Validation of a New Classification Method of Postoperative Complications in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Surgery.

Objective: The authors aimed to validate the European Multicenter Study on Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (E-CABG) classification of postoperative complications in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Design: Retrospective, observational study.

Setting: University hospital.

Validation of the European Multicenter Study on Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (E-CABG) Bleeding Severity Definition.

Background: This study evaluated the prognostic significance of a novel bleeding severity classification in adult patients undergoing cardiac operations.

Methods: The European multicenter study on Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (E-CABG) bleeding severity classification proposes 4 grades of postoperative bleeding: grade 0, no need of blood products with the exception of 1 unit of red blood cells (RBCs); grade 1, transfusion of platelets, plasma, or 2 to 4 units of RBCs, or both; grade 2, transfusion of 5 to 10 units of RBCs or reoperation for bleeding, or both; grade 3, transfusion of more than 10 units of RBCs. This classification was tested in a cohort of 7,491 patients undergoing CABG or valve operations, or combined procedures.

Occurrence of postpericardiotomy syndrome admissions: A population-based registry study.

Background: Postpericardiotomy syndrome (PPS) is a common complication after cardiac surgery. Previous epidemiological descriptions of the syndrome, however, are scarce.

Material And Methods: This retrospective analysis included all patients hospital admission due to PPS in patients aged 20-79 years.

Immediate and Intermediate Outcome After Transapical Versus Transfemoral Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

A few studies recently reported controversial results with transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TF-TAVR) versus transapical transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TA-TAVR), often without adequate adjusted analysis for baseline differences. Data on patients who underwent TF-TAVR and TA-TAVR from the Observational Study of Effectiveness of avR-tavI procedures for severe Aortic stenosis Treatment study were analyzed with propensity score 1-to-1 matching. From a cohort of 1,654 patients (1,419 patients underwent TF-TAVR and 235 patients underwent TA-TAVR), propensity score matching resulted in 199 pairs of patients with similar operative risk (EuroSCORE II: TF-TAVR 8.

Prospective, Randomized Study on the Use of a Prosthetic Mesh for Prevention of Parastomal Hernia of Permanent Colostomy.

Background: Prophylactic placement of a mesh has been suggested to prevent parastomal hernia, but evidence to support this approach is scarce.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether laparoscopic placement of a prophylactic, dual-component, intraperitoneal onlay mesh around a colostomy is safe and prevents parastomal hernia formation after laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection.

Design: This is a prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled clinical trial.

Is Inferior Mesenteric Artery Embolization Indicated Prior to Endovascular Repair of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm?

Type II endoleak is a common condition occurring after endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms (EVAR), and may result in aneurysm sac growth and/or rupture in a small number of patients. A prophylactic strategy of inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) embolization before EVAR has been advocated, however, the benefits of this strategy are controversial. A clinical vignette allows the authors to summarize the available data about this issue and discuss the possible benefits and risks of prophylactic IMA embolization before EVAR.

Outcome in Patients Having Salvage Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

Salvage coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is often performed for cardiogenic shock on compassionate basis without clinical data justifying this aggressive approach. The aim of this study was to analyze early and intermediate outcomes after salvage CABG. We retrospectively reviewed the data of 85 patients who underwent salvage CABG at 11 European cardiac surgery centers.

Midterm Outcome of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Young Patients: A Multicenter Italian Study.

Background: Myocardial revascularization in young patients should be durable enough to avoid new cardiovascular events or repeated revascularization procedures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the late outcomes of patients less than 50 years of age undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in comparison with older patients.

Methods: This study was a survival analysis of a pooled multicenter prospective cohort of patients who underwent CABG.

Decompressive hemicraniectomy for treatment of space occupying ischemic stroke after repair of type-A aortic dissection.

Postoperative stroke after cardiac surgery is often a lethal complication. Herein, we report on a patient who suffered space-occupying ischemic stroke after surgical treatment of type A aortic dissection. He underwent decompressive hemicraniectomy and, despite residual hemianopsia and left side flaccid hemiplegia, survived surgery and was discharged for rehabilitation.

Outcome after coronary artery bypass grafting and percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with stage 3b-5 chronic kidney disease.

Objectives: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are generally considered to be at an increased risk for cardiovascular events and cardiac mortality. The prognostic significance of severe renal impairment in patients undergoing coronary revascularization remains mainly unknown because these patients have been excluded from randomized clinical trials. The aim of the present study was to compare the outcome after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of <45 ml/min/m(2).

European Multicenter Study on Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (E-CABG registry): Study Protocol for a Prospective Clinical Registry and Proposal of Classification of Postoperative Complications.

Background: Clinical evidence in coronary surgery is usually derived from retrospective, single institutional series. This may introduce significant biases in the analysis of critical issues in the treatment of these patients. In order to avoid such methodological limitations, we planned a European multicenter, prospective study on coronary artery bypass grafting, the E-CABG registry.

