Long-term patient-reported outcomes following congenital heart surgery in adults.

Objective: To investigate the long-term impact of cardiac surgery on the quality of life in adults with congenital heart disease (ACHDs).

Methods: Patients who had undergone cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease (CHD) at the age of 18 years or more were recruited in a single-center, cross-sectional study. The enrolled subjects completed online questionnaires to assess patient-reported outcomes: perceived health status and life satisfaction, psychological functioning, health behaviors, and illness perception.

Gender representation in cardiothoracic surgical academia: a call to support women across the globe.

Underrepresentation of women in surgical specialties persists, especially in academic leadership roles. Efforts to better understand disparities and support women cardiothoracic surgeons are ongoing.

Trametinib alters contractility of paediatric Noonan syndrome-associated hypertrophic myocardial tissue slices.

Aims: No curative treatment is available for RASopathy-associated childhood-onset hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (RAS-CM). Preclinical data and individual reports suggest a beneficial effect of small molecules targeting the RAS-mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase (MAPK) pathway in severely affected RAS-CM patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biophysical effects of trametinib, rapamycin and dasatinib on cultivated myocardial tissue slices of a paediatric RAS-CM patient using biomimetic cultivation chambers (BMCCs) and to correlate the findings with clinical data.

Mid-term results following pulmonary artery patch augmentation in congenital heart disease.

Background: Treatment of pulmonary artery (PA) stenosis in congenital heart disease is associated with adverse outcomes. The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to compare outcomes after surgical patch augmentation of PA stenosis in patients with biventricular congenital heart disease using different patch materials.

Methods: We identified all patients from our institutional congenital heart disease database who underwent patch augmentation for PA stenosis on the main pulmonary artery (MPA) or PA branches between 2012 and 2018.

Gender representation among speaking and leader roles at European cardio-thoracic surgical annual meetings.

Objectives: Our goal was to evaluate gender representation among session leaders and abstract presenters at European cardio-thoracic surgical annual meetings.

Methods: We did a descriptive study of the gender distribution among session leaders and abstract presenters at 2 European cardio-thoracic international meetings from 2017 to 2022. Data from publicly available programmes were used to generate a list of session leaders and abstract presenters.

Bioactive adrenomedullin (bio-ADM) is associated with endothelial dysfunction in infants and children with complex congenital heart disease undergoing open-heart surgery on cardiopulmonary bypass.

Objectives: Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) undergoing cardiac surgery on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) are at risk for systemic inflammation leading to endothelial dysfunction associated with increased morbidity. Bioactive adrenomedullin (bio-ADM) is a peptide regulating vascular tone and endothelial permeability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the dynamics of plasma bio-ADM in this patient cohort and its role in capillary leak.

Catheter interventional closure of veno-venous collaterals in cyanotic patients after partial cavopulmonary shunts in pediatric patients: clinical practice review.

The development of veno-venous collaterals is an important and treatable cause of cyanosis in patients who had undergone partial cavo-pulmonary connection (PCPC) operations. Nevertheless, the literature on this complicated therapeutic option is sparse. Patients can present cyanosis either immediately after the operation (<30 days), which delays or hinders discharge from the intensive care unit or cyanosis may occur late: (>30 days and/or in another hospital admission), after the operation.

EGFR and MMP-9 are associated with neointimal hyperplasia in systemic-to-pulmonary shunts in children with complex cyanotic heart disease.

Systemic-to-pulmonary shunt malfunction contributes to morbidity in children with complex congenital heart disease after palliative procedure. Neointimal hyperplasia might play a role in the pathogenesis increasing risk for shunt obstruction. The aim was to evaluate the role of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and matrix-metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) in the formation of neointimal within shunts.

Outcome after stage 1 palliation in non-hypoplastic left heart syndrome patients as a univentricular palliation.

Objectives: Studies focused on infants with univentricular heart undergoing stage I palliation other than the Norwood procedure remain a topic of great interest. This study evaluated the outcome of infants who underwent systemic to pulmonary shunt (SPS) or pulmonary artery banding (PAB).

