Pts undergoing cardiac surgery requiring CPB were randomized to remote ischemic preconditioning of the upper extremity or sham intervention. The end point was combined death, MI, stroke, and acute renal failure during hospitalization, and secondary endpoints were the occurrence of any such event within 90 days. Outcomes were similar between the gro
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Valve disease
September 26, 2015
In this RCT, patients at increased risk for cardiac surgery requiring CPB were assigned to steroids at the time of anesthetic induction and again at the time of CPB induction or no steroids. Primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and major morbidity. Steriods had no effect on the primary outcomes. There was no evidence that stero
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 9, 2015
Twenty-five cardiac surgery trainees underwent randomization to learn TEE interpretation by either of two approaches: traditional teaching during cardiac surgery vs. simulation-based teaching via the Heartworks simulator.
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.
June 17, 2015
Using propensity score matching techniques, outcomes and costs for robotic cardiac surgery were compared to open cardiac surgery using data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Robotic surgery was more expensive ($39,030 vs $36,340) but was associated with a shorter length of stay (5 vs 6 days), lower mortality (1.0% vs 1.9%), and lower overall com
May 13, 2015
Filmed at the 2015 SCTS Annual Meeting in Manchester, UK, Leanne Harling and Mattia Glauber discuss topics in minimally invasive valve repair and replacement.
April 13, 2015
This retrospective case-control study involving 1852 Hodgkin lymphoma 5-year survivors found that radiation to the heart valves tend to increase the risk for clinically significant valvular heart disease. The rate increased 3.1-fold in patients receiving 31-35 Gy and 11.8-fold in those who received > 40 Gy.
March 14, 2015
This is a very provocative British study that examined whether a more liberal (Hgb < 9 g/dL) versus a more restrictive (Hgb < 7.5 g/dL) transfusion threshold after cardiac surgery is associated with higher morbidity and costs.
August 18, 2014
Bioprinting, the production of tissue by 3D printing, is a rapidly emerging technology with high potential for tissue engineering also in cardiac surgery. The paper provides insight in currently available techniques, opportunities for application and perspectives of this revolution in medicