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Background: Deep and superficial sternal wound infections (DSWI & SWI) following cardiac surgery increase morbidity, mortality and cost. Autologous platelet rich plasma (PRP) derived from the patient's own blood has been used in other surgical settings to promote successful wound healing. The goal of this study was to analyze the addition of PRP using a rapid point of care bedside system to standard wound care in all patients undergoing sternotomy for cardiac surgical procedures., Methods: Over a 7 year period, 2000 patients undergoing open cardiac operations requiring sternotomy were enrolled. One thousand patients received standard of care sternal closure. The other 1000 patients received standard of care sternal closure plus PRP applied to the sternum at the time of closure. The outcomes related to wound healing, infection, readmissions, and costs were analyzed., Results: In the 2000 patients, there were more ventricular assist device implants/heart transplants and emergency operations in the PRP group; otherwise there were no significant differences. The use of PRP reduced the incidence of DSWI from 2.0 to 0.6 %, SWI from 8.0 to 2.0 %, and the readmission rate from 4.0 to 0.8 %. The use of PRP reduced the costs associated with the development of deep and superficial wound complications from $1,256,960 to $593,791., Conclusions: The use of PRP decreases the incidence and costs of sternal wound complications following cardiac surgery. The routine use of platelet rich plasma should be considered for all patients undergoing sternotomy for cardiac surgical procedures., Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov ( NCT00130377 ) for the data registry.

Objective: No consensus exists regarding the safety and efficacy of treatment of carotid stenosis before transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Our objective was to review our series of patients treated for carotid stenosis with stenting in the setting of severe aortic valve disease and TAVR to evaluate its safety and efficacy., Methods: We reviewed patients who underwent carotid stenting in the setting of preoperative work-up or after TAVR from August 2012 through January 2015. Perioperative patient outcomes were collected to assess the safety and efficacy of carotid stenting., Results: Five patients (4 men, 1 woman; median age, 83 years; range, 72-88 years) underwent successful carotid stenting before (median, 30 days before; range, 2 days-3 months) TAVR. The median extent of carotid stenosis was 80% (range, 75%-90%), but the diagnoses were incidental and all patients were asymptomatic. One patient suffered acute systolic heart failure during stenting requiring emergent balloon aortic valvuloplasty and vasopressor therapy. Median intensive care unit stay was 1 day (range, 1-16 days) for all patients, and 1 day for patients treated electively. The median hospital stay was 1 day (range, 1-16 days) for all patients, and 1 day for patients treated electively. All patients were discharged home. None suffered immediate or delayed neurological complications., Conclusions: We successfully performed carotid stenting in 5 patients before TAVR for severe aortic pathology. These patients require intensive care and careful monitoring. Larger prospective studies are needed to determine whether carotid stenting in the setting of TAVR can provide long-term neurological benefits., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We present a technique for endovascular management of unplanned coverage of the left common carotid artery during endovascular repair of a distal aortic arch aneurysm. A balloon expandable covered stent was placed into the proximal left common carotid artery by neck incision.

We present a case of a 14 year old Caucasian male who underwent initially successful endovascular repair of a traumatic injury to the descending thoracic aorta. The patient had undiagnosed Factor V Leiden at the time of the endovascular repair. He later presented with thrombosis of the endovascular stent graft, necessitating open removal of the stent graft and replacement of the involved aorta with a Dacron graft.

Endovascular repair of emergent syndromes involving the ascending aorta is uncommon. We describe an acute disruption of the ascending aorta during stenting of the pulmonary artery, resulting in an acute aortopulmonary artery defect and severe pulmonary edema. The disruption was treated successfully using an endovascular approach, with rapid resolution of the patient's pulmonary edema., (Copyright © 2014 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Impella has been reported to provide hemodynamic support in cardiogenic shock patients, acute myocardial infarction, and high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention. We are reporting the case of using iliac artery cut down for Impella 5.0 in a high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention for a patient with severe ischemic cardiomyopathy who was not a surgical candidate.

