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Journal and News Scan

Source: News from around the web.
Author(s): Emily Robinson

Patient Care and General Interest

3D personalized simulations of patient hearts reportedly allow physicians to better locate and treat arrhythmias.

A six-year-old girl became the first patient to receive congenital open heart surgery in Mali.

Star LA Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen will need to undergo a second ablation procedure at the end of the baseball season to correct an irregular heartbeat.

A study published in CHEST suggests the prevalence of racial disparities in the United States regarding the surgical treatment of lung cancer, even in relation to participants in the National Lung Screening Trial.

Jonathan Chen has joined the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as its new Chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery.

 

Research, Trials, and Funding

A new meta-analysis indicates that TAVR patients who are discharged early do not fare worse than patients with longer hospital stays.

Data from the IMPULSE registry suggests that many patients in European countries with aortic stenosis who have no related symptoms are being sent for aortic valve replacement, despite the absence of guideline-recommended indications.

A study from the Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute in China suggests that patients with primary left lung cancer who undergo 4L lymph node dissection have more favorable outcomes than those who do not receive 4L dissection.

Source: Annals of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Author(s): Fabio Ramponi, Michael Seco, James B. Edelman, Andrew G. Sherrah, Paul G. Bannon, R. John L. Brereton, Michael K. Wilson, Michael P. Vallely

This illustrated, instructional article details a reproducible, total-arterial surgical revascularization technique which does not require cardiopulmonary bypass or any manipulation of the ascending aorta. This guide aims to improve outcomes for surgeons new to off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG) and goes some way to addressing concerns raised by critics of OPCABG.

Source: The New England Journal of Medicine
Author(s): Carl Shanholtz, Robert M. Reed, Roy G. Brower, Brijesh V. Patel, Nicholas A. Barrett, Alain Vuylsteke, Javier Muñoz, Elena A. Keough, Lourdes C. Visedo, Alain Combes, Arthur S. Slutsky, Daniel Brodie, C. Corey Hardin, Kathryn Hibbert
Source: Men's Journal
Author(s): Jordan Campbell

In this Men's Journal feature, Dr. William Novick describes his beginnings in international congenital heart surgery and how the personal credo: "Screw politics, screw religion; I'm here to help" has landed him inside the operating rooms of some of the world's most hostile regions.  His experiences in Iraq are guaranteed to make everyday stressors of surgery amidst suboptimal turnover time or administrative oversight seem trivial in comparison to surgery amidst mounting insurgency or ISIS.

Source: AORTA
Author(s): Adeline Boileau, Mark E. Lindsay, Jean-Baptiste Michel, Yvan Devaux

In this review article, the authors focus on epigenetic regulation of gene expression, including the role of histone methylation and acetylation, deoxyribonucleic acid methylation, and noncoding ribonucleic acids in the pathogenesis of thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) and ascending aortic dissection (AAD). They provide a translational perspective, presenting recent data that motivate the evaluation of the potential of epigenetics to diagnose TAA and prevent ascending aortic dissection AAD.

Source: Interactive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
Author(s): Tsagkari E, Kapetanakis EI, Goutis G, Tomos P

The Editorial Group is grateful to Dr Manos Kapetanakis for bringing to our attention their small case series on a ' lifestyle' late complication of pneumonectomy for malignancy. It will be challenging to guide the swimmer with curable central pulmonary cancer in making an informed decision on the strength of the sporadic Keeling Syndrome. The biomechanic discussion holds translational value.

Source: News from around the web.
Author(s): Emily Robinson

Patient Care and General Interest

The heart rate tracker in a man’s smartwatch reportedly warned him of a major heart attack, which may have saved his life.

A surgical team in Nepal performed a rare open heart surgery on a pregnant patient with type A aortic dissection.

 

Drugs and Devices

A new study suggests that the HDAC inhibitor, which is currently in clinical trials for the treatment of patients with other cancers, may also be useful in treating small-cell lung cancer.

Lung cancer patients have gained access to a potentially life-extending drug in Ireland, following its approval by Ireland’s Health Services.

 

Research, Trials, and Funding

A recent study published in the British Medical Journal suggests that diclofenac, a commonly used painkiller, is associated with an increased risk of serious cardiovascular problems.

Research from The Francis Crick Institute indicates that a model developed via artificial intelligence is superior at predicting risk of death in patients with heart disease than models designed by medical experts.

Source: Interactive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
Author(s): Darko Radakovic, Dragan Opacic, Jochen Börgermann, Wan Chin Hsieh, Manuel Krutzinna, Jan Gummert, Anas Aboud

Radakovic and colleagues evaluated the effectiveness of the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score in predicting long-term survival after pericardiectomy for constrictive pericarditis, using outcomes for 79 patients from their center. The MELD score, an established measure of liver function, was an independent predictor of 1-year mortality after pericardiectomy, and overall survival decreased as the MELD score increased. The authors conclude that assessment of liver dysfunction using the MELD score provides an additional tool to evaluate the risk of pericardiectomy for constrictive pericarditis.

Source: Star Tribune
Author(s): Christopher Snowbeck

Brigid Ann Scanlan Eiynck, of Scanlan International, has passed away. This article highlights her life and accomplishments. 

Watch CTSNet's interview with her and Timothy M. Scanlan here.

Source: Shanghai
Author(s): Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital

This Thursday night, September 6, 2018, the world's biggest thoracic surgery unit is broadcasting a free live conference in English. Anyone is free to log in to see what they are doing. They will be presenting and discussing 14 different clinical cases, including lobectomy, segmentectomy, and oesophagectomy. 

Click on the link to get a front seat at this conference for free! 

The conference is Thursday, September 6, 2018 from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am EST (Friday, September 7, 2018 from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm GMT + 8). 

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