Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · May 2012
Very low survival rates after non-traumatic lower limb amputation in a consecutive series: what to do?
The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate factors potentially influencing short- and long-term mortality in patients who had a non-traumatic lower limb amputation in a university hospital. A consecutive series of 93 amputations (16% toe/foot, 33% trans-tibial, 9% through knee and 42% trans-femoral) were studied. Their mean age was 75.8 years; 21 (23%) were admitted from a nursing home and 87 (92%) were amputated due to a vascular disease and/or diabetes. ⋯ Further, the risk of not surviving increased with 7% per each additional year the patient got older. Of concern, almost one-third of patients died within 1 month. This may be unavoidable, but a multidisciplinary, optimized, multimodal pre- and postoperative programme should be instituted, trying to improve the outcome.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · May 2012
ReviewWhat are the current results of sutureless valves in high-risk aortic valve disease patients?
A best evidence topic was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether sutureless aortic valves have a clinical and haemodynamic benefit in high-risk patients with aortic valve disease. A total of 307 papers were found using the reported searches; of which, six represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. ⋯ Owing to the lack of comparative studies analysing the outcomes of sutureless and conventional aortic valves, we compared these results with the recently published PARTNER Trial (Transcatheter vs. Surgical Aortic-Valve Replacement in High-Risk Patients), and it can be shown that the outcomes of sutureless aortic valves compare favourably with conventional valves in terms of mortality, neurological deficit, renal failure and post-operative bleeding. However, there is increased incidence of endocarditis and PVLs, together with raised mean valve gradients, perhaps owing to the mechanical properties and deployment techniques of sutureless aortic valves.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · May 2012
Case ReportsSuccessful thrombolysis of major pulmonary embolism 5 days after lobectomy.
Aggressive intravenous thrombolysis of pulmonary emboli after major thoracic surgery has rarely been reported and is controversial because of an assumed risk of fatal bleeding. We report a 62-year old female who underwent left upper lobectomy. Her postoperative course was complicated with symptomatic pulmonary embolism and on postoperative day 5 she was successfully treated with intravenous thrombolysis using alteplase (Actilyse(®)) without signs of bleeding. She was discharged from the hospital 12 days postoperatively.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · May 2012
ReviewIs remote ischaemic preconditioning of benefit to patients undergoing cardiac surgery?
A best evidence topic in cardiac surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether remote ischaemic preconditioning (RIPC) is of benefit to patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Altogether, more than 264 papers were found using the reported search, 16 of which represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. ⋯ Marked reduction in cardiac necrosis markers was also found in several smaller RCTs concerning coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients receiving RIPC preoperatively: with cold crystalloid cardioplegia (44.5% reduction), with cross-clamping and fibrillation (43% reduction) and with cold blood cardioplegia (42.4% reduction). The proof of concept trials summarized here give some early evidence that RIPC may potentially provide some reduction in myocardial injury. If confirmed, in future clinical studies this technique may one day lead to a method to reduce reperfusion injury in clinical practice.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · May 2012
ReviewSniffer dogs as part of a bimodal bionic research approach to develop a lung cancer screening.
Lung cancer (LC) continues to represent a heavy burden for health care systems worldwide. Epidemiological studies predict that its role will increase in the near future. ⋯ However, three decades of research did not bring forward a clinically applicable device. Here, we propose a new research approach by involving specially trained sniffer dogs into research strategies by making use of their ability to identify LC in the breath sample of patients.