The heart surgery forum
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The heart surgery forum · Jan 2005
Case ReportsImpending paradoxical embolism across a patent foramen ovale: case report.
We describe a case of impending paradoxical embolism in a 43-year-old male patient with pulmonary embolism. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed a thromboembolus straddling a patent foramen ovale. ⋯ A postoperative work-up for a hypercoagulable state revealed a protein-S deficiency and bilateral lower extremity deep vein thromboses. A Greenfield inferior vena cava filter was inserted, anticoagulation was performed, and warfarin treatment was continued after the patient was discharged home.
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The heart surgery forum · Jan 2005
Clinical TrialIncisional administration of local anesthetic provides satisfactory analgesia following port access heart surgery.
To evaluate the new method of postoperative pain relief following port access (PA) heart surgery. ⋯ The incisional administration of local anesthetic provides satisfactory pain control after PA heart surgery.
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The heart surgery forum · Jan 2005
ReviewMarkers for perioperative myocardial ischemia: what both interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons need to know.
All novel markers of myocardial ischemia (ischemia-modified albumin, choline, unbound free fatty acids) lack cardiac specificity. Therefore, for the specific detection of myocardial ischemia selective blood sampling from an inserted coronary sinus catheter is needed, which limits the applicability of these markers in most clinical routine settings. In addition, the superiority of these novel markers over the calculation of myocardial lactate production, the current criterion standard for the laboratory diagnosis of myocardial ischemia, has not been demonstrated so far, and even comparative data is frequently lacking. ⋯ Troponin release is lower in off-pump compared to on-pump bypass surgery. Despite the controversy over the significance of troponin elevations after clinically uncomplicated and successful procedures, it is tempting to postulate that less myocardial damage as detected by troponin release is beneficial for the patient. After elective percutaneous coronary interventions, only troponin increases >8-fold the upper reference limit were associated with increased mortality in long-term follow-up.
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The heart surgery forum · Jan 2005
The incidence of emboli during cardiac surgery: a histopathologic analysis of 2297 patients.
Manipulation of the atherosclerotic aorta during cardiac surgery is assumed to cause embolization, which can contribute to adverse outcomes. Recently, as a result of worldwide trials deploying the Embol-X intraaortic filter during cardiac surgery, such emboli were captured and processed for histopathologic analysis. ⋯ These data show the ubiquitous incidence of emboli during cardiac procedures. Intraaortic filtration should reduce adverse outcomes as was demonstrated for the high-risk patients in this study. Aortic manipulation during cardiac surgery can cause embolization and increase morbidity. The use of an intraaortic filter can decrease the embolic burden. We now report the histopathologic analysis of these emboli.
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The heart surgery forum · Jan 2005
Comparative StudySternal wound complications in bilateral internal thoracic artery grafting: a comparison of the off-pump technique and conventional cardiopulmonary bypass.
Sternal wound complication is a major concern in bilateral internal thoracic artery grafting. The purpose of this study was to assess whether avoiding cardiopulmonary bypass has beneficial effects with fewer wound complications in patients receiving bilateral internal thoracic artery grafting. ⋯ The results suggest that the avoidance of CPB has no beneficial effect on the number of sternal wound complications in patients receiving bilateral internal thoracic artery grafting. However, further prospective, randomized studies on large patient groups are required to assess this finding.