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BACKGROUND: Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) were not covered by the Korean national insurance until September 2018, and they were implanted at the patient’s own or a third party’s expense. However, there have been no reports on using an LVAD without insurance coverage or manufacturer support. METHODS: We reviewed 23 patients who underwent durable LVAD implantation at our institution from August 2012 to September 2018. Patients with temporary LVADs using extracorporeal or paracorporeal circulation were excluded. The available devices were the HeartMate II(TM) (HMII) and HeartWare(TM) Ventricular Assist Device (HVAD). The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. The secondary outcomes were postoperative complications and late mortality. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 68.7±9.9 years. The study sample comprised six female (26.1%) and 17 male (73.9%) patients. All patients had modifiable (bridge to candidacy) or unmodifiable absolute (destination therapy) contraindications for heart transplantation (HT). Among the patients in this study, 12 (52.2%) had ischemic cardiomyopathy and 11 (47.8%) had non-ischemic cardiomyopathy. Nine patients (39.1%) had temporary mechanical circulatory support such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or a temporary LVAD in place preoperatively. The average duration of LVAD support was 618.6±563.2 days (range, 59–2,285 days). There was no 30-day mortality. Four patients (17.4%) underwent HT. Six patients (26.1%) underwent re-exploration for postoperative bleeding, and one patient (4.3%) had a disabling stroke after discharge. The estimated survival rates at 12 and 24 months were 89.2% and 68.8%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: All patients who received LVADs before insurance coverage had contraindications for HT. The overall outcomes were comparable with those reported in the international registry.

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of early amiodarone-based pharmacological cardioversion for postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) following off-pump coronary bypass grafting (OPCAB). Methods A total of 507 patients who underwent OPCAB between 2015 and 2017 were categorized into POAF (n=94) and no-POAF (n=413) groups. Patients in the POAF group were treated according to the following institutional protocol: 150 mg loading dose of intravenous amiodarone, followed by oral administration with sequential maintenance doses at 600, 400, and 200 mg per day. If sinus rhythm was restored before discharge, patients were discharged without amiodarone or anticoagulants, except for dual antiplatelets. Results Before discharge at index hospitalization, 97.8% of POAF patients had restored sinus rhythm. Independent risk factors for POAF were age, unstable angina, prior percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, and left atrial diameter. The mean follow-up duration was 41.1±12.8 months. Freedom from overall mortality and composite events, including mortality, major bleeding requiring admission and cerebrovascular events, were similar between the 2 groups. Results were consistent after propensity-score matching. Conclusions Amiodarone-based rapid pharmacological cardioversion of POAF resulted in a high sinus rhythm conversion rate (97.9%). Rate of late adverse cardiovascular events including stroke, were low even without anticoagulation. As optimal treatment and anticoagulation guidelines for POAF after OPCAB have not yet been established, amiodarone-based treatment protocols may be considered as a useful option.

Background: Flowable hemostatic agents may be more advantageous than nonflowable hemostats, as they have capability to cover irregular wound surfaces, fill deep lesions, and easily remove excess materials with irrigation. In this study, we evaluated the hemostatic efficacy of the collagen hemostatic matrix (CHM) compared to FloSeal ® via incisions in the heart and cardiac vessels in a porcine model. Methods: In each of the two female pigs, a total of two incisions were made in seven locations: right atrium (RA), right ventricle (RV), and cardiac vessels, such as the innominate vein (IV), superior vena cava (SVC), pulmonary artery (PA), coronary artery (CA), and aorta. Hemostatic agents were applied directly to the bleeding wounds. In certain location, one incision was treated with the CHM and the other with FloSeal ® , and the time to hemostasis and the degree of bleeding of the two agents were assessed and compared. One week after surgery, the animals were sacrificed, and specimens were collected for histologic evaluation. Results: Bleeding from the vessels with relatively low pressure (the IV, SVC, and RA) was controlled within 1–2 minutes using both a CHM and FloSeal ® . Bleeding from the vessels with high blood pressure (the RV, PA, CA, and aorta) was controlled within 3–10 minutes with the CHM. However, hemostasis in the PA and CA was not achieved with FloSeal ® . Histological analysis revealed that the use of both the CHM and FloSeal ® resulted in foreign body reactions of similar severity. Conclusions: The hemostatic effect and safety of the CHM may be similar to that of FloSeal ® . Further clinical studies must be conducted to validate our results.

The study aimed to evaluate the late clinical outcomes of new-generation mechanical valves for severe aortic stenosis (AS) compared with old mechanical valves.We retrospectively reviewed data from 254 patients with severe AS, who underwent primary mechanical aortic valve replacement from 1995 to 2013. Patients were classified into two groups: old-valve group (n=65: 33 ATS standard, 32 Medtronic-Hall) and new-valve group (n=189: 113 St. Jude Regent, 46 On-X, 30 Sorin Overline). Median patient age was 58 years (Q1-Q3: 52-61). With propensity score matching based on demographic information, 56 patients in the old-valve group were matched with 177 patients in the new-valve group. The median follow-up duration was 91 months (Q1-Q3: 48-138).Cardiac-related mortality and hemorrhagic events were significantly lower in the new-valve group (P=0.047 and P=0.032, respectively). The median international normalized ratio (INR) at follow-up was significantly higher in the old-valve group [2.23, Q1-Q3: 2.14-2.35 (old-valve group); 2.08, Q1-Q3: 1.92-2.23 (new-valve group), P0.001]. The incidence of prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) was significantly higher in the old-valve group (P0.001). Multivariate analysis of the total population revealed that PPM was a significant risk factor for cardiac-related events [hazard ratio (HR) =5.279, 95% CI, 1.886-14.561, P=0.002] and showed higher trend of increasing mortality (HR =3.082, P=0.076).New mechanical prostheses showed a better hemodynamic performance and lower incidence of PPM. Anticoagulation strategy to lower the target INR in patients with new mechanical valves may improve late outcomes by reducing hemorrhagic events.

Background: Sternal wound complications could increase the hospital cost while decreasing the satisfaction of surgery. Furthermore, it can potentially also lead to life-threatening mediastinitis especially after coronary artery bypass grafting using bilateral internal thoracic artery (BITA). Skill levels of suture technique vary among surgeons and may contribute to an increased wound complication rate. Thus, standardization of surgical wound closure could potentially decrease the surgeon factor. The aim of the study is to compare the wound complication rate between non-invasive surgical skin closure devices (zip surgical skin closure device, Zipline Medical, Campbell, CA, USA) and conventional suture closure. Methods: Three hundred seventy-nine patients who underwent off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) using BITAs at our institution between 2016 and 2018 were included in this study. Patients were divided into two groups; the Zipline group (zip-group, N=100), and conventional group (con-group, N=279). Following propensity score matching, 95 con-group patients were matched to 169 zip-group patients. Results: The average age and history of cancer were significantly higher in the zip-group (P=0.021 and P=0.023, respectively). However, after propensity score matching, no differences were observed in the demographic data between the groups. In total patients (unmatched), although there was no significant difference in the incidence of deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) between the two groups (zip vs . con, 0% vs . 1.1%, P=0.569), the incidence of post-operative superficial sternal wound infection (SSWI) or dehiscence was significantly higher in the con-group than in the zip-group (1.0% vs . 7.9%, P=0.013). The results were consistent in the matched patients. (DSWI: 0% vs . 0.6%, P>0.999; SSWI or dehiscence: 1.1% vs . 7.1%, P=0.036). Multivariable analysis revealed use of the zip surgical skin closure device showed a preventive effect against wound complications [odds ratio (OR): 0.128, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.017–0.976, P=0.029]. Conclusions: Zip surgical skin closure devices could decrease superficial wound complication rates compared to conventional suture techniques in OPCAB using BITAs.