Since its introduction in Japan in 1980, the extracorporeal left ventricular assist device has been used as a bridge to the recovery of cardiac function or to heart transplantation by many institutions. In this case report, we describe a 23-year-old female with peripartum cardiomyopathy. She had a persistently low cardiac index despite intensive care with intravenous inotropes, intra-aortic balloon pumping and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; thus, we implanted an extracorporeal left ventricular assist device. Thereafter, her cardiac function gradually improved; the device was removed 2 months after the implantation. She currently has good heart function.

Decellularization of non-autologous biological implants reduces the immune response against foreign tissue. Striving for in vivo repopulation of aortic prostheses with autologous cells, thereby improving the graft biocompatibility, we examined surface coating with laminin in a standardized rat implantation model. Detergent-decellularized aortic grafts from donor rats (n = 37) were coated with laminin and systemically implanted into Wistar rats. Uncoated implants served as controls. Implant re-colonization and remodeling were examined by scanning electron microscopy (n = 10), histology and immunohistology (n = 18). Laminin coating persisted over eight weeks. Two weeks after implantation, no relevant neoendothelium formation was observed, whereas it was covering the whole grafts after eight weeks, with a significant acceleration in the laminin group (p = 0.0048). Remarkably, the intima-to-media ratio, indicating adverse hyperplasia, was significantly diminished in the laminin group (p = 0.0149). No intergroup difference was detected in terms of medial recellularization (p = 0.2577). Alpha-smooth muscle actin-positive cells originating from the adventitial surface invaded the media in both groups to a similar extent. The amount of calcifying hydroxyapatite deposition in the intima and the media did not differ between the groups. Inflammatory cell markers (CD3 and CD68) proved negative in coated as well as uncoated decellularized implants. The coating of decellularized aortic implants with bioactive laminin caused an acceleration of the autologous recellularization and a reduction of the intima hyperplasia. Thereby, laminin coating seems to be a promising strategy to enhance the biocompatibility of tissue-engineered vascular implants.

An emergency thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) with zone 2 landing without revascularization of the left subclavian artery was performed due to the impending rupture of a distal arch aneurysm in an old patient presenting hemoptysis. Two months later, the patient had recurrent massive hemoptyses and continued after additional zone 0 TEVAR. The lung parenchyma was considered to be the bleeding source and transcatheter pulmonary artery embolization was performed, and the episodes of massive hemoptysis appeared to have ceased. However, the patient died of sudden recurrent massive hemoptysis 40 days later. Inflammation and/or infection of the lung parenchyma adjunct to the aortic aneurysm could be cause of fatal hemoptysis, and aggressive therapy such as lung resection should be considered in such patients.

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Optimized biocompatibility is crucial for the durability of cardiovascular implants. Previously, a combined coating with fibronectin (FN) and stromal cell-derived factor 1α (SDF1α) has been shown to accelerate the in vivo cellularization of synthetic vascular grafts and to reduce the calcification of biological pulmonary root grafts. In this study, we evaluate the effect of side-specific luminal SDF1α coating and adventitial FN coating on the in vivo cellularization and degeneration of decellularized rat aortic implants. Aortic arch vascular donor grafts were detergent-decellularized. The luminal graft surface was coated with SDF1α, while the adventitial surface was coated with FN. SDF1α-coated and uncoated grafts were infrarenally implanted (n = 20) in rats and followed up for up to eight weeks. Cellular intima population was accelerated by luminal SDF1α coating at two weeks (92.4 ± 2.95% versus 61.1 ± 6.51% in controls, p < 0.001). SDF1α coating inhibited neo-intimal hyperplasia, resulting in a significantly decreased intima-to-media ratio after eight weeks (0.62 ± 0.15 versus 1.35 ± 0.26 in controls, p < 0.05). Furthermore, at eight weeks, media calcification was significantly decreased in the SDF1α group as compared to the control group (area of calcification in proximal arch region 1092 ± 517 μm2 versus 11 814 ± 1883 μm2, p < 0.01). Luminal coating with SDF1α promotes early autologous intima recellularization in vivo and attenuates neo-intima hyperplasia as well as calcification of decellularized vascular grafts.

