Exercise testing in patients with tricuspid regurgitation undergoing transcatheter tricuspid valve intervention.

Background: Transcatheter tricuspid valve intervention (TTVI) has shown promising results with persistent reduction of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and improvements in functional class and quality of life (QOL).

Objectives: To analyze the impact of TTVI on maximal and submaximal exercise capacity (SEC).

Methods: Constant work-rate exercise-time (CWRET) testing reflects SEC, which is more likely to be relevant for daily life activities and provides more differentiated physiological insight into the nature of exercise intolerance.

Perioperative outcome of left atrial appendage amputation in coronary artery bypass grafting.

Background: Left atrial appendage (LAA) amputation performed alongside cardiac surgery has become an increasingly established procedure to reduce stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation. As the recommendation levels for LAA amputation continue to rise, ample evidence assessing its perioperative safety and risk factors is of utmost interest.

Methods: All patients who underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) between 2018 and 2021 at two high-volume centers were retrospectively included in the study.

Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation Prediction by Left Atrial Size in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting and Five-Year Survival Outcome.

: Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation (POAF) is a common complication in cardiac surgery. Despite its multifactorial origin, the left atrial (LA) size is closely linked to POAF, raising the question of a valid cut-off value and its impact on the long-term outcome. : Patients without a history of AF who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting between 2014 and 2016 were selected for this retrospective study.

German Registry for Cardiac Operations and Interventions in Congenital Heart Disease: Annual Report 2022.

Background:  The German Registry for Cardiac Operations and Interventions in Patients with Congenital Heart Disease is a voluntary registry initiated by the German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and the German Society for Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Defects. Since 2012, the registry collects data for the assessment of treatment and outcomes of surgical and interventional procedures in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) of all age groups.

Methods:  This real-world, prospective all-comers registry collects clinical and procedural characteristics, adverse events (AEs), mortality, and medium-term outcomes (up to 90 days) of patients undergoing surgical and interventional.

Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting with clampless aortic anastomosis devices: Aortic sealing devices versus automated anastomosis punching.

Objectives: Clampless aortic anastomosis devices aim to lower stroke risk in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. Two main strategies for clampless anastomosis devices emerged with automated anastomosis punching and aortic sealing devices, prompting the question of perioperative outcome differences.

Methods: All consecutive patients undergoing elective off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting with a clampless aortic anastomosis device between September 2014 and December 2021 in 2 centers were retrospectively included.

Indications and outcomes of second aortic procedures after acute type A dissection repair.

Objectives: Aortic arch or aortic root replacement is not performed in all cases of acute type A aortic dissection (ATAD), and a second aortic procedure will become necessary over time for some patients. Indications and outcomes, of second aortic procedures have not been studied extensively.

Methods: Characteristics and in-hospital outcomes of all patients undergoing surgical repair for type A acute aortic dissection were analysed and patients needing second aortic procedure during follow-up were identified.

Non-femoral focused transaxillary access in TAVI: GARY data analysis and future trends.

Background: In patients not suitable for transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), several access strategies can be chosen.

Aim: To evaluate the use and patient outcomes of transaxillary (TAx), transapical (TA), and transaortic (TAo) as alternative access for TAVI in Germany; to further evaluate surgical cutdown vs. percutaneous TAx access.

Impact of a 36-hour Nonstop Training Course on Academic, Physical, and Mental Skills as well as Psychological Stress Perception in Cardiac Surgery Residents.

Background: Making the right decision in stressful situations is required for goal-oriented action in cardiac surgery. Current labor laws prevent residents to be subjected to situations that test their stress tolerance. These situations often occur only later in the career.

Aortic Valve Repair Results in Better 1-Year Survival Than Replacement: Results From German Aortic Valve Registry.

Background: Aortic valve (AV) repair is an evolving surgical strategy in the treatment of nonelderly adults with aortic regurgitation. We aimed to determine the 1-year outcome after AV repair vs surgical AV replacement (sAVR) using real-world data from the German Aortic Valve Registry.

Methods: A total of 8076 aortic regurgitation patients (mean age, 59.

Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair via MitraClip in Patients Aged <65 Years: Multicentre 2-year Outcomes.

Background: Transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) using the MitraClip has become a well-established interventional therapy and is usually performed in elderly patients. The objective of this study was to assess 2-year clinical outcomes of TMVR in patients aged <65 years at three heart centres with severe mitral regurgitation (MR) and no surgical options.

Methods: A retrospective study analysed data of 36 patients aged <65 years treated with TMVR .

Importance of the Mean Rate of Pressure Change of the Pulmonary Artery (dP/dt mean PA) in Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

 Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare disease of cardiopulmonary circulation characterized by elevated pressure in the pulmonary artery. The right-heart catheter is the gold standard for diagnosis, but there is interest in identifying additional prognostic indicators. The aim of this study was to examine the importance of the rate of pressure change of the pulmonary artery (dP/dt mean PA) in patients with PAH.

Five-year-outcome of new-onset perioperative atrial fibrillation after left atrial appendage amputation concomitant with cardiac surgery.

Background: Recent data demonstrated the benefit of left atrial appendage (LAA)-amputation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the long-term impact of LAA-amputation for patients with new-onset perioperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is still unknown.

Methods: Patients with no history of AF undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting by off-pump technique (OPCAB) between 2014 and 2016 were retrospectively examined.