Methods: Infants who underwent SPS or PAB as stage I palliation between 1994 and 2019 were included.

The impact of pulmonary artery size on midterm outcomes after nonfenestrated Fontan operation.

Objective: We sought to identify the impact of pulmonary artery size on outcomes after nonfenestrated total cavopulmonary connection. In a subgroup of patients with right-sided bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt, the impact of each branch pulmonary artery size was individually determined.

Methods: The medical records of all patients who underwent nonfenestrated total cavopulmonary connection between 2009 and 2021 were reviewed.

Management of failing bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt: Influence of additional systemic-to-pulmonary-artery shunt with classic Glenn physiology.

Objectives: Severe hypoxemia in the early postoperative period after bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt (BCPS) is a critical complication. We aimed to evaluate patients who underwent additional systemic to pulmonary shunt and septation of central pulmonary artery (partial takedown) after BCPS.

Methods: The medical records of all patients who underwent BCPS between 2007 and 2020 were reviewed.

Neointimal hyperplasia in systemic-to-pulmonary shunts of children with complex cyanotic congenital heart disease.

Objectives: Neointimal hyperplasia might affect systemic-to-pulmonary shunt failure in infants with complex cyanotic congenital heart disease. The aim of this study was to elucidate histopathologic changes in polytetrafluoroethylene shunts and to determine whether increased neointimal formation is associated with early interventions comprising balloon dilatation, stent implantation and shunt revision. Furthermore, we intended to identify clinical factors associated with increased neointimal proliferation.

Impact of hypoxemia and re-interventions on clinical outcomes after bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt.

Objectives: We sought to investigate the impact of early postoperative low arterial oxygen saturation on mortality and morbidity after bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt (BCPS).

Methods: The medical records of all patients who underwent BCPS between 2013 and 2018 were reviewed.

Results: A total of 164 patients were included in this study.

Surgical treatment of tricuspid valve dysplasia in children.

Objectives: Congenital tricuspid valve dysplasia (TVD) is a rare cardiac disease, often discussed in the same way as Ebstein's anomaly. Though the morphology of TVD is different, the clinical appearance is similar. The indication for surgical treatment depends on the morphology of the tricuspid valve (TV) and the clinical presentation.

Uncovering the molecular identity of cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs) by single-cell RNA sequencing.

Cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs) generated from human cardiac biopsies have been shown to have disease-modifying bioactivity in clinical trials. Paradoxically, CDCs' cellular origin in the heart remains elusive. We studied the molecular identity of CDCs using single-cell RNA sequencing (sc-RNAseq) in comparison to cardiac non-myocyte and non-hematopoietic cells (cardiac fibroblasts/CFs, smooth muscle cells/SMCs and endothelial cells/ECs).

Surgical reintervention on the neo-aorta after the Norwood operation.

Objectives: We sought to identify the prevalence of surgical reintervention on the neo-aorta after Norwood procedure and its impact on long-term outcomes.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of all patients who underwent Norwood procedure. The impacts of surgical neoaortic reintervention on outcomes were analysed in each stage of palliation.

The impact of gender bias in cardiothoracic surgery in Europe: a European Society of Thoracic Surgeons and European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery survey.

Objectives: The European Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery designed a questionnaire to assess the impact of gender bias on a cardiothoracic surgery career.

Methods: A 46-item survey investigating gender bias was designed using online survey software from December 2020 to January 2021. All European Society of Thoracic Surgeons and European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery members and non-members included in the mailing lists were invited to complete an electronic survey.

Clinical and haemodynamic variables associated with intensive care unit length of stay and early adverse outcomes after the Norwood procedure.

Objectives: This study was performed to determine the clinical and haemodynamic variables associated with early adverse outcomes after the neonatal Norwood procedure.

Methods: Patients who underwent the neonatal Norwood procedure between 2001 and 2019 were included. The patient diagnosis, morphological characteristics and haemodynamic parameters were analysed to identify factors associated with length of stay (LOS) in the intensive care unit (ICU) and mortality during the stay.