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Coronary Disease

July 16, 2015
The authors conducted a randomized prospective study comparing 3 methods of SVG harvesting in 156 patients.  The 3 methods compared were as follows:  Conventional (C)--stripped and distended veins; Intermediate (IM)--stripped but not distended veins; and, No Touch (NT)--neither stripped nor distended but harvested on a pedicle.
July 6, 2015
This is a provocative study questioning the current practice of using blood pressure targets perioperatively to ensure adequate perfusion.  Plasma levels of a brain-specific injury biomarker (GFAP) were measured in 121 patients undergoing cardiac surgery.
July 1, 2015
The authors retrospectively analyzed the STS datablase for utilization of bilateral mammary artery (BIMA) grafts in patients considered at low risk for BIMA use.  This group of patients were compared to a propensity matched group of single mammary artery graft (SIMA) patients.
June 16, 2015
The good news continues regarding chocolate consumption!   A study involving nearly 21,000 individuals with a median follow-up of nearly 12 years correlated cardiovascular disease with quintiles of chocolate consumption.  The lowest quintile was associated with a 50% higher risk of coronary heart disease and a similar increase in stroke incidence.
June 14, 2015
This Swedish study was a retrospective review over a 20-year time period that compared survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest between those receiving bystander CPR prior to EMS arrival and those not receiving such.  CPR before the arrival of EMS was associated with an increased 30-d survival rate (odds ratio 2.15; 95% CI 1.88-2.45).
April 30, 2015
Patients with LV dysfunction who underwent complete surgical revascularization were evaluated with angiograms, echo, and MR (evaluating late vascular enhancement with contrast).  About 70% of dysfunctional segments segments demonstrated improved wall motion after revascularization, and this was unrelated to the degree of late vascular enhancement evi
April 7, 2015
The authors prospectively performed coronary angiograms in their patients undergoing isolated CABG who demonstrated a rising cardiac troponin I profile in the first 12 hours following heart surgery - despite being asymptomatic.  Among a total of 1693 patients from 2005-2011, 29 (1.7%) of patients had a rising CTnI.
April 2, 2015
Repair of this congenital defect in 34 pts was associated with no early mortality and substantial improvement in LV function (EF, shortening fraction, LVEDD).  No postoperative circulatory support was required. 
March 16, 2015
In this manuscript the authors present a post-hoc study of the SYNTAX trial. They compare outcomes between those patients on optimal medical therapy (OMT) and non-optimal medical therapy following revascularization for complex coronary artery disease (CAD).
March 14, 2015
This is a very provocative British study that examined whether a more liberal (Hgb < 9 g/dL) versus a more restrictive (Hgb < 7.5 g/dL) transfusion threshold after cardiac surgery is associated with higher morbidity and costs.

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