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Background: Platelet count reduction (PR) is a common but unclear phenomenon that occurs after aortic bioprosthesis valve implantation (bio-AVR). This study aimed to investigate the occurrence and clinical impact of PR in patients receiving stented, rapid deployment (RDV), or stentless bioprostheses. Methods: 1233 adult bio-AVR patients were enrolled. Platelet count variation, early post-operative adverse events, and in-hospital mortality were analysed. Results: 944 patients received a stented valve, an RDV was implanted in 218 patients, and 71 patients had a stentless bioprosthesis. In all groups, the platelet count at discharge was lower than the baseline values (p < 0.001). The percentage of PR was 27% in the stented group, 56% in the RDV group, and 55% in the stentless group. A higher platelet reduction, reaching the minimum platelet value, was observed in the RDV (mean: −30.84, standard error (SE): 5.91, p < 0.001) and stentless (mean: 22.54, SE: 9.10, p = 0.03) groups compared to the stented group. A greater PR occurred as the size of the bioprosthesis increased in RDV (p = 0.01), while platelet count variation was not directly proportional to the stented bioprosthesis size (p < 0.001). PR was not affected by cardiopulmonary bypass (mean: −0.00, SE: 0.001, p = 0.635) or cross-clamp (mean: −0.00, SE: 0.002, p = 0.051) times in any of the groups. RDV subjects experienced more in-hospital adverse events. PR was found to be associated with ischemic strokes in the overall population. Conclusions: Bio-AVR is associated with significant but transient PR. RDV patients more likely experience significant PR and related adverse clinical events. PR is associated with ischemic strokes, regardless of the bioprosthesis type.

This study examines sex-based differences in baseline characteristics, practice patterns and mid-term survival following aortic valve replacement (AVR). The study design included all consecutive patients from the AVR Registry with a 3-year follow-up. Patients were initially categorized by sex and prosthesis type. The primary end-point was 3-year all-cause mortality. Subgroup observations included the age-recommended threshold for mechanical prosthesis (<65 years) and the patient-prosthesis mismatch (PPM). The present study revealed that females (n = 517) compared to males (n = 732) were significantly older (67.2 ± 9.3 years vs 64.4 ± 12.2 years, P < 0.001), had higher body mass index (2.23 ± 7.2 cm2 vs 2.01 ± 0.2 cm2, P < 0.005) and lower left ventricular ejection fractions (51.8 ± 13.5% vs 57.7 ± 10.8%, P < 0.001) at the time of the index procedure. Additionally, females received significantly more bioprosthetic AVR than males (38.1% vs 32.6%, P = 0.040). There were no significant differences in 3-year mortality risk between males and females (14.6% vs 14.1%, P = 0.87). In subgroup analyses of patients with mechanical prostheses, females experienced a higher incidence of PPM than males (9.6% vs 2.2%, P < 0.001), whereas no significant difference was observed among those who received bioprosthetic valves. The male cohort observed reduced mortality associated with mechanical versus bioprostheses (hazard ratio [HR] 0.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.36-0.81, P = 0.003). This effect was particularly significant in males under 65 (HR 0.27, 95% CI 0.11-0.68, P = 0.005). However, there was no difference in mortality related to prosthesis type in females, regardless of age group. At the time of referral for AVR, female patients were significantly older and had worse clinical profiles than male patients. Despite the higher rates of bioprosthetic valve implantation and PPM in females, mid-term survival rates were not significantly different. In contrast, males, especially those under 65, showed higher mortality following bioprosthetic AVR. These findings underscore the need for further research focusing on the sex-based treatment determinates in AVR.

Heart valve disease (HVD) affects 2.5% of the US population and one million individuals aged 65 years and older in the UK. Given its burden, the aim of the present review was to assess the cost-effectiveness of heart valve replacement with mechanical versus biological prosthesis in HVD patients. We performed a systematic search in various electronic databases from January 1990 to June 2019. Five out of 542 articles were entered into the study, from which 2 papers were subsequently excluded not meeting the minimum number of items of the CHEERS checklist. Quality-Adjusted Life Year, Life Years Gained, and the Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER) regarding the type of replaced heart valve were extracted and reported. Studies were conducted in three different countries (Iran, France, and USA). ICER ranged from $1253 in Iran to €54,634 in France. Survival rate of mitral mechanical versus biological valves at 10 and 20 years was 72.9% versus 76.0% and 51% versus 30%, respectively. Survival rate at 20 years in patients undergoing atrial valve replacement was 20%. Ten- and 20-year death rates for biological valves were higher with respect to mechanical prosthesis (15.5% versus 8.4% at 10 years), with this difference becoming more relevant at 20 years (36.9% versus 13.9%). Due to higher ICER, mortality rate, and lower success rates in the long term for biological prostheses compared to mechanical ones, these appear to be more suitable for older patients (aged ≥ 70 years).

