Predictive modelling of clinically significant depressive symptoms after coronary artery bypass graft surgery: protocol for a multicentre observational study in two Swiss hospitals (the PsyCor study).

Introduction: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) remains one of the most commonly performed cardiac surgeries worldwide. Despite surgical advancements, a significant proportion of patients experience psychological distress following surgery, with depression being particularly common. Current evidence regarding the effectiveness of preoperative psychological interventions in improving postoperative mental health outcomes remains inconclusive.

Advancements in less-invasive aortic root, ascending aorta and arch surgery: current evidence and future directions.

Aortic surgery is one of the most challenging areas in cardiovascular medicine because of the complexity of the procedure and the potential for life-threatening complications. Historically, median sternotomy has been the gold-standard approach for thoracic aortic interventions, providing excellent exposure to the entire ascending aorta and the distal aortic arch. This approach has yielded satisfactory postoperative results over the years.

Volumetric 3D Printing and Melt-Electrowriting to Fabricate Implantable Reinforced Cardiac Tissue Patches.

Cardiac patches to repair myocardial defects require mechanically stable materials that prevent bleeding and can be implanted via suturing. The current clinical standard, bovine pericardial patches (BPPs), serve this purpose but do not degrade or integrate with the myocardium, limiting their long-term effectiveness. Here, we present the reinforced cardiac tissue patch (RCPatch).

Outcomes of conservative treatment for thoracic vascular graft infections.

Objectives: Thoracic vascular graft infections are devastating complications after aortic surgery, entailing high mortality. The gold standard treatment combines excisional surgery and antimicrobial therapy, but patients deemed inoperable might benefit from a conservative approach. Outcomes of patients treated only with antimicrobial agents without reoperative surgery are scanty.

Normothermic Circulatory Arrest with Antegrade Cerebral Perfusion for Type A Aortic Dissection.

Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest is the standard approach for the surgical repair of acute type A aortic dissection. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and outcomes of normothermic circulatory arrest using antegrade cerebral perfusion as an alternative technique.A retrospective propensity score-matched analysis was conducted on patients undergoing surgery for acute type A aortic dissection between 2007 and 2023 at a single center.

Large language models for data extraction from unstructured and semi-structured electronic health records: a multiple model performance evaluation.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the performance of multiple large language models (LLMs) in data extraction from unstructured and semi-structured electronic health records.

Methods: 50 synthetic medical notes in English, containing a structured and an unstructured part, were drafted and evaluated by domain experts, and subsequently used for LLM-prompting. 18 LLMs were evaluated against a baseline transformer-based model.

Surgery for blood culture-negative infective endocarditis: outcomes and the role of molecular biological imaging as diagnostic approach†.

Objectives: The study aimed to analyse outcomes of surgery for blood culture-negative infective endocarditis (BCNIE) and to evaluate the role of molecular biological imaging.

Methods: Patients undergoing surgery for native or prosthetic valve endocarditis from 2013 to 2022 were analysed regarding blood culture-positive infective endocarditis (BCPIE) and BCNIE. For laboratory diagnostics in BCNIE, excised valves or prostheses underwent conventional microbiological culture and fluorescence in situ hybridization combined with 16S rRNA-gene polymerase chain reaction and sequencing (FISHseq).

Mitral valve repair with the semi-rigid Memo 4D annuloplasty ring: early clinical and echocardiographic outcomes from the MANTRA study.

Objectives: Memo 4D is a semi-rigid ring with an exclusive saddle shape and progressive increased anteroposterior diameter. This preliminary analysis reports 30-day clinical and haemodynamic outcomes of the MANTRA Memo 4D sub-study.

Methods: MANTRA is an 'umbrella' prospective, multicentre, worldwide post-market study to collect real-life safety and performance data on the Corcym devices.

Lactate Dehydrogenase Levels after Aortic Valve Replacement: What Do They Tell Us?

Introduction:  Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is a standard postoperative marker for hemolysis in the presence of paravalvular leakage (PVL) after replacement of the aortic valve (AVR). LDH is elevated in certain valves by a fluttering phenomenon. Previous studies suggested a correlation between microparticles (MPs) and LDH elevation after AVR.

Diagnostic Benefit of Molecular Imaging in Patients Undergoing Heart Valve Surgery for Infective Endocarditis.

(1) Background: The successful treatment of infective endocarditis (IE) relies on detecting causative pathogens to administer targeted antibiotic therapy. In addition to standard microbiological cultivation of pathogens from tissue obtained during heart valve surgery, the potential of molecular biological methods was evaluated. (2) Methods: A retrospective study was performed on heart valve tissue from 207 patients who underwent heart valve surgery for IE.

Less invasive replacement of aortic root, ascending aorta and hemiarch via partial upper sternotomy: a propensity-score-matched comparison with full sternotomy.

Objectives: Less invasive surgery has emerged as an option for aortic pathologies. The current study compared our experience on early postoperative results of patients with aortic surgery between partial upper sternotomy (PUS) and full sternotomy (FS).

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of the data of patients undergoing aortic root surgery with concomitant ascending aorta and hemiarch replacement.

A comparative analysis of open heart surgery and minimally invasive cardiac surgery in exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation.

