The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2012
Editorial Biography Historical ArticleHistorical perspectives of The American Association for Thoracic Surgery: Alfred Blalock (1899-1964).
Great men are not a common occurrence. Indeed, they are a rare find. Though respected and lauded in their time, it is only in retrospect that their true contributions can be adequately measured as a surgeon, an educator and a scientist. ⋯ His continual reach for excellence helped him to not only affect, but revolutionize the paradigm of surgical research, an understanding of the physiology of shock and the surgical management of pulmonic stenosis/atresia. Dr. Blalock was the 30th president of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery and his presidential address was given in 1951.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2012
Impact of tumor size on outcomes after anatomic lung resection for stage 1A non-small cell lung cancer based on the current staging system.
Anatomic segmentectomy may achieve results comparable to lobectomy for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. The 7th edition of the AJCC Cancer Staging Handbook stratified the previous T1 tumor designation into T1a and T1b subsets, which still define stage 1A node-negative non-small cell lung cancer. We are left to hypothesize whether this classification may aid in directing the extent of surgical resection. We retrospectively reviewed our anatomic segmentectomy and lobectomy management of stage 1A non-small cell lung cancer to determine differences in survival and local recurrence rates based on the new stratification. ⋯ Anatomic segmentectomy may achieve equivalent recurrence and survival compared with lobectomy for patients with stage 1A non-small cell lung cancer. Prospective studies will be necessary to delineate the potential merits of anatomic segmentectomy in this setting.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2012
Beyond the short-term: clinical outcome and valve performance 2 years after transcatheter aortic valve implantation in 227 patients.
Although the procedural feasibility of transcatheter aortic valve implantation has been shown by multiple groups, longer-term data are rare. We report on 2-year follow-up clinical and echocardiographic results after transcatheter aortic valve implantation in 227 patients. ⋯ With excellent functional recovery of the patients, good systolic valve function, and overall low morbidity at 2 years, transcatheter aortic valve implantation may be considered the treatment of choice for aortic valve stenosis in elderly patients with an increased risk for surgery with a heart-lung machine.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyStrict versus liberal target range for perioperative glucose in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting: a prospective randomized controlled trial.
The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that a liberal blood glucose strategy (121-180 mg/dL) is not inferior to a strict blood glucose strategy (90-120 mg/dL) for outcomes in patients after first-time isolated coronary artery bypass grafting and is superior for glucose control and target blood glucose management. ⋯ This study demonstrated that maintenance of blood glucose in a liberal range after coronary artery bypass grafting led to similar outcomes compared with a strict target range and was superior in glucose control and target range management. On the basis of the results of this study, a target blood glucose range of 121 to 180 mg/dL is recommended for patients after coronary artery bypass grafting as advocated by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialEffect of low-dose human atrial natriuretic peptide on postoperative atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing pulmonary resection for lung cancer: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
We previously reported that patients with preoperative B-type natriuretic peptide levels of 30 pg/mL or more have increased risk of postoperative atrial fibrillation after pulmonary resection. This study evaluated the effects of human atrial natriuretic peptide on postoperative atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing pulmonary resection for lung cancer. ⋯ Continuous infusion of low-dose human atrial natriuretic peptide during lung cancer surgery had a prophylactic effect against postoperative atrial fibrillation after pulmonary resection in patients with preoperative elevation of B-type natriuretic peptide levels. A larger sample size is needed to establish the safety and efficacy of this intervention.