The coronavirus 2019 pandemic has affected many healthcare systems worldwide. While acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has been well-documented in COVID-19, there are several cardiovascular complications, such as myocardial infarction, ischaemic stroke, and pulmonary embolism, leading to disability and death. The link between COVID-19 and increasing thrombogenicity potentially occurs due to numerous different metabolic mechanisms, ranging from endothelial damage for direct virus infection, associated excessive formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), pathogenic activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), direct myocardial injury, and ischemia induced by respiratory failure, all of which have measurable biomarkers. A search was performed by interrogating three databases (MEDLINE; MEDLINE In-Process and Other Non-Indexed Citations, and EMBASE). Evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCT), prospective series, meta-analyses, and unmatched observational studies were evaluated for the processing of the algorithm and treatment of thromboembolic disease and cardiac thrombotic complications related to COVID-19 during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Studies out with the SARS-Cov-2 infection period and case reports were excluded. A total of 58 studies were included in this analysis. The role of the acute inflammatory response in the propagation of the systemic inflammatory sequelae of the disease plays a major part in determining thromboembolic disease and cardiac thrombotic complication in COVID-19. Some of the mechanisms of activation of these pathways, alongside the involved biomarkers noted in previous studies, are highlighted. Inflammatory response led to thromboembolic disease and cardiac thrombotic complications in COVID-19. NETs play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of the inflammatory response. Despite moving into the endemic phase of the disease in most countries, thromboembolic complications in COVID-19 remain an entity that substantially impacts the health care system, with long-term effects that remain uncertain. Continuous monitoring and research are required.

OBJECTIVES: Our goal was to report on early and midterm outcomes of hemiarch replacement performed in a high-volume centre. METHODS: We extrapolated hemiarch replacements from our institutional aortic database. We also analysed the impact of aortic disease (dissection vs aneurysm) on the outcomes of de novo hemiarch replacement. RESULTS: A total of 756 patients underwent hemiarch replacement between 1997 and 2016. After elimination of cases involving the aortic root/valve and redo cases, we identified 426 cases of de novo-isolated hemiarch replacement (369 aneurysms and 57 dissections). Overall operative mortality was 3.1% (13 of 426). The most frequent complications were respiratory failure requiring tracheostomy (11 of 426, 2.6%) and renal failure requiring dialysis (7 of 426, 1.6%). On regression analysis, previous myocardial infarction was the only independent predictor of major adverse events (odds ratio 3.14; 95% confidence interval 1.36–7.22; P = 0.007). Operative mortality was 5.3% (3 of 57) for dissections and 2.7% (10 of 369) for aneurysms (P = 0.29). The postoperative need for tracheostomy and for new dialysis was more frequent in the dissection group (4 of 57 vs 7 of 369; P = 0.02 and 3 of 57 vs 4 of 369; P = 0.02, respectively). At 5 years, the overall survival rate was 72.5% (95% confidence interval 66.4–78.6%), and there was no difference in survival and risk of reoperation between the 2 groups (P = 0.97). CONCLUSIONS: In high-volume centres, aortic hemiarch replacement can be performed with excellent results. The aortic disease only partially affects the early and midterm outcomes.

Background: Type A Acute Aortic Dissection (TAAAD) repair is a surgical emergency associated with high morbidity and mortality. Registry data have noted several sex-specific differences in presentation with TAAAD which may account for the differences in men and women undergoing surgery for this condition. Methods: A retrospective review of data from three departments of cardiac surgery (Centre Cardiologique du Nord, Henri-Mondor University Hospital, San Martino University Hospital, Genoa) between January 2005 and 31 December 2021 was conducted. Confounders were adjusted using doubly robust regression models, a combination of regression models with inverse probability treatment weighting by propensity score. Results: 633 patients were included in the study, of which 192 (30.3%) were women. Women were significantly older with reduced haemoglobin levels and pre-operative estimated glomerular filtration rate compared to men. Male patients were more likely to undergo aortic root replacement and partial or total arch repair. Operative mortality (OR 0.745, 95% CI: 0.491–1.130) and early postoperative neurological complication results were comparable between the groups. The adjusted survival curves using IPTW by propensity score confirmed the absence of a significant impact of gender on long-term survival (HR 0.883, 95% CI 0.561–1.198). In a subgroup analysis of women, preoperative levels of arterial lactate (OR 1.468, 95% CI: 1.133–1.901) and mesenteric ischemia after surgery (OR 32.742, 95% CI: 3.361–319.017) were significantly associated with increased operative mortality. Conclusions: The advancing age of female patients alongside raised preoperative level of arterial lactate may account for the increasing preponderance among surgeons to perform more conservative surgery compared to their younger male counterparts although postoperative survival was similar between the groups.