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Objectives: We sought to describe early and late outcomes in a large surgical series of patients with anomalous aortic origin of coronary arteries., Methods: We performed a retrospective multicentre study including surgical patients with anomalous aortic origin of coronary arteries since 1991. Patients with isolated high coronary takeoff and associated major congenital heart disease were excluded., Results: We collected 156 surgical patients (median age 39.5 years, interquartile range 15-53) affected by anomalous right (67.9%), anomalous left (22.4%) and other anatomical abnormalities (9.6%). An interarterial course occurred in 86.5%, an intramural course in 62.8% and symptoms in 85.9%. The operations included coronary unroofing (56.4%), reimplantation (19.2%), coronary bypass graft (15.4%) and other (9.0%). Two patients with preoperative cardiac failure died postoperatively (1.3%). All survivors were discharged home in good clinical condition. At a median follow-up of 2 years (interquartile range 1-5, 88.5% complete), there were 3 deaths (2.2%), 9 reinterventions in 8 patients (5 interventional, 3 surgical); 91.2% are in New York Heart Association functional class ≤ II, but symptoms persisted in 14.2%; 48.1% of them returned to sport activity. On Kaplan-Meier analysis, event-free survival at follow-up was 74.6%. Morbidity was not significantly different among age classes, anatomical variants and types of surgical procedures. Furthermore, return to sport activity was significantly higher in younger patients who participated in sports preoperatively., Conclusions: Surgical repair of anomalous aortic origin of coronary arteries is effective and has few complications. Unroofing and coronary reimplantation are safe and are the most common procedures. The occurrence of late adverse events is not negligible, and long-term surveillance is mandatory. Most young athletes can return to an unrestrained lifestyle., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This report summarizes the 5-year clinical and haemodynamic data from three prospective, European multicentre trials with the Perceval sutureless aortic valve., Methods: From April 2007 to August 2012, 731 consecutive patients (mean age: 78.5 years; 68.1% females; mean logistic EuroSCORE 10.9%) underwent AVR with the Perceval valve in 25 European centres. Isolated AVR was performed in 498 (68.1%) patients. A minimally invasive approach was performed in 189 (25.9%) cases. The cumulative follow-up was 729 patients-years., Results: In isolated AVR, mean cross-clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass times were 30.8 and 50.8 min in full sternotomy, and 37.6 and 64.4 min in the minimally invasive approach, respectively. Early cardiac-related deaths occurred in 1.9%. Overall survival rates at 1 and 5 years were 92.1 and 74.7%, respectively. Major paravalvular leak occurred in 1.4% and 1% at early and late follow-up, respectively. Significant improvement in clinical status was observed postoperatively in the majority of patients. Mean and peak gradients decreased from 42.9 and 74.0 mmHg preoperatively, to 7.8 and 16 mmHg at the 3-year follow-up. LV mass decreased from 254.5 to 177.4 g at 3 years., Conclusions: This European multicentre experience, with the largest cohort of patients with sutureless valves to date, shows excellent clinical and haemodynamic results that remain stable even up to the 5-year follow-up. Even in this elderly patient cohort with 40% octogenarians, both early and late mortality rates were very low. There were no valve migrations, structural valve degeneration or valve thrombosis in the follow-up. The sutureless technique is a promising alternative to biological aortic valve replacement., (© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Background: Scimitar syndrome is a rare congenital heart disease. To evaluate the surgical results, we embarked on the European Congenital Heart Surgeons Association (ECHSA) multicentric study., Methods and Results: From January 1997 to December 2007, we collected data on 68 patients who underwent surgery for scimitar syndrome. Primary outcomes included hospital mortality and the efficacy of repair at follow-up. Median age at surgery was 1.4 years (interquartile range, 0.46 to 7.92 years). Forty-four patients (64%) presented with symptoms. Surgical repair included intraatrial baffle in 38 patients (56%; group 1) and reimplantation of the scimitar vein onto the left atrium in 21 patients (31%; group 2). Eight patients underwent right pneumectomy, and 1 had a right lower lobe lobectomy (group 3). Four patients died in hospital (5.9%; 1 patient in group 1, 2.6%; 3 patients in group 3, 33%). Median follow-up time was 4.5 years. There were 2 late deaths (3.1%) resulting from severe pulmonary arterial hypertension. Freedom from scimitar drainage stenosis at 13 years was 83.8% in group 1 and 85.8% in group 2. Four patients in group 1 were reoperated, and 3 patients (2 in group 1 [6%] and 1 in group 2 [4.8%]) required balloon dilation/stenting for scimitar drainage stenosis., Conclusions: The surgical treatment of this rare syndrome is safe and effective. The majority of patients were asymptomatic at the follow-up control. There were a relatively high incidence of residual scimitar drainage stenosis that is similar between the 2 reported corrective surgical techniques used.

