Cardiology Commons^™

Multifocal Extracranial Mycotic Aneurysms In A Patient With Endocarditis, A. M. Spring, M. A. Catalano, B. F. Farber, K. V. Krishnasastry, P. J. Yu

Journal Articles

© 2020 This report describes the case of a 44-year-old man with Streptococcus gallolyticus (formerly S. bovis) endocarditis requiring surgical mitral valve replacement who developed multifocal extracranial mycotic aneurysms after the resolution of infection.

Management Of Elective Aortic Valve Replacement Over The Long Term In The Era Of Covid-19, C. Basman, C. A. Kliger, L. Pirelli, S. J. Scheinerman

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Cardiovascular: Outcomes And Innovations Report, Maine Medical Center

Annual Reports

2020 Annual Report

Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device Outflow Graft Stenting: Indications And Outcomes, Chelsey T. Wood, Mfa, Elizabeth J. Maynes, Md, Thomas J. O'Malley, Md, Rohinton J. Morris, Md, Louis E. Samuels, Md, H. Todd Massey, Md, Vakhtang Tchantchaleishvili

Phase 1

Introduction: Stenosis in the continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (CF-LVAD) outflow graft can be caused by various mechanical and anatomical factors. Increasingly, percutaneous management has been utilized to re-establish adequate CF-LVAD flow. We sought to evaluate indications for such interventions and their outcomes.

Methods: An electronic search was performed to identify all studies in the English literature reporting CF-LVAD outflow graft stenting for various etiologies. Twenty-one studies consisting of 26 patients were included in the analysis.

Results: Median patient age was 59 years [45.8-67.0] and 65.4% (17/26) were male. 58.3% (14/24) of patients had HeartWare HVAD, 37.5% (9/24) had HeartMate …

Cardiac Risk Factors Predicting 30/90 Day Readmission Rates In Lumbar Decompression Surgeries, Blake Nourie, Kevin Xiao, Joseph Bechay, Dhruv K.C. Goyal

Phase 1

Preoperative cardiopulmonary disease is known to be a risk factor for perioperative complications in deformity surgery and lumbar fusion procedures, however there is a lack of literature evaluating cardiac risk factors and their influence on readmission rates following lumbar decompression surgery. We want to determine whether preoperative cardiac risk factors influenced the 30 and 90-day readmission rates in patients undergoing lumbar decompression surgery. Patient charts from Rothman Institute between were reviewed for history of preoperative cardiac risk factors such as coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, stroke, cardiac catheterization, stent placement, coronary artery bypass graft, aspirin and/or clopidogrel …

In Adult Patients 60+ Y.O. With Aaa, Would (F)Evar Lead To Least Amount Of Post-Operative Complications Than Traditional Osr?, Sandra Yoo

Capstone Showcase

INTRODUCTION: An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a permanent ballooning of the abdominal aorta greater than 3cm in diameter. A small AAA is often asymptomatic. However, as time passes the risk of rupture increases as the diameter of the aneurysm widens. This can ultimately lead to massive internal bleeding and fatality. Surgery is the most common course of treatment for AAA. Most patients will undergo traditional open surgery, but this is often associated with prolonged in-hospital recovery and is contraindicated in an aging population that have a higher prevalence of comorbidities. With this in thought, some clinicians have been turning …

The Efficacy Of Thoratec Implantable Ventricular Assist Devices Compared To Syncardia Total Artificial Hearts As Bridge-To-Transplantation Therapy In Adults With Biventricular Heart Failure, Alexandria Davenport

Capstone Showcase

Abstract

Introduction: Systolic heart failure is a chronic condition in which there is a decrease in the heart’s ability to pump blood to the body. While there are several treatments for the symptoms of heart failure, the only curative treatment for most causes of chronic heart failure is a heart transplant. Due to the limited number of heart donors, 72.2% of patients in need of a heart transplant in 2017 spent up to 2 years waiting for a transplant. Mechanical circulatory support has been used to increase patient survival to transplantation. In the past, these machines were external devices that …

Persistent Reduction In The Age Adjusted Mortality Rate From Aortic Valve Surgery In The United State With Elimination Of Gender Gap In Recent Years., Mohammad Reza Movahed, Sara Etemad, Mehrnoosh Hashemzadeh, Mehrtash Hashemzadeh

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

BACKGROUND: Advancement in the surgical techniques should translate into better outcome. The goal of this study was to evaluate mortality trends from aortic valve surgery in the United State using large inpatient database.

