Is postoperative cognitive decline after cardiac surgery associated with plasma beta amyloid 1–42 levels?

Background Postoperative cognitive decline following cardiac surgery is one of the frequently reported complications affecting postoperative outcome, characterized by impairment of memory or concentration. The aetiology is considered multifactorial and the research conducted so far has presented contradictory results. The proposed mechanisms to explain the cognitive decline associated with cardiac surgery include the neurotoxic accumulation of β-amyloid (Aβ) proteins similar to Alzheimer's disease. The comparison of coronary artery bypass grafting procedures concerning postoperative cognitive decline and plasmatic Aβ1-42 concentrations has not yet been conducted. Methods The research was designed as a controlled clinical study of patients with coronary artery disease undergoing surgical myocardial revascularization with or without the use of a cardiopulmonary bypass machine. All patients completed a battery of neuropsychological tests and plasmatic Aβ1-42 concentrations were collected. Results The neuropsychological test results postoperatively were significantly worse in the cardiopulmonary bypass group and the patients had larger shifts in the Aβ1-42 preoperative and postoperative values than the group in which off-pump coronary artery bypass was performed. Conclusions The conducted research confirmed the earlier suspected association of plasmatic Aβ1-42 concentration to postoperative cognitive decline and the results further showed that there were less changes and lower concentrations in the off-pump coronary artery bypass group, which correlated to less neurocognitive decline. There is a lot of clinical contribution acquired by this research, not only in everyday decision making and using amyloid proteins as biomarkers, but also in the development and application of non-pharmacological and pharmacological neuroprotective strategies.

The effect of using the minimized cardio-pulmonary bypass Systems for Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in diabetic patients

Introduction Multiple studies have shown a decrease in the inflammatory response with minimized bypass circuits leading to less complications and mortality rate. On the other hand, some other studies showed that there is no difference in post-operative outcomes. So, the aim of this study is to investigate the clinical benefits of using the Minimized cardiopulmonary Bypass system in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting and its effect on postoperative morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients as one of the high-risk groups that may benefit from these systems. Methods This is a retrospective study that included 114 diabetic patients who underwent Coronary artery bypass grafting (67 patients with conventional cardiopulmonary bypass system and 47 with Minimized cardiopulmonary bypass system). The patients’ demographics, intra-operative characteristics and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups. Results Coronary artery bypass grafting was done on a beating heart less commonly in the conventional cardiopulmonary bypass group (44.78% vs. 63.83%, p = 0.045). There was no difference between the two groups in blood loss or transfusion requirements. Four patients in the conventional cardiopulmonary bypass group suffered perioperative myocardial infarction while no one had perioperative myocardial infarction in the Minimized cardiopulmonary bypass group. On the other hand, less patients in the conventional group had postoperative Atrial Fibrillation (4.55% vs. 27.5%, p = 0.001). The requirements for Adrenaline and Nor-Adrenaline infusions were more common the conventional group than the Minimized group. Conclusion The use of conventional cardiopulmonary bypass for Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in diabetic patients was associated with higher use of postoperative vasogenic and inotropic support. However, that did not translate into higher complications rate or mortality.

The Effect of Using the Minimized Cardio-pulmonary Bypass Systems for Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Diabetic Patients

Introduction Multiple studies have shown a decrease in the inflammatory response with minimized bypass circuits leading to less complications and mortality rate. On the other hand, some other studies showed that there is no difference in post-operative outcomes. So, the aim of this study is to investigate the clinical benefits of using the Minimized cardiopulmonary Bypass system in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting and its effect on postoperative morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients as one of the high-risk groups that may benefit from these systems. Methods: This is a retrospective study that included 114 diabetic patients who underwent Coronary artery bypass grafting (67 patients with conventional cardiopulmonary bypass system and 47 with Minimized cardiopulmonary bypass system). The patients’ demographics, intra-operative characteristics and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups. Results Coronary artery bypass grafting was done on a beating heart less commonly in the conventional cardiopulmonary bypass group (44.78% vs. 63.83%, p = 0.045). There was no difference between the two groups in blood loss or transfusion requirements. Four patients in the conventional cardiopulmonary bypass group suffered perioperative myocardial infarction while no one had perioperative myocardial infarction in the Minimized cardiopulmonary bypass group. On the other hand, less patients in the conventional group had postoperative Atrial Fibrillation (4.55% vs. 27.5%, p = 0.001). The requirements for Adrenaline and Nor-Adrenaline infusions were more common the conventional group than the Minimized group. Conclusion The use of conventional cardiopulmonary bypass for Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in diabetic patients was associated with higher use of postoperative vasogenic and inotropic support. However, that did not translate into higher complications rate or mortality.