Background: The aim of this study is to evaluate severe mitral regurgitation caused by so called atrial leaflet “pseudoprolapse” and verify the effect of simple annular stabilization. Methods: One-hundred-twenty-two patients underwent surgery for severe mitral regurgitation at our institute between January 2015 to July 2018. Of those, 32 cases diagnosed as anterior leaflet prolapse that underwent mitral repair were analyzed. Ten cases with pseudoprolapse, which is defined as anterior leaflet prolapse without dropping into the left atrium beyond the annular line causing eccentric regurgitation flow directed to the posterior atrium, were classified as the Pseudoprolapse Group. The other 22 cases had obvious anterior leaflet prolapse dropping into the left atrium; these cases were classified as the True Prolapse Group. We compared clinical findings between the 2 groups and reviewed pseudoprolapse cases. Results: Patients in the Pseudoprolapse Group had lower ejection fraction and lower regurgitation volume than those in the True Prolapse Group. A2 lesion as main inflow of regurgitation was more included in the Pseudoprolapse Group. All but one patient in the Pseudoprolapse Group received only simple annuloplasty, and all patients in the True Prolapse Group received leaflet repair and annuloplasty. In both groups, mid-term regurgitation grade and the reoperation rate were satisfactory. In the Pseudoprolapse Group, 6 cases were clarified as atrial functional mitral regurgitation, and 4 cases were considered to have focal posterior leaflet tethering. Conclusions: Pseudoprolapse cases could be characterized by low ejection fraction, low regurgitation volume, and A2 prolapse. For most cases with pseudoprolapse, simple annuloplasty may be enough, however further study is needed.

Abstract Background The aim of the present study was to validate safety of total arch replacement (TAR) using a novel frozen elephant trunk device, operated by trainees as surgical education. Methods Sixty-four patients including 19 patients (29.6%) with acute aortic dissection type A (AADA) underwent TAR in our institute between April 2014 and March 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Twenty-nine patients were operated by trainees (group T) and 35 patients were operated by attending surgeons (group A). Results Patient characteristics did not differ between groups. Operative time (409.4 ± 87.8 vs. 468.6 ± 129.6 minutes, p = 0.034), cardiopulmonary bypass time (177.7 ± 50.4 vs. 222.9 ± 596.7 minutes, p = 0.019), and hypothermic circulatory arrest time (39.5 ± 13.4 vs. 54.5 ± 18.5 minutes, p = 0.001) were significantly shorter in group A than in group T, but aortic clamping time did not differ between groups (115.3 ± 55.7 vs. 114.2 ± 35.0 minutes, p = 0.924) because the rate of concomitant surgery was higher in group A (37.1 vs. 10.3%, p = 0.014). Thirty-day mortality was 3.1% in the entire cohort. Although operation time was longer in group T, there were no significant difference in postoperative results between the groups, and the experience levels of the main operator were not independent predictors for in-hospital mortality + major postoperative complications. There was no difference in late death and aortic events between groups. Conclusions The present study demonstrated that TAR can be safely performed by trainees, and suggests TAR as a possible and safe educational operation.

Whole-organ engineering is an innovative field of regenerative medicine with growing translational perspectives. Recent reports suggest the feasibility of decellularization and repopulation of entire human size hearts. However, little is known about the susceptibility of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) to decellularization. In this study, human size hearts of ovine donors were subjected to perfusion-based decellularization using detergent solutions. Upon basic histological evaluation and total DNA measurement myocardial regions prove largely decellularized while EAT demonstrated cellular remnants, further confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. Western blot analysis showed a significant reduction in lipid-associated and cardiac proteins. However, gas chromatography revealed unchanged proportional composition of fatty acids in EAT of decellularized whole hearts. Finally, cell culture medium conditioned with EAT from decellularized whole hearts had a significant deleterious effect on cardiac fibroblasts. These data suggest that perfusion decellularization of human size whole hearts provides inconsistent efficacy regarding donor material removal from myocardial regions as opposed to EAT.