Journal and News Scan

Nguyen and colleagues evaluated whether left atrium (LA) enlargement in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was reversed after septal myectomy. The authors retrospectively reviewed transthoracic echocardiographic measurements of LA volume index from 656 patients who underwent myectomy over eight years at their center. Only patients with both preoperative and postoperative measurements were included. The authors noted both early reduction in LA volume index prior to hospital discharge, and late reduction at two-year follow-up, which they suggest is indicative of continued reverse remodeling. The severity of preoperative mitral regurgitation and the risk of postoperative atrial fibrillation were associated with preoperative LA volume index, but the risks of postoperative stroke and survival were not.

This video and article detail the author’s technique for the classic hybrid arch debranching procedure. It is performed for patients who have had a prior type A dissection repair with aortic arch and descending thoracic aortic dilation but who are not felt to be candidates for more extensive hybrid repairs that require total arch replacement. Hughes emphasizes the importance of appropriate patient selection for the success of this type I hybrid arch repair and discusses his center’s selection criteria.

This cautionary article outlines new trends in how the courts view surgeon responsibility for obtaining informed consent.

This is an instructive editorial that reminds us of the challenges women face in CT surgery.  It describes how to go beyond the social online movement to achieve practical changes in training, hiring, and mentoring.