Aim. To identify the predictors of atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after simultaneous Maze V procedure in combination with coronary artery bypass grafting.Methods. Medical records of 102 patients with coronary artery disease and concomitant AF were retrospectively reviewed. All patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting and the combined Maze V procedure. The patients were divided into 2 groups: 51 patients with paroxysmal AF (group I), and 51 patients with non-paroxysmal AF (group II). In group I, 6 cases of AF recurrence were detected (subgroup IA), while 45 patients (subgroup IB) maintained sinus rhythm for the entire follow-up period. Accordingly, in group II, the return of AF was noted in 9 patients (subgroup IIA), sinus rhythm - in 42 patients (subgroup IIB). The follow-up period was 36 months. Clinical and echocardiographic parameters were studied as predictors of AF recurrence.Results. A significant predictor in patients with paroxysmal AF was a recurrence of AF at the hospital stage (odd ratio (OR) 10,25; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1,53-68,20; р=0.032). The duration of the AF history was the main predictor in patients with non-paroxysmal AF (OR 8,8; 95% CI 1,01-76,1; р=0.04). ROC analysis revealed a significant effect on the AF recurrence of left atrium (LA) dimension >48.5 mm, LA volume index >44.4 ml/m2 for patients with paroxysmal AF, and left ventriclular end-diastolic volume > 150 ml for patients with non-paroxysmal AFConclusion. A recurrence of AF at the hospital stage, LA dimension, LA volume index were significant predictors of AF recurrence after coronary artery bypass grafting + Maze V procedure in patients with paroxysmal AF. А long AF history and left ventriclular end-diastolic volume played the role of predictors for patients with non-paroxysmal AF.

Background: As the severity of comorbid diseases increases, risks of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) complications significantly increase. A complex of the procedure’s damaging factors provokes a systemic inflammatory response that in some cases is accompanied by the damage to target organs, transitioning from chronic organ dysfunctions into acute ones. Some studies on the use of minimal invasive extracorporeal circulation (MiECC) systems show their advantage over conventional extracorporeal circulation (CECC); however, the diversity of MiECC systems, patients, and outcomes precludes us from confidently extrapolating these data to older comorbid patients.Objective: To compare the severity of systemic inflammation and treatment outcomes in comorbid patients who underwent cardiac surgery with CECC and MiECC.Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 760 patients who consecutively underwent elective cardiac operations in 2019-2022. Inclusion criteria: comorbid status (age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index score of ≥6); CPB time ≥90 min. Exclusion criteria: emergency surgery, refusal to participate in the study. A total of 68 patients met the inclusion criteria. We formed 2 study groups based on the extracorporeal circulation method: CECC group (n = 51) and MiECC group (n = 17). Control points: before CPB and 24 hours after the surgery (lactate; creatinine; oxygenation index, hemolysis level). For systemic inflammatory response markers: 1 hour after the CPB start and 24 hours after the CPB end (interleukin 6; interleukin 10; procalcitonin; C-reactive protein; soluble Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells-1 [sTREM-1]). We evaluated respiratory and renal complications, drainage-related hemorrhages, hemostatic disorders, the need for sympathomimetic drugs, and the length of stay in an intensive care unit and inpatient hospital.Results: Between the groups there were no statistically significant differences in gender and anthropometric characteristics, surgery types, and main perfusion parameters. In the CECC group, we observed significantly higher doses of vasoconstrictors (norepinephrine) as well as a decrease in urine output and lung injury and an increase in lactate and hemolysis. The systemic inflammatory response markers were also significantly higher.Conclusion: Compared with CECC, MiECC does not significantly affect the frequency of organ dysfunctions; however, it reduces the severity of the systemic inflammatory response and immune suppression that are trigger mechanisms for multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. It is particularly important for patients with chronic organ dysfunctions. A range of indications for MiECC systems should be defined given its high cost and off-target effect on pleiotropic factors of systemic inflammatory response development. Received 6 April 2023. Revised 17 August 2023. Accepted 18 August 2023. Funding: The study was conducted within the framework of the research project "Development of minimally invasive and hybrid technologies for surgical treatment of heart diseases". Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest. Contribution of the authorsConception and study design: A.Sh. Revishvili, G.P. Plotnikov, V.A. PopovData collection and analysis: R.A. Kornelyuk, L.B. Berikashvili, I.P. Komkov, E.S. Malyshenko, V.M. ZemskovStatistical analysis: L.B. BerikashviliDrafting the article: R.A. Kornelyuk, G.P. Plotnikov, L.B. Berikashvili Critical revision of the article: G.P. PlotnikovFinal approval of the version to be published: A.Sh. Revishvili, R.A. Kornelyuk, G.P. Plotnikov, L.B. Berikashvili, I.P. Komkov, E.S. Malyshenko, V.M. Zemskov, V.A. Popov

