The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2015
ReviewManagement of acute type B aortic dissection; ADSORB trial.
Type B dissection accounts for 25% to 40% of all aortic dissections. The current brief review presents an update on this disease, focusing on new data and insights that have come to light in the past 2 years since the topic was last reviewed at the 2012 AATS Aortic Symposium. ⋯ A great deal of important information on acute type B aortic dissection has become available in the past 2 years since the 2012 AATS Aortic Symposium, some of which is summarized in this brief review. Further, it is clear that much additional investigation is needed so we in the aortic disease management community may continue to gain "new insights into an old disease."
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2015
ReviewFrozen elephant trunk surgery in acute aortic dissection.
Acute aortic dissection is a catastrophic condition, for which emergency surgery is the mainstay of therapy. In approximately 70% of patients who survive surgery, a dissected distal aorta remains, posing a risk of late aneurysmal degeneration, rupture, and malperfusion, and secondary extensive interventions are often required. ⋯ The FET technique is a promising approach in patients with acute dissection. Solid long-term data are warranted to validate the assumed short- and long-term benefits, but we believe that thoughtful patient selection criteria remain crucial.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2015
ReviewThoracic endovascular aortic repair versus open surgery for type-B chronic dissection.
An aging population, increased awareness, high-resolution imaging, and improving access to care all mean that more people are being diagnosed with acute aortic dissection. A better understanding of the role of initial medical therapy, improved surgical techniques, and the addition of endovascular approaches to the treatment algorithm, have resulted in more patients surviving the acute phase of disease. During the chronic phase, patients with residual dissection are challenged by the competing risks of reoperation or death. ⋯ Despite encouraging results for thoracic endovascular aortic repair of acute type-B dissection, chronic type-B dissection poses unique challenges that make application of endovascular technology more difficult. As our understanding of the disease and its natural history evolves, the ways in which these 2 methods of treatment complement each other need to be better understood. The benefits and limitations of each therapy, and how and when to apply each in the setting of chronic distal dissection, are discussed.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2015
Comparative StudyEarly effects of transcatheter aortic valve implantation and aortic valve replacement on myocardial function and aortic valve hemodynamics: insights from cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging.
There remains a paucity of mechanistic data on the effect of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) on early left and right ventricular function and quantitative aortic valve regurgitation. We sought to assess and compare the early effects on myocardial function and aortic valve hemodynamics of TAVI and aortic valve replacement (AVR) using serial cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging and echocardiography. ⋯ There was no significant difference in early left ventricular systolic function between techniques. Whereas right ventricle systolic function was preserved in the AVR group, it was significantly impaired early after TAVI, possibly reflecting a clinically important pathophysiologic consequence of paravalvular aortic regurgitation.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2015
ReviewInflammatory ascending aortic disease: perspectives from pathology.
Inflammatory diseases of the aorta comprise a spectrum of disease with diverse clinical and histopathologic presentations. Broadly, they may be dichotomized into infectious and noninfectious varieties. Although uncommon, infectious forms, caused by bacteria, fungi, or mycobacteria, may result from hematogenous seeding of the aorta or direct spread from a contiguous infectious source. ⋯ Other important noninfectious inflammatory diseases include giant cell arteritis, Takayasu arteritis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener granulomatosis), sarcoidosis, and lymphoplasmacytic aortitis. Importantly, there is increasing recognition that there is a subset of cases of lymphoplasmacytic aortitis perhaps better classified under the spectrum of so-called IgG4-related sclerosing disease, with important clinical and therapeutic ramifications. This review focuses on the variable and defining characteristics of the inflammatory aortopathies, specifically those affecting the ascending aorta, and discusses areas of important clinical and pathological distinction between them.