Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37638786›Full record

ArticleEuropean heart journal2023

Type A aortic dissection: optimal annual case volume for surgery.

Michal J Kawczynski, Sander M J van Kuijk, Jules R Olsthoorn, Jos G Maessen, Suzanne Kats, Elham Bidar, Samuel Heuts

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European heart journal, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

15 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Short- and long-term outcomes in isolated vs. hybrid thoracoscopic ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and reconstructed individual patient data meta-analysis.Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology · 2024
    Pooled it
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  6. Valve-sparing Aortic Root Replacement: Defining High-volume Centres Using Prospective Data.European journal of cardio-thoracic surgery : official journal of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery · 2026
    Article
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  13. The optimal annual case volume for acute type A aortic dissection surgery in relation to long-term outcomes.European journal of cardio-thoracic surgery : official journal of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Michal J KawczynskiDepartment of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), P. Debyelaan 25, 6629HX Maastricht, Limburg, The Netherlands.
Sander M J van KuijkDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Technology Assessment, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Jules R OlsthoornDepartment of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), P. Debyelaan 25, 6629HX Maastricht, Limburg, The Netherlands.
Jos G MaessenDepartment of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), P. Debyelaan 25, 6629HX Maastricht, Limburg, The Netherlands.
Suzanne KatsDepartment of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), P. Debyelaan 25, 6629HX Maastricht, Limburg, The Netherlands.
Elham BidarDepartment of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), P. Debyelaan 25, 6629HX Maastricht, Limburg, The Netherlands.
Samuel HeutsDepartment of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), P. Debyelaan 25, 6629HX Maastricht, Limburg, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-3531-9997

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

aimsThe current study proposes a novel volume-outcome (V-O) meta-analytical approach to determine the optimal annual hospital case volume threshold for cardiovascular interventions in need of centralization. This novel method is applied to surgery for acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) as an illustrative example.

methodsA systematic search was applied to three electronic databases (1 January 2012 to 29 March 2023). The primary outcome was early mortality in relation to annual hospital case volume. Data were presented by volume quartiles (Qs). Restricted cubic splines were used to demonstrate the V-O relation, and the elbow method was applied to determine the optimal case volume. For clinical interpretation, numbers needed to treat (NNTs) were calculated.

resultsOne hundred and forty studies were included, comprising 38 276 patients. A significant non-linear V-O effect was observed (P < .001), with a notable between-quartile difference in early mortality rate [10.3% (Q4) vs. 16.2% (Q1)]. The optimal annual case volume was determined at 38 cases/year [95% confidence interval (CI) 37-40 cases/year, NNT to save a life in a centre with the optimal volume vs. 10 cases/year = 21]. More pronounced between-quartile survival differences were observed for long-term survival [10-year survival (Q4) 69% vs. (Q1) 51%, P < .01, adjusted hazard ratio 0.83, 95% CI 0.75-0.91 per quartile, NNT to save a life in a high-volume (Q4) vs. low-volume centre (Q1) = 6].

conclusionsUsing this novel approach, the optimal hospital case volume threshold was statistically determined. Centralization of ATAAD care to high-volume centres may lead to improved outcomes. This method can be applied to various other cardiovascular procedures requiring centralization.

Indexed as

Aortic DissectionHospitals, High-VolumeHumansRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeAcute type A aortic dissectionAnnual case volumeCardiovascular interventionsHospital volumeOptimal case volumeVolume–outcome relationship

Identifiers

PMID37638786
PMCPMC10702469

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.