The authors present a 57-year-old patient with synchronous left atrial myxoma and gastric cancer undergoing staged treatment. Distal gastrectomy with gastroduodenostomy at the first stage was followed by resection of the left atrial myxoma after 22 days. Postoperative period was uneventful after both interventions. The follow-up examination revealed favorable clinical status and no cancer progression.

Highlights. Maze V significantly reduces the recurrence of AF compared to bipolar RFA for PVI in the short and mid-term period. Aim. To assess the effectiveness and safety of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in comparison with Maze V for treating paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) concomitant to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Methods. Medical records of 139 patients with coronary artery disease and concomitant paroxysmal AF were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 patients (n = 71) underwent CABG + bipolar radiofrequency ablation for PVI, and Group 2 patients (n = 68) underwent Maze V + CABG. Propensity score-matched (PSM) analysis with a 1:1 nearest-neighbor matching was done. 30 patients were selected from each group. The exclusion criteria were as follows: emergent CABG, concomitant valvular heart disease, non-paroxysmal AF, decompensation of chronic diseases, and cancer. On-pump CABG was performed at normothermia with warm blood hyperkalemia cardioplegia. RFA for PVI and Maze V were performed before CABG under parallel perfusion without aortic cross-clamping. The primary and secondary endpoints included recurrent AF/atrial flutter, sinus rhythm at discharge and in the long-term period, permanent pacemaker implantation, major cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. Results. After the PSM analysis, the CABG+Maze V group and CABG+RFA for PVI differed significantly in the duration of surgery (330 [310; 375] vs. 255 [225; 270] min, p = 0.0001), cardiopulmonary bypass time (131 [113; 144] min vs. 89 [74; 98] min, p = 0.0001), duration of AF treatment (53 [44; 59] min vs. 10 [9; 12] min, p = 0.0001). The structure and rate of complications in both groups were comparable. There were no in-patient deaths. Recurrent AF/atrial flutter significantly reduced in the CABG+Maze V group compared to the CABG+RFA for PVI group (13.3% vs. 33.3%, respectively; p = 0.044). Sinus rhythm was restored in all cases. The rate of transient sinus node dysfunction (no more than 5 days) was 6.7% in the Group 1 and 16.6% in the Group 2. The difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.128). The 12-months cumulative freedom from AF/atrial flutter without antiarrhythmic drug therapy was significantly higher in the CABG+Maze V group compared to the CABG+RFA for PVI group (97% vs. 83.5%, respectively; p = 0.020). The freedom from MACE in both groups was 96.7%. Conclusion. Maze V for treating concomitant paroxysmal AF prolonged the duration of cardiopulmonary bypass and the surgery itself, but did not affect the postoperative period, indicating its safety and effectiveness. Maze V procedure concomitant to CABG significantly reduced the recurrence of AF compared to RFA for PVI both in the short- and mid-term period. Thus, it is reasonable to perform Maze V+CABG in patients with paroxysmal AF and a high risk of disease progression.

