Secondary mitral valve replacement in antiphospholipid syndrome and chronic renal failure

A 48-year-old woman admitted with progressive dyspnea had previously been diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus, antiphospholipid syndrome, and chronic renal failure, and had undergone mitral valve replacement with a Carpentier-Edwards pericardial bioprosthesis for mitral insufficiency 9 years before. She suffered a cerebral infarction 5 years earlier, despite appropriate anticoagulant therapy. On admission, echocardiography showed severe bioprosthetic stenosis. Repeat mitral valve replacement was conducted using a Mosaic bioprosthesis. On postoperative day 2, when heparinization was commenced, she suddenly had an epileptic fit. She also developed ischemic necrosis of the fingers and toes, considered secondary to microthrombosis. Aspirin was administered and heparin replaced by warfarin sodium. Necrosis gradually disappeared, and she was discharged 3 months after surgery. The original bioprosthesis showed degenerative changes with significant thrombus formation on cusps, thought to be mainly due to her hypercoagulable state. Considering the thrombophilic tendency in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome, strict management of anticoagulant therapy is required.     

Early failure after non-resectional mitral valve repair with artificial chordae

Severe recurrent mitral regurgitation within 1 year of mitral valve repair is usually attributed to a technical issue with the original repair procedure. However, when artificial chordae are employed to correct mitral valve prolapse, ventricular remodeling (ie, decreased ventricular size) can lead to recurrent prolapse and valve dysfunction. To illustrate this phenomenon, we present two patients who experienced early failure after undergoing mitral valve repair with artificial chordae.     

Unraveling postoperative alterations after mitral valve replacement with three-dimensional printing

Mitral valve (MV) surgery is the second most performed valve operation in Europe. MV pathology is associated with atrial fibrillation, and, therefore, frequently combined with rhythm surgery and left atrial appendage exclusion (LAAE). Currently, no guidelines exist regarding the follow up after LAAE postoperative. Postoperative imaging with computed tomography (CT), in the absence of complaints, will inherently reveal unsuspected cardiac and noncardiac findings with potential clinical significance. However, poststernotomy alterations are nonspecific and often overlap with normal postoperative changes and could, therefore, not directly be recognized. Virtual three-dimensional (3D) CT reconstructions can help us to visualize 2D structures, especially in areas where structures overlap like coronary arteries or when devices (atrial clip, MV prosthesis) cause scattering artifacts. Advanced imaging reconstructions and 3D printing can enhance understanding of the cardiac anatomy in the postoperative phase and help us to determine follow-up strategies.     

Papillary muscle rupture following routine aortic valve replacement

A 56‐year‐old man who underwent routine aortic valve replacement (AVR) for aortic insufficiency suffered a presumed embolic event to a small vessel supplying the posteromedial papillary muscle. This led to papillary muscle rupture, and severe, acute mitral regurgitation requiring emergent mitral valve replacement 6 days postoperatively. Small‐vessel coronary embolization outside the setting of infection/endocarditis leading to infarction and papillary muscle rupture following elective AVR has not been previously described in the literature.     

Acute renal failure in patients with malnutrition following mitral valve replacement

A retrospective study of 161 consecutive patients undergoing mitral valve replacement with or without other valve surgery was undertaken to examine the relation between cardiac cachexia and postoperative acute renal failure. The preoperative nutritional state was assessed according to percent of the ideal body weight (W/IW). There were 37 malnourished patients (W/IW<0.80) and 124 normally nourished patients (W/IW>=0.80). In nineteen in the malnourished group (51 per cent) and 37 of normal-nourished (28 per cent), postoperative acute renal failure developed. Malnourished patients showed a severe clinical picture preoperatively a complicated operative procedures had to be carried out. To match these clinical factors between the two groups, the observation was limited to the high risk patients who showed severe New York Heart Association Functional Class (III or IV) large cardiothoracic ratio (more than 65 per cent), and long cardio-pulmonary bypass time (exceeding 120 minutes). Even in this subgroup, malnourished patients were susceptible to renal failure (64 per centVersus 20 per cent, malnourishedversus normalnourished repectively). Thus when malnutrition is superimposed on diminished cardiac performance, acute renal failure may ensure.     

Adjusting the neochords height for better leaflets coaptation following mitral valve repair

Often times, in mitral valve repair techniques, the height of the newly placed Gore‐Tex sutures needs correction to achieve better mitral valve leaflet coaptation or to correct systolic anterior motion (SAM). Herein, a less challenging “Hornet” technique to accurately adjust artificial chordal length is described. This technique describes a way to adjust/shorten the Gore‐Tex chords, should they need revision. Ideally, this should not be needed, however due to the circumstances for mitral valve repair, this is sometimes necessary. With the annuloplasty band already in place, it is somewhat harder to reinsert new chords and hence, this technique may be beneficial.     

Late results after mitral valve replacement with Mosaic bioprosthesis in patients aged 65 years or younger

Open in a separate window OBJECTIVESAlthough in younger patients indications for biological prosthesis implantation in mitral valve replacement remain controversial, recently bioprostheses use increased considerably. We present late results obtained with the Medtronic Mosaic bioprosthesis in patients aged 65 years or younger. METHODSBetween 2007 and 2017, 67 mitral Mosaic bioprostheses were implanted in patients aged 65 years or younger (58.5 ± 6.4 years). Follow-up extended up to 13 years. Survival, freedom from structural valve degeneration, endocarditis, thromboembolic events and reoperation were considered as main clinical end points evaluated at 1, 5 and 10 years.RESULTSThe mean follow-up was 4.7 ± 2.8 years. Overall mortality rate was 12%. At 1, 5 and 10 years, survival was 94 ± 3%, 89 ± 4% and 77 ± 9%, respectively. Freedom from structural valve degeneration was 100%, 94 ± 4% and 71 ± 21%. Freedom from endocarditis was 95 ± 3%, 90 ± 6% and 84 ± 8%. Freedom from thromboembolic events was 94 ± 3%, 90 ± 5% and 90 ± 5%. Freedom from reoperation was 94 ± 3%, 87 ± 5% and 65 ± 19%.CONCLUSIONSMosaic bioprosthesis appears a valid mitral valve substitute even when employed in ≤65-year-old patients.     

