In patients 75 years of age or older, there was no significant difference between on-pump and off-pump CABG with regard to the composite outcome of death, stroke, myocardial infarction, repeat revascularization, or new renal-replacement therapy within 30 days and within 12 months after surgery. (Funded by Maquet; GOPCABE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00719667.).

In patients with AMI and successful coronary reperfusion, the size of delayed gadolinium enhancement at CE cardiac MR imaging significantly diminished during the 1st week after infarction. Thus, timing of CE cardiac MR imaging is crucial for accurate measurement of myocardial infarct size early after AMI.

T he benefits of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) without cardiopulmonary bypass in the elderly has yet to be determined. Patients 75 years or older who were scheduled for elective first-time CABG were randomly assigned to undergo the procedure either without cardiopulmonary bypass (off-pump CABG) or with it (on-pump CABG). The primary end point was a composite of death, stroke, myocardial infarction, repeat revascularization, or new renal replacement therapy at 30 days and 12 months after surgery. A total of 2539 patients underwent randomization. Thirty days after surgery, there was no marked difference between patients who underwent off-pump surgery and those who underwent on-pump surgery in terms of the composite outcome (7.8% vs 8.2%; odds ratio, 0.95%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.71-1.28) or of the components (death, stroke, myocardial infarction, or new renal replacement therapy). Repeat revascularization took place more often after off-pump CABG than after on-pump CABG (1.3% vs 0.4%; odds ratio, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.03-5.72). At 12 months, no between-group difference existed in the composite end point (13.1% vs 14.0%; hazard ratio, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.76-1.16) or in any of the separate components. Similar results were seen in a per-protocol analysis that excluded the 177 patients who crossed over from the assigned treatment to the other treatment. The investigators concluded that in patients 75 years or older, no marked difference existed between on-pump and off-pump CABG regarding the composite outcome of death, stroke, myocardial infarction, repeat revascularization, or new renal replace ment therapy within 30 days and within 12 months after surgery. COMMENTThe on/off bypass debate has been the focus of CABG surgery for more than a decade. Off-pump surgery was performed as an alternative to on-pump surgery to avoid or decrease complications related to cardiopulmonary bypass and/or to avoid manipulation or cross clamping of the aortic root and ascending aorta. With appropriate expertise, this was extended to routine surgery for coronary artery disease. Thus, outcomes from trials in off-pump surgery were comparable to on-pump surgery, particularly from institutions with adequate expertise in this type of procedure. However, there have been increasing reports of inferior graft patency in the short term and intermediate term requiring repeat revascularization associated with off-pump coronary surgery.The current study is a multicenter randomized controlled trial in elderly patients (≥75 years old) undergoing elective first-time CABG, thus targeting a potentially high-risk operative group. The randomization was rather robust; nearly a third of all potentially eligible patients were excluded. Furthermore, the authors showed that patients were not excluded owing to surgical preference for one technique over another. An important inclusion criterion was surgeon expertise, thereby excluding a potential bias toward unfavorable outcomes related to surgical skill.In 2394 elderly patients randomized to on/off-pump...

Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging is superior to SPECT in detecting myocardial necrosis after reperfused AMI because CMR detects small infarcts that were missed by SPECT independent of the infarct location. Thus, CMR is attractive for accurate detection and assessment of the myocardial infarct region in patients early after AMI.

