In Global News: Improving the Cardiac ICU, Individual Outcomes Reporting, 3D Technology, and Gene Therapy

Patient Care
Public outcomes reporting on individual cardiac surgeons in California, USA, sparks debate on what such statistics mean and how they might influence the willingness of a surgeon to help the sickest patients.
Can around-the-clock care from an experienced intensivist reduce complication risk in the cardiac ICU?
Visualizing the surgery with 3D technology helps surgeons separate conjoined sisters who shared a heart.
An ophthalmology surgeon talks about responding to intraoperative complications on the JAMA Network Blog.
A US woman with Marfan syndrome suffered an aortic dissection late in her pregnancy, and four medical teams worked together to deliver a healthy mom and baby.
An external minister of affairs in India helps a Pakistani infant receive heart surgery at Jaypee Hospital in Noida, India.
 
Drugs and Devices
Philips Electronics is expanding its profile in cardiac ultrasound by acquiring TomTec Imaging Systems, which is headquartered in Germany.
The availability of ClearFlow’s “shorter effective drainage length” PleuraFlow for pediatric patients will expand to all cardiac surgery centers, after a limited release in Germany, Switzerland, the UK, and the US was successful.
 
Research Trials and Funding
Researchers at Mount Sinai in New York have been studying gene therapy for pulmonary hypertension, and Mount Sinai is partnering with Theragene Pharmaceuticals to work toward clinical trials.