Direct versus indirect bypass procedure for the treatment of ischemic moyamoya disease: results of an individualized selection strategy

OBJECTIVEThe only effective treatment for ischemic moyamoya disease (iMMD) is cerebral revascularization by an extracranial to intracranial bypass. The preferred revascularization method remains controversial: direct versus indirect bypass. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that method choice should be personalized based on angiographic, hemodynamic, and clinical characteristics to balance the risk of perioperative major stroke against treatment efficacy.METHODSPatients with iMMD were identified retrospectively from a prospectively maintained database. Those with mild to moderate internal carotid artery or M1 segment stenosis, preserved cerebrovascular reserve, intraoperative M4 segment anterograde flow ≥ 8 ml/min, or the absence of frequent and severe transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) or stroke had been assigned to indirect bypass. The criteria for direct bypass were severe ICA or M1 segment stenosis or occlusion, impaired cerebrovascular reserve or steal phenomenon, intraoperative M4 segment retrograde flow or anterograde flow < 8 ml/min, and the presence of frequent and severe TIAs or clinical strokes. The primary study endpoint was MRI-confirmed symptomatic stroke ≤ 7 days postoperatively resulting in a decline in the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score from preoperatively to 6 months postoperatively. As a secondary endpoint, the authors assessed 6-month postoperative DSA-demonstrated revascularization, which was classified as < 1/3, 1/3–2/3, or > 2/3 of the middle cerebral artery territory.RESULTSOne hundred thirty-eight patients with iMMD affecting 195 hemispheres revascularized in the period from March 2016 to June 2018 were included in this analysis. One hundred thirty-three hemispheres were revascularized with direct bypass and 62 with indirect bypass. The perioperative stroke rate was 4.7% and 6.8% in the direct and indirect groups, respectively (p = 0.36). Degree of revascularization was higher in the direct bypass group (p = 0.03). The proportion of patients improving to an mRS score 0–1 (from preoperatively to 6 months postoperatively) tended to be higher in the direct bypass group, although the difference between the two bypass groups was not statistically significant (p = 0.27).CONCLUSIONSThe selective use of an indirect bypass procedure for iMMD did not decrease the perioperative stroke rate. Direct bypass provided a significantly higher degree of revascularization. The authors conclude that direct bypass is the treatment of choice for iMMD.

Limb-Based Patency After Surgical vs Endovascular Revascularization in Patients with Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia

Purpose: To determine whether limb-based patency (LBP) after infrainguinal revascularization for chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) is similar between bypass surgery and endovascular therapy (EVT). Materials and Methods: The database for the Surgical Reconstruction vs Peripheral Intervention in Patients With Critical Limb Ischemia (SPINACH) study was interrogated to identify 130 patients (mean age 73±8 years; 94 men) who underwent bypass surgery and 271 patients (mean age 74±10 years; 178 men) who underwent EVT alone. Skin perfusion pressure (SPP) and the ankle-brachial index (ABI) were measured before the procedure and at 0, 1, and 3 months after revascularization. The outcome measure was hemodynamically evaluated LBP (SPP ≥10 mm Hg or ABI ≥0.1) maintained over the first 3 months after treatment. Any reintervention or major amputation was regarded as loss of LBP. The associations between the revascularization strategy (bypass vs EVT) and between the preoperative characteristics and the study outcome (ie, SPP- or ABI-based LBP), were determined using generalized linear mixed models with a logit link function. Patency rates are presented with the 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: The bypass surgery group had a higher stage of limb severity (WIfI) and anatomic complexity (GLASS) than the EVT group, whereas the EVT group had a higher prevalence of heart failure. Both SPP- and ABI-based LBP rates were higher in the bypass group than in the EVT group. SPP-based LBP rates at 3 months were 73.8% (95% CI 63.4% to 84.2%) in the bypass group and 46.2% (95% CI 38.5% to 53.8%) in the EVT group; the corresponding ABI-based LBP rates were 71.5% (95% CI 61.8% to 81.2%) and 44.0% (95% CI 37.3% to 50.7%). Conclusion: LBP is an important concept in the new global vascular guidelines for assessing the anatomic and hemodynamic status of CLTI patients. The present study found that LBP was significantly lower in the EVT group vs the bypass surgery group.