Objectives: Among patients undergoing aortic valve surgery for chronic aortic regurgitation (AR), we sought to: 1) compare survival among those with and without severe left ventricular dysfunction (LVD); 2) identify risk factors for death, including LVD and date of operation; and 3) estimate contemporary risk for cardiomyopathic patients., Background: Patients with chronic AR and severe LVD have been considered high risk for aortic valve surgery, with limited prognosis. Transplantation is considered for some., Methods: From 1972 to 1999, 724 patients underwent surgery for chronic AR; 88 (12%) had severe LVD. They were propensity matched to patients with nonsevere LVD to compare hospital mortality, interaction of operative date with severity of LVD, and late survival. Propensity score-adjusted multivariable analysis was performed for all 724 patients to identify risk factors for death., Results: Survival was lower (p = 0.04) among patients with severe LVD than among matched patients with nonsevere LVD (30-day, 1-, 5-, and 25-year survival estimates were 91% vs. 96%, 81% vs. 92%, 68% vs. 81%, and 5% vs. 12%, respectively). However, survival of patients with severe LVD improved dramatically across the study time frame (p = 0.0004): hospital mortality decreased from 50% in 1975 to 0% after 1985, and time-related survival in patients with severe LVD operated on since 1985 became equivalent to that of matched patients with nonsevere LVD (p = 0.96)., Conclusions: Neutralizing risk of severe LVD has improved early and late survival such that aortic valve surgery for chronic AR and cardiomyopathy is no longer a high-risk procedure for which transplantation is the best option.

Background: We sought to (1) characterize the temporal pattern of T-cell panel reactive antibody during ventricular assist device support, (2) identify predictors of higher T-cell panel reactive antibody during ventricular assist device support, and (3) determine whether device type remained a predictor after accounting for nonrandom device selection., Methods: Between December 1991 and August 2000, 239 patients received implantable ventricular assist devices, of whom 231 had T-cell panel reactive antibody measured. Panel reactive antibody was measured before implantation of the assist device, approximately 2 weeks after device implantation, irregularly thereafter depending on clinical events and length of support, and at transplantation. Longitudinal mixed modeling was used to characterize the temporal pattern of sensitization and its predictors during ventricular assist device support. To account for nonrandom factors in device selection when comparing HeartMate (Thermo Cardiosystems, Inc, Woburn, Mass) and Novacor (Baxter Healthcare Corp, Novacor Div, Oakland, Calif) devices, we propensity-matched patients according to baseline characteristics., Results: T-cell panel reactive antibody increased rapidly after implantation of the ventricular assist device and then immediately began to decrease. Predictors of higher T-cell panel reactive antibody during support with the assist device were a shorter interval from device implantation to T-cell panel reactive antibody measurement (P <.0001), female sex (P =.0004), younger age (P =.01), higher T-cell panel reactive antibody before device implantation (P =.03), more perioperative red blood cell transfusions (P =.006), and an earlier date of device implantation (P =.001). In matched patients, device type was not a predictor of higher T-cell panel reactive antibody during ventricular assist device support (P =.8)., Conclusions: HLA sensitization during ventricular assist device support is not constant but increases rapidly at implantation and then decreases. This temporal pattern of sensitization is influenced by patient factors and not by the type of device.

The surgical options for CHF are a part of a larger paradigm shift in management. Viable and effective surgical options other than cardiac transplant and ventricular assist devices clearly exist and are applicable to a large portion of patients with CHF. These surgical therapies are of acceptable risk before decompensated CHF develops. The rapidly evolving therapies for altering LV remodeling, which underlies CHF progression, are an exciting area that may be joined in the future by molecular advances in myoblast transfer and gene therapy. These therapies are the basis of the discipline of CHF surgery within cardiovascular surgery.

The use of the left ventricular assist device as a bridge to recovery represents a new phenomenon. This article focuses on bridge-to-recovery in the settings of myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy with a review of the hemodynamic, neurohormonal, physiologic, cellular, and molecular changes of recovery during left ventricular assist device support. Despite numerous markers of success, there is a disconnect from the limited clinical successes that are reviewed. The current status and future options to increase the chances of success are highlighted.