Current opinion in anaesthesiology
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Since the advent of the Fontan palliation, survival of patients with univentricular congenital heart disease has increased significantly. These patients will, however, ultimately develop heart failure requiring advanced therapies such as heart transplantation. As wait times are long, mechanical circulatory support (MCS) is an attractive therapy, both for bridge to transplantation and destination therapy in patients not suitable for transplantation. This review aims to summarize current thinking about how to determine which patients would benefit from a ventricular assist device (VAD), the optimal time for implantation and which device should be considered. ⋯ Fontan patients demonstrating signs of heart failure should be evaluated early and often for feasibility and optimal timing of VAD implantation. The frequency of this procedure will likely increase significantly in the future.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Feb 2022
ReviewShould fluid management in thoracic surgery be goal directed?
To find a reliable answer to the question in the title: Should fluid management in thoracic surgery be goal directed? ⋯ Although the evidence level is low, GDT is generally associated with fewer postoperative complications. It can be helpful in decision-making for volume-optimization, timing of fluid administration, and indication of vasoactive agents.
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With an aging cardiac surgery population, prefrail and frail patients are becoming more common. Anesthesiologists will be faced with the decision of how best to provide care to frail patients. Identification, management, and outcomes in frail patients will be discussed in this review. ⋯ As frailty will likely only increase amongst cardiac surgery patients, it is important to develop multicenter trials to study management and treatment options. Until those studies are performed, the care of frail cardiac surgery patients may be best provided by high-volume surgical centers with expertise in the management of frail patients.