The Thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon
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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Jun 2010
Comparative StudyIntegrated positron emission tomography-computed tomography does not accurately stage intrathoracic disease of patients undergoing trimodality therapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma.
The results of trimodality therapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) are related to stage. Staging can be carried out by computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging and fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), but all modalities suffer from limitations. We investigated whether integrated PET-CT improved the intrathoracic staging of patients undergoing trimodality therapy for MPM. ⋯ In one of the few studies of integrated PET-CT in MPM that has complete pathological correlation we have shown that PET-CT does not accurately identify advanced tumor stage (T4) or mediastinal nodal disease (N2). The role of PET-CT staging prior to EPP lies outside the affected hemithorax.
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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Jun 2010
Management of stab wounds of the heart: analysis of 73 cases in 10 years.
Stab wounds of the heart still cause a significant number of traumatic deaths every year. The aim of this study was to assess the outcome of patients with cardiac stab wounds requiring emergency thoracotomy. ⋯ Clinical status as shock, CPR and ER thoracotomy were prognostic of a poor outcome and associated with high mortality rates.
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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Jun 2010
Predictors of postoperative complications in octogenarians undergoing cardiac surgery.
Aim of the study was to clarify the impact of different pre- and perioperative conditions on outcome in octogenarians undergoing cardiac surgery. ⋯ Cardiac surgery in octogenarians can be performed with an acceptable risk but an increased mortality and morbidity compared to younger patients. High-risk octogenarians, who require intensive perioperative management, should be identified to reduce the incidence of postoperative complications.