Surgical Management Strategies for Pericardial Effusion-A Systematic Review.

: Pericardial effusion is the accumulation of excess fluid in the pericardial sac. The etiology is multi-factorial and different techniques are used for management, including subxiphoid approaches, anterior and lateral thoracotomies, video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), and percutaneous pericardiocentesis. We evaluate the surgical management strategies for pericardial effusion and their outcomes in this systematic review.

Acute Ischemic Stroke Risk Following Cardiac Interventions in the United States From 2016 to 2021.

Background And Objectives: Ischemic stroke following cardiac intervention is a serious complication. However, there are limited data comparing stroke risk and severity among patients undergoing different types of cardiac interventions. We examined the incidence of ischemic stroke among patients undergoing cardiac interventions and identified variables associated with risk and severity of ischemic stroke.

Midterm outcomes of thoracic endovascular aortic repair versus optimal medical therapy for uncomplicated acute type B dissection.

Objective: We sought to compare the early and midterm outcomes of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) versus optimal medical therapy (OMT) for uncomplicated acute type B aortic dissection.

Methods: Data were analyzed for 200 consecutive patients with uncomplicated acute type B aortic dissection from February 1992 to July 2022, including 147 with initial OMT and 53 undergoing TEVAR at index hospitalization. Baseline, intraoperative, and postoperative data, survival, and (re)intervention were compared between the two strategies.

Neuroprotective Strategies in Coronary Artery Disease Interventions.

Neuroprotective strategies in coronary artery interventions are essential due to the rising number of high-risk patients undergoing procedures like coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass (TECAB), and hybrid revascularization. In this review article, we summarize the neurological complications associated with coronary artery disease intervention and the risk mitigation strategies. CABG carries significant risks, including ischemic stroke, encephalopathy, seizures, and peripheral nerve injuries.

Global cardiothoracic surgery: outcomes from a survey on current worldwide training programmes.

Objectives: There are significant disparities in global access to cardiothoracic surgery. Training a diverse cohort of global cardiothoracic surgeons is a critical step. However, little is known about training pathways globally, and there is a lack of standardization in training.

Current Practices for Cohort Reporting and Statistical Adjustment in Studies From The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database.

Background: Current reporting and statistical adjustment practices of studies based on The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (STS ACSD) have not been described.

Methods: A review identified all published studies based on STS ACSD data from January 2016 to May 2024. Data were extracted by 2 authors and independently checked by the senior author.

Mitral Valve Repair: Optimal Annual Case Volume for Surgery.

Background: Despite strong recommendations from multiple societies to pursue durable mitral valve repair (MVr), repair rates and outcomes remain inconsistent across the world. This is partly due to limited surgeon and center experience and lack of centralization of care for this technically challenging operation.

Objectives: The authors evaluate the association between annual case volume and contemporary long-term outcomes of patients undergoing isolated MVr.

Successful Investigational Phage Therapy for Pan-Resistant Bacterial Mediastinitis Following Type II Hybrid Aortic Arch Replacement.

A 47-year-old woman presented to our hospital with Stanford type B aortic dissection with retrograde arch extension. The decision was made to undergo hybrid arch repair with thoracic endovascular aortic repair. The patient underwent surgery, but her intraoperative course was complicated by delayed sternal closure and mediastinitis requiring flap reconstruction.

Pathway to cardiothoracic surgery: A primer for aspiring students.

Objective: The pathway to cardiothoracic surgery is often obscure for premedical students and aspiring applicants and requires navigating various known and unknown obstacles. Recognizing the challenges encountered on the path to a career in cardiothoracic surgery in the United States, we present this guide for students interested in the field to maximize success in their premedical, preclinical, and preresidency years.

Methods: This is a joint collaboration between the Thoracic Surgery Residents Association and the Thoracic Surgery Medical Student Association.

Association between preoperative right heart catheterization parameters and outcomes in patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting.

Right ventricular catheterization may capture information that can help define prognosis before coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). In this study, we evaluate the association between preoperative right heart catheterization parameters and outcomes of patients undergoing isolated CABG. All patients undergoing isolated CABG at our institution from 2013 to 2021 who also underwent preoperative right heart catheterization <14 days prior to isolated CABG were retrospectively queried.

Association of neighborhood socioeconomic status with echocardiographic parameters and re-admission following transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Background: Data on predictors of poor hemodynamic presentation and rehospitalizations following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are limited. We evaluate the association between neighborhood socioeconomic status (NSES) on echocardiographic presentation and post-TAVR readmission at a high-volume institution.

Methods: All patients undergoing TAVR at a single institution between 2012 and 2022 were included.

Association between lipoprotein levels and outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) is a variant of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and has been associated with increased risk of vascular inflammation and thrombosis. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has been associated with local inflammation of the myocardium. It is plausible, therefore, that patients with elevated baseline Lp(a) may be prone to unfavorable clinical outcomes following CABG.

Valve-in-Valve Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Versus Redo-Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients With Aortic Stenosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Aortic stenosis is a common and significant valve condition requiring bioprosthetic heart valves with transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) being strongly recommended for high-risk patients or patients over 75 years. This meta-analysis aimed to pool existing data on postprocedural clinical as well as echocardiographic outcomes comparing valve-in-valve (ViV)-TAVR to redo-surgical aortic valve replacement to assess the short-term and medium-term outcomes for both treatment methods. A systematic literature search on Cochrane Central, Scopus, and Medline (PubMed interface) electronic databases from inception to August 2023.

Aortic remodeling following hybrid arch repair with zone 0 to 5 thoracic endovascular aortic repairs for complex arch and descending thoracic aortic pathologies.

Objective: For high-risk patients with aortic arch pathology, hybrid aortic arch repair with simultaneous or staged thoracic endovascular repair of the descending aorta may be a viable alternative to open repair. However, data on postintervention aortic remodeling remain limited. We report the short-term outcomes of remodeling of the thoracoabdominal aorta after hybrid arch repair + thoracic endovascular repair.

Assessment of online information on robotic cardiac and thoracic surgery.

Online health resources are important for patients seeking perioperative information on robotic cardiac and thoracic surgery. The value of the resources depends on their readability, accuracy, content, quality, and suitability for patient use. We systematically assess current online health information on robotic cardiac and thoracic surgery.