METHOD: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database was used to calculate the age-adjusted mortality rate from aortic valve surgery from 1988 to 2011 in the United State using ICD-9 coding for aortic valve surgery.

RESULTS: We found that age adjusted mortality rate from aortic valve surgery gradually decreased from 1988 until end of study in 2011 to the lowest level with elimination of gender gap that was …

Single Versus Multi-Center Surgeons' Risk-Adjusted Mitral Valve Repair Procedural Outcomes, Anne Bennett, Thomas Bogue, Samuel Greenberg, Joshua Zhu, Samantha Novotny, Joseph Pizzuti, Lee A. Santore, Robert H. Habib, Annie Laurie Laurie Shroyer, Jonathan Price, Henry Tannous, Thomas Bilfinger

Department of Surgery Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is to explore strategies to improve mitral valve repair (MVr) outcomes. This research explores postoperative outcomes of patients undergoing MVr surgery by single center surgeons versus patients of multicenter surgeons. Specific outcomes of interest include 30-day operative mortality, major operative complications (e.g., deep sternal wound infection, permanent stroke, renal dysfunction requiring dialysis, reoperation, and prolonged ventilation), length of stay, and 30-day readmissions.

In brief, the serisk-adjusted outcome rates for surgeons that perform mitral valve repair procedures will be compared for surgeons that operate at a single center [i.e. SC surgeons] versus multiple centers [i.e. MC …

The Early "Unnatural" History Following Surgical Repair Of Ventricular Septal Defects., Sathish M. Chikkabyrappa, Justin T. Tretter, Arpan R. Doshi, Sujatha Buddhe, Puneet Bhatla, Achi Ludomirsky

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Introduction: Surgical outcomes for simple ventricular septal defects (VSD) have been excellent in the past three decades. For this project, the timing of resolution of left-sided dilation and mitral regurgitation (MR) following VSD repair was assessed.

Methods: Echocardiographic data surrounding surgery of 42 consecutive children who underwent surgical patch repair of a VSD were reviewed. The echocardiograms were reviewed up to a mean of 12 months post-operatively (range 9 - 14 months). Quantitative data indexed to body surface area including left atrial (LA) volume, mitral valve annulus diameter, and left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD) was analyzed.

Results: The majority of …

Convergent Ablation For The Treatment Of Long Standing Persistent Atrial Fibrillation - A Single Center Experience, Syed Rafay Ali Sabzwari, Lohit Garg Md, Nikhil A. Mehta Md, James R. Kimber, Hiwot Ayele, James K. Wu Md, Babak Bozorgnia Md

Department of Medicine

Introduction: The treatment of long standing persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) is very challenging and conventional catheter ablation strategies have provided only modest success. They often require multiple procedures and anti-arrhythmics to maintain sinus rhythm. The convergent ablation procedure is a hybrid approach, involving a minimally invasive epicardial ablation combined with a traditional transvenous endocardial ablation.

Hypothesis: Convergent ablation is an overall safe and effective procedure for the treatment of long standing persistent AF.

