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BackgroundVasoplegic syndrome is frequently observed during cardiac surgery and resembles a complication of high mortality and morbidity. There is a clinical need for therapy and prevention of vasoplegic syndrome during complex cardiac surgical procedures. Therefore, we investigated different strategies in a porcine model of vasoplegia.MethodsWe evaluated new medical therapies and prophylaxis to avoid vasoplegic syndrome in a porcine model. After induction of anesthesia, cardiopulmonary bypass was established through median sternotomy and central cannulation. Prolonged aortic cross-clamping (120 min) simulated a complex surgical procedure. The influence of sevoflurane-guided anesthesia (sevoflurane group) and the administration of glibenclamide (glibenclamide group) were compared to a control group, which received standard anesthesia using propofol. Online hemodynamic assessment was performed using PiCCO®measurements. In addition, blood and tissue samples were taken to evaluate hemodynamic effects and the degree of inflammatory response.ResultsGlibenclamide was able to break through early vasoplegic syndrome by raising the blood pressure and systemic vascular resistance as well as less need of norepinephrine doses. Sevoflurane reduced the occurrence of the vasoplegic syndrome in the mean of stable blood pressure and less need of norepinephrine doses.ConclusionGlibenclamide could serve as a potent drug to reduce effects of vasoplegic syndrome. Sevoflurane anesthesia during cardiopulmonary bypass shows less occurrence of vasoplegic syndrome and therefore could be used to prevent it in high-risk patients.Clinical Perspective; what is new?to our knowledge, this is the first randomized in vivo study evaluating the hemodynamic effects of glibenclamide after the onset of vasoplegic syndromefurthermore according to literature research, there is no study showing the effect of sevoflurane-guided anesthesia on the occurrence of a vasoplegic syndromeClinical Perspective; clinical implications?to achieve better outcomes after complex cardiac surgery there is a need for optimized drug therapy and prevention of the vasoplegic syndrome

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy is a leading cause of heart failure, but knowledge of the full repertoire of cardiac cells and their gene expression profiles in the human hypertrophic heart is missing. Here, by using large-scale single-nucleus transcriptomics, we present the transcriptional response of human cardiomyocytes to pressure overload caused by aortic valve stenosis and describe major alterations in cardiac cellular crosstalk. Hypertrophied cardiomyocytes had reduced input from endothelial cells and fibroblasts. Genes encoding Eph receptor tyrosine kinases, particularly EPHB1, were significantly downregulated in cardiomyocytes of the hypertrophied heart. Consequently, EPHB1 activation by its ligand ephrin (EFN)B2, which is mainly expressed by endothelial cells, was reduced. EFNB2 inhibited cardiomyocyte hypertrophy in vitro, while silencing its expression in endothelial cells induced hypertrophy in co-cultured cardiomyocytes. Our human cell atlas of the hypertrophied heart highlights the importance of intercellular crosstalk in disease pathogenesis and provides a valuable resource.

Objectives Age-related atherosclerosis has been shown to cause aortic stiffness and wall rigidification. This analysis aimed to correlate age and dissection extension length in a large contemporary multi-centre study. We hypothesize that younger patients suffer more extensive DeBakey Type I dissection due to aortic wall integrity, allowing unhindered extension within the layers. Methods The perioperative data of 3385 patients from the German Registry for Acute Aortic Dissection Type A (GERAADA) were retrospectively analyzed with regard to postoperative outcomes and dissection extension. Patients with DeBakey Type I aortic dissection (n = 2510) were retrospectively identified and divided into two age-groups for comparison: ≤ 69 years (n = 1741) and ≥ 70years (n = 769). Patients with DeBakey type II dissection or connective tissue disease were excluded from the analysis. Results In younger patients (≤ 69 years), aortic dissection involved the supraaortic vessels significantly more often (52.0% vs. 40.1%; p Conclusions Extensive DeBakey Type I aortic dissection is less frequent in older patients ≥70 years than in younger patients. In contrast, younger patients suffer more often from preoperative organ malperfusion and associated complications. Postoperative mortality remains high irrespective of age-groups.

