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Ad J J C Bogers

Publications and source records attributed to Ad J J C Bogers.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Effects of current and prospective antimigraine drugs on the porcine isolated meningeal artery.

Vasoconstriction to agonists at serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) receptors and alpha-adrenoceptors, as well as vasodilatation induced by alpha-CGRP, have been well described in the porcine carotid circulation in vivo. The present study sets out to investigate the effects of current and prospective antimigraine drugs on porcine meningeal artery segments in vitro. Sumatriptan, ergotamine, dihydroergotamine, isometheptene and clonidine failed to contract the meningeal artery, but 5-HT, noradrenaline and phenylephrine induced concentration-dependent contractions. The contractions to 5-HT were competitively antagonized by the 5-HT(2A) receptor antagonist ketanserin, whilst those to noradrenaline were antagonized by alpha(1)-(prazosin), alpha(2)-(rauwolscine and yohimbine) and alpha(2C/2B)-(OPC-28326) adrenoceptor antagonists. Whilst dobutamine and salbutamol were ineffective, alpha-CGRP produced concentration-dependent relaxations that were antagonized by the CGRP(1) receptor antagonist olcegepant. In agreement with their lack of contractile effect, sumatriptan and ergotamine failed to influence forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation in the porcine meningeal artery; in contrast, both compounds decreased forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation in the human isolated saphenous vein, where they induced contractions. Finally, using RT-PCR, we could demonstrate the presence of mRNAs encoding for several 5-HT receptors (5-HT(1B), 5-HT(1D), 5-HT(1F), 5-HT(2A) and 5-HT(7)) and adrenoceptors (alpha(1A), alpha(1B), alpha(1D), alpha(2A), alpha(2B), alpha(2C), beta(1) and beta(2)), as well as that for the calcitonin receptor like receptor, a component of the CGRP(1) receptor. These results suggest that: (i) the porcine meningeal artery may not be involved in the vasoconstriction of the carotid vascular bed elicited by antimigraine drugs in anaesthetized pigs, and (ii) the mismatch between the presence of receptor mRNA and the lack of response to sumatriptan, dobutamine and salbutamol implies that mRNAs for the 5-HT(1B) receptor and beta(1)- and beta(2)-adrenoceptors are probably unstable, or that their density is too low for being translated as receptor protein in sufficient quantities.

Adrenergic alpha-Agonists↗

Pre-operative computed tomography coronary angiography to detect significant coronary artery disease in patients referred for cardiac valve surgery.

OBJECTIVES: We studied the diagnostic performance of 64-slice computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) to rule out or detect significant coronary stenosis in patients referred for valve surgery. BACKGROUND: Invasive conventional coronary angiography (CCA) is recommended in most patients scheduled for valve surgery. METHODS: During a 6-month period, 145 patients were prospectively identified from a consecutive patient population scheduled for valve surgery. Thirty-five patients were excluded because of CTCA criteria: irregular heart rhythm (n = 26), impaired renal function (n = 5), and known contrast allergy (n = 4). General exclusion criteria were: hospitalization in community hospital (n = 4), no need for CCA (n = 4), previous coronary artery bypass surgery (n = 1), or percutaneous coronary intervention (n = 4). Of the remaining 97 patients, 27 denied written informed consent. Thus, the study population comprised 70 patients (49 male, 21 female; mean age 63 +/- 11 years). RESULTS: Prevalence of significant coronary artery disease, defined as having at least 1 > or =50% stenosis per patient, was 25.7%. Beta-blockers were administered in 71%, and 64% received lorazepam. The mean heart rate dropped from 72.5 +/- 12.4 to 59.5 +/- 7.5 beats/min. The mean scan time was 12.8 +/- 1.3 s. On a per-patient analysis, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were: 100% (18 of 18; 95% confidence interval [CI] 78 to 100), 92% (48 of 52; 95% CI 81 to 98), 82% (18 of 22; 95% CI 59 to 94), and 100% (48 of 48; 95% CI 91 to 100), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic accuracy of 64-slice CTCA for ruling out the presence of significant coronary stenoses in patients undergoing valve surgery is excellent and allows CTCA implementation as a gatekeeper for invasive CCA in these patients.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

The effect of open lung ventilation on right ventricular and left ventricular function in lung-lavaged pigs.