on behalf of the German-Dutch Ross Registry Background-Autograft reinforcement interventions (R) during the Ross procedure are intended to preserve autograft function and improve durability. The aim of this study is to evaluate this hypothesis. Methods and Results-1335 adult patients (mean age:43.5Ϯ12.0 years) underwent a Ross procedure (subcoronary, SC, nϭ637; root replacement, Root, nϭ698). 592 patients received R of the annulus, sinotubular junction, or both. Regular clinical and echocardiographic follow-up was performed (mean:6.09Ϯ3.97, range:0.01 to 19.2 years). Longitudinal assessment of autograft function with time was performed using multilevel modeling techniques. The Root without R (RootϪR) group was associated with a 6ϫ increased reoperation rate compared to Root with R (RootϩR), SC with R (SCϩR), and without R (SC-R; 12.9% versus 2.3% versus 2.5%.versus 2.6%, respectively; PϽ0.001). SC and Root groups had similar rate of aortic regurgitation (AR) development over time. RootϩR patients had no progression of AR, whereas RootϪR had 6 times higher AR development compared to RootϩR. In SC, R had no remarkable effect on the annual AR progression. The SC technique was associated with lower rates of autograft dilatation at all levels of the aortic root compared to the Root techniques. R did not influence autograft dilatation rates in the Root group. Conclusions-For the time period of the study surgical autograft stabilization techniques preserve autograft function and result in significantly lower reoperation rates. The nonreinforced Root was associated with significant adverse outcome. Therefore, surgical stabilization of the autograft is advisable to preserve long-term autograft function, especially in the Root Ross procedure. (Circulation. 2009;120[suppl 1]:S146-S154.)

Acute mesenteric ischemia is a rare but severe complication after open heart surgery. Its incidence (0.2-0.4%) is quite low, but mortality rates are ranging between 70% and 100%. From October 1992 to December 1996, 4,640 patients underwent open heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass: 74.6% coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) operations, 23.2% valve replacement including aortic repairs, and 2.2% corrections of congenital heart diseases or tumors of the heart. The overall mortality rate (30 days) was 3.4%, and after CABG, 2.9%. Twelve patients (0.26%), following CABG (one combined with aortic valve replacement, one with mitral reconstruction, and one with carotid disobliteration) developed signs of acute mesenteric ischemia in the early postoperative period (day 1 to 5). In all patients various abdominal symptoms, leukocytosis, acidosis, hyperlactatemia, hyperosmolality, renal failure, and, finally, hemodynamic instability were observed. Eleven patients underwent emergency laparotomy. Mesenteric angiography was done if possible in still stable patients (n=7); it showed severe stenosis or occlusion prior to the operation in each case. Other diagnostic methods were not reliable. In six patients (55%) during the first look, extensive bowel necrosis was found and in five patients an ischemic intestine but no necrosis was detected. Of these, three patients were affected by extensive bowel gangrene at the second look. In the fourth patient a disseminated peripheral ischemia of the entire small intestine was found intraoperatively. After mechanical release and stimulation normal bowel function could be reestablished. One patient underwent percutaneous transluminal angioplasty prior to the laparotomy. Bowel perfusion was still deteriorated but no necrosis was found intraoperatively. These patients were the only survivors in the investigated group; 10 of 12 patients (83.3%) died in the early postoperative period (day 1 to day 6). Predisposing factors for mesenteric ischemia are: arteriosclerotic patients after CABG (100%), age >70 years (91.7%), hyperosmotic dehydration (100%), and cardiac ischemia in 25%. Mesenteric ischemia is a fatal complication with high mortality rates after open heart surgery, especially in older, dehydrated patients with generalized atherosclerotic vessel disease. As the acute mesenteric ischemia usually starts during anesthesia or in the early postoperative period, setting of immediate diagnosis is very difficult. With the occurrence of typical symptoms diagnostic and therapeutic procedures (angiography and laparotomy) must be done very urgently owing to the life-threatening mesenteric process. When mesenteric gangrene already has taken place, the prognosis is very poor, despite extensive resection. Prevention can be exercised by avoiding perioperative hyperosmotic dehydration of patients at high risk.

Although longer follow-up of patients who undergo Ross operation is needed, the present series confirms that the autograft procedure is a valid option to treat aortic valve disease in selected patients. The nonreinforced full root technique and preoperative aortic regurgitation are predictors for autograft failure and warrant further consideration. Clinical Trial Registration-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00708409.

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