On-site Cardiac Surgery Research Articles

TRanscatheter Aortic-Valve Implantation with or without on-site Cardiac Surgery: the TRACS trial: TAVI in centers without on-site cardiac surgery

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has emerged as an effective and safe treatment for patients with symptomatic aortic stenosis. The indication to TAVI should be agreed upon by a Heart Team, and the procedure should be performed in centers with on-site cardiac surgery. However, TAVI complications requiring emergent cardiac surgery (ECS) have become very rare. Concurrently, access disparities and prolonged waiting times are pressing issues due to increasing clinical demand of TAVI. Many solutions have been proposed and one of them is the possibility of performing TAVI in centers without on-site cardiac surgery. The TRanscatheter Aortic-Valve Implantation with or without on-site Cardiac Surgery (TRACS) trial is a prospective, randomized, multicenter, open-label study with blinded adjudicated evaluation of outcomes. Patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis and deemed inoperable, at high surgical risk, or presenting with at least one clinical factor compromising the benefit/risk ratio for ECS, will be randomized to undergo TAVI either in centers with or without on-site cardiac surgery. The primary endpoint will be the composite occurrence of all-cause death, stroke, and hospital readmission for cardiovascular causes at one year. The safety endpoint will include death attributable to periprocedural complications actionable by ECS. The study aims to enroll 566 patients. The TRACS trial aims to address critical gaps in knowledge regarding the safety and efficacy of TAVI procedures performed in centers without on-site cardiac surgery, potentially improving access and outcomes for high-risk patients. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05751577.

Contemporary prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease in a regional perinatal center lacking onsite pediatric cardiac surgery: obstetrical and neonatal outcomes.

Determine obstetrical and neonatal outcomes in neonates with major CHD delivered at a level IV neonatal intensive care units (NICU) center lacking onsite pediatric cardiac surgery. A 10- year retrospective review of all neonates admitted to our level IV NICU, with CHD between January 1st, 2011 and December 31st, 2021. Births and NICU charts were cross queried with those from our perinatal center which include pediatric cardiology records. Terminations and stillbirths were excluded. A total of 285 neonates with major CHD and 78 withminor defects were included. In the major CHD group, 82.8 % had an isolated cardiac anomaly and 17.2 % had an extracardiac anomaly. Type of extracardiac anomaly had noimpact on neonatal survival. Prenatal diagnosis of aneuploidy did not impact survival in major CHD. Truncus arteriosus had the highest NICU mortality at 34.0 % followed by hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) at 31.6 %. Double outlet right ventricle with transposition of the great vessels and interrupted aortic arch (both types) had a 25 % mortality. Neonates with truncus arteriosus and total anomalous pulmonary venous returns were likely to have 5-min Apgar score<7. Transfer rate of neonates with major CHD for cardiac surgery was 58.6 %. Of those 81.5 % were discharged home, 14.3 % expired before discharge, and 1 % were transferred elsewhere post-operatively for higher level of care. Neonates with major CHD can deliver safely at a level IV NICU lacking onsite pediatric cardiac surgery. Our neonatal mortality was high for HLHS and truncus arteriosus, however comparable to other centers with proximate pediatric cardiac surgery.

Performance and safety of complex percutaneous coronary intervention in centres without on-site cardiac surgery: a multi-centre australian registry study.

