Journal and News Scan

This article describes the outcomes of adding active chest tube clearance (ATC) to enhanced recovery after cardiac surgery (ERAS) program, comparing 684 patients who underwent ATC compared to 650 patients who did not. The authors noted a 41 percent reduction in retained blood (ATC group: 8.2 percent vs non-ATC group: 4.8 percent, p<0.05), a decrease in postoperative atrial fibrillation (ATC group: 28 percent vs non-ATC group: 33 percent, p<0.05), and a statistically significant reduction in median ICU hours. This improvement was attributed to the known high incidence of clogging in chest tubes, which was improved with active chest tube clearance. The authors also correlated their outcomes with favorable improvements in resource utilization and cost savings. 

This study evaluated social media and online platform use among 223 randomly selected, actively practicing cardiothoracic surgeons from the American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Nearly all surgeons (99.6 percent) had a professional online presence, primarily through practice websites (99.6 percent), CTSNet (98.2 percent), LinkedIn (78.9 percent), and ResearchGate (57.4 percent). However, active engagement with general social media platforms was relatively low (42.6 percent), with X/Twitter being the most used (32.7 percent). No significant differences were observed in platform use across subspecialties, practice types, or training pathways. Notably, female surgeons and those practicing in the Southwest United States were more likely to use Facebook and Instagram. Early-career surgeons had higher overall online presence scores and were more active on X/Twitter, while mid-career surgeons favored LinkedIn. These findings highlight that while professional networking is nearly universal, broader social media engagement among cardiothoracic surgeons remains limited, offering opportunities for increased digital outreach and patient engagement. 

This cross-sectional study examined gender representation in general thoracic surgery across 30 training programs in the United States and Europe (2023–2024). Women comprised 17.7 percent of faculty in US programs and 29.5 percent in European centers. Female representation in leadership was limited, with women serving as thoracic surgery program directors in 26.7 percent of US and 13 percent of European programs. While women were well represented among trainee society members (US: 39.2 percent, Europe: 46.1 percent), their proportion dropped significantly among active and senior members (US: 12.9 percent, Europe: 19.2 percent). The findings reveal persistent global disparities in women’s advancement to faculty and leadership roles, despite progress at the trainee levels. Barriers such as mentorship gaps and systemic biases hinder career progression. The authors call for targeted, collaborative strategies to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

This study evaluated the long-term effects of blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) on 839 patients post-surgical repair of acute type A aortic dissection. Key findings showed that a systolic BP over 150 mm HG at discharge correlated with increased mortality. An HR of 81 to 100 beats per minute was linked to higher overall mortality, while an HR over 100 beats per minute raised both mortality and aortic surgery event risk. This study illustrates the fact that effective management of BP and HR is crucial for better long-term outcomes.