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Journal and News Scan
July 11, 2022
Submitted by: Aristotle Protopapas
There could be some translational value for cardiovascular surgical practice from this prospective cardiovascular health study. The mechanistic link warrants further investigation and interpretation.
July 8, 2022
Submitted by: Mary Hammon
Adequate postoperative pain management after thoracic surgery is crucial to prevent of respiratory complications, but use of morphine can be problematic for some patients. This study evaluated the impact of opioid-free anesthesia (OFA) in decreasing morphine consumption and postoperative pain after video-assisted thoracic surgery or robotic-assisted thoracic surgery. Findings showed use of OFA to be safe and effective when used for this purpose.
July 8, 2022
Submitted by: Marshall Jacobs
This scoping review explores the risk factors associated with cardiac arrest in children following cardiac surgery, nearly 50 percent of whom do not survive hospital discharge. It also provides recommendations for future research.
July 1, 2022
Submitted by: Aristotle Protopapas
This is an interesting, well-written account of pooled results of two medium-size RCTs . It would be interesting to see a third arm of optimum medical therapy in follow-up studies ...
June 30, 2022
Submitted by: John Janesheski
Australian cardiothoracic surgeon Nikki Stamp recalls instances where she faced explicit discrimination for being a woman in the surgical field. She mentions the mistreatment of women in terms of job placement, work culture, and bullying. After years of dealing with pervasive sexism, she became an industry whistleblower. Her wish is to call attention to misogyny in the medical industry that often goes unheard or oppressed. This article shares the experiences of Dr. Stamp in detail and brings insight into solutions that all medical professionals can work toward to realize a nondiscriminatory operating environment.
June 30, 2022
Submitted by: John Janesheski
Analysis of the Arterial Revascularization Trial indicated that multiple arterial grafting was linked to lower mortality in the ten years after CABG in diabetic patients when compared with the single arterial grafting approach. This assertion was in contrast to the same trial's main intention-to-treat results, which had previously shown that there was no discernible benefit between use of single arterial grafts over bilateral internal-thoracic artery grafts. Yet the original trial's high rate of crossover and range of expertise levels appeared to omit the presence of better outcomes where multiple grafts were used, especially in cases with highly experienced surgeons.
June 30, 2022
Submitted by: Mary Hammon
In January 2022, University of Maryland School of Medicine surgeon-scientists made history by successfully implanting a genetically modified pig heart into a fifty-seven-year-old patient in end-stage heart failure who did not qualify for a traditional heart transplant. It was considered an early success because the transplanted pig heart functioned well for several weeks without signs of rejection, but the patient ultimately died two months after the surgery. An autopsy determined the cause of death to be heart failure likely caused by variety of factors, including the use of intravenous immunoglobulin.
June 23, 2022
Submitted by: Emily Farkas
A Columbia University cardiologist calls out a lack of diversity in respected medical journal editorial boards. His analysis demonstrates that as of October 2020, of fifty-one editorial board members at the New England Journal of Medicine, just one was Black and one was Hispanic, four were East Asian, and two were South Asian. Of the forty-nine editorial board members at JAMA, two were Black, two were Hispanic, three were East Asian, and one was South Asian. No board member at either publication was Native American.
June 23, 2022
Submitted by: Emily Farkas
As a child, this CT surgeon in-training wore the toy stethoscope her father gave her and followed his instruction to practice stitches on a banana. He noticed her attention to details, and picked up on her potential. Fast forward to a recent memorable moment at Washington University in St. Louis when they performed their first heart surgery together.
June 23, 2022
Submitted by: Aristotle Protopapas
This scientific statement is a granular contribution to a major cardiovascular issue, illuminating nuances of the "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) FDA designation. One would expect the relevant Thoracic Associations in North America and Europe to contribute to this debate.