The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Sep 2012
Comparative StudyNationwide trends and regional/hospital variations in open versus endovascular repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms.
Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has been gaining popularity for the treatment of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA). We used a nonvoluntary database to examine national trends and regional/hospital variations in the use of TEVAR and open thoracic aortic repair (OTAR) for TAAA. ⋯ The use of TEVAR for TAAA repair increased significantly over the study period, whereas OTAR rates remained relatively stable. Our findings suggest that more patients who were otherwise not surgical candidates or did not have traditional surgical indications for OTAR were treated with TEVAR, most commonly in regions or hospitals where OTAR is less often performed. Given the complexity of TAAA cases, these results may have significant implications for patient safety in the current era of heightened health care scrutiny.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Sep 2012
A method of transcutaneously adjustable pulmonary artery banding for staged left ventricular retraining.
The placement of a pulmonary artery band to retrain the left ventricle often requires reoperation for band adjustment. We describe an effective technique for the placement of a transcutaneously adjustable pulmonary artery band that allows adjustments to be made without the need for repeat sternotomy. ⋯ This technique affords the operating surgeon the freedom to apply the band very gradually, erring on the side of safety, and facilitates a gradual increase in ventricular afterload that can be performed as a minor procedure.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Sep 2012
Practice Guideline2012 ACCF/AATS/SCAI/STS expert consensus document on transcatheter aortic valve replacement: developed in collabration with the American Heart Association, American Society of Echocardiography, European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Heart Failure Society of America, Mended Hearts, Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists, Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, and Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance.