The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Oct 2019
Review Practice GuidelineCharacteristics of surgical prosthetic heart valves and problems around labeling: A document from the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS)-The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS)-American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) Valve Labelling Task Force.
Intraoperative surgical prosthetic heart valve (SHV) choice is a key determinant of successful surgery and positive postoperative outcomes. Currently, many controversies exist around the sizing and labeling of SHVs rendering the comparison of different valves difficult. To explore solutions, an expert Valve Labelling Task Force was jointly initiated by the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS), The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) and the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS). ⋯ Furthermore, a thorough understanding of the regulatory background and the role of the applicable ISO standards, together with close cooperation between all stakeholders (including regulatory and standard- setting bodies), is necessary to improve the current situation. Cardiac surgeons should be provided with appropriate information to allow for optimal SHV choice. This first article from the EACTS-STS-AATS Valve Labelling Task Force summarizes the background of SHV sizing and labeling and identifies the most important elements where further standardization is necessary.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Oct 2019
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyIncidence and risk factors for important early morbidities associated with pediatric cardiac surgery in a UK population.
Given excellent 30-day survival for pediatric cardiac surgery, other outcome measures are important. We aimed to study important early postoperative morbidities selected by stakeholders following a rigorous and evidenced-based process, with a view to identifying potential risk factors. ⋯ Evaluation of postoperative morbidity provides important information over and above 30-day survival and should become a focus for audit and quality improvement. Our results have been used to initiate UK-based audit for 5 of these 9 morbidities, co-develop software for local monitoring of these morbidities, and parent information about these morbidities.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Oct 2019
Influence of left ventricular ejection fraction on morbidity and mortality after aortic root replacement.
To better understand morbidity and mortality in patients with a low left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) undergoing aortic root replacement. ⋯ Reduced LVEF negatively impacts mortality as well as in-hospital death and perioperative morbidity after aortic root replacement. Careful patient selection and risk discussion are vital in this high-risk population.