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Journal and News Scan
January 20, 2023
Submitted by: Cameron Lind
Researchers conducted a literature analysis to weigh the benefits and risks of using Impella versus ECMO for use in cases of cardiogenic shock. They reviewed each method’s efficacy, clinical outcomes, cost-effectiveness, complications, and limitations. The study found that Impella ranked higher in each of these categories but had inconclusive data on long-term results.
January 20, 2023
Submitted by: Cameron Lind
This analysis of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database aimed to evaluate clinical outcomes of the Ross procedure in children from 2000 to 2018. It was found that, in a sample size of 2,805 children, the Ross procedure was being performed with low mortality throughout North America.
January 20, 2023
Submitted by: Cameron Lind
A team at the University of California Davis was the first on the west coast to perform a mitral valve replacement with new minimally invasive valve technology. Since no surgical access through the chest is involved in transfemoral transseptal mitral valve replacement (TTMV), it has a shorter recovery time and opens the door for valve replacement in patients who wouldn’t otherwise be eligible.
January 12, 2023
Submitted by: Cameron Lind
A recent study found that mesothelioma patients who undergo both lung-sparing extended pleurectomy and decortication can achieve extended survival compared to those who undergo just one type of surgery. When lung-sparing surgery is a possibility, it was found to have a superior long-term survival rate and represents a shift in mesothelioma treatment.
January 12, 2023
Submitted by: Cameron Lind
When more complex tools are not available, such as in rural or low resource areas, this study found that a pulse oximetry screening tool can be used to detect congenital heart defects in neonates. In the 5,874 neonates studied, 164 were found to have significant hypoxemia on pulse oximetry, and 44 were subsequently found to have a congenital heart defect. These findings are important to finding congenital heart defects in infants whose doctors may not have access to other diagnostic tools.
January 12, 2023
Submitted by: Cameron Lind
INTEGRITTY, a group dedicated the appraisal of evidence to support optimized patient management, published a paper highlighting concerns surrounding major TAVR versus SAVR studies. While their findings do not aim to directly discredit the studies, they do raise questions about the integrity of their methodology.
January 6, 2023
Submitted by: Cameron Lind
This study compares the clinical outcomes of two operative strategies for type A aortic dissection with true lumen collapse and malperfusion downstream, which is associated with a devastating prognosis. The authors compare a hybrid approach of ascending aorta (and hemiarch replacement) supplemented with retrograde stenting of the descending aorta (thoracic endovascular aortic repair [TEVAR]) with standard ascending aorta (and hemiarch) replacement without stent placement.
January 6, 2023
Submitted by: Cameron Lind
A study found that insured Black patients who need mitral valve replacement surgery are more likely to undergo open heart surgery, while their white counterparts are more likely to have minimally invasive surgery. These disparities in care may be due most Black patients being treated at under-resourced hospitals, or where minimally invasive surgeries and experienced surgeons are not available.
January 6, 2023
Submitted by: Cameron Lind
The FDA has approved the drug Cytalux for use in lung surgery. The drug, also known as pafolacianine, binds to lung cancer cells to make them glow under infrared light. Surgical removal of lung tumors before they spread to the rest of the body remains one of the most effective ways to treat the disease, so the availability of this drug has major implications for lung cancer patient outcomes.
December 21, 2022
Submitted by: Cameron Lind
Aortic root replacement and aortic arch replacement surgeries were performed on patients in Odisha, India for the first time recently. This achievement means that patients suffering from life-threatening aortic diseases do not have to go out of state to receive care, and can undergo surgery close to home for free.