Interdisciplinary cardiovascular and thoracic surgery最新文献

Objectives: The recent increase in sublobar resections has been driven by favourable long-term outcomes and advances in stapling devices. However, maintaining an adequate resection margin remains a critical oncological requirement. This study aimed to investigate whether deep wedge resection induces subpleural alveolar injury that could lead to margin overestimation by creating undetectable internal cavities.

Methods: We retrospectively analysed 33 consecutive patients who underwent wedge resection and CT imaging of resected lung specimens between December 2018 and February 2025. CT was performed on inflated specimens to better visualize internal lung architecture. We assessed the presence of an "empty space" adjacent to the staple line and correlated it with clinical factors, including depth of wedge resection (WR). Additionally, ex vivo porcine lung models were used to simulate deep WR, analyse compression effects, and identify histological damage caused by stapler compression.

Results: CT imaging revealed empty spaces adjacent to the staple line in 10 of 33 specimens (30.3%), with a mean cavity length of 8.25 ± 3.2 mm. This artifact was significantly associated with deeper WR (≥26.3 mm) and increased stapler cartridge usage (median: 4 vs 3, P = .0298). In porcine experiments, compression to 2 mm thickness resulted in internal parenchymal rupture without pleural tearing, replicating the clinical findings.

Conclusions: This study identified a potential mechanism by which deep wedge resection may lead to overestimation of the pathological margin due to stapler-induced parenchymal rupture. Further large-scale studies integrating oncological outcomes are warranted to clarify how wedge resection and segmentectomy should be appropriately selected for deep peripheral lung lesions.

Objectives: For the treatment of aortic valve stenoses, both surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) are available. We compared the frequently used Euroscore with the AKL-Cath- and the AKL-Chir Score, describing the mortality risk of the 2 different treatment methods.

Methods: Based on a retrospective cohort study using mandatory quality assurance data, we analysed the frequency and the outcomes (primary end-point: in-hospital mortality) of all patients treated in Germany between 2015 and 2020. The observed results were compared to the predicted risk using the Euroscore, the AKL-Cath Score, and the AKL-Chir Score.

Results: Our data show a reduction in the number of isolated SAVR procedures from 9790 in 2015 to 6106 in 2020, corresponding to a 37.6% decrease. Over the same period, the number of TAVI procedures increased from 15 653 to 21 501, an increase of 37.3%. Regarding in-hospital mortality following TAVI, there was a decline from 4% (2015) to 2.5% (2020), while in-hospital mortality following SAVR remained nearly constant at 3%. Over the study period, there is an overestimation of TAVI risk while simultaneously underestimating SAVR risk by EuroSCORE II. In contrast, the mortality risk of patients is well estimated using the AKL-Kath Score in the TAVI group and the AKL-Chir Score in the SAVR group. The AKL-Chir Score in TAVI patients overestimates their mortality, while the AKL-Kath Score underestimates the mortality of SAVR patients.

Conclusions: AKL-Chir score and AKL-Cath score estimate the mortality risk of SAVR and TAVI patients more precisely than the Euroscore II.

Objectives: Pure anterior mediastinal cysts (pAMC) are uncommon and typically benign lesions. In contrast to solid anterior mediastinal tumours, there are no standardized diagnostic or management guidelines, despite a small but clinically significant risk of malignancy. The goal of this study was to identify preoperative factors associated with malignancy in order to develop a clinical algorithm to guide the diagnosis and management of pAMC.

Methods: This retrospective single-centre study was conducted at Toulouse University Hospital and included patients diagnosed with pAMC between January 2012 and June 2025. Logistic regression was used to identify preoperative predictors of thymoma or germ cell tumours.

Results: A total of 70 patients were diagnosed with pAMC, 26 of whom underwent surgical resection. On multivariate analysis, hypermetabolism on positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) was significantly associated with a final pathological diagnosis of thymoma or germ cell tumour (odds ratio, 43.21 [2.81-663.93], P = .007). Lesion size greater than 4 cm was also associated with malignancy on univariate analysis (odds ratio: 10.50 [1.50-73.67], P = .02), though this did not remain significant in multivariate analysis. Based on these findings, we proposed a decision-making algorithm incorporating PET-CT as a first-line investigation.

Conclusions: Hypermetabolism on PET-CT is a strong preoperative predictor of malignancy in lesions presenting as pAMC. Prospective multicentre studies are warranted to validate additional prognostic markers and optimize imaging strategies for the management of pAMC.

Objectives: Prolonged air leaks are common after thoracic surgery and may be managed with synthetic aerostatic devices. This study assessed the impact of the Neoveil patch on air leak duration, hospital stay, and postoperative pneumonia.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective monocentric study at Amiens University Hospital including adults undergoing lung resection between 2014 and 2024. Patients were divided into three groups: those receiving Neoveil, those not receiving it because of absence of indication, and those operated before its introduction in 2017. For analysis, the two latter groups were pooled as the Non-Neoveil arm. To address confounding, a propensity score was built from baseline covariates with standardized mean difference >5%, and inverse probability weighting was applied. The primary end-point was air leak duration, assessed with weighted linear regression. Secondary outcomes were hospital stay and postoperative pneumonia, analyzed with weighted linear and logistic regression.

