Purpose Whether skin disinfection of the surgical site using chlorhexidine-alcohol is superior to povidone-iodine-alcohol in reducing reoperation and surgical site infection rates after major cardiac surgery remains unclear. Methods CLEAN 2 was a multicenter, open-label, randomized, two-arm, assessor-blind, superiority trial conducted in eight French hospitals. We randomly assigned adult patients undergoing major heart or aortic surgery via sternotomy, with or without saphenous vein or radial artery harvesting, to have all surgical sites disinfected with either 2% chlorhexidine-alcohol or 5% povidone-iodine-alcohol. The primary outcome was any resternotomy by day 90 or any reoperation at the peripheral surgical site by day 30. Results Of 3242 patients (1621 in the chlorhexidine-alcohol group [median age, 69 years; 1276 (78.7%) men] and 1621 in the povidone-iodine-alcohol group [median age, 69 years; 1247 (76.9%) men], the percentage required reoperation within 90 days was similar (7.7% [125/1621] in the chlorhexidine-alcohol group vs 7.5% [121/1621] in the povidone-iodine-alcohol group; risk difference, 0.25 [95% confidence interval (CI), − 1.58–2.07], P = 0.79). The incidence of surgical site infections at the sternum or peripheral sites was similar (4% [65/1621] in the chlorhexidine-alcohol group vs 3.3% [53/1621] in the povidone-iodine-alcohol group; risk difference, 0.74 [95% CI − 0.55–2.03], P = 0.26). Length of hospital stay, intensive care unit or hospital readmission, mortality and surgical site adverse events were similar between the two groups. Conclusion Among patients requiring sternotomy for major heart or aortic surgery, skin disinfection at the surgical site using chlorhexidine-alcohol was not superior to povidone-iodine-alcohol for reducing reoperation and surgical site infection rates.

Objectives: This study analysed CT patterns of the acute dissected aortic arch using original biometric features along with comparison with normal aortas. Methods: The diagnostic CT scans of 57 patients (42 males, age (mean ± SD: 64.5 ± 13.8 years) admitted with acute Stanford type A dissection involving the aortic arch were analysed by semi-automatic detection protocol of the true lumen of the dissection. We measured the distances from the apex to the ascending and descending aorta, the curvilinear length of the entire arch and of its segments (especially between the brachiocephalic artery trunk and the left subclavian artery), as well as the surface area, angle, height and shift of the arch. These measurements were compared with results previously obtained in a healthy cohort in an analysis adjusted for age, sex and weight. The surface area and rotation of the false lumen were also analysed. Results: Compared to normal aortic arches (N), dissected aortic arches (D) were longer (D: 155 ± 26 mm, N: 135 ± 25 mm, p = 0.002), higher (D: 51 ± 10 mm, N: 45 ± 9 mm, p = 0.04), and with a more anterior apex (shift: D: 1.19 ± 0.56, N: 1.40 ± 0.62, p = 0.007). False lumen occupied between 47–65% of the aorta, turned preferentially clockwise and its rotation decreased progressively along the arch. Conclusions: The morphology of the dissected aortic arch differs from that of the normal arch. Thus, our compilation of aortic arch measurements may help improve existing endovascular devices and/or design of new endoprostheses. Advances in knowledge: In this article, we provide a comprehensive set of measurements of the dissected aortic arch, and show that dissected aortic arches are longer, higher, and with a more anterior apex than normal arches.

Van Praet proposed a classification to predict the ease of minithoracotomy aortic valve replacement (MT-AVR) based on the position of the aorta in the thorax. We have evaluated the relevance of complex computed tomography (CT) scan measurements to predict the ease of performing a MT-AVR. The first 57 patients who underwent MT-AVR from February 2018 to June 2020 were selected prior to surgery using Van Praet's IA and IB classes. We made additional measurements on aorta position related to the chest and the incision on the preoperative CT scan. The main objective was to correlate complex CT measurements with different operating durations. Van Praet criteria were significantly related to the distance from the center of the aorta to the midline (p value < 0.001), the distance from the center of the aortic ring to the midline (p value = 0.013) and aorto-sternal angle (p < 0.001). We did not find a correlation between CT criteria and the different surgical steps durations in patients belonging to Van Praet classes IA and IB. Our cohort of Van Praet class Ia and Ib patients were able to benefit from a MT-AVR without the need for conversion. Complex CT measurements do not provide additional information to predict surgical difficulties. This classification appears to be sufficient to determine a patient's eligibility for MT-AVR, even for a surgeon experienced in sternotomy in his first MT-AVR.