Normalization of cancer antigen 125 after mitral valve replacement in a patient with congestive heart failure due to mitral valve endocarditis

A 63-year-old woman with a history of uterine cancer was admitted to our hospital with dyspnea and stroke. Echocardiography showed a huge vegetation attached to the posterior mitral leaflet with severe mitral regurgitation. Blood culture identified Streptococcus galactiae. The serum level of cancer antigen 125 (CA125) was elevated at 199.4 U/ml. Resection of infected tissue including mobile vegetation and replacement of mitral valve were performed. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged after 4 weeks of antibiotic therapy. The values of CA125 returned to normal (less than 15 U/ml) on the 90th postoperative day. These findings have suggested that a high serum value of CA125 is a possible indicator of infection-related congestive heart failure.     

Modified Commando operation using stentless aortic bioprosthesis

Operations necessitating intervalvular fibrous body reconstruction in patients with extensive endocarditis are referred to as “Commando operations,” an indicator of the procedure's difficulty. Aortic root replacement is inevitable when performing the Commando operation for extensive aortic annular defect after radical debridement. We performed a modified Commando operation, in which supra‐annular aortic valve replacement with the Solo Smart stentless bioprosthesis was employed instead of aortic root replacement. Supra‐annular implantation can spare damaged annular structures. This modification is expected to render complex reconstructive surgery technically less demanding.     

Septal ablation acutely reduces outflow obstruction after transcatheter mitral valve replacement

Transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) is an emerging treatment of mitral valve pathology in patients that are not candidates for conventional surgical approaches. Higher rates of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) may occur following TMVR and its occurrence is an independent predictor of mortality. We present a case of severe mitral stenosis and annular calcification that was treated with a balloon‐expandable Sapien S3 valve in the mitral position delivered through surgical port‐access approach, which resulted in postoperative LVOTO. The LVOTO was successfully treated with alcohol septal ablation with immediate reduction in outflow tract gradients and long‐term resolution.     

主动脉瓣置换术前合并中度功能性二尖瓣关闭不全治疗策略的回顾性队列研究

目的分析主动脉瓣置换术(aortic valve replacement,AVR)同期不同方式处理中度功能性二尖瓣关闭不全(functional mitral regurgitation,FMR)对患者预后的影响。方法回顾性纳入2014～2018年在本中心接受AVR且合并中度FMR的118例患者,其中男84例、女34例,年龄(58.1±12.4)岁。根据不同二尖瓣处理方式将患者分为三组:A组(未处理,11例)、B组(二尖瓣修复,51例)及C组(二尖瓣置换,56例)。研究主要终点为患者近中期生存情况,次要终点为FMR改善情况。结果中位随访时间为29.5个月。围术期死亡5例,均为C组患者;术后早期A、B两组FMR改善率分别为90.9%、94.1%(P=0.694)。A、B、C三组中期死亡率分别为0.0%、5.9%、3.9%(P=0.264),而主要心脑血管病事件发生率分别为0.0%、9.8%、17.7%(P=0.230)。A、B两组中期FMR改善率分别为100.0%、94.3%(P>0.05)。结论对于接受AVR合并中度FMR的患者,不处理或同期修复二尖瓣更为合理,而二尖瓣置换可能会...     

Robotic mitral valve repair in a type B hemophiliac

Hemophilia B is a rare X-linked recessive disorder that places surgical patients at an increased risk of bleeding. Patients with hemophilia are now achieving near-normal life expectancies and therefore the number of these patients requiring cardiac surgery due to the development of age-related cardiovascular disease may increase. We present the case of a young male with hemophilia B who was diagnosed with severe symptomatic mitral regurgitation and underwent successful robotic mitral valve repair. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a patient with hemophilia B who underwent robotic mitral valve repair.     

Hemolysis after mitral valve replacement with mechanical valve prostheses

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated effects of type, size, and orientation of mechanical mitral valve prostheses on hemolysis. METHODS: Subjects were 84 patients who had undergone mitral valve replacement. Lactate dehydrogenase was mainly used as a marker of hemolysis and was measured before surgery, 1 month after surgery, and in the late postoperative period. RESULTS: Valves used included 16 Medtronic-Hall, 32 St. Jude Medical, and 36 CarboMedics valves. Medtronic-Hall valves caused less hemolysis than St. Jude Medical or CarboMedics valves in the late postoperative period. This resulted because hemolysis due to Medtronic-Hall valves was more severe 1 month after surgery than in the late postoperative period and because hemolysis due to St. Jude Medical or CarboMedics valves was more severe in the late postoperative period than 1 month after surgery. One reason for this finding is that cardiac output was greater in the late postoperative period than 1 month after surgery, making regurgitation through the pivots of bileaflet valves more severe. The orifice area and the orientation of prostheses did not affect hemolysis. CONCLUSION: St. Jude Medical or CarboMedics valves caused more severe hemolysis than Medtronic-Hall valves in the late postoperative period.