Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Feb 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyAssessment of concomitant paroxysmal atrial fibrillation ablation in mitral valve surgery patients based on continuous monitoring: does a different lesion set matter?
The efficacy of concomitant ablation techniques in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing mitral valve surgery remains under debate. The aim of this prospective, randomized, single-centre study was to compare pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) only versus a left atrial maze (LAM) procedure in patients with paroxysmal AF during mitral valve surgery. ⋯ According to continuous ECG monitoring data, freedom from AF was significantly higher after the concomitant LAM procedure than after PVI in patients with paroxysmal AF who underwent mitral valve surgery.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Feb 2014
Case ReportsRight massive haemothorax as the presentation of blunt cardiac rupture: the pitfall of coexisting pericardial laceration.
A 74-year old female was transferred to our institution because of blunt chest trauma. Chest X-ray and computed tomography (CT) revealed right haemothorax and little pericardial effusion. ⋯ There were three 1-cm lacerations actively bleeding from the right atrium and inferior vena cava junction, which were repaired successfully. Furthermore, we identified a 10 cm laceration in the right-side pleuropericardium and a communication existing between the pericardial space and the right pleural space.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Feb 2014
Comparative StudyReappraisal of a single-centre policy on the contemporary surgical management of active infective endocarditis.
We studied a contemporary cohort of adult patients treated surgically for infective endocarditis (IE) in order to evaluate the surgical approach and predictors of outcomes, in relation to the intercurrent adaptation of the 2006 ACC/AHA guidelines. ⋯ Adaptation of the 2006 ACC/AHA guidelines in the contemporary management of IE led to a shorter interval between diagnosis and surgery. Despite a more extensive and earlier operative approach, IE caused by S. aureus still remains a major determinant of early and late outcomes.