The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
-
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2020
Longitudinal functional health status in young adults with repaired dextro-transposition of the great arteries: A Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society study.
Improved survival has led to interest in functional health status (FHS) as patients with dextro-transposition of the great arteries (d-TGA) transition to adulthood. Our primary objectives were (1) evaluation of The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) results; (2) comparison with results of patients who completed the Child Health Questionnaire-Child Form 87 (CHQ-CF87) previously, or the PedsQL Generic Core Scales (PedsQL) survey subsequently; and (3) determination of factors associated with SF-36 domains. ⋯ Patients with d-TGA surviving into adulthood, regardless of morphology or repair type, can primarily expect normal FHS. Addressing the challenges of patients with d-TGA entering adulthood requires consideration of psychosocial factors and clinical management.
-
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2020
Evaluation of a hybrid small caliber vascular graft in a rabbit model.
A hybrid small-caliber artificial vascular graft based on bilayer porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) with curdlan and dipyridamole mixture film serving as the so-called sandwich filler was developed for biological performance evaluation. We evaluated the performance of the graft and filler. ⋯ The novel hybrid small caliber artificial vascular graft exhibited an improvement in revascularization resulting in high patency rate.
-
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2020
Cardiac surgery residents training in Germany-Status quo and future prospects.
Residency training for specialization in cardiac surgery in Germany recently underwent a series of changes. A new 6-year integrated curriculum has been created that is based on acquisition of specific expertise rather than a rigid time frame. ⋯ There is no recertification during the course of the physicians' professional career. The educational curricula for specialized training are issued by the National Medical Chamber in cooperation with the respective surgical societies and passed by the German Medical Assembly.