Aortic valve repair for the treatment of rheumatic aortic valve disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Valvuloplasty for rheumatic aortic valve disease remains controversial. We conducted this study to explore whether aortic valvuloplasty is appropriate for the rheumatic population. A comprehensive search was conducted, and 7 eligible retrospective studies were identified from PubMed, Embase, Medline and Cochrane (up to April 7, 2020) according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data for hospital mortality, 5-year survival, 5-year reoperation, aortic insufficiency grade (AIG) and aortic valve gradient (AVG) were extracted by 2 independent reviewers and were analysed to evaluate the safety and availability of aortic valvuloplasty for rheumatic patients. The heterogeneity of the results was estimated using the Q test and I2 statistics. The fixed pooling model was used when I2 ≤ 50%; otherwise, the random pooling model was selected. 7 articles with 418 patients were included. The pooled hospital mortality, 5-year survival and 5-year reoperation rates were 3.2%, 94.5% and 9.9%, respectively. The heterogeneities of the weighted mean differences (WMD) values of the AIG and AVG between preoperation and postoperation were extremely high (I2 = 81.5%, p < 0.001 in AIG, I2 = 97.6%, p = 0.003 in AVG). Subgroup analysis suggested that the AIG and AVG were improved by 3.03 grades (I2 = 0%, p < 0.001) and 3.16 mmHg (I2 = 0%, p < 0.001) in the European group, respectively. In the Asian group, the AIG and AVG were improved by 2.57 grades (I2 = 0%, p < 0.001) and 34.39 mmHg (I2 = 0%, p < 0.001), respectively. Compared with the values at discharge, the AIG was increased by 0.15 grades (I2 = 0%, p = 0.031) and the AVG was still decreased by 2.07 mmHg (I2 = 0%, p = 0.031) at the time of follow up. Valvuloplasty is safe and effective to treat rheumatic aortic insufficiency and stenosis, and the duration of maintenance required to improve stenosis was longer than that of insufficiency.

Retrieving a lost needle in the descending aorta during hemi-arch replacement

A 73-year-old man diagnosed with moderate aortic insufficiency and dilatation of the aortic root and ascending aorta underwent a modified Bentall procedure and hemi-arch aortic replacement. During open distal anastomosis of the ascending aorta, the surgical needle was lost. Because of circulatory arrest, the operation was continued; before closing the chest, radiography and a transesophageal echo were located in the needle in the descending aorta. It was retrieved using a snare catheter via the graft branch under fluoroscopic guidance. Thus, locating the needle in the descending aorta and leaving the graft branch uncut led to its removal without a new incision.

Less invasive treatments for pure aortic insufficiency: Are we there yet?

The gold standard for the treatment of pure aortic insufficiency (PAI) is surgical valve repair or replacement.1 With the newest transcatheter heart valve technologies and the accumulating years of experience of heart teams with the current transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) prostheses, implanters have push the envelope with off-label use of those valves designed and approved for aortic stenosis, in patients with pure aortic insufficiency especially those at higher risks or for compassionate use.3 However, new prostheses are currently under investigation in clinical use and evidences are provided on the safety and efficacy of those latter. It will be discussed in this commentary, the actual clinical evidences and the use of transcatheter heart valves, in and off label, for the treatment of pure aortic insufficiency.

Concomitant Repair For Mild Aortic Insufficiency And Implantation Of Left Ventricle Mechanical Support

Aortic valve regurgitation in patients undergoing LVAD implantation is a significant complication which occurs in up to 10% of patients in the INTERMACS database. Patients who have aortic valve regurgitation at the time of implant have been handled by several methods, including aortic valve leaflets approximation, to aortic valve replacement or even valve closure. We report a case where we used HAART Ring to repair a regurgitant aortic valve during LAVD implant for destination therapy.

Academician Evgeniy Nikolaevich Meshalkin (1916–1997) (on the 105th anniversary of his birth)

