Arterial conduits for coronary bypass grafting: the set-point concept.

Endothelial cells control the vascular tone of arterial grafts used for coronary artery bypass surgery and react to changes in local shear stress. The vascular adaptations induced by endothelial cell activation affect the outcome of surgical grafts and can be predicted based on the set-point theory. In this Hypothesis piece, it is proposed that the set-point concept should inform surgical decision making for coronary artery bypass surgery.

Improvement of the outcome of the saphenous vein graft when connected to the internal thoracic artery.

Background: Since 2000, we have been grafting the right coronary artery system (RCAs) using the proximal portion of the right internal thoracic artery (RITA) as the inflow of the saphenous vein graft (SVG) to increase the number of patients undergoing beating heart complete myocardial revascularization.

Methods: From 2000 to 2022, 928 consecutive patients underwent SVG on the RCAs. In 546 patients (58.

Case Report: Abdominal surgery with the support of Impella (SURGELLA), a new frontier to be explored.

A 74-year-old man with advanced heart failure was admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of colorectal cancer, and he underwent surgery. To maintain stable hemodynamics, the Impella CP device was used. The patient was weaned from the device shortly after surgery, and he had an uneventful postoperative course.

Saphenous vein to the right coronary system from the right thoracic artery or the aorta. Long-term propensity-matched results of 2 groups.

Objectives: Since 2000, we anastomosed the saphenous vein graft to the right coronary artery system using the stump of the right internal thoracic artery as inflow. The long-term results of patients where the right coronary artery was grafted with the right internal thoracic artery or the ascending aorta as saphenous vein inflow has not been reported.

Methods: From 2000 to 2018, 699 consecutive patients had right internal thoracic artery elongated with saphenous vein (I-graft group, n = 358, 51.

Transcatheter bicaval valve system for the treatment of severe isolated tricuspid regurgitation. Features from a single-Centre experience.

Background: The isolated tricuspid valve (TR) has evolved into an entity in its own right. In contrast to TR treatment in left valve surgery, the benefit of surgery for isolated TR remains controversial. In this context, transcatheter valve interventions (TTVI) are becoming increasingly important.

Interrupted inferior vena cava draining into the coronary sinus associated with circumflex artery to coronary sinus fistula.

In an adult patient, coronary artery fistula involving the circumflex artery (CX) connected to the coronary sinus caused aneurysm of the left main and CX associated with ectasia of the intermediate branch. The patient had posterolateral infarction with severe ischemic mitral regurgitation and moderate tricuspid regurgitation. A rare venous return anomaly was also present.

Correlations between the alpha-Gal antigen, antibody response and calcification of cardiac valve bioprostheses: experimental evidence obtained using an alpha-Gal knockout mouse animal model.

Introduction: Preformed antibodies against αGal in the human and the presence of αGal antigens on the tissue constituting the commercial bioprosthetic heart valves (BHVs, mainly bovine or porcine pericardium), lead to opsonization of the implanted BHV, leading to deterioration and calcification. Murine subcutaneous implantation of BHVs leaflets has been widely used for testing the efficacy of anti-calcification treatments. Unfortunately, commercial BHVs leaflets implanted into a murine model will not be able to elicit an αGal immune response because such antigen is expressed in the recipient and therefore immunologically tolerated.

Evidence of an anti-inflammatory effect of PCSK9 inhibitors within the human atherosclerotic plaque.

Background And Aims: Preclinical evidence suggests that proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors hold anti-inflammatory properties independently of their ability to lower LDL-cholesterol (C). However, whether PCSK9 inhibitors exert anti-inflammatory effects within the atherosclerotic plaque in humans is unknown. We explored the impact of PCSK9 inhibitors, used as monotherapy, compared with other lipid-lowering drugs (oLLD) on the expression of inflammatory markers within the plaque, assessing also the subsequent incidence of cardiovascular events.

Constrictive Pericarditis With Massive Calcification in Systemic Sclerosis Treated With Pericardiectomy: A Case Report.

Calcific constrictive pericarditis is a very rare complication of systemic sclerosis. This is the first report of surgically treated calcific constrictive pericarditis in systemic sclerosis. A 53 years-old woman, affected by limited systemic sclerosis, had a diagnosis of calcific constrictive pericarditis.

