The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
-
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Sep 2019
Reduction of plasma angiopoietin-like 2 after cardiac surgery is related to tissue inflammation and senescence status of patients.
A strong relationship between high circulating angiopoietin-like 2 (ANGPTL2) levels, a proinflammatory adipokine, and cardiovascular diseases has been reported. Our objective was to determine whether plasma ANGPTL2 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels change postoperatively in patients who underwent heart valve surgery and/or coronary artery bypass grafting. We hypothesized that a corrective cardiac surgery would decrease ANGPTL2 levels. ⋯ In younger patients with lower levels of tissue inflammation and arterial senescence load, ANGPTL2, but not hs-CRP levels decreased after cardiac surgery, suggesting that circulating ANGPTL2 reflects tissue inflammation and senescence.
-
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Sep 2019
Observational StudyPostoperative cerebral oxygenation was not associated with new brain injury in infants with congenital heart disease.
The aim of this study was to evaluate postoperative indices of cerebral oxygenation and autoregulation in infants with critical congenital heart disease in relation to new postoperative ischemic brain injury. ⋯ Postoperative indices of cerebral oxygenation and cerebral autoregulation are not independent predictors of new ischemic brain injury in infants with critical congenital heart disease. Further exploration of the complex interplay among low regional cerebral oxygen saturation, low cardiac output syndrome, and heart defect is required to identify potential biomarkers enabling early intervention for ischemic brain injury.
-
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Sep 2019
Interobserver variability impairs radiologic grading of primary graft dysfunction after lung transplantation.
The current score for primary graft dysfunction after lung transplantation relies heavily on chest radiographs, and radiologic judgment can make the difference between the lowest (primary graft dysfunction 0) and the highest (primary graft dysfunction 3) grade. This study aimed to evaluate interobserver variability of the scoring of postoperative chest radiographs and its impact on primary graft dysfunction grades in a large single-center cohort. ⋯ The substantial interobserver variability found in this retrospective analysis underlines the difficulty to adequately grade post-transplant organ function. Future revisions of the primary graft dysfunction grading should take this problem into consideration.
-
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Sep 2019
Comparative StudyRight ventricular free wall stress after tricuspid valve annuloplasty in acute ovine right heart failure.
Tricuspid annuloplasty rings may have a direct impact on right ventricular shape and free wall stress, potentially affecting chamber remodeling and recurrent regurgitation. In an acute model of ovine right heart failure, we investigated right ventricular free wall stress after annuloplasty with different prostheses. ⋯ Acute right heart failure significantly increased right ventricular free wall stress, which was normalized with equal efficacy by all studied prostheses. Chronic studies are needed to evaluate long-term effects of annuloplasty rings on right ventricle free wall stress and remodeling.