Results: Among 1216 patients, 313 (26%) received Neoveil. Compared with the control group, Neoveil use was associated with shorter air leak duration both before adjustment (-1.01 days; P = .0004) and after adjustment (-0.67 days; P = .0042). Hospital stay was also reduced (-1.88 days before adjustment; -1.09 days after adjustment; P = .0022). No significant difference was observed for postoperative pneumonia after adjustment (adjusted Odds Ratio 0.73, 95% Confidence Interval 0.48-1.11; P = .14).

Conclusions: Neoveil use was associated with reduced air leak duration and shorter hospital stay following lung resection, without significant impact on pneumonia. These findings support its potential role in enhancing postoperative recovery and highlight the need for confirmation in prospective multicentre studies.

Objectives: Robot-assisted mitral valve replacement has been shown to be comparable to conventional surgery in terms of safety and efficacy. Our institution has performed robot-assisted mitral valve replacement using the Da Vinci Surgical System for over a decade. This study aimed to evaluate the time-related evolution of clinical outcomes and the impact of the surgical learning curve.

Methods: Patients who underwent robot-assisted mitral valve replacement between July 2013 and January 2024 were evaluated. All procedures were performed by 4 surgeons certified in robotic cardiac surgery, each with prior experience of more than 100 conventional mitral valve replacements. To assess the learning curve, cumulative sum analysis was conducted on cardiopulmonary bypass time and the Mitral Surgery Complexity Score.

Results: A total of 233 patients were included in the analysis. The mean patient age was 48.4 (13.9) years; 117 (50.2%) were male. The mean cardiopulmonary bypass time was 170.3 (55.1) min. Cumulative sum analysis of cardiopulmonary bypass time revealed 3 phases: a learning phase (cases 1-27), a proficiency phase (cases 28-92), and a mastery phase (cases 93 onward). Mitral Surgery Complexity Scores decreased during the early phase, followed by an increase after case 92, indicating a transition towards more complex cases.

Conclusions: Robot-assisted mitral valve replacement has a measurable learning curve, with surgical efficiency and case complexity evolving over time. Approximately 93 procedures appear necessary to achieve operative stability and to confidently expand indications to include more complex patients.

Objectives: This study investigates differences in short- and mid-term outcomes in patients without malperfusion undergoing surgery for acute type A aortic dissection between specialized aortic surgeons and non-aortic surgeons.

Methods: Patients who underwent surgery for acute type A aortic dissection between 2013 and 2023 defined as M0 (no malperfusion) according to the type-entry-malperfusion classification were included and divided into 2 groups according to the surgeon's expertise: aortic surgeon vs non-aortic surgeon group, whereas an aortic surgeon was defined by expertise in extensive aortic arch surgery including frozen elephant trunk implantation on a regular basis (average ≥5/year). After propensity score matching, the groups were compared in terms of intraoperative variables and outcomes including a primary combined end-point consisting of 30-day mortality and/or CT-confirmed stroke.

Results: The matched cohort comprised 2 balanced groups with 234 patients (117 in each group). Cardiopulmonary bypass, cross-clamp and distal arrest times did not differ significantly between the groups. However, more extensive aortic surgery was performed by aortic surgeons: aortic root replacement (Bentall) (P = .007; odds ratio [OR] 1.18 [CI, 1.05-1.32]), valve-sparing root replacement (David) (P = .013; OR 1.05 [CI, 1.01-1.10]), and frozen elephant trunk implantation (P < .001; OR 1.18 (CI, 1.09-1.27]). The combined end-point of 30-day mortality and/or CT-confirmed stroke was 26% in the non-aortic surgeon vs 23% in the aortic surgeon group (P = .54; OR 0.97 [CI, 0.86-1.08]). Further clinical outcomes, including 5-year survival, did not differ significantly (P = .170).

Conclusions: Patients without preoperative malperfusion undergoing surgery for ATAAD show no differences in terms of short- and mid-term outcomes between specialized aortic and non-aortic surgeons. However, more extensive aortic repair may be performed safely by specialized aortic surgeons. These results support the definition of an aortic surgeon based on experience with the frozen elephant trunk technique and may advocate for call coverage by an aortic surgeon for type A repair at high-volume centres.

A nuclear protein in testis (NUT) carcinoma is a rare, aggressive malignancy often diagnosed late due to non-specific symptoms and low awareness. A 69-year-old woman presented with haemoptysis and a positron emission tomography-avid lung nodule (cT1N0M0). An initial bronchoscopic biopsy suggested small cell carcinoma with negative NUT staining. Following a lobectomy, immunohistochemical analysis showed strong nuclear NUT positivity, and fluorescence in situ hybridization confirmed NUT rearrangement. This case was atypical due to the patient's age, early stage, and initial misdiagnosis from a limited biopsy. The non-specific presentation of an NUT carcinoma requires a high degree of suspicion, and small biopsies risk a misdiagnosis.

