BackgroundAtrial fibrillation, the world's predominant cardiac arrhythmia, frequently emerges as a complication post-cardiac surgery, leading to serious outcomes like strokes, heart failures, and even death. Due to its often-silent nature, detecting it can be challenging. Smartwatches present a potential solution, offering screening that is more rigorous.ObjectiveThis prospective observational study sought to assess the Withings Scanwatch's efficacy in identifying postoperative atrial fibrillation.MethodsAfter cardiac surgery, patients received a Withings Scanwatch. Over a span of 24 h, both the smartwatch's photoplethysmography sensor and standard telemetry kept track of any atrial fibrillation incidents.ResultsAt the end of the study, data from 260 patients was available for assessment. Atrial fibrillation was identified in 32 of these patients, either via telemetry or the smartwatch. Our data revealed a sensitivity of 69.0%, specificity of 98.7%, a positive predictive value of 87.0%, and a negative predictive value of 96.2%.ConclusionsThis clinical study is the first to evaluate the photoplethysmography sensor of the Withings Scanwatch, and it shows that the Scanwatch has high a specificity and moderate sensitivity in detecting postoperative atrial fibrillation. Thus, Scanwatch may support the conventional screening for atrial fibrillation, and potentially reducing complications and costs of atrial fibrillation. Because of lower than expected sensitivity this technology cannot replace conventional monitoring in postoperative patients.

Background/Objectives: Our aim was to assess the feasibility of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) to detect changes in tissue oxygenation (StO2) of the back, as non-invasive spinal cord collateral network (CN) monitoring during staged endovascular repair (ER) of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA). Methods: Between September 2019 and June 2021, 20 patients were treated for TAAA and underwent HSI. They were randomized 1:1 to minimally invasive staged segmental artery coil embolization (MIS2ACE) (n = 10) and staged stentgraft implantation (n = 10) as priming methods. HSI of paravertebral regions was taken during each procedure and up to 10 days after. The primary endpoint was the identification of StO2 changes after ER of TAAA. Results: TAAA Crawford Type II (n = 17) and Type III (n = 3) were treated. After stentgrafting, StO2 increased immediately (p < 0.001), followed by a decrease after 5 days (p < 0.001) and 10 days (p = 0.028). StO2 was significantly higher in the thoracic compared to the lumbar region. There was no significant difference between MIS2ACE and the first stentgrafting for StO2 (p = 0.491). Following MIS2ACE, definitive ER caused a significant decrease in StO2 after 5 days (p = 0.021), which recovered to baseline after 10 days (p = 0.130). After stentgraft priming, definitive ER caused a significant decrease in StO2 after 24 h (p = 0.008), which did not return to baseline after 5 (p < 0.001) and 10 days (p = 0.019). Conclusions: HSI detected significant changes in StO2 in the thoracic and lumbar paravertebral regions during ER of TAAA. These preliminary data suggest the efficacy of MIS2ACE in priming the CN before ER of TAAA.

Objective: Acute aortic dissection is a rare but frequently fatal aortic catastrophe with high morbidity and mortality. Especially in pregnant patients, acute dissection is often misdiagnosed putting two lives on the line. Due to its scarcity, only case reports have been reported. The aim of this study is to analyze the time of aortic dissection during the course of pregnancy and the outcome of emergency surgery in pregnant women with and without hereditary connective tissue disorder. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all acute aortic dissections (type A and B) who underwent emergency aortic surgery at our institution between 1994 and 2022 and identified 13 patients with acute aortic dissection during pregnancy or directly postpartum. Mann–Whitney U and Fisher’s exact tests were used for statistical analysis. Results: Of the 13 included patients, 5 had a genetic syndrome. These patients were significantly younger at the time of dissection and at an earlier stage of pregnancy (second trimester). Even though operative and in-house mortality was zero, we lost one patient on postoperative day 14 due to rupture of the aortic root after transfer to another hospital. Survival of neonates was 77% including two aborted pregnancies. Conclusions: Surgical treatment of acute aortic dissection during pregnancy can be performed with excellent operative mortality for the mothers and satisfying survival of their neonates. In patients with genetic syndrome, dissection occurs during the early second trimester, whereas non-syndromic patients experience acute dissection in the late third trimester. Long-term follow-up is essential for timely re-intervention, if needed.