INTRODUCTION: Ventilation according to the open lung concept (OLC) consists of recruitment maneuvers, followed by low tidal volume and high positive end-expiratory pressure, aiming at minimizing atelectasis. The minimization of atelectasis reduces the right ventricular (RV) afterload, but the increased intrathoracic pressures used by OLC ventilation could increase the RV afterload. We hypothesize that when atelectasis is minimized by OLC ventilation, cardiac function is not affected despite the higher mean airway pressure. METHODS: After repeated lung lavage, each pig (n = 10) was conventionally ventilated and was ventilated according to OLC in a randomized cross-over setting. Conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) consisted of volume-controlled ventilation with 5 cmH2O positive end-expiratory pressure and a tidal volume of 8-10 ml/kg. No recruitment maneuvers were performed. During OLC ventilation, recruitment maneuvers were applied until PaO2/FiO2 > 60 kPa. The peak inspiratory pressure was set to obtain a tidal volume of 6-8 ml/kg. The cardiac output (CO), the RV preload, the contractility and the afterload were measured with a volumetric pulmonary artery catheter. A high-resolution computed tomography scan measured the whole lung density and left ventricular (LV) volumes. RESULTS: The RV end-systolic pressure-volume relationship, representing RV afterload, during steady-state OLC ventilation (2.7 +/- 1.2 mmHg/ml) was not significantly different compared with CMV (3.6 +/- 2.5 mmHg/ml). Pulmonary vascular resistance (OLC, 137 +/- 49 dynes/s/cm5 versus CMV, 130 +/- 34 dynes/s/cm5) was comparable between groups. OLC led to a significantly lower amount of atelectasis (13 +/- 2% of the lung area) compared with CMV (52 +/- 3% of the lung area). Atelectasis was not correlated with pulmonary vascular resistance or end-systolic pressure-volume relationship. The LV contractility and afterload during OLC was not significantly different compared with CMV. Compared with baseline, the LV end-diastolic volume (66 +/- 4 ml) decreased significantly during OLC (56 +/- 5 ml) ventilation and not during CMV (61 +/- 3 ml). Also, CO was significantly lower during OLC ventilation (OLC, 4.1 +/- 0.3 l/minute versus CMV, 4.9 +/- 0.3 l/minute). CONCLUSION: In this experimental study, OLC resulted in significantly improved lung aeration. Despite the use of elevated airway pressures, no evidence was found for a negative effect of OLC on RV afterload or LV afterload, which might be associated with a loss of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction due to alveolar recruitment. The reductions in the CO and in the mean pulmonary artery pressure were consequences of a reduced preload.

Animals↗

Emergency surgery due to haematoma in a case of left atrial myxoma.

Atrial myxomas generally do not require urgent surgery. We report on a 78-year-old woman in whom transesophageal echography revealed a large left atrial myxoma. She acutely developed dyspnoea, tachypnoea, and forward failure necessating urgent surgery. The myxoma was surgically removed and showed a haematoma. The most likely reason for the deteriorating condition was acute enlargement of the myxoma due to intramyxomal haemorrhage. This case illustrates that the clinical condition of patients with symptomatic myxoma can deteriorate suddenly and require urgent surgical treatment.