Predictors of permanent work disability among ≤50-year-old patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Objectives: This study aimed to describe the incidence and periprocedural predictors of permanent work disability (PWD) pension among patients ≤50 years old who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: Patient records of 910 consecutive patients undergoing PCI at four Finnish hospitals in 2002-2012 were reviewed for baseline and procedural data and late adverse events. Data on permanent work disability (PWD) pension allocation were acquired from the Finnish Centre for Pensions, which governs the statutory pension security in Finland.

Use of Blood Products and Diseased Ascending Aorta Are Determinants of Stroke After Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

Objective: To examine the effect of blood products on the occurrence of stroke after coronary artery surgery.

Design: Institutional retrospective analysis.

Setting: University hospital.

Red blood cell storage time and the outcome after coronary surgery.

Background: The impact of transfusion of aged red blood cells (RBCs) on the outcome after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is controversial. This issue has been investigated in the present study.

Materials And Methods: Data on perioperative blood transfusion, storage time of RBCs, and adverse events were available for 819 consecutive patients who underwent isolated CABG and received two to four units of RBCs.

Outcome of emergency coronary artery bypass grafting.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the immediate and late outcome of emergency coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in a multicenter setting.

Design: Multicenter, retrospective study.

Setting: Four university hospitals.

Differential impact of bypass surgery and angioplasty on angiosome-targeted infrapopliteal revascularization.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of angiosome targeted revascularization according to the revascularization method.

Design: Retrospective observational study.

Materials And Methods: This study cohort comprised 744 consecutive patients who underwent infrapopliteal endovascular or surgical revascularization between January 2010 and July 2013.

Bridging therapy with low molecular weight heparin in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with stent implantation: the AFCAS study.

Background: Recent reports have provided evidence that bridging therapy with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) may increase bleeding complications in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) on oral anticoagulation undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We sought to assess mid-term bleeding and thromboembolic events in patients from the AFCAS registry discharged on triple therapy (TT).

Methods: AFCAS is a multicenter, prospective registry enrolling patients with AF undergoing PCI.

Five-Year Outcome after Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery in Survivors of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).

Methods: The immediate and 5-year outcome after CABG of a consecutive series of 48 patients who survived OHCA was compared with those of control patients having had a recent myocardial infarction without ventricular arrhythmias.

Results: All OHCA patients were found to have suffered myocardial infarction-related cardiac arrest.

Aortic valve replacement through full sternotomy with a stented bioprosthesis versus minimally invasive sternotomy with a sutureless bioprosthesis.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyse early postoperative outcomes and 2-year survival after aortic valve replacement (AVR) through a ministernotomy with a sutureless bioprosthesis implantation compared with a full sternotomy with implantation of a stented bioprosthesis.

Methods: Patients who underwent primary isolated non-emergent AVR at six European centres were included in the study. Of these, 182 (32%) underwent a ministernotomy with a sutureless bioprosthesis (ministernotomy sutureless group) and 383 (68%) a full sternotomy with a stented bioprosthesis (full sternotomy stented group).

Radiofrequency ablation vs. antiarrhythmic drug therapy as first line treatment of symptomatic atrial fibrillation: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aims: New evidence about first-line radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA) in symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) has emerged. In a single study the comparative treatment effect is potentially diminished by the high rate of cross-over to the alternative therapy. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the available data to further evaluate the efficacy and safety of RFA vs.

Immediate outcome after sutureless versus transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

The aim of this study was to compare the immediate outcome of patients undergoing transcatheter (TAVI) versus surgical aortic valve replacement with the sutureless Perceval bioprosthesis (SU-AVR). This is a retrospective multicenter analysis of 773 patients who underwent either TAVI (394 patients, mean age, 80.8 ± 5.

Can we predict the failure of electrical cardioversion of acute atrial fibrillation? The FinCV study.

Background: Data on predictors of failure of electrical cardioversion of acute atrial fibrillation are scarce.

Methods: We explored 6,906 electrical cardioversions of acute (<48 hours) atrial fibrillation in 2,868 patients in a retrospective multicenter study.

Results: The success rate of electrical cardioversion was 94.

Early neointimal coverage and vasodilator response following biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting vs. durable polymer zotarolimus-eluting stents in patients with acute coronary syndrome –HATTRICK-OCT trial.

Background: Patients at high bleeding risk would benefit from a shorter dual antiplatelet therapy after PCI. Compared to first-generation devices, the design of newer generation drug-eluting stents may facilitate more rapid anatomical and functional healing of stented vessel based on thinner stent platforms, biodegradable/biocompatible polymers and rapid drug elution.

Methods And Results: Forty-four non-diabetic patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and culprit lesion in the LAD were randomized to receive either biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent (BP-SES) or durable polymer zotarolimus-eluting stent (DP-ZES).

Ministernotomy versus full sternotomy aortic valve replacement with a sutureless bioprosthesis: a multicenter study.

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze early postoperative outcomes and 2-year survival after aortic valve replacement (AVR) with the sutureless Perceval bioprosthesis (Sorin Biomedica Cardio Srl, Salluggia, Italy) performed through ministernotomy compared with full sternotomy.

Methods: This was a study of 267 consecutive patients who underwent isolated AVR with the sutureless Perceval bioprosthesis between 2007 and 2014 at 6 European centers. Of these, 189 (70.