Background Acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD) is a life-threatening condition with high mortality within 24 hours. We hypothesized if there is a correlation between seasonal weather changes and the occurrence of AAAD. The aim of the present study was to identify seasonal specific weather and patient characteristics predicting the occurrence of AAAD. Methods This is a retrospective analysis of all consecutive patients of our department with AAAD between January 1st 2006 and December 31st 2016. The national meteorological department provided the data of temperature, humidity and air pressure during the study period. The occurrence of AAAD, preoperative neurological impairment and mortality were analyzed in correlation with the obtained daily weather data within the entire cohort and in patients with and without hypertension separately. Results A total of 517 patients were included. Mean age was 63.4±13 years, 69.4% were male and 68.8% had documented hypertension. In-hospital mortality was 17.7%. In the whole cohort, the occurrence of AAAD was significantly increased in March, October, December (P=0.016). In hypertensive patients, the occurrence was increased 34% with rising temperature (0.1-9.6 °C, OR1.34, 95% CI: 1.06-1.69, P=0.015). There was no correlation between weather variables and preoperative neurological impairment or mortality. Conclusions Our data suggests a relation between an increasing number of events of AAAD and certain months within our catchment area and a significantly increased occurrence with rising temperatures (independent from absolute temperature at time of the event) in hypertensive patients.

OBJECTIVESThe Ascyrus Medical Dissection Stent (AMDS) has been recently introduced as an alternative for total arch replacement in acute aortic dissection type A (AADA). The aim of this study was to evaluate the postoperative outcomes after AMDS treatment in a large contemporary cohort of AADA patients.METHODSData acquisition was performed retrospectively at 2 German aortic centres between 2020 and 2022 and comprised the perioperative parameters and postoperative results of all AADA patients. All patients treated with the AMDS for AADA were included in the study. The primary end point was in-hospital mortality. Secondary end points were defined as early postoperative and AMDS-related complications.RESULTSFifty-seven AADA patients treated by AMDS were included in the study group. The mean age was 64.6 ± 10.8 years and 59.7% (n = 34) were males. The actual in-hospital mortality was considerably lower than the predicted mortality risk by the German registry for acute aortic dissection type A score (16% vs 22%). The median ICU and in-hospital stay were 5 (interquartile range: 3–13) and 12 (interquartile range: 10–22) days, respectively. Postoperative complications comprised acute renal insufficiency (37%) with need for temporary (16%) or permanent dialysis (5%), delirium (26%), re-exploration for bleeding (14%), tracheostomy (14%) and new stroke (4%). A new AMDS-related complication (central stent collapse) was observed in 9% (n = 5) by postoperative computed tomography and chest X-ray. The incidence of complete central AMDS collapse did not impact 30-day mortality.CONCLUSIONSThe AMDS may be successfully used in AADA with acceptable 30-day mortality in accordance with the German registry for acute aortic dissection type A score. However, careful preoperative evaluation of the patient’s individual aortic anatomy regarding potential contraindications and proper device implantation are strongly recommended to avoid complete central AMDS collapse.

