Innovations : technology and techniques in cardiothoracic and vascular surgery
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Innovations (Phila) · May 2013
Are there gender differences in outcomes after the Cox-Maze procedure for atrial fibrillation?
Atrial fibrillation (AF) management suggests that women do not tolerate medication rhythm control strategies as well as men do; however, AF percutaneous catheter ablation has been found to be favorable. The study purpose was to compare the sex-based outcomes for patients who undergo the Cox-Maze procedure for AF. ⋯ Outcomes after the Cox-Maze procedure are similar across sex. Atrial fibrillation surgical ablation should be considered a treatment option for women-it is safe and effective, improves general health-related quality of life, and reduces AF symptom burden.
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Innovations (Phila) · May 2013
Navigating the pathway to robotic competency in general thoracic surgery.
Although robotic technology has addressed many of the limitations of traditional videoscopic surgery, robotic surgery has not gained widespread acceptance in the general thoracic community. We report our initial robotic surgery experience and propose a structured, competency-based pathway for the development of robotic skills. ⋯ Robot-assisted thoracic surgery can be safely learned when skill acquisition is guided by a structured, competency-based pathway.