The COVID-19 pandemic had significant impact on health care worldwide which has led to a reduction in all elective admissions and management of patients through virtual care. The purpose of this study is to assess changes in STEMI volumes, door to reperfusion, and the time from the onset of symptoms until reperfusion therapy, and in-hospital events between the pre-COVID-19 (PC) and after COVID-19 (AC) period. All acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) cases were retrospectively identified from 16 centers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 period from January 01 to April 30, 2020. These cases were compared to a pre-COVID period from January 01 to April 30, 2018 and 2019. One thousand seven hundred and eighty-five patients with a mean age 56.3 (SD ± 12.4) years, 88.3% were male. During COVID-19 Pandemic the total STEMI volumes was reduced (28%, n = 500), STEMI volumes for those treated with reperfusion therapy was reduced too (27.6%, n = 450). Door to balloon time < 90 minutes was achieved in (73.1%, no = 307) during 2020. Timing from the onset of symptoms to the balloon of more than 12 hours was higher during 2020 comparing to pre-COVID 19 years (17.2% vs <3%, respectively). There were no differences between the AC and PC period with respect to in-hospital events and the length of hospital stay. There was a reduction in the STEMI volumes during 2020. Our data reflected the standard of care for STEMI patients continued during the COVID-19 pandemic while demonstrating patients delayed presenting to the hospital.

No abstract

Background: Although the use of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has recently become an attractive strategy in prohibitive surgical high-risk patients undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR), the most appropriate treatment option in patients with an intermediate- to high-risk profile— whether conventional surgery (SAVR) or TAVR—has been widely debated. Methods: One hundred and forty-three consecutive patients with intermediate to high risk were prospectively enrolled and selected to undergo SAVR (Group 1 [G1], n = 63) or TAVR (Group 2 [G2], n = 80) following a multidisciplinary evaluation including frailty, anatomy, and degree of atherosclerotic disease of the aorta/peripheral vessels. The mean logistic EuroSCORE (G1 = 20.11 ± 7.144 versus G2 = 23.33 ± 8.97; P = .022), STS score (G1 = 5.722 ± 1.309 versus G2 = 5.958 ± 1.689; P = .347), and preoperative demographics such as sex, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF),  body mass index (BMI), peripheral vascular disease, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, renal impairment and syncope were similar. Of note, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was more frequent in TAVR patients (G2 [46.2%] versus G1 [19.0%]; P = .001), whereas pulmonary hypertension was more frequent in SAVR group (G1 [47.6%] versus G2 [17.5%]; P = .000). The SAVR was performed with either a mechanical or tissue valve; meanwhile, TAVR was performed with either Core valve prosthesis or Edwards-Sapiens XT valve. Results: SAVR group showed higher incidence of some postoperative complications compared to TAVR, namely, postoperative bleeding (4.8% versus 0.0%; P = .048), tamponade (4.8% versus 0.0%; P = .048) and postoperative atrial fibrillation (34.9% versus 10.0%; P = .000), whereas TAVR group had a higher incidence of other sets of postoperative complications, namely, left bundle branch block (58.8% versus 4.8%; P = .000), need for permanent pacemaker implantation (25.0% versus 1.6%; P = .000) and peripheral vascular complications (15.0% versus 0.0%; P = .001). On the contrary, when the two groups were compared they did not show any significant difference regarding anemia requiring more than two units of blood transfusion, postoperative renal failure, stroke, myocardial infarction, and hospital mortality. P = .534, .873, .258, .373 and .072 respectively. Hospital mortality was similar among the two groups (G1 = 0% versus G2 = 5%; P = .072). At the 24-month follow-up, overall mortality, major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events were comparable between the two groups but prosthetic regurgitation was better in SAVR group (G2 = 8 patients [10.0%] versus G1 = 1 patient [1.6%] in SAVR group; P = .040). Conclusion: In this study, we could not detect an advantage in survival when SAVR or TAVR were utilized in intermediate to high surgical risk patients needing aortic valve replacement for severe aortic stenosis.

Mitral leaflet perforations after surgical aortic valve replacement may be iatrogenic or due to endocarditis. We present a 20-year-old female who underwent surgical mechanical aortic valve replacement 8 months prior to this presentation for bicuspid severe aortic valve stenosis. She presented with acute decompensated heart failure with dyspnea and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class of III-IV. Transthoracic (TTE) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) demonstrated severe mitral regurgitation (MR) through an anterior mitral leaflet perforation. The patient refused surgical repair and percutaneous closure of the perforation was decided and performed using both antegrade and retrograde approaches. In this report, we emphasize the details and challenges of the procedure.

Background Chronic pressure overload secondary to severe aortic stenosis causes impairment of left ventricular myocardial deformation and associated with adverse outcome. The present study aimed to assess the response of myocardial mechanics after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Methods Assessment of myocardial mechanics by quantification of LV longitudinal, circumferential strain and rotational deformation (apical, basal rotation and twist) by 2-D Speckle-tracking echocardiography at baseline and at midterm follow-up post-TAVI. The patients were divided into 2 groups based on baseline left ventricular ejection fraction. 46 patients had preserved LV EF ≥50% preserved ejection fraction (PEF) and 34 patients had reduced left ventricular ejection (REF) < 50%. Results 80 patients with severe AS and high surgical risk were evaluated. At a mean follow-up of 8 ± 3 months after TAVI, left ventricular longitudinal strain (LS) significantly improved in reduced ejection fraction (REF) group from -9.88 ± 3.93% to 11.89 ± 3.15% (P = 0.001). In preserved ejection fraction (PEF) group, longitudinal strain improved from -13.8 ± 3.1% to -15.2 ± 3.3% (P < 0.001). Longitudinal strain rate (LSR) improved significantly in REFgroup, -0.48 ± 0.20sec −1 to -0.62 ± 0.16 sec −1 (P < 0.001) and in PEF group,-0.73 ± 0.19 sec −1 to-0.77 ± 0.16 sec −1 (P < 0.005). In PEF group, LV twist angle was supra-physiological at baseline and decreased after TAVI towards normal values (P = 0.006). In REF group LV twist angle was reduced at baseline with significant increase towards normal value after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI),P = 0.005. That was attributed to severe LV dysfunction associated with reduction of left ventricular twist at baseline which improved in response to TAVI alongside with improvement of left ventricular systolic function. In reduced ejection fraction (REF) group circumferential strain and strain rate improved significantly after TAVI. Conclusions Myocardial mechanics of the left ventricle including strain, strain rate and twist are deformed in severe aortic stenosis. TAVI restores myocardial mechanics towards physiological values in patients with preserved and reduced ejection fraction.