Various devices are available for endoscopic radial artery harvesting during coronary artery bypass grafting. Thermal spread and graft damage, however, are common concerns. The aim of this study was to compare the MiFusion TLS2 system (Endotrust, Nettetal Germany) with direct heat technique and the LigaSure Maryland system (Medtronic, Dublin, Ireland) using advanced bipolar technique in a prospective randomized study.One hundred consecutive patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting with endoscopic radial artery harvesting were prospectively included and randomized 1:1. The proximal (brachial) ends of the grafts were analyzed using fluorescence microscopy with focus on graft integrity. In addition, harvesting time, graft sealing, residual bleeding, and incidence of neurological disorders were compared.Patient age was 67 ± 8 years. Mean harvesting time was 26.5 ± 9 minutes for the TLS2 and 23.2 ± 8 minutes for the LigaSure (P = .049). Overall graft integrity was good in both groups. A significantly better graft integrity was observed in the LigaSure group (scale 0 to 3; 3 = best) with 2.5 ± 0.6 for TLS2 and 2.8 ± 0.4 for LigaSure (P = .031). LigaSure provided significantly better graft sealing (scale 0 to 2; 0 = best) with 0.6 ± 0.7 vs 1.0 ± 0.6 (TLS2) (P = .006) and less residual bleeding (scale 1 to 5; 1 = best) with 1.4 ± 0.6 vs 2.0 ± 0.9 (TLS2) (P.001). Transient sensibility disorders were less frequently observed with LigaSure (2% vs 16%, P = .015).Endoscopic radial artery harvesting can be performed with excellent results and good graft integrity using both devices. Compared with the MiFusion TLS2, the LigaSure device led to faster procedural times and resulted in better graft integrity. Along with providing a better seal, LigaSure was associated with less sensibility disorders.

Aberrant right subclavian artery is a rare congenital aortic arch anomaly. We report on a case of type A aortic dissection and aberrant right subclavian artery. The 65-year-old female patient received a replacement of the ascending aorta and arch repair using an uncovered AMDS (Ascyrus Medical Dissection Stent; CryoLife Inc., Kennesaw, GA, USA) with debranching of both common carotid arteries. Postoperative computed tomography scan revealed regular aortic blood flow with the unrestricted carotid artery and aberrant right subclavian artery perfusion.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive aortic valve replacement via upper partial sternotomy (MiniAVR) provides very good short-term results and delivers certain advantages in the postoperative course. There is limited data regarding the mid-term mortality and morbidity following this minimally invasive surgery. METHODS: We provide a retrospective analysis of the patients, undergoing MiniAVR versus full sternotomy (FS) for aortic valve replacement with biological prosthesis. As the primary combined end-point the combination of death, stroke, and rehospitalization within 3 years postoperatively was defined. Data have been collected from National Cardiac Surgery Registry and insurance companies. RESULTS: Two hundred consecutive patients with aortic valve replacement (100 ministernotomy in MiniAVR group and 100 full sternotomy in FS group) with biological prosthesis were included in this study. Ministernotomy had longer cross-clamp and bypass times (median difference 6.5 min, P=0.005, and 8.5 min, P=0.002 respectively). Patients operated via upper partial sternotomy had a lower postoperative bleeding [300 mL (IQR, 290) vs. 365 mL (IQR, 207), P=0.031]. There was no difference in the 3-year mortality (14% vs. 11%, P=0.485). The mean number of readmission 3 years after surgery per capita was almost the same in both groups (1.65 vs. 1.60, P=0.836). Median time to the first readmission was longer in the MiniAVR group (difference 8.9 months). The incidence of combined end-point during 3 years postoperatively in both groups was not statistically different (P=0.148), as well as readmissions from cardio-vascular reasons (subhazard ratio 0.90, P=0.693). CONCLUSIONS: Upper partial sternotomy can be performed safely for aortic valve replacement, without increased risk of death, stroke or re-admission in 3 years postoperatively.

