Adrian Acuna Higaki
About
Research
Publications
2026
Clinical, Physiologic, and Anatomic Outcomes of a Novel Bioprosthetic Aortic Valved Conduit
Dankwa S, Erez E, Higaki A, Verma S, Hameed I, Talapaneni S, Wang K, Asmelash S, Oden Shobayo T, Khosla P, Ofori K, Assi R, Vallabhajosyula P. Clinical, Physiologic, and Anatomic Outcomes of a Novel Bioprosthetic Aortic Valved Conduit. Journal Of Clinical Medicine 2026, 15: 3437. PMID: 42123170, PMCID: PMC13163905, DOI: 10.3390/jcm15093437.Peer-Reviewed Original Researchaortic valved conduitcomputed tomographyConclusions:</b>functional outcomesMethods:</b>post-operative computed tomographyBio-Bentall procedureaortic root replacementearly hemodynamic performancelow mean gradientpost-operative mortalityLate Follow-upno survival differenceKaplan-Meier analysiseffective orifice areaanatomical outcomesroot replacementechocardiographic parameterspeak gradientcomplication ratebetween-group differencesretrospective studysurvival differencesvalved conduitsuperior hemodynamicsProteostasis failure and mitochondrial dysfunction contribute to chromosomal instability-induced microcephaly
González-Blanco A, Acuña-Higaki A, Boettger D, Joy J, Milán M. Proteostasis failure and mitochondrial dysfunction contribute to chromosomal instability-induced microcephaly. Nature Communications 2026, 17: 3829. PMID: 41820377, PMCID: PMC13121444, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-70521-0.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2025
Gender disparities in cardiothoracic surgical conference scholarly interactions: A prime opportunity for change in culture
Ries S, Zolfaghari E, Higaki A, Olivera J, Cangut B, Ahmed A, Hsiung T, Carducci J, Chidi A, Elshiekh M, Degife E, Arrington R, Jindani R, Perkins A, Rodriguez E, Eisenberg M, Servais E, Woodard G, Antonoff M. Gender disparities in cardiothoracic surgical conference scholarly interactions: A prime opportunity for change in culture. JTCVS Open 2025, 24: 521-526. PMID: 40309710, PMCID: PMC12039439, DOI: 10.1016/j.xjon.2025.02.008.Peer-Reviewed Original Researchadult cardiac surgerycardiac surgeryno significant differencegeneral thoracicwomen presenterssurgical meetingssurgical residentssignificant differenceobserved presentationwomenpresentationmenevaluate presentationobservance of professional behaviorunprofessional behaviorgender-related inequalitiessurgeryEndovascular Repair vs Medical Therapy for Uncomplicated Acute Type B Dissection: Aortic Remodeling
Higaki A, Hameed I, Erez E, Hu K, Asmelash S, Chatterjee D, Shou B, Zafar M, Assi R, Vallabhajosyula P. Endovascular Repair vs Medical Therapy for Uncomplicated Acute Type B Dissection: Aortic Remodeling. Annals Of Thoracic Surgery Short Reports 2025, 3: 555-560. PMID: 41163911, PMCID: PMC12559255, DOI: 10.1016/j.atssr.2025.01.012.Peer-Reviewed Original Researchuncomplicated acute type B aortic dissectionthoracic endovascular aortic repairoptimal medical therapymedical therapyaortic remodelingaortic levelsclinical outcomesclinical outcomes of thoracic endovascular aortic repairlumen diameterpatients treated with thoracic endovascular aortic repairoutcomes of thoracic endovascular aortic repairuncomplicated acute type B dissectionacute type B aortic dissectionOMT patientsacute type B dissectiontype B aortic dissectionfavorable aortic remodelingoptimal initial managementinitial treatment modalityMedian Follow-Uptype B dissectionendovascular aortic repairB aortic dissectionfalse lumen thrombosisleft subclavian artery
2024
Clinical effectiveness of genetic testing guidelines in patients with thoracic aortic aneurysms
Erez E, Acuna Higaki A, Cupo M, Phu T, Verma S, Assi R, Vallabhajosyula P. Clinical effectiveness of genetic testing guidelines in patients with thoracic aortic aneurysms. Journal Of Thoracic And Cardiovascular Surgery 2024, 170: 670-677.e3. PMID: 39321868, DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2024.09.026.Peer-Reviewed Original Researchfeatures of connective tissue diseasethoracic aortic diseaseconnective tissue diseasethoracic aortic aneurysmgenetic testing guidelinessyndromic featuresmutation ratefamily historyVUS rateaortic aneurysmprimary genesgenetic testingassociated with thoracic aortic diseasethoracic aorta diametertesting guidelinesaorta diameterpathogen mutation rateaortic diseaserisk stratificationsecondary genespathogenic mutationstissue diseaseclinical effectsVUSgenesGender representation trends in cardiothoracic surgery journal editorial boards
Higaki A, Papageorge M, Waldron C, Huggins L, Brinker M, Erez E, Milewski R, Woodard G, Antonoff M, Lee M. Gender representation trends in cardiothoracic surgery journal editorial boards. Journal Of Thoracic And Cardiovascular Surgery 2024, 168: 1570-1580.e1. PMID: 38944272, DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2024.06.019.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAssociation of neighborhood socioeconomic status with echocardiographic parameters and re-admission following transcatheter aortic valve replacement.