Midterm outcomes of minimally invasive mitral valve surgery in a heterogeneous valve pathology cohort: respect or resect?

Background: Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery (MIV) through a right lateral thoracotomy has become the standard of care at specialized centers and might soon will be the only acceptable surgical treatment option in the future era of interventional procedures. The aim of our study was to analyze the outcomes of our MIV-specialized, single-center, mixed valve pathology cohort with regard to morbidity, mortality and midterm outcomes comparing two different repair techniques (respect versus resect).

Methods: Baseline and operative variables, postoperative outcomes and follow-up information about survival, valve competence and freedom from reoperation were retrospectively collected and analyzed.

Development and validation of explainable machine learning models for risk of mortality in transcatheter aortic valve implantation: TAVI risk machine scores.

Aims: Identification of high-risk patients and individualized decision support based on objective criteria for rapid discharge after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) are key requirements in the context of contemporary TAVI treatment. This study aimed to predict 30-day mortality following TAVI based on machine learning (ML) using data from the German Aortic Valve Registry.

Methods And Results: Mortality risk was determined using a random forest ML model that was condensed in the newly developed TAVI Risk Machine (TRIM) scores, designed to represent clinically meaningful risk modelling before (TRIMpre) and in particular after (TRIMpost) TAVI.

Left atrial appendage amputation concomitant with cardiac surgery in patients with sinus rhythm.

Objectives: Since recent data demonstrated the benefit of the amputation of the left atrial appendage (LAA) in patients with atrial fibrillation, the long-term impact of LAA amputation on stroke rate and mortality in patients with no history of atrial fibrillation is still unknown.

Methods: Patients with no history of atrial fibrillation who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting by the off-pump technique between 2014 and 2016 were examined retrospectively. Cohorts were divided by the concomitant execution of LAA amputation, and propensity score matching was applied by baseline characteristics.

German Registry for Cardiac Operations and Interventions in Patients with Congenital Heart Disease: Report 2021 and 9 Years' Longitudinal Observations on Fallot and Coarctation Patients.

Background: The annual report of the German Quality Assurance of Congenital Heart Disease displays a broad overview on outcome of interventional and surgical treatment with respect to patient's age and risk categorization. Particular features of the German all-comers registry are the inclusion of all interventional and surgical procedures, the possibility to record repeated treatments with distinct individual patient assignment, and to record various procedures within one case.

Methods: International Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Code terminology for diagnoses and procedures as well as classified adverse events, also recording of demographic data, key procedural performance indicators, and key quality indicators (mortality, adverse event rates).

The impact of age and sex on in-hospital outcomes in acute type A aortic dissection surgery.

Background: Older age and female sex are thought to be risk factors for adverse outcomes after repair of acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD). The aim of this study is to analyze age- and sex-related outcomes in patients undergoing AAAD repair.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients undergoing emergency AAAD repair.

Impact of Left Atrial Appendage Amputation on Left Atrial Morphology and Rhythm after Off-Pump CABG.

Objectives: Left atrial appendage (LAA) amputation concomitant to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has become an increasingly performed technique in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) or with sinus rhythm and a CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥2. However, LAA amputation has come under suspicion to cause postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) due to left atrial (LA) dilation. This study aims to assess this assumption in patients undergoing CABG in off-pump technique with and without amputation of the LAA.

Risk-adjusted analysis of long-term outcomes after on- versus off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

Objectives: Recent data suggested that off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) may carry a higher risk for mortality in the long term when compared to on-pump coronary artery bypass (ONCAB). We, therefore, compared long-term survival and morbidity in patients undergoing ONCAB versus OPCAB in a large single-centre cohort.

Methods: A total of 8981 patients undergoing isolated elective/urgent coronary artery bypass grafting between January 2009 and December 2019 were analysed.

Nomenclature for Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Care: Unification of Clinical and Administrative Nomenclature - The 2021 International Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Code (IPCCC) and the Eleventh Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).

Substantial progress has been made in the standardization of nomenclature for paediatric and congenital cardiac care. In 1936, Maude Abbott published her Atlas of Congenital Cardiac Disease, which was the first formal attempt to classify congenital heart disease. The International Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Code (IPCCC) is now utilized worldwide and has most recently become the paediatric and congenital cardiac component of the Eleventh Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).

Nomenclature for Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Care: Unification of Clinical and Administrative Nomenclature - The 2021 International Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Code (IPCCC) and the Eleventh Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).

Substantial progress has been made in the standardization of nomenclature for paediatric and congenital cardiac care. In 1936, Maude Abbott published her Atlas of Congenital Cardiac Disease, which was the first formal attempt to classify congenital heart disease. The International Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Code () is now utilized worldwide and has most recently become the paediatric and congenital cardiac component of the Eleventh Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).

Prevalence of Sleep Disordered Breathing in Patients with Primary Mitral Regurgitation Undergoing Mitral Valve Surgery.

Background: Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is a frequent comorbidity in cardiac disease patients. Nevertheless, the prevalence and relationship between SDB and severe primary mitral regurgitation (PMR) has not been well investigated to date.

Methods: A cohort of 121 patients with significant PMR undergoing mitral valve surgery were prospectively enrolled and received a cardiorespiratory single night polygraphy screening using ApneaLink before surgery.