The Annals of thoracic surgery
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Combining clinical and research excellence has become an increasingly difficult endeavor for thoracic surgeons, with typical success rates for the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the National Cancer Institute being 25.1% and 11.3%, respectively. The Thoracic Surgery Foundation (TSF), which is an arm of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, provides research awards and grants aimed at early career faculty to assist in securing federal peer-reviewed funding. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of these awards. ⋯ Being a recipient of the TSF award may position an individual to excel in academic medicine, with a large portion of awardees improving their academic standing with time. The rate of successful NIH grant funding after being a TSF awardee is higher than typical institutional success rates.
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Multicenter Study
Impact of Hematologic Malignancies on Outcome of Cardiac Surgery.
Previous studies suggest that patients with prior or current hematologic malignancy are at increased risk of intraoperative and postoperative complications when undergoing cardiac surgery. The aim of this review was to compare clinical outcomes of patients with a history of hematologic malignancy to those of similar patients with no known blood dyscrasia. ⋯ Although late survival is reduced in patients with hematologic malignancies, early outcomes are generally similar to those of matched controls. Therefore, surgery should not be withheld from patients with a diagnosis of hematologic malignancy who would benefit from cardiac procedures.
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Although the use of the uniportal thoracoscopic technique has spread exponentially recently, a comparison of nonintubated and intubated uniportal thoracoscopic segmentectomies for lung tumors has not been reported. We aimed to compare the feasibility, safety, and short-term postoperative outcomes between the 2 methods. ⋯ The nonintubated anesthetic approach can be a safe and feasible alternative to intubated uniportal thoracoscopic segmentectomy.
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Late Aortic Expansion After Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair for Chronic DeBakey IIIb Dissection.
The efficacy of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for chronic DeBakey IIIb aortic dissection is still under discussion. This study was performed to investigate the incidence of and risk factors for late aortic expansion after TEVAR for chronic DeBakey IIIb aortic dissection. ⋯ In patients undergoing TEVAR for chronic DeBakey IIIb aortic dissection, late aortic expansion in both the thoracic and abdominal aorta remains an important issue. Aggressive additional intervention should be considered for high-risk patients with residual large reentries and aortic dilation at the celiac level.
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A multiinstitutional study was conducted to analyze prognosticators of completely resected and pathologic T3 N0 M0 (pT3 N0 M0) stage thymic epithelial tumors. ⋯ Postoperative radiotherapy was associated with improved survival in patients with pT3 N0 M0 thymic epithelial tumors. Lung invasion was associated with poor survival in patients with pT3 N0 M0 thymoma. Adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with improved survival in patients with pT3 N0 M0 thymic carcinoma with superior vena cava or innominate vein invasion.