For mitral valve disease with mitral annular calcification (MAC), surgery remains challenging. Up to now, there is no ideal management strategy or patient selection standard, and perioperative and periprocedural morbidity and mortality rates remain high. The recent surge of patients presenting with MAC has been accompanied by increased interest in MAC surgery and interventions. The American Association for Thoracic Surgery Clinical Practice Standards Committee is meant to provide a simplified outline for managing MAC. Combined with progress of MAC therapy, a detailed interpretation of the 2025 expert consensus is provided which include patient selection, preoperative evaluation (especially imaging evaluation), indications of intervention, surgical and transcatheter therapeutic options, and postoperative complications and remedial measures.
Objective To summarize the experience of surgical treatment for 84 patients with aortic dissection, investigate the surgical technique and perioperative treatment, and to improve surgical results. Methods The operations were performed in 50 patients with aortic dissection of Stanford A， Bentall or Cabrol operations were performed in 24 patients, graft replacement of ascending aorta in 8 patients, Trusler operation in 5 patients, Wheat operation in 5patients, operation of ascending aorta and aortic arch in 8 patients.Stentgraft were used in 34 patients with aortic dissection of Stanford B. Results There were 11 hospital death,the hospital mortality was 13.1%.There were 3 operative deaths.One patient with ascending aortic and hemiarch grafting died of aortic root bleeding;one patient with replacement of ascending aorta died of failure to restart heart beating；one patient with ascending aortic and hemiarch grafting died of rapture of aortic dissection. There were 8 postoperative deaths, including low cardiac output syndrome in 2 patients, lung infection in 2 patients, renal failure in 2 patients， respiratory failure in 1 patient and permanent mental anomaly in 1 patient. The complications were occurred in 16 patients. The followup period was 3 months to 10 years, and carried out in 62 patients（84.9%，62/73).One died of endocarditis, another one died of sudden death. Conclusion The surgicaltreatment of aortic dissection could be carried out safely based on the accurate diagnosis， specific surgical strategy and fine surgical technique.
Acute aortic dissection is featured as sudden onset and high mortality. Regardless early optimal surgical intervention and strict medical therapy, incidence of late complications is still high. Thus, specific imaging techniques and precise measurement of biomarkers to predict complications are needed. In the present study, we reviewed related papers to compare traditional imaging techniques (computed tomography, echocardiography) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of chronic aortic dissection. In addition, we discussed how to further evaluate aortic dissection by MRI.
Objective To observe the expression of integrin αVβ3 in vascular endothelium cultured in vitro at different time points under different level of shear stress. Methods（1）We established a vascular culture system in vitro which could provide steady flow with different level of shear stress, and tested the flow stability when loading different level of shear stress. （2） A total of 50 rabbits were randomly divided into low shear stress group （5 dyn/cm2, n=25）and normal shear stress group（20 dyn/cm2, n=25）. Rabbits in each group were further randomly divided into five different time points as 2 h, 4 h, 8 h, 16 h and 24 h（n=5 at each time point）. The descending aorta of rabbits were harvested and cultured in the vascular culture system in vitro under different level of shear stress. The expression sites and intensity of αVβ3-Integrin in vascular endothelium were examined at 5 different time points in both groups by immunohistochemical staining. Results The vascular culture system in vitro was stable in providing laminar flow with different level of shear stress required for the experiment. Vascular endothelium expressions of αVβ3-Integrin in the low shear stress group were in high level at all the 5 time points and reached its summit at 16 h, when the mean optical density（MOD）value was （1.995±0.194）×10-2. In the normal shear stress group, the MOD value decreased time-dependently at the 5 time points. The MOD values at 2 h （0.059±0.005）×10-2 and 4 h（0. 049±0.002）×10-2 were significantly higher than those at other time points （P＜ 0.05）. The αVβ3-Integrin MOD values of the low shear stress group were significantly higher than those of the normal shear stress group at all the 5 respective time points （P=0.000）. Conclusion Low shear stress can significantly promote the expression of αVβ3-Integrin while normal shear stress decreases the expression of αVβ3-Integrin in vascular endothelium cultured in vitro.
