Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery
-
Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Feb 2008
Early results following the Nuss operation for pectus excavatum--a single-institution experience of 383 patients.
The prevalence of pectus excavatum is low but many patients are disabled from this thoracic deformity. The Nuss operation is a well-established surgical correction, however, until recently it has been rarely used in Europe. We have performed the Nuss operation regularly between 2001 and 2006 where a total of 383 patients were operated on for pectus excavatum. ⋯ At present the bars have been removed in 73 patients and their final result was excellent in all but one. The Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum can be implemented with excellent early results and few complications. There is a surprisingly high demand for surgical correction of pectus excavatum and the number of referred patients continues to increase as patients learn about the ease of this procedure and its excellent results.
-
Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Dec 2007
Diabetes is not a risk factor for hospital mortality following contemporary coronary artery bypass grafting.
The outcome of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in diabetic patients has traditionally been worse than in non-diabetic patients. Recent studies have suggested an improvement in outcome in diabetic patients undergoing contemporary CABG. However, the direct impact of diabetes on mortality and morbidities following CABG remains unclear. ⋯ Excellent results following contemporary CABG can be expected in diabetics with a similar mortality compared to non-diabetics. Therefore, our data suggest that diabetes may, in fact, not be a risk factor for adverse outcome following CABG. However, long-term survival in diabetics remains significantly inferior compared to non-diabetics.
-
Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Dec 2007
Case ReportsSuccessful interventional closure of a patent foramen ovale in a pediatric patient supported with a biventricular assist device.
We report on a 16-year-old boy after an event of cardiac arrest and initial treatment with a veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenator (ECMO). After a short stabilisation period a biventricular assist device (BVAD, Thoratec) was implanted. Although the BVAD was functioning well, the patient showed persisting hypoxemia. ⋯ PFO has to be considered as a cause of arterial hypoxemia in patients supported with ventricular assist devices. The diagnosis of a PFO may be missed under ECMO-treatment. Interventional closure of a PFO can successfully be performed even if the patient is supported with a BVAD.