In the study “Long-term outcomes following surgical repair of coronary artery fistula in adults”, Wada and associates, retrospectively evaluated 13 consecutive patients that underwent surgical repair of CAF No deaths, significant ST-T changes or CAF-related events were reported in a follow-up period of 66.2 months, and 1 patient showed poor contrast RCA#2 on postoperative coronary CT with a myocardial scintigraphy showing no significant change compared to the preoperative state Coronary artery fistulas (CAF) are rare congenital or acquired malformations in the connection of the coronary vessels, first described by Krause in 1865 (2). They can be classified as coronary-cameral fistulas, which connect coronary arteries with any of the heart chambers, or coronary artery malformations, which connect coronary arteries with systemic or pulmonary vessels. Congenital CAFs are normally a result of abnormal embryological development, acquired CAFs are commonly a result of cardiac traumatic injuries, and iatrogenic CAFs are usually a result of interventional cardiac procedures. This condition is still highly undiagnosed, as around 75% of incidentally-found CAFs are small and clinically silent, but it is estimated that CAFs are present in about 0.9% of the general population In our experience, we have a CAF incidence of 0.05% in 10,000 cardiac surgeries, which have demonstrated beneficial outcomes of the surgical repair of CAFs in adults . Authors of this article must be congratulated for the successful development of the study and for the contributions to the literature on this rare condition

We read with interest the case report by Ackah and colleagues1.We previously reported, in a cohort study 2, our experience in the management of coronary injury post valve procedures

Background: The optimal treatment of high-risk PE with cardiac arrest is still controversial although various treatment approaches have been developed and improved. Here, we present a serie of patients with high-risk PE showing hemodynamic collapse, who were successfully treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as an adjunct to EKOS™ acoustic pulse thrombolysis. Method: From April 2016 to June 2020, 29 patients with high-risk PE with cardiac arrest were retrospectively included. The mean age was 55.3 ± 9.2 years. Twelve (41.3%) patients were female. All patients had cardiac arrest, either as an initial presentation or in-hospital after the presentation. All patients exhibited acute symptoms, computed tomography (CT) evidence of large thrombus burden, and severe right ventricular dysfunction. Primary outcome was all-cause 30-day mortality. Results: Twenty-two patients survived to hospital discharge, with a mean ICU stay of 9.9 ± 1.6 days (range, 7 to 22 days) and mean length of hospital stay of 23.7 ± 8.5 days (range, 11 to 44 days). Six patients died from refractory shock. Ninety-day mortality was 24.1% (7/29). The Mean ECMO duration was 3.5 ± 1.1 days and the mean RV/LV ratio decreased from 1.31 ± 0.17 to 0.92 ± 0.11 in patients who survived to discharge. The mean tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) dose for survivor patients was 20.5 ± 1.6 mg. Conclusion: Patients with high-risk pulmonary embolism who suffer a cardiac arrest have high morbidity and mortality. APT complemented by ECMO could be a successful treatment option for patients who have high-risk PE with circulatory collapse.

The use of the Radial Artery (RA) as a conduit in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has been steadily increasing since the early 1990’s and based on the most recent data may well become the standard of care for patients with multi-vessel coronary artery disease (CAD) requiring multiple arterial grafts. The TRA approach for cardiac catherization has also increased steadily in use by interventional cardiologists owing to its reduction in bleeding and vascular complications when compared with the femoral approach and is now considered the preferred arterial access. However, prior use of transradial access (TRA) for cardiac catherization is a contra-indication for the use of the RA for CABG because of high rates of structural damage to the vascular wall and potential for graft failure. In this issue of the Journal of Cardiac Surgery Clarke et al. examine the RA of two patients who had TRA for coronary angiography 8 and 12 years prior and note that both patients had chronic injury with dissection and obstruction of the lumen secondary to fibrosis suggesting that TRA causes long-term and irreversible damage rendering them unsuitable as conduits for CABG.

Object: Investigate the value of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in perimembranous ventricular septal defect (PmVSD) closure via a left parasternal ultra‐minimal trans intercostal incision in children. Methods: From January 2015 and December 2020, 212 children with PmVSD were performed device occlusion via an ultraminimal intercostal incision. TEE is used throughout the perioperative period, including TEE assessment, TEE-guided localization of the puncture site, TEE guidance. All patients were followed up using transthoracic echocardiography for over 6 months. Results: A total of 207 cases successfully occluded, the successful rate was 97. 64%. one hundred and forty-five patients had single orifice, and 62 patients had multiple orifices in the AMS. During the operation, the surgeon readjusted the device or replaced the larger device in 17 cases. After operation, there were 19 cases of slight residual shunts, 13 cases of pericardial effusion and 4 cases of pleural effusion. And all were back to normal during the 4- month follow-up period. Mild mitral regurgitation was presented in 1 patient and remained the same during the follow-up period. No other complications were found. Conclusions: TEE was used to evaluate and determine the defect in PmVSDs with an concentric occluder via a left parasternal ultra‐minimal trans intercostal incision. TEE guidance and immediate postoperative efficacy evaluation are of great value, which can effectively guide the treatment of PmVSD occlusion.

