Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Oct 2018
Observational StudyRisk factors for limb surgical site infection following coronary artery bypass graft using open great saphenous vein harvesting: a retrospective cohort study.
Our goal was to define risk factors for limb (leg) surgical site infections (SSIs) following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with open saphenous vein grafting and to estimate their consequences for patients. ⋯ Leg SSIs following coronary artery bypass surgery are common and associated with morbidity. We suggest reconsidering open saphenous vein harvesting in obese female patients with peripheral vascular disease.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Sep 2018
European questionnaire on the clinical use of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.
Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has emerged as a safe and efficacious alternative approach to conventional thoracotomy for selected patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. The aim of the present study was to assess the current clinical practice of VATS among the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) members. ⋯ Compared to previous surveys, results of the present European study suggested that there is a strong trend favouring VATS for a range of thoracic procedures in the current clinical setting. However, the use of uniportal VATS is still not yet widespread. The evolving adoption of VATS in Europe should be further assessed with regard to clinical outcomes in the form of large standardized registries.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Aug 2018
Comparative StudyLeft ventricular assist device implantation with left lateral thoracotomy with anastomosis to the descending aorta.
Standard implantation of the HeartWare left ventricular assist system is performed using the full sternotomy approach. However, successful implantation of left ventricular assist devices in patients with a previous median sternotomy, especially in high-risk patients, remains challenging. Herein, we compared the HeartWare left ventricular assist system implantation by thoracotomy with anastomosis of the outflow graft to the descending aorta with the standard sternotomy approach. ⋯ In our single-centre experience, the lateral thoracotomy with outflow graft anastomosis to the descending aorta had similar early outcomes compared to the standard sternotomy.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Jul 2018
Statistical primer: basics of survival analysis for the cardiothoracic surgeon.
Survival analysis incorporates various statistical methods specific to data on time until an event of interest. While the event is often death, giving rise to the phrase 'survival analysis', the event might also be, for example, a reoperation. As such, it is sometimes referred to as 'time-to-event analysis'. ⋯ A principal assumption of the Cox proportional hazards model is that the relative hazard stays constant over time-the so-called proportionality. Specific methods exist for comparison of survival with the general population. This article describes the fundamental concepts every cardiothoracic surgeon should be aware of when analysing survival data and are illustrated with a clinical example.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Jun 2018
Review Meta AnalysisEffect of levosimendan on clinical outcomes in adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
It is currently unknown whether levosimendan can improve clinical outcomes in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the effect of levosimendan on mortality and the duration of intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital stay in adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery. A comprehensive search for eligible articles was conducted in PubMed, OVID and Cochrane databases of clinical trials and the Web of Science from database inception to August 2017. ⋯ A total of 30 randomized controlled trials were included in the final analysis; the pooled results indicated that perioperative administration of levosimendan was associated with a reduction in postoperative mortality [5.8% vs 8.5%; odds ratio 0.66, 95% confidence interval 0.50-0.86, P = 0.002; I2 = 17.1%; 25 trials; 3239 patients] and length of ICU stay (SMD -0.32, 95% CI -0.58 to 0.06, P = 0.017; I2 = 88.0%; 23 trials; 2536 patients) compared with the control group but not in length of hospital stay (SMD -0.41, 95% CI -0.89 to 0.07, P = 0.094; I2 = 95.9%; 18 trials; 2047 patients). A subanalysis was conducted for trials published after 2015, and it suggested that levosimendan could not reduce the postoperative mortality (odds ratio = 0.91, 95% CI 0.63-1.31, P = 0.626; I2 = 0.9%), length of ICU stay (SMD -0.03, 95% CI -0.32 to 0.27, P = 0.850; I2 = 81.2%) or length of hospital stay (SMD 0.06, 95%CI -0.43 to 0.54, P = 0.821; I2 = 91.3%). To summarize, the evidence from studies published in the last 3 years indicated that perioperative administration of levosimendan was not associated with better clinical outcomes in adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery.