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Background Three-dimensional (3D) imaging has been suggested to improve learning and performance of laparoscopy. We sought to investigate whether 3D imaging could improve the outcomes after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Materials and methods Two-hundred and forty-one consecutive patients underwent elective or urgent laparoscopic cholecystectomy using 2D ( n  = 111) and 3D ( n  = 130) imaging equipments from March 2017 to March 2019 at the Kainuu Central Hospital, Finland. The main outcomes of this study were biliary tract injury, conversion to open procedure and procedure duration. Results In the overall series, there were 5 cases of biliary tract injury (2.1%). When compared to 3D imaging, 2D was associated with increased risk of biliary tract injury in the overall series (0% in 3D vs. 4.7% in 2D, p  = 0.026) in addition to a subgroup of acute cholecystitis patients operated by senior surgeons ( n  = 92), 0% in 3D group ( n  = 60) vs. 10.0% in 2D group ( n  = 32), p  = 0.037 in univariate analysis. The rates of conversion to open surgery did not differ between the groups in the overall series (5.3 vs 5.7%, p  = 0.909) or any of the subgroups. Duration of surgery with 3D vs. 2D imaging were comparable in the elective (57.0 ± 16.3 vs. 54.1 ± 18.9 min, p  = 0.228) and urgent setting (66.9 ± 15.1 vs. 67.4 ± 16.6 min, p  = 0.805). Such differences were not significant in multivariate analysis. Conclusions The present study suggests that the use of 3D imaging is significantly associated with a reduced risk of intraoperative biliary tract injury during laparoscopic cholecystectomy especially in acute cholecystitis.

A few studies recently reported controversial results with transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TF-TAVR) versus transapical transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TA-TAVR), often without adequate adjusted analysis for baseline differences. Data on patients who underwent TF-TAVR and TA-TAVR from the Observational Study of Effectiveness of avR–tavI procedures for severe Aortic stenosis Treatment study were analyzed with propensity score 1-to-1 matching. From a cohort of 1,654 patients (1,419 patients underwent TF-TAVR and 235 patients underwent TA-TAVR), propensity score matching resulted in 199 pairs of patients with similar operative risk (EuroSCORE II: TF-TAVR 8.1 ± 7.1% vs TA-TAVR, 8.4 ± 7.3%, p = 0.713). Thirty-day mortality was 8.0% after TA-TAVR and 4.0% after TF-TAVR (p = 0.102). Postoperative rates of stroke (TA-TAVR, 2.0% vs TF-TAVR 1.0%, p = 0.414), cardiac tamponade (TA-TAVR, 4.1% vs TF-TAVR 1.5%, p = 0.131), permanent pacemaker implantation (TA-TAVR, 8.7% vs TF-TAVR 13.3%, p = 0.414), and infection (TA-TAVR, 6.7% vs TF-TAVR 3.6%, p = 0.180) were similar in the study groups but with an overall trend in favor of TF-TAVR. Higher rates of major vascular damage (7.2% vs 1.0%, p = 0.003) and moderate-to-severe paravalvular regurgitation (7.8% vs 5.2%, p = 0.008) were observed after TF-TAVR. On the contrary, TA-TAVR was associated with higher rates of red blood cell transfusion (50.0% vs 30.4%, p = 0.0002) and acute kidney injury (stages 1 to 3: 44.4% vs 21.9%, p <0.0001) compared with TF-TAVR. Three-year survival rate was 69.1% after TF-TAVR and 57.0% after TA-TAVR (p = 0.006), whereas freedom from major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events was 61.9% after TF-TAVR and 50.4% after TA-TAVR (p = 0.011). In conclusion, TF-TAVR seems to be associated with significantly higher early and intermediate survival compared with TA-TAVR. The transfemoral approach, whenever feasible, should be considered the route of choice for TAVR.

Background The current prognosis of esophageal perforation and the efficacy of available treatment methods are not well defined. Methods We performed a systematic review of esophageal perforations published from January 2000 to April 2012 and subjected a proportion of the retrieved data to a meta-analysis. Meta-regression was performed to determine predictors of mortality immediately after esophageal perforation. Results Analysis of 75 studies resulted in a pooled mortality of 11.9 % [95 % confidence interval (CI) 9.7–14.3: 75 studies with 2,971 patients] with a mean hospital stay of 32.9 days (95 % CI 16.9–48.9: 28 studies with 1,233 patients). Cervical perforations had a pooled mortality of 5.9 %, thoracic perforations 10.9 %, and intraabdominal perforations 13.2 %. Mortality after esophageal perforation secondary to foreign bodies was 2.1 %, iatrogenic perforation 13.2 %, and spontaneous perforation 14.8 %. Treatment started within 24 h after the event resulted in a mortality rate of 7.4 % compared with 20.3 % in patients treated later (risk ratio 2.279, 95 % CI 1.632–3.182). Primary repair was associated with a pooled mortality of 9.5 %, esophagectomy 13.8 %, T-tube or any other tube repair 20.0 %, and stent-grafting 7.3 %. Conclusions Results of recent studies indicate that mortality after esophageal perforation is high despite any definitive surgical or conservative strategy. Stent-grafting is associated with somewhat lower mortality rates, but studies may be biased by patient selection and limited experience.