Adhesion in the anterior mediastinum following previous heart surgeries is a predictor of fatal trauma of the heart chambers, large vessels and lungs during redo cardiac procedures. The approaches used to prevent such complications have evolved over the past decades, but the need for their improvement remains. Annual increase in heart surgeries, coupled with the phenomenon of “aging population” in economically developed countries, predetermines the growth of redo cardiac surgical procedures. An important role in this process is also played by the recent more active use of various biological implants (for example, bioprosthetic heart valves), which makes the search for new technologies for safe redo sternotomy even more urgent.The publication presents a case of redo surgery in a patient with primary degeneration of the homograft in the aortic root position implanted 13 years ago for aortic stenosis using the Full Root technique. The original technique applied (Method for endoscopic prevention of traumatisation of cardiac, lung and major vessels of anterior mediastenum accompanying repeated cardiosurgical operations. Patent No. RU 2726605 C1) provides for a combination of minimally invasive and classic surgical approaches. Total adhesiolysis of the anterior mediastinum was performed thoracoscopically: the posterior surface of the sternum and the cartilaginous part of the ribs were completely freed from adhesions with the right ventricle, the aorta, lungs and innominate vein. The redo sternotomy was made using a standard electric saw under direct visual control and protection of the right ventricle and the ascending aorta with endoscopic retractors. The risk of surgical trauma of the anterior mediastinum organs was fully eliminated and the intraoperative blood loss was comparable to a traditional sternotomy approach. Received 27 January 2022. Revised 23 April 2022. Accepted 20 May 2022. Informed consent: The patient’s informed consent to use the records for medical purposes is obtained. Funding: The study did not have sponsorship. Conflict of interest: Authors declare no conflict of interest. Contribution of the authorsLiterature review: S.A. Petko, V.A. Popov, E.S. MalyshenkoDrafting the article: E.S. Malyshenko, S.A. PetkoCritical revision of the article: E.S. Malyshenko, V.A. Popov, A.Sh. RevishviliSurgical treatment: E.S. Malyshenko, M.G. Gasangusenov, V.A. PopovFinal approval of the version to be published: E.S. Malyshenko, S.A. Petko, V.A. Popov, M.G. Gasangusenov, A.Sh. Revishvili

Cholangioblastic variant of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is a rare, extremely malignant liver tumor. Currently, only six clinical cases have been described worldwide. Following the bibliographic research, the authors of the paper introduced main features of the tumor, methods of its diagnosis and treatment. A clinical observation of a patient with cholangioblastic variant of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is presented. The course of the disease was complicated by tumor thrombosis of the left hepatic and inferior vena cava with thrombus flotation in the right atrium. The paper describes the stages of the disease diagnosis and surgical treatment of the patient, providing insight into the patient surveillance in such cases. Given the low incidence of such neoplasms, each clinical case reported in the scientific literature is of great value and practical interest.

Спаечный процесс в переднем средостении после ранее перенесенных оперативных вмешательств на сердце является предиктором фатальной травматизации камер сердца, крупных магистральных сосудов и легких при повторных кардиохирургических операциях. Используемые для профилактики подобных осложнений подходы за прошедшие десятилетия эволюционировали, но необходимость их улучшения сохраняется. Ежегодное увеличение количества операций на сердце, старение населения экономически развитых стран и активное использование имплантов биологического происхождения (например, биопротезов клапанов сердца) предопределяют рост количества повторных кардиохирургических вмешательств и актуализируют поиск новых технологий безопасной рестернотомии. Представлен случай репротезирования у пациента с первичной дегенерацией гомографта в позиции корня аорты, имплантированного 13 лет назад по поводу аортального стеноза по методике full root. Применяемая оригинальная методика (патент РФ RU 2726605 C1: «Способ эндоскопической профилактики травматизации сердца, легких и крупных сосудов переднего средостения при повторных кардиохирургических операциях») предусматривает сочетание минимально инвазивных и классических хирургических подходов. Торакоскопически выполнили тотальный адгезиолиз переднего средостения: заднюю поверхность грудины и хрящевую часть ребер полностью освободили от сращений с правым желудочком, аортой, легкими и безымянной веной. Рестернотомию выполнили стандартным электрическим стернотомом под прямым визуальным контро­лем с защитой правого желудочка при помощи эндоскопических ретракторов. При этом удалось полностью исключить риск хирургической травмы органов переднего средостения и сделать объем интраоперационной кровопотери сопоставимым со стандартной (первичной) стернотомией. Поступила в редакцию 27 января 2022 г. Исправлена 23 апреля 2022 г. Принята к печати 20 мая 2022 г. Информированное согласие Получено информированное согласие пациента на публикацию и использование его медицинских данных в научных целях. Финансирование Исследование не имело спонсорской поддержки. Конфликт интересов Авторы заявляют об отсутствии конфликта интересов. Вклад авторов Обзор литературы: С.А. Петко, В.А. Попов, Е.С. Малышенко Написание статьи: Е.С. Малышенко, С.А. Петко Исправление статьи: Е.С. Малышенко, В.А. Попов, А.Ш. Ревишвили Выполнение операций: Е.С. Малышенко, М.Г. Гасангусенов, В.А. Попов Утверждение окончательного варианта статьи: все авторы

