ALERT!
This site is not optimized for Internet Explorer 8 (or older).
Please upgrade to a newer version of Internet Explorer or use an alternate browser such as Chrome or Firefox.
Journal and News Scan
July 12, 2021
Submitted by: Jessica Luc
In this article, Dr. Sandhu et al. review their 22-year experience in managing patients with thoracic aortic graft infection. They demonstrate that this infection is highly morbid and requires prompt antimicrobial coverage, debridement, graft replacement, and vascularized graft coverage to prevent morbidity and mortality.
July 12, 2021
Submitted by: Jessica Luc
In this article, Dr. Farber et al. describe the acceptable five year outcomes of using the Conformable GORE® TAG® thoracic endoprosthesis (CTAG) device (W.L. Gore and Associates, Flagstaff, AZ) for thoracic endovascular repair (TEVAR) of blunt aortic injuries in a prospective, single-arm study among 111 patients.
July 12, 2021
Submitted by: Jessica Luc
In this article, Dr. Skelhorne-Gross et al. discuss the utility of a standardized minimal opioid pain prescription post minimally invasive thoracic surgery to limit postoperative opioid prescriptions. They provided patients with a standardized prescription of Hydromorphine (2mg x 15 tabs), Acetaminophen (1g tid x 7 days), and Ibuprofen (400mg po tid x 3 days), and demonstrate that the pain was successfully controlled in the majority of patients.
July 12, 2021
Submitted by: Jessica Luc
In this article, Jacobs et al. provide a multi-institutional outcomes review of 200 consecutive patients with confirmed COVID-19 supported with ECMO. The mean time on ECMO was 15 days with survival on VV-ECMO of 46.3% and survival on VA-ECMO of 25%. Predictors of survival included a lower median age and shorter median time from COVID-19 diagnosis to ECMO initiation.
July 9, 2021
Submitted by: Thomas Theologou
This registry, involving multiple centers, aims to provide conclusive results reflecting the importance of critical preoperative conditions and different treatment strategies to reduce the risk of early adverse events after surgery for acute TAAD.
July 3, 2021
Submitted by: Wei-Guo Ma
Based on data of patients with acute aortic dissection in a hospital of Nobeoka City from 2016-2018, Yamaguchi and associates found the incidence of acute aortic dissection was 17.6 per 100,000 (11.3 for type A, 6.2 for type B). This incidence is 4 times higher than reported in the Olmsted County study (3.5 per 100,000).
July 2, 2021
Submitted by: Christopher Anderson
This article outlines a statewide collaborative-based approach to improving utilization of arterial conduits in the United States.
July 1, 2021
Submitted by: Wei-Guo Ma
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists (SCA), the American Society of ExtraCorporeal Technology (AmSECT), and the Society for the Advancement of Blood Management (SABM) published an update to the "2011 Update to The Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists Blood Conservation Clinical Practice Guidelines."
June 25, 2021
Submitted by: Mark Ferguson
Data from the Esodata project used more than 8,000 patients undergoing esophagectomy for cancer to develop a risk prediction score for 90-day mortality. Development and validation groups were used. There were 10 variables that emerged as significant predictors, and weighted values were developed into the model. The model identified 5 risk levels for 90-day mortality, which may help in patient selection and in informed discussions.
June 25, 2021
Submitted by: Catherine Joyce
This retrospective, single-center analysis reviewed 142 consecutive patients with cardiac arrest treated with veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-A ECMO) and targeted temperature management (TTM) to determine the impact of enteral feeding on clinical outcomes and survival. The authors propose that feeding may lead to redistribution of blood flow from the brain to the gut, thus decreasing brain perfusion at a vulnerable time. In contrast to other studies which demonstrate benefits with early feeding in critically ill patients, this study included a population that was presumably well nourished and ambulatory prior to admission. Additionally, TTM was used for all patients and may have contributed to reduced gut motility. Despite limitations that include a non-randomized, single-center design, this study provides important cautions about early enteral feeding in this “ultra-sick” population that warrant further study.