OBJECTIVES:Neuroprotective measures have been established in open thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm repair to reduce the incidence of postoperative paraplegia. Distal aortic perfusion (DaP) is meant to increase blood flow to the abdominal organs and the spinal cord. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage is part of peri- and postoperative clinical routine. We aimed to investigate the effect of both techniques on spinal cord perfusion in an acute large animal model with segmental artery occlusion. METHODS:Eight pigs underwent minimally invasive segmental artery coil embolization prior to establishment of cardiopulmonary bypass with DaP. After initiation of DaP, CSF pressure was increased 3-fold by infusion of blood plasma. Collateral network near-infrared spectroscopy was used as an additional real-time monitoring method for indirect perfusion monitoring. Microspheres were injected for post-mortem regional spinal cord blood flow analysis. RESULTS:DaP led to an increase in spinal cord perfusion limited to the very lower spinal cord (L3-S, up to 400% of baseline) and the corresponding paraspinous muscle area. The most vulnerable region between T8 and L2 was not reached by DaP (between 14% and 46% of baseline). After initiation of DaP, a 10% increase in oxygenation via collateral network near-infrared spectroscopy was observed for the low lumbar region. The increase in CSF pressure counteracted enhanced perfusion inflow leading to a decrease in net tissue perfusion. CONCLUSIONS:DaP is effective in increasing blood flow to the distal spinal cord (effectively counteracting CSF pressure increase) and paraspinous muscles, despite occluded segmental arteries, resulting in hyperperfusion potentially leading to spinal cord oedema and delayed paraplegia postoperatively.

Clinical cases referring to the EACTS/STS Guidelines for diagnosing and treating acute and chronic syndromes of the aortic organ aim to assist physicians in selecting the best management strategies for individual patients with a given condition. These expert opinions consider the impact on patient outcomes as well as the risk-benefit ratio of different diagnostic or therapeutic methods. These cases serve as a vital tool to aid physicians in making decisions in their daily practice. However, in essence, although these recommendations serve as a valuable resource to guide clinical practice, their application should be tailored to the needs of the individual patient. Each patient's case is unique, presenting its own set of variables and circumstances. This editorial is a tool designed to support, but not supersede, the decision-making process of physicians, based on their knowledge, expertise and understanding of their patients' individual situations. Furthermore, these clinical cases are based on the EACTS/STS Guidelines for diagnosing and treating acute and chronic syndromes of the aortic organ but should not be interpreted as legally binding documents. The legal responsibilities of healthcare professionals remain firmly grounded in applicable laws and regulations, and the guidelines and the clinical cases presented in this document do not alter these obligations.

BACKGROUND Total arterial revascularization is associated with superior outcomes to conventional coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery performed with the left internal thoracic artery (ITA) and veins. It is often performed with bilateral ITAs that increase risk of sternal wound infection. Minimally invasive multivessel CABG through a left anterior minithoracotomy eliminates sternal wound complications. However, being performed only in a few specialized centers, there is a paucity in followup outcome data. We, therefore, describe our 5-year single-center experience with such operations. METHODS Between 2015 and 2021, 186 patients underwent elective, total arterial minimally invasive CABG in our institution. Patient data were prospectively collected in the institutional database and retrospectively analyzed. Primary end points were in-hospital mortality and 5-year survival. The secondary end points included freedom from major adverse cerebrovascular and cardiac events. RESULTS Patients were a mean age of 66 +/- 9 years, and 23 (12%) were women. The mean number of bypass grafts performed was 2.4 +/- 0.5 (range, 2-4 grafts). Bilateral ITAs were used in 163 patients (88%) and left ITA and radial arteries in 22 (12%). The mean procedure time was 277 +/- 58 minutes. There was 1 hospital death. Perioperative myocardial infarction, repeat thoracotomy, and conversion to sternotomy was observed in 6 (3%), 12 (6.5%), and 2 patients (1.1%), respectively. The mean 5-year survival was 93.3% +/- 2.2%, and freedom from major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events was 83.8% +/- 4.1%. CONCLUSIONS Total arterial minimally invasive CABG is a feasible surgical approach yielding excellent short- and midterm results when performed in selected patients in specialized high-volume cardiac centers.