Abstract Background Performing complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures in hospitals with no on-site cardiac surgery (NOSCS) remains controversial due to a lack of contemporary data and guideline support. Methods Victorian Cardiac Outcomes Registry data was analysed including all PCI cases in the state of Victoria, Australia, from 2014 to 2022. Patients were stratified by PCI at sites with on-site cardiac surgery (OSCS) or NOSCS. Complex PCI was defined as PCI to unprotected left main, bifurcation lesions, rotational atherectomy or intravascular lithotripsy use, severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction, chronic total occlusion, or vein graft PCI. The primary outcome was composite MACCE comprising all-cause mortality, stroke, non-fatal MI, emergency CABG, unplanned revascularisation, definite stent thrombosis and major bleeding (BARC 3 &amp; 5) at 30-days. Risk ratio for average treatment effect in the NOSCS cohort was estimated using inverse probability treatment weighting. Results 94,268 total PCI procedures (32.6% NOSCS) were analysed, including 12,459 complex PCI cases (28.7% NOSCS). Patients from NOSCS were younger (65.0 vs 67.4, p&amp;lt;0.001), less likely to have had previous PCI (29.5% vs 34.5%, p&amp;lt;0.001) or CABG (4.6% vs 8.0% p&amp;lt;0.001) and presented more frequently with acute coronary syndromes (NSTEMI [32.0% vs 28.0%, p&amp;lt;0.001; STEMI [23.3% vs 15.2%], p&amp;lt;0.001). A propensity weighted sample of 30,850 OSCS patients and 30,692 NOSCS patients demonstrated no difference in adjusted 30-day MACCE (risk ratio 0.93, 95% CI 0.87-1.01, p=0.051) for all PCI procedures. In a propensity-weighted subgroup of 3,638 OSCS and 3,576 NOSCS patients who underwent complex PCI, there was also no difference in adjusted 30-day MACCE (risk ratio 0.97, 95%CI 0.86-1.09, p=0.60). Unadjusted rates of CABG at 30-days were very low (0.1 vs 0.1%, p=1.00). Conclusion Patients undergoing PCI and complex PCI at NOSCS centres had comparable 30-day outcomes to those treated at OSCS centres. Newer percutaneous therapies such as intravascular lithotripsy and percutaneous left ventricular assist devices may further improve safety and efficacy of high-risk PCI in NOSCS centres as operator experience increases. Increasing PCI and complex PCI capabilities at NOSCS is likely to increase equitable treatment access for more patients.

TCT-556 Clinical Results of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Left Main Coronary Artery Disease at 17-Year Long-Term Follow-Up: Real Life Experience at a Single Center Without On-Site Cardiac Surgery

TCT-556 Clinical Results of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Left Main Coronary Artery Disease at 17-Year Long-Term Follow-Up: Real Life Experience at a Single Center Without On-Site Cardiac Surgery

TCT-76 Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in High-Risk Patients With High Syntax Score Left Main Coronary Disease: 17-Year Long-Term Follow-Up Real World Experience of a Single Center Without On-Site Cardiac Surgery

TCT-76 Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in High-Risk Patients With High Syntax Score Left Main Coronary Disease: 17-Year Long-Term Follow-Up Real World Experience of a Single Center Without On-Site Cardiac Surgery

Performance and Safety of Complex Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Centres Without On-Site Cardiac Surgery—A Multicentre Australian Registry Study

Performance and Safety of Complex Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Centres Without On-Site Cardiac Surgery—A Multicentre Australian Registry Study

Endocarditis in a Community Teaching Hospital

Background Endocarditis is a life-threatening condition with protean manifestations. The clinical syndrome continues to evolve with an aging population, the opioid epidemic, and changing microbiological profiles. Much of the clinical data for endocarditis comes from tertiary care centers with on-site cardiac surgery. Previous community cohorts do not reflect the current patient populations or current microbiology and predate the current opioid epidemic. We retrospectively reviewed the baseline clinical characteristics, microbiologic spectrum, surgical indication, tertiary referral, and outcomes for patients presenting to a community hospital with infective endocarditis (IE). Methods We retrospectively reviewed all adult medical patient admitted over a 5-year period with a clinical diagnosis of IE, from February 2016 to September 2021, to a single suburban safety net community hospital without on-site cardiac surgery. Results We identified 99 patients with a clinical diagnosis of IE. We observed a bimodal age distribution, with more comorbidities and predisposing cardiac conditions in the older patients and more intravenous drug use in the younger patients. Surgical indications were present in 44% of patients. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common pathogen. Overall survival was associated with fewer comorbidities and the absence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus infection. There was no difference in survival between patients with and without surgical indications. Conclusions IE continues to primarily affect older patients with comorbidities and results in a high 1-year mortality of 33%. A simple score including age, Charlson comorbidity index of 6.5, and methicillin-resistant S. aureus infection was predictive for in-patient, 30-day, and 1-year mortality.

Efficacy and safety of a minimalistic balloon aortic valvuloplasty strategy in a centre without heart surgery.

Balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) is a palliative tool for patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis (AS) at prohibitive risk for surgery or as a bridge to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) or transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). BAV is traditionally performed in hospitals with onsite cardiac surgery due to its potential complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of BAV procedures performed by trained high-volume operators in a centre without onsite surgery and to assess the effect of a minimalistic approach to reduce periprocedural complications. From 2016 to 2021, 187 BAV procedures were performed in 174 patients. Patients were elderly (mean age: 85.0±5.4 years) and had high-risk (mean European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation score [EuroSCORE] II: 10.1±9.9) features. According to the indications, 4 cohorts were identified: 1) bridge to TAVR (n=98; 56%); 2) bridge to SAVR (n=8; 5%); 3) cardiogenic shock (n=11; 6%); and 4) palliation (n=57; 33%). BAV procedures were performed using the standard retrograde technique via femoral access in 165 patients (95%), although radial access was used in 9 patients (5%). Ultrasound-guided vascular puncture was performed in 118 patients (72%) and left ventricular pacing was administered through a stiff guidewire in 105 cases (60%). BAV safety was confirmed by 1 periprocedural death (0.6%), 1 intraprocedural stroke (0.6%), 2 major vascular complications (1%) and 9 minor vascular complications (5%). Nine cases of in-hospital mortality occurred (5%), predominantly in patients with cardiogenic shock. BAV is a safe procedure that can be performed in centres without onsite cardiac surgery using a minimalistic approach that can reduce periprocedural complications.

TCT-682 Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Rotational Atherectomy Assisted PCI in Centers Without Onsite Cardiac Surgery Backup: A Multicenter Study in an Australian Cohort

TCT-682 Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Rotational Atherectomy Assisted PCI in Centers Without Onsite Cardiac Surgery Backup: A Multicenter Study in an Australian Cohort

The impact of on-site cardiac surgical backup on clinical outcomes of acute coronary syndrome-analysis of the ACSIS national registry.

The availability of advanced technologies for mechanical support in hospitals with on-site cardiac surgery (CS), along with the ability to perform urgent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, may result in improved clinical outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We conducted a retrospective analysis of the bi-annually Acute Coronary Syndrome Israeli Survey (ACSIS) registry from the year 2000 to 2020, performed in hospitals with and without CS. Mortality rates and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) rates are reported. We evaluated two periods of the study-early (2000-2010) vs. late (2011-2020). Propensity score matching was performed to reduce bias between the two groups. The study included 16,979 patients (52.3% in the on-site CS group). Patients in the on-site CS group were more likely to undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), (odds ratio [OR], 1.26 [95% CI, 1.18-1.35]; p < 0.001) and CABG [OR, 1.91 (95%CI, 1.63-2.24); P < 0.001], and patients in hospitals without on-site CS had higher 30-day MACCE [OR, 1.17 (95% CI, 1.07-1.27); p < 0.0005]. Overall, there was no difference in 1-year mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 0.98 [95% CI, 0.89-1.08]; p = 0.71) between the groups. During the late period of the study, patients in the group without on-site CS had lower 30-day mortality [OR, 0.69 (95% CI, 0.49-0.97); P = 0.04], yet with no difference in 1-year mortality [HR, 0.81 (95% CI, 0.65-1.01); p = 0.07]. The availability of on-site CS resulted in variations in treatment modality, yet it did not affect the clinical outcomes of ACS. A trend to a better short-term outcomes was noted in hospitals without CS during the late period of the study, which warrants further investigation.

Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients Who Underwent Coronary Atherectomy in Centers With and Without On-Site Cardiac Surgery

We aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients who underwent atherectomy at the time of percutaneous coronary intervention in centers with on-site surgical centers (SCs) versus nonsurgical centers (NSCs). Patients treated with coronary atherectomy between January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2019, from the British Cardiovascular Society Intervention (BCIS) registry were included. Primary outcomes were in-hospital all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. A total of 20,833 patients were treated with coronary atherectomy, of which 7,983 (38%) were performed at NSC. The proportion of coronary atherectomies performed in NSC increased from 12.5% in 2006 to 42% in 2019. Compared with patients treated at SC, patients treated in NSC were older (mean age 75.1 ± SD years vs 74.2 ± SD, p <0.001), but had comparable prevalence of hypertension (NSC 73.9% vs SC 72.8%, p=0.085), diabetes mellitus (NSC 32.2% vs SC 31.6%, p=0.43) and renal disease (NSC 6.0% vs SC 6.0%, p=0.99). Intracoronary imaging was used more often in NSC than SC (22.3% vs 19.4%, p <0.001). After adjustment, the odds of in-hospital mortality (odds ratios [OR] 0.76, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.50 to 1.16), major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.53 to 1.21), emergency coronary artery bypass graft (OR 0.49, 95% CI 0.15 to 1.57), major bleeding (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.36 to 1.24) and coronary perforation (OR 1.07, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.43) in NSC were comparable with SC. In conclusion, coronary atherectomy in hospitals with off-site surgical cover has become more frequent, with no association with poorer outcomes, compared with hospitals with on-site surgical cover.

The infrastructure of electrophysiology centers impacts the management of cardiac tamponade-Results from a national survey.

