Objective: To describe patient characteristics and post-operative outcomes, including early and late mortality, defined by death within 30 days and after 30 days post-surgery, respectively, as well as 20-year survival after isolated reoperative tricuspid surgery.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 169 patients who underwent isolated reoperative tricuspid valve surgery at our institution (between 1997 and 2000) and describe post-surgical outcomes including intraoperative, early and late mortality. All patients included completed 21 years of follow-up.
Results: The majority of our patients were females 147 (87%) with the mean age of 45.9 ± 12.9 years. The mean body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) was 27.4 ± 6.0. Previous cardiac surgeries included tricuspid valve surgeries in 169 (100%) patients, with bioprosthetic valves, mechanical valves, annual rings and tricuspid repair surgeries utilized in 37 (21.9%), 21 (12.4%), 38 (22.4%) and 73 (43.2%) patients, respectively. The indication for previous tricuspid surgery was rheumatic heart disease in 154 (91.5%) patients.The most common cause of reoperative valvular surgery was tricuspid regurgitation (TR) in 139 (82.2%), with 66% of patients having severe TR. Other reasons for reoperative surgery included tricuspid stenosis 22 (13%) and dehiscence 8 (4.7%). For the redo surgery, 125 (74%) patients underwent Tricuspid Valve Replacement (TVR), 90 (53%) of whom received bioprosthetic valves while 35 (21%) received mechanical valves. Forty-four patients (26%) underwent Tricuspid Valve Repair. Mortality within 30 days of surgery was 11.3% (20 patients) and 11.4% after 30 days, with 20 years survival being about 80%.
Conclusions: Based on our experience, reoperation for failed isolated tricuspid valve replacement or repair was associated with reasonable mortality and good survival rate over long period of time.
Background & objectives: In patients of aortic stenosis and regurgitation, pressure and volume effects on left ventricular function are occult and missed by routine echocardiography markers like ejection fraction (EF). Speckle tracking analysis by measuring global longitudinal strain and global circumferential strain seems to ascertain this occult LV function parameters at an early phase in a more comprehensive manner. Limited studies have examined these parameters pre/post aortic valve replacement (AVR).
Methods: 94 consecutive patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis (AS) or aortic regurgitation (AR), planned for AVR were included (as per set inclusion criteria) along with 15 normal controls-15 months prospective study. Routine echocardiography and speckle tracking imaging was done at baseline (pre AVR) and post AVR at 1st week, 1st month and 3rd month of follow up.
Results: 90 patients completed study (70 in AS and 20 in AR group). In AS group mean values (± 2 standard deviations) of global longitudinal strain (GLS) improved from a baseline -10.9% (± 3.9) to -19.4% (±3.8) at 3rd month (p value < 0.0001). Mean values of global circumferential strain (GCS) too improved from -17.3% (±4.5) to -21.4% (±3.6) respectively (p value < 0.0001). In AR group too mean values of global longitudinal strain progressed from a baseline -12.6% (±3.9) to -19.4% (±3.4) at three months of follow (p value < 0.0001) and mean values of global circumferential strain also progressed from -15.3% (±3.4) at baseline to -21.7% (±3.1) respectively (p value < 0.0001).
Conclusion: Magnitude of recovery of GLS and GCS after AVR was more as compared to recovery in EF. Poor GLS/GCS values at baseline were associated with lesser recovery pressing need for an earlier intervention.
Background: Cardiogenic Shock (CS) remains the most common cause of death in hospitalized acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. Predictors of outcomes in those patients include clinical, laboratory, radiologic variables, and management strategies. The present study aimed to evaluate the incidence, characteristics, predictors of cardiogenic shock and mortality among acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients in our center.
Methods: This was a retrospective, single-center study conducted at KAMC, Makkah during 2015-2020. All acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients during this era were divided into two groups CS group and non-CS group.
Results: In this study total 3074 acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients of which 132(4.3%) patients had CS. CS group tended to have higher ages than non-CS group. Pilgrims were more complicated by CS than nonpilgrims. Subsequently, CS patients had a highly significant (p < 0.001 for all) increase in the incidence of in-hospital complications including pulmonary oedema, cardiac arrest and ventilation. There was a significant increase in hospital stay length and in-hospital mortality among CS patients. Renal impairment, peak troponin level, haemoglobin drop≥3 gm/dl, and Left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) were significant independent predictors of cardiogenic shock among our patients. However, STEMI type, left main disease, and EF was the independent predictors of CS among our patients with diabetes with EF cut-off value of 35% with a sensitivity of 74.6% and a specificity of 65.3%. Age was the only independent predictor of mortality among CS patients. Though age, female gender, and diabetes were found to be the independent predictors for in-hospital mortality among our patients.
Conclusion: High-income middle eastern countries have comparable outcomes to Europe and USA among patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients with higher improvement of medical care in the last 2 to 3 decades. Renal impairment, peak troponin, severe bleeding and ejection fraction were significant independent predictors of CS in acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients. However, STEMI type, left main disease, and ejection fraction were the independent predictors of CS in acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients with diabetes. Age was the only independent predictor of mortality among CS patients.
Background: Post-cardiotomy extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was associated with significant neurological complications affecting the overall outcome. The aim of the work is to determine the incidence and the predictors of neurological events during pediatric extracorporeal life support after cardiac surgery.
Patients & methods: This is a retrospective study that encompassed all neonates, infants, and children (<18 years of age) who need extracorporeal life support following cardiac surgery between January 2015 and December 2018 at San Donato Hospital, Italy. Data as regards surgical procedure of congenital heart disease, in-hospital mortality, length of ECMO, hospital stay durations, short-term neurological ECMO complications and outcome were analyzed.
