Project description:The reversed Potts shunt is designed to offload the right ventricle in severe pulmonary arterial hypertension. We present a case of bidirectional flow across a reversed Potts shunt leading to pulmonary edema, with clinical improvement after implantation of a transcatheter valve in the shunt to maintain unidirectional flow. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.) Graphical abstract
Project description:BackgroundReversed Potts shunt has been a prospective approach to treat suprasystemic pulmonary hypertension, particularly when medication treatment fails to reduce right ventricular afterload.ObjectiveThis meta-analysis aims to review the clinical, laboratory, and hemodynamic parameters after a reversed Potts shunt in suprasystemic pulmonary hypertension patients.MethodsSix electronic databases were searched from the date of inception to August 2021, where the obtained studies were evaluated according to the PRISMA statement. The effects of shunt creation were evaluated by comparing preprocedural to postprocedural or follow-up parameters, expressed as a mean difference of 99% confidence interval. Quality assessment was conducted using the STROBE statement.ResultsSeven studies suited the inclusion criteria which were included in this article. A reduction in upper and lower limb oxygen saturation [Upper limb: St. Mean difference -0.55, 99% CI -1.25 to 0.15; P=0.04; I2=6%. Lower limb: St. Mean difference -4.45, 99% CI -7.37 to -1.52; P<0.00001; I2=65%]. Reversed Potts shunt was shown to improve WHO functional class, 6-minute walk distance, NTpro-BNP level, and hemodynamic parameters including tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, interventricular septal curvature, and end-diastolic right ventricle/left ventricle ratio.ConclusionReversed Potts shunt cannot be said to be relatively safe, although it allows improvement in the clinical and functional status in patients with suprasystemic PAH. Reversed Potts shunt procedure may be the last resort for drug-resistant pulmonary hypertension as it is considered a high-risk procedure performed on patients with extremely poor conditions.
Project description:BackgroundWe have previously reported use of cryopreserved valve femoral vein homograft (FVH) conduits for biventricular repairs in infants needing right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) reconstruction. This study aims to compare FVH conduits with aortic (A) and pulmonary (P) homografts with regards to intermediate- and long-term outcomes.MethodsRetrospective review was conducted of all infants between 2004 and 2016 who underwent biventricular repair with RVOT reconstruction using homograft conduits. Patients were divided into A, P, and FVH groups based upon type of conduit received (N = 57 [A = 13; P = 21, FVH = 23]). Groups were compared using univariate and multivariable Cox regression analyses. The Nelson-Aalen estimator of cumulative hazard and Kaplan-Meier curves were used to identify differences in freedom from catheter reintervention and reoperation.ResultsThe 2 groups were comparable except for greater incidence of delayed sternal closure and longer hospital length of stay in the FVH group. The follow-up was longer for A and P groups compared with the FVH group (P < .001). Multivariable Cox regression, adjusting for difference in the length of follow-up, revealed comparable freedom from overall reintervention between the groups. Younger age at implantation was the only independent predictor of overall reintervention (hazard ratio per day younger age, 1.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.11; P = .002). Nelson-Aalen cumulative hazard analysis revealed greater freedom from percutaneous reintervention with use of FVH. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed comparable freedom from reoperation for all three conduits.ConclusionsValved femoral vein homograft conduits are comparable with aortic and pulmonary homografts for RVOT reconstruction in infants undergoing biventricular repairs.
Project description:A case of percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation following a failed homograft in the pulmonary position is reported. A 16-year-old boy developed infective endocarditis of his pulmonary homograft, which was implanted four years earlier during a Ross procedure for congenital aortic stenosis. Following successful medical therapy, the boy was symptomatic due to pulmonary stenosis and regurgitation. A 22 mm Melody valve (Medtronic, USA) was successfully implanted percutaneously. His symptoms resolved and he was discharged home one day after the procedure. Echocardiography at the six-month follow-up demonstrated a normally functioning pulmonary valve. Percutaneous pulmonary valve replacement may make the Ross procedure a more attractive option for patients with aortic stenosis, particularly in the pediatric population.