Abstract： Objective To evaluate clinical outcomes of endoscopic vein harvesting （EVH）for coronary artery bypass grafting（CABG） in diabetic patients. Methods In this prospective non-randomized control study, patients with type 2 diabetes who underwent CABG from December 2010 to Febuary 2012 in West China Hospital were enrolled. Based on different vein graft harvesting technique, these patients were divided into two groups: an EVH group and a conventional vein harvesting（CVH）group. Perioperative complications were compared between the two groups. Interventional or CT coronary angiogram was used to evaluate bypass graft patency during follow-up. Results A total of 51 patients with type 2 diabetes were enrolled in this study with 24 patients in the EVH group and 27 patients in the CVH group. There was no statistical difference in age, weight, and comorbidities between the two groups. There was no statistical difference in cardiopulmonary bypass time and aortic cross-clamping time between the two groups （67.2±9.8 min versus 68.3±14.5 min, P＞0.05; 62.4±11.3 min versus 65.2±10.3 min, P＞ 0.05）. The vein graft harvesting time （35.6±6.4 min versus 45.2±11.4 min, P＜ 0.05）and rate of delayed leg wound healing（0.0% with 0/24 versus 18.5% with 5/27, P＜0.05） of the EVH group were significantly shorter or lower than those of CVH group.There was no statistical difference in major postoperative complications with respect to venous graft failure rate and chest pain during short term follow-up（9.1 months in the CVH group and 9.4 months in the EVH group） between the two groups. Conclusion EVH is a safe, effective, minimally invasive and quick vein graft harvesting technique for CABG in diabetic patients.
Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of unsupported reduction ascending aortoplasty for dilatation of the ascending aorta. Methods Between September 2005 and May 2011, 53 patients with aortic valve disease and dilatation of the ascending aorta underwent aortic valve replacement with unsupported reduction ascending aortoplasty. There were 41males and 12 females, aged 22-75 years (mean, 52 years). The disease duration was 1 month to 14 years. The color Doppler echocardiography showed that the diameter of the ascending aorta before surgery was (45.9 ± 3.3) mm; bicuspid aortic valve and tri-aortic valve were observed in 13 and 40 cases respectively. The heart functions were graded as II level in 19 cases, III level in 33 cases, and IV level in 1 case according to the standard of New York Heart Disease Academy (NYHA). Results After operation, mediastinum errhysis occurred in 1 case, pneumonia in 3 cases, and III degree atrioventricular block in 1 case. There was no related complication of the aortoplasty. All the patients were followed up 3-68 months (mean, 15 months), and had no obvious chest tightness and palpitation. At last follow-up, the NYHA heart functions were graded as I level in 22 cases, II level in 31 cases; the diameter of the ascending aorta was (35.2 ± 4.0) mm, showing significant difference when compared with the preoperative one (P=0.000), but no significant difference when compared with the one at discharge (34.0 ± 2.5) mm (P=0.245). There was significant difference in the diameter of the ascending aorta between last follow-up and preoperation, at discharge in the patients who were followed up more than 60 months (P lt; 0.05); significant difference was found between last followup and preoperation in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (P lt; 0.05), but no significant difference between last follow-up and preoperation (P gt; 0.05) in patients whose diameter of the ascending aorta was more than 50 mm before operation. Conclusion Unsupported reduction ascending aortoplasty has good short- and mid-term results in treating aortic valve disease with mild to moderate dilatation (diameter range, 40-50 mm) of the ascending aorta. Inclusion criteria of the aortoplasty should be strict. Long-term results need further follow-up.
Objective To investigate the expression of transcription factors including nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） and activator protein-1 （AP-1） in vascular endothelial cells （ECs） in different flow fields， and provide experimental evidence for mechanical signal effects on gene regulation pattern of ECs. Methods Cultured human umbilical vein ECs were loaded into steady flow chambers of laminar flow or turbulent flow and observed at 6 time points （0.5 h， 1 h， 2 h， 3 h， 4 h and 5 h） based on different load time. Spacial and temporal characteristics of NF-κB and AP-1 expression in ECs in different flow chambers were detected at a protein level by laser confocal microscope. Results In laminar flow， NF-κB expression rose to peak at 1 hour （26.49±1.63， P＜0.05）and then declined. In turbulent flow， NF-κB expression rose to peak at 3 hours （34.41±6.43， P＜0.05）. In laminar flow， c-Jun/AP-1 expression was transiently elevated， reached its peak at 0.5 hour （18.95±5.38，P＜0.05）and then fell to its baseline level. In turbulent flow， c-Jun/AP-1 expression rose slowly but steady to peak（P＜0.05） . Conclusion The effects of turbulent flow on NF-κB and AP-1 expression in ECs are different from those of laminar flow. Up-regulation and activation of NF-κB and AP-1 expression in ECs induced by turbulent flow may cause pathological changes in morphological structure and functional behavior of ECs.