Nasogastric tube (NGT) use has been common in the immediate postoperative period in surgical patients for decades. Potential advantages include the decompression of gastric contents and the early administration of time-sensitive medications. However, its routine use after cardiac surgery has not been established as a gold standard yet. The NGT use for prevention of post-operative nausea and vomiting has been a matter of debate in literature. Also, NGT use has also been associated with the incidence of some respiratory and gastrointestinal complications and it may be a source of significant pain and discomfort to patients. In this article, we review the current available literature regarding the use of NGT during and immediately after cardiac surgery, with particular emphasis on its potential role in enhanced postoperative recovery.

Telemedicine, telehealth and artificial intelligence in healthcare are becoming commonly utilized in various medical specialties. The article authored by Dr. Aminah Sallam and colleagues in the Journal provides data in support of the cardiac surgical patients, and the caring cardiac surgeons willingness to adopt telemedicine as a method of connectivity between patient and surgeon.

Background COVID‐19 is usually mild, but patients can present with pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and circulatory shock. Although the symptoms of the disease are predominantly respiratory, involvement of the cardiovascular system is common. Patients with heart failure (HF) are particularly vulnerable when suffering from COVID‐19. Aim of the Review To examine the challenges faced by healthcare organisations, and mechanical circulatory support management strategies available to patients with heart failure, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) can be lifesaving in patients with severe forms of ARDS, or refractory cardio-circulatory compromise. The Impella RP can provide right ventricular circulatory support for patients who develop right side ventricular failure or decompensation caused by COVID-19 complications, including pulmonary embolus. HT are reserved for only those patients with a high short-term mortality. LVAD as a bridge to transplant may be a viable strategy to get at-risk patients home quickly. Elective LVAD implantations have been reduced and only patients classified as INTERMACS profile 1 and 2 are being considered for LVAD implantation. Delayed recognition of LVAD‐related complications, misdiagnosis of COVID‐19, and impaired social and psychological well‐being for patients and families may ensue. Remote patient care with virtual or telephone contacts is becoming the norm. Conclusions HF incidence, prevalence, and undertreatment will grow as a result of new COVID-19-related heart disease. ECMO should be reserved for highly selected cases of COVID-19 with a reasonable probability of recovery. Special considerations are needed for patients with advanced HF, including those supported by durable LVADs.

The catastrophe of hypoxia in complex aortic surgery

Abstract Lockdown, quarantine, self-isolation, personal protection equipment, social distancing have become words of daily usage ever since the world health organisation declared COVID-19 as a pandemic. The impact of COVID 19 extends over the medical field, economy, education and politics. Though the knowledge of the virus is evolving, we are yet to find a solution. India, country with the 2nd largest population, went into a phase of lockdown from 25th March 2020 to 31st May 2020. There was phased measure to “Unlock” starting from1st June 2020. This has affected the clinical practise and training of the resident. The challenges faced during this unprecedented time are multi-faceted which includes overcrowding, health care system, educational background. Indian Association of Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgeons kept continuing the educational program through a series of “Masterclass”.

Background While open surgical repair continues to be the mainstay option for aortic arch reconstruction, the associated mortality, morbidity, and high turn-down rates have led to a need for the development of minimally invasive options for aortic arch repair. Though RELAY™ Branched (Terumo Aortic, Inchinnan, UK) represents a promising option for complex endovascular aortic arch repair, neurological complications remain a pertinent risk. Herein we seek to present multi-centre data from Europe documenting the neurological outcomes associated with RELAY™ Branched. Methods Prospective data collected between January 2019 and January 2022 associated with patients treated with RELAY™ single-, double-, and triple-branched endoprostheses from centres across Europe was retrospectively analysed with descriptive and distributive analysis. Follow up data from 30 days and 6-, 12-, and 24 months postoperatively was included. Patients follow up was evaluated for the onset of disabling stroke (DS) and non-disabling stroke (NDS). Results Technical success was achieved in 147 (99.3%) cases. Over 24 months period, in total, 6 (4.1%) patients suffered DS and 8 (5.4%) patients suffered NDS after undergoing aortic arch repair with RELAY™. All patients that developed postoperative DS had been treated with the double-branched RELAY™ endoprosthesis. Discussion The data presented herein demonstrates that RELAY™ Branched is associated with favourable neurological outcomes and excellent technical success rates. Key design features of the endoprosthesis and good perioperative management can contribute greatly to mitigating neurological complications following endovascular aortic arch repair.

