The Thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon
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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Mar 2009
Modified central aortopulmonary shunt with end-to-end anastomosis of the shunt to the pulmonary trunk: Early results of a novel shunt procedure for first-stage palliation of infants with pulmonary atresia and hypoplastic pulmonary arteries.
The aim was to investigate a novel palliative shunt performed between the ascending aorta and the main pulmonary artery in patients with pulmonary atresia. ⋯ Modified central aortopulmonary shunt with end-to-end anastomosis of the shunt to the pulmonary trunk is a novel palliative shunt operation. Our early results with this technique indicate rapid palliation and early achievement of bilateral homogenous adequate pulmonary artery size with a low incidence of overflow to pulmonary circulation and minimal arterial distortion.
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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Mar 2009
Comparative StudyThe 19Fr Blake drain versus the 28Fr conventional drain after a lobectomy for lung cancer.
Small silastic flexible drains (Blake drains, Ethicon, Somerville, NJ, USA) are now widely used for drainage after thoracic surgery. Despite their increasing use, their advantages are still unclear. ⋯ The use of a 19Fr Blake drain instead of a 28Fr conventional drain as a means of performing drainage after a lobectomy for primary lung cancer appears to have no disadvantages.
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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Mar 2009
Comparative StudyA comparison of the effectiveness of talc, polidocanol and ethanol as pleural sclerosing agents in rabbits.
Aim of the study was to compare the pleurodesis results from the intrapleural injection of talc, polidocanol and ethanol into the rabbit pleura. ⋯ The intrapleural injection of polidocanol produces better pleurodesis than does the intrapleural injection of talc or ethanol in rabbits. Because of the efficacy of polidocanol as a sclerosing agent, its use in humans should be considered after further animal studies.