mobile: +370 698 29079, e-mail: aleksejus.zorinas@santa.lt Received: 11.04.2017, accepted: 17.06.2017. Fusion of real-time 3D transesophageal echocardiography and cardiac fluoroscopy imaging in transapical catheter-based mitral paravalvular leak closure