Aged↗

Comparison of Carpentier-Edwards pericardial and supraannular bioprostheses in aortic valve replacement.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at calculating and comparing the long-term outcomes of patients after aortic valve replacement with the Carpentier-Edwards bovine pericardial and porcine supraannular bioprostheses using microsimulation. METHODS: We conducted a meta-analysis of eight studies on the Carpentier-Edwards pericardial valves (2,685 patients, 12,250 patient-years) and five studies on the supraannular valves (3,796 patients, 20,127 patient-years) to estimate the occurrence rates of valve-related events. Eighteen-year follow-up data sets were used to construct age-dependent Weibull curves that described their structural valvular deterioration. The estimates were entered into a microsimulation model, which was used to calculate the outcomes of patients after aortic valve replacement. RESULTS: The annual hazard rates for thrombo-embolism after aortic valve replacement were 1.35% and 1.76% for the pericardial and supraannular valves, respectively. For a 65-year-old male, median time to structural valvular deterioration was 20.1 and 22.2 years while the lifetime risk of reoperation due to structural valvular deterioration was 18.3% and 14.0%, respectively. The life expectancy of the patient was 10.8 and 10.9 years and event-free life expectancy 9.0 and 8.8 years, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The microsimulation methodology provides insight into the prognosis of a patient after aortic valve replacement with any given valve type. Both the Carpentier-Edwards pericardial and supraannular valve types perform satisfactorily, especially in elderly patients, and show no appreciable difference in long-term outcomes when implanted in the aortic position.

Aged↗

Epicardium-derived cells are important for correct development of the Purkinje fibers in the avian heart.

During embryonic development, the proepicardial organ (PEO) grows out over the heart surface to form the epicardium. Following epithelial-mesenchymal transformation, epicardium-derived cells (EPDCs) migrate into the heart and contribute to the developing coronary arteries, to the valves, and to the myocardium. The peripheral Purkinje fiber network develops from differentiating cardiomyocytes in the ventricular myocardium. Intrigued by the close spatial relationship between the final destinations of migrating EPDCs and Purkinje fiber differentiation in the avian heart, that is, surrounding the coronary arteries and at subendocardial sites, we investigated whether inhibition of epicardial outgrowth would disturb cardiomyocyte differentiation into Purkinje fibers. To this end, epicardial development was inhibited mechanically with a membrane, or genetically, by suppressing epicardial epithelial-to-mesenchymal transformation with antisense retroviral vectors affecting Ets transcription factor levels (n=4, HH39-41). In both epicardial inhibition models, we evaluated Purkinje fiber development by EAP-300 immunohistochemistry and found that restraints on EPDC development resulted in morphologically aberrant differentiation of Purkinje fibers. Purkinje fiber hypoplasia was observed both periarterially and at subendocardial positions. Furthermore, the cells were morphologically abnormal and not aligned in orderly Purkinje fibers. We conclude that EPDCs are instrumental in Purkinje fiber differentiation, and we hypothesize that they cooperate directly with endothelial and endocardial cells in the development of the peripheral conduction system.

Animals↗

Invited commentary.

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Aortic Valve Insufficiency↗

Feasibility and accuracy of real-time 3-dimensional echocardiographic assessment of ventricular septal defects.

The aim of this study was to evaluate feasibility, accuracy, and clinical applicability of real-time (RT) transthoracic 3-dimensional (3D) echocardiography (3DE) in the determination of the position, size, and shape of a ventricular septal defect (VSD). In all, 34 patients (age: 2 months-46 years), who were scheduled for surgical closure of a VSD, were enrolled in the study. VSD localization, shape, and dimensions were assessed and compared with measurements performed by the surgeon. Acquisition of RT-3DE datasets was feasible in 30 of 34 (88%) patients. Duration of 3D data acquisition was 6 +/- 2 minutes. Reconstruction time was 23 +/- 16 minutes. Localization and number of VSD were determined correctly by RT-3DE in all patients. There was a good correlation for VSD measurements between RT-3DE and operation (r = 0.95). RT-3DE allows accurate determination of VSD size, shape, and location. The short acquisition time and acceptable reconstruction time make this technique clinically applicable.

