Performance of the Edwards Sapien 3 Ultra Transcatheter Aortic Valve System in Patients With Aortic Stenosis and Annulus Diameter in Proximity to Valve Size.

Objectives: The new Sapien 3 Ultra (S3U) transcatheter heart valve (Edwards Lifesciences) was designed with the intention to improve paravalvular sealing. In patients with an annulus size in proximity to the prosthesis size, little or no oversizing of the transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) prosthesis may lead to paravalvular regurgitation. Thus, this study was designed to assess valve performance in such patients.

One-stage hybrid aortic repair using the frozen elephant trunk in acute DeBakey type I aortic dissection.

Background: The extent of emergent surgery for acute DeBakey type I aortic dissection is discussed controversial. The frozen elephant trunk (FET) technique in addition to ascending and arch repair promotes aortic remodelling in the descending aorta and thus may provide superior long-term results in terms of less secondary re-interventions and reduced mortality linked to the downstream aorta.

Methods: Between October 2009 and December 2016, a total of 72 patients underwent emergent hybrid aortic repair using the FET for acute DeBakey type I aortic dissection at our centre.

Combined David and Frozen Elephant Trunk Procedure in Acute Aortic Dissection.

Background:  Valve sparing aortic root repair by reimplantation (David procedure) is an established technique in acute aortic dissection Stanford type A involving the aortic root. In DeBakey type I dissection, aortic arch replacement using the frozen elephant trunk (FET) was introduced to promote aortic remodeling of the downstream aorta. The combination of these two complex procedures represents a challenging surgical strategy and was considered too risky so far.

Minimally Invasive Access Aortic Arch Surgery.

Objective: Median sternotomy is still the standard approach for aortic arch surgery. Minimally invasive techniques promise faster recovery with shorter hospital stay due to thoracic stability, reduced pain, and superior cosmetic results. However, safety is a concern in complex aortic surgery.

Clinical outcome and quality of life after reoperative CABG: off-pump versus on-pump - observational pilot study.

Background: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) on cardiopulmonary bypass (CBP) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In high-risk patients, doomed for reoperation the adverse effects of CBP may be more striking. We evaluated the results of reoperative CABG (redo-CABG) by either off-pump (OPCAB) or on-pump (ONCAB).