Objectives: We sought to evaluate compliance and flow of the ascending aorta of patients with decellularized aortic homografts compared to donor age-matched healthy controls.

Methods: Male patients and donor age-matched male healthy controls were included. Cardiac function was evaluated by retrospectively electrocardiography-gated cine balanced steady-state free precession magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Time-resolved 2- and 3-dimensional phase-contrast sequences were used to determine relative area change and pulse wave velocity as surrogate parameters for vessel compliance as well as maximum blood flow velocity.

Results: Thirteen patients were matched according to the age of their homograft donor (median 42 years, interquartile range [IQR] 32-50) to 7 healthy controls (median 40 years, IQR 36-48). Time to post-operative MRI was 3.33 (1.33-4.50) years. Relative area change in the proximal ascending aorta was significantly lower in the homograft group compared to healthy controls (26%, IQR 23-44 vs 38%, IQR 24-44, P < .001), with no significant difference observed in the distal ascending aorta (22%, IQR 22-33 vs 34%, IQR 22-41, P = .438). Maximum blood flow velocity in the proximal ascending aorta was significantly higher in the homograft group compared to healthy controls (168 cm s-1, IQR 148-188 vs 115 cm s-1, IQR 114-120, P = .009).

Conclusions: Decellularized aortic homograft patients seem to have a reduced compliance of the proximal ascending aorta compared to donor age-matched healthy controls. This may be attributable to the in vitro decellularization process or post-operative graft degeneration. These findings highlight the ultimate need for follow-up data to understand the long-term in vivo effects of decellularized human tissue. This study is a follow-up study of the patients included in the ARISE Study registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02527629). For the purposes of this manuscript, healthy individuals were subsequently recruited to serve as the control group.

Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility and early clinical outcomes of transcatheter valve replacement in high-surgical-risk patients with carcinoid heart disease.

Materials and methods: This study included 15 procedures performed in 9 patients with symptomatic carcinoid heart disease between 2021 and 2025. Valve involvement included the pulmonary valve in 9 cases, the tricuspid valve in 5 cases, and the aortic valve in 1 case. Valve selection (SAPIEN 3, TOPAZ, LUX) was individualized according to anatomical considerations. All 9 patients received intravenous periprocedural octreotide. Outcomes included procedural success, NYHA class, and echocardiographic evaluation of valve and ventricular function.

Results: Single-valve replacement was performed in 4 patients (2 pulmonary and 2 tricuspid). Double-valve replacement involving the pulmonary and tricuspid valves was performed in 4 patients, and 1 patient underwent triple-valve replacement (aortic, pulmonary, and tricuspid). One high-risk patient required conversion after a tricuspid procedure but ultimately recovered after a prolonged hospital stay. At a median follow-up of 9.9 months (IQR 3.5), all patients showed clinical improvement. One patient developed a transient tricuspid paravalvular thrombus without dysfunction or clinical consequence. Echocardiography demonstrated a reduction in right ventricular diameter. No case of endocarditis was observed. One patient died 4 months post-procedure from tumour progression.

Conclusions: This first series of transcatheter valve replacements in carcinoid heart disease suggests that a complete percutaneous approach is feasible, safe, and potentially beneficial. These early results warrant confirmation in larger cohorts with longer follow-up and may represent a paradigm shift in the management of carcinoid valve disease.

Objectives: Transcatheter aortic valve-in-valve is frequently performed in degenerated surgical valves. Notably, in small-sized surgical valves, bioprosthetic valve fracturing can improve the functional results of the transcatheter heart valve (THV). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of an expandable surgical valve on the functional improvement of 2 THV models.

Methods: An Inspiris Resilia (21 mm) and 2 different THV models-the self-expanding Evolut-PRO and the balloon-expandable SAPIEN 3 (each 23 and 26 mm)-were used for hydrodynamic testing at 4 different circulatory conditions in a pulse duplicator. Mean pressure gradient (MPG), effective orifice area (EOA), geometric orifice area (GOA), minimal internal diameter (MID), and pin-wheeling index (PWI) of the THVs were analysed before and after expansion of the Inspiris Resilia with a non-compliant balloon (6 atm). Leaflet kinematics were evaluated by high-speed video recording. The internal and external diameters of Inspiris Resilia were measured with a calliper gauge. Fluoroscopic images were recorded.

Results: The Inspiris Resilia showed 2 mm enlarged internal and external stent diameters after expansion, which are fluoroscopically visible. EOA and MPG of the THVs as valve-in-valve did not change significantly after the expansion of the Inspiris Resilia. However, the Inspiris Resilia expansion improved leaflet kinematics, resulting in an increased GOA and a decreased PWI of the THVs as valve-in-valve.

Conclusions: The expansion of the Inspiris Resilia enlarged the stent diameter, resulting in improved leaflet kinematics of the THVs as valve-in-valve. These findings may be helpful for valve-in-valve interventions, especially in small-sized surgical valves.