Preventing extrinsic mechanisms of bioprosthetic degeneration using polyphenols.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a polyphenols-based treatment on the extrinsic mechanisms responsible for early bioprosthetic heart valve (BHV) degeneration. Structural degeneration can be driven by both extrinsic and intrinsic mechanisms. While intrinsic mechanisms have been associated with inherent biocompatibility characteristics of the BHV, the extrinsic ones have been reported to involve external causes, such as chemical, mechanical and hydrodynamic, responsible to facilitate graft damage.

Brain and lower body protection during aortic arch surgery.

Background: Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) at ≤20°C for aortic arch surgery has been widely used for decades, with or without cerebral perfusion (CP), antegrade (antegrade cerebral perfusion [ACP]), or retrograde. In recent years nadir temperature progressively increased to 26°C-28°C (moderately hypothermic circulatory arrest [MHCA]), adding ACP. Aim of this multicentric study is to evaluate early results of aortic arch surgery and if DHCA with 10 min of cold reperfusion at the same nadir temperature of the CA before rewarming (delayed rewarming [DR]) can provide a neuroprotection and a lower body protection similar to that provided by MHCA + ACP.

Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio predicts permanent pacemaker implantation in TAVR patients.

Introduction: In this prospective multicenter analysis, we aimed to investigate the predictive role of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Materials And Methods: One hundred and seventy-nine consecutive patients without previous PPI underwent TAVR from February 2017 to September 2021. Patients were further divided based on presence (n = 48) and absence of conduction abnormalities (CAs) at hospital admission (n = 131).

Cutting the second order chords during mitral valve repair.

The chordae tendinae connect the papillary muscles (PMs) to the mitral valve. While the first-order chordae serve to secure the leaflets to maintain valve closure and prevent mitral valve prolapse, the second-order chordae are believed to play a role in maintaining normal left ventricle size and geometry. The PMs, from where the chordae tendinae originate, function as shock absorbers that compensate for the geometric changes of the left ventricular wall.

Mitral valve repair with artificial chords: Tips and tricks.

Mitral valve regurgitation (MR) is a common valvular disorder occurring in up to 10% of the general population. Mitral valve reconstructive strategies may address any of the components, annulus, leaflets, and chords, involved in the valvular competence. The classical repair technique involves the resection of the prolapsing tissue.

Polyphenols could be Effective in Exerting a Disinfectant-Like Action on Bioprosthetic Heart Valves, Counteracting Bacterial Adhesiveness.

Background: The incidence of infective endocarditis in patients with bioprosthetic heart valves is over 100 times that of the general population with recognized as the causative organism in approximately 1/3 of cases. In this study, (1) the microbicidal and virucidal effect of a polyphenolic solution was carefully evaluated. The same solution was then adopted for the treatment of a commercial bioprosthetic heart valve model for (2) the assessment of inhibition of adhesiveness.

Acute iatrogenic complications after mitral valve repair.

Background And Aim Of The Study: Mitral valve repair is the procedure of choice to correct mitral regurgitation. However, some dangerous iatrogenic complications can occur at the end of the procedure. Therefore, we sought to review the most frequent and clinically relevant acute iatrogenic complication following mitral valve repair.

Outcome of permanent pacemaker implantation in transcatheter or surgical aortic valve replacement: A still unsolved problem.

Despite advances in technologies and clinical experience, conduction disorders, after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) or surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), represent the weak point of these procedures, requiring permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) till 37.7% of patients in TAVR recipients. The role of PPI in TAVR and SAVR remains controversial in mid- and long-term outcomes.

A morphofunctional analysis of the regurgitant mitral valve as a guide to repair: Another point of view.

Based on Carpentier's classification and principles, the techniques for mitral valve repair continue to evolve. We herein report our experience with the morphofunctional echocardiographic analysis of single mitral leaflets, as different anatomic features, even if conflicting, may coexist not only in the two leaflets but in the same leaflet as well. A classification is proposed, based on the length (normal, short, or long) and mobility (normal, restricted, or excessive) of mitral leaflets.

Mitral valve repair: Regulatory or ethical problem?

The long-term outcome of patients undergoing mitral valve repair (MVr) is based on what happens during the more or less 60 min of aortic cross-clamping necessary to transform a leaking valve into a well-functioning one. As a consequence, the experience of the surgeon performing the procedure is the only determinant of the success rate that deserves to be taken into account. It is clear from the literature that the number of cases/year is inversely related to the number of early and late deaths, repair failures, and reoperations.