Project description:BackgroundThe optimal conduit for right ventricle to pulmonary artery (RV-PA) reconstruction does not exist. Reinterventions are common due to conduit stenosis and endocarditis. Tailoring conduit choice according to patients' characteristics could improve the outcomes. The study aimed to compare graft-related events (infective endocarditis, transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement (PVR), transcatheter conduit dilatation, surgical conduit replacement, and transcatheter pulmonary branch intervention for RV-PA reconstruction using bovine jugular vein, aortic homograft, and porcine-valved conduits.MethodsIn a retrospective cohort study, 155 patients with 193 procedures that were done in King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center-Jeddah (KFSHRC JED) for implanting RV-PA conduits from 1999 to 2021 were included. The patients were grouped according to the type of conduit into 3 groups; Group 1 (n=153) received bovine jugular vein (BJVs) grafts, Group 2 (n=29) received aortic homografts, Group 3 (n=11) received porcine-valved conduits. Factors associated with graft-related events were evaluated using stepwise Cox regression analysis.ResultsPatients with BJVs were significantly younger than those with porcine-valved conduits 3 (P=0.009). The weight of BJVs patients was significantly lower than homografts (P=0.002) and porcine-valved conduits patients 3 (P<0.001). The conduit size was as expected significantly lower in BJVs patients than patients who received porcine-valved conduits (P<0.001) and patients who received aortic homografts (P<0.001). There was no difference between Group 2 and 3 (P=0.084). Operative mortality occurred in 13 patients: 12 (7.84%) with BJV conduit and 1 (9.09%) with porcine valved conduit (P=0.351). Male gender [odds ratio (OR): 10.04; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.28-78.86; P=0.028] and smaller conduit size (OR: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.61-0.99; P=0.048) were associated with increased operative mortality. Freedom from graft-related events at 5 and 10 years was 67% and 52% in BJVs patients, 74% and 36% in patients who received aortic homografts, and 53% in patients who received porcine-valved conduits. Factors associated with increased graft-related events were male gender (HR: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.004-2.50, P=0.048) and younger age (HR: 0.995; 95% CI: 0.991-0.999, P=0.041).ConclusionsRV-PA reconstruction was associated with low mortality, unrelated to the conduit type. Reinterventions for graft-related events were common. The durability and graft-related events might be comparable among BJV grafts, aortic homografts, and porcine-valved conduits. Factors associated with increased graft-related events in this study were male gender and younger age.
Project description:Postoperative transesophageal echocardiography images of a patient undergoing unidirectional valved patch closure of ventricular septal defect in the setting of severe pulmonary hypertension are presented. The images and videos elegantly demonstrate a functioning valve without any obstruction to the left ventricular outflow.
Project description:Congenital heart diseases (CHD) are one of the most frequently diagnosed congenital disorders, affecting approximately 40,000 live births annually in the United States. Out of the new patients diagnosed with CHD yearly, an estimated 2,500 patients require a substitute, non-native conduit artery to replace structures congenitally absent or hypoplastic. Devices used for conduit replacement encounter limitations exhibiting varying degrees of stiffness, calcification, susceptibility to infection, thrombosis, and a lack of implant growth capacity. Here, we report the functionality of pentagalloyl glucose (PGG) stabilized decellularized valved bovine jugular vein conduit (PGG-DBJVC). The PGG-DBJVC tissues demonstrated mechanical properties comparable to native and glutaraldehyde fixed tissues, while exhibiting resistance to both collagenase and elastase enzymatic degradation. Subcutaneous implantation of tissues established their biocompatibility and resistance to calcification, while implantation in sheep in the pulmonary position demonstrated adequate implant functionality, and repopulation of host cells, without excessive inflammation. In conclusion, this PGG-DBJVC device could be a favorable replacement option for pediatric patients, reducing the need for reoperations required with current devices. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) is a common congenital disorder affecting many newborns in the United States each year. The use of substitute conduit arteries is necessary for some patients with CHD who have missing or underdeveloped structures. Current conduit replacement devices have limitations, including stiffness, susceptibility to infection and thrombosis, and lack of implant growth capacity. Pentagalloyl glucose-stabilized bovine jugular vein valved tissue (PGG-DBJVC) offers a promising solution as it is resistant to calcification, and biocompatible. When implanted in rats and as pulmonary conduit replacement in sheep, the PGG-DBJVC demonstrated cellular infiltration without excessive inflammation, which could lead to remodeling and integration with host tissue and eliminate the need for replacement as the child grows.
