Intraoperative Invasive Coronary Angiography after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

Objective:  The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the feasibility and safety of intraoperative invasive coronary angiography (ICA) following coronary artery bypass grafting using a mobile angiography C-arm.

Methods:  Between August 2020 and December 2021, 18 patients were enrolled for intraoperative ICA following coronary artery bypass grafting. After skin closure, ICA was performed including angiography of all established bypass grafts via a mobile angiography system by an interventional cardiologist.

The Hemodynamic Performance of the Perceval Sutureless Aortic Valve in a Propensity-Matched Comparison to the Carpentier-Edwards Perimount and Perimount Magna Ease Valves for Aortic Valve Replacement.

Objectives: The Perceval valve was shown to facilitate minimal-invasive operations and shorten operative times. We aimed to compare the early results of the Perceval valve to those of well-established valves, namely the Carpentier-Edwards Perimount and Perimount Magna Ease valve protheses, in terms of their clinical and hemodynamic performances.

Methods: This is a single-center, retrospective, observational cohort study.

Randomized controlled trial between conventional versus sutureless bioprostheses for aortic valve replacement: Impact of mini and full sternotomy access at 1-year follow-up.

Background: The present study is a sub-analysis of the multicenter, randomized PERSIST-AVR trial (PERceval Sutureless Implant versus Standard Aortic Valve Replacement) comparing the in-hospital and 1-year results of sutureless versus conventional stented bioprostheses in isolated surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) within two different surgical approaches: mini-sternotomy (MS) and full-sternotomy (FS).

Methods: A total of 819 patients (per-protocol population) underwent preoperative randomization to sutureless or stented biological valve at 47 centers worldwide. Sub-analysis on isolated SAVR was performed.

Pacemaker implantation after sutureless or stented valve: results from a controlled randomized trial.

Objectives: Sutureless aortic valves demonstrated non-inferiority to standard stented valves for major cardiovascular and cerebral events at 1 year after aortic valve replacement. We aim to assess the factors correlating with permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) in both cohorts.

Methods: PERSIST-AVR is a prospective, randomized, open-label trial.

Hemodynamic Performance of Sutureless vs. Conventional Bioprostheses for Aortic Valve Replacement: The 1-Year Core-Lab Results of the Randomized PERSIST-AVR Trial.

Objective: Sutureless aortic valves are an effective option for aortic valve replacement (AVR) showing non-inferiority to standard stented aortic valves for major cardiovascular and cerebral events at 1-year. We report the 1-year hemodynamic performance of the sutureless prostheses compared with standard aortic valves, assessed by a dedicated echocardiographic core lab.

Methods: Perceval Sutureless Implant vs.

Efficacy of Vascular Closure Devices in Closing Large-Bore Sheath Arterial Sites after Treatment with Extracorporeal Life Support System.

Background:  We retrospectively evaluated vascular complications and wound infections after surgical or percutaneous transfemoral removal of temporary extracorporeal life support systems (ECLSs).

Methods:  A total of 83 patients were weaned from ECLS between August 2015 and September 2020. We analyzed for a composite endpoint of vascular complications and wound infections requiring negative-pressure wound therapy.

The Use of Biological Heart Valves.

Background: Biological heart-valve prostheses have undergone continuous devel- opment up to the present, and technological advances have been made in catheter- assisted valve systems (transcatheter aortic valve implantation, TAVI) and minimally invasive routes of application. These parallel trends have led to major changes in therapeutic strategies, widening the spectrum of patients who are candidates for biological aortic valve implantation.

Methods: This review is based on pertinent publications retrieved by a systematic search in PubMed employing the search terms "conventional biological aortic pros- thesis," "rapid deployment prosthesis," and "transcatheter aortic valve implantation/ replacement.

Adding tricuspid repair to standard open heart surgery does not increase risk but improves right ventricular function.

Objectives: To evaluate outcome of concomitant tricuspid annuloplasty in mild or moderate regurgitation on perioperative outcome and on right ventricular function in patients undergoing major cardiac surgery.

Methods: Among 14 500 patients who underwent cardiac surgery at our institution between January 2000 and April 2016, 1023 patients had a documented history of tricuspid regurgitation (TR). Of those patients, 324 patients were diagnosed with mild or moderate secondary TR with a dilated annulus (≥40 mm or >21 mm/m2) and composed the study population.

The COSTA Study: Sternal Closure in High-Risk Patients - A Prospective Randomized Multicenter Trial.

Background: Median sternotomy in patients with risk factors for wound healing is associated with high rates of postoperative wound infections and sternum instability.

Methods: A total of 338 patients with elective first median sternotomy and at least four predefined risk factors were randomized between Sternal Talon (Gebrüder Martin GmbH & Co. KG-KLS Martin Group, Tuttlingen, Germany) and wire cerclage.

Aortic valve reimplantation for large root aneurysm and high-grade aortic regurgitation: incidence and implications of additional cusp and commissure repair.

Objectives: Large-sized root aneurysm and high-grade aortic regurgitation (AR) might be contraindications for a valve-sparing aortic root replacement procedure (V-SARR) and aortic valve repair. The impact of a combination of root reimplantation and additional cusp/commissure repair on valve sufficiency in this setting was investigated with respect to early- and mid-term functional outcome.

Methods: Out of a cohort of 220 patients treated with V-SARR, 73 with an aneurysm size ≥ 55 mm were identified.

Valve thrombosis 7 months after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

A 77-year old man underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation for severe aortic stenosis with a 29-mm Edwards-Sapien XT aortic valve bioprosthesis. Periprocedural transesophageal echocardiography and computed tomography showed good positioning and expansion of the prosthesis with only minor transvalvular insufficiency. On a routine checkup 7 months later, echocardiography and computed tomography showed a high transvalvular gradient suggestive of valve thrombosis, which could not be treated with warfarin.