Although electrophysiological (EP) centers have institutional standards, evidence on management of cardiac tamponade is lacking. A physician-based survey was conducted by sending out questionnaires to all hospitals in Germany performing EP procedures. To evaluate the infrastructure of EP centers and the impact of center volume and onsite cardiac surgery on the management of cardiac tamponade, the results of the survey were analyzed for low-volume (0-250 procedures per year), mid-volume (250-500 procedures), and high-volume (>500 procedures) centers, as well as for centers with and without onsite cardiac surgery. A total of 341 centers were identified and 189/341 (55%) returned data sets were analyzed. Most types of EP procedures are performed across all kinds of centers. Ablation of ventricular tachycardia (VT) is concentrated in higher volume centers and in centers with onsite cardiac surgery. None of the participating low-volume centers and only 13% of centers without onsite cardiac surgery responded to performing epicardial VT ablation. Irrespective of center volume and onsite cardiac surgery, neither body mass index nor age was reported to be an exclusion criterion for ablation procedures. Higher volume centers and centers with onsite cardiac surgery more often have dedicated EP laboratories and EP-nursing teams. Also, differences regarding periprocedural safety precautions and management of cardiac tamponade were found for low-, mid-, and high-volume centers, as well as for centers with and without onsite cardiac surgery. While center volume and onsite cardiac surgery do not impact patient selection, there are differences in ablation spectrum, infrastructure, periprocedural safety precautions, and treatment of tamponade.

Safety and Feasibility of MitraClip® Program at Centres Without On-Site Cardiac Surgery Department

Safety and Feasibility of MitraClip® Program at Centres Without On-Site Cardiac Surgery Department

Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty in Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: Experience at a Centre Without On-Site Cardiac Surgery Department Connected With National Reference Unit. Five Years’ Experience

Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty in Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: Experience at a Centre Without On-Site Cardiac Surgery Department Connected With National Reference Unit. Five Years’ Experience

P300 AORN A. CARDARELLI NAPOLI/ FEDERICO II UNIVERSITY INTERHOSPITAL PROTOCOL: TAVI IN A COMPLEX SCENARIO

Abstract Rational: In order to provide the best treatment for patients affected by severe aortic stenosis at intermediate–high surgical risk, since more than 3 years an interhospital protocol beetween the Cardiology, UTIC and Cath–lab department of AORN A. Cardarelli of Naples, a center without cardiac surgery, and the cath–lab of the department of Cardiovascular Emergencies, Clinical Medicine and Ageing Medicine of AOU Federico II, is active. The agreement provides the carrying out of a TAVI procedures for patients hospitalized at the A. Cardarelli, by transfering them with a resuscitation ambulance to the Federico II cath–lab, and subsequent return to the department of origin after the execution of the interventional procedure. Case report: 85 year old lady with hypertension, moderate–severe chronic respiratory failure and atrial fibrillation treated with NOAC, is admitted in the emergency room for acute pulmonary edema and contextual diagnosis of severe aortic stenosis is made. After clinical stabilization, the TAVI program is started: both an angio–CT scan and a coronary angiography are carried out, with the detection of a critical calcified stenosis involving left main branch and proximal LAD and a chronic occlusion of Cx branch. Multidisciplinary evaluation and collegial evaluation with the colleagues from the Federico II University are carried out, and indication is given to TAVI with contextual PTCA of LM and LAD critical stenosis. A joint procedure of PTCA with 2 DES and TAVI with Evolute R 29 valve is then carried out in a single session at the Federico II University of Naples and after post–procedural observation, the patient is transferred back to the UTIC of A. Cardarelli for hospitalization. During the hospital stay, no procedural complications are reported and the patient is discharged 4 days after in good clinical conditions; a triple therapy with NOAC and DAPT is started, continuing it for 1 month with subsequent suspension of ASA and carrying on therapy with NOAC + Clopidogrel. At 1 and 6 months clinical follow–up, the patient is stable and well compensated, without significant clinical complications and with NYHA class 2. Conclusions The results of these years–experience, highlight the feasibility and safety of this strategy, making it possible to plan and carry out TAVI procedures even in centers that do not have onsite cardiac surgery, considering the growing indications for TAVI and the subsequent increase of patients who need this procedure

Long-term prognosis of patients with refractory cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest treated with venoarterial ECMO in a hospital without on-site cardiac surgery

