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ABSTRACT: Despite advancements in surgical technique, intensive care methods and pharmaceutical prophylaxis atrial fibrillation (AF) after on-pump coronary artery bypass remains common. Transfusion, blood loss, and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) have been identified as risk factors for AF and adverse outcomes such as early mortality. This study examines outcomes in patients with left ventricular dysfunction after revascularization with and without CPB. A systematic literature review identified 22 studies including 7,454 patients. Meta-analysis through subgroup analysis of the highest-quality studies revealed that the off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) technique is associated with a significantly lower incidence of blood loss, transfusion requirement, reoperation for bleeding, and length of stay. There was also a reduction in the incidence of AF in the OPCAB group but this was not statistically significant (odds ratio = 0.77, 95% confidence interval 0.58-1.02, p = 0.07). The results strengthen research suggesting that CPB has a damaging effect on hemostasis and subsequent transfusion requirements in this patient group. More research is required to assess the association between OPCAB and AF in patients with ventricular dysfunction.
ASAIO journal (American Society for Artificial Internal Organs: 1992) 06/2012; 58(4):311-9. · 1.39 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A best evidence topic was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was to identify which thoracotomy closure method lends itself to the least postoperative pain. Altogether 109 papers were found using the reported search; of which, seven represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, journal, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes and results of these papers are tabulated. We conclude that the closure by intracostal sutures with intercostal nerve sparing offers a superior postoperative pain profile for thoracotomy patients when compared with conventional techniques. Up to 1-year follow-up has shown that this technique (avoiding strangulation of the intercostal nerve) leads to lower postoperative pain and analgesic use, better ambulation and a quicker return to daily activities. Three papers (including two randomized trials) found intracostal sutures with intercostal nerve sparing techniques to be superior to conventional methods such as pericostal suture closure. Rib approximation with intercostal nerve sparing was found to be superior to rib approximation without nerve sparing in one study. Two studies associated with the creation of an intercostal muscle flap prior to the insertion of a rib retractor to be associated with significantly reduced postoperative pain. One study described a novel 'edge-closure' technique, comparable to the closure with intracostal sutures without drilling, to be superior to conventional closure with pericostal sutures. Postoperative pain is a significant issue faced by thoracic surgeons both in-hospital and in the longer term where patients may complain of chronic thoracotomy pain. We would therefore recommend that some form of intercostal nerve protection be implemented during thoracotomy opening and closure.
Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery 03/2012; 14(6):807-15.
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ABSTRACT: A best evidence topic was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB) offered any beneficial effect on mortality when compared with on-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (ONCAB) in patients with left ventricular dysfunction (LVD). A total of 491 papers were found using the reported searches of which 17 represented the best evidence. The authors, date, journal, study type, outcome measures and results are tabulated. The 17 studies (only containing patients with LVD) comprised of one prospective randomized trial, one meta-analysis and 15 retrospective studies. The prospective trial associated the OPCAB technique with significantly lower in-hospital mortality. By comprising of seven studies and 1512 patients, the meta-analysis showed no significant difference in terms of operative mortality. Of the retrospective studies, all 15 compared short-term mortality (<30-day) of which four showed significantly lower mortality in the OPCAB group. Nine of the studies compared mid-term mortality (30 days to 5 years) with no significant difference detected and three of the studies compared long-term mortality (>5 years) with no significant difference detected. We conclude that there is limited evidence to associate the OPCAB technique with improved short-term mortality. The majority of the studies suffered from significant limitations such as containing data from operations carried out prior to the year 2000, a period when off-pump surgery was in its infancy. They frequently contained major differences in baseline characteristics with no specific inclusion/exclusion criteria, description of handling of patients converted from off-pump to bypass or reporting of myocardial viability and concomitant mitral regurgitation. Nine studies reported completeness of revascularization of which eight associated the OPCAB group with a poorer degree of revascularization making comparisons less valid. The lack of high-quality data indicates that prospective randomized trials are needed. The CRISP Trial ('Coronary artery grafting in high-risk patients randomized to off-pump or on-pump surgery') has recently been halted due to recruitment difficulties. The CORONARY ('Coronary artery bypass surgery off- or on-pump revascularization study') trial is a large international multicentre randomized study that is recruiting well and is likely to provide valuable information in the near future.
Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery 03/2012; 14(6):856-64.
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ABSTRACT: Minimally invasive esophageal surgery has arisen in an attempt to reduce the significant complications associated with esophagectomy. Despite proposed technical and physiological advantages, the prone position technique has not been widely adopted. This article reviews the current status of prone thoracoscopic esophagectomy.
A systematic literature search was performed to identify all published clinical studies related to prone esophagectomy. Medline, EMBASE and Google Scholar were searched using the keywords "prone," "thoracoscopic," and "esophagectomy" to identify articles published between January 1994 and September 2010. A critical review of these studies is given, and where appropriate the technique is compared to the more traditional minimally invasive technique utilising the left lateral decubitus position.
Twelve articles reporting the outcomes following prone thoracoscopic oesophagectomy were tabulated. These studies were all non-randomised single-centre prospective or retrospective studies of which four compared the technique to traditional minimally invasive surgery. Although prone esophagectomy is demonstrated as being both feasible and safe, there is no convincing evidence that it is superior to other forms of esophageal surgery. Most authors comment that the prone position is associated with superior surgical ergonomics and theoretically offers a number of physiological benefits.
The ideal approach within minimally invasive esophageal surgery continues to be a subject of debate since no single method has produced outstanding results. Further clinical studies are required to see whether ergonomic advantages of the prone position can be translated into improved patient outcomes.
Surgical Endoscopy 03/2012; 26(8):2095-103. · 4.01 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A best-evidence topic was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether the use of an intra-oesophageal bougie during Nissen fundoplication reduces post-operative dysphagia. A total of 34 papers were found using the reported searches of which eight represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, date, journal, study type, population, main outcome measures and results are tabulated. The popularity of bougie placement is likely to have been encouraged by an early study reported in this article in 1986 associating the use of a larger bougie with reduction of postoperative dysphagia. A more recent randomized study in 2000 also associated the use of bougie with significantly less long-term and severe dysphagia. Four retrospective studies showed no advantage from the use of a bougie, and the potential benefit are countered by the largest published series in the literature reporting the incidence of oesophageal perforation owing to bougie placement at 0.8%. Despite this risk, a survey of 393 German surgeons in 2005 revealed that 46% use a bougie. In summary, we conclude that there is some evidence to suggest that both the presence and size of bougie may have an impact on dysphagia. The evidence is not substantial enough to recommend change in clinical practice and its use must be weighed against the risk of oesophageal injury which patients should be consented for. These conclusions are in accordance with the 2010 Guidelines for Surgical Treatment of Gastroesophageal Reflux disease by the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons who give a Grade B recommendation for the placement of an oesophageal dilator. It is important that future studies are adequately powered and designed to measure longitudinal outcomes such as dysphagia severity with validated assessment tools at appropriate follow-up points. The measurement and usefulness of health-related quality of life needs to be investigated further in this patient population.
Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery 03/2012; 14(6):828-33.
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ABSTRACT: A best evidence topic was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was: In [patients undergoing oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer] is a [cervical anastomosis or intrathoracic anastomosis] superior in terms of [post-operative outcomes]. In total, 47 papers were found suitable using the reported search, and nine of these represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, date, journal, study type, population, main outcome measures and results are tabulated. We conclude that there is no convincing evidence that cervical anastomosis is superior to intrathoracic anastomosis with respect to post-operative outcomes. Only one prospective study showed significantly increased risk of anastomotic leak with cervical anastomosis, but this study was significantly limited due to patient selection and variations in surgical approach and technique. Cervical anastomosis was also shown to increase pharyngeal reflux on pH monitoring compared with intrathoracic anastomosis, but this did not influence symptoms or development of subsequent anastomotic complications. One randomized study showed intrathoracic anastomosis significantly increased risk of respiratory complications, but in this study patient treatment was variable and study design was limited. Intrathoracic anastomosis was also shown to correlate with anastomotic stricture formation and this was attributed to increased anastomotic stapling in this patient group compared with cervical anastomosis. Post-operative pain as measured by grouped symptom scales significantly increased with intrathoracic anastomosis compared with cervical anastomosis. This did not correlate with development of other cardiorespiratory complications and the difference between the two groups resolved within 24 months. Overall, there is currently insufficient evidence to show a significant difference between cervical and intrathoracic anastomosis with respect to post-operative complications and hospital mortality. The wide variety in methodology and outcomes reinforce the need for further randomized trials to more accurately establish significant differences in outcomes.
Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery 02/2012; 14(6):821-6.
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ABSTRACT: A best evidence topic was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether video-assisted mediastinoscopy (VAM) has a better lymph node yield and safety profile than the conventional mediastinoscopy (CM). A total of 194 papers were found, using the reported searches, of which five represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, journal, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes and results of these papers are tabulated. Two studies to date have directly compared CM and VAM with respect to lymph node yield, calculated diagnostics performance and complication rate. In both of these, lymph node yield is shown to be higher using VAM with better sensitivity, negative predictive value and accuracy rates. The favourable figures of lymph node sampling are found to be statistically significant in the single study providing such analysis. Complication rates using VAM are low, however, in the one instance where it is reported as higher than CM, the extensive lymph node dissection used in this technique may be a reasonable explanation for this finding. All studies described here exemplify VAM as a safe and useful tool in mediastinal staging, lymph node dissection and tissue diagnosis of mediastinal diseases given its superior visualization of surrounding structures and advantage of bimanual dissection. The future scope for diagnostic and therapeutic indications of cervical mediastinscopy is anticipated with recent advances and new techniques, such as video-assisted mediastinoscopic lymphadenectomy and virtual mediastinscopy.
Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery 12/2011; 14(3):316-9.
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ABSTRACT: In symptomatic multivessel disease with left ventricular dysfunction, coronary artery bypass surgery (CAB) is the conventional approach. This study assesses outcomes in patients with left ventricular dysfunction undergoing coronary artery bypass with (on-pump; ONCAB) and without cardiopulmonary bypass (off-pump; OPCAB).
A systematic literature search was performed and data were extracted for the following outcomes of interest: 30-day, midterm, and late-term mortality, myocardial infarction, and completeness of revascularization. Random effects meta-analysis was used to aggregate the data. Sensitivity, heterogeneity, and publication bias were assessed.
Analysis of 23 nonrandomized studies revealed 7,759 patients, of whom 2,822 received OPCAB and 4,937 underwent ONCAB. Early mortality was significantly lower in the OPCAB group (odds ratio 0.64, 95% confidence interval 0.51 to 0.81) with no significant heterogeneity between the studies. This finding was supported by subgroup analysis that included assessment of studies only including patients with poor left ventricular function. Based on 13 studies, there was no difference in mortality at the midterm, and based on 4 studies there was no significant difference when comparing late-term mortality. Analysis of four studies revealed the OPCAB group was associated with significantly less complete revascularization.
Off-pump CAB may be associated with lower incidence of early mortality in patients with impaired left ventricular function, although the method of handling the conversion-related mortality in each study is uncertain and may challenge these results. Incomplete revascularization provided by the OPCAB group occurred more often, although its impact was not reflected in the clinical outcomes but may explain why the early advantage in mortality was not continued to the late term.
The Annals of thoracic surgery 09/2011; 92(5):1686-94. · 3.74 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A best evidence topic was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether harvesting the saphenous vein (SV) as a conduit for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) using a no-touch technique would result in better patency rates. This technique involves the harvest of the SV with a pedicle of peri-vascular tissue left intact and the avoidance of distension of the vein prior to anastomosis. A total of 405 papers were found using the reported searches of which eight represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, date, journal, study type, population, main outcome measures and results are tabulated. The studies found analysed the ultrastructural and mechanical properties of the endothelium and vessel walls of the two harvesting techniques; the protein and enzymatic expression and activity observed; the early atherosclerotic changes detected; and the overall patency of the grafts during short- and long-term angiographical follow-up. Three small prospectively randomised studies compared the patency of grafts harvested using the two techniques and found significant improvements in graft patency using the no-touch harvesting technique in comparison to both the conventional technique and more importantly comparable to the left internal thoracic artery (LITA) patency. The most favourable difference was that of graft patency after 8.5 years of follow-up [90% vs. 76% (P = 0.01), LITA patency 90%], and incidence of graft stenosis [11% vs. 25% (P = 0.006)]. These findings were supported by the demonstrated improvements in the cellular integrity of the vessels and the reduction in the mechanisms leading to graft failure seen in the no-touch harvested SV grafts. These morphological and cellular analyses were carried by five small comparative studies, demonstrating improved endothelial integrity and reduced injury, decelerated atherosclerotic processes, intact adventitial collagen layers, increase in the total area of vasa vasorum, elevated endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression and activity, and increased peri-vascular leptin levels and activity. We conclude that there are clear enhancements in vessel wall properties at a cellular level and angiographical evidence of superior graft patency when the no-touch SV harvesting technique is employed.
Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery 09/2011; 13(6):626-30.
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Annals of The Royal College of Surgeons of England 07/2011; 93(5):415-6. · 1.23 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A best evidence topic was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was 'Is it safe to perform coronary angiography (CA) in acute endocarditis?' Three hundred and ninety-seven papers were found using the reported search, of which six represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, journal, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, key results and limitations of these papers are tabulated. One of the papers is a case report, which reported a fatal vegetation embolism from an infected aortic valve into the left main coronary artery 14 h after angiography. The remaining five papers are cohort studies. Four of these studies were performed between 1970 and 1980 before the era of echocardiography and were aimed at quantifying the severity of valvular regurgitation. No embolic complications or dislodgement of vegetations occurred in any of the five studies (186 patients). Guidelines published by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) in 2009 recommended CA in the context of infective endocarditis (IE) for men >40 years old, postmenopausal women, and patients with at least one cardiovascular risk factor or a history of coronary artery disease. Exceptions include patients with large aortic vegetations which may be dislodged during catheterisation, and when emergency surgery is necessary - 1) native aortic or mitral IE with severe acute regurgitation or valve obstruction, or prosthetic valve IE with severe prosthetic dysfunction (dehiscence or obstruction) causing refractory pulmonary oedema or cardiogenic shock; 2) native aortic, mitral, or prosthetic valve IE with fistula into a cardiac chamber or pericardium causing refractory pulmonary oedema or shock. This is reiterated by the guidelines on the management of valvular heart disease published by the ESC in 2007. From the findings of the six papers, it can be concluded that coronary angiography can be performed safely in IE and should be performed if deemed necessary, unless the patients are haemodynamically unstable requiring emergency surgery, or have large vegetations of the aortic valve. This is consistent with the ESC guidelines.
Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery 05/2011; 13(2):158-67.
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ABSTRACT: A best evidence topic was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was, in what proportion of patients is the nerve of Kuntz identifiable? A total of 55 papers were found using the reported search, of which six represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, date, journal, study type, population, main outcome measures and results are tabulated. The nerve of Kuntz was originally described in 1927 as being a connection from the second intercostal nerve to the first thoracic ventral ramus. Controversy exists as to whether it is present universally and thus whether it should be identified during thoracoscopic sympathectomy. The six studies highlighted involved dissection of the upper thoracic sympathetic chain of adult cadavers with descriptions of the anatomical variations. A study by Cho et al. [Cho HM, Lee DY, Sung SW. Anatomical variations of rami communicants in the upper thoracic sympathetic trunk. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2005;27:320-324] suggested that anatomical variation was more common at T2 compared to T3 and T4, of which 60% corresponded to the original description of the nerve of Kuntz. A similar prevalence was found by Marhold and colleagues [Marhold F, Izay B, Zacherl J, Tschabitscher M, Neumayer C. Thoracoscopic and anatomic landmarks of Kuntz's nerve: implications for sympathetic surgery. Ann Thorac Surg 2008;86:1653-1658], who also suggested that open dissection led to significantly easier identification of this anatomy than thoracoscopy. The same authors frequently found that the nerve of Kuntz was associated with a superior intercostal vein located parallel to it, meaning that these subpleural veins may act as an anatomical landmark. In four of the papers where cadavers where dissected bilaterally, variations in the anatomy of the sympathetic chain were not always symmetrical. We conclude that most patients will have some form of variation in the anatomy of their T2 ganglion, which often corresponds to the original description of the nerve of Kuntz. The appreciation of this variation may be more difficult during thoracoscopy as compared to open anatomic dissection.
Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery 05/2011; 13(2):175-8.
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ABSTRACT: Co-existent mitral regurgitation may adversely influence both morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing aortic valve replacement for severe aortic stenosis. Whilst it is accepted that concomitant mitral intervention is required in severe, symptomatic mitral regurgitation, in cases of mild-moderate non-structural mitral regurgitation, improvement may be seen following aortic valve replacement alone, avoiding the increased risk of double-valve surgery. The exact benefit of such a conservative approach is, however, yet to be adequately quantified. We performed a systematic literature review identifying 17 studies incorporating 3053 patients undergoing aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis with co-existing mitral regurgitation. These were meta-analysed using random effects modelling. Heterogeneity and subgroup analysis were assessed. Primary end points were change in mitral regurgitation severity and 30-day, 3-, 5- and 10-year mortality. Secondary end points were end-organ dysfunction (neurovascular, renal and respiratory), and the extent of ventricular remodelling following aortic valve replacement. Our results revealed improvement in the severity of mitral regurgitation following aortic valve replacement in 55.5% of patients, whereas 37.7% remained unchanged, and 6.8% worsened. No significant difference was seen between overall data and either the functional or moderate subgroups. The overall 30-day mortality following aortic valve replacement was 5%. This was significantly higher in moderate-severe mitral regurgitation than nil-mild mitral regurgitation both overall (p=0.002) and in the functional subgroup (p=0.004). Improved long-term survival was seen at 3, 5 and 10 years in nil-mild mitral regurgitation when compared with moderate-severe mitral regurgitation in all groups (overall p<0.0001, p<0.00001 and p=0.02, respectively). The relative risk of respiratory, renal and neurovascular complications were 7%, 6% and 4%, respectively. Reverse remodelling was demonstrated by a significant reduction in left-ventricular end-diastolic diameter and left-ventricular mass (p=0.0007 and 0.01, respectively), without significant heterogeneity. No significant change was seen in left-ventricular end-systolic diameter (p=0.10), septal thickness (p=0.17) or left atrial area (p=0.23). We conclude that despite reverse remodelling, concomitant moderate-severe mitral regurgitation adversely affects both early and late mortality following aortic valve replacement. Concomitant mitral intervention should therefore be considered in the presence of moderate mitral regurgitation, independent of the aetiology.
European journal of cardio-thoracic surgery: official journal of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery 05/2011; 40(5):1087-96. · 2.40 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Body wall secondary deposits from visceral cancers represent a relatively rare form of metastasis. Oesophageal cancer is associated with poor survival outcomes, requiring careful staging and multidisciplinary therapeutic planning. The presence of skin and subcutaneous metastases in this patient group is rare and usually associated with squamous cell carcinomas. We present a case of subcutaneous metastasis from an oesophageal adenocarcinoma, discuss its impact on management and highlight the need for careful physical assessment in clinical practice in order to detect occult secondary deposits.
Updates in surgery. 03/2011; 63(3):223-6.
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ABSTRACT: A best evidence topic was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether chlorhexidine gluconate is equivalent or superior to the use of povidone-iodine during surgical hand scrub. A total of 593 papers were found using the reported searches of which eight represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, date, journal, study type, population, main outcome measures and results are tabulated. We conclude that whilst both chlorhexidine and povidone-iodine reduce bacterial count after scrubbing, the effect of chlorhexidine is both more profound and longer lasting. The studies found analysed the difference in reduction in colony forming units or bacterial count following surgical scrub in order to conclude that chlorhexidine was superior. Four studies went further to analyse cumulative and residual activity by testing for bacterial reduction after using a scrub solution for a number of days, an area in which chlorhexidine showed consistent advantages over povidone-iodine. These findings are given more credibility by the clinical finding of a recent meta-analysis of over 5000 patients in which chlorhexidine as an antiseptic skin preparation was associated with significantly reduced surgical site infection (SSI) in clean-contaminated surgery. Despite this, there is no evidence suggesting the use of chlorhexidine during hand scrub reduces SSI, which perhaps explains why guidelines from the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Association for Perioperative Practice do not recommend one specific antimicrobial over another for hand scrub.
Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery 03/2011; 12(6):1017-21.
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ABSTRACT: A best evidence topic was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether the thoracoscopic phase of three-stage minimally-invasive esophagectomy is best performed in the prone or left lateral decubitus position. A total of 31 papers were found using the reported searches, of which seven represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, date, journal, study type, population, main outcome measures and results are tabulated. We conclude that there is no convincing evidence that prone thoracoscopic esophagectomy is superior to left lateral decubitus positioning. Four papers retrospectively compared the prone and lateral techniques, and while the authors suggested that the prone position was associated with better surgical ergonomics due to the effects of gravity pooling blood outside the operative view and the reduced need for lung retraction, outcomes were not significantly different. All four studies had significant limitations, such as small patient populations and sequential operating with the possible effect of a learning curve. Two studies compared respiratory and haemodynamic changes associated with prone positioning and suggest that it is physiologically well tolerated and may offer better oxygenation, similar to that seen in the prone positioning of acute respiratory distress patients. The evidence for prone thoracoscopic esophagectomy is currently not mature enough to reach any significant conclusions, and randomized studies are required.
Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery 03/2011; 13(1):60-5.
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ABSTRACT: Atrial tachyarrhythmias are associated with patent foramen ovale. The objective was to determine the anti-arrhythmic effect of patent foramen ovale closure on pre-existing atrial tachyarrhythmias.
Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases were searched between 1967 and 2010. The search was expanded using the 'related articles' function and reference lists of key studies. All studies reporting pre- and post-closure incidence (or prevalence) of atrial tachyarrhythmia in the same patient population were included. Random and fixed effect meta-analyses were used to aggregate the data.
Six studies were identified including 2570 patients who underwent percutaneous closure. Atrial fibrillation was in fact the only AT reported in all studies. Meta-analysis using a fixed effects model demonstrated a significant reduction in the prevalence of atrial fibrillation with an OR of 0.43 (95% CI 0.26-0.71). When using the random-effects model, OR was 0.44 (95% CI 0.18-1.04) with a statistically significant trend demonstrated (test for overall effect: Z=1.87, p=0.06).
Closure of a patent foramen ovale may be associated with reduction in the prevalence of atrial fibrillation.
International journal of cardiology 03/2011; 153(1):4-9. · 7.08 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A best evidence topic was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether incidentally found patent foramen ovale (PFO) during isolated coronary surgery should be closed. A total of 573 papers were found using the reported searches of which six represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, date, journal, study type, population, main outcome measures and results are tabulated. There is currently no evidence to suggest that incidental PFO in patients undergoing cardiac surgery is linked with increased morbidity, mortality or decreased long-term survival. The most significant study identified examined the outcomes of 2277 patients with incidentally found PFO during cardiac surgery of whom 639 underwent closure. After propensity matched analysis, the authors found closure was associated with a significantly higher risk of postoperative stroke with no advantage in terms of long-term survival. A recent survey of 438 cardiac surgeons from the USA showed no consensus on decision-making behind closure, but that factors taken in to account include PFO size, right atrial pressure and a history of paradoxical embolism. This is not surprising given that morphological research has confirmed that larger PFO size is indeed associated with cryptogenic stroke.
Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery 02/2011; 12(5):794-8.
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ABSTRACT: A 21-year-old female presented with left-sided loin pain and profound circulatory shock. After emergency laparotomy, angiography, embolisation and histological investigation, a diagnosis of spontaneous rupture of a benign non-secretory adrenal cortical tumour was made. To our knowledge, this is the only reported case of this diagnosis.
Canadian Urological Association journal = Journal de l'Association des urologues du Canada 12/2010; 4(6):E161-3. · 1.24 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: We present a simple and practical method of eliminating anastomotic suture line bleeding that we believe is a safer method than the traditional approach of taking extra stitches around the suture line.
The Annals of thoracic surgery 09/2010; 90(3):1030-1. · 3.74 Impact Factor
