The Annals of thoracic surgery
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Valve-sparing aortic root replacement (VSARR) is an alternative to traditional composite valve graft (CVG) root replacement. We examined early and midterm outcomes after VSARR. ⋯ Valve-sparing aortic root replacement can have excellent early and respectable midterm outcomes, even when combined with arch repair. Further follow-up remains necessary to evaluate the long-term durability of VSARR.
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Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) is recommended for diagnosis and staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Meta-analyses of FDG-PET diagnostic accuracy demonstrated sensitivity of 96% and specificity of 78% but were performed in select centers, introducing potential bias. This study evaluates the accuracy of FDG-PET to diagnose NSCLC and examines differences across enrolling sites in the national American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG) Z4031 trial. ⋯ In a national surgical population with clinical stage I NSCLC, FDG-PET to diagnose lung cancer performed poorly compared with published studies.
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Reoperations on the aortic root and distal thoracic aorta late after initial root surgery in patients with Marfan syndrome might carry high periprocedural risks and be associated with adverse early and midterm clinical outcome. ⋯ Aortic reoperations in patients with Marfan syndrome can be performed with acceptable midterm outcomes. Performed as a bailout procedure, stent grafting was not associated with increased mortality. The only strong predictor of mortality after reoperations is acute dissection at the time of the initial treatment.
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Lung ultrasonography is a diagnostic tool increasingly used in critical care. Few data are available for the pediatric population. ⋯ Such data were confirmed by chest radiographs or by computed tomography, or both. Lung ultrasonography can be considered as a useful, real-time, bedside tool to detect specific lung diseases, reliably implementing radiographic images and potentially decreasing the total number of radiographs in critically ill children with congenital heart diseases.