Efectividad comparativa del seguimiento remoto a personas con marcapasos cardíacos frente al convencional: calidad de vida a los 6 meses.

BACKGROUND The use of remote follow-up (RF) of people with pacemakers (PM) is limited in comparison to the hospital modality (HS), being still poor the scientific evidence that shows their comparative effectiveness. The aim of this study was to compare the quality of life in individuals with different modalities of follow-up. METHODS Controlled, not randomized nor masked clinical trial, with data collection at pre and post-implantation of pacemakers during the 6 months follow-up. All patients over 18 years-old who were implanted a PM during the study period were selected (n = 83), and they were assigned to RF (n = 30) or HF (n = 53) groups according to their personal characteristics and patient's preferences. Baseline characteristics and number of visits to the hospital were analysed, the EuroQol-5D (EQ5D) questionnaire was administered to evaluate the health-related quality of life, and Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) to assess the functional capacity. RESULTS There were no significant differences between both groups in relation to the baseline analysis, EQ5D (RF:0.7299; HF:0.6769) and DASI (RF:21.41; HF:19.99). At 6 months the quality of life was improved in both groups (EQ5D RF:0.8613; HF:0.8175; p = 0,439) still without significant differences between them. DASI score was similar to baseline (20.51 vs 21.80). RF group performed less transmissions/visits per patient (1.57) than hospital group (1.96; relative reduction 31%; p = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS Remote follow-up of people with pacemakers might be considered as an equivalent option to the hospital follow-up in relation to the quality of life and it reduces the number of hospital visits.

Surgical excision with left atrial reconstruction of a primary functioning retrocardiac paraganglioma.

About 2% of all paragangliomas are located in the chest, and a few have been described to be found in the heart. Primary cardiac paragangliomas are extremely uncommon tumors and surgical experience with this neoplasm is limited. Treatment strategies described in the literature have included simple excision, excision with reconstruction, autotransplantation after excision of the tumor and even orthotopic cardiac transplantation, depending on the extent of disease. A primary retrocardiac paraganglioma catecholamine-productive was identified in an asymptomatic 49-year old female associated to familial pheochromocytoma-paraganglioma syndrome caused by germline mutation of the gen which codifies for the subunit B of succinate dehydrogenase enzyme (SDHB). The neoplasm was surgically excised from the posterior surface of the left atrium via median sternotomy using cardiopulmonary bypass. Direct ligation of feeding vessels of the tumor along with left atrial reinforcement using a pericardial patch was performed. The post-operative course was uneventful, with normalization of catecholamine secretion and no recurrence at three-month follow-up. We review the current literature about this exceptional cardiac tumor, pathophysiological conditions and options for surgical management.