Francesco Pollari

Paracelsus Medical University Nuernberg, Nuremberg, Germany · Cardiac surgery

Objectives: To assess the impact of prosthesis choice and aortic valve calcifications on the occurrence of conduction disturbances after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the preoperative clinical characteristics, electrocardiograms, contrast-enhanced multidetector computed tomography scans and...

Objectives: Sutureless aortic valves demonstrated non-inferiority to standard stented valves for major cardiovascular and cerebral events at 1 year after aortic valve replacement. We aim to assess the factors correlating with permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) in both cohorts. Methods: PERSIST-AVR is a prospective, randomized, open-label tri...

Objective Sutureless aortic valves are an effective option for aortic valve replacement (AVR) showing non-inferiority to standard stented aortic valves for major cardiovascular and cerebral events at 1-year. We report the 1-year hemodynamic performance of the sutureless prostheses compared with standard aortic valves, assessed by a dedicated echoca...

During the last decade the treatment of aortic valve stenosis has changed profoundly. In addition to transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), minimally invasive surgical techniques in combination with sutureless and rapid deployment (SuRD) prostheses have also become established. Many studies regarding the use of SuRD prostheses have been pu...

OBJECTIVES Platelet count reduction is a common but not fully understood phenomenon after aortic valve replacement (AVR) with bioprosthesis implantation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the occurrence and the clinical impact of platelet count reduction in patients receiving the Perceval bioprosthesis compared to those receiving stan...

OBJECTIVES This study aims to improve early detection of cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CSA-AKI) compared to classical clinical scores. METHODS Data from 7633 patients who underwent cardiac surgery between 2008 and 2018 in our institution were analysed. CSA-AKI was defined according to the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes...

Background Degenerative aortic valve disease accounts for 10–20% of all cardiac surgical procedures. The impact of pre-existing comorbidities on the outcome of patients undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) needs further research. Methods The IMPACT registry is a non-interventional, prospective, open-label, multicenter, international...

Background: The vascular access in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) was initially dominated by a surgical approach. Meanwhile, percutaneous closure systems became a well-established alternative. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcome between the two approaches. Methods: In this retrospective study, we observed 787...

Background Permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) may be required after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Evidence on PPI prediction has largely been gathered from high risk patients receiving first generation valve implants. Objectives We undertook a meta-analysis of the existing literature to examine the incidence and predictors of...

Infective endocarditis (IE) represented over the last year a growing medical and surgical concern. The changes in etiology and demographic of the disease, which now includes also a large proportion of iatrogenic conditions, has prompted new studies and updates in the guideline for IE treatment. The increasing use of intravascular and intracardiac d...

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and sutureless aortic valve replacement (Su-AVR) enabled in the last years many patients at high or prohibitive risk to be treated for their severe symptomatic aortic valve stenosis. As often happens in medicine, new techniques bring not only new hopes, but also new problems. In recent years, alongside...

Background Calcification of native aortic valve is a well known variable causing paravalvular leakage (PVL) following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). However, there is currently no evidence to support the fact that patients with high calcium load could be better treated with surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). Purpose To asse...

Background: Sutureless and rapid-deployment aortic valve replacement (SURD-AVR) has become a prominent area of research as the medical community evaluate its place amongst other aortic valve interventions. The main advantages of SURD-AVR established to date are the reduced cross-clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) times, as well as facilitating...

Background: Sutureless and rapid-deployment aortic valve replacement (SURD-AVR) has become a prominent area of research as the medical community evaluate its place amongst other aortic valve interventions. The main advantages of SURD-AVR established to date are the reduced cross-clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) times, as well as facilitating...

Infective endocarditis is nowadays one of the most challenging disease in cardiac surgery because of its multifaceted clinical and anatomical presentation. Despite the many clinical and surgical advances achieved in the past 60 years, there is a lack of evidence regarding the ideal strategy. The present review aims to investigate and highlight two...

Backgropund and Aim Postoperative thrombocytopenia after surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) or transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and aggravating causes were the aim of this retrospective study. Methods Data of all patients treated with SAVR (n = 1068) and TAVR (n = 816) due to severe aortic valve stenosis was collected at our cen...

Background: Aortic valve calcification is supposed to be a possible cause of embolic stroke or subclinical valve thrombosis after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). We aimed to assess the role of aortic valve calcification in the occurrence of in-hospital clinical complications and survival after TAVR. Methods: We retrospectively ana...

Background: Several studies reported high rates of postoperative permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation, which has been described as the "Achilles' heel" of sutureless aortic valve replacement (AVR). Methods: From July 2010 to December 2017, 3,158 patients with symptomatic, severe aortic valve stenosis were referred to the Department of Cardiac...

Aims: To assess the contribution of aortic valve calcification to the occurrence of transient or permanent atrioventricular block (AVB) and the need for permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in a large single-centre cohort. Methods and results: We retrospectively analysed pre-operative contrast-...

Objective To assess risk factors for paravalvular leak (PVL) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in a large single-center cohort, including measurement of aortic valve calcification using a reproducible method. Methods We retrospectively analyzed preoperative contrast-enhanced multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) scans of pati...

Objectives: Despite the fact, that transcatheter valve-in-valve (VinV) implantation is an off- label procedure, it is now well established as an alternative in high-risk patients with failing bioprostheses. Treating a failing mitral bioprosthesis in elderly patients with coexisting severe aortic valve stenosis is even more challenging for the heart...

This study provides early results of re-operations after the prior surgical treatment of acute type A aortic dissection (AAD) and identifies risk factors for mortality. Between May 2003 and January 2014, 117 aortic re-operations after an initial operation for AAD (a mean time from the first procedure was 3.98 years, with a range of 0.1–20.87 years)...

We read with great interest the article by Nagayoshi and colleagues [1] that analyzed their experience in teleconference for referring critical cases needing cardiac surgery. However, we are of opinion that the role of telemedicine in cardiac surgery should not be limited to urgent or critical cases, so as to centers in the same country. Diagnosis...

Objectives: The wide application of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is currently limited from its complications rate, such as postoperative pacemaker implantation and paravalvular leaks. The aim of this analysis was to pool and compare the results of the new Sapien-3 and its predecessor Sapien-XT valve prosthesis. Methods: We perform...

Background: The most appropriate approach for high-risk patients with degenerated bioprostheses remains a matter of debate. The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical and hemodynamic outcome of redo patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve-in-valve implantation (VinV-TAVI) and sutureless aortic valve replacement (AVR), with assessment...

We describe the first case of a patient on LVAD support with warfarin intolerance successfully managed with apixaban anticoagulation.

Objective: The Crown PRT (= The Phospholipid Reduction Treatment) is a new stent bovine bioprosthesis for aortic valve replacement (AVR). Aim of this report is to report the postoperative clinical and hemodynamic results after 90 Worldwide implants. Methods: After receiving CE mark in July 2014, two European university centers implanted the new...

Introduction Despite increased operative time, minimally invasive cardiac surgery is associated with a lower morbidity than conventional aortic valve replacement (AVR). On the other hand, sutureless aortic bioprostheses have the potential of simplifying implantation, as it reduces the ischemic time. Our aim was to investigate the outcome of a sutur...

Objectives: Sutureless aortic valve replacement (AVR) has been associated with excellent hemodynamic and clinical outcomes, but less is known on the outcomes of the patients operated on for complex surgery. We aimed to evaluate the early outcomes and 1-year follow-up of patients undergoing AVR with a self expandable sutureless valve and concomitant...

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. Patients who underwent primary isolated non-emergent AVR at six European centre...