Background and Objectives: This study aims to assess the postoperative outcomes and complications of sutureless and sutured aortic valve replacement in patients with infective endocarditis. Materials and Methods: A total of 58 patients who underwent redo aortic valve replacement for bacterial or non-bacterial endocarditis between January 2018 and March 2023 were included in our study. Surgical procedures were performed through a full median sternotomy due to redo cases and to provide optimal access. Demographic characteristics, operative times, postoperative complications and some echocardiographic data were compared. All cases were meticulously evaluated preoperatively by a cardiac team to select the best treatment option. Results: The mean ICU length of stay was significantly shorter in the sutureless valve group at 5.4 ± 3.9 days compared to 7.9 ± 4.1 days in the sutured valve group (p = 0.029). However, the sutureless group had a mean operation time of 164.7 ± 37.3 min, while the sutured group had a mean operation time of 197.7 ± 45.6 min (p = 0.044). Again, the difference in cardiopulmonary bypass times between the two groups was statistically significant (p = 0.039). And again, four (14.2%) patients in the sutureless group underwent reoperation due to bleeding, while eight (26.6%) patients in the sutured group underwent postoperative bleeding control (p = 0.048). Conclusions: Our study suggests that sutureless aortic valve replacement may offer advantages in terms of operative efficiency and postoperative recovery compared to conventional sutured valves, with some significant differences in terms of some complications.

Objectives: Infective endocarditis (IE) is a feared and life-threatening complication, requiring a multidisciplinary approach. Prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) accounts for 20–30% of IE, is one of the most severe forms of IE, and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. We aim to compare and analyze baseline characteristics, microbiology, clinical presentation, complications, and prognosis between biological and mechanical PVE; we also carried out a subgroup analysis of patients aged 45–65 at the time of onset of prosthetic surgery. Methods: The present study is a post hoc analysis of a prospective multicenter cohort of patients with PVE between January 2008 and December 2023. Patients were divided into two groups regarding the type of prosthesis, mechanical vs. biological. Results: A total of 1544 patients were included. 733 (47.47%) patients with mechanical PVE (mPVE) and 811 (52.52) with biological PVE (bPVE). We found that bPVE appeared earlier than mPVE, had more healthcare-related infections and paravalvular complications. Both groups had similar clinical presentations; moreover, there was no difference in surgical indication and if surgery was performed. On the other hand, mPVE has a higher incidence of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) and Gram-negative bacteria, while bPVE has more coagulase-negative staphylococci. Multivariable logistic regression identified the following independent risk factors of mortality: EuroSCORE I, age, mPVE, SA, IE comprising two valves, and severe sepsis. mPVE had a higher mortality on admission, probably due to a higher incidence of septic shock and CNS embolism. The subgroup analysis of patients between 45 and 65 years at the time of prosthesis implantation showed similar results. Conclusions: The present analysis shows that bPVE appears earlier than mPVE, even in the subgroup of patients aged 45–65. bPVE has more healthcare-related infections and more paravalvular complications. After adjusting for baseline differences, mPVE had higher in-hospital mortality.

Background: A wide variety of meshes are available for surgical treatment of abdominal wall defects. These meshes are constructed with different materials with different biological properties. Methods: A prospective database was instituted (January 2009-December 2010) to register biological prostheses (BPs) implanted in Italy. Results: A total of 193 cases were registered. The mean age of the patients was 53.1 years (SD ±7.4). The ratio of males to females was 1.3 to 1. The mean body mass index was 28.2 (SD ±4.1). The breakdown of American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scores was as follows: ASA I, 35.7%; ASA II, 27.5%; ASA III, 31.6%, and ASA IV, 5.2%. For ventral-incisional hernias, the mean duration of surgery was 101.1 min (SD ±25.3), while for inguinal-femoral hernias it was 49.2 min (SD ±19.1). The rate of urgent procedures was 36.7%. The surgical field was clean in 57.4% of cases, clean-contaminated in 21.3%, contaminated in 12.3% and dirty in 9%. Techniques used for inguinal-femoral hernias were as follows: Lichtenstein in 66.7%, plug and mesh in 3.8%, transabdominal-preperitoneal in 25.7% and intraperitoneal onlay mesh in 3.8%. The following prostheses were used: swine intestinal submucosa in 54.9%, porcine dermal collagen in 39.9% and bovine pericardium in 5.2%. In 45.1% of cases the prostheses were cross-linked. Techniques used for ventral-incisional hernias were as follows: onlay in 3.6%, inlay in 5.5%, sublay in 62.7% and underlay via laparoscopy in 28.2%. The mean overlap was 4.1 cm (SD ±1.2). No intestinal anastomosis was necessary in 65.3% of cases; however, small/large bowel resection and anastomoses were necessary in 22.3 and 12.4% of cases, respectively. Intraoperative blood transfusion was necessary in 10.4% of procedures. The skin was completely closed in 84% of procedures. At the 1-month follow-up, there were no complications in 54.4% of cases. Among the cases with complications, 10 patients (5.8%) experienced recurrence, and the postoperative readmission rate was 12.9%. The average visual analog scale (VAS) score for pain was 2.9 (SD ±1.2) at rest. At the 1-year follow-up, there were no complications in 96.4% of cases. Two patients experienced recurrence, and the postoperative readmission rate was 3.6%. The average VAS score for pain was 1.8 (SD ±0.8) at rest. Conclusions: This register shows that BPs are highly versatile and can be used in either open or laparoscopic surgery in all kinds of patients and in contaminated surgical fields. However, due to the very good outcomes of synthetic meshes and the high costs of BPs, the latter should only be used in selected cases.