Objectives Pulmonary atresia (PA) with ventricular septal defect (VSD) and systemic-pulmonary collateral arteries (SPCA’s) has a variable anatomy with regard to the pulmonary vasculature, asking for an individualized surgical treatment. A protocol was applied consisting of staged unifocalization and correction. Methods Since 1989 39 consecutive patients were included (median age at first operation 13 months). In selected cases a central aorto-pulmonary shunt was performed as first procedure. Unifocalization procedures were performed through a lateral thoracotomy. Correction consisted of shunt takedown, VSD closure and interposition of an allograft between the right ventricle and the reconstructed pulmonary artery. Postoperatively and at follow up echocardiographic data were obtained. Results In 39 patients 66 unifocalization procedures were performed. Early mortality was 5%. Seven patients were considered not suitable for correction, four of them died. One patient is awaiting further correction. Correction was done successfully in 28 patients. Operative mortality was 3% and late mortality 11%. Median follow-up after correction was 19 years. Eleven patients needed homograft replacement. Freedom from conduit replacement was 88%, 73% and 60% at 5, 10 and 15 years respectively. Right ventricular function was reasonable or good in 75 % of the patients. Conclusions After complete unifocalization 30/37 patients (81%) were considered correctable. The main reasons for palliative treatment without correction were pulmonary hypertension and/or inadequate outgrowth of pulmonary arteries. Staged approach of PA, VSD and SPCA’s results in adequate correction and good functional capacity. RV function after correction remains reasonable or good in the majority of patients.

The results of a meta-analysis are more than just the reported odds ratio, 95% confidence interval, and P value. Of equal importance is the fine print of the study which should include assessment of risk of bias, certainty in evidence, and heterogeneity in the individual point estimates and confidence intervals. These areas all have influence on the quality of the data in the analysis. Reading and understanding the fine print is important.

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%).

What can be seen from the case report by Verzelloni et al. has a double value, beyond the case itself. First of all, the use of platelet aggregation assessment tests, such as TEG-PM, allows clinicians to verify the exact timing between the suspension of thienopyridines and the possibility of surgery without further temporal delays and is also able to favor the evolution of ischemic problems or hemodynamic instability not easily treatable. It therefore allows clinicians to optimize the bleeding / thrombosis matching. Secondly, the use of point of care methodologies for the evaluation of platelet aggregation allows us to evaluate the adequacy of the anti-aggregation, facilitating, where resistance or percentages of anti-aggregation are lower than expected, modification of the therapeutic regimen.

Title: Bicuspid Aortic Valve: Progression of Stenosis and Clinical RelevanceRunning Head: Progression of Stenosis in Bicuspid Aortic ValveAuthors: Saqib Masroor, MD, MBA, MHSUniversity of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic SurgeryMeeting Presentation: NoneDisclosure: NoneWord Count: 717

Objective: Valve-sparing root replacement is commonly used for management of aortic root aneurysms in elective setting, but its technical complexity hinders its broader adoption for acute Type-A Aortic Dissection (ATAAD). The Florida Sleeve (FS) procedure is a simplified form of valve sparing aortic root reconstruction that does not require coronary reimplantation. Here, we present our outcomes of the Florida Sleeve (FS) repair in patients with dilated roots in the setting of an ATAAD. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 24 consecutive patients (2002-2018) treated with FS procedure for ATAAD. Demographic, operative, and postoperative outcomes were queried from our institutional database. Long term follow-up was obtained from clinic visits for local patients, and with telephone and telehealth measures otherwise. Results: Mean age was 49 ± 14 years with 19 (79%) males. Marfan syndrome was present in 4 (16.7%) patients and 14 (58.3) had ≥2+ aortic insufficiency (AI). Nine (37.2%) had preoperative mal-perfusion or shock. The FS was combined with hemi-arch replacement in 15 (62.5%) patients and a zone-2 arch replacement in 9 (37.5%) patients. There were 2 (8.3%) early postoperative mortalities. Median follow-up period was 46 months (range; 0.3-146). The median survival of the entire cohort was 143.4 months. One patient (4.2%) required redo aortic valve replacement for unrelated aortic valve endocarditis at 30 months postoperatively. Conclusion: FS is simplified and reproducible valve-sparing root repair. In appropriate patients, it can be applied safely in acute Stanford type-A aortic dissection with excellent early and long-term results.