Methods: From February 2015 to September 2017, 30 patient (20 males) with long standing persistent AF underwent convergent ablation at a large tertiary care center. Rest of …

Does Perioperative Use Of Renin-Angiotensin System Inhibitors Improve Patient Outcomes In Cardiac Surgery?, Qian Ding, Mark Berguson, Zugui Zhang, Hong Liu, Huang Nie, Jordan E. Goldhammer, Rohinton J. Morris, Jianzhong Sun

Department of Anesthesiology Posters

• 2011 ACCF/AHA Guidelines for CABG: Uncertain about the safety of the preoperative administration of ACE inhibitors or ARBs in patients on chronic therapy and the safety of initiating ACE inhibitors or ARBs before hospital discharge
• 2014 ESC Guidelines: ACE inhibitors might be stopped 1 to 2 days before CABG to avoid the potential deleterious consequences of perioperative hypotension
• Guidelines state that ACE inhibitors or ARBs should be initiated postoperatively in CABG patients who were not receiving them preoperatively if they have an LVEF ≤40%, hypertension, diabetes, or CKD (Level of Evidence: A)
• There is still a lack of large clinical …

Perioperative Use Of Renin-Angiotensin System Inhibitors And Outcomes In Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery., Qian Ding, Zugui Zhang, Hong Liu, Huang Nie, Mark Berguson, Jordan E. Goldhammer, Nilas Young, Douglas Boyd, Rohinton Morris, Jianzhong Sun

Department of Anesthesiology Faculty Papers

It remains disputable about perioperative use of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASi) and their outcome effects. This multicenter retrospective cohort study examines association between use of perioperative RASi and outcomes in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft and/or valve surgery. After the exclusion, the patients are divided into 2 groups with or without preoperative RASi (PreRASi, n = 8581), or 2 groups with or without postoperative RASi (PostRASi, n = 8130). With using of propensity scores matching to reduce treatment selection bias, the study shows that PreRASi is associated with a significant reduction in postoperative 30-day mortality compared with without one …

Microbial Colonization Of Pneumatic Tourniquets In The Orthopedic Operating Room, Syed Hamza Mufarrih, Nada Qaisar Qureshi, Rizwan Haroon Rashid, Bilal Ahmed, Seema Irfan, Akbar Jaleel Zubair, Shahryar Noordin

Section of Orthopaedic Surgery

Background: The rate of surgical site infections following orthopedic procedures is approximately 2% globally. Potential sources of contamination in the operating room include pneumatic tourniquets, blood pressure cuffs, and stethoscopes, among others. Our study aims to investigate microbial colonization on reusable pneumatic tourniquets stored and used in the orthopedic department of our institution and evaluate the efficacy of the cleaning protocols employed. Methods: Over a course of two weeks, 26 samples were obtained. A total of 14 pneumatic tourniquets were sampled preoperatively on Monday morning following the weekly cleaning protocol of soaking the tourniquets in sodium hypochlorite for 30 minutes …

Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency Training In Surgical Ablation For Atrial Fibrillation., Zachary M Deboard, Thomas K Varghese, John R Doty, Craig H Selzman

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Background: As no standardized curriculum exists for training cardiothoracic surgery residents in surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation there is potential for variation in operative technique, patient selection, and overall application. Thus we sought to assess the exposure of current residents in order to identify areas for improvement in their education.

Methods: A survey was emailed to residents inquiring about their training experience in surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation. Residents were asked about case volume, procedural variety, and guideline-based clinical scenarios where they felt ablation would be appropriate. Residents were also queried about their abilities to perform various lesion sets and …

Aortic Valve Opening And Closure: The Clover Dynamics., Emmanuel Lansac, Hou-Sen Lim, Yu Shomura, Khee Hiang Lim, Nolan T Rice, Isabelle Di Centa, Pouya Youssefi, Wolfgang Goetz, Carlos M G Duran

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Background: Systolic aortic root expansion is reported to facilitate valve opening, but the precise dynamics remain unknown. A sonometric study with a high data sampling rate (200 to 800 Hz) was conducted in an acute ovine model to better understand the timing, mechanisms, and shape of aortic valve opening and closure.

Methods: Eighteen piezoelectric crystals were implanted in 8 sheep at each annular base, commissures, sinus of Valsalva, sinotubular junction, nodulus of Arantius, and ascending aorta (AA). Geometric changes were time related to pressures and flows.

