Publications by authors named "Colin S Hirst"

Background: Use of percutaneous mechanical circulatory support has grown exponentially. Vascular complications remain a growing concern and best practices for device removal do not exist. We describe a novel post-closure technique for the next generation Impella CP removal and immediate hemostasis.

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Acute, perioperative myocardial infarction (MI) from acute left internal mammary artery (LIMA) to left anterior descending (LAD) graft failure immediately following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery is associated with significantly increased in-hospital mortality. The leading etiology of such acute graft failure is acute thrombosis, dissection, spasm, anastomosis failure or no-reflow phenomenon. Repeat bypass surgery carries incremental risk and may not be feasible in hemodynamically unstable patients.

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Article Synopsis
  • - This study investigates how changes in right atrial pressure (RAP) affect survival rates in patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) who are treated with acute mechanical circulatory support devices (AMCS) at Tufts Medical Center.
  • - It found that higher baseline RAP is linked to lower survival rates, with significant differences in RAP changes between survivors and non-survivors.
  • - The analysis suggests that monitoring RAP, especially 24 hours after AMCS is initiated and at the final measurement before device removal, may help predict in-hospital mortality due to CS.
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Use of veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is growing exponentially for cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest, and many of these patients require percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In some cases, radial arterial access may not feasible among patients with peripheral vascular disease or if larger diameter guide catheters are required. Further, VA-ECMO is commonly used in combination with an intra-aortic balloon pump or Impella, thereby limiting vascular access options and increasing the risk of vascular complications including bleeding and limb ischemia.

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For decompensated advanced heart failure patients, the intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) is a commonly used mechanical circulatory support (MCS) device used to support pharmacotherapy-refractory myopaths. In the United States, the heart allocation policy was revised in 2018, placing patients who may receive a clinically indicated temporary MCS device, like an IABP, at elevated medical urgency on the transplantation waiting list. Percutaneous transaxillary IABP delivery for the decompensated advanced heart failure patient is a safe, tolerable and efficacious alternative to traditional transfemoral deployment, and allows for ambulation and meaningful physical therapy engagement in the patient who may require an extended duration of support awaiting advanced therapies.

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: Use of acute mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices for high-risk cardiac intervention, cardiogenic shock, and advanced heart failure is growing. Alternate vascular access options for these devices remains a clinical challenge. Building on experience from trans-aortic valve replacement procedures, the axillary artery is becoming a common access route for acute MCS and represents an important advance in the development of acute MCS technologies.

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Limited data exploring the utility of IABPs in shock without acute myocardial infarction exist. Counterpulsation pumps depend on native LV contractile function. Hemodynamic monitoring with a pulmonary artery catheter should help guide management of the cardiogenic shock patient.

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We present a case of a middle-aged adult with uncorrected Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) with pulmonary atresia who developed symptomatic supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias. The lack of data regarding management of electrical and other complications in adults with uncorrected TOF is highlighted and emphasizes the need for a registry to better understand the medical management of long-standing adult survivors.

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