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia affecting the general population, with the prevalence projected to reach 12.1 million cases in 2030. Recently, attention has focused on the role of the Left Atrial Appendage (LAA) and its association with the most feared complication of AF: thromboembolism. Common sense indicates that the LAA should be excluded in all patients with AF; however, procedures to exclude the LAA have yet to become the standard of care. Recent studies in the cardiac surgery literature , , indicate a clear benefit of LAA exclusion amongst patients with AF undergoing cardiac surgery. Interestingly, this benefit was found to extend well beyond the postoperative period, in cohorts that were equally anticoagulated and had similar CHA2DS2-VASC scores. It appears reasonable that our medical community should strongly consider initiating a prospective randomized trial in an effort to fully elucidate the need for routine LAA exclusion in this patient population.

The swift advances in interventional cardiology combined with the increasing risk of cardiac surgical procedures resulted in diminishing volume of coronary and valvular surgery and affected the future of cardiac surgery service and training. Application to cardiac surgery training programs have steadily declined. This cross-sectional study aimed at identifying main weakness facing cardiac surgery and advocating some recommendations to improve the status of current and future of cardiac surgery.

Anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery from the opposite sinus is a rare congenital condition that can cause sudden death in young people. When it is associated with acute aortic dissection, acute myocardial infarction can occur due to enlargement of the sinus of Valsalva. We report the case of a 71-year-old man with anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the left sinus of Valsalva, who developed right ventricular infarction due to the compression of the right coronary artery between the aorta and pulmonary artery trunk.

The heart transplantation (HT) is undoubtedly the best treatment for end-stage heart failure patients (2). However, the organ shortage remains a major challenge in cardiac surgery. Facing this problem, the medical community starts to extend the donor criteria to select more suitable organs for HT. The use of ECDs is still controversial, since it is associated with a high incidence of primary graft failure (3), and although it guarantees longer survival than without transplantation, there is still some hesitation in accepting this practice.

Background: Thoracic aortic aneurysm is a significant risk factor for aortic dissection and rupture. Guidelines recommend referral of patients to a cardiovascular specialist for periodic surveillance imaging with surgical intervention determined primarily by aneurysm size. We investigated the association between socioeconomic status and surveillance practices in patients with ascending aortic aneurysms. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed records of 465 consecutive patients diagnosed between 2013-2016 with ascending aortic aneurysm ≥4cm on computed tomography scans. Primary outcomes were clinical follow-up with a cardiovascular specialist and aortic surveillance imaging within 2 years following index scan. We stratified patients into quartiles using the area deprivation index (ADI), a validated percentile measure of 17 variables characterizing socioeconomic status at the census block group level. Competing risks analysis was used to determine interquartile differences in risk of death prior to follow up with a cardiovascular specialist. Results: Lower socioeconomic status was associated with significantly lower rates of surveillance imaging and referral to a cardiovascular specialist. On competing risks regression, the ADI quartile with lowest socioeconomic status had lower hazard of follow-up with a cardiologist or cardiac surgeon prior to death (HR 0.46 [0.34, 0.62], p<0.001). Though there were no differences in aneurysm size at time of surgical repair, patients in the lowest socioeconomic quartile were more frequently symptomatic at surgery than other quartiles (92% vs 23-38%, p<0.001). Conclusion: Patients with lower socioeconomic status receive less timely follow-up imaging and specialist referral for thoracic aortic aneurysms, resulting in surgical intervention only when alarming symptoms are already present.

Letter to the Editor: Telemedicine in the era of coronavirus 19: Implications for postoperative care in cardiac surgeryContributing Authors:Anish Verma (Corresponding Author) – Fifth Year Medical StudentRachel Pathimagaraj – Fourth Year Medical StudentDaniel Warrington - Fifth Year Medical StudentJames Whiteway - Fifth Year Medical StudentAll authors are based at the United Kingdom institution, The University of Manchester – Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health.

ABSTRACT Post infarction ventricular septal rupture (PIVSR) is an infrequent but potentially fatal complication of acute myocardial infarction. • The 30-day mortality rate with the transcatheter approach when performed in the acute phase (less than two weeks) was 25.3% compared to 50% when surgery is performed in the acute phase (within three weeks). • There is no correlation between defect size and mortality. • NYHA class IV and time to VSD closure are risk predictors for transcatheter closure for a 30-day mortality rate of 31.5%.