Review purpose: to study the occurrence predictors of postoperative atrial fibrillation (PAF), effective predicting and treating methods according to global literature.Currently, PAF is considered one of the most frequent events among all cardiovascular complications as it develops in 30–65% of cases in patients after heart surgery. In recent decades, the PAF incidence has steadily increased despite advances in surgery and anesthesiology. PAF is a significant complication that affects the course of the postoperative period and requires special attention, since it leads to a longer hospital stay, increased treatment costs and can also lead to lethal outcomes in patients in this category. Considering PAF consequences, many studies have been performed to identify factors associated with the atrial fibrillation pathophysiology, to develop preventive measures aimed at treating high risk patients and minimize the side effects of antiarrhythmic drugs. The review and analysis of the global literature on the PAF causes, prevention and treatment are presented.

Aim. To evaluate the in-hospital results of the epicardial bipolar radiofrequency ablation of the pulmonary vein in the prevention of new-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery in a pilot randomised multi-centre controlled Pulmonary Vein Ablation (PULVAB).Methods. The pilot study was conducted for the organisation of a multi-centre randomised PULVAB trial. We enrolled 63 CAD patients without a history of AF. The inclusion criterion was CAD demanding CABG; the exclusion criteria were as follows: AF history, antiarrhythmic therapy in anamnesis, significant heart valve disease, severe renal failure and decompensating diabetes mellitus. The patients were randomised into 2 groups. Group I comprised 34 patients who underwent CABG alone, and Group II had 29 patients who underwent CABG combined with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) as the initial tool for POAF prevention. All the procedures were performed by a single surgical team using standardised anaesthetic and perfusion support.Results. There was no in-hospital mortality in either group. There were differences in the duration of the intervention, cardiopulmonary bypass time and the aorta clamping time between groups (p > 0.05). A higher incidence of POAF was observed (11 %–32.4 %) in the isolated CABG group than in the CABG combined with PULVAB group (6 %–20.7 %), although the difference was not significant (p = 0.29). In most cases (91 %), AF occurred on the second to third postoperative day, irrespective of the observation group.Conclusion. The combination of CABG and RFA does not complicate the operation and does not increase the duration of the surgery or time of cardiopulmonary bypass. There were no significant differences in the postoperative course or the incidence and structure of complications between the groups. This may indicate the safety of our method. The positive tendency of POAF-cases decrease after preventive epicardial RFA observed in the present study allows us to continue the PULVAB study to gain more statistically significant results.Clin.Trials.gov Identifier: NCT03857711 Received 20 February 2020. Revised 29 June 2020. Accepted 2 July 2020. Funding: The study did not have sponsorship. Conflict of interest: Authors declare no conflict of interest. Author contributionsConception and design: A.Sh. Revishvili, V.A. PopovData collection and analysis: M.M. Anishchenko, E.S. Malyshenko, N.V. PopovaStatistical analysis: M.M. AnishchenkoDrafting the article: G.P. Plotnikov, M.M. AnishchenkoCritical revision of the article: A.Sh. Revishvili, V.A. PopovFinal approval of the version to be published: A.Sh. Revishvili, V.A. Popov, E.S. Malyshenko, G.P. Plotnikov, M.M. Anishchenko, N.V. Popova