Results: The aortic root was hemodynamically divided into left ventricular (LV) and aortic compartments …

Potential Of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor As A Biomarker Of Coronary Artery Disease In Subjects Undergoing Cabg Surgery, Teaka Jackson, Sarah Peterson, Amanda Favreau-Lessard, Joanne Burgess, Susan Bosworth-Farrell, Robert S. Kramer, Douglas B. Sawyer, Sergey Ryzhov, Michael P. Robich

MaineHealth Maine Medical Center

Introduction:

• Coronary artery disease (CAD) causes local hypoxia due to reduced blood flow

• Hypoxic conditions are known to induce vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production, a key contributor to angiogenesis

• The purpose of this study was to determine the potential of VEGF as a marker of myocardial stress in subjects with CAD undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery

Aortoduodenal Fistula Forms From Primary Aortic Stump Graft In A Two-Time Multi-Visceral Transplant Patient With Presentation Of Gastrointestinal Bleed And Bowel Perforation: A Case Report, Brielle Corrente

Graduate Student Research Symposium

Usually not diagnosed until open laparotomy, aortoduodenalfistulas (ADF) are one of the rarest complications of intestinal transplant surgery. With an incidence rate of only 0.04% at autopsy and only 250 documented cases since the early 1800’s, aortoduodenal fistulas are the most deadly complications of intestinal transplantation with a mortality rate of 100% without surgical intervention. A 39 year old, two-time multi-visceral transplant African American female patient suffered from a primary aortoduodenal fistula formation in a primary modified multi-visceral transplant aortic stump graft site. With emergency open laparotomy repair, revascularization of the secondary multi-visceral transplant was performed, saving the life of …

First Series Of Minimally Invasive, Robot-Assisted Tracheobronchoplasty With Mesh For Severe Tracheobronchomalacia, R. Lazzaro, B. Patton, P. Lee, J. Karp, E. Mihelis, S. Vatsia, S. J. Scheinerman

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Single-Direction Thoracoscopic Lobectomy: A Step In The Right Direction, J. S. Young, P. C. Lee

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Predictors And Impact Of Right Heart Failure Severity Following Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation, R. D. Baxter, K. M. Tecson, S. Still, J. D. G. Collier, J. Felius, S. M. Joseph, S. A. Hall, B. Lima

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Incidence Of Acute Kidney Injury In Patients With Chronic Renal Insufficiency: Transcatheter Versus Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement, M. Catalano, D. Lin, H. Cassiere, N. Kohn, B. Rutkin, G. Maurer, J. A. Berg, R. Esposito, A. Hartman, P. Yu, +1 Additional Author

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Robotic Sleeve Resections: New Territory But Not The Final Frontier, B. D. Patton

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Ongoing Evaluation Of The Impact Of A Post-Operative Atrial Fibrillation Prevention Protocol For Patients Undergoing Cardiothoracic Surgery, Kamarena Sankar, Jonatha Kline, Heidi Clarke, Radhan Gopalani, Faaria Quadri

All Publications

No abstract provided.

Heparin Bridging Therapy Is Not Necessary For Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Undergoing Temporary Interruption Of Warfarin Therapy For Elective Invasive Procedures Or Surgery, Shannon Paquette

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A critical appraisal and clinical application of Douketis JD, Spyropoulos AC, Kaatz S, et al. Perioperative bridging anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation. New Engl J Med. Aug 2015;373(9):823-833. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1501035

First Case Start Times For Vascular Surgery, Timothy Kafer, Brian Nolan, Jill Knutson, Amy Fournier, Lori Luebbert, J Gregoire, M Daigle, M E. Souliere, J Colpitts, E Anderson, P Briggs, L Ramsey, R Pratt-Pooler, M Maclean, E Estes, S Cheney, D Buck, B Rioux, L Marles

MaineHealth Maine Medical Center

Problem/Impact Statement:

