Circulation
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Coronary bypass surgery in women is associated with lower survival than in men. We need to know whether this is because of patient-related factors and whether the lower survival is present in all subgroups of patients and for all time periods during which the surgery was performed. ⋯ Women have a higher operative mortality and lower long-term survival than men after coronary bypass surgery for angina. However, the differences are small, even if statistically significant. Importantly, patient-related factors and not sex are independent predictors of poorer survival. Therefore, coronary bypass surgery should not be delayed or denied to women who have the usual indications for surgery.
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Patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) are known to suffer from a postsurgical systemic inflammatory response, the nature of which remains to be fully elucidated. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is a newly described, powerful leukocyte chemotactic factor known to be generated after stimulation of interleukin-1 (IL-1). As we have previously documented the generation of IL-1 beta after CPB, it followed that IL-8 generation should be measured in a comparable group of patients. ⋯ The results demonstrated for the first time the presence of cell-associated IL-8 in CPB patients. This suggests that this powerful polymorphonuclear and T-lymphocyte chemotactic factor may be an important element in leukocyte activation and recruitment after CPB.
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Aortic valve replacement remains the treatment of choice for aortic valve disease, even in the extreme elderly who may present with advanced symptoms. Defining risk factors for short-term survival was the object of this study. ⋯ Aortic valve replacement carries an acceptable mortality rate in elderly patients. Female gender was a significant predictor of operative mortality in the concomitant coronary artery bypass graft group; however, gender was not a predictor of operative mortality in the isolated aortic valve replacement group. Advance stage of the disease process represented by NYHA class IV was a significant predictor of mortality for the whole group, stressing the need for earlier referral for surgery.
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Comparative Study
Significance of gaseous microemboli in the cerebral circulation during cardiopulmonary bypass in dogs.
Gaseous microemboli during cardiac surgery may damage the brain by reducing cerebral blood flow (CBF). We examined whether the incidence of gaseous microemboli during 150-minute hypothermic (28 degrees C) cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) adversely affects CBF (radioactive microspheres). ⋯ These results indicate that: (1) the incidence of gaseous microemboli during hypothermia increases when a bubble oxygenator is used, and (2) global CBF and regional brain perfusion are not adversely affected by numerous gaseous microemboli.
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We hypothesized that left ventricular function could be improved with cardiomyoplasty using the right latissimus dorsi. ⋯ Long-term studies are needed to determine if these changes will improve patient survival.