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Background: The impact of patient-prosthesis mismatch (PPM) on long-term outcome after surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) is controversial. We sought to investigate the incidence of PPM and its impact on survival and reinterventions in a Finnish nationwide cohort., Methods: In the context of the nationwide FinnValve registry, we identified 4097 patients who underwent SAVR with a stented bioprosthesis with or without myocardial revascularization. The indexed effective orifice areas (EOAs) of surgical bioprostheses were calculated using literature-derived EOAs. PPM was graded as moderate (EOA 0.65-0.85 cm 2 /m 2 ) or severe (EOA ≤0.65 cm 2 /m 2 )., Results: The incidence of PPM was 46.0%. PPM was moderate in 38.8% (n = 1579) patients and severe in 7.2% (n = 297) patients. Time-trend analysis showed that the proportion of PPM decreased significantly from 74% in 2009 to 18% in 2017 (P < .01). Severe PPM was associated with increased 5-year all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-2.76; P = .02). Severe PPM was not associated with an increased risk of repeat AVR (adjusted HR, 5.90; 95% CI, 0.95-36.5; P = .06). In a subanalysis of patients greater than or equal to 70 years of age, in comparison with no PPM, any PPM (adjusted HR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.05-1.45; P = .01) and severe PPM (HR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.17-2.00; P < 0.01) were associated with increased risk of 5-year mortality., Conclusions: Severe PPM after SAVR had a negative impact on survival. This study demonstrated that the effects of PPM should not be overlooked in elderly undergoing SAVR., (Copyright © 2021 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study was planned to pool existing data on outcome and to evaluate the efficacy of postcardiotomy venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) in adult patients., Design: Systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis., Setting: Multi-institutional study., Participants: Adult patients with acute heart failure immediately after cardiac surgery., Interventions: VA-ECMO after cardiac surgery. Studies evaluating only heart transplant patients were excluded from this analysis., Measurements and Main Results: A literature search was performed to identify studies published since 2000. Thirty-one studies reported on 2,986 patients (mean age, 58.1 years) who required postcardiotomy VA-ECMO. The weaning rate from VA-ECMO was 59.5% and hospital survival was 36.1% (95% CI 31.5-40.8). The pooled rate of reoperation for bleeding was 42.9%, major neurological event 11.3%, lower limb ischemia 10.8%, deep sternal wound infection/mediastinitis 14.7%, and renal replacement therapy 47.1%. The pooled mean number of transfused red blood cell units was 17.7 (95% CI 13.3-22.1). The mean stay in the intensive care unit was 13.3 days (95% CI 10.2-16.4). Survivors were significantly younger (mean, 55.7 v 63.6 years, p = 0.015) and their blood lactate level before starting VA-ECMO was lower (mean, 7.7 v 10.7 mmol/L, p = 0.028) than patients who died. One-year survival rate was 30.9% (95% CI 24.3-37.5)., Conclusions: Pooled data showed that VA-ECMO may salvage one-third of patients unresponsive to any other resuscitative treatment after adult cardiac surgery., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patients with increased glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) seem to be at increased risk of sternal wound infection (SWI) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). However, it is unclear whether increased baseline HbA1c levels may affect other postoperative outcomes., Material and Methods: Data on preoperative levels of HbA1c were collected from 2606 patients undergoing elective isolated CABG from 2015 to 2016 and included in the prospective, multicenter E-CABG registry., Results: The prevalence of HbA1c ≥ 53 mmol/mol (7.0%) among non-diabetics was 5.3%, among non-insulin dependent diabetics was 53.5% and among insulin dependent diabetics was 67.1% (p < 0.001). The prevalence of HbA1c > 75 mmol/mol (9.0%) among non-diabetics was 0.5%, among non-insulin dependent diabetics was 5.8% and among insulin dependent diabetics was 10.6% (p < 0.001). Baseline levels of HbA1c ≥ 53 mmol/mol (7.0%) was a significant predictor of any SWI (10.7% vs. 3.3%, adjusted p-value: <0.001), deep SWI/mediastinitis (3.8% vs. 1.3%, adjusted p-value: 0.001) and acute kidney injury (27.4% vs. 19.8%, adjusted p-value: 0.042). These findings were confirmed in multilevel mixed effect logistic regression adjusted for participating centers. Among patients with diabetes, HbA1c ≥ 53 mmol/mol (7.0%) was predictive of SWI (11.1% vs. 4.8%, p = 0.001)., Conclusions: HbA1c is increased in a significant proportion of patients undergoing elective CABG and these patients are at higher risk of SWI. Less clear is the impact of increased HbA1c on other postoperative outcomes. These results do not support screening of HbA1c in patients without history of diabetes. Preoperative screening of HbA1c is valuable only to identify diabetics at risk of SWI., (Copyright © 2018 IJS Publishing Group Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Incomplete drainage of blood from around the heart and lungs can lead to retained blood syndrome (RBS) after cardiac surgery. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of and the outcome after procedures for RBS in patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)., Methods: A total of 2764 consecutive patients who underwent isolated CABG from 2006 to 2013 were investigated retrospectively. Patients undergoing any procedure for RBS were compared with patients who did not undergo any procedure for RBS. Multivariate analyses were performed to assess the impact of procedures for RBS on the early outcome., Results: A total of 254 patients (9.2%) required at least one procedure for RBS. Multivariate analysis showed that RBS requiring a procedure for blood removal was associated with significantly increased 30-day mortality [8.3% vs 2.7%, odds ratio (OR) 2.11, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.15-3.86] rates. Procedures for RBS were independent predictors of the need for postoperative antibiotics (51.6% vs 32.1%, OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.58-2.74), deep sternal wound infection/mediastinitis (6.7% vs 2.2%, OR 3.12, 95% CI 