Clinical evidence in coronary surgery is usually derived from retrospective, single institutional series. This may introduce significant biases in the analysis of critical issues in the treatment of these patients. In order to avoid such methodological limitations, we planned a European multicenter, prospective study on coronary artery bypass grafting, the E-CABG registry. The E-CABG registry is a multicenter study and its data are prospectively collected from 13 centers of cardiac surgery in university and community hospitals located in six European countries (England, Italy, Finland, France, Germany, Sweden). Data on major and minor immediate postoperative adverse events will be collected. Data on late all-cause mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction and repeat revascularization will be collected during a 10-year follow-up period. These investigators provided a score from 0 to 10 for any major postoperative adverse events and their rounded medians were used to stratify the severity of these complications in four grades. The sum of these scores for each complication/intervention occurring after coronary artery bypass grafting will be used as an additive score for further stratification of the prognostic importance of these events. The E-CABG registry is expected to provide valuable data for identification of risk factors and treatment strategies associated with suboptimal outcome. These information may improve the safety and durability of coronary artery bypass grafting. The proposed classification of postoperative complications may become a valuable research tool to stratify the impact of such complications on the outcome of these patients and evaluate the burden of resources needed for their treatment. NCT02319083

To assess the impact of epiaortic scanning on the incidence of perioperative stroke in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Patients consecutively enrolled in our surgical database between January 2000 and August 2004 were subdivided into three groups depending on the planned use of epiaortic ultrasonographic scan. Patients treated before the availability of the equipment constituted group A (n=366). Epiaortic scanning was next performed selectively in group B (n=1116) and finally adopted on a regular basis in group C patients (n=690). Comparisons of stroke rates were performed in the whole series both according to the actual use of epiaortic scan and to the intended scan policy. A sub-analysis was additionally performed in the CABG cohort, where expected stroke rates could also be estimated by a validated model. Multivariable analysis was employed to identify predictors of early stroke. In the whole series, total stroke rates were 3.3%, 1.1%, and 1.9% for groups A, B, and C, respectively (p=0.02). Correspondingly, in the CABG cohort they were 3.4%, 0.5%, and 1.7%, respectively (p=0.002), with no substantial change following risk-adjustment. For the CABG cohort, total stroke rates were no different from expected estimates in the no-scan group A patients (3.4% vs 3.9%, ns). On the other hand, they were lower than expected in groups B+C (0.9% vs 2.8%, p=0.001), in patients actually scanned (1.4% vs 3.4%, p=0.01) and, among the latter, in those with significant aortic pathology (1.3% vs 4.5%, p=0.03). The risk reduction was particularly evident for early strokes, with no difference between scan groups: the rates were 0.5% and 0.6% for groups B and C, respectively, versus 2.2% in group A for the whole series (p<0.03), and 0.4% and 0.5% versus 1.9% in group A (p=0.02) for the CABG cohort. By multivariable analysis a no-scan policy (OR=4.0, 95% CL 1.4-11.4) and extracardiac arteriopathy (OR=3.0, 95% CL 1.1-8.0) were independently associated with early stroke. The use of epiaortic scanning is associated with a lower risk of intraoperative adverse events leading to early postoperative stroke.

Summary: Severe perioperative bleeding after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is associated with poor outcome. An additive score for prediction of severe bleeding was derived (n=2494) and validated (n=1250) in patients from the E-CABG registry. Severe bleeding was defined as E-CABG bleeding grades 2–3 (transfusion of >4 units of red blood cells or reoperation for bleeding). The overall incidence of severe bleeding was 6.4 %. Preoperative anaemia (3 points), female gender (2 points), eGFR 6: 24.6 % vs 24.2 %, both p<0.0001). The WILL-BLEED score had a better discriminatory ability (AUC 0.725) for prediction of severe bleeding compared to the ACTION (AUC 0.671), CRUSADE (AUC 0.642), Papworth (AUC 0.605), TRUST (AUC 0.660) and TRACK (AUC 0.640) bleeding scores. The net reclassification index and integrated discrimination improvement using the WILL-BLEED score as opposed to the other bleeding scores were significant (p<0.0001). The decision curve analysis demonstrated a net benefit with the WILL-BLEED score compared to the other bleeding scores. In conclusion, the WILL-BLEED risk score is a simple risk stratification method which allows the identification of patients at high risk of severe bleeding after CABG.Clinical Trial Registration: NCT02319083 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02319083)

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to analyse early postoperative outcomes and 2-year survival after aortic valve replacement (AVR) through a ministernotomy with a sutureless bioprosthesis implantation compared with a full sternotomy with implantation of a stented bioprosthesis. METHODS Patients who underwent primary isolated non-emergent AVR at six European centres were included in the study. Of these, 182 (32%) underwent a ministernotomy with a sutureless bioprosthesis (ministernotomy sutureless group) and 383 (68%) a full sternotomy with a stented bioprosthesis (full sternotomy stented group). Propensity score matching was used to reduce selection bias. RESULTS In the overall cohort, 30-day mortality was 1.6 and 2.1%, and 2-year survival was 92 and 92% in the ministernotomy sutureless group and in the full sternotomy stented group, respectively. Propensity score matching resulted in 171 pairs with similar characteristics and operative risk. Aortic cross-clamp (40 vs 65 min, P < 0.001) and cardiopulmonary bypass time (69 vs 87 min, P < 0.001) were shorter in the ministernotomy sutureless group. Patients undergoing ministernotomy received less packed red blood cells but the risk for postoperative permanent pacemaker implantation was higher. There were no differences regarding 30-day mortality or 2-year survival between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS AVR through a ministernotomy with implantation of a sutureless bioprosthesis was associated with shorter aortic cross-clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass time and less transfusion of packed red blood cells, but a higher risk for postoperative permanent pacemaker implantation compared with a full sternotomy with a stented bioprosthesis.

Background: Aspecific scoring systems are used to predict the risk of death postsurgery in patients with infective endocarditis ( IE ). The purpose of the present study was both to analyze the risk factors for in‐hospital death, which complicates surgery for IE , and to create a mortality risk score based on the results of this analysis. Methods and Results: Outcomes of 361 consecutive patients (mean age, 59.1±15.4 years) who had undergone surgery for IE in 8 European centers of cardiac surgery were recorded prospectively, and a risk factor analysis (multivariable logistic regression) for in‐hospital death was performed. The discriminatory power of a new predictive scoring system was assessed with the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Score validation procedures were carried out. Fifty‐six (15.5%) patients died postsurgery. BMI >27 kg/m ² (odds ratio [ OR ], 1.79; P =0.049), estimated glomerular filtration rate <50 mL/min ( OR , 3.52; P <0.0001), New York Heart Association class IV ( OR , 2.11; P =0.024), systolic pulmonary artery pressure >55 mm Hg ( OR , 1.78; P =0.032), and critical state ( OR , 2.37; P =0.017) were independent predictors of in‐hospital death. A scoring system was devised to predict in‐hospital death postsurgery for IE (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.780; 95% CI, 0.734–0.822). The score performed better than 5 of 6 scoring systems for in‐hospital death after cardiac surgery that were considered. Conclusions: A simple scoring system based on risk factors for in‐hospital death was specifically created to predict mortality risk postsurgery in patients with IE .