Background: Historically, the majority of patients admitted to inpatient exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (EBCR) have undergone open heart surgery (OHS). However, with advances in minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS), these patient groups are also increasingly referred for inpatient EBCR. Herein, we aimed to compare the progress of these groups during rehabilitation.

External stenting for saphenous vein grafts reduces early postoperative graft failure.

Objectives: Multiple studies have shown that external stenting (ExSt) mitigates the progression of vein graft disease years after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We used computed tomography to evaluate the effect of ExSt on perioperative vein graft patency.

Methods: This study assessed graft patency rates of saphenous vein grafts (SVG) in consecutive patients with isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) between 2018 and 2021.

NAD prevents septic shock-induced death by non-canonical inflammasome blockade and IL-10 cytokine production in macrophages.

Septic shock is characterized by an excessive inflammatory response depicted in a cytokine storm that results from invasive bacterial, fungi, protozoa, and viral infections. Non-canonical inflammasome activation is crucial in the development of septic shock promoting pyroptosis and proinflammatory cytokine production via caspase-11 and gasdermin D (GSDMD). Here, we show that NAD treatment protected mice toward bacterial and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced endotoxic shock by blocking the non-canonical inflammasome specifically.

Thirteen Years of Impactful, Minimally Invasive Coronary Surgery: Short- and Long-Term Results for Single and Multi-Vessel Disease.

Objectives: Minimally invasive coronary surgery (MICS) via lateral thoracotomy is a less invasive alternative to the traditional median full sternotomy approach for coronary surgery. This study investigates its effectiveness for short- and long-term revascularization in cases of single and multi-vessel diseases.

Methods: A thorough examination was performed on the databases of two cardiac surgery programs, focusing on patients who underwent minimally invasive coronary bypass grafting procedures between 2010 and 2023.

Navigating the challenges of minimally invasive mitral valve surgery: a risk analysis and learning curve evaluation.

Background: This study aimed to report the risk and learning curve analysis of a minimally invasive mitral valve surgery program performed through a right mini-thoracotomy at a single institution.

Methods: From January 2013 through December 2019, 266 consecutive patients underwent minimally invasive mitral valve surgery in our department and were included in the current study. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used for the adverse event outcome.

Conversion from off-pump to on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting: impact of surgeon and anaesthetist experience.

Objectives: Intraoperative conversion from off-pump to on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is associated with increased postoperative morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of surgeon and anaesthetist experience on the conversion rate.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of the data of all patients who underwent planned off-pump CABG in a single centre in 2007-2021, some of whom were non-electively converted to on-pump.

Beyond Conventional Operations: Embracing the Era of Contemporary Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery.

Over the past two decades, minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) has gained a significant place due to the emergence of innovative tools and improvements in surgical techniques, offering comparable efficacy and safety to traditional surgical methods. This review provides an overview of the history of MICS, its current state, and its prospects and highlights its advantages and limitations. Additionally, we highlight the growing trends and potential pathways for the expansion of MICS, underscoring the crucial role of technological advancements in shaping the future of this field.

Endothelial damage inhibitor preserves the integrity of venous endothelial cells from patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery.

Objectives: Despite the success of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery using autologous saphenous vein grafts (SVGs), nearly 50% of patients experience vein graft disease within 10 years of surgery. One contributing factor to early vein graft disease is endothelial damage during short-term storage of SVGs in inappropriate solutions. Our aim was to evaluate the effects of a novel endothelial damage inhibitor (EDI) on SVGs from patients undergoing elective CABG surgery and on venous endothelial cells (VECs) derived from these SVGs.

Isolated Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery in Octogenarians: Perioperative Outcome.

Introduction: Despite the feasibility, safety, and excellent outcomes of mitral valve surgery through a right mini-thoracotomy, there is data paucity about its use in octogenarians. In this study, we assess the outcomes of mitral valve surgery via right mini-thoracotomy in octogenarians.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of the in-hospital perioperative data of 38 octogenarian patients with severe mitral regurgitation undergoing isolated mitral valve surgery via right mini-thoracotomy from 2013 to 2021 in our institution.

Prosthesis-Patient Mismatch after Aortic Valve Replacement with the Mosaic Ultra Bioprosthesis.

Background: Several studies have reported high rates of prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) after aortic valve replacement (AVR) with the Mosaic prosthesis. This work assesses the incidence of PPM after AVR with a modified version of the Mosaic prosthesis, the Mosaic Ultra.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of the data of 532 patients who underwent AVR with implantation of the Mosaic Ultra prosthesis in the period 2007-2016 in our institution.

Anisotropic topographies restore endothelial monolayer integrity and promote the proliferation of senescent endothelial cells.

Thrombogenicity remains a major issue in cardiovascular implants (CVIs). Complete surficial coverage of CVIs by a monolayer of endothelial cells (ECs) prior to implantation represents a promising strategy but is hampered by the overall logistical complexity and the high number of cells required. Consequently, extensive cell expansion is necessary, which may eventually lead to replicative senescence.

Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion with β-Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD) Improves Ischemic Lung Function.

Ischemia-reperfusion injury compromises short- and long-term outcomes after lung transplantation. The scarce existing data on NAD suggest effects on hypoxia-induced vasoconstriction, on reactive oxygen species and on tampering inflammation. We exposed rat lungs to 14 h of cold ischemic storage and perfused them in a rat ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) system for 4 h.