The Annals of thoracic surgery
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
A randomized multicenter trial of minimally invasive rapid deployment versus conventional full sternotomy aortic valve replacement.
Minimally invasive surgical procedures (MIS) may offer several advantages over conventional full sternotomy (FS) aortic valve replacement (AVR). A novel class of aortic valve prostheses has been developed for rapid-deployment AVR (RDAVR). We report a randomized, multicenter trial comparing the outcomes for MIS-RDAVR with those of conventional FS-AVR. ⋯ RDAVR by the MIS approach is associated with significantly reduced myocardial ischemic time and better valvular hemodynamic function than FS-AVR with a conventional stented bioprosthesis. Rapid deployment valves may facilitate the performance of MIS-AVR.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Effects of cell-saving devices and filters on transfusion in cardiac surgery: a multicenter randomized study.
Cell-saving devices (CS) are frequently used in cardiac surgery to reduce transfusion requirements, but convincing evidence from randomized clinical trials is missing. Filtration of salvaged blood in combination with the CS is widely used to improve the quality of retransfused blood, but there are no data to justify this approach. ⋯ Use of a CS, with or without a filter, does not reduce the total number of allogeneic blood products, but reduces the percentage of patients who need blood products during cardiac surgery.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Effect of timing and route of methylprednisolone administration during pediatric cardiac surgical procedures.
We compared the antiinflammatory and cardioprotective effects of the two most common regimens of corticosteroid administration in pediatric cardiac surgical procedures: a single dose delivered either at anesthesia induction or by cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) prime. ⋯ Methylprednisolone administration at anesthesia induction was superior in terms of antiinflammatory action. Methylprednisolone administration in CPB-prime only a few minutes before aortic cross-clamping and cardioplegia resulted in mean troponin reductions similar to those of administration at anesthesia induction. Corticosteroids may have direct cardioprotective properties, as reported in experimental studies.
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Neoadjuvant treatment response in negative nodes is an important prognosticator after esophagectomy.
The current American Joint Committee on Cancer Seventh Edition (AJCC7) pathologic staging for esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is derived from data assessing the outcomes of patients having undergone esophagectomy without neoadjuvant treatment and has unclear significance in patients who have received multimodality therapy. Lymph nodes with evidence of neoadjuvant treatment effect without residual cancer cells may be observed and are not traditionally considered in pathologic reports, but may have prognostic significance. ⋯ Treatment-response lymph nodes detected from esophagectomy specimens in patients having undergone neoadjuvant chemotherapy or combined chemoradiation for EAC provide valuable prognostic information, particularly in patients with limited nodal disease. The current practice of considering lymph nodes lacking viable cancer cells, but with evidence of tumor necrosis, as pathologically negative likely results in understaging. Future efforts at revising the staging system for EAC should consider incorporating treatment-response lymph nodes in the analysis.
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Patients undergoing the Fontan procedure may have extended hospital stay due to various postoperative factors including prolonged chest tube drainage. Our aim was to determine the efficacy of our Fontan management protocol in reducing chest tube drainage and length of stay. ⋯ The PORTLAND protocol has improved early outcomes after the Fontan procedure. Chest tube drainage and duration, and both intensive care unit and hospital length of stay have been reduced since initiation of this protocol.