Hameed I, Todice M, Ahmed A, Higaki A, Mubasher A, Agarwal R, Williams M. Association of neighborhood socioeconomic status with echocardiographic parameters and re-admission following transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Minerva Cardioangiologica 2024, 72: 640-648. PMID: 38842244, DOI: 10.23736/s2724-5683.24.06541-4.Peer-Reviewed Original Researchneighborhood socioeconomic statussocioeconomic statusassociation of neighborhood socioeconomic statussocioeconomic groupsHigher neighborhood socioeconomic statuspatients of low socioeconomic statustranscatheter aortic valve replacementSociety of Thoracic Surgeonsincreasing social deprivationelectronic health recordslow socioeconomic statusrisk factor adjustmenttranscatheter aortic valve replacement procedureaortic valve gradientbaseline variablesaortic valve replacementrisk of mortalityhealth recordshealth systemassociated with shorter durationsocial deprivationvalve gradientrisk scorevalve replacementvariables associated with numberInter-Rater Reliability for the Amputation Endpoint in the National Vascular Quality Initiative
Smolderen K, Romain G, Scierka L, Cleman J, Rahman M, Siddiqui W, Lau F, Mao J, Akhlaghi N, Higaki A, Fowler X, Carroll M, Telma K, Alvermann T, Baribeau V, Goodney P, Mena-Hurtado C. Inter-Rater Reliability for the Amputation Endpoint in the National Vascular Quality Initiative. JACC Cardiovascular Interventions 2024, 17: 622-631. PMID: 38479964, DOI: 10.1016/j.jcin.2024.01.003.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptselectronic health recordselectronic health record reviewamputation dataperipheral arterial diseaseinterrater reliabilityVQI registryacademic health systemtrained data collectorsnational quality registryinter-rater reliabilityevaluate interrater reliabilitynational reporting systemhealth recordsquality registryhealth systemCurrent Procedural Terminology codesInter-RaterVascular Quality Initiative registryVascular Quality InitiativeProcedural Terminology codesnational Vascular Quality InitiativeregistryQuality InitiativeamputationSpearman's r
2023
Impact of postnatal weight gain on brain white matter maturation in very preterm infants
Bobba P, Weber C, Higaki A, Mukherjee P, Scheinost D, Constable R, Ment L, Taylor S, Payabvash S. Impact of postnatal weight gain on brain white matter maturation in very preterm infants. Journal Of Neuroimaging 2023, 33: 991-1002. PMID: 37483073, PMCID: PMC10800683, DOI: 10.1111/jon.13145.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsbirth weight z-scoremagnetic resonance imagingvery preterm infantspostnatal weight gainweight z-scorewhite matter maturationbirth weightdiffusion tensor imagingneurological outcomepreterm infantsgestational ageweight gaincorpus callosumhigher birth weight z-scoresbrain white matter maturationlong-term neurological deficitsz-scorebrain developmentweight z-score changeWM tractsz-score changeWM maturationweeks of lifeneurological deficitsnutritional intervention
2022
Limited Access to Facial Feminization Geographically Despite Nationwide Expansion of Other Gender-Affirming Surgeries
Hauc SC, Mateja KL, Long AS, Glahn JZ, Higaki A, Rivera JC, Ihnat JMH, Mukherjee T, Oh SJ, Alperovich M. Limited Access to Facial Feminization Geographically Despite Nationwide Expansion of Other Gender-Affirming Surgeries. Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Global Open 2022, 10: e4521. PMID: 36148027, PMCID: PMC9489153, DOI: 10.1097/gox.0000000000004521.Peer-Reviewed Original Research