Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) remains the most frequent surgery in the practice of an adult cardiac surgeon and the most frequently performed cardiac surgical procedure worldwide. Despite the ongoing debates regarding the superiority or inferiority of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, it still comprises 15–30% of all CABG cases varying in different national registries. We performed a propensity matched study of 302 consecutive CABG patients,143 off -pump cases performed by the four experienced off-pump surgeons and the on-pump CABG cases performed by those surgeons and four other experienced coronary surgeons. The five year follow up was performed and data collected comprised of mortality, rehospitalization due to cardiac origin, repeated revascularization, myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular accident. Overall, the off-pump group of patients had a higher risk profile than the patients in the on-pump group. After matching, fewer differences were found between the groups. Propensity score matching analysis showed no difference in long-term survival as well as MACCE and repeated revascularization. The higher risk profile of the patients subjected to OPCAB and the comparable survival to lower risk CPB patients in this series indicate that in experienced hands, OPCAB is a valuable option in this important subgroup of patients.

Background: Heart failure is the most frequent cause of pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) and its severity may predict the development of heart failure (HF) and is known to be a prognostic factor of poor outcome after heart transplant (HTx). The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of preoperative PAH related to left-sided HF on long-term survival after HTx and to identify the hemodynamic parameters of PAH that predict survival after HTx. Methods: A prospective observational trial was performed, and it included 44 patients subjected to heart transplantation. Patients were divided into two groups: The first one with the preoperative diagnosis of PAH and the second one without the PAH diagnosed prior to the HTx. The two groups were compared for baseline characteristics, operative characteristics, survival, and hemodynamic parameters obtained by right heart catheterization. Survival was analyzed using Kaplan Meyer analysis, and Cox regression analysis was performed to determine independent predictors of survival. Results: The median follow-up time was 637.4 days (1-2028 days). The median survival within the group of patients with preoperative PAH was 1144 days (95% CI 662.884-1625.116) and 1918.920 days (95% CI 1594.577-2243.263) within the group of patients without PAH (P = .023), HR 0.279 (95% [CI]: 0.086-0.910; P = .034. The 30-day mortality in patients within PAH group was significantly higher, six versus two patients in the non PAH group (χ2 = 5.103, P < .05), while the long-term outcome after this period did not differ between the groups. Patients with preoperative PAH had significantly higher values of MPAP, PCWP, TPG and PVRI, while CO and CI did not differ between the two groups. Mean PVRI was 359.1 ± 97.3 dyn·s·cm-5 in the group with preoperative PAH and 232.2 ± 22.75 dyn·s·cm-5 in the group without PAH, P < .001. TPG values were 11.95 ± 5.08 mmHg in the PAH group while patients without PAH had mean values of 5.16 ± 1.97 mmHg, P < .001. Cox regression analysis was done for the aforementioned parameters. Hazard ratio for worse survival after HTx for elevated values of PVRI was 1.006 (95% [CI]: 1.001-1.012; P = .018) TPG had a hazard ratio of 1.172 (95% [CI]: 1.032-1.233; P = .015). Conclusion: Pulmonary artery hypertension is an independent risk factor for higher 30-day mortality after HTx, while it does not affect the long-term outcome. Hemodynamic parameters obtained by right heart catheterization in heart transplant candidates could predict postoperative outcome. PVRI and TPG have been identified as independent predictors of higher 30-day postoperative mortality.

Background: Infective endocarditis (IE) is a rare disease with a high mortality rate and rising incidence, requiring timely and precise diagnosis in order to choose appropriate therapy. Imaging of morphologic lesions is an integrative part of diagnosis. Artifacts and the patient’s habitus make echocardiography difficult to visualize advanced-form IE. Cardiac computed tomography (CCT) constantly shows an additive diagnostic value due to high resolution of cardiac anatomy. Conjecturally, joint application of both diagnostic tests improves overall sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing IE. Methods: Patients with definite IE underwent transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), and CCT. We analyzed valvular and paravalvular IE lesions in all three imaging methods and compared them to surgical or autopsy findings. We calculated sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic accuracy, and positive and negative predictive value of both imaging tests individually and jointly used. Results: We examined 78 patients, male to female ratio 2:1, mean age 52.29 ± 16.62. We analyzed 85 valves, 70 native valves, 13 prosthetic valves, and 2 corrected valves due to Ozaki procedure, along with a central shunt and 4 pacemaker leads. As a single test, the sensitivity and specificity of CCT, TTE, and TEE for valvular lesions were 91.6/20%, 65.5/57.9%, and 60/84%, and paravalvular lesions were 100/0%, 46/10.5%, and 14.7/100%. When combined together, sensitivity and specificity for valvular lesions rose to 96.6/0% and paravalvular lesions to 100/0%. We also analyzed the diagnostic performance for each test in single and mutual application, per specific IE lesion. Conclusion: In the individual application, CCT in comparison to TTE and TEE shows better diagnostic performance in detection of valvular and paravalvular lesions. In joint application, there is a statistically significant difference in performance compared to their single use, especially in prosthetic valves and invasive forms of IE native valves.

Background/Aim. Aortic stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular heart disease in elderly people, with rather poor prognosis in symptomatic patients. Surgical valve replacement is the therapy of choice, but a significant number of patients cannot undergo surgical procedure. We presented initial experience of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) performed in Catheterization Laboratory of the Clinic for Cardiology, Clinical Center of Serbia. Methods. The procedures were performed in 5 patients (mean age 76 ? 6 years, 2 males, 3 female) with severe and symptomatic AS with contraindication to surgery or high surgical risk. The decision to perform TAVI was made by the heart team. Pre-procedure screening included detailed clinical and echocardiographic evaluation, coronary angiography and computed tomography scan. In all the patients we implanted a self-expandable aortic valve (Core Valve, Medtronic, USA). Six months follow-up was available for all the patients. Results. All interventions were successfully performed without significant periprocedural complications. Immediate hemodynamic improvement was obtained in all the patients (peak gradient 94.2 ? 27.6 to 17.6 ? 5.2 mmHg, p < 0.001, mean pressure gradient 52.8 ? 14.5 to 8.0 ? 2.1 mmHg, p < 0.001). None of the patients developed heart block, stroke, vascular complication or significant aortic regurgitation. After 6 months, the survival was 100% with New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional improvement in all the patients. Conclusion. This successful initial experience provides a solid basis to treat larger number of patients with symptomatic AS and high surgical risk who are left untreated.

Infective endocarditis is a rare disease with an increasing incidence and an unaltered high mortality rate, despite medical development. Imaging plays an integrative part in the diagnosis of infective endocarditis, with echocardiography as the initial diagnostic test. Research data in the utility of cardiac computed tomography (CCT) in the diagnostic algorithm of IE are rising, which indicates its importance in detection of IE-related lesion along with the exclusion of coronary artery disease. The latest 2023 European Society of Cardiology Guidelines in the management of IE classified CCT as class of recommendation I and level of evidence B in detection of both valvular and paravalvular lesions in native and prosthetic valve endocarditis. This review article provides a comprehensive and contemporary review of the role of CCT in the diagnosis of IE, the optimization of acquisition protocols, the morphology characteristics of IE-related lesions, the published data of the diagnostic performance of CCT in comparison to echocardiography as the state-of-art method, as well as the limitations and future possibilities.