Redo aortic valve replacement with a non-conventional intraoperative decision to avoid left main stem obstruction.

Redo aortic valve surgery for failure of a previously implanted valve is always challenging. In case of small-sized implanted valves, the use of a balloon-expanding Sapien-3 valve can enhance the final effective orifice area, avoid complex annulus enlargement techniques, and can reduce operative time and morbidities. We describe a case where after explanting a failed 19mm St. Jude mechanical aortic valve and further deployment of a 23mm Sapien-3 valve, the left coronary ostia was obstructed by the skirt of the transcatheter prosthesis. After careful removal of a little part of the skirt, we were able to restore the coronary flow and the patient had a favorable outcome.

Case Report: Simultaneous Ascending Aortic Dissection and Pulmonary Artery Dissection Combined by Aortopulmonary Fistula After Aortic Valve Replacement

Aortopulmonary fistula with/without pulmonary artery dissection is an extremely rare and fatal complication of acute aortic dissection and is often discovered postmortem. We present a case with a simultaneous ascending aortic dissection and pulmonary artery dissection combined by aortopulmonary fistula after aortic valve surgery. However, the patient died of postoperative complications after surgery. Herein, the anatomical basis for this rare entity and its outcome is explored with an emphasis.

Prognostic value of diastolic function parameters in significant aortic regurgitation. The role of the left atrial strain

Background The management of patients with asymptomatic significant aortic regurgitation (sAR) is often challenging and appropriate timing of aortic valve surgery remains controversial. There are no strong indicators to recommend early surgery in patients with sAR, however delaying the time for the intervention could bring potential negative consequences, such as the risk of permanent left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. The prognostic value of diastolic parameters has been demonstrated in several cardiac diseases. In particular, left atrial (LA) function has been shown to be an important determinant of morbimortality. Purpose The purpose of this study was to analyze the prognostic significance of diastolic function parameters, included LA strain, in asymptomatic patients with sAR and to evaluate whether these parameters could help to identify patients at high risk of adverse events that could benefit from early cardiac surgery. Methods From February 2013 to November 2019 consecutive asymptomatic patients with chronic sAR evaluated in the Heart Valve Clinic with a comprehensive transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) were included. Combined clinical endpoint included hospital admission due to heart failure, cardiovascular mortality, or indication for aortic valve surgery. Results A total of 126 patients were included. During a mean follow up of 33±19 month, 25 (19.8%) patients reached the combined end-point. In a sub-group of 57 patients with TTE performed in the Philips stations, LA auto-strain analysis was obtained (figure 1). Univariate analysis showed that LV volumes, LVEF, E wave, E/e' ratio, LA volume and LA reservoir strain (LASr) were significant predictors of events, whereas LA diameter, and LV diastolic diameters were not. Multivariate model 1 that tested all echocardiographic variables statistically significant in the univariate model showed that the LVEDV and E/e' ratio, were significant predictors of events. In the subgroup of patients with LA auto-strain analyzed, a second multivariable model was built, including the previous significant variables for the first model (LVEDV and E/e' ratio), as well as the LA volume and LASr. It showed that LVEDV and LASr were the most significant predictors of cardiovascular events (figure 2). Conclusions In this population of asymptomatic patients with sAR and normal LV systolic function, baseline diastolic parameters were prognostic markers of cardiovascular events; among them, LA reservoir strain played a strong independent predictor role. In addition, our results also showed that LV volumes had greater prognostic value that LV diameters in patients with asymptomatic sAR. FUNDunding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None. Figure 1 Figure 2

History of the use of autologous materials in aortic valve surgery

<p>Various types of autologous materials are used in heart valve surgery, particularly the aortic valve, and this article describes their historical development. The evolution of the use of various autogenous tissues, such as the aortic wall, fascia lata of the thigh, pericardium and others is described and discussed in detail. This paper presents the results of experimental and clinical publications devoted to the surgical techniques and the outcomes of heart valve reconstruction using such materials. The negative aspects of the use of a wide range of autografts are discussed, including the short service life and low strength, which led to declining interest in this group of reconstructive interventions. The method for treating the autopericardium with glutaraldehyde, proposed in 1986 by C.S. Love, J.W. Love and colleagues, raised the use of autologous materials in the reconstruction of heart valves to a new level, allowing surgeons to strengthen the autopericardial flaps and increase resistance to hemodynamic stress. Many surgeons, their interest in such treatment methods increased by this discovery, then reported their observations and further developed ways of using the treated autopericardium in aortic valve surgery. Particularly, the method of neocuspidisation of the aortic valve, introduced into wide practice by M.G. Duran and S. Ozaki, has become the quintessential reconstructive valve surgery involving the use of autologous materials.</p><p>Received 14 March 2021. Revised 26 April 2021. Accepted 27 April 2021.</p><p><strong>Funding:</strong> The study did not have sponsorship.</p><p><strong>Conflict of interest:</strong> The authors declare no conflicts of interests.</p><p><strong>Contribution of the authors</strong><br />Conception and study design: A.O. Simonyan, A.M. Ismailbaev<br />Drafting the article: A.O. Simonyan, A.M. Ismailbaev, N.O. Kurasov, M.I. Tcheglov<br />Critical revision of the article: R.N. Komarov, V.V. Dalinin, I.A. Borisov<br />Final approval of the version to be published: R.N. Komarov, A.O. Simonyan, I.A. Borisov, V.V. Dalinin, A.M. Ismailbaev, N.O. Kurasov, M.I. Tcheglov</p>