Objective: This study aims to analyse the collective experience of participating European Congenital Heart Surgeons Association centres in the surgical management of complications resulting from trans-catheter closure of atrial septal defects (ASDs)., Methods: The records of all (n=56) patients, aged 3-70 years (median 18 years), who underwent surgery for complications of trans-catheter ASD closure in 19 participating institutions over a 10-year period (1997-2007) were retrospectively reviewed. Risk factors for surgical complications were sought. Surgical outcomes were compared with those reported for primary surgical ASD closure in the European Association of Cardio-thoracic Surgery Congenital Database., Results: A wide range of ASD sizes (5-34mm) and devices of various types and sizes (range 12-60mm) were involved, including 13 devices less than 20mm. Complications leading to surgery included embolisation (n=29), thrombosis/thrombo-embolism/cerebral ischaemia or stroke (n=12), significant residual shunt (n=12), aortic or atrial perforation or erosion (n=9), haemopericardium with tamponade (n=5), aortic or mitral valve injury (n=2) and endocarditis (n=1). Surgery (39 early emergent and 17 late operations) involved device removal, repair of damaged structures and ASD closure. Late operations were needed 12 days to 8 years (median 3 years) after device implantation. There were three hospital deaths (mortality 5.4%). During the same time period, mortality for all 4453 surgical ASD closures reported in the European Association of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery Congenital Database was 0.36% (p=0.001)., Conclusions: Trans-catheter device closure of ASDs, even in cases when small devices are used, can lead to significant complications requiring surgical intervention. Once a complication leading to surgery occurs, mortality is significantly greater than that of primary surgical ASD closure. Major complications can occur late after device placement. Therefore, lifelong follow-up of patients in whom ASDs have been closed by devices is mandatory., (Copyright 2010 European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study analyzes the results of the arterial switch operation for transposition of the great arteries in member institutions of the European Congenital Heart Surgeons Association., Methods: The records of 613 patients who underwent primary arterial switch operations in each of 19 participating institutions in the period from January 1998 through December 2000 were reviewed retrospectively., Results: A ventricular septal defect was present in 186 (30%) patients. Coronary anatomy was type A in 69% of the patients, and aortic arch pathology was present in 20% of patients with ventricular septal defect. Rashkind septostomy was performed in 75% of the patients, and 69% received prostaglandin. There were 37 hospital deaths (operative mortality, 6%), 13 (3%) for patients with an intact ventricular septum and 24 (13%) for those with a ventricular septal defect (P < .001). In 36% delayed sternal closure was performed, 8% required peritoneal dialysis, and 2% required mechanical circulatory support. Median ventilation time was 58 hours, and intensive care and hospital stay were 6 and 14 days, respectively. Although of various preoperative risk factors the presence of a ventricular septal defect, arch pathology, and coronary anomalies were univariate predictors of operative mortality, only the presence of a ventricular septal defect approached statistical significance (P = .06) on multivariable analysis. Of various operative parameters, aortic crossclamp time and delayed sternal closure were also univariate predictors; however, only the latter was an independent statistically significant predictor of death., Conclusions: Results of the procedure in European centers are compatible with those in the literature. The presence of a ventricular septal defect is the clinically most important preoperative risk factor for operative death, approaching statistical significance on multivariable analysis.

Objective: To evaluate predictors of long term prognosis in infective endocarditis., Design: Retrospective cohort study., Setting: Tertiary care centre., Patients: 212 consecutive patients with infective endocarditis between 1980 and 1995, Main Outcome Measures: Overall and cardiac mortality; event-free survival; and the following events: recurrence, need for late valve surgery, bleeding and embolic complications, cerebral dysfunction, congestive heart failure., Results: During a mean follow up period of 89 months (range 1-244 months), 56% of patients died. In 180 hospital survivors, overall and cardiac mortality amounted to 45% and 24%, respectively. By multivariate analysis, early surgical treatment, infection by streptococci, age < 55 years, absence of congestive heart failure, and > 6 symptoms or signs of endocarditis during active infection were predictive of improved overall long term survival. Independent determinants of event-free survival were infection by streptococci and age < 55 years. Event-free survival was 17% at the end of follow up both in medically-surgically treated patients and in medically treated patients., Conclusions: Long term survival following infective endocarditis is 50% after 10 years and is predicted by early surgical treatment, age < 55 years, lack of congestive heart failure, and the initial presence of more symptoms of endocarditis.

Background and Aim of the Study: Differences in heart valve procedures between North American (NA) and European (EU) centers were evaluated in a multicenter trial., Methods: Between July 1998 and January 2000, 807 patients from 12 NA (n = 446) and seven EU centers (n = 361) were randomized to receive either Silzone or conventional valves in the Artificial Valve Endocarditis Reduction Trial (AVERT). Subanalysis was performed to compare demographics, patient risk profile, surgical techniques and perioperative management of patients in NA and EU centers., Results: Mean age was significantly younger and body mass index higher in NA. Patients' risk profiles showed significantly higher incidences of previous myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, angina, prior cardiovascular surgery, and history of smoking in NA. A different distribution of implant position was observed between groups: aortic valve/mitral valve/double valve replacement in 54.0, 35.7 and 10.3% in NA, and 64.5, 27.4 and 8.0% in EU (p <0.01). Concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting was performed in 31.6% of NA patients and 19.4% of EU patients (p <0.001). Timing of surgery showed a higher incidence of urgent procedures in NA centers. Distribution of valve sizes and perioperative complication rate were similar, but length of hospital stay was longer in EU centers., Conclusion: Surprisingly, surgeons in NA and EU centers are faced by different patient populations requiring mechanical heart valve replacement. NA patients were younger, but required more extensive surgery. Surgical technique and perioperative management appear to differ in NA and EU centers. These differences in reporting heart valve procedures might have been influenced by variable interpretations of definitions and different patient expectations, although a uniform study protocol with consistent definitions was used at all sites.