Safety of The Direct Oral Anticoagulant Edoxaban for Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery: Pilot Study.

Direct oral anticoagulants have recently been recommended for non-valvular atrial fibrillation, but have rarely been studied in the field of cardiac surgery. We prospectively investigated the safety of edoxaban, a novel oral anticoagulant, for use in cardiac surgery patients with postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF), which is the most common complication of cardiac surgery and can lead to stroke. The subjects were adult cardiac surgery patients with POAF who received oral edoxaban for 2 months in an open-label pilot study.

Sleep disordered breathing in cardiac surgery patients: The NU-SLEEP trial.

Background: Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is associated with lifestyle-related diseases and its treatment influence the prognosis of cardiac disease, but little investigation of SDB has been conducted in cardiac surgery patients.

Methods And Results: A prospective study was performed in 1005 patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The primary endpoint was the severity of SDB determined from the apnea/hypopnea index.

Changeover Trial of Azilsartan and Olmesartan Comparing Effects on the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System in Patients with Essential Hypertension after Cardiac Surgery (CHAOS Study).

Background: Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) have been widely used to treat hypertension and large-scale clinical studies have shown various benefits. In this study, we compared olmesartan with azilsartan, the newest ARB.

Methods: The subjects were outpatients who were clinically stable after cardiac surgery.

New Treatment for Percutaneous Sites in Patients with a Ventricular Assist Device: Nihon University Crystal Violet Method.

Background: Infection of the percutaneous site of a ventricular assist device (VAD) is a challenging complication. We report our experience with crystal violet Solbase (Nihon University crystal violet method) for prevention of driveline or cannula infections in VAD patients.

Patients And Methods: The crystal violet method was used in 10 patients (prophylaxis in nine and treatment in one).

Efficacy of Carperitide in Hemodialysis Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery.

Purpose: Recently, performance of cardiac surgery in hemodialysis patients has increased, but the mortality rate is high.

Methods: We retrospectively examined the early and long-term outcomes in 128 dialysis patients who underwent cardiac surgery with or without carperitide infusion and were followed for 2 years. Sixty-three patients received carperitide infusion during surgery and 65 patients did not.

New Treatment for Infection of the NIPRO LVAD Cannula Site: Nihon University Crystal Violet Method.

Driveline and cannula site infections are still a frequent adverse event in patients with a ventricular assist device (VAD), and it is important to treat and prevent them because the spread of local infection may cause sepsis in some cases. We report our experience with a patient in whom infection of the NIPRO LVAD cannula site after implantation of an extracorporeal VAD was controlled by treatment with crystal violet Solbase (Nihon University crystal violet method).

Safety and efficacy of landiolol hydrochloride for prevention of atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery in patients with left ventricular dysfunction: Prevention of Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery With Landiolol Hydrochloride for Left Ventricular Dysfunction (PLATON) trial.

Objectives: We previously conducted a prospective study of landiolol hydrochloride (INN landiolol), an ultrashort-acting β-blocker, and reported that it could prevent atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery. This trial was performed to investigate the safety and efficacy of landiolol hydrochloride in patients with left ventricular dysfunction undergoing cardiac surgery.

Methods: Sixty patients with a preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction of less than 35% were randomly assigned to 2 groups before cardiac surgery and then received intravenous infusion with landiolol hydrochloride (landiolol group) or without landiolol (control group).

Early and Long-Term Outcomes in Japanese Patients Aged 80 Years or Older Undergoing Conventional Aortic Valve Replacement.

Unlabelled: In this study, we investigated the early and long-term results of conventional aortic valve replacement (AVR) in very old patients.

Methods: Seventy-five patients with aortic stenosis underwent conventional AVR for patients aged 80 years.We examined early death and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event (MACCE).

Long-Term Outcome of Prosthetic Valve Replacement in Japanese Patients Aged 65 Years or Older: Are Guidelines for Prosthetic Valve Selection Based on Overseas Data Appropriate for Japanese Patients?

Background: Based on the revised AHA/ACC guidelines, it might be necessary to take into consideration the average life expectancy of Japanese people and revise the Japanese guidelines accordingly. Accordingly, we performed the present study to compare the long-term outcome in patients aged 65 years or older who underwent prosthetic valve replacement at our hospital using mechanical valves or biological valves.

Methods: We have performed valve replacement in 416 patients aged 65 years or older (mechanical: 157; biological: 244).

Carperitide and atrial fibrillation after coronary bypass grafting: the Nihon University working group study of low-dose HANP infusion therapy during cardiac surgery trial for postoperative atrial fibrillation.

Background: Occurrence of atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery is associated with long-term mortality. We investigated whether infusion of human atrial natriuretic peptide (carperitide) could prevent postoperative atrial fibrillation.

Methods And Results: A total of 668 patients who underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting were randomized to receive infusion of carperitide or physiological saline from the initiation of cardiopulmonary bypass.

Comparison of febuxostat and allopurinol for hyperuricemia in cardiac surgery patients with chronic kidney disease (NU-FLASH trial for CKD).

Background: The NU-FLASH trial demonstrated that febuxostat was more effective for hyperuricemia than allopurinol. This time, we compared these medications in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) from the NU-FLASH trial.

Methods And Results: In the NU-FLASH trial, 141 cardiac surgery patients with hyperuricemia were randomized to a febuxostat group or an allopurinol group.