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Coronary disease

September 4, 2015
This study from the Michigan Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons Quality Collaborative evaluated outcomes of CABG in 33 hospitals 2011-2013, assessing the association of blood transfusion (39.9% of pts) and the incidence of postoperative pneumonia (3.6% of pts).   Blood transfusion was associated with an increased risk of pneumonia (OR 3.
August 22, 2015
Outcomes of robotic vs nonrobotic cardiac surgery were evaluated using 1:2 propensity score matching of patients in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample.  Operations included valves/septae (10%), coronary arteries (47%), and other.  Mean costs were 7.5% higher for robotic cases.  Robotic procedures had shorter length of stay (5 vs 6 days), lower mortality
August 18, 2015
This paper is now one of the largest meta-analyses performed to compare off and on pump CABG. It demonstrates comparable outcomes between the two groups.
July 29, 2015
The University of Virginia group retrospectively analyzed all non-emergent cardiac cases performed at their center from 2008 to 2013, and separated the  nonemergent cases into two groups:  "Early start" cases had an incision time before 3 PM, and "late start" cases, after 3 PM.
July 21, 2015
The authors analyzed an audited collaborative multicenter database in Australia of over 34,000 consecutive patients who underwent CABG from 2001 to 2012,  and they compared outcomes in those undergoing total arterial revascularization (TAR) vs. those that did not.
July 20, 2015
The authors of this paper investigated the outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) performed in centers with and without cardiac surgical support onsite in a large database in the United Kingdom between 2006 and 2012. They found in multivarate analysis that there was no difference at 30 days, 1 year or 5 years.
July 16, 2015
The authors conducted a randomized prospective study comparing 3 methods of SVG harvesting in 156 patients.  The 3 methods compared were as follows:  Conventional (C)--stripped and distended veins; Intermediate (IM)--stripped but not distended veins; and, No Touch (NT)--neither stripped nor distended but harvested on a pedicle.
July 15, 2015
The University of Pennsylvania group, in a porcine model of ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR), compared echocardiographic surface coaptation in two groups of pigs:  Those undergoing MV repair with a flat semirigid annuloplasty ring vs. with a saddle-shaped rigid annuloplasty ring.
July 6, 2015
This is a provocative study questioning the current practice of using blood pressure targets perioperatively to ensure adequate perfusion.  Plasma levels of a brain-specific injury biomarker (GFAP) were measured in 121 patients undergoing cardiac surgery.
July 6, 2015
This video shows how to modify the trap-door technique, commonly used in the arterial switch operation in children, in order to re-implant the coronary ostia in adult patients undergoing aortic root replacement.

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