Background: Spinal cord ischemia is a known and devastating complication after open and endovascular thoracoabdominal aneurysm replacement. Several neuroprotective adjuncts have been established to improve spinal cord perfusion or at least early detection of spinal cord ischemia. Drainage of cerebrospinal fluid is one major support in peri- and postoperative optimization of spinal cord blood flow by reducing the intrathecal pressure. A previous acute large animal model already demonstrated a decrease to 50% of blood flow, even with open segmental arteries, however, we aimed for an investigation of the (neurological) outcome.

Clinical practice guidelines summarize and assess all relevant evidence on a specific topic at the time of their creation, with the goal of assisting physicians in selecting the best management strategies for individual patients with a given condition. These guidelines take into consideration the impact on patient outcomes as well as the risk–benefit ratio of different diagnostic or therapeutic methods. Although these guidelines do not replace textbooks, they complement them and cover topics pertinent to contemporary clinical practice.

OBJECTIVES Several short-term analyses from German Registry for Acute Aortic Dissection Type A (GERAADA) have been published. This study investigated whether short-term risk factors are transferable to the long-term prognosis of patients.METHODS Thirty-three centres with 2686 patients participated in the long-term follow-up. A total of 1164 patients died, 1063 survived and 459 were lost to follow-up during the follow-up timeframe (mean duration: 10.2 years). Long-term mortality of the cohort was compared with an age-stratified, German population.RESULTS One, 5 and 10 years after initial surgery, the survival of the GERAADA patient cohort was 71.4%, 63.4% and 51%, respectively. Without the early deaths (90-day mortality 25.4%), survival was calculated after 1, 5 and 10 years: 95.6%, 83.5% and 68.3%. Higher age, longer extracorporeal circulation time, shorter perioperative ventilation time and postoperative neurologic deficits were predictive of long-term prognosis. In an age-divided landmark analysis, the mortality of aortic dissection surgery survivors was found to be similar to that of the general German population. If patients are sorted in risk groups according to the GERAADA score, long-term survival differs between the risk groups.CONCLUSIONS If patients have survived an acute postoperative period of 90 days, life expectancy comparable to that of the general German population can be assumed in lower- and medium-risk patients. Whether the GERAADA score can provide valuable insights into the long-term prognosis of patients undergoing surgery for acute aortic dissection type A is still unclear. Most available reports describe only early results of surgery for acute aortic dissection [1-4] and an analysis of pre- and intraoperative risk factors for early mortality based on data from the German Registry for Acute Aortic Dissection type A (GERAADA registry) of acute aortic dissection type A (AADA) patients was published several years ago [5].

PurposeCardiac myxomas (CMs) are the second most common benign primary cardiac tumors, mainly originating within the left atrium. Approximately 5% of CM cases are associated with Carney Complex (CNC), an autosomal dominant multiple neoplasia syndrome often caused by germline mutations in the Protein Kinase A regulatory subunit 1A (PRKAR1A). Data concerning PRKAR1A alterations in sporadic myxomas are variable and sparse, with PRKAR1A mutations reported to range from 0% to 87%. Therefore, we investigated the frequency of PRKAR1A mutations in sporadic CM using next-generation sequencing (NGS). Additionally, we explored mutations in the catalytic domain of the Protein Kinase A complex (PRKACA) and examined the presence of GNAS mutations as another potential driver.Methods and ResultsThis study retrospectively collected histological and clinical data from 27 patients with CM. First, we ruled out the possibility of underlying CNC through clinical evaluations and standardized interviews for each patient. Second, we performed PRKAR1A immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis and graded the reactivity of myxoma cells semi-quantitatively. NGS was then applied to analyze the coding regions of PRKAR1A, PRKACA, and GNAS in all 27 cases. Of the 27 sporadic CM cases, 13 (48%) harbored mutations in PRKAR1A. Among these 13 mutant cases, six displayed more than one mutation in PRKAR1A. Most of the identified mutations resulted in premature stop codons or affected splicing. In PRKAR1A mutant CM cases, the loss of PRKAR1A protein expression was significantly more common. In two cases with missense mutations, protein expression remained preserved. Furthermore, a single mutation was detected in the catalytic domain of the protein kinase A complex, while no GNAS mutations were found.ConclusionWe identified a relatively high frequency of PRKAR1A mutations in sporadic CM. These PRKAR1A mutations may also represent an important oncogenic mechanism in sporadic myxomas, as already known in CM cases associated with CNC.

The bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most common cardiovascular congenital abnormality and is frequently associated with proximal aortopathy. We analyzed the tissues of patients with bicuspid and tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) regarding the protein expression of the receptor for advanced glycation products (RAGE) and its ligands, the advanced glycation end products (AGE), as well as the S100 calcium-binding protein A6 (S100A6). Since S100A6 overexpression attenuates cardiomyocyte apoptosis, we investigated the diverse pathways of apoptosis and autophagic cell death in the human ascending aortic specimen of 57 and 49 patients with BAV and TAV morphology, respectively, to identify differences and explanations for the higher risk of patients with BAV for severe cardiovascular diseases. We found significantly increased levels of RAGE, AGE and S100A6 in the aortic tissue of bicuspid patients which may promote apoptosis via the upregulation of caspase-3 activity. Although increased caspase-3 activity was not detected in BAV patients, increased protein expression of the 48 kDa fragment of vimentin was detected. mTOR as a downstream protein of Akt was significantly higher in patients with BAV, whereas Bcl-2 was increased in patients with TAV, assuming a better protection against apoptosis. The autophagy-related proteins p62 and ERK1/2 were increased in patients with BAV, assuming that cells in bicuspid tissue are more likely to undergo apoptotic cell death leading to changes in the wall and finally to aortopathies. We provide first-hand evidence of increased apoptotic cell death in the aortic tissue of BAV patients which may thus provide an explanation for the increased risk of structural aortic wall deficiency possibly underlying aortic aneurysm formation or acute dissection.

BACKGROUND Guidelines on the management of aortic aneurysm disease do not account for sex differences regarding surgical procedures on the proximal aorta, although faster aneurysm growth, increased rupture risk, and higher postoperative mortality have been found in women. We therefore analyzed outcome differences between men and women receiving operations on the proximal aorta. METHODS A total of 1773 patients underwent nonemergency surgical procedures on the aortic valve (AV) and proximal aorta at our institution between 2000 and 2018. Of these, 772 patients (21.8% women) received a Bentall procedure, 349 (20.3% women) had AV-sparing root replacement, and 652 (31.1% women) underwent AV and supracommissural ascending aorta replacement. Primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and midterm survival. RESULTS When assessing sex-related differences within the entire group of patients that received an operation on the proximal aorta, women were found to be older, had a lower body mass index, and were smokers less often. Despite shorter procedural times, median ventilation times and intensive care unit length of stay were longer in women. In-house mortality was also higher in women (3.6% vs 0.9%, P < .001). Multivariable logistic regression revealed age (odds ratio [OR], 1.8; 95% CI, 1.4-2.3 per 5 years added; P < .001), female sex (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.2-5.8; P = .02), and urgent surgery (OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.2-7.3; P = .01) as independent risk factors for in-house death. Midterm survival was lower for women in the entire cohort (P = .02) and particularly within the Bentall subgroup (P = .004). CONCLUSIONS Female sex is an independent risk factor for operative mortality in patients undergoing proximal aortic surgery but is currently not addressed in guidelines. More research should focus on etiology and prevention of these worse outcomes in female patients.

