Journal of Cardiac Surgery

Nudge theory has influenced the behaviour of millions of individuals across the world; however, the potential power of this approach has yet to be fully utilised in the field of inpatient cardiac surgery. The nudge theory also presents multiple nonalert choice architecture modifications that may be employed. Choice architecture is already influencing decisions made in hospitals every day, whether it has been deliberately designed to promote beneficial behaviours or not. Decision making for cardiac surgery inpatients is already subject to inherent choice architectures, which may be amenable to nudges. The types of choices to which nudges may be employed in the inpatient surgical setting are numerous and may be relevant to medical officers, nursing staff, allied health staff, and patients. Through the strategic development and robust evaluation of choice architecture modification, using the principles of the nudge theory, further optimisation of cardiac surgery inpatient management may be achieved.

Objectives. To investigate the potential role of extracellular cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRP) in total aortic arch replacement under hypothermic circulatory arrest. Methods. The serum extracellular CIRP levels at five time points in 96 patients with Stanford A aortic dissection were detected. Overall change trend of CIRP levels at five time points was described, and the risk factors for 30-day mortality after surgery were analyzed. Results. The serum extracellular CIRP levels increased gradually after surgery, starting to rise significantly at approximately 12 h postoperatively, reaching or approaching a peak at approximately 24 h postoperatively, and ceasing to rise significantly after approximately 48 h postoperatively. Age, troponin-I, urodilatin, cooling time, cardiopulmonary bypass time, cross-clamp time, duration of surgery, and CIRP level at the end of surgery in the death group were significantly higher than those in the survival group. Multivariable analysis indicated that CIRP level at the end of surgery, age, urodilatin, and cross-clamp time were independent risk factors for postoperative 30-day mortality. Conclusion. Extracellular CIRP is closely related to the perioperative condition and prognosis of hypothermic circulatory arrest.

Objectives. The tricuspid anterior leaflet is considered important in most repair techniques for Ebstein anomaly (EA). We aim to assess the anterior leaflet morphology using novel metrics and investigate the association of the morphology with recurrent moderately severe or greater tricuspid regurgitation (TR). Methods. Seventy-four paediatric patients with EA undergoing cone reconstruction (CR) between 2010 and 2021 were included. Anterior leaflet mobility (ALM) and anterior leaflet length (ALL) were remeasured on preoperative 2D echocardiography. The prediction accuracies of ALM and ALL-I (ALL indexed to body surface area) for recurrent TR were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses. Results. The median age of patients was 3.3 years (interquartile range, 1.9–7.1 years). Both ALM and ALL-I correlated with the Carpentier type and GOSH score. Nine patients (12.2%) developed recurrent TR during the one-year follow-up. By univariable logistic regression analyses, ALM (odds ratio [OR], 0.89; 95% CI [confidence interval], 0.82–0.96;  = 0.003) and ALL-I (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.08–1.78;  = 0.011) were risk factors for recurrent TR. ROC curve analyses showed that ALM (AUC = 0.81) and ALL-I (AUC = 0.77) had better predictive performance for recurrent TR compared with the GOSH score (AUC = 0.68), the Carpentier type (AUC = 0.67), and preoperative TR severity (AUC = 0.58), and the combinations of ALM and ALL-I (AUC = 0.87) improved the predictive performance compared with ALM or ALL-I alone. Conclusions. ALM and ALL-I can help optimize evaluation in the anterior leaflet morphology and predict recurrent TR after CR in pediatric EA.