ObjectiveVentricular secondary mitral regurgitation (SMR) (Carpentier type IIIb) results from left ventricular (LV) remodelling, displacement of papillary muscles and tethering of mitral leaflets. The most appropriate treatment approach remains controversial. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of standardised relocation of both papillary muscles (subannular repair) at 1-year follow-up (FU).MethodsREFORM-MR (Reform-Mitral Regurgitation) is a prospective, multicentre registry that enrolled consecutive patients with ventricular SMR (Carpentier type IIIb) undergoing standardised subannular mitral valve (MV) repair in combination with annuloplasty at five sites in Germany. Here, we report survival, freedom from recurrence of MR >2+, freedom from major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs), including cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, MV reintervention and echocardiographic parameters of residual leaflet tethering at 1-year FU.ResultsA total of 94 patients (69.1% male) with a mean age of 65.1±9.7 years met the inclusion criteria. Advanced LV dysfunction (mean left ventricular ejection fraction 36.4±10.5%) and severe LV dilatation (mean left ventricular end-diastolic diameter 61.0±9.3 mm) resulted in severe mitral leaflet tethering (mean tenting height 10.6±3.0 mm) and an elevated mean EURO Score II of 4.8±4.6 prior to surgery. Subannular repair was successfully performed in all patients, without operative mortality or complications. One-year survival was 95.5%. At 12 months, a durable reduction of mitral leaflet tethering resulted in a low rate (4.2%) of recurrent MR >2+. In addition to a significant improvement in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class (22.4% patients in NYHA III/IV vs 64.5% patients at baseline, pConclusionsOur study demonstrates the safety and feasibility of standardised subannular repair to treat ventricular SMR (Carpentier type IIIb) in a multicentre setting. By addressing mitral leaflet tethering, papillary muscle relocation results in very satisfactory 1-year outcomes and has the potential to durably restore MV geometry; nevertheless, long-term FU is mandatory.Trial registration numberNCT03470155.

OBJECTIVES Left main coronary artery disease (LMCAD) is considered an independent risk factor for clinical events after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We have conducted a subgroup analysis of the multicentre European DuraGraft Registry to investigate clinical event rates at 1 year in patients with and without LMCAD undergoing isolated CABG in contemporary practice. METHODS Patients undergoing isolated CABG were selected. The primary end point was the incidence of a major adverse cardiac event (MACE) defined as the composite of death, myocardial infarction (MI) or repeat revascularization (RR) at 1 year. The secondary end point was major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) defined as MACE plus stroke. Propensity score matching was performed to balance for differences in baseline characteristics. RESULTS LMCAD was present in 1033 (41.2%) and absent in 1477 (58.8%) patients. At 1 year, the MACE rate was higher for LMCAD patients (8.2% vs 5.1%, P = 0.002) driven by higher rates of death (5.4% vs 3.4%, P = 0.016), MI (3.0% vs 1.3%, P = 0.002) and numerically higher rates of RR (2.8% vs 1.8%, P = 0.13). The incidence of MACCE was 8.8% vs 6.6%, P = 0.043, with a stroke rate of 1.0% and 2.4%, P = 0.011, for the LMCAD and non-LMCAD groups, respectively. After propensity score matching, the MACE rate was 8.0% vs 5.2%, P = 0.015. The incidence of death was 5.1% vs 3.7%, P = 0.10, MI 3.0% vs 1.4%, P = 0.020, and RR was 2.7% vs 1.6%, P = 0.090, for the LMCAD and non-LMCAD groups, respectively. Less strokes occurred in LMCAD patients (1.0% vs 2.4%, P = 0.017). The MACCE rate was not different, 8.5% vs 6.7%, P = 0.12. CONCLUSIONS In this large registry, LMCAD was demonstrated to be an independent risk factor for MACE after isolated CABG. Conversely, the risk of stroke was lower in LMCAD patients. Clinical trial registration number ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02922088.

OBJECTIVES Surgery of the aortic root in acute aortic dissection type A (AADA) remains a topic of vague evidence since the extend of dissection and surgeons’ capability and interpretation of the disease vary remarkably. We aimed to interpret root operation strategies in the German Registry for Acute Aortic Dissection cohort. METHODS German Registry for Acute Aortic Dissection collected the data of 56 centres between July 2006 and June 2015. A total of 3382 patients undergoing operations for AADA were included and divided into 3 groups according to aortic root procedure types: supracommissural replacement (SCR), conduit replacement (CR) and valve sparing root replacement (VSRR). RESULTS Patients in SCR (2425, 71.7%) were significantly older than CR (681, 20.1%) and VSRR (276, 8.2%) (63.4 vs 57.5 vs 54.2 years; P CONCLUSIONS SCR remains the procedure of choice in elderly and compromised patients. Extended root preservation techniques may be applied even in combination with extended aortic arch surgery for selected patients for AADA with promising early outcomes.