Adult↗

Characterization of atrial septal defect assessed by real-time 3-dimensional echocardiography.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe a quantitative evaluation by real-time 3-dimensional (3D) echocardiography (RT-3DE) of atrial septal defect (ASD) and atrial septum that is important for patient selection for transcatheter closure, and to assess the reliability of RT-3DE findings compared with operation. METHODS: Forty-five patients, who were scheduled for surgical or transcatheter closure of an ASD, were included in the study. RESULTS: In 43 patients (96%), 3D reconstructions allowed optimal imaging of the ASD. The correlations between the ASD maximal diameter by RT-3DE and operation or balloon sizing were excellent (r > 0.95). All surrounding rims of the atrial septum could be assessed on 3D reconstruction; except for the aortic rim, a cross-sectional reconstruction was created mimicking the transesophageal echocardiographic cross section (r > 0.92). CONCLUSION: RT-3DE allows accurate determination of ASD location, ASD size, and surrounding tissue of the atrial septum, and might replace transesophageal echocardiography for patient selection for surgical or transcatheter closure.

Child, Preschool↗

Long-term survival after non-small cell lung cancer surgery: development and validation of a prognostic model with a preoperative and postoperative mode.

OBJECTIVE: At present, there is no prognostic model that is specific for prediction of survival after non-small cell lung cancer surgery. We aimed to develop a prognostic model that can be used to estimate the postoperative survival of individual patients. METHODS: A total of 766 patients underwent resection for primary non-small cell lung cancer. Comorbid conditions were scaled according to the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI). Cox proportional hazard analyses were used to determine risk factors for survival. A prognostic model for survival with a preoperative and postoperative mode was established. Performance of the prognostic model, the CCI, and pathologic tumor stage were quantified by a concordance statistic to indicate discriminative ability. RESULTS: The factors associated with an impaired survival were male sex, age, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, any prior tumor, moderate-to-severe renal disease (preoperative and postoperative mode), clinical tumor stage (preoperative mode), type of resection, and pathologic tumor stage (postoperative mode). The discriminative performance was poor for the CCI (c = 0.55), better for pathologic tumor stage (c = 0.60) and for the preoperative mode (c = 0.61), and best for the postoperative mode (c = 0.65). The discriminative performance of the postoperative mode was better than the discriminative performance of the CCI (P < .0001), the preoperative mode (P < .0002), and pathologic tumor stage (P < .0001). The discriminative performance of the preoperative mode was better than the discriminative performance of the CCI (P < .0001) and similar (P = .90) to a model that only included pathologic tumor stage. CONCLUSIONS: The prognostic model, particularly the postoperative mode, successfully estimates long-term survival of individual patients and could help clinicians in clinical decision-making and treatment tailoring.

Aged↗

Degeneration of the pulmonary autograft: an explant study.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the histologic features of pulmonary autografts explanted after the Ross operation. METHODS: Histologic sections of 30 explanted autografts and 8 normal heart valves were compared and semiquantitatively scored by a blinded cardiovascular pathologist. RESULTS: Pulmonary autografts (n = 30) were explanted on average 6.1 +/- 0.6 years (median, 6.6 years; range, 0.1-11.7 years) after the Ross operation (n = 28) or removed at autopsy (n = 2). Twelve (43%) of the patients undergoing reoperation had no or negligible autograft insufficiency on early transthoracic echocardiography, 12 (43%) had grade 1 autograft insufficiency, and 4 (14%) had grade 1-2 autograft insufficiency. Valve regurgitation with root dilatation was the most common indication for reoperation after root replacement (n = 26 [93%]) and regurgitation after subcoronary implanted autografts (n = 2 [7%]). Microscopy of the autograft explants revealed normal laminar architecture and cellularity. Wall specimens were characterized by reduced and fragmented elastin and increased collagen levels (fibrosis). Medial elastin changes were associated with the presence of hypertrophic smooth muscle cells. Fibrosis was most severe in the adventitia. Intimal thickening was a common finding. Valve explants showed significant thickening caused by fibrocellular tissue on the ventricular surface and marked thickening of the free margin. An autopsy explant with normal function before death showed similar features. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary autograft explants showed severe aneurysmal degeneration of the wall, which was characterized by intimal thickening, medial elastin fragmentation, and adventitial fibrosis. Valve leaflets were thickened. The presence of these features in a nonfailing explant suggests these changes represent a common mode of remodeling.