85% of first cases at Maine Medical Center for Vascular Surgery start late. According to one study done by Aurora Health Care; of 5,500 first case surgeries, 88% of them started late. The impact of this is far reaching. It is not in alignment with MMC value of Patient Centered Care because the patient becomes dissatisfied waiting to be brought in to surgery , they are fasting for longer than anticipated, and being away from their family while they wait causing anxiety. The financial impact is $1995 for each 1⁄2 hr. of O.R. time. Furthermore, this may result …

An Atypical Case Of Silent Aortic Dissection In A Peritoneal Dialysis Patient: A Case Report And Review Of Literature, Waqas Javed Siddique, Ali Arif, Mohammad Harisullah Khan, Maryam Khan, Muhammad Owais Hanif, Muhammad Junaid Mehboob, Muhammad Aslam, Ayesha Aslam, Hasan Arif, Sandeep Aggarwal

Medical College Documents

Objective: Unusual clinical course
Background: Aortic dissection presents with acute chest or back pain and is associated with high mortality. We present a case of aortic dissection with an atypical presentation in a peritoneal dialysis patient, and the challenges met with peritoneal dialysis.
Case Report: A 53-year-old African American male presented with progressively worsening exertional dyspnea and orthopnea for 3 days without any history of chest pain. His chest x-ray showed mild pulmonary edema. He was admitted with a diagnosis of heart failure. Bedside echocardiogram revealed severe aortic regurgitation and concern for possible aortic dissection. Computed tomography …

The Synergistic Effects Of Saxagliptin And Metformin On Cd34+ Endothelial Progenitor Cells In Early Type 2 Diabetes Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial., Fiona J Dore, Cleyton C Domingues, Neeki Ahmadi, Nabanita Kundu, Yana Kropotova, Sara Houston, Carol Rouphael, Aytan Mammadova, Linda Witkin, Anamil Khiyami, Richard L Amdur, Sabyasachi Sen

Surgery Faculty Publications

AIMS: Type 2 diabetes is associated with endothelial dysfunction leading to cardiovascular disease. CD34+ endothelial Progenitor Cells (EPCs) are responsible for endothelial repair and neo-angiogenesis and can be used as a cardiovascular disease risk biomarker. This study investigated whether the addition of saxagliptin, a DPP-IV inhibitor, to metformin, may reduce cardiovascular disease risk in addition to improving glycemic control in Type 2 diabetes patients.

METHODS: In 12 week, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial, 42 subjects already taking metformin 1-2 grams/day were randomized to placebo or saxagliptin 5 mg. Subjects aged 40-70 years with diabetes for < 10 years, with no known cardiovascular disease, BMI 25-39.9, HbA1C 6-9% were included. We evaluated EPCs number, function, surface markers and gene expression, in addition to arterial stiffness, blood biochemistries, resting energy expenditure, and body composition parameters. A mixed model regression to examine saxagliptin vs placebo, accounting for within-subject autocorrelation, was done with SAS (p < 0.05).

RESULTS: Although there was no significant …

Treatment Options For Primary Cns Lymphoma, Abid Laghari, Syed Ijlal Ahmed, Adnan Jabbar, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim

Section of Haematology/Oncology

Primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare and aggressive brain tumour that is uniformly fatal. The rarity of the disease and the poor response to treatment makes it difficult to reach a consensus with regards to treatment options. In this review, the authors have discussed different treatment modalities used in the management of PCNSL including chemotherapy, surgery and radiation, as well as the results of recent clinical trials on treatment options for PCNSL.

Infection Of A Ventricular Septal Defect Patch With Acremonium Species, Nosheen Nasir, Kauser Jabeen, Joveria Farooqi, Binish Arif Sultan, Afia Zafar, Aamir Hameed Khan, Muneer Amanullah, Farheen Ali

Section of Internal Medicine

A ventricular septal defect (VSD) patch infection with Acremonium species isolated from vegetation and blood culture is described. Antifungal treatment was discontinued after 3 months and patient developed relapse. Surgery with prolonged oral voriconazole was instituted with recovery. We emphasize importance of surgery and prolonged therapy to treat such infections.