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Background: The relevance of perioperative myocardial injury (PMI) after cardiac surgery for 30-day mortality and long-term survival remains to be determined., Objectives: This study assessed the association of PMI after cardiac surgery, reflected by postoperative troponin release, with 30-day mortality and long-term survival after: 1) coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG); 2) isolated aortic valve replacement (AVR) surgery; and 3) all other cardiac surgeries., Methods: A consecutive cohort of 8,292 patients undergoing cardiac surgery with serial perioperative high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) measurements was retrospectively analyzed. The relationship between postoperative hs-cTnT release and 30-day mortality or 5-year mortality was analyzed after adjustment with EuroSCORE II using a Cox proportional hazards model. hs-cTnT thresholds for 30-day and 5-year mortality were determined for isolated CABG (32.3%), AVR (14%), and other cardiac surgery (53.8%)., Results: High postoperative hs-cTnT levels were associated with higher 30-day mortality but not 5-year mortality. In CABG, median peak concentration of postoperative hs-cTnT was 1,044 ng/L, in AVR it was 502 ng/L, and in other cardiac surgery it was 1,110 ng/L. hs-cTnT thresholds defining mortality-associated PMI were as follows: for CABG, 2,385 ng/L (170× the upper reference limit of normal in a seemingly healthy population [URL]); for AVR, 568 ng/L (41× URL); and for other cardiac procedures, 1,873 ng/L (134× URL). hs-cTnT levels above the cutoffs resulted in an HR for 30-day mortality for CABG of 12.56 (P < 0.001), for AVR of 4.44 (P = 0.004), and for other cardiac surgery of 3.97 (P < 0.001)., Conclusions: PMI reflected by perioperative hs-cTnT release is associated with the expected 30-day mortality but not 5-year mortality. Postoperative hs-cTnT cutoffs to identify survival-relevant PMI are higher than suggested in current definitions., Competing Interests: Funding Support and Author Disclosures The authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The aim of this retrospective study was to determine if Cormatrix® (CM) represents a safe alternative to conventional patch materials used in congenital heart surgery., Methods: A total of 57 paediatric patients who underwent cardiac surgery using an Extracellular Matrix Bioscaffold (CM) were categorized into 4 groups according to the patch implant location. Patch-related complications and reintervention rates were analysed. A subgroup of 18 patients was subsequently compared to a matched group of 36 patients who underwent similar surgical procedures with autologous pericardium as patch material., Results: No patient died during hospitalization. There were 2 late deaths, not related to the implanted CM patch. Fourteen (66.7%) out of 21 patients with arterial patch plasty developed progressive vessel/right ventricular outflow tract stenosis or aneurysm. All 3 patients with a valved CM conduit developed haemodynamically relevant valve stenosis or regurgitation. A total of 18 (31.5%) patients needed reintervention and 12 (21.1%) related to CM. Four (7%) patients needed surgical treatment with operative removal of the stenosis. Redo valve replacement was performed on 2 (3.5%) patients. Six (10.5%) patients required an interventional cardiology procedure at a median interval of 5 months from surgery. The subgroup analysis revealed a significantly lower patch-related reintervention rate in patients treated with autologous pericardium when compared to CM (P = 0.006)., Conclusions: CM is safe for atrial and ventricular defect closure. The use of CM for arterial vessel reconstruction is associated with higher reintervention rates when compared to autologous pericardium., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery.)

Background: Bleeding is a common problem in children with congenital heart disease undergoing major cardiac surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Little is known about optimal management with blood products., Objective: To investigate clinical outcome and hemostatic effects of fibrinogen concentrate (FC) in combination with prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) versus standard treatment with fresh frozen plasma (FFP) in children undergoing cardiac surgery., Methods: For this single-institution cohort study, data on 525 children were analyzed. Propensity score matching in 210 children was applied to reduce the impact of various baseline characteristics., Results: Three children treated with FC/PCC developed surgical site bleeding requiring surgical revision. One child developed central venous line-related thrombosis. Blood loss through chest tube drainage was independent of FC/PCC. Coagulation abnormalities were not present in any of these children. Time to extubation and ICU stay did not differ. In the FC/PCC group, children received (median, Q1, Q3) 52 mg/kg (32, 83) FC and 28IU/kg (13, 44) PCC. Fibrinogen concentration was comparable at baseline. On admission to the ICU, fibrinogen was higher in children receiving FC/PCC, namely, 232 mg/dL (196, 280), than in children receiving FFP (186 mg/dL, 149, 224; P < .001). On discharge from the ICU, values did not differ ((FC/PCC 416 mg/dL (288, 501)), non-FC/PCC 418 mg/dL (272, 585; P = 1.000))., Conclusion: FC/PCC was well tolerated and permitted hemostasis to be maintained, even in the very young. We were not able to detect a signal for inferiority of this treatment. We conclude that FC/PCC can safely replace FFP., (© 2021 The Authors. Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation.)

Background: Acute renal failure (ARF) after cardiac surgery is a serious adverse event that is associated with high perioperative mortality and prolonged hospitalization. The aim of our study was to evaluate pre- and intraoperative risk factors for the development of ARF requiring hemofiltration after cardiac surgery., Methods: From February 2002 through February 2003, 913 patients underwent cardiac surgery at our institution. Seventy-three patients developed ARF (8.1%), 16 patients were excluded from the study because of chronic end-stage renal insufficiency. Patient characteristics and operative variables were analyzed. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine risk factors for ARF., Results: Patients who developed ARF were older (P < .001; odds ratio [OR], 1.084; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0371.133) than patients who did not develop ARF. Furthermore, cardiopulmonary bypass duration (P = .007; OR, 1.013; 95% CI, 1.004-1.032) and emergent surgery (P = .011; OR, 6.667; CI, 1.538-28.571) were predictive for development of ARF. The strongest predictor for ARF was a preoperative creatinine level >or=2 mg/dL (P < .001; OR, 97.519; 95% CI, 22.363425.252). Most interestingly, even moderately elevated preoperative creatinine levels (1.3-1.99 mg/dL) independently predict ARF after cardiac surgery (P = .001; OR, 3.838; 95% CI, 1.793-8.217)., Conclusion: Our data indicate that emergent surgery as well as advanced age and long duration of cardiopulmonary bypass independently predict ARF after cardiac surgery. Most importantly, even slightly impaired preoperative creatinine levels predict the development of ARF requiring hemofiltration after cardiac surgery.