Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Aug 2012
ReviewIs radiofrequency ablation more effective than stereotactic ablative radiotherapy in patients with early stage medically inoperable non-small cell lung cancer?
A best evidence topic in thoracic surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was 'is radiofrequency ablation more effective than stereotactic ablative radiotherapy in patients with early stage medically inoperable non-small cell lung cancer?' Altogether, over 219 papers were found, of which 16 represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, journal, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes and results of these papers are tabulated. ⋯ RFA is not recommended for centrally based tumours. Patients with small apical tumours, posteriorly positioned tumours, peripheral tumours and tumours close to the scapula where it may be difficult to position an active electrode are more optimally treated with SABR. Treatment for early stage inoperable NSCLC should be tailored to individual patients, and under certain circumstances, a combined approach may be beneficial.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Aug 2012
Case ReportsSuccessful bovine arch replacement for a type A acute aortic dissection in a pregnant woman with severe haemodynamic compromise.
Acute aortic dissection is very uncommon in pregnant women and the acute type A aortic dissection carries a high mortality rate outside specialized centres. There are a few cases reported with successful outcomes for the mother and the foetus from major cardiac centres. We are reporting our first experience of acute aortic dissection during the third trimester of pregnancy in a patient with Marfan features, profound haemodynamic compromise on arrival and a bovine aortic arch. Both the mother and the baby are doing well two years postoperatively.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Aug 2012
Case ReportsPreservation of systemic tricuspid valve function by pulmonary conduit banding in a patient with corrected transposition of the great arteries.
Systemic tricuspid valve regurgitation increases mortality and morbidity in patients with a corrected transposition of the great arteries. A 17-year old male with a physiologically corrected transposition after the closure of a ventricular septal defect and conduit placement between a morphological left ventricle and pulmonary artery presented with exertional dyspnoea. The transthoracic echocardiography showed a severe conduit stenosis, and cardiac catheterization revealed a pressure gradient of 114 mmHg. ⋯ Pulmonary conduit banding was performed under transoesophageal echocardiography guidance, during which the left ventricular to right ventricular pressure ratio increased from 0.33 to 0.60 and the degree of tricuspid regurgitation decreased mildly. The patient was discharged uneventfully at postoperative day 16. Conduit banding might be a useful technique to preserve the systemic tricuspid valve function during conduit re-replacement in patients with a corrected transposition.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Aug 2012
Case ReportsHaemostasis of a right ventricle-gunshot wound using a novel haemostatic vacuum device.
Heart wounds are frequently fatal. The haemorrhage from a right ventricle-gunshot wound in a male patient was successfully controlled using a novel haemostatic vacuum device. This case report shows how this simple, quick and efficient method can be used to control critical bleedings.