Objectives. Heart transplantation (HT) is a definitive therapy for refractory heart failure, making it the gold-standard treatment for recipients with end-stage disease. Heart allocation policy (HAP) in the United States was changed on October 18th, 2018. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the new policy on racial disparities in heart transplantation (HT) outcomes. Methods. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) registry was used to identify adult recipients undergoing isolated HT between 2010 and 2021. Recipients were stratified into pre-HAP (January 2010 to September 2018) vs. post-HAP (October 2018 to September 2021). Recipient race was classified as White, Black, Hispanic, or other. The primary outcome was post-HT mortality. Cox proportional hazard models were used for risk-adjustment in evaluating the independent effect of race on post-HT mortality. Results. A total of 27,403 recipients underwent HT in 143 centers during study period. The proportion of non-Whites undergoing HT increased in the post-HAP era: (pre-HAP: White 66.0%, Black 21.2%, Hispanic 8.2%, Other 4.6% versus post-HAP: White 62.5%, Black 23.2%, Hispanic 9.5%, Other 4.8%; ). In risk-adjusted analysis, Black recipients were at higher risk of post-HT mortality in the pre-HAP era (HR 1.31, 95% CI 1.22–1.41; ) but not in the post-HAP era (HR 1.12, 95% CI 0.03–1.34; ) compared to White recipients. Other non-White recipients had comparable risk-adjusted post-HT mortality rates compared to White recipients both in the pre-HAP and post-HAP eras. Conclusions. Under the new heart allocation system, a higher percentage of recipients are non-White. In addition, racial disparities in HT outcomes have improved with Black recipients no longer having an increased risk-adjusted mortality following HT.

Background. Pulmonary hypertension is a well-known risk factor for hemodynamic instability after heart transplantation. However, it remains unclear whether a mild elevation of pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) is associated with higher risks of graft dysfunction and resultant extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. Methods. From 2016 to 2021, 102 adult recipients undergoing orthotopic heart transplantation at our institution were investigated (mean age, 48.5 ± 13.2 years; 22.5% female). This study cohort was stratified into 3 groups based on the PASP measured by right heart catheterization before surgery: >50 mmHg, 35–50 mmHg, and <35 mmHg. The primary end point was ECMO support after procedure. Results. ECMO was implemented in 24 (23.5%) patients due to difficult weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass or cardiac low output in the intensive care unit, which was likely to be associated with higher mortality (). Age, gender, comorbidities, preoperative medications, and graft ischemia time were comparable across the 3 groups. The use of ECMO was significantly more common in patients with baseline PASP >50 mmHg (11/36, 30.6%) and 35–50 mmHg (12/38, 31.6%), while only 1 (3.6%) patient with baseline PASP <35 mmHg required ECMO support after transplant (). Multivariate logistic models demonstrated that PASP (odds ratio = 2.34; ) and cardiopulmonary bypass time (odds ratio = 1.01; ) were independent risk factors for postoperative ECMO. Conclusions. A mild elevation of pretransplant PASP (e.g., 35–50 mmHg) is related to low cardiac output and subsequent ECMO after heart transplantation, for which prompt administration of vasodilators before transplant may be protective.

Background. Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are complex three-dimensional (3D) lesions with variable anatomies that present therapeutic challenges. The application of a patient-specific3D-printed model in preoperative planning and communication in medical practice can contribute to a complete understanding of the intracardiac and vascular anatomy. This study aimed to prospectively investigate the clinical value of a 3D CHD model in multidisciplinary discussions. Methods. Between August 2019 and April 2021, 19 patients with complex CHDs before surgery were prospectively enrolled in this study. Eight to 14 medical specialists participated in multidisciplinary discussions using patient-specific 3D models. A subjective satisfaction questionnaire, comprising 12 questions to be answered on a 10-point scale, was distributed. Results. Twenty 3D-printed anatomic models of 19 patients were used. The median age and weight of the enrolled patients were 0.8 years (range, 5 days to 43 years) and 9.6 kg (range, 2.8–54 kg), respectively. The most common underlying disease was a double outlet of the right ventricle. The mean scores for understanding spatial orientation, ease of communication between clinicians during discussions, prediction of surgical complications, and information additional to conventional 2D imaging were 9.4 ± 1.1, 9.4 ± 0.9, 9.0 ± 1.1, and 9.2 ± 0.4, respectively. The competency and comfort scores for each patient’s surgical plan increased significantly after using the 3D-printed model (from 6.2 ± 1.6 to 9.2 ± 0.9,  < 0.001 and from 6.3 ± 1.6 to 9.2 ± 0.8,  < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions. Patient-specific 3D models, for patients with complex CHDs, improved the understanding of the disease and facilitated multidisciplinary discussions and surgical decision-making. However, because outcomes were mainly evaluated by subjective reports, the possibility of other unknown factors affecting the outcomes should be considered. Trial Registration. This trial is registered with D-1904-031-1024.