Total arch repair (TAR) has become a mainstay of the surgical management of complex pathologies of the ascending aorta and aortic arch, in particular acute Type A aortic dissections (ATAAD). TAR with devices such as the frozen elephant trunk (FET) have been shown to dramatically improve clinical outcomes in such cases. However, TAR with FET remains an immensely challenging procedure, and the risk of debilitating postoperative complications remains high. Spinal cord ischaemia (SCI) and stroke are two particularly tragic adverse outcomes of TAR with FET; it is unsurprising therefore that much research has been done to determine both the underlying cause thereof, and strategies to mitigate this risk. Mousavizadeh and colleagues produced a fascinating systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the relationship between the duration of hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA) and the risk of developing complications including SCI and stroke. Their data seem to suggest HCA duration is a key factor in causing SCI and stroke following TAR with FET for ATAAD. However, other factors such as stent sizing and landing zone also contribute. Further prospective research into this relationship is recommended to fully elucidate what truly is to blame for these postoperative neurological complications.

Type B Aortic Dissection (TBAD) occurs seldomly in pregnancy, but has disastrous consequences for both mother and fetus. The focus of immediate surgical repair of Type A Aortic Dissection due to higher mortality of patients is less clear in its counterpart, TBAD, in which management is controversial and debated. Risk factors for TBAD include: aortic wall stress due to hypertension, previous cardiac surgery, structural abnormalities (bicuspid aortic valve, aortic coarctation), and connective tissue disorders. In pregnancy, pre-eclampsia is a cause of increased aortic wall stress. Management of this condition is often conservative, but this is dependent on a number of factors, including gestation, cardiovascular stability of the patient, and symptomology. In most cases, a Caesarean section prior to intervention is carried out, unless certain indications are present. Due to a scarce number of cases across decades, it is difficult to determine which management is optimal. This article collates knowledge so far on this rare event during pregnancy.

Type A aortic dissection (TAAD) is a life-threatening clinical emergency requiring timely surgical intervention. Concomitant with pregnancy at any stage, it adds an additional level of complexity which mandates careful planning for the management strategy that will yield the optimal outcomes. It is life-threatening pathology to both the mother and foetus, with mortality rates of up to 30% and 50% reported, respectively. Safe imaging modalities that do no expose the foetus to radiation and contrast are recommended to reach an accurate diagnosis. In addition, meticulous multi-disciplinary team planning is pivotal to ensure optimal outcomes are achieved through careful choice of surgical technique as well as strict control of medications. Although TAAD in pregnancy is associated with high mortality and morbidity to both the mother and her foetus, success in the treatment of this small subset of patients can certainly be achieved.

Background: The success of coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG) is dependent on long-term graft patency, which is negatively related to early wall thickening. Avoiding high-pressure distension testing for leaks and preserving the surrounding pedicle of fat and adventitia during vein harvesting may reduce wall thickening. Methods: A single-centre, factorial randomised controlled trial was carried out to compare the impact of testing for leaks under high versus low pressure and harvesting the vein with versus without the pedicle in patients undergoing CABG. The primary outcomes were graft wall thickness, as indicator of medial-intimal hyperplasia, and lumen diameter assessed using intravascular ultrasound after 12 months. Results: 96 eligible participants were recruited. With conventional harvest, low-pressure testing tended to yield a thinner vessel wall compared to high-pressure (mean difference MD (low minus high) -0.059mm, 95%CI -0.12, +0.0039, p=0.066). With high pressure testing, veins harvested with the pedicle fat tended to have a thinner vessel wall than those harvested conventionally (MD (pedicle minus conventional) -0.057mm, 95%CI -0.12, +0.0037, p=0.066, test for interaction p=0.07). Lumen diameter was similar across groups (harvest comparison p=0.81; pressure comparison p=0.24). Low pressure testing was associated with fewer hospital admissions in the 12 months following surgery (p=0.0008). Harvesting the vein with the pedicle fat was associated with more complications during the index admission (p=0.0041). Conclusions: Conventional saphenous vein graft preparation with low pressure distension and harvesting the vein with a surrounding pedicle yielded similar graft wall thickness after 12 months, but low pressure was associated with fewer adverse events.

