The Annals of thoracic surgery
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Comparative Study
Vancomycin Paste Does Not Reduce the Incidence of Deep Sternal Wound Infection After Cardiac Operations.
Deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) is a devastating complication that increases morbidity and death in cardiac surgical patients. Vancomycin is often administered intravenously for antibiotic prophylaxis in cardiac operations. Many cardiac surgeons also apply vancomycin paste topically to the sternal edges. We examined the effect of vancomycin paste on the incidence of DSWI in patients undergoing elective cardiac operations. ⋯ There was a marked decrease in the incidence of DSWI during the study period, concurrent with institutional implementation of revised STS antibiotic dosing guidelines in 2007 and other strategies. However, the application of vancomycin paste to the sternal edges of patients undergoing cardiac operations was not associated with a reduced risk of DSWI.
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Comparative Study
Bronchodilator Inhalation During Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion Improves Posttransplant Graft Function After Warm Ischemia.
We hypothesized that an injured lung graft from donation after cardiac death donors could be reconditioned before transplantation using an ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) system and ventilation with high-dose short-acting β2-adrenergic receptor agonists. ⋯ High-dose nebulized procaterol during EVLP ameliorated lung graft dysfunction at the early posttransplantation period without severe adverse effects. These data suggest that lung reconditioning with procaterol ventilation during EVLP improves lung graft function after transplantation.
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Case Reports
Successfully Treated Nonocclusive Mesenteric Ischemia After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.
An 80-year-old man with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Postoperatively, the patient was hemodynamically stable without inotropic or mechanical support. ⋯ We suspected nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia and performed emergency selective angiography of the superior mesenteric artery, which showed vasospasm. We confirmed the diagnosis of nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia, and it was treated successfully with intraarterial infusion of vasodilators into the superior mesenteric artery.
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Pulmonary Valve Replacement With a Trifecta Valve Is Associated With Reduced Transvalvular Gradient.
Outcomes after surgical pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) in patients with congenital cardiac disease are limited by long-term valve deterioration, which may be hastened by turbulent flow. The use of the Trifecta valve (St. Jude Medical, Little Canada, MN) at our institution (Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC) appears to result in low postimplantation transvalvular gradients. This study was performed to compare the early transvalvular gradient associated with the Trifecta valve with that associated with two other valves commonly used for PVR. ⋯ PVR for congenital heart disease with the Trifecta bioprosthetic valve is associated with a reduced early transvalvular gradient. This finding may be associated with reduced valve deterioration over time.
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The two most common surgical strategies for the treatment of neonates born with single-ventricle anomalies associated with aortic arch obstruction are the Norwood operation and pulmonary artery banding plus coarctation repair (PAB+COA). We reviewed characteristics and outcomes of neonates who underwent those two surgical strategies at our institution. ⋯ Anatomic and patient characteristics influence palliation outcomes in neonates born with single-ventricle anomalies associated with aortic arch obstruction. Although the Norwood operation is applicable in most of these patients, the PAB+COA strategy is a valid alternative in well-selected patients.