Introduction: Elderly patients have been suggested to be more prone to acute aortic dissection due to a higher incidence of age-related atherosclerosis and stiffness of the thoracic aorta. Hypothesis: Younger patients suffer more extensive DeBakey type I dissections due to aortic wall integrity, potentially allowing unhindered extension. The study's aim was to correlate age and dissection extension length in a large contemporary multi-center cohort. Methods: The perioperative data of 3385 patients with acute aortic dissection were retrospectively analyzed with regard to postoperative outcome and dissection extent. DeBakey type I aortic dissections (n=2510) were identified and divided into two groups: 70 years (n=769). Patients with DeBakey type II and connective tissue disease were excluded (n=875). Results: Septuagenarians (>70 yrs) had a higher incidence of atherosclerosis (32.0% vs. 18.9%; pFig.1 ). Clinically, younger patients presented with significantly higher incidences of preoperative cerebral (p=0.002), spinal (p=0.003), visceral (p=0.002) and peripheral (p70 yrs were 18.9% and 22.2% (p=0.067), respectively. Conclusions: Extensive DeBakey type I aortic dissection is less frequent in septuagenarians. Conversely, younger patients suffer significantly more often from preoperative organ malperfusion and associated complications. Postoperative mortality remains high irrespective of age groups.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to compare short- and longer-term outcomes of David (DV) versus Florida sleeve (FS) procedure in patients requiring valve-sparing aortic root replacement. METHODS Between January 1996 and December 2020 285 patients received a DV procedure (median age 60 years; 26% females) and 57 patients underwent an FS procedure (median age 64 years; 19% females) in our department. Propensity score matching using patient characteristics led to 58 (DV) versus 57 (FS) patients. End points were defined as primary: freedom from aortic valve and/or aortic root-related reoperation and freedom from aortic regurgitation ≥moderate and secondary: early and late survival. RESULTS Thirty-day mortality was 2% (DV) and 0% (FS) (P = 0.319). There was 1 early stroke in each group (P = 0.990). Follow-up was complete in 99% with only 1 patient (FS) lost. The 5- and 10-year freedom from aortic valve and/or aortic root related reoperation was 98 ± 2% and 96 ± 3% in the DV group and 92 ± 5% and 84 ± 9% in the FS group, respectively (P = 0.095). The 5- and 10-year freedom from aortic regurgitation ≥moderate was 88 ± 5% and 80 ± 8% in the DV group and 92 ± 5% and 78 ± 1% in the FS group, respectively (P = 0.782). The 5- and 10-year survival rates were 93 ± 4% and 82 ± 6% (DV) vs 75 ± 7% and 67 ± 10% (FS), respectively (P = 0.058). No case of endocarditis (DV) and 3 cases of endocarditis (FS) (P = 0.055) were observed during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Both DV and FS resulted in similar early and longer-term outcomes with a trend to slightly better performance and survival in the DV group. Florida sleeve procedure might be an alternative approach for patients with higher-risk profiles requiring valve-sparing aortic root replacement.

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the longer-term results of bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) repair with or without aortic root replacement. Methods From 1999 to 2017, 142 patients with or without aortic root dilatation who underwent repair of a regurgitant BAV were included in the study. Ninety-four patients underwent isolated BAV repair (Group 1; median age 43 years) and 48 patients underwent valve-sparing aortic root replacement plus BAV repair (aortic valve reimplantation-Group 2; median age 48 years). Median clinical follow-up time was 5.9 years (range 0.5-15) in Group 1 and 3 years (range 0.5-16) in Group 2, respectively. Results In-hospital mortality was 1% in Group 1, and 2% in Group 2 (p = .6). The 5- and 10-year survival was 93 ± 2.9% and 81 ± 5.8% in Group 1 and 96 ± 3.1% and 96 ± 3.1% in Group 2, respectively (p = .31). Eleven patients of Group 1 (1.7%/patient-year) and five patients of Group 2 (2.2%/patient-year) underwent reoperation of the aortic valve (p = .5). The 5- and 10-year freedom from reoperation were 93.0 ± 2.1% and 77.1 ± 7.1% in Group 1 and 93.0 ± 5.0% and 76.7 ± 9.6% in Group 2 (p = .83), respectively. At the latest follow-up, only two patients of Group 1 and 1 patient of Group 2 had AV regurgitation = 2° (p = .7). The cumulative linearized incidence of all valve-related complications (bleeding, stroke, endocarditis, and reoperation) was 2.9%/patient-year in Group 1% and 4%/patient-year in Group 2, respectively (p = .6). Conclusions Isolated BAV repair and combined aortic valve reimplantation plus BAV repair provide good clinical longer-term outcomes with relatively low reoperation rate and durable valve function.

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the longer-term results of bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) repair with or without aortic root replacement. Methods From 1999 to 2017, 142 patients with or without aortic root dilatation who underwent repair of a regurgitant BAV were included in the study. Ninety-four patients underwent isolated BAV repair (Group 1; mean age 45±14 years) and 48 patients underwent valve-sparing aortic root replacement plus BAV repair (aortic valve reimplantation – Group 2; mean age 49±13 years. Median follow-up time was 5.9 years (range 0.5-15) in Group 1 and 3 years (range 0.5-16) in Group 2, respectively. Results In-hospital mortality was 1% in group 1, and 2% in Group 2 (p=0.6). The 5- and 10-year survival was 93±2.9% and 81±5.8% in Group 1 and 96±3.1% and 96±3.1% in Group 2, respectively (p=0.31). Eleven patients of Group 1 (1.7% /patient-year) and 5 patients of Group 2 (2.2%/patient-year) underwent reoperation of the aortic valve (p=0.5). The 5- and 10-year freedom from reoperation were 93.0±2.1% and 77.1±7.1% in Group 1 and 93.0±5.0% and 76.7±9.6% in Group 2 (p=0.83), respectively. At latest follow-up only 2 patients of Group 1 and 1 patient of Group 2 had AR=2° (p=0.7). The cumulative linearized incidence of all valve-related complications (bleeding, stroke, endocarditis, reoperation) was 2.9%/patient-year in Group 1 and 4%/patient-year in Group 2, respectively (p=0.6). Conclusions Isolated BAV repair and combined aortic valve reimplantation plus BAV repair provide good clinical longer-term outcomes with relatively low reoperation rate and durable valve function.

Acute-on-chronic right ventricular failure has a tremendously high mortality rate and pulmonary artery hypertension plays a major role in the progression of secondary right ventricular failure. Here, we report a case of drug-refractory acute-on-chronic right ventricular failure due to primary artery hypertension and a two-step approach of a percutaneous dual-outflow extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support set-up implanted under on-going mechanical resuscitation for immediate biventricular support with a consequent downgrade to right ventricular assist device after left ventricular recompensation.