The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of vascular closure devices (VCDs). This meta-analysis was performed in accordance with the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews. The literature search yielded 31 prospective, randomized studies including 7,528 patients who were randomized to VCDs or manual/mechanical compression after diagnostic angiography and/or endovascular procedures. Most of these studies have excluded patients at high risk of puncture site complications. Meta-analysis showed similar results in the study groups in terms of groin hematoma, bleeding, pseudoaneurysm, and blood transfusion. Lower limb ischemia and other arterial ischemic complications (0.3% vs 0%, P = .07) as well as need of surgery for vascular complications (0.7% vs 0.4%, P = .10) were somewhat more frequent with arterial puncture closure devices. The incidence of groin infection was significantly more frequent with VCDs (0.6% vs 0.2%, P = .02). The use of VCD was uniformly associated with a significantly shorter time to hemostasis. Such differences where more evident in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, whereas these methods were associated with similar rates of adverse events among patients undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography. The use of VCDs is associated with a significantly shorter time to hemostasis and thus may shorten recovery. However, the use of VCDs is associated with a somewhat increased risk of infection, lower limb ischemia/arterial stenosis/device entrapment in the artery, and need of vascular surgery for arterial complications. Further studies are needed to get more conclusive results, particularly in patients at high risk of femoral puncture-related complications.

This study was planned to evaluate the outcome of patients ≥80 years old undergoing isolated conventional aortic valve replacement (AVR). Systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis of data on octogenarians and nonagenarians who underwent isolated AVR were performed. The literature search yielded 48 observational studies reporting on 13 216 patients ≥80 years old. Pooled proportion of immediate postoperative mortality was 6.7 % (95% CI 5.8-7.5, 47 studies, 13,092 patients), and it was 5.8% (95% CI 4.8-6.9) in 18 studies with a mid-date from 2000 to 2006 and 7.5% (95% CI 6.8-8.2) in 30 studies with a mid-date from 1982 to 1999 (P = .004). Pooled proportion of postoperative stroke was 2.4% (95% CI 2.1-2.7, 21 studies, 8,436 patients), that of postoperative dialysis was 2.6% (95% CI 1.6-3.8, 10 studies, 1,945 patients), and that of postoperative implantation of a pacemaker was 4.6% (95% CI 3.6-5.8, 6 studies, 1,470 patients). Pooled survival rates at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years after isolated AVR were 87.6%, 78.7%, 65.4%, and 29.7%, respectively. Immediate postoperative mortality and morbidity after isolated AVR in patients ≥80 years old are rather low. Postoperatively mortality decreased even further in the most recent series. Importantly, isolated AVR in these high-risk patients was associated with good late survival. These findings suggest that advanced age alone cannot be considered as a contraindication to conventional isolated AVR and that any new valve prosthesis implanted in these patients should be durable enough to guarantee the results so far offered by conventional surgery.

Background Bleeding after cardiac surgery requiring surgical reexploration and blood component transfusion is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Although prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) has been used satisfactorily in bleeding disorders, studies on its efficacy and safety after cardiopulmonary bypass are limited. Methods Between January 2005 and December 2013, 3454 consecutive cardiac surgery patients were included in an observational study aimed at investigating the efficacy and safety of PCC as first-line coagulopathy treatment as a replacement for fresh frozen plasma (FFP). Starting in January 2012, PCC was introduced as solely first-line treatment for bleeding following cardiac surgery. Results After one-to-one propensity score–matched analysis, 225 pairs of patients receiving PCC (median dose 1500 IU) and FFP (median dose 2 U) were included. The use of PCC was associated with significantly decreased 24-h post-operative blood loss (836 ± 1226 vs. 935 ± 583 ml, p  < 0.0001). Propensity score–adjusted multivariate analysis showed that PCC was associated with significantly lower risk of red blood cell (RBC) transfusions (odds ratio [OR] 0.50; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.31–0.80), decreased amount of RBC units (β unstandardised coefficient −1.42, 95 % CI −2.06 to −0.77) and decreased risk of transfusion of more than 2 RBC units (OR 0.53, 95 % CI 0.38–0.73). Patients receiving PCC had an increased risk of post-operative acute kidney injury (AKI) (OR 1.44, 95 % CI 1.02–2.05) and renal replacement therapy (OR 3.35, 95 % CI 1.13–9.90). Hospital mortality was unaffected by PCC (OR 1.51, 95 % CI 0.84–2.72). Conclusions In the cardiac surgery setting, the use of PCC compared with FFP was associated with decreased post-operative blood loss and RBC transfusion requirements. However, PCC administration may be associated with a higher risk of post-operative AKI.

