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Journal and News Scan
February 9, 2023
Submitted by: Jessica Bogensberger
The rate of serious complications in transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has decreased markedly in recent years, going from 5.5 percent in 2012 to 2 percent in 2019. However, the total number of adverse events remains around 500, with about 100 requiring conversion to sternotomy, because of increased use of the procedure. The article reviews various complications and concludes that interdisciplinary TAVI heart team should be prepared and aware of possible rescue strategies.
February 3, 2023
Submitted by: Jessica Bogensberger
The rising incidence of infective endocarditis (IE) along with the de-escalation of antibiotic prophylaxis and the complexity of surgical treatment makes IE treatment a challenge. In this study, researchers reviewed all patients who underwent cardiac surgery for IE at one institution with a focus on causative organisms and infective foci. They concluded that current risk-benefit evaluations need to be revisited.
February 3, 2023
Submitted by: Cameron Lind
Since reexploration after cardiac surgery, most often for bleeding, is used as a metric to assess surgical performance, surgeons may delay returning to the operating room in favor of attempting nonoperative management. This single-institution retrospective review aimed to investigate the impact of the timing of reexploration on morbidity and mortality. The study concluded that implications from using reexploration as a performance metric may lead to unnecessary delay and patient harm.
February 3, 2023
Submitted by: Cameron Lind
Since time to surgery for lung cancer is not well established, researchers aimed to assess whether time to surgery from diagnosis correlates with outcomes like unplanned return to care, mortality, and disease recurrence. The study found that patients with time to surgery within four weeks experienced lower rates of recurrence, which may be shorter than previously reported.
February 3, 2023
Submitted by: Cameron Lind
A new study comparing Society of Thoracic Surgeons data with that in the ISCHEMIA trial once again has surgeons calling for a reevluation of the most recent revascularization guidelines. CTSNet treasurer Joseph Sabik, who presented the findings from the STS database, does not believe that using the ISCHEMIA data to downgrade the recommendation for surgery was warranted. The debate continues as new data is continuously released.
January 27, 2023
Submitted by: Cameron Lind
A model of mortality risk for adults with congenital heart disease undergoing cardiac surgery was presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. The model was developed to gain insight on one of the fastest growing groups in need of cardiac surgery, as the risks of surgery on adults with congenital heart disease were not previously as well understood. The model had excellent performance in the trial group and will continue to be used for its predictive ability.
You can view the original study here.
January 27, 2023
Submitted by: Cameron Lind
According to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the pandemic negatively influenced outcomes of cardiac surgery for people of all socioeconomic statuses. While this goes against previous data, the researchers explained that since the pandemic began, people who were able to undergo heart surgery tended to be less socioeconomically distressed than before, suggesting that more vulnerable patients had trouble gaining access to cardiac surgical care.
January 27, 2023
Submitted by: Cameron Lind
Since guidelines for treating ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) have changed over time, this study aimed to assess the real-world impact of that change. Researchers found that, although the rate of valve replacement for severe IMR did not change, patients with moderate IMR were less likely to undergo replacement.
January 27, 2023
Submitted by: Cameron Lind
A novel self-expanding TAVR valve has been successfully implanted in ten patients, as reported by a research team in China. The new device is made of a self-expanding nitinol stent with three valve leaflets of bovine pericardial, reduces the risk of coronary obstruction, and is completely retrievable and repositionable. Based on this successful trial, the device has a promising future.
Read the original study here.
January 20, 2023
Submitted by: Cameron Lind
Since comprehensive data on thrombus formation is limited, this study looked at the associated factors and long-term survival rates. The research extended current knowledge by identifying the most prevalent rick factors for thrombus formation and emphasizing the role of state-of-the-art device and medical therapy to improve outcomes.