ABSTRACT Background: COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11st, 2020. Responses to this crisis integrated resource allocation for the increased amount of infected patients, while maintaining an adequate response to other severe and life-threatening diseases. Though cardiothoracic patients are at high risk for Covid-19 severe illness, postponing surgeries would translate in increased mortality and morbidity. We reviewed our practice during the initial time of pandemic, with emphasis on safety protocols. Methods: From March 11st to May 15th 2020, 148 patients underwent surgery at the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery of CHUSJ. The clinical characteristics of the patients were retrospectively registered, along with novel containment and infection prevention measures targeting the new Corona Virus. Results: The majority of adult cardiac patients were operated on an urgent basis. Hospital mortality was 1.9% (n = 2 patients). Most of adult thoracic patients were admitted from home, with a diagnosis of neoplasic disease in 60% patients. Hospital mortality was 3.3% (1). Fifteen children underwent cardiothoracic surgery. There was no mortality. The infection prevention procedures applied, totally excluded the transmission of Covid-19 in the Department. Conclusion: While guaranteeing a prompt response to emergent, urgent and high priority cases, novel safety measures in individual protection, patients circuits and pre-operative diagnose of symptomatic and asymptomatic infection were adopted. The surgical results corroborate that it was safe to undergo cardiothoracic surgery during the initial time of Covid-19 pandemic. The new policies will be maintained while the virus stays in the community.

Protective measures against Covid have a relevant impact on communication. This will have be to be considered in the future.

Double-outlet left ventricle (DOLV) is a rare congenital cardiac anomaly. The aorta and the main pulmonary arterial trunk arises predominantly from the left ventricle(LV) and is associated with a malaligned ventricular septal defect(VSD), various degrees of hypoplasia of the right ventricle, and presence or absence of pulmonary stenosis. Bi-ventricular repair is the preferred treatment option whenever possible. Various techniques for bi-ventricular repair have been described. The best option for DOLV correction is by translocating the pulmonary root to the right ventricle(RV)[1]. In this series, we report four patients who underwent biventricular repair of DOLV in our institute with excellent outcomes. All patient details were collected from the institute patient record system. Echocardiographic data were obtained from the records. Intraoperative charts were reviewed for further information on the surgical procedure and cardiopulmonary bypass. Postoperative data included survival, functional status and followup echocardiography. Of the four children, three underwent pulmonary root translocation and one child underwent Reparation al etage Ventriculaire(REV) procedure. There was no mortality and all children are in stable clinical condition in the recent follow-up and no re-operations or interventions were required following primary surgical correction. Thus DOLV is anatomically and surgically a challenging subset. Pulmonary root translocation in this anatomy is technically challenging but safe and superior option when compared to other alternative surgical procedures and it can be performed with excellent results, even in infants.

Background: Several factors affect the long-term outcome of Fontan procedure, but a high pulmonary artery pressure is still one of the most important limitation for proceeding to a Fontan circulation. Herein, we present our experience in Fontan patients with high preoperative pulmonary artery pressures. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed in order to evaluate Fontan patients with a preoperative pulmonary artery pressure > 15 mmHg between 2009 and 2020. Sixteen patients were operated on with a mean preoperative pulmonary artery pressure of 17.5 ± 2.1 mmHg. Results: Mean age at the time of Fontan procedure was 7.8 ± 5.6 years. All of the patients had stage II cavopulmonary anastomosis prior to Fontan completion, with a mean interstage period of 4 ± 2.6 years. Fontan completion was achieved with a polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) tubular conduit, two of which were intra-extracardiac. Fenestration was performed in 4 (25%) cases. Postoperative pulmonary artery pressures and arterial oxygen saturation levels were 11.2 ± 2.8 mmHg and 97.8 ± 2, respectively. Mean duration of pleural drainage was 3.9 ± 5.3 days. Any morbidity and mortality were not encountered during a mean follow up period of 4.8 ± 7.7 years. Conclusions: The mid-term results of stage III Fontan completion in patients with pulmonary artery >15 mmHg are encouraging. Pulmonary vascular resistance, not only pulmonary artery pressure may help to identify high risk patients before Fontan completion.

