The heart surgery forum
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The heart surgery forum · Feb 2012
Hybrid coronary revascularization for the treatment of left main coronary artery disease in high-risk patients.
Hybrid coronary revascularization is an alternative for treatment for high-risk patients with coronary artery disease. We evaluated the efficacy of staged hybrid coronary revascularization for the treatment of unprotected left main coronary artery disease in high-risk patients. ⋯ Our preliminary results indicate that a "staged hybrid" approach to the treatment of left main coronary artery disease in high-risk patients is safe and effective. Hybrid coronary revascularization enables complete revascularization and may be an alternative method of treating left main coronary artery disease in selected high-risk patients.
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The heart surgery forum · Feb 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialEfficiency of antibacterial suture material in cardiac surgery: a double-blind randomized prospective study.
Postoperative surgical site infections (SSI) still greatly affect mortality and morbidity in cardiovascular surgery. SSI may be related to the suture material. In this prospective, randomized, controlled, and double-blinded study, the effect of antibacterial suture material on SSI in cardiac surgical patients was investigated. ⋯ Both noncoated and triclosan-coated suture materials are safe. Larger studies may be needed to show the benefit and cost-effectiveness, if any, of triclosan-coated materials over noncoated materials.
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Total axilloaxillary cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is an alternative peripheral cannulation technique that has the advantages of antegrade flow during CPB, monohemispherical brain perfusion in case of circulatory arrest, and achieving excellent decompression of the heart during sternotomy. The results of this strategy, particularly beyond the immediately postoperative period, are not well known. ⋯ Axilloaxillary CPB is an alternative technique that can be used under certain conditions. Adding axillary venous cannulation to axillary artery cannulation at least does not increase the risk of a procedure that uses the axillary artery alone, either in the early or mid term.