Abstract WMP43: Long-term Mortality in Moyamoya Patients According to Presentation Type and Bypass Surgery in South Korea

Background: Survival outcomes in moyamoya patients according to initial presentation type and bypass surgery have not been clearly revealed. Methods: We investigated mortality in moyamoya disease (MMD) patients using Korean National Health Insurance database from 2006 to 2015 allowing wash-out period of previous 4 years. MMD type was classified into ischemic, hemorrhagic, and asymptomatic MMD. Bypass surgery group included the patients who underwent bypass surgery within 1 year after MMD diagnosis. Survival analysis was performed according to initial presentation type and bypass surgery using Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard model. Results: The total number of patients with newly diagnosed MMD was 12146 with a female-to-male ratio of 1.81, of which ischemic type was identified in 3671 (30.2%), hemorrhagic type was in 2449 (20.2%), and asymptomatic type was in 6026 (49.6%) patients, respectively. There were 3942 (32.5%) patients in bypass surgery group and 8204 (67.5%) patients in non-bypass group. The 5- and 10-year survival rates in ischemic, hemorrhagic, and asymptomatic type were 92.5% and 88.9%, 85.3% and 76.3%, and 96.3% and 94.3%, respectively (Log-rank test; P<0.001, P<0.001). After adjusting age, sex, and presentation type, bypass surgery demonstrated HRs of 0.597 (95% CI 0.486-0.733, P<0.001) and 0.595 (95% CI 0.429-0.719, P<0.001) for 5- and 10-year mortality, respectively. Conclusion: This study showed that MMD patients had different survival courses according to initial presentation type. Adult MMD patients with hemorrhagic presentation had the worst survival outcome. Bypass surgery group survived longer than non-bypass group did in MMD patients in real-world setting.

BYPASS VS. SLEEVE AND ITS EFFECTS IN NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE: WHAT IS THE BEST TECHNIQUE?

ABSTRACT Background: Strongly associated with obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is considered the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome. It presents as simple steatosis and steatohepatitis, which can progress to cirrhosis and its complications. Among the therapeutic alternatives is bariatric surgery. Aim: To compare the effect of the two most frequent bariatric procedures (sleeve and bypass) on liver disease regarding to epidemiological, demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: The results of intraoperative and 12 months after surgery liver biopsies were used. The NAFLD activity score (NAS) was used to assess and compare the stages of liver disease. Results: Sixteen (66.7%) patients underwent Bypass procedure and eight (33.3%) Sleeve. It was observed that the variation in the NAFLD activity score was significantly greater in the Bypass group than in Sleeve (p=0.028) and there was a trend regarding the variation in fibrosis (p=0.054). Conclusion: Both surgical techniques were effective in improving the hepatic histology of most operated patients. When comparing sleeve and bypass groups, bypass showed better results, according to the NAS score.

RATIONALIZATION OF SURGICAL TREATMENT FOR HEMORRHAGIC MOYAMOYA DISEASE: FROM LABORATORY BENCH RESEARCH, BIOMECHANICS TO META-ANALYSIS