Project description:Aortic valve infective endocarditis is a life-threatening condition. Patients frequently present profoundly unwell and extensive surgery may be required to correct the underlying anatomical deficits and control sepsis. Periannular involvement occurs in more than 10% of patients with aortic valve endocarditis. Complex aortic valve endocarditis has a mortality rate of 10 to 40%. Longstanding surgical dogma suggests homografts represent the optimal replacement option in complex aortic valve endocarditis; however, there is a paucity of evidence and lack of consensus on the optimal replacement choice. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed utilizing EMBASE, PubMed, and the Cochrane databases to review articles describing homografts versus aortic valve replacement and/or valved conduit graft implantation for complex aortic valve endocarditis. The outcomes of interest were mortality, reinfection, and reoperation. Eleven studies were included in this meta-analysis, contributing 810 episodes of complex aortic valve endocarditis. All included reports were cohort studies. There was no statistically significant difference in overall mortality (risk ratio [RR] 0.99; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.61-1.59; p = 0.95), reinfection (RR 0.89; 95% CI, 0.45-1.78; p = 0.74), or reoperation (RR 0.91; 95% CI, 0.38-2.14; p = 0.87) between the homograft and valve replacement/valved conduit graft groups. Overall, there was no difference in mortality, reinfection, or reoperation rates between homografts and other valve or valved conduits in management of complex aortic endocarditis. However, there is a paucity of high-quality evidence in the area, and comparison of valve types warrants further investigation.
Project description:Nonreciprocal elements, such as isolators and circulators, play an important role in classical and quantum information processing. Recently, strong nonreciprocal effects have been experimentally demonstrated in cavity optomechanical systems. In these approaches, the bandwidth of the nonreciprocal photon transmission is limited by the mechanical resonator linewidth, which is arguably much smaller than the linewidths of the cavity modes in most electromechanical or optomechanical devices. In this work, we demonstrate broadband nonreciprocal photon transmission in the reversed-dissipation regime, where the mechanical mode with a large decay rate can be adiabatically eliminated while mediating anti- PT -symmetric dissipative coupling with two kinds of phase factors. Adjusting the relative phases allows the observation of periodic Riemann-sheet structures with distributed exceptional points (Eps). At the Eps, destructive quantum interference breaks both the T - and P -inversion symmetry, resulting in unidirectional and chiral photon transmissions. In the reversed-dissipation regime, the nonreciprocal bandwidth is no longer limited by the mechanical mode linewidth but is improved to the linewidth of the cavity resonance. Furthermore, we find that the direction of the unidirectional and chiral energy transfer could be reversed by changing the parity of the Eps. Extending non-Hermitian couplings to a three-cavity model, the broken anti- PT -symmetry allows us to observe high-order Eps, at which a parity-dependent chiral circulator is demonstrated. The driving-phase controlled periodical Riemann sheets allow observation of the parity-dependent unidirectional and chiral energy transfer and thus provide a useful cell for building up nonreciprocal array and realizing topological, e.g., isolators, circulators, or amplifiers.
Project description:A unidirectional (UD) glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite was scanned at varying resolutions in the micro-scale with several imaging modalities. All six scans capture the same region of the sample, containing well-aligned fibres inside a UD load-carrying bundle. Two scans of the cross-sectional surface of the bundle were acquired at a high resolution, by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy (OM), and four volumetric scans were acquired through X-ray computed tomography (CT) at different resolutions. Individual fibres can be resolved from these scans to investigate the micro-structure of the UD bundle. The data is hosted at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1195879 and it was used in Emerson et al. (2018) [1] to demonstrate that precise and representative characterisations of fibre geometry are possible with relatively low X-ray CT resolutions if the analysis method is robust to image quality.