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Journal and News Scan
November 12, 2020
Submitted by: Emily Robinson
This article examines the use of lungs from older donors and associated survival of recipients.
November 12, 2020
Submitted by: Aristotle Protopapas
The initial experience from Ann Arbor throughout a quarter of a century in malperfusion syndrome from type B (De Bakey III) aortic dissection is presented in this paper, juxtaposing early fenestrating and adjunct endovascular techniques to conservative treatments.
Half of the relatively young patients were not alive after ten years, although radiological success was claimed in more than nine out of ten cases.
The growing interest in early intervention for type B, and the advances in endovascular and hybrid solutions for aortic disease will rend this retrospective manuscript an interesting read.
November 9, 2020
Submitted by: Wei-Guo Ma
In a press release early this morning, Pfizer and BioNTech accounced the results of their vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2 in the first interim efficacy analysis of its Phase 3 clinical study.
This vaccine candiate, BNT162b2, was found to be more than 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 in 94 participants without evidence of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection.
November 6, 2020
Submitted by: Emily Robinson
This original article by Linardi et al. analysis the outcome of slow versus fast rewarming after hypothermic circulatory arrest in a rat model. They observed reduced inflammatory and oxidative stress and also a higher cerebral blood flow within the slow rewarming group compared to the fast rewarming group. Therefore they suspect slow rewarming might be superior regarding neurologic outcome after hypothermic circulatory arrest.
October 31, 2020
Submitted by: Joel Dunning
This hard hitting article summarises the current situation with the Excel trial and the situation regarding the evidence of PCI vs CABG in left main stem disease.
It exposes a legion of errors and scandals which were first exposed by Professor David Taggart then the BBC then EACTS.
It lists the 30% of the writing taskforces declaration of interest with stent manufacturers
It finally reports the possible resolution by a change in the guidelines which is now being planned.
October 30, 2020
Submitted by: Wei-Guo Ma
This joint consensus document aims to facilitate triage and management of patients with aortic dissection, rupture, and malperfusion syndromes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The following issues have been addressed in the care of COVID-19–positive or status unknown patients with aortic emergencies:
1. Management and triage
2. Management of interfacility transfers
3. Preoperative considerations to minimize risk to health care personnel
4. Important anesthetic considerations
5. Precautions to be taken by surgical personnel during the procedure
6. Postoperative considerations
October 26, 2020
Submitted by: Aristotle Protopapas
Within the limitations of a meta-analysis, a useful work advancing that PCI may have a hitherto masked or hidden mortality
October 23, 2020
Submitted by: Emily Robinson
Depypere et al. report on a survey among members of the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) regarding the impact of coronarvirus disease 2019 on thoracic oncology surgery. They recorded an almost universal impact on surgical practice regardless of the country and the numbers of COVID-19 infected patients. Furthermore, there was no consensus regarding surgical priorities in lung cancer patients, which represents the need of further guideline work within this area.
October 23, 2020
Submitted by: Emily Robinson
Kawamura et al. present a retrospective multicenter study of 84 patients who underwent concomitant CABG to aortic surgery and anastomosis of the 109 CABG graft anastomosed either to the native aorta or to the vascular prosthesis. The patency evaluated by CT angiography or coronary angiography was significantly worse for those grafts anastomosed to the vascular graft compared to the native aorta.
October 19, 2020
Submitted by: Jessica Luc
In this article, Drs Ceppa et al provide an ad hoc analysis of women in cardiothoracic surgery from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons 2019 workforce report.