Recurrent substance use and reoperative valve surgery for acute infective endocarditis.

Objective: Reoperative valve surgery in the setting of infective endocarditis (REDO) conveys a high risk of morbidity and mortality. Recurrent substance use in patients with substance use disorder (SUD) may complicate decision making in valve reinfection. We sought to evaluate the relative impact of recurrent substance use in REDO.

Minimally Invasive Valve Surgery for Patients With Infective Endocarditis: A Comparative Study.

Background: Patients with endocarditis frequently require valve surgical procedure, and despite the recent growth of minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) for complex valve operations, consensus recommendations still suggest conventional sternotomy.

Methods: The institutional Adult Cardiac Surgery Database of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) evaluated all patients undergoing valve surgical procedure for endocarditis from July 2016 to March 2024. Patients were stratified by conventional sternotomy vs an MICS approach, including hemisternotomy, right thoracotomy, and robotic-assisted mitral, tricuspid, or aortic valve surgical procedure.

Adult presentation of giant retroperitoneal cystic lymphangioma: case report.

This case describes the rare presentation of a retroperitoneal cystic lymphangioma in a 35 year old female patient. The lymphangioma ultimately progressed to the point of inducing clinical symptoms, thus requiring surgical removal - which was accomplished without incident. The relevant clinical pictures are included for educational value.