Reporting of postmarket outcomes for the Sapien 3 and Mitraclip devices frequently misclassified patient deaths as device malfunction or other outcomes. Misclassification for Sapien 3 involved 17.5% of patient deaths, and involved 24.7% of patient deaths for Mitraclip.
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Professional Affairs
October 10, 2019
September 19, 2019
Using coworker reports of unprofessional behavior as a metric, surgeons' complication rates were assessed. Compared to surgeons with no reports, the complication rate for surgeons with 1-3 reports was increased 14.3%, and that for surgeons with 4 or more reports was increased 11.9%.
September 13, 2019
This video highlights the treatment of patients with rheumatic heart disease in Rwanda, where the disease is prevalent, but there are no cardiac surgeons in the country.
September 12, 2019
Filmed at the 2019 AATS Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada, Mara Antonoff of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, USA, moderates a discussion on dedicated research time for residents interested in cardiothoracic surgery.
September 7, 2019
Posting of a still-relevant TED video regarding the high number of suicides among physicians, a world-wide problem that relates in part to training and working conditions.
August 31, 2019
This review details the risks of surgical smoke exposure, which include lung injury and cancer. The level of risk has yet to be determined. Most operating rooms do not require smoke evacuation devices, but their use should be considered.
August 23, 2019
Excellent and brief summary of the debate on functional mitral regurgitation on mechanical support.
August 19, 2019
In a QI study of nearly 5,400 operations, 188 adverse events were recorded. Of these, over 56% were associated with human error. Of all human performance deficiencies, cognitive error accounted for over half.
August 19, 2019
Ever wonder why your patients get respiratory infections postoperatively? Here's another risk factor. Almost 95% of hospital caregivers completed at least one shift while ill with an acute upper respiratory infection during flu season, despite hospital policies against such behavior. This was more common among physicians than among nurses.
August 17, 2019
JTCVS just published a call for proposals of joining the Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance (CSIA) as pilot sites. CSIA is jointly overseen by the AATS, EACTS, STS, the Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, and the World Heart Federation.