Results: The sixty-three patients who received post-cardiotomy ECMO, Neurological complications were evident in 31.7% in the form of ischemic stroke in 17.5% and hemorrhagic stroke in 11.1%. By multivariable analysis, the older age of cyanotic cases, the need for a venting cannula, and the rapid CO2 drop in the first 24 h were the most independent risk factors for neurological complications. Prolonged ECMO support and hospital stay duration were associated with neurological sequelae.
Conclusion: Neurological complications either ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes were common during pediatric post-cardiotomy ECMO and were significantly related to prolonged ECMO support and hospital stay. Predictors of these neurological sequelae are the older cyanotic cases, the need for a venting cannula, the oxygenator thrombosis, and the rapid CO2 drop in the first 24 h of ECMO.
Background: There is conflicting evidence regarding the success of the Maze procedure to restore sinus rhythm in patients with rheumatic heart disease. Hence, the aim of our study was to describe the results of surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation in patients with rheumatic heart disease undergoing cardiac surgery.
Methods: This is a retrospective study that included adult patients with rheumatic heart disease who underwent surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation. The ablation lesions were performed using monopolar radiofrequency ablation in all patients.
Results: Fifty-seven consecutive patients were included in the study. Cox Maze IV was performed in 44 patients (77%), while left-sided surgical ablation was performed in 10 patients (17%) and pulmonary vein isolation in 3 patients (5%). The percentage of patients who were in sinus rhythm on discharge, at 1-month, at 3-months, 6-months and 12-months follow up were 56%, 54%, 52%, 56% and 46% respectively. Complete heart block occurred in 21 patients (44%), but only 15 of them (26%) required permanent pacemaker insertion. Freedom from composite endpoint of death, stroke, and readmission for heart failure was 78% at one-year follow up.
Conclusion: Despite the suboptimal rates of sinus rhythm at the intermediate and long term follow up, surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation in patients with rheumatic heart disease should continue to be performed. Continuation of Class III antiarrhythmic medications and early intervention for recurrent atrial fibrillation is crucial to the success of this procedure and for maintenance of higher rates of sinus rhythm at intermediate and long-term follow up.
Improving or maintaining heart function following percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) is not identified in all patients. Our aim in the current study is to investigate the prevalence, factors associated with early left ventricular (LV) dysfunction following successful revascularization of myocardial infarction patients.
Methods: A single-center retrospective study included 2863 myocardial infarction patients who were admitted to our center and treated with successful PPCI.
Results: Out of 2863 consecutive patients who underwent PPCI from May 2018 to August 2021, 1021 (36%) developed server LV dysfunction. They showed a higher history rate of ischemic heart disease and previous revascularization before AMI (P = 0.05 and 0.001 respectively). Also, they presented more with anterior myocardial infarction (P < 0.001) and heavy thrombus burden (P = 0.002 and 0.004 for indication of peri-procedural glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors use and thrombus aspiration) compared to the other group of patients. Moreover, they also had a more critical anatomy of coronary artery disease (P < 0.001 for both left main and multi-vessel coronary artery disease). The independently associated predictors for early severe LV dysfunction post-AMI treated with PPCI were anterior localization of AMI, the greater value of troponin, renal impairment, and severe coronary artery disease (P= <0.001, 0.036, 0.002, and <0.07 respectively). Despite optimal treatment for those patients, they showed poor outcomes including in-hospital morbidity and mortality (P < 0.001).
Conclusion: Sizable proportion of patients following successful PPCI develop severe LV systolic dysfunction and associated with poor clinical outcomes. Larger myocardial infarction, renal impairment, and severe coronary artery disease are independent predictors of severe LV systolic dysfunction post-PPCI.
Background and objectives: Following cardiac surgery, acute kidney injury (AKI) is a well-known complication that increases morbidity and mortality. This study was carried out to determine the factors associated with acute kidney injury and to assess the predictive value of three predictive scores for the development of AKI post-cardiac surgery in the Saudi community.
Methods: In this retrospective study, the medical records of patients aged 18 years and above who underwent cardiac surgery on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) at Saud Albabtin Cardiac Center between January 2018 and March 2021 were reviewed. The first stage of both Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria and the risk, injury, failure, loss, end-stage (RIFLE) criteria were used to define AKI. The predicting value for acute kidney injury following cardiac surgery (AKICS score) and Renal replacement therapy for acute kidney injury (RRT-AKI) (Cleveland score, and SRI) were evaluated by area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) for the discrimination and Hosmer-Lemeshow test for the calibration.
Results: Among the 329 patients evaluated, the total postoperative incidence of acute kidney injury was 26.4%. Moreover, the incidence of RRT-AKI was 2.1%. Using multivariate logistic analysis, the factors independently associated with AKI were CABG on pump-beating heart, presence of chronic kidney disease, pre-operative anemia, prolonged bypass time, and post-operative exposure to inotropes or vasopressors. For the prediction of CSA-AKI, the discrimination of AKICS (AUROC = 0.689) was poor, while the calibration (x2 = 9.380, P = 0.311) was fair. For RRT-AKI prediction, the discrimination of Cleveland score (AUROC = 0.717) was fair while the discrimination of SRI (AUROC = 0. 681) was poor. On the other hand, the calibration for both of them was fair (Cleveland score x2 = 3.339, P = 0.342; SRI x2 = 7.326, P = 0.120).
Conclusion: In this single-center study, SRI score demonstrated a reasonably good prediction of RRT-AKI incidence. However, further researches are required to investigate the perioperative factors in order to create a unique risk score model that may be used in a population with widespread comorbidities.