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Journal and News Scan
June 30, 2022
Submitted by: John Janesheski
Analysis of the Arterial Revascularization Trial indicated that multiple arterial grafting was linked to lower mortality in the ten years after CABG in diabetic patients when compared with the single arterial grafting approach. This assertion was in contrast to the same trial's main intention-to-treat results, which had previously shown that there was no discernible benefit between use of single arterial grafts over bilateral internal-thoracic artery grafts. Yet the original trial's high rate of crossover and range of expertise levels appeared to omit the presence of better outcomes where multiple grafts were used, especially in cases with highly experienced surgeons.
June 30, 2022
Submitted by: Mary Hammon
In January 2022, University of Maryland School of Medicine surgeon-scientists made history by successfully implanting a genetically modified pig heart into a fifty-seven-year-old patient in end-stage heart failure who did not qualify for a traditional heart transplant. It was considered an early success because the transplanted pig heart functioned well for several weeks without signs of rejection, but the patient ultimately died two months after the surgery. An autopsy determined the cause of death to be heart failure likely caused by variety of factors, including the use of intravenous immunoglobulin.
June 23, 2022
Submitted by: Emily Farkas
A Columbia University cardiologist calls out a lack of diversity in respected medical journal editorial boards. His analysis demonstrates that as of October 2020, of fifty-one editorial board members at the New England Journal of Medicine, just one was Black and one was Hispanic, four were East Asian, and two were South Asian. Of the forty-nine editorial board members at JAMA, two were Black, two were Hispanic, three were East Asian, and one was South Asian. No board member at either publication was Native American.
June 23, 2022
Submitted by: Emily Farkas
As a child, this CT surgeon in-training wore the toy stethoscope her father gave her and followed his instruction to practice stitches on a banana. He noticed her attention to details, and picked up on her potential. Fast forward to a recent memorable moment at Washington University in St. Louis when they performed their first heart surgery together.
June 23, 2022
Submitted by: Aristotle Protopapas
This scientific statement is a granular contribution to a major cardiovascular issue, illuminating nuances of the "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) FDA designation. One would expect the relevant Thoracic Associations in North America and Europe to contribute to this debate.
June 16, 2022
Submitted by: Mary Hammon
A new study recently published in JTCVS found that virtual-assisted lung mapping 2.0—a novel preoperative bronchoscopic lung mapping technique—can facilitate successful resections for deep pulmonary nodules, overcoming the limitations of conventional virtual-assisted lung mapping. The technique combines the multiple dye marks of conventional virtual-assisted lung mapping with intrabronchial microcoils to navigate thoracoscopic deep lung resection.
June 16, 2022
Submitted by: Mary Hammon
New findings published in the American Journal of Cardiology posit that transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) are associated with similar short-term outcomes among pediatric patients presenting with congenital heart disease (CHD). However, SAVR patients in the study had “significantly” longer ICU stays and hospitalization times and were more likely to require medications to control their blood pressure following the procedure.
June 16, 2022
Submitted by: Mary Hammon
In May, Dr. Teresa Kieser, cardiac surgeon at the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, filed a complaint with the Alberta Human Rights Commission against her employer, Alberta Health Services. She claims she has faced gender-based discrimination during her thirty-four years in her position. At least one alleged instance led to the suspension of her surgery privileges. Dr. Kieser is not the first female surgeon in the specialty to experience gender inequality in their training or practice setting. This article discusses Dr. Kieser’s complaint and the broader context of sexism in surgery.
June 10, 2022
Submitted by: Mary Hammon
This study investigates the prevalence and risk factors of patient-reported postdischarge atrial fibrillation (AF) after septal myectomy for obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. It found a correlation between incidence of patient-reported postdischarge AF and increased length of follow-up after septal myectomy, identified risk factors associated with chronicity of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, and found that earlier intervention may mitigate late atrial arrhythmias.
June 10, 2022
Submitted by: Mary Hammon
A study, published on June 9 in the Journal of Cardiac Failure, shows heart failure patients who are unvaccinated against COVID-19 are three times more likely to die if infected with the virus compared to fully vaccinated and boosted heart failure patients. The study's corresponding author Anurhada Lala, MD, Director of Heart Failure Research and an Associate Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, said in a press release that these findings can be useful to help educate reluctant patients and encourage them to follow through with full vaccination, including boosters, with the goal of improving their chances of survival.