The outstanding cardiologist and cardiac surgeon Evgeny Nikolaevich Meshalkin was born on February 25, 1916 in the city of Yekaterinoslav, now Dnepropetrovsk. In 1918, the Meshalkin family moved to Rostov-on-Don, and in 1928 to Moscow, where Evgeny graduated from school in 1930, and then studied at the factory school at the Sickle and Hammer factory. In 1941, Evgeny Nikolaevich graduated from the 2nd Moscow Medical Institute and from August 1941 to May 1945 was a participant of the Great Patriotic War permanently in the field army. After demobilization from the army, E. N. Meshalkin worked from 1946 to 1956 at the department and at the clinic of Faculty Surgery of the 2nd Moscow State Medical Institute, headed by Academician of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences A. N. Bakulev. In 1950, he defended his PhD thesis «Intubation anesthesia», and in 1953, his first monograph «Intubation anesthesia Technique» was published. Evgeny Nikolaevich is rightfully considered one of the founders of the Russian anesthesiology. In 1953, E. N. Meshalkin defended his doctoral dissertation «Probing and contrast study of the heart and major vessels». In conditions of moderate nonperfusion hypothermia, Yevgeny Nikolaevich successfully operated on complex heart defects, performed the insertion of mechanical prostheses for mitral and aortic insufficiency. From January 1956 to 1960, he was the head of the Department of Thoracic Surgery and Anesthesiology of the Central Institute of Advanced Medical Training (now the Russian Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education). E.N.Meshalkin owns 47 copyright certificates and patents, which are implemented not only in the Research Institute of Circulatory Pathology, but also in other cardiac surgery centers in Russia. Honorary citizen of Novosibirsk Evgeny Nikolaevich Meshalkin passed away on March 8, 1997 and was buried in Novosibirsk at the Southern Cemetery. In memory of the outstanding scientist, the Novosibirsk Research Institute of Circulatory Pathology was named after Academician E. N. Meshalkin.

Bentall–De Bono procedure for aortic regurgitation and intraoperative rupture of moderately dilated ascending aorta: A case report

<p>We herein present a clinical case of root and ascending aortic replacement in a patient with borderline enlargement of the ascending aorta and aortic valve insufficiency. A 65-year-old man was admitted to our clinic with signs of heart failure. Subsequent echocardiography and contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed hemodynamically significant aortic insufficiency, as well as expansion of the ascending aorta. Diameter at the levels of the sinuses of Valsalva, sinotubular junction and tubular portion of the ascending aorta were 48, 47 and 44 mm, respectively. Based on the aforementioned data, indications for isolated aortic valve replacement were determined. Although the main portion of the surgery was unremarkable, at its final stage, a rupture of a section of the ascending aorta occurred. The results of intraoperative express histological examination of the enlarged aorta revealed connective tissue dysplasia and cystic median necrosis. Replacement of the ascending aorta was performed using the modified Bentall–De Bono technique. This case demonstrated that a borderline aortic dilatation of 40–50 mm at the ascending aorta was associated with pathological changes in its wall, which can cause fatal complications (rupture and dissection) and may require a more aggressive approach during surgical correction. Intraoperative express histological examination of the wall of the ascending aorta in ambiguous situations can help determine the scope of the intervention.</p><p>Received 16 March 2021. Revised 14 September 2021. Accepted 15 September 2021.</p><p><strong>Funding:</strong> The study did not have sponsorship.</p><p><strong>Conflict of interest:</strong> The authors declare no conflict of interest.</p><p><strong>Contribution of the authors<br /> </strong>Literature review: S.Yu. Boldyrev, M.A. Marukyan<br /> Drafting the article: S.Yu. Boldyrev, M.A. Marukyan, V.N. Suslova<br /> Critical revision of the article: S.Yu. Boldyrev, V.A. Porkhanov<br /> Surgical treatment: S.Yu. Boldyrev, M.A. Marukyan<br /> Final approval of the version to be published: S.Yu. Boldyrev, M.A. Marukyan, V.N. Suslova, K.O. Barbukhatti, V.A. Porkhanov</p>

Short- and Mid-Term Autograft Outcomes Following the Reinforced Ross Operation

Background The Ross operation for aortic valve replacement continues to be a controversial option because of concerns related to late autograft dilation and progressive neo-aortic insufficiency. In 2005, the reinforced Ross procedure was described at our institution to address this problem. We aim to analyze the short and mid-term outcomes following this procedure. Methods This is a retrospective study of patients who underwent the reinforced Ross operation between 2004 and 2019. A comprehensive chart review was performed. Echocardiograms were independently reviewed by an adult congenital cardiologist. The time to reintervention was evaluated with a Kaplan-Meier curve. Analysis was conducted in JMP 15.1 (SAS Inc., Cary, NC). Results Twenty-five patients underwent the reinforced Ross operation. Twenty-three patients (92%) had bicuspid aortic valve and the most common indication for surgery was a combination of aortic insufficiency and stenosis (n = 18, 72%). The mean follow-up was 6.1 ± 5.0 years. All patients were alive at the time of follow-up. Six patients (24%), from early in our experience, required subsequent aortic reintervention. Median time to reintervention was 41.8 months (0-81.5 months). Sixteen (64%) patients had less than moderate aortic insufficiency at last follow-up. Additionally, average aortic root measurements remained unchanged. Conclusions The reinforced Ross technique was initially proposed as a way to mitigate aortic root dilation seen in the traditional Ross procedure. Our experience suggests an associated learning curve with the majority of aortic reinterventions occurring within the first few years following surgery. Continued follow-up is warranted to assess its long-term durability and functionality.