1.72-5.66), Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes acute kidney injury (32.7% vs 15.3%, OR 2.50, 95% CI 1.81-3.46), length of stay in the intensive care unit (mean 8.3 vs 2.0 days, beta 1.74, 95% CI 1.45-2.04) and composite major adverse events (21.3% vs 6.9%, OR 3.24, 95% CI 2.24-4.64). These findings were also confirmed in a subgroup of patients with no pre- or postoperative unstable haemodynamic conditions., Conclusion: RBS requiring any procedure for blood removal from pericardial and pleural spaces is associated with an increased risk of severe complications after isolated CABG., (© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The authors aimed to validate the European Multicenter Study on Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (E-CABG) classification of postoperative complications in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)., Design: Retrospective, observational study., Setting: University hospital., Participants: A total of 2,764 patients with severe coronary artery disease. Complete baseline, operative, and postoperative data were available for patients who underwent isolated CABG., Interventions: Isolated CABG., Measurements and Main Results: The E-CABG complication classification was used to stratify the severity and prognostic impact of adverse postoperative events. Primary outcome endpoints were 30-day, 90-day, and long-term all-cause mortality. The secondary outcome endpoints was the length of intensive care unit stay. Both the E-CABG complication grades and additive score were predictive of 30-day (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve 0.866, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.829-0.903; and 0.876; 95% CI 0.844-0.908, respectively) and 90-day (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve 0.850, 95% CI 0.812-0.887; and 0.863, 95% CI 0.829-0.897, respectively) all-cause mortality. The complication grades were independent predictors of increased mortality at actuarial (log-rank: p<0.0001) and adjusted analysis (p<0.0001; grade 1: hazard ratio [HR] 1.757, 95% CI 1.111-2.778; grade 2: HR 2.704, 95% CI 1.664-4.394; grade 3: HR 5.081, 95% CI 3.148-8.201). When patients who died within 30 days were excluded from the analysis, this grading method still was associated with late mortality (p<0.0001). The grading method (p<0.0001) and the additive score (rho, 0.514; p<0.0001) were predictive of the length of intensive care unit stay., Conclusions: The E-CABG postoperative complication classification seems to be a promising tool for stratifying the severity and prognostic impact of postoperative complications in patients undergoing cardiac surgery., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To examine the effect of blood products on the occurrence of stroke after coronary artery surgery., Design: Institutional retrospective analysis., Setting: University hospital., Participants: One thousand three hundred fourteen patients undergoing coronary artery surgery., Interventions: Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB). Epiaortic ultrasound was performed in all patients., Measurements and Main Results: Complete pre-, intra- and postoperative data including the number of transfused blood products as well as the timing, type, and course of stroke were available in all patients. Postoperative stroke occurred in 23 patients (1.8%). Logistic regression identified transfusion of platelets (3.6% v 1.1%, p = 0.003, OR 3.34, 95%CI 1.46-7.67) and diseased ascending aorta (3.0% v 1.2%, p = 0.022, OR 2.64, 95% CI 1.15-6.06) as independent predictors of stroke. When these variables were adjusted for CHA2DS2VASc (p = 0.005, OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.12-1.86), only transfusion of platelets (p = 0.012, OR 2.91, 95% CI 1.26-6.70) was associated with stroke. Neither nadir hematocrit on the day of surgery nor nadir hematocrit during the perioperative period was an independent predictor of stroke. Chi-squared automatic interaction detection analysis identified solvent/detergent-treated plasma (Octaplas; Octapharma AG, Lachen, Switzerland) units >2 and platelet units >4 along with diseased ascending aorta as independent predictors of stroke. The stroke rate was 8.9% in patients receiving >2 units of Octaplas and having a diseased ascending aorta. In patients receiving ≤2 units of Octaplas, the stroke rate was as high as 3.8% in patients receiving >4 units of platelets., Conclusions: The results of this study indicated that atherosclerosis of the ascending aorta as well as transfusion of platelets and/or Octaplas were independent predictors of stroke after OPCAB., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Clinical evidence in coronary surgery is usually derived from retrospective, single institutional series. This may introduce significant biases in the analysis of critical issues in the treatment of these patients. In order to avoid such methodological limitations, we planned a European multicenter, prospective study on coronary artery bypass grafting, the E-CABG registry., Design: The E-CABG registry is a multicenter study and its data are prospectively collected from 13 centers of cardiac surgery in university and community hospitals located in six European countries (England, Italy, Finland, France, Germany, Sweden). Data on major and minor immediate postoperative adverse events will be collected. Data on late all-cause mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction and repeat revascularization will be collected during a 10-year follow-up period. These investigators provided a score from 0 to 10 for any major postoperative adverse events and their rounded medians were used to stratify the severity of these complications in four grades. The sum of these scores for each complication/intervention occurring after coronary artery bypass grafting will be used as an additive score for further stratification of the prognostic importance of these events., Discussion: The E-CABG registry is expected to provide valuable data for identification of risk factors and treatment strategies associated with suboptimal outcome. These information may improve the safety and durability of coronary artery bypass grafting. The proposed classification of postoperative complications may become a valuable research tool to stratify the impact of such complications on the outcome of these patients and evaluate the burden of resources needed for their treatment., Clinical Trials Number: NCT02319083.