Objective. To evaluate the effectiveness of epicardial bipolar radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of pulmonary vein ostia (PV) in comparison with its being combined with amiodarone administration for post-CABG atrial fibrillation (AF) prevention.Methods. A single-centre, prospective randomized study (PULVAB), including 96 CAD patients with no history of AF, was conducted between January 2015 and December 2018. Group 1 (control; n=34) had standard CABG alone. Group 2 (n=29) received RFA of PV as an adjunct to CABG for prevention of postoperative AF (POAF). Group 3 patients (n=33) had RFA at the time of CABG and were given amiodarone. Allocation was concealed using sequentiallynumbered opaque envelopes. The efficacy and safety of RFA concomitant with CABG were assessed, as both performed independently and combined with amiodarone administration, as well as intra-and postoperative course.Results. No differences were seen in operation length (p=0.937), cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) or the aorta clamping times (р=0.377 and p=0.072, respectively). The study groups (CABG, CABG-RFA, CABG-RFA-amiodarone) did not differ statistically in the number of shunts placed - 3.17±0.61, 3.10±0.51 and 2.94±0,6 (p=0,121). No significant difference was noted in RFA duration between Groups 2 and 3 - 11.7±3.7 and 11.4±6.3 min, respectively (p=0,834).AF was found to occur most commonly at postoperative days two or four. The isolated CABG surgery group patients developed POAF most often of all (32,4%). The incidence of POAF was lower after RFA concomitant to CABG - 20.7% (р=0,29). A significant difference was identified in POAF incidence between Groups 1 and 3- 32.4% and 6.1%, respectively (p = 0.0065). Differences between Groups 2 and 3 proved not to be statistically significant (р= 0,086). Sinus rhythm in most of those who had developed arrhythmias was restored by pharmacological cardioversion except for three patients (one in each group). At discharge, 97.1% , 96.7% and 97% of the subjects in Groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively, exhibited sinus rhythm (p>0,05).There was no in-hospital mortality in any of the groups. Neither were there any wound complications, reoperations, perioperative myocardial infarction or cerebral circulatory disorders observed. No difference was revealed in the severity and frequency of renal or respiratory failure. The mechanical lung ventilation time and duration of stay in the ICU in the isolated CABG group were shown to be increased as compared with the CABG-RFA and CABG-RFA-amiodarone groups (p<0.05).Conclusion. The evidence from the pilot study (PULVAB) suggests that bipolar ablation of PV does not significantly complicate CABG, while being combined with amiodarone administration for prevention of rhythm disorders it significantly reduces the incidence of POAF. The in-hospital incidence of POAF tended to decrease, which was not statistically significant, though. Evaluating the efficacy of RFA concomitant with CABG, as performed independently, invites further investigation with more data analysis.

Primary tumors of the heart are a rare pathology with a frequency of occurrence of 0.0017% to 0.28% according to autopsies, while 75% of them are benign in nature, 25% are malignant. Secondary tumors of the heart occur 20–40 times more often than primary tumors. Due to the rapid development of radiology diagnostic methods, the chances of early detection of heart tumors have improved significantly at present. Recently, large cardiology centers have accumulated a lot of experience in the diagnosis and treatment of these lesions. However, early detection in primary malignant lesions of the heart is still a problem, since the clinical symptoms appear when tumors reach a large size. Modern methods of treatment of the heart malignant tumors include radical surgery, and in case of impossibility – cytoreductive surgery.We present literature review on the diagnostic methods and differential diagnosis of the heart lesions. The types of cardiac tumors are described; its morphological features, differential diagnostic imaging features and hemodynamic characteristics of the lesions are presented; the diagnostic effectiveness of modern imaging methods is analyzed.