Adolescent↗

Implementing Six Sigma in The Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: Six Sigma, a process-focused strategy and methodology for business improvement, can be used to improve care processes, eliminate waste, reduce costs, and enhance patient satisfaction. EXPERIENCE WITH SIX SIGMA IN THE NETHERLANDS: Six Sigma was introduced in 2001 at the 384-bed Red Cross Hospital (Beverwijk). During the Green Belt training, every participant was required to participate in at least one Six Sigma project. The hospital's total savings in 2004 amounted to 1.4 million dollars, for an average savings of 67,000 dollars for each of the completed 21 projects. THREE EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS: In one project, the team designed a new admission process for the operating rooms, resulting in an average starting time nine minutes earlier. This relatively minor improvement made it possible to operate on an additional 400 patients a year and to achieve a net savings of >273,000 dollars. A second project reduced the number of patients receiving intravenous (IV) antibiotics by switching to oral administration, yielding annual savings, based on medication costs alone, of >75,000 dollars. A third project reduced the length of stay in the delivery room from 11.9 to 3.4 hours, yielding an annual savings of 68,000 dollars. The "Ultimate Cure?": Six Sigma, which entails involvement of health care workers; use of improvement tools (from industry); creation of trained project teams to tackle complex, often cross-departmental processes; data analyses; and investment in quality improvement may prove the "ultimate cure" to the current cost, quality, and safety issues that challenge health care.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Open lung ventilation does not increase right ventricular outflow impedance: An echo-Doppler study.

OBJECTIVE: Ventilation according to the open lung concept (OLC) consists of recruitment maneuvers, followed by low tidal volume and elevated positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). Elevated PEEP is associated with an increased right ventricular afterload. We investigated the effect of OLC ventilation on right ventricular outflow impedance during inspiration and expiration in patients after cardiac surgery using transesophageal echo-Doppler. DESIGN: A prospective, single-center, crossover, randomized, controlled clinical study. SETTING: Cardiothoracic intensive care unit of a university hospital. PATIENTS: Twenty-eight patients scheduled for elective cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. INTERVENTIONS: In the intensive care unit, each patient was ventilated for approximately 30 mins according to both OLC and conventional ventilation. During OLC ventilation, recruitment maneuvers were applied until PaO2/FiO2 was >375 torr (50 kPa); during conventional ventilation no recruitment maneuvers were performed. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Transesophageal echo-Doppler measurements were performed at end-inspiration and end-expiration in a steady-state condition, 20 mins after initiation of a ventilation strategy. Mean acceleration of flow was determined in the long axis of the pulmonary artery in a transverse axis view. During OLC ventilation, a total PEEP of 14 +/- 4 cm H2O was applied vs. 5 cm H2O during conventional ventilation. Mean acceleration during expiration was comparable between groups. During inspiration, OLC ventilation did not cause a decrease of mean acceleration compared with expiration, whereas this did occur during conventional ventilation. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the use of elevated PEEP levels, ventilation according to OLC does not change right ventricular outflow impedance during expiration and decreases right ventricular outflow impedance during inspiration.

Blood Flow Velocity↗

DNA microarray analysis for human congenital heart disease.