Minimally invasive staged segmental artery coil embolization (MIS2ACE) is an emerging technology for priming of the paraspinous collateral network prior to open or endovascular thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repair. Its safety and efficacy have been previously proven in various experimental settings and confirmed in numerous multicentric pilot studies for open and endovascular repair. MIS2ACE is safe and has the potential to decisively reduce the risk of postoperative paraplegia, the most devastating complication of open and endovascular TAAA repair, still affecting up to 20% of patients. Up to now, MIS2ACE has been clinically implemented with excellent results, and is currently being investigated in the international, multicenter, randomized controlled trial PAPAartis, funded by the German Research foundation, and the European Union. MIS2ACE can be performed under local anesthesia, enabling continuous monitoring of neurological function, and in case of clinical signs of imminent ischemia, preemptive interruption of the procedure. A thorough evaluation of preoperative computed tomography (CT) imaging for identification of open and accessible segmental arteries (SAs) is critical. Segmental artery occlusion can be achieved with either micro coils, or vascular plugs. A maximum number of seven SAs is currently recommended to be occluded in the same session, and a minimum interval of 5 days should be awaited between either two MIS2ACE sessions or between MIS2ACE and the final repair. Adjuvant side-effects of MIS2ACE are the reduction in segmental back-bleeding during open repair leading to harmful steal phenomenon and the reduction of the incidence of type II endoleaks in endovascular repair. Current contraindications for MIS2ACE are emergency cases, hostile anatomy, and a shaggy aorta. Other neuroprotective adjuncts such as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage, permissive hypertension, motor-evoked potentials (MEP)/somato-sensory evoked potentials (SSEP) and monitoring of paraspinous muscle oxygenation by near-infrared spectroscopy should also be applied independent of prior MIS2ACE procedure.

Investigating native human cardiac tissue with preserved 3D macro- and microarchitecture is fundamental for clinical and basic research. Unfortunately, the low accessibility of the human myocardium continues to limit scientific progress. To overcome this issue, utilizing atrial appendages of the human heart may become highly beneficial. Atrial appendages are often removed during open-heart surgery and can be preserved ex vivo as living tissue with varying durability depending on the culture method. In this study, we prepared living thin myocardial slices from left atrial appendages that were cultured using an air-liquid interface system for overall 10 days. Metabolic activity of the cultured slices was assessed using a conventional methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. To monitor the structural integrity of cardiomyocytes within the tissue, we implemented our recently described super-resolution microscopy approach that allows both qualitative and quantitative in-depth evaluation of sarcomere network based on parameters such as overall sarcomere content, filament size and orientation. Additionally, expression of mRNAs coding for key structural and functional proteins was analyzed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Our findings demonstrate highly significant disassembly of contractile apparatus represented by degradation of [Formula: see text]-actinin filaments detected after three days in culture, while metabolic activity was constantly rising and remained high for up to seven days. However, gene expression of crucial cardiac markers strongly decreased after the first day in culture indicating an early destructive response to ex vivo conditions. Therefore, we suggest static cultivation of living myocardial slices derived from left atrial appendage and prepared according to our protocol only for short-termed experiments (e.g. medicinal drug testing), while introduction of electro-mechanical stimulation protocols may offer the possibility for long-term integrity of such constructs.

Surgical and interventional repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms improve survival significantly compared to the natural history of the disease. However, both strategies are associated with a substantial risk of spinal cord ischemia, which has been reported to occur-even in contemporary series by expert centers- in up to 12% of patients, depending on the extent of the disease. Following improved neurological outcomes after staged approaches in extensive clinical and long-term large animal studies, and the description of the "collateral network", the concept of "Minimally Invasive Staged Segmental Artery Coil Embolization" (MIS2ACE) was introduced by Etz et al. This concept of priming the collateral network in order to improve spinal cord blood supply showed promising experimental and early clinical outcomes, and consequently led to the initiation of the randomized controlled multicenter PAPAartis trial (Paraplegia Prevention in Aortic Aneurysm Repair by Thoracoabdominal Staging). This Keynote Lecture describes the background and rationale for this trial and gives an update on the current status.

