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Journal and News Scan
July 28, 2015
Submitted by: Jill Ley
This article offers a much needed comprehensive overview of temporary pacing strategies specific to cardiac surgical patients. In addition to discussing standard pacing content such as device settings and connections, it offers strategies and rationale for epicardial pacing unique to this population, as well as clear depictions of unipolar versus bipolar lead systems and an introduction to biventricular temporary pacing. Content regarding use of atrial pacing wires for performing atrial ECG's and rapid atrial pacing of arrhythmias are well described. This paper is an excellent resource for both basic and advanced cardiac surgical providers that will be widely reviewed.
July 27, 2015
Submitted by: Stuart Head
Clinical trials evaluating transcatheter mitral valve interventions for severe mitral regurgitation (MR) are complex. The Mitral Valve Academic Research Consortium has provided a 2-part document with recommendations related to diagnosis of MR, patient selection for trials, trial designs and endpoint definitions that are instrumental for the evaluation of all treatments related to severe MR.
July 23, 2015
Submitted by: Mark Ferguson
This multicenter retrospective study evaluated the efficacy of salvage esophagectomy after definitive chemoradiotherapy compared to planned esophagectomy after induction chemoradiotherapy. Operative mortality was similarly high in both groups (8.4% vs 9.3%). Anastomotic leak was higher after salvage esophagectomy (17.2% vs 10.7%). 3-year survival was similar between the groups. Salvage esophagectomy for persistent disease resulted in lower survival than when performed for recurrent disease.
July 23, 2015
Submitted by: Joel Dunning
Authors describe a technique allowing excellent exposure of the mitral valve while more safely performing cut-and-sew Cox-Maze III.
July 23, 2015
Submitted by: Joel Dunning
The paper presents the guidelines for authors on statistical and data reporting for the European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EJCTS) and the Interactive CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery (ICVTS). It focusses on issues which are most frequently commented on by the statistical reviewers.
July 23, 2015
Submitted by: Joel Dunning
Transoesophageal stimulation for motor-evoked potentials monitoring was evaluated in dogs. The method was feasible with technical ease and small interindividual variability and therefore warrants further studies. The project won the 2014 EACTS Hans G. Borst Award.
July 23, 2015
Submitted by: Joel Dunning
Among 4680 TEVAR procedures of the European Registry of Endovascular Aortic Repair Complications, 26 patients suffered from either central airway (aorto-bronchial) or pulmonary parenchymal (aorto-pulmonary) fistulation. A radical surgical approach was superior to any other treatment strategy with regard to overall survival.
July 22, 2015
Submitted by: CTSNet Staff
Mayo Clinic surgeons describe and illustrate the techniques they utilize to relieve obstruction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in those circumstances where it is difficult to adequately expose the basal and midventricular septum through the aortic root. In selected patients, either at primary myectomy or at redo myectomy, septal excision can be approached through a left ventricular transapical incision. This important alternative should be considered in cases where successful relief of dynamic basal or midventricular obstruction cannot be accomplished through the aorta.
July 21, 2015
Submitted by: Arie Blitz
The authors analyzed an audited collaborative multicenter database in Australia of over 34,000 consecutive patients who underwent CABG from 2001 to 2012, and they compared outcomes in those undergoing total arterial revascularization (TAR) vs. those that did not. In their propensity-matched cohort, the operative mortality was 0.9% for TAR patients and 1.2% for non-TAR patients (p<.001). Ten-year survival was 85.4% for the TAR patients and 81.2% for the non-TAR patients (p<0.001). The authors conclude that TAR is associated with a low operative mortality and superior long-term survival and should be used more liberally than it is at present.
July 20, 2015
Submitted by: Tom C. Nguyen
This study explores the genetical contribution to lung cancer in non-smoking patients using a state-wide cancer registry for lung cancer (n=5544). This study provides insight into which non-smoking patients are at risk for lung cancer.