Canadian journal of surgery. Journal canadien de chirurgie
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Comparative Study
Is obesity a predictor of mortality, morbidity and readmission after cardiac surgery?
Obesity has been described as a risk factor for the development of coronary artery disease, but it has not been determined whether obesity is associated with adverse outcomes after cardiac surgery. Therefore, we analyzed a large cohort of patients who had undergone cardiac surgery to determine whether obesity is a predictor of mortality, morbidity or early readmission to hospital. ⋯ Obesity was not associated with adverse outcomes after cardiac operations, aside from the increased risks of sternal dehiscence and early hospital readmission.
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Comparative Study
Prioritization of patients on scheduled waiting lists: validation of a scoring system for hip and knee arthroplasty.
The hip and knee replacement priority criteria tool (HKPT) is 1 of 5 tools developed by the Western Canada Waiting List Project for setting priorities among patients awaiting elective procedures. We set out to assess the validity of the HKPT priority criteria score (PCS) and map the maximum acceptable waiting times (MAWTs) for patients to levels of urgency. ⋯ Results from this study support the validity of the PCS as a measure of surgeon-rated urgency for hip or knee arthroplasty. Evaluative studies are needed to assess the validity and acceptability of the tools and the establishment of MAWTs in clinical practice.
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Review Comparative Study Historical Article
Maimonides's cooling period and organ retrieval.
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With the rapidly evolving techniques for minimally invasive surgery (MIS), general surgeons are challenged to incorporate advanced procedures into their practices. We therefore carried out a study to assess the state of MIS practice in Ontario. ⋯ The ability of practising general surgeons to incorporate advanced MIS procedures into their surgical practice remains a complex issue.
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There is a chronic shortage of cadaveric organ donors for renal transplantation, which might be solved by the use of non-heart-beating donors (patients who suffer cardiac arrest and whose kidneys are harvested subsequently when irreversible heart and respiratory function occur). We carried out a chart review to determine whether the renal transplantation rate would improve if a non-heart-beating donor program was introduced at a Canadian centre. ⋯ The cadaveric renal transplantation rate could improve significantly if non-heart-beating donors were used in Canadian hospitals.