Clinical cases referring to the 2023 EACTS/STS Guidelines for diagnosing and treating acute and chronic syndromes of the aortic organ.

Clinical cases referring to the EACTS/STS Guidelines for diagnosing and treating acute and chronic syndromes of the aortic organ aim to assist physicians in selecting the best management strategies for individual patients with a given condition. These expert opinions consider the impact on patient outcomes as well as the risk-benefit ratio of different diagnostic or therapeutic methods. These cases serve as a vital tool to aid physicians in making decisions in their daily practice.

Aortic root enlargement versus stentless valve implantation for avoidance of patient-prosthesis mismatch in patients with small aortic root: protocol for a systematic review.

Introduction: Avoiding patient-prosthesis mismatch (PPM) in patients with small aortic annulus (SAA) during aortic valve replacement (AVR) is still a challenging surgical problem. Among surgical options available, aortic root enlargement (ARE) and stentless valve implantation (SVI) are the two most commonly used strategies. This systematic review will be conducted searching for superiority evidence based on comparative studies between these two options.

Partial heart transplantation for destructive infective endocarditis.

Infective endocarditis frequently spreads beyond the valve tissue, especially in the aortic location. Invasive endocarditis may lead to abscess formation or fistula, with substantial tissue loss. Here, the case of a 31-year-old male patient with destructive aortic and pulmonary valve endocarditis and a subaortic mural defect who underwent patch closure of the ventricular septal defect and aortic and pulmonary root replacement and right coronary artery bypass graft is presented.

Predicting late aortic complications after acute type A dissection surgery with volumetric measurements in a Singapore cohort.

Introduction: This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of postoperative computed tomography (CT) measurements of aortic lumen volumes in predicting aortic-related complications following acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) repair.

Methods: We conducted a single-institution retrospective aortic volumetric analysis of patients after ascending aorta replacement performed during 2001-2015. The volumetric measurements of total lumen (total-L), true lumen (TL), false lumen (FL), as well as the TL:FL ratio from the first and second postoperative computer angiograms were obtained.

Enabling leaders of multispecialty teams via cross-training.

Background: Teamwork across medical specialties improves patient outcomes. However, it also places an additional strain on team leaders, who must mediate between the medical specialties while at the same time belonging to one of them. We examine whether a cross-training incorporating communication and leadership skills can enhance multispecialty teamwork in Heart Teams and enable Heart Team leaders.

Infective Endocarditis After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: JACC State-of-the-Art Review.

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a rare but serious complication following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Despite substantial improvements in the TAVR procedure (less invasive) and its expansion to younger and healthier patients, the incidence of IE after TAVR remains stable, with incidence rates similar to those reported after surgical aortic valve replacement. Although IE after TAVR is recognized as a subtype of prosthetic valve endocarditis, this condition represents a particularly challenging scenario given its unique clinical and microbiological profile, the high incidence of IE-related complications, the uncertain role of cardiac surgery, and the dismal prognosis in most patients with TAVR-IE.

The Asian Cardiovascular and Thoracic Annals turns 30.

turns 30 in 2023. A historical review since it was first published in March 1993 is presented.

Forty-Year Trends in Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Infective Endocarditis.

Background: Studies investigating cardiac implantable electronic device infective endocarditis (CIED-IE) epidemiological changes and prognosis over long periods of time are lacking.

Methods: Retrospective single cardiovascular surgery center cohort study of definite CIED-IE episodes between 1981-2020. A comparative analysis of two periods (1981-2000 vs 2001-2020) was conducted to analyze changes in epidemiology and outcome over time.

Optimal Timing for Cardiac Surgery in Infective Endocarditis with Neurological Complications: A Narrative Review.

In patients with infective endocarditis and neurological complications, the optimal timing for cardiac surgery is unclear due to the varied risk of clinical deterioration when early surgery is performed. The aim of this review is to summarize the best evidence on the optimal timing for cardiac surgery in the presence of each type of neurological complication. An English literature search was carried out from June 2018 through July 2022.

Perspectives in Training and Professional Practice of Cardiac Surgery in Latin America.

Introduction: There is a lack of information about cardiac surgery training and professional practice in Latin American (LATAM) countries. This study is the first comparative analysis of cardiac surgical training and professional practice across LATAM and provides the fundamentals for future academic projects of the Latin American Association of Cardiac and Endovascular Surgery (LACES).

Methods: International survey-based comparative analysis of the training and professional practice of cardiac surgeons across LATAM.