Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery
-
Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Jul 2012
Multicenter StudyConservative treatment of post-lobectomy bronchopleural fistula.
Post-lobectomy bronchopleural fistula is a rare complication of lung resection surgery, and proper management is essential for its successful resolution. Most published papers deal with endoscopic and surgical treatment. We report our experience with conservative management. ⋯ Two patients died due to causes unrelated to the treatment. The period of time elapsed for the resolution of this complication varied between 5 and 36 days. We conclude that conservative treatment of post-lobectomy bronchopleural fistula is a safe and simple option that must be taken into account in the management of this problem.
-
Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Jul 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialRemote ischaemic preconditioning does not protect the heart in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.
Remote ischaemic preconditioning (RIPC) gained attention as a possibility to reduce myocardial injury after a subsequent sustained episode of myocardial ischaemia. This prospective randomized study was carried out to assess whether RIPC reduces myocardial injury in coronary artery bypass grafting patients. Eighty patients were assigned to remote preconditioning or control treatment. ⋯ There were no differences in other haemodynamic, troponin I and creatine kinase-MB concentrations at any time point between groups. Thus, short-term remote preconditioning improves haemodynamics and does not reduce myocardial injury after coronary artery bypass surgery. Further study of high-risk patients may be needed to fully evaluate the clinical effect of RIPC.
-
Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Jul 2012
ReviewWhat do you do with the antiplatelet agents in patients with drug eluting stents who then receive a mechanical valve?
Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAT) with aspirin and clopidogrel is a cornerstone of treatment during and after percutaneous coronary interventions with drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. Oral anticoagulation (OAC) is the recommended treatment for patients with mechanical heart valves. When patients with DES need a mechanical heart valve or vice versa, we face the difficult choice of their antithrombotic therapy. ⋯ As per the long-term management, antithrombotic management with DAT alone in mechanical aortic valve replacement might be possible, but there is not enough evidence to support it. The available evidence suggests that triple anticoagulation (OAC + DAT) is associated with the best clinical outcome compared with all the other possible strategies. The duration of TT should be 3 months after sirolimus DES implantation, and 6 months after paclitaxel DES implantation, followed by long-term therapy with OAC plus clopidogrel or aspirin with either PPIs, or H2-receptor antagonists (Class IIa Level of Evidence C).
-
Proximal thoracic aortic reconstruction performed with or without hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA) is an effective surgical strategy for aortic pathology. In this study, the clinical outcomes of patients undergoing reoperative proximal thoracic aortic surgery were evaluated. A retrospective review was performed for reoperative proximal aortic surgery from 2004 to date. ⋯ Univariate and multivariate analyses of HCA patients showed cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time, preoperative renal failure and prior coronary revascularization as independent predictors of mortality. Reoperative proximal aortic surgery can be performed with acceptable morbidity and mortality. These data also suggest that HCA represents a safe operative strategy for this patient population.
-
Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Jul 2012
Outcomes and predictors of prolonged ventilation in patients undergoing elective coronary surgery.
OBJECTIVES Despite the seriousness of prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) as a postoperative complication, previously proposed risk prediction models were met with limited success. The purpose of this study was to identify perioperative variables associated with PMV in elective primary coronary bypass surgery. PMV was defined as the need for intubation and mechanical ventilation for >72 h, after completion of the operation. ⋯ Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed reduced survival among PMV patients (P < 0.001) with an improved survival in the tracheostomy subgroup. CONCLUSIONS PMV after coronary bypass is associated with a reduction in early and mid-term survival. Risk modelling for PMV remains problematic even when examining a more homogenous lower risk group.