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public hospital(s). Main funding source(s): Regional hospital Liberec Introduction Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is a mechanical circulatory support increasingly used in the treatment of refractory cardiogenic shock or circulatory arrest. The technique of percutaneous implantation currently allows the use of VA-ECMO even in hospitals without on-site cardiac surgery. Method Analysis of data from a single center prospective registry of patients with refractory cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest treated with VA-ECMO from May 2015 to September 2022. Results In total 42 patients were implanted. Most of the patients (76%) were men, 63.0 +/- 12.5 years old. 64% of patients fulfilled criteria of stage E of SCAI classification, and 36% were SCAI D. 33% of patients were resuscitated prior to implantation. 31% of patients were implanted during continuous CPR. The most common cause of shock was acute coronary syndrome (64%). In all cases, ECMO was implanted in the catheterization laboratory without any major complications. The most frequent complication during treatment was non-fatal bleeding in 60% of patients. Ischemic and thrombotic complications occurred in 19% of patients. One patient had a fatal complication related to vascular access. Weaning from ECMO was achieved in 55% of all patients. 9 patients were transported to another hospital on ECMO without complications. 38% of patients had simultaneously intra-aortic balloon pump. Two patients were bridged to LVAD. 30-day and 1-year mortality for SCAI D cardiogenic shock was 40% and 60%, respectively. For SCAI E 78% and 83%, respectively. 65% of successfully weaned patients died within 1 year - median 22 days (15 - 52 days). Patients who survive 1 year have a good long-term prognosis - median follow-up 1.2 years (0.8 - 5.4 years). Conclusion Treatment of refractory cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest with VA-ECMO can be safely initiated, managed and terminated in a hospital without on-site cardiac surgery. The long-term prognosis of most of these patients is serious despite treatment. Patients who survive 1 year have a good long-term prognosis.

CRT-300.18 Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty in Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: Experience at a Centre Without On-Site Cardiac Surgery Department Connected With National Reference Unit. Five Years’ Experience

CRT-300.18 Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty in Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: Experience at a Centre Without On-Site Cardiac Surgery Department Connected With National Reference Unit. Five Years’ Experience

CRT-700.46 Safety and Feasibility of MitraClip® Program at Centres Without On-Site Cardiac Surgery Department

CRT-700.46 Safety and Feasibility of MitraClip® Program at Centres Without On-Site Cardiac Surgery Department

Implementation of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Without On-Site Cardiac Surgery or Perfusion Support: A Tale of Two County Hospitals.

Patients with refractory respiratory and cardiac failure may present to noncardiac surgery centers. Prior studies have demonstrated that acute care surgeons, intensivists, and emergency medicine physicians can safely cannulate and manage patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Harborview Medical Center (Harborview) and Hennepin County Medical Center (Hennepin) are both urban, county-owned, level 1 trauma centers that implemented ECMO without direct, on-site cardiac surgery or perfusion support. Both centers 1) use an ECMO specialist model staffed by specially trained nurses and respiratory therapists and 2) developed comparable training curricula for ECMO specialists, intensivists, surgeons, and trainees. Each program began with venovenous ECMO to provide support for refractory hypoxemic respiratory failure and subsequently expanded to venoarterial ECMO support. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic created an impetus for restructuring, with each program creating a consulting service to facilitate ECMO delivery across multiple intensive care units (ICUs) and to promote fellow and resident training and experience. Both Harborview and Hennepin, urban county hospitals 1,700 miles apart in the United States, independently implemented and operate adult ECMO programs without involvement from cardiovascular surgery or perfusion services. This experience further supports the role of ECMO specialists in the delivery of extracorporeal life support.

On site cardiac surgery for structural heart interventions: a fence to mend?

Current evidence supports device-based transcatheter interventions for the management of patients with structural heart disease, proving well their safety and efficacy; transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) of mitral or tricuspid valves, and left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) are expanding their role in contemporary practice. Currently, guidelines recommend performing TAVI in 'Heart Valve Center' with interventional cardiology and institutional on-site cardiac surgery (iOSCS), while no site limitation has been defined for TEER and LAAO. The growing number of candidates for transcatheter interventions generates long waiting times with negative consequences on mortality, morbidity, hospitalization, and functional deterioration. Therefore, a debate on the feasibility of TAVI in centres without iOSCS has been set up. Data from randomized controlled trials and registries failed to document any difference in outcomes and in conversion rate to emergent surgical bailout in centres with or without iOSCS; on the other hand, a direct relationship with TAVI complications has been clearly documented for learning curve and centre volume. Therefore, the role of iOSCS for TAVI, as well as for other transcatheter interventions, should be carefully explored.