Right ventricular hypertrophy and failure are prominent features in cyanotic congenital heart disease, tetralogy of Fallot (TF). Patients with TF require primary cardiac surgery at a very young age. To gain insight into the underlying molecular mechanisms of right ventricular hypertrophy and to identify gene(s) involved in TF, differential gene expression profile was assessed using expression-based microarray technology on right ventricular biopsies from young TF patients who underwent primary correction. By using quantitative immuno histochemistry, expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), flk-1, and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins (collagens and fibronectin) as well as vessel counts and myocyte cell size was evaluated in TF patients in relation to age-matched controls. Among 236 genes showing altered expression pattern in TF patients, VEGF (1.8-fold) and ECM markers were clearly upregulated (fibronectin, 2.4-fold; collagen Ialpha, 7.5-fold; and collagen III, 4.4-fold); flk-1 and most matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) remained unchanged, except the levels of MMP-13 and -17 declined. Tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases showed a downregulated pattern. Staining of VEGF in cardiomyocytes and of ECM proteins (fibronectin, collagen I and III) in interstitial as well as in perivascular area was increased (p < 0.01) in TF patients. Morphometric analysis revealed enhanced vascular density (p < 0.05) with unchanged wall thickness and enlarged myocyte cross-sectional areas (p < 0.01) with linear correlation (p < 0.01) with the age in TF-1 patients. We conclude that the upregulation of genes encoding VEGF and ECM proteins are the key events contributing to right ventricular hypertrophy and stunted angiogenesis in patients with TF.

Adult↗

Altered chemokine receptor profile on circulating leukocytes in human heart failure.

Chemokines and their receptors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of different forms of heart failure (HF). We examined CC- and CXC-chemokine receptor expression in fresh peripheral blood leukocyte populations from 24 end-stage HF patients consisting of coronary artery disease (CAD; n = 6) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM; n = 7) or idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM; n = 8) or valvular disease (VD; n = 3) and compared the data with 18 healthy controls. Levels of CCR1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7, and CXCR1, 2, 3, and 4 were measured by flow cytometry, and the expression profile was assessed as molecules of equivalent soluble fluorochrome units as well as frequency (percentage) of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells and monocytes or granulocytes. Frequency of CD3+ CXCR4+, CD3+ CXCR1+, and CD3+ CXCR3+ cells was significantly increased in HF patients, whereas only CCR7 and CXCR4 expression levels were elevated on CD3+ cells. Both CD4+ CXCR4+ and CD8+ CXCR4+ cell frequencies were significantly increased irrespective of cardiac disease etiology. Elevated CCR7 expression was less pronounced on CD4+ than CD8+ cells in patients with CAD and IDCM. Expression of CXCR4 on CD8+ cells was upregulated substantially, regardless of the cause of disease. CD8+ CXCR1+ and CD8+ CXCR3+ but not CD4+ CXCR1+ or CD4+ CXCR3+ cells were increased in the HF patients with IDCM and CAD, respectively. Expression of CXCR1 or CXCR3 on both CD4+ and CD8+ cells did not differ in all the groups. For monocytes, frequency of CD14+ CCR1+ and CD14+ CCR2+ cells was significantly decreased in CAD patients, whereas, increase in CD14+ CXCR4+ cell frequency was accompanied with elevated CXCR4 expression. On granulocytes, CXCR1 and CXCR2 receptors were downregulated in all patients, compared with controls. Our results suggest that the altered expression profile of CC- and CXC-chemokine receptors on circulating leukocyte populations involves enhanced activation of the immune system, perhaps as part of the pathogenic mechanisms in HF. Modulation of the chemokine network could offer interesting novel therapeutic modalities for end-stage HF.

