The Thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon
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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Jun 2011
Preoperative NT-proBNP levels: a reliable parameter to estimate postoperative atrial fibrillation in coronary artery bypass patients.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common complications after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). This study was designed to evaluate whether the levels of preoperative and postoperative N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) are predictors of postoperative paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in patients who undergo coronary artery bypass surgery. ⋯ The main finding of the current study is a positive correlation between high levels of preoperative NT-proBNP and the risk of new-onset AF after CABG surgery.
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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Mar 2011
Case ReportsPercutaneous pulmonary valve implantation after endocarditis of Contegra® valved conduit: a case report.
This report describes the case of a 13-year-old boy with endocarditis of a Contegra® pulmonary valved conduit used for the correction of tetralogy of Fallot. He had severe pulmonary stenosis after endocarditis resolution. We performed percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation with resolution of the conduit dysfunction. The procedure was well tolerated by our patient and offered many advantages.
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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Feb 2011
Comparative StudyVacuum-assisted wound closure is superior to primary rewiring in patients with deep sternal wound infection.
Deep sternal wound infections are serious complications after cardiac surgery. The aim of the present study is to compare the outcome after vacuum-assisted wound closure to that after primary rewiring with disinfectant irrigation. The study additionally focuses on defining predictors for the failure of primary rewiring and its impact on postoperative outcome. ⋯ In spite of patients being in a worse condition, vacuum-assisted wound closure therapy resulted in improved outcomes and thus should be preferred to primary rewiring. Moreover we report on predictors which may indicate whether there is a high risk of rewiring failure.
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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Feb 2011
Case ReportsShould the pectus bar be removed before pregnancy? Two case reports.
The Nuss procedure is a minimally invasive repair for pectus excavatum in children and adults. However, it is unclear whether or not the stainless steel bar should be removed before pregnancy. We report on two adult females who had undergone a Nuss repair for pectus excavatum and successfully delivered prior to removal of the pectus bar.
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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Feb 2011
Case ReportsRepair of sternal dehiscence with titanium mesh plates: the sandwich technique.
Sternal dehiscence after cardiac surgery occurs infrequently and can lead to mediastinitis and prolonged hospital stay and may even result in death. The most common treatment for mechanical sternal instability is rewiring with wound debridement. We present a case in which a modified titanium mesh plate fixation technique was used. A safe and easy to perform technique, this method can be an alternative option to wire closure in a sternum with fractures, instability or poor bone quality.