Acute aortic Stanford type A dissection remains a frequent and life-limiting event for patients with Marfan syndrome. Outcome results in this high-risk group are limited.The German Registry for Acute Aortic Dissection Type A collected the data of 56 centers between July 2006 and June 2015. Of 3385 patients undergoing operations for acute aortic Stanford type A dissection, 117 (3.5%) were diagnosed with Marfan syndrome. We performed a propensity score match comparing patients with Marfan syndrome with patients without Marfan syndrome in a 1:2 fashion.Patients with Marfan syndrome were significantly younger (42.9 vs 62.2 years; P .001), predominantly male (76.9% vs 62.9%; P = .002), and less catecholamine dependent (9.4% vs 20.3%; P = .002) compared with the unmatched cohort. They presented with aortic regurgitation (41.6% vs 23.0%; P .001) and involvement of the supra-aortic vessels (50.4% vs 39.5%; P = .017) more often. Propensity matching revealed 82 patients with Marfan syndrome (21 female) with no significant differences in baseline characteristics compared with patients without Marfan syndrome (n = 159, 36 female; P = .607). Although root preservation was more frequent in patients with Marfan syndrome, procedure types did not differ significantly (18.3% vs 10.7%; P = .256). Aortic arch surgery was performed more frequently in matched patients (87.5% vs 97.8%; P = .014). Thirty-day mortality did not differ between patients with and without Marfan syndrome (19.5% vs 20.1%; P = .910). Multivariate regression showed no influence of Marfan syndrome on 30-day mortality (odds ratio, 0.928; 95% confidence interval, 0.346-2.332; P = .876).Marfan syndrome does not adversely affect 30-day outcomes after surgical repair for acute aortic Stanford type A dissection compared with a matched cohort. Long-term outcome analysis is needed to account for the influence of further downstream interventions.

Implantation of hybrid prostheses using the frozen elephant trunk technique has become a standard procedure for aortic arch and proximal descending aorta pathologies. New devices have been introduced to reduce surgical complexity by enabling the frozen elephant trunk technique to be performed in proximal segments of the aorta. This facilitates a minimally invasive approach and provides a safe and durable aortic arch repair. We herein report on the first human experience with the new trifurcated frozen elephant trunk aortic prosthesis, E-vita OPEN NEO (CryoLife/JOTEC GmbH, Hechingen, Germany), using a minimally invasive technique.

Treatment of aortic-valve disease in young patients still poses challenges. The Ross procedure offers several potential advantages that may translate to improved long-term outcomes.This study reports long-term outcomes after the Ross procedure.Adult patients who were included in the Ross Registry between 1988 and 2018 were analyzed. Endpoints were overall survival, reintervention, and major adverse events at maximum follow-up. Multivariable regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for survival and the need of Ross-related reintervention.There were 2,444 adult patients with a mean age of 44.1 ± 11.7 years identified. Early mortality was 1.0%. Estimated survival after 25 years was 75.8% and did not statistically differ from the general population (p = 0.189). The risk for autograft reintervention was 0.69% per patient-year and 0.62% per patient-year for right-ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) reintervention. Larger aortic annulus diameter (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.12/mm; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05 to 1.19/mm; p 0.001) and pre-operative presence of pure aortic insufficiency (HR: 1.74; 95% CI: 1.13 to 2.68; p = 0.01) were independent predictors for autograft reintervention, whereas the use of a biological valve (HR: 8.09; 95% CI: 5.01 to 13.08; p 0.001) and patient age (HR: 0.97 per year; 95% CI: 0.96 to 0.99; p = 0.001) were independent predictors for RVOT reintervention. Major bleeding, valve thrombosis, permanent stroke, and endocarditis occurred with an incidence of 0.15% per patient-year, 0.07% per patient-year, 0.13%, and 0.36% per patient-year, respectively.The Ross procedure provides excellent survival over a follow-up period of up to 25 years. The rates of reintervention, anticoagulation-related morbidity, and endocarditis were very low. This procedure should therefore be considered as a very suitable treatment option in young patients suffering from aortic-valve disease. (Long-Term Follow-up After the Autograft Aortic Valve Procedure [Ross Operation]; NCT00708409).