Adult↗

Serial echocardiographic assessment of neo-aortic regurgitation and root dimensions after the modified Ross procedure.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: Concern exists regarding progressive root dilatation after the modified Ross procedure. The present prospective echocardiographic study aimed to provide further insight into neo-aortic regurgitation (nAR) and neoaortic root dimensions over time in adult Rotterdam Ross root patients, and to study potential risk factors for nAR and dilatation. METHODS: All Rotterdam Ross patients aged > or = 16 years at surgery were subjected to a prospective biennial standardized echocardiographic protocol. Analysis over time of nAR according to the jet length and jet diameter method, autograft annulus and sinotubular junction (STJ) diameters was carried out using a multilevel linear model in 90 patients who had two or more echocardiographic measurements (mean 5; range 2-9; total 458) up to 14 years (mean 7 years) after surgery. RESULTS: The mean (+/- SE) initial postoperative jet length nAR was grade 0.9 +/- 0.09, and the annual increase 0.1 +/- 0.02 (p < 0.001). Initial annulus and STJ diameters were 25 +/- 0.5 mm and 36 +/- 0.6 mm, while annual increases were 0.4 +/- 0.07 mm and 0.5 +/- 0.09 mm, respectively (p < 0.001). Patients who eventually underwent an autograft reoperation (n = 10) had significantly greater initial nAR and greater progression of nAR, and a greater initial annulus diameter. The annual annulus and STJ diameter increase was greater in patients who underwent autograft reoperation. Compared to freestanding root replacement, patients with inclusion cylinder aortic root replacement had smaller initial annulus and STJ diameters that did not increase over time. Female gender was associated with a greater initial jet length and jet diameter nAR and a greater increase over time in jet diameter nAR. Preoperative aortic regurgitation or combined aortic stenosis and regurgitation were associated with greater initial annulus and STJ diameters. Neither bicuspid valve disease, patient age, preoperative ascending aorta aneurysm, prior aortic valve surgery nor hypertension had an effect on initial or progression of nAR, annulus, and STJ diameter. CONCLUSION: The annual increase in nAR and root dimensions is small, but persistent, after autograft aortic root replacement in adults, and further reoperations should be anticipated. Use of the inclusion cylinder root replacement technique seems to prevent neo-aortic dilatation.

Adolescent↗

Outcome after aortic valve replacement in young adults: is patient profile more important than prosthesis type?

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: The optimal prosthesis choice in young adults requiring aortic valve replacement (AVR) remains controversial. The study aim was to determine whether implanted prosthesis type is an important determinant of outcome after AVR in young adults. METHODS: Between 1991 and 2001, 414 young adults (mean age 40 +/- 11 years; range: 16-55 years) underwent a total of 438 consecutive AVRs using 204 mechanical prostheses (MP), three bioprostheses (BP), 150 allografts (AL), and 81 autografts (AU). The perioperative characteristics, early and late mortality, occurrence of valve-related events and predictors of adverse outcome and prosthesis selection, were evaluated. RESULTS: Mean patient ages were 45 years for MP, 50 years for BP, 39 years for AL, and 31 years for AU. MP selection was associated with older age, impaired left ventricular function (LVF) and concomitant mitral valve surgery (concMVS); AL selection with ascending aortic aneurysm, active endocarditis, and Marfan's disease; and AU selection with younger age, prior balloon valvuloplasty and isolated valve disease. Hospital mortality was 2.3% (n = 10). During follow up (97% complete) 30 patients died. Ten-year survival was better for AU (96 +/- 2%) compared to MP (84 +/- 4%) and AL (92 +/- 2%). Prosthesis type was not predictive of late mortality; rather, predictors of increased late mortality were prior aortic valve surgery, impaired LVF, concMVS, and older patient age. Ten-year freedom from bleeding and thromboembolism was 89 +/- 3% for MP versus 94 +/- 3% for AL and 99 +/- 1% for AU (p = 0.054). Ten-year freedom from reoperation was 95 +/- 2% for MP versus 79 +/- 5% for AL and 87 +/- 5% for AU (p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Survival after AVR in young adults in Rotterdam was mainly determined by patient-related factors, and not by prosthesis type. A randomized controlled trial is necessary to determine whether valve prosthesis type indeed plays a crucial role in improving survival in young adult patients.

Adolescent↗