European journal of cardio-thoracic surgery : official journal of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery
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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · Nov 2012
Initial application in the EACTS and STS Congenital Heart Surgery Databases of an empirically derived methodology of complexity adjustment to evaluate surgical case mix and results.
Outcomes evaluation is enhanced by assignment of operative procedures to appropriate categories based upon relative average risk. Formal risk modelling is challenging when a large number of operation types exist, including relatively rare procedures. Complexity stratification provides an alternative methodology. We report the initial application in the Congenital Heart Surgery Databases of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) and the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery (EACTS) of an empirically derived system of complexity adjustment to evaluate surgical case mix and results. ⋯ The STAT Mortality Categories facilitate analysis of outcomes across the wide spectrum of distinct congenital heart surgery operations including infrequently performed procedures.
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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · Nov 2012
Clinical TrialAccuracy of transthoracic ultrasound for the detection of pleural adhesions.
In the era of minimally invasive surgery, preoperative detection of pleural adhesions can be very useful for the assessment of surgical approach, because pleural adhesions are the main contraindication to video-assisted thoracoscopy. The aim of this study was to assess the sensitivity and specificity of transthoracic ultrasound in the detection of pleural adhesions prior to thoracic surgery. ⋯ Transthoracic ultrasound is an effective method for predicting pleural adhesions before thoracic surgery in experienced hands. Its safety, feasibility and low cost make it a useful method for the planning of minimally invasive surgical interventions.
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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · Nov 2012
The fate of abstracts presented at annual meetings of the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland from 1993 to 2007.
Although the presentation of original research to learned societies is valuable, the target should be publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Therefore, the strength of a meeting may be assessed by the rate of the subsequent publication of papers from the presented abstracts. We conducted an analysis of abstracts presented at consecutive annual meetings of the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery (SCTS) in Great Britain and Ireland over a 15-year period. ⋯ The rate of publication has increased to consistently >60%, although those that remain unpublished are generally never submitted. This compares favourably with national meetings of other surgical societies, although it is lower than other major cardiothoracic meetings which have an affiliated journal. At a time when it has been suggested that medical research in the UK is in decline, cardiothoracic surgery appears to be thriving.
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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · Nov 2012
Case ReportsEndoscopic volume reduction before or after lung transplantation.
Endobronchial valve therapy in patients with severe emphysema achieves similar clinical benefits to lung volume reduction surgery without the potential morbidity. We report successful endobronchial valve treatments in two patients with severe emphysema. ⋯ The potential benefit of this procedure was anticipated by lobar collateral ventilation measurements. Two months later, forced expiratory volume in 1 s, forced vital capacity and dyspneoa improved in both cases.
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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · Nov 2012
Case ReportsSlide tracheoplasty in an infant with congenital tracheal stenosis and oesophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula.
Slide tracheoplasty has become the treatment of choice when dealing with congenital tracheal stenosis (CTS). Versatility and effectiveness are the specific advantages of this technique when compared with other surgical procedures for tracheal reconstruction. We report a new use of slide tracheoplasty in a patient with a short CTS and a tracheal pouch after oesophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula repair.