Mitral valve regurgitation (MR) belongs to one of the most common acquired valve diseases in western countries with increasing prevalence in older age. For patients with high perioperative risk and older age prohibitive for valve surgery, the development of transcatheter mitral valve therapies offers new options. Assessment of the severity and etiology of MR and thorough imaging of the mitral valve anatomy and pathology are necessary prerequisites for appropriate decision making in the field of transcatheter mitral valve therapies. Different transcatheter repair and replacement techniques are on the market, most of them mimicking surgical techniques. With some techniques (e.g., the MitraClip device), there is good clinical experience (>80,000 devices implanted worldwide), and evidence (three randomized studies), whereas for newer procedures, safety and efficacy data are still very limited. Transcatheter mitral repair and replacement techniques have to be considered as complementary treatment options for high-risk patients indicated by the Heart Teams. The different techniques and devices will be introduced and discussed in the following paper.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) nowadays is an important part of invasive heart failure therapy (1). Furthermore, it gains increasing recognition for anti-bradycardia pacemaker indications with an expected high burden of ventricular pacing by reducing cardiac remodeling (2). With a considerable number of CRT implantations worldwide, the impact of the recent clinical evaluation of wireless endocardial left ventricular (LV) pacing with a novel wireless cardiac resynchronization system (WiSE-CRT, EBR Systems, Sunnyvale, California, USA) by Reddy et al . 2017 should be further debated (3).

ZusammenfassungUnter der hybriden koronaren Revaskularisation (HCR) versteht man die kombinierte chirurgische und interventionelle Therapie der koronaren Herzkrankheit bei Patienten mit signifikanter koronarer Mehrgefäßerkrankung. Die HCR wurde als eine Alternative zur konventionellen koronaren Bypassoperation oder zur „multi-vessel“ perkutanen koronaren Intervention bei mehreren tausend Patienten bereits erfolgreich durchgeführt. In diesem Übersichtsartikel wird ein Überblick über die Definitionen, die Indikationen zur HCR, zu Patientenselektion und zeitlichem Ablauf der Prozeduren sowie über die chirurgische Technik und die aktuelle Evidenz gegeben.

OBJECTIVES The goal was to develop a scoring system to predict the 30-day mortality rate for patients undergoing surgery for acute type A aortic dissection on the basis of the German Registry for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection (GERAADA) data set and to provide a Web-based application for standard use. METHODS A total of 2537 patients enrolled in GERAADA who underwent surgery between 2006 and 2015 were analysed. Variable selection was performed using the R-package FAMoS. The robustness of the results was confirmed via the bootstrap procedure. The coefficients of the final model were used to calculate the risk score in a Web-based application. RESULTS Age [odds ratio (OR) 1.018, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.009–1.026; P CONCLUSIONS The GERAADA score is a simple, effective tool to predict the 30-day mortality rate for patients undergoing surgery for acute type A aortic dissection. We recommend the widespread use of this Web-based application for standard use.

Approximately 5% of percutaneous pulmonary valve implantations (PPVIs) are at risk for coronary compression. Therefore, PPVI is contraindicated if coronary anomalies and tested coronary flow impairment are observed. Simultaneous right ventricular outflow tract ballooning and coronary angiography are mandatory elucidating contraindications for PPVI. We present the case of a 22-year-old woman who had Rastelli repair with chronic right heart failure. Weighing the risk of several offered surgical options, she underwent successful PPVI after minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass procedure.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic chest drains are placed after cardiac surgery allowing for the clearance of blood, fluid, and air to prevent post-operative complications. Despite its importance, there is little data on the application of digital chest drainage systems in cardiac surgery. Therefore, the differences between an analog and a digital chest drainage system in cardiac surgery patients were investigated in a randomized controlled trial. METHODS: A total of 354 elective cardiac surgery patients were preoperatively randomized 1:1 between September 2016 and September 2017 to either an analog (Ocean) or a digital (Thopaz(+)) chest drainage system aiming to compare drainage-associated postoperative outcome parameters. RESULTS: A total of 340 patients were included in the analysis (analog: 188; digital: 152) with no significant differences in preoperative baseline parameters. Incidence of X-rays to detect air leaks was significantly lower in the digital group (analog: 20.2%; digital: 8.6%; P