We present here a case of successful staged treatment of a patient with para-aortic abscess that arose 5 years after thoracic endovascular aortic repair because of thoracic aortic aneurysm. After stabilization of the patient's condition by intensive antibiotic therapy we performed left-subclavian extra-thoracic debranching as the first stage of the surgical treatment. In 2 weeks via median sternotomy and on-pump we removed the infected endograft and performed extraanatomical ascending-to-descending aortic bypass with good postoperative result.

Presented herein is a review of publications of foreign authors on the problem of infectious complications after endoprosthetic repair of the thoracic aorta. The problem discussed is of current importance, however in the Russian literature it is covered insufficiently. The article contains the data on frequency, terms and possible causes of the development of complications, also discussing the problems of diagnosis. The authors demonstrate extreme danger of infection of an aortic stent graft, difficulty of early diagnosis and mostly unsatisfactory therapeutic outcomes. Also noted are possible ways of prevention of complications and aimed at improving the results of this extremely severe patient cohort.

The mitral valve prolapse is characterized by the degeneration of the valve leaflets, accompanied by their thickening, increasing surface area and flexibility. The mitral valves leaflets bulge (prolapse) beyond the plane of the atrioventricular ring into the left atrium during ventricular systole and lose the ability to close tightly, leading to the mitral regurgitation. Acute chord rupture of the mitral valve posterior leaflet is a rare but important cause of severe mitral regurgitation and the development of acute or progressive chronic heart failure. Acute mitral insufficiency, accompanied by hemodynamic disorders, requires an urgent valve plastic surgery or valve prosthetics. The mitral valve plastic surgery gives a number of undeniable advantages over prosthetics, providing the best hemodynamic parameters, saving the patient from lifelong receiving of anticoagulant drugs. Detailed qualified echocardiographic evaluation of all structures of the mitral valve (fibrous ring, MV leaflets by segments, overlapping structures, structure of the chordal apparatus, papillary muscles) provides the necessary information for the mitral valve reconstructive plastic surgery with the choice of the method that is most optimal for a certain patient at the preoperative stage. We report herein a clinical observation of the patient with a diagnosis: acquired heart disease, the mitral valve posterior leaflet prolapse with mitral insufficiency Grade 3. Chronic heart failure IIA. II FC. Atrial fibrillation. The patient underwent multicomponent mitral valve reconstruction with the creation of a neochord and the fibrous ring plastic on the duplicate of a PTFE strip (soft support ring), pairwise isolation of the pulmonary vein entrance and right cavotricuspid isthmus.

Purpose. To perform a comparative assessment of diagnostic tools and strategies of myocardial revascularization in patients with and without polyvascular disease (PolyVD) based on the findings of perioperative analysis. Materials and methods. The medical records of 2 828 patients, aged 32–84, consecutively admitted to the clinic of the Research Institute for Complex Issues of Cardiovascular Diseases between January, 2006, and July, 2010, for coronary artery bypass surgery, were retrospectively reviewed. All the patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 included 448 (15,48 %) PolyVD patients with clinically manifested or angiographically confirmed obliterating (≥ 60 %) non-cardiac artery lesions. Group 2 (the control group) included 1691(59,79 %) patients without any clinical symptoms of non-coronary atherosclerosis. The incidence rate, structure and causes of in-hospital mortality and type I neurological disorders (i.e. strokes and transient ischemic attacks) were assessed in both groups. Results. The incidence rate of significant non-cardiac occlusive stenotic lesions in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), who had to undergo CABG, was 15,84 %. Simultaneous revascularization of coronary and non-coronary arteries was performed in 2,46 % of patients with CAD and PolyVD and multi-stage surgical procedures were chosen in other cases. Conclusions. The outcomes of CAD surgical treatment were improved in this group of patients due to the implementation of a multidisciplinary team approach, which ensured a proper diagnosis of polyvascular disease.

Pulmonary embolism is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate decision on the choice of the method of reperfusion. Today in the arsenal of multidisciplinary command there are the all methods of restoring circulation: thrombolytic therapy as the gold standard of reperfusion, surgical embolectomy and endovascular therapies. Each of these methods has their advantages and disadvantages. Justification of the choice of the method of reperfusion is the aim of this literature review.