The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2024
Uptake and One-Year Outcomes of Lung Transplant for COVID-19.
End-stage lung disease from severe COVID-19 infection is an increasingly common indication for lung transplantation (LT), but there are limited data on outcomes. We evaluated 1-year COVID-19 LT outcomes. ⋯ COVID-19 LT is associated with higher risk of immediate postoperative complications but similar risk of 1-year mortality despite more severe pre-LT illness. These encouraging results support the ongoing use of LT for COVID-19-related lung disease.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2024
Pulmonary Thromboendarterectomy in Hospitalized versus Elective Patients with Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension.
We sought to characterize outcomes in patients undergoing pulmonary thromboendarterectomy electively versus after acute presentation. ⋯ Our series shows that pulmonary thromboendarterectomy can be safely performed in patients presenting acutely, with comparable postoperative complications and in-hospital mortality to an elective setting. Such patients present with worse right ventricular function, sometimes requiring temporary mechanical support.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2024
Routine Chest Radiography After Thoracostomy Tube Removal and During Postoperative Follow-Up is Not Necessary After Lung Resection.
The need for routine chest radiography following chest tube removal after elective pulmonary resection may be unnecessary in most patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the safety of eliminating routine chest radiography in these patients. ⋯ Reserving imaging for patients with symptoms after chest tube removal and follow-up after elective lung resections resulted in a higher percentage of meaningful changes in clinical management.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2024
Less is better? Comparing effects of median sternotomy and thoracotomy surgical approaches for left ventricular assist device implantation on postoperative outcomes and valvulopathy.
Our objective was to compare outcomes after left ventricular assist device implantation performed via median sternotomy or lateral thoracotomy. ⋯ Our data suggest that lateral thoracotomy is a safe although not necessarily superior alternative to median sternotomy for HeartMate 3 implantation in the perioperative and postoperative periods, because it precludes concomitant tricuspid valve repairs and may be associated with increased risk of late tricuspid regurgitation and volume overload readmissions.