Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Oct 2007
Review Meta AnalysisIs a stentless aortic valve superior to conventional bioprosthetic valves for aortic valve replacement?
A best evidence topic in cardiac surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether a stentless valve is superior to conventional stented valves when tissue aortic valve replacement is performed. Altogether more than 515 papers were found using the reported search, of which 16 represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. ⋯ At six months several studies and a meta-analysis have shown superior left ventricular mass regression in the stentless valve groups. However, by 12 months the stented valve groups catch up in terms of mass regression and this significance disappears. So the 'eminent speaker from the floor', was right with his statement, that there have been no definitively proven benefits for stentless valves.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Oct 2007
Predictive value of paediatric risk of mortality score and risk adjustment for congenital heart surgery score after paediatric open-heart surgery.
This study compared the performance of risk adjustment for congenital heart surgery (RACHS-1) score with paediatric risk of mortality (PRISM) score in operative risk prediction after open-heart surgery in children. This was a retrospective analysis of a non-selected patient population from the paediatric intensive care unit of Helsinki University Hospital. All consecutive congenital open-heart surgery patients operated in Finland between the years 2000 and 2004, who were under 18 years of age, were included in this retrospective analysis. ⋯ With only a moderate discriminating AUC, RACHS-1 failed to adequately predict death after paediatric open-heart surgery. The predictive power of PRISM in this patient group was poor. Both scores overestimated the actual mortality rate.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Aug 2007
ReviewSpinal cord stimulation for lower limb ischemic pain treatment.
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) was proposed many years ago for pain treatment but healing of ischemic ulcers opened a new treatment indication. The aim of this review was to assess the efficacy of SCS. ⋯ the endovascular approach reduced the number of patients unsuitable for revascularization, however, some patients cannot be treated by angioplasty or open surgery; moreover, some are unfit for surgery, and others have persistent distal ischemia and pain with a functioning revascularization. In these cases SCS (alone or associated with prostanoids) can be indicated on the basis of the more recent evidences. A trial period with external stimulator, associated with a microcirculatory evaluation, is currently utilized to select patients that can derive benefit from this treatment, reducing costs.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Aug 2007
The way the intra-aortic balloon catheter moves within the aorta as a possible mechanism of balloon associated morbidity.
This study set off to investigate which mode of weaning of an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) produces more aortic trauma. With the use of a perfusion pump, an intact porcine aorta with an IABP in situ, was studied. Angioscopic images of the interior of the aorta were obtained. ⋯ The aortic impact score at 0.5, 6 and 12 h during the experiments was: (1) When weaning by mode: a) 1:1 3.3+/-0.6, 4.0+/-1.0 and 4.3+/-0.6; b) 1:2 4.7+/-0.6, 6.7+/-0.6 and 7.0+/-0.0; c) 1:3 8.7+/-0.6, 11+/-1.0 and 11.7+/-0.6. (2) Weaning by augmentation: a) 75% 2.3+/-0.6, 2.7+/-0.6 and 3.0+/-0.0; b) 50% 1.3+/-0.6, 1.3+/-0.6 and 1.7+/-0.6. An increasing score was observed while weaning by mode (P<0.05). The 1:3 mode produces marked intimal disruption that worsens with time.