Risk of neurologic events after surgery for mitral valve insufficiency and concomitant Cox-maze IV procedure for atrial fibrillation. A nationwide register-based study.

Objectives: Analysis of the long-term risks of ischaemic stroke and cerebral bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation after mitral valve surgery and concomitant Cox-maze IV procedure.

Methods: In total, 397 patients with symptomatic degenerative mitral valve insuffciency and atrial fibrillation, underwent mitral valve surgery and Cox-maze IV in Sweden between 2009 and 2017. In this retrospective nationwide analysis, patients were followed in national patient registers until 30 September 2022.

Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection and Papillary Muscle Rupture in Patient With Undiagnosed Vascular Ehler-Danlos Syndrome.

We present the case of a woman with acute coronary syndrome on the basis of spontaneous coronary artery dissection causing a papillary muscle rupture with severe mitral regurgitation and acute heart failure. The patient subsequently underwent successful emergent surgery of both the mitral and tricuspid valves. Postoperatively, the patient was diagnosed with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

A 33-year follow-up after valvular surgery for carcinoid heart disease.

Aims: Valvular surgery has improved long-term prognosis in severe carcinoid heart disease (CaHD). Experience is limited and uncertainty remains about predictors for survival and strategy regarding single vs. double-valve surgery.

Cardiac Imaging in Carcinoid Heart Disease.

Carcinoid disease is caused by neuroendocrine tumors, most often located in the gut, and leads in approximately 20% of cases to specific, severe heart disease, most prominently affecting right-sided valves. If cardiac disease occurs, it determines the patient's prognosis more than local growth of the tumor. Surgical treatment of carcinoid-induced valve disease has been found to improve survival in observational studies.

Surgical aspects of valve replacement in carcinoid heart disease.

Tricuspid and pulmonary valve replacement in patients with advanced carcinoid heart disease (CaHD) reduces right heart failure and improves prognosis. The surgical literature is limited concerning description of technical aspects of valve replacement in CaHD. Although a dedicated multidisciplinary care is required for these frail patients, optimization of surgical technique is important and may lead to better postoperative outcomes.

Quadruple Bioprosthetic Valve Replacement in a Patient With Severe Carcinoid Heart Disease.

Carcinoid heart disease typically affects the tricuspid and pulmonary valves, causing severe regurgitation and/or stenosis. Valve surgery has been shown to reduce right heart failure and improve long-term prognosis in these patients. We report a severe case of a patient with all 4 heart valves involved who underwent successful quadruple bioprosthetic valve replacement.

Large inferolateral left ventricular aneurysm.

The majority of cardiac left ventricular aneurysms involve the anterior and/or apical wall. We present a case of a 50-year-old man with heart failure caused by a large inferolateral left ventricular aneurysm and associated mitral regurgitation, managed by aneurysmectomy, mitral valvuloplasty, and surgical revascularization.

Long-Term Risk of Ischemic Stroke After the Cox-Maze III Procedure for Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: The long-term risk of stroke after surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation is not well known. We performed an observational cohort study with long follow-up after the "cut-and-sew" Cox-maze III procedure (CM-III), including left atrial appendage excision. The aim was to analyze the incidence of stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) and the association to preoperative CHADS-VASc (age in years, sex, congestive heart failure history, hypertension history, stroke/TIA, thromboembolism history, vascular disease history, diabetes mellitus) score.

Long-Term Follow-Up of Cardiac Rhythm in 320 Patients After the Cox-Maze III Procedure for Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: The Cox-maze III (CM-III) procedure is the gold standard for surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). Excellent short-term results have been reported, but long-term outcomes are lesser known. The aim was to evaluate current cardiac rhythm in a nationwide cohort of CM-III patients with very long follow-up.

The Berglin apical stitch: a simple technique to straighten things out in atrial fibrillation surgery.

In the Cox-Maze IV procedure, or in endocardial left atrial ablation, correct positioning of the surgical ablation probe within the left atrium might be difficult due to bulging or folds in the posterior left atrial wall. The Berglin apical stitch is a simple trick of the trade to create a smooth surface in the posterior left atrium that facilitates performing a safe transmural lesion and, consequently, may increase antiarrhythmic efficiency.

Early and long-term mortality in 536 patients after theCox-maze III procedure: a national registry-based study.

Background: The cut-and-sew Cox-maze III procedure is the gold standard for surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation. The aim was to study early and long-term mortality based on registry analyses in Swedish Cox-maze III patients.

Methods: Preoperative and early postoperative data were analyzed in 536 patients (male/female (425/111), mean age 57 ± 8.

A Swedish consensus on the surgical treatment of concomitant atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia among patients scheduled for open heart surgery and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. According to international guidelines, symptomatic and selected asymptomatic patients should be offered concomitant surgical AF ablation in conjunction with valvular or coronary surgery. The gold standard in AF surgery is the Cox Maze III ("cut-and-sew") procedure, with surgical incisions in both atria according to a specified pattern, in order to prevent AF reentry circuits from developing.

Learning what works in surgical cryoablation of atrial fibrillation: results of different application techniques and benefits of prospective follow-up.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) in cardiac surgical patients is detrimental in the long perspective. Concomitant surgical ablation of AF is recommended in guidelines and performed in most centers. The article describes the experiences in a single institution with concomitant surgical argon-based cryoablation in 115 patients using three different application techniques (epicardial left atrium, endocardial left atrium, biatrial cryo-maze) and a structured local follow-up to one year postoperatively.

Late cardiac tamponade by chylous pericardial effusion after coronary artery bypass surgery: case report.

Chylopericardium is an uncommon but serious complication after open heart surgery that often necessitates surgical treatment. We describe a case of continuous and severely symptomatic chylous pericardial effusion after coronary artery bypass grafting in which the diagnosis was established by lipid electrophoresis. Initial conservative management failed, and ligation of the thoracic duct and pericardial fenestration were finally required for a successful outcome.

The biatrial cryo-maze procedure for treatment of atrial fibrillation: a single-center experience.

Objectives: The Cox-maze III procedure is the benchmark for atrial fibrillation (AF) surgery but has been replaced by surgical ablation. We evaluated our experience with biatrial cryoablation using the full Cox-maze III lesion pattern, and adhering follow-up to current guidelines.

Design: Forty-three patients underwent the biatrial cryo-maze procedure as a concomitant (n = 37) or stand-alone procedure (n = 6).

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as a rescue of intractable ventricular fibrillation and bridge to heart transplantation.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) systems have undergone rapid technological improvements and are now feasible options for medium-term support of severe cardiac or pulmonary failure. Intractable ventricular arrhythmia is a rare but well-established indication for heart transplantation. We report a case of persistent ventricular fibrillation (VF) that was rescued by insertion of peripheral veno-arterial ECMO during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, which provided support for 30 h of continuous VF and subsequently permitted urgent heart transplantation.

Long-term health-related quality of life after maze surgery for atrial fibrillation.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) significantly impairs health-related quality of life (QoL). As pharmacologic treatment may have intolerable side effects and is not always effective, other techniques for curing AF have evolved. The maze III procedure has a high long-term success rate in restoring and maintaining sinus rhythm, but the long-term impact on QoL has not been sufficiently demonstrated.