The Annals of thoracic surgery
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Clinical Trial
Intraaortic balloon pumping for predominantly right ventricular failure after heart transplantation.
Right ventricular failure from elevated pulmonary vascular resistance in the recipient is a main cause of early mortality after heart transplantation. When pharmacologic treatment is insufficient, mechanical circulatory assistance has been used to support the failing right ventricle. Considering right and left ventricular interdependence, we investigated whether intraaortic balloon counterpulsation (IABP) might also alleviate predominantly right ventricular dysfunction after heart transplantation. ⋯ Intraaortic balloon pumping is a minimally invasive circulatory assist device with proved efficiency in low cardiac output syndromes. This report shows that low output syndrome caused by predominantly right ventricular allograft failure may be an additional indication for IABP.
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Biography Historical Article
Norman Bethune and Edward Archibald: sung and unsung heroes.
Edward Archibald was a pioneer, master thoracic surgeon. He laid the foundation for surgical research in Canada and made fundamental contributions to the training and certification of surgeons. ⋯ Norman Bethune, with a flair for publicity, used extraordinary measures and delivered them heroically with talent and total dedication, ignoring conventional approaches. He became a truly sung hero.
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Case Reports
Thoracoscopic direct clipping of the thoracic duct for chylopericardium and chylothorax.
Chylothorax is a challenging clinical problem. Untreated, it carries a high mortality and morbidity. Traditional surgical management for cases refractory to conservative treatment is thoracic duct ligation through a right open thoracotomy. ⋯ Video-assisted thoracic surgery without a thoracotomy is an effective way of treating chylothorax and carries minimal morbidity.