Background Porcine aortic roots (PAR) have been reported in the literature with acceptable short and long-term outcomes for the treatment of aortic root aneurysms. However, their efficacy in type A aortic dissection (TAAD) is yet to be defined. Methods Using data from a locally collated aortic dissection registry, we compared the outcomes in patients undergoing aortic root replacement for TAAD using either of two surgical options: i) PAR or ii) composite valve grafts (CVG). A retrospective analysis was conducted for all procedures in the period 2005-2018. Results A total of 252 patients underwent procedures for TAAD in the time period. Sixty-five patients had aortic root replacements (PAR n=30, CVG n=35). Between group comparisons identified a younger CVG group (50.5 vs 64.5, p<0.05) although all other covariates were comparable. Operative parameters were comparable between the two groups. The use of PAR did not significantly impact operative mortality (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.22-3.61, p=0.992), stroke (OR 2.91, 0.25 – 34.09, p=0.395), re-operation (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.22 – 3.62, p=0.882) or length of stay (coef 2.33, -8.23 – 12.90, p=0.659) compared to CVG. Five-year survival was similar between both groups (PAR 59% vs CVG 69%, p=0.153) and re-operation was negligible. Echocardiography revealed significantly lower aortic valve gradients in the PAR group (8.69 vs 15.45 mmHg, p<0.0001), and smaller left ventricular dimensions both at 6 weeks and 1 year follow up (p<0.05). Conclusions This study highlights the comparable short and mid-term outcomes of PAR in cases of TAAD, in comparison to established therapy.

Left ventricular surgical remodeling (LVSR) has been, for long time, the procedure applied for large dyskinetic, or akinetic, areas as a consequence of a myocardial infarction, manly located in the left anterior descending area. Many surgical techniques were developed, aimed to a pure reduction of the volume of the left ventricular cavity or to add to volume reduction a more physiologic conical shape. The expansion of interventional procedures invaded most of the fields before treated only by cardiac surgeons. In this issue, Pillay describes an hybrid technique, involving both interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons, aimed to LV volume reduction after an anterior myocardial infarction. A series of internal (right ventricular septum) and external (anterior wall) anchors are implanted to approximate the LV free wall to the anterior septum, consequently excluding the scarred myocardium. Although some limitations of this study, the Authors have to be commended for having revitalized a procedure almost eliminated from the surgical scenario

Patients with a bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) are at increased risk of valvular regurgitation compared to their counterparts with a tri-leaflet aortic valve. There is now increasing emphasis to offer BAV repair to mitigate the risks of prosthesis-related complications, including thromboembolism, haemorrhage and endocarditis, as well as structural valve deterioration and future re-operation with conventional valve replacement, particularly in younger populations. Furthermore, over the preceding two decades, our greater understanding of the functional anatomy of the BAV, pathophysiological mechanisms of BAV insufficiency and the development of a functional classification of aortic regurgitation have significantly contributed to the evolution of aortic valve reconstructive surgery. In this commentary, we discuss a recent article from the Journal of Cardiac Surgery comparing external annuloplasty and subcommissural annuloplasty as techniques for BAV repair.

Patients in respiratory failure on VV ECMO may develop cardiovascular dysfunction necessitating additional hemodynamic support, while patients in cardiovascular failure on VA ECMO may require additional respiratory support for concurrent gas exchange abnormalities. A hybrid venoarterio-venous (VA-V) configuration provides both cardiac support via a traditional arterial reinfusion cannula and respiratory support via an additional venous reinfusion limb. We describe our single center experience using VA-V ECMO for patients (n = 14, median age 54) with combined cardiopulmonary failure or differential hypoxemia. Patients were treated with ECMO support for a median of 148.2 (IQR 122.6 – 174.4) hours, consisting of 0 (IQR 0 – 1.8) hours of VA and 92.4 (IQR 58 – 115) hours of VA-V followed by 46 (IQR 0 – 95.5) hours of VV support. Of these 14 patients, 11 survived to decannulation (79%) and 9 survived to hospital discharge (64%).