The Annals of thoracic surgery
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Five hundred cases of robotic totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass grafting: predictors of success and safety.
Robotic technology has enabled totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass (TECAB) grafting. Little information is available on factors associated with successful and safe performance of TECAB. We report a 10-year multicenter experience with 500 cases, elucidating on predictors of success and safety in TECAB procedures. ⋯ Single-vessel and multivessel TECAB procedures can be safely performed with good reproducible results. Predictors of success include procedure simplicity and non-learning curve cases, whereas predictors of safety are mainly associated with patient selection.
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Comparative Study
Modified nuss procedure in concurrent repair of pectus excavatum and open heart surgery.
Pectus excavatum (PE) can be associated with congenital and acquired cardiac disorders that also require surgical repair. The timing and specific surgical technique for repair of PE remains controversial. The present study reports the experience of combined repair of PE and open heart surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. ⋯ Simultaneous repair of PE and open heart surgery is safe and effective. We recommend that the decision to perform a single-stage versus a multistage procedure should be reserved until after the cardiac procedure has been completed. In such cases, the Nuss technique allows for correction of the pectus deformity with good long-term cosmetic and functional results.
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Case Reports
Fulminate heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and surgery with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest using bivalirudin.
After on-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery, a patient had acute heparin-induced thrombocytopenia with thoracic arterial and venous thrombus formations. Complex emergency surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest using bivalirudin anticoagulation was performed.
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Case Reports
Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for ectopic middle mediastinal thymoma in a patient with myasthenia gravis.
We present a rare case of middle mediastinal thymoma with myasthenia gravis. A 51-year-old man presented with right ptosis and muscle weakness, and received a diagnosis of generalized myasthenia gravis. Computed tomography of the chest showed a 20-mm nodule in the middle mediastinum, suggesting a possible ectopic thymoma. ⋯ Histologic examination revealed an ectopic thymoma and ectopic thymic tissue around the tumor. One year after the operation, his condition remains well controlled solely with tacrolimus. Careful preoperative radiologic examination concerning possible ectopic thymoma outside the dissection area of the extended thymectomy is recommended.