Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Aug 2017
Multicenter Study Observational StudyRe-exploration due to bleeding is not associated with severe postoperative complications.
In cardiac surgery, postoperative bleeding remains a frequent complication with various possible adverse outcomes. Re-exploration due to bleeding is frequent in this type of patient. Sternal wound infection is an infrequent but serious and devastating complication. Whether re-exploration due to bleeding significantly affects the incidence of sternal wound infection is uncertain. There is no consensus on allowed severity of bleeding and timing of intervention. ⋯ Our study indicates that re-exploration is not associated with a higher frequency of severe postoperative complications. Probably the time of intervention for bleeding is important.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Aug 2017
Ventricular assist device support in patients with single ventricles: the Melbourne experience.
The capacity and limitations of ventricular assist device (VAD) support in single-ventricle physiology remains poorly understood. We aimed to review our experience in the use of VAD support in the single-ventricle circulation to determine its feasibility in this population. ⋯ VAD support in patients with a single ventricle has a high hospital mortality, with 1 of 3 patients surviving to discharge. Systemic VAD support is likely futile in the setting of early Fontan failure or when re-initiation of support is required.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Aug 2017
Vasoplegia after heart transplantation: outcomes at 1 year.
Vasoplegia syndrome is a potentially life-threatening condition that can occur following cardiopulmonary bypass. Heart transplantation is a recognized risk factor for developing this vasodilatory state. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of vasoplegia syndrome on 1-year heart transplant outcomes. ⋯ Although vasoplegia syndrome was associated with an increase in perioperative morbidity, including greater mechanical ventilation time and hospital length of stay, no significant differences in survival or allograft rejection at 1 year was demonstrated.