The aortic valve is the most frequently diseased valve and aortic stenosis (AS) is the most prevalent valvular heart disease in developed countries. The diseased native aortic valve can be replaced by either a biological or mechanical valve prosthesis. The main concerns relate to durability, the need for oral anticoagulants and the incidence of complications related to this medication. Experimental, computational and biomolecular blood flow studies have demonstrated that the systolic forward flow but also the reverse flow phase at the end of the systole and leakage during the diastolic phase is mainly responsible for platelet activation and thrombosis. Better design of mechanical prosthetic heart valves must ensure smooth closing during flow deceleration and must eliminate high-shear hinge flow during diastole to prevent life-threatening thrombosis. A novel tri-leaflet valve should combine the favorable hemodynamics and the durability of existing mechanical heart valves and eliminate the less favorable characteristics, including the extremely rapid closing. In this paper, we discuss some issues of current mechanical heart valve prostheses and present a new valve design with the potential for significant innovation in the field. The TRIFLO Heart Valve, is a rigid, three-leaflet central flow heart valve prosthesis consisting of an alloyed titanium housing, and three rigid polymer (PEEK) cusps. This valve has a physiological operating mode. During the forward flow phase, the intraventricular pressure opens the leaflets so that blood can freely flow through with little obstruction, and with the deceleration of the blood flow, the leaflets close early and smoothly, minimizing blood flow regurgitation, blood cell damage, and activation of the coagulation cascade. Pre-clinical studies have shown pretty favorable results and a first-in-man study should start very soon.

Surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) is still the gold-standard treatment for aortic stenosis. However, the increasing use of biological prostheses, even in young patients, makes Valve-in-Valve (ViV) transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) an attractive option compared to redo SAVR, thanks to its lower invasiveness and sometimes greater safety. However, there are several technical and anatomical aspects to consider. Therefore, the aim of our review is to examine the main mechanisms responsible for the degeneration of biological prostheses and, subsequently, to analyze the hemodynamic (transvalvular gradients, patient–prosthesis mismatch, paravalvular leakage) and technical (risk of coronary obstruction, prosthetic implantation strategy) aspects that most influence the procedure’s success and long-term outcomes. To this end, we present a case we treated in order to enhance our readers’ experience with this procedure. Currently, ViV TAVI is approved for patients at high surgical risk, but it could become a valid option compared to redo SAVR; however, more clinical trials are needed to better analyze the survival differences between these two procedures. Furthermore, it remains a therapeutic strategy reserved for highly specialized centers due to the technical difficulties involved in its execution.

To investigate outcomes of aortic valve replacement with the largest available Epic Supra bioprosthesis (size 29). We reviewed all patients who received an Epic Supra bioprosthesis between 2011 and 2023 and selected all 29 size prostheses that were implanted either into patients with an aortic annulus of at least 29 mm (sizing as recommended by the manufacturer) or into patients with smaller annuli (upsizing). Short- and long-term results were assessed. Propensity score matching was employed to improve comparability between groups. Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests were performed to compare survival. Epic Supra bioprostheses were implanted into 1845 patients between 2011 and 2023. Mean age was 69.7 (11.2) years and 79.2% were male. Size 29 was implanted in 360 patients (mean age 68 (8.9) years), and 97.2% were male. EuroScore II was 5.1 (1.3; 6.6). One quarter of cases were performed via parasternal minithoracotomy. Mortality at 30 days was 2.8%, with no significant differences. Need for re-exploration was 3.3% and permanent pacemaker implantation was 4.7% (no statistically significant differences). Longest follow-up was 10 years with a mean of 50 (41) months. Mean prosthetic pressure gradients were 11.3 (16.7) mmHg and aortic valve reoperations/interventions were required in 5 patients (1.4%), all due to infective endocarditis. This is the largest experience of Epic Supra 29 implantation worldwide. Our results illustrate exemplary clinical and haemodynamic performance. In addition, the 29 size prosthesis can safely be implanted into patients with smaller than 29 mm annulus, which may improve future valve-in-valve options.