Patients undergoing cardiac surgery develop a marked postoperative systemic inflammatory response. Blood transfusion may contribute to disruption of homeostasis in these patients. We sought to evaluate the impact of blood transfusion on serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), hypoxia induced factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) levels as well as adverse outcomes in patients undergoing adult cardiac surgery. We prospectively enrolled 282 patients undergoing adult cardiac surgery. Serum IL-6 and HIF-1α levels were measured preoperatively and on the first postoperative day. Packed red blood cells were transfused in 26.3% of patients (mean 2.93 ± 3.05 units) by the time of postoperative sampling. Postoperative IL-6 levels increased over 30-fold and were similar in both groups (p = 0.115), whilst HIF-1α levels (0.377 pg/mL vs. 0.784 pg/mL, p = 0.002) decreased significantly in patients who received red blood cell transfusion. Moreover, greater decrease in HIF-1α levels predicted worse in-hospital and 3mo adverse outcome. Red blood cell transfusion was associated with higher risk of major adverse outcomes (stroke, pneumonia, all-cause mortality) during the index hospitalization. Red blood cell transfusion induces blunting of postoperative HIF-1 α response and is associated with higher risk of adverse thrombotic and pulmonary adverse events after cardiac surgery. Clinical Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03444259.

Chronic inflammation plays a crucial role in coronary artery disease (CAD), but differences in specific cytokine profiles between acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and stable CAD remain unknown. We investigated cytokine differences between these two manifestations of CAD. The study included 308 patients with angiographically detected, hemodynamically significant CAD: 150 patients undergone angiography for ACS, 158 patients undergone angiography for stable CAD. To assess dynamic changes, 116 patients had index angiogram at least 3 months earlier. We measured the serum concentrations of 48 circulating cytokines. The ACS group had decreased interleukin (IL) 4 (p = 0.005), and increased IL-8 (p = 0.008), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) (p < 0.001) and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) (p = 0.002) levels compared with the stable CAD group. Multivariable logistic regression revealed increased levels of HGF (OR 18.050 [95% CI 4.372–74.517], p < 0.001), M-CSF (OR 2.257 [1.375–3.705], p = 0.001) and IL-6 (OR 1.586 [1.131–2.224], p = 0.007), independently associated with ACS. In the post-angiography group, only diminished platelet-derived growth factor-BB levels in ACS-manifested patients were observed (OR 0.478, [0.279–0.818], p = 0.007). Cytokine profiles differ between ACS and stable CAD. Such differences seem to be mainly reversible within 3 months after ACS. Thus, targeting one or two cytokines only might not offer one-size fits all-therapeutic approach for CAD-associated inflammation. Trial registration: NCT03444259.

PurposeWe evaluated the value of reduced global and segmental absolute stress myocardial blood flow (sMBF) quantified by [15O] water positron emission tomography (PET) for predicting cardiac events in patients with suspected obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD).MethodsGlobal and segmental sMBF during adenosine stress were retrospectively quantified in 530 symptomatic patients who underwent [15O] water PET for evaluation of coronary stenosis detected by coronary computed tomography angiography.ResultsCardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or unstable angina occurred in 28 (5.3%) patients at a 4-year follow-up. Reduced global sMBF was associated with events (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.622, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.538–0.707, p = 0.006). Reduced global sMBF (< 2.2 ml/g/min) was found in 22.8%, preserved global sMBF despite segmentally reduced sMBF in 35.3%, and normal sMBF in 41.9% of patients. Compared with normal sMBF, reduced global sMBF was associated with the highest risk of events (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 6.970, 95% CI 2.271–21.396, p = 0.001), whereas segmentally reduced sMBF combined with preserved global MBF predicted an intermediate risk (adjusted HR 3.251, 95% CI 1.030–10.257, p = 0.044). The addition of global or segmental reduction of sMBF to clinical risk factors improved risk prediction (net reclassification index 0.498, 95% CI 0.118–0.879, p = 0.010, and 0.583, 95% CI 0.203–0.963, p = 0.002, respectively).ConclusionIn symptomatic patients evaluated for suspected obstructive CAD, reduced global sMBF by [15O] water PET identifies those at the highest risk of adverse cardiac events, whereas segmental reduction of sMBF with preserved global sMBF is associated with an intermediate event risk.

Little is known about rural-urban differences in the treatment and outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We aimed to assess whether the initiation of oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy in patients with AF differs between those with rural and urban residence. The registry-based FinACAF cohort covers all patients with AF from all levels of care in Finland. Patients were divided into rural and urban categories and into urbanization degree tertiles based on their municipality of residence at the time of AF diagnosis. The outcome was the first redeemed OAC prescription. We identified 222 419 patients (50.1% female; mean age 72.8 (SD 13.2) years) with incident AF during 2007-2018. Urban residence was associated with a lower rate of OAC therapy initiation (adjusted subdistribution hazard ratio (SHR) (95% CI) 0.96 (0.95-0.97)). Correspondingly, an inverse graded dose-response relationship was observed between higher urbanization degree tertile and OAC initiation rate (highest tertile compared to lowest: adjusted SHR (95% CI) 0.94 (0.93-0.95)). The adoption of direct oral anticoagulants for stroke prevention was faster among patients with urban residence. This nationwide cohort study documented that urban residence is associated with a slightly lower rate of OAC therapy initiation in patients with incident AF, but faster adoption of direct oral anticoagulant use.