Background and purpose: Surgery is recommended as the treatment of choice for hemorrhagic Moyamoya disease (MMD). The rationale of surgery and the choice of procedure are poorly understood. The aim of this paper is to present latest evidence, from cellular, biomechanical and population data, surgical treatment options and their effect on the outcome of hemorrhagic MMD. Methods: We systematically reviewed the latest evidence from cellular, biomechanical and populational studies including our own meta-analysis for rationalization of management of MMD. We searched major databases from inception to latest articles available till October 2018. All major breakthroughs including basic research to randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and human case–control studies related to hemorrhagic MMD were included. Our meta-analysis was performed in accordance to the standard Cochrane. Result: Evidence at cellular, biomechanical and RCT levels was presented. For our meta-analysis, we included eight studies, totaling at 632 patients. Our results rationalized the use of surgical methods in support of surgical management of MMD. We showed that surgery in MMD resulted in a significant lower risk of future stroke ([Formula: see text], 95% [Formula: see text]–0.38). Among different surgical methods, the indirect bypass group had a lower risk for sedentary stroke risk reduction compared with the direct bypass group (RR[Formula: see text]=[Formula: see text]3.36, 95% CI[Formula: see text]=[Formula: see text]1.53–7.36). No significant differences were observed in perioperative complications between the two methods. Conclusion: Surgery remains a mainstay for the management of MMD. We concluded that current evidence in biomechanical and our own meta-analysis is in support of surgery being an effective management of hemorrhagic MMD. We deduced insights into research for early detection, characterization and follow up of patients with MMD.

Risk of subsequent stroke, with or without extracranial-intracranial bypass surgery: a nationwide, retrospective, population-based study

OBJECTIVEAlthough no benefits of extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass surgery in preventing secondary stroke have been identified previously, the outcomes of initial symptomatic ischemic stroke and stenosis and/or occlusion among the Asian population in patients with or without bypass intervention have yet to be discussed. The authors aimed to evaluate the subsequent risk of secondary vascular disease and cardiac events in patients with and without a history of this intervention.METHODSThis retrospective nationwide population-based Taiwanese registry study included 205,991 patients with initial symptomatic ischemic stroke and stenosis and/or occlusion, with imaging data obtained between 2001 and 2010. Patients who underwent EC-IC bypass (bypass group) were compared with those who had not undergone EC-IC bypass, carotid artery stenting, or carotid artery endarterectomy (nonbypass group). Patients with any previous diagnosis of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, moyamoya disease, cancer, or trauma were all excluded.RESULTSThe risk of subsequent ischemic stroke events decreased by 41% in the bypass group (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.59, 95% CI 0.46–0.76, p < 0.001) compared with the nonbypass group. The risk of subsequent hemorrhagic stroke events increased in the bypass group (adjusted HR 2.47, 95% CI 1.67–3.64, p < 0.001) compared with the nonbypass group.CONCLUSIONSBypass surgery does play an important role in revascularization of the ischemic brain, while also increasing the risk of hemorrhage in the early postoperative period. This study highlights the fact that the high risk of bypass surgery obscures the true benefit of revascularization of the ischemic brain and also emphasizes the importance of developing improved surgical technique to treat these high-risk patients.

Multimodal neuronavigation-guided precision bypass in adult ischaemic patients with moyamoya disease: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

IntroductionRevascularisation surgery is an important treatment of moyamoya disease (MMD). Several general methods of revascularisation had been used: direct, indirect and combined techniques. However, there had been no reports about the criteria of recipient arteries selection in bypass surgery for MMD. Surgeons usually choose the recipient arteries by their own experiences. Their choices of the recipient arteries are various and may contribute the different outcome of patients. The purpose is to identify utility and efficacy of precision bypass guided by multimodal neuronavigation of MMD in a prospective randomised controlled trial.Method and analysisThis study is a prospective randomised controlled clinical trial. This study will enrol a total of 100 eligible patients. These eligible patients will be randomised to the empirical bypass group and the multimodal neuronavigation-guided precision bypass group in a 1:1 ratio. Patient baseline characteristics and MMD characteristics will be described. In the multimodal neuronavigation-guided group, the blood velocity and blood flow of the recipient arteries will be identified. Surgical complications and outcomes at pretreatment, post-treatment, at discharge and at 3 month, 6 month, 12 month and end of trial will be analysed with CT perfusion, MRI, digital subtraction angiography, modified Rankin Scale, National Institute of Health Stroke Scale and modified Barthel Scale. This trial will determine whether multimodal neuronavigation-guided precision bypass is superior to empirical bypass in patients with MMD and identify the safety and efficacy of multimodal neuronavigation-guided precision bypass.Ethics and disseminationThe study protocol and written informed consent were reviewed and approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Peking University International Hospital. Study findings will be disseminated in the printed media. The study started in August, 2018 and expected to be completed in December, 2020.Trial registration numberNCT03516851; Pre-results.