Purpose: To evaluate the technical success and complication rates of vascular closure devices (VCDs) in the axillary artery. Materials and Methods: MEDLINE and Embase were searched independently by two reviewers to identify observational studies from inception through October 2021. The following outcomes were meta-analyzed: technical success, hematoma, dissection, pseudoaneurysm, infection, and local neurological complications. Complications were also graded as mild, moderate, and severe. A logistic regression evaluating the influence of sheath size for the outcome of technical success rate was performed using individual patient–level data. Results: Of 1496 unique records, 20 observational studies were included, totaling 915 unique arterial access sites. Pooled estimates were as follows: technical success 84.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 78%–89.7%, I2=60.4%), hematoma 7.9% (95% CI: 5.8%–10.6%, I2=0%), dissection 3.1% (95% CI: 1.3%–7.3%, I2=0%), pseudoaneurysm 2.7% (95% CI: 1.3%–5.7%, I2=0%), infection <1% (95% CI: 0%–5.7%, I2=20.5%), and local neurological complications 2.7% (95% CI: 1.7%–4.4%, I2=0%). There was a significant negative association between sheath size and technical success rate (odds ratio [OR]: 0.87 per 1 French (Fr) increase in sheath size, 95% CI: 0.80–0.94, p=0.0005). Larger sheath sizes were associated with a greater number of access-site complications (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.21 per 1 Fr increase sheath size, 95% CI: 1.04–1.40, p=0.013). Conclusions: Off-label use of VCDs in the axillary artery provides an 85% successful closure rate and variable complication rate, depending on the primary procedure and sheath size. Larger sheaths were associated with a lower technical success and greater rate of access-related complications. Clinical Impact Safe arterial access is the foundation for arterial intervention. While the common femoral artery is a well established access site, alternative arterial access sites capable of larger sheath sizes are needed in the modern endovascular era. This article provides the largest synthesis to date on the use of vascular closure devices for percutaneous axillary artery access in endovascular intervention. It should serve clinicians with added confidence around this approach in terms of providing a reference for technical success and complications. Clinically, this data is relevant for patient consent purposes as well as for practice quality improvement in setting safety standards for this access site.

PURPOSE:Endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) is the method of choice for most abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) patients requiring intervention. However, chronic aortic neck dilatation (AND) following EVAR progressively weakens the structural seal between vessel and endograft and compromises long-term results of the therapy. This experimental ex vivo study seeks to investigate mechanisms of AND.MATERIALS AND METHODS:Porcine abdominal aortas (n=20) were harvested from slaughterhouse pigs and connected to a mock circulation. A commercially available endograft was implanted (n=10) or aortas were left untreated as controls (n=10). Vascular circumferential strain was assessed via ultrasound in defined aortic segments as a parameter of aortic stiffness. Histology and aortic gene expression analysis were performed to investigate potential changes of aortic wall structure and molecular differences due to endograft implantation.RESULTS:We found that endograft implantation acutely induces a significant stiffness gradient directly at the interface between stented and unstented aortic segments under pulsatile pressure. Comparing stented aortas with unstented controls, we detected increased aortic expression levels of inflammatory cytokines (Il6 and Ccl2) and matrix metalloproteinases (Mmp2 and Mmp9) after 6 hours of pulsatile pressurization. This effect, however, was abolished when repeating the same experiment under 6 hours of static pressure.CONCLUSIONS:We identified endograft-induced aortic stiffness gradients as an early trigger of inflammatory aortic remodeling processes that might promote AND. These results highlight the importance of adequate endograft designs to minimize vascular stiffness gradients and forestall late complications, such as AND.CLINICAL IMPACT:AND may compromise the long-term results following endovascular aortic repair. However, the mechanisms behind the underlying detrimental aortic remodeling are still unclear. In this study we find that endograft-induced aortic stiffness gradients induce an inflammatory aortic remodeling response consistent with AND. This novel pathomechanistic insight may guide the design of new aortic endografts that minimize vascular stiffness gradients and forestall late complications such as AND.

Extensive aortic aneurysms represent a unique challenge necessitating interdisciplinary efforts for safe and effective treatment. Despite various adjunctive neuroprotective strategies, ischemic spinal cord injury remains a devastating complication. This article describes the implementation of collateral network near-infrared spectroscopy as the first noninvasive spinal cord monitoring modality in the setting of extensive open and endovascular aortic repair, from early conceptualization to clinical utilization. Potential capabilities and remaining uncertainties based on current evidence are outlined and discussed.

Background: Analyses from GERAADA provided data for perioperative neurologic dysfunction, which was shown to be associated with an increased mortality. GERAADA long-term follow-up investigates the neurologic outcomes over a 16-year timeframe to determine whether AADA patients are at risk for secondary neurologic complications.