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The Impella 5.5 left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is typically placed in a hybrid operating room with fluoroscopic and echocardiographic guidance under general anesthesia. In this case report, we describe a patient with severe cardiopulmonary failure necessitating an Impella 5.5 as a bridge to heart/lung transplant. Here, we describe the successful placement of the Impella 5.5 with sedation and local anesthesia in order to avoid general anesthesia and the sequelae of positive pressure ventilation in a fragile patient. Impella placement was confirmed with transesophageal echocardiography. This case report demonstrates a novel strategy for placing the Impella 5.5 and, more importantly, opens the possibility to future prospective studies of this technique., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background. The EZ-Blocker is the newest generation of bronchial blocker and offers a potential alternative to left-sided double lumen tubes for lung isolation and one-lung ventilation during thoracic surgery. Methods. Databases were searched for randomized controlled trials comparing left-sided double lumen tube to the EZ-Blocker for one-lung ventilation during thoracic surgery. The time for placement, incidence of intraoperative displacement, and surgeons' rating of lung collapse quality were designated as coprimary outcomes. The safety profiles of the two devices, including the incidence of airway trauma and post-extubation discomfort were also examined. Results. Six randomized controlled trials (495 patients) were analyzed. Compared to the EZ-Blocker, the left-sided double lumen tube was faster to place by a weighted mean difference of [95% CI] of -61.24 seconds [-102.48, -20.00] (P = .004) and was much less likely to become displaced during lung isolation with an odds ratio [95% CI] of .56 [.34, .91] (P = .02). The left-sided double lumen tube and the EZ-Blocker provided similar surgeon-rated quality of lung isolation. Although the left-sided double lumen tube caused a greater degree of post-extubation sore throat, there was a similar incidence of carinal trauma and post-extubation hoarseness compared to the EZ-Blocker. Conclusion. Our analysis suggests that the left-sided double lumen tube can be placed more quickly and is less prone to intraoperative displacement compared to the EZ-Blocker; the quality of lung collapse is similar. Thus, evidence appears to support the continued utilization of the left-sided double lumen tube for routine thoracic surgery requiring one-lung ventilation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background: New or worsened mitral regurgitation (MR) is an uncommon yet serious complication after surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). While there have been numerous reports of its occurrence, there is little consensus regarding its presentation and management. This systematic review summarizes the evidence in the current literature surrounding new or worsened MR after SAVR and analyzes its potential implications., Methods: Databases were examined for all articles and abstracts reporting on new or worsened MR after SAVR. Data collected included number of patients studied; patient characteristics; incidences of new or worsened MR; timing of diagnosis; and treatment., Results: Thirty-six full-text citations were included in this review. The prevalence of new or worsened MR after SAVR was 8.4%. Sixteen percent of new MR occurrences were from an organic etiology, and 83% of new MR occurrences were that of a functional etiology. Most diagnoses were made in the late or unspecified postoperative period using echocardiography (range: 0 minutes to 18 years postoperatively). While no patients died from this complication, 7.7% of patients (16 out of 207) required emergent procedural re-intervention., Conclusions: This systematic review underscores the importance of identifying new or worsened MR following SAVR and accurate scoring of MR severity to guide treatment. It also outlines the associated clinical measures commonly documented following this complication, and the usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography for the detection of significant MR. These results reflect the current, limited state of the literature on this topic and warrant further investigation into MR detection and management strategies in SAVR patients.

The MitraClip is a percutaneously implanted device approved for the treatment of symptomatic organic mitral regurgitation in poor surgical candidates. Despite its proven efficacy and safety for mitral regurgitation treatment, the MitraClip may unmask the true afterload of the left ventricle by removing the low-pressure left atrial system and may cause acute left ventricular systolic failure (afterload mismatch). Rapid diagnosis and treatment of afterload mismatch is crucial to ensure optimal patient outcomes. The authors present a case of acute hemodynamic deterioration after MitraClip implantation in a patient with chronic severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Transesophageal echocardiography was pivotal for the rapid recognition of acute left ventricular failure and aided in the intraoperative decision-making process and therapy.

Cardiac myxomas account for 50% of all benign primary cardiac tumors. Rarely, these tumors occur in the right atrium (RA; 10% to 20%), with a stalk frequently attached to the interatrial septum. Right atrial myxomas can lead to RA enlargement, arrhythmias, functional tricuspid stenosis, right heart failure, and catastophic pulmonary embolization resulting in sudden cardiac death. Anesthetic management of patients with RA myxomas can be complicated by the mass effect of the myxoma, preload limitations, and the potential for cardiovascular collapse. Multimodal cardiac imaging inclusive of echocardiography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging helps with the diagnosis, preoperative optimization, and formulation of anesthetic and surgical plans. We present a case report highlighting the importance of multimodal imaging, adequate preoperative patient optimization, and the anesthetic considerations in the successful management of a patient with a giant 8.3 × 4.7 cm RA myxoma., (© The Author(s) 2015.)

High transaortic valvular gradients, after combined aortic valve and mitral valve replacement, require prompt intraoperative diagnosis and appropriate management. The presence of high transaortic valvular gradients after cardiopulmonary bypass, in this setting, can be secondary to the following conditions: prosthesis dysfunction, left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, supravalvular obstruction, prosthesis-patient mismatch, hyperkinetic left ventricle from administration of inotropes, left ventricular intracavitary gradients, pressure recovery phenomenon, and increased transvalvular blood flow resulting from hyperdynamic circulation or anemia. Transesophageal echocardiography is an extremely useful tool for timely diagnosis and treatment of this complication. We describe a case of a critically ill patient with endocarditis and acute lung injury, who presented for combined aortic valve and mitral valve replacement. Transesophageal echocardiographic assessment, post-cardiopulmonary bypass, revealed high transaortic valvular gradients due to encroachment of the mitral prosthesis strut on the left ventricular outflow tract, which was compounded by a small, hypertrophied, and hyperkinetic left ventricle. Discontinuation of inotropic support, administration of fluids, phenylephrine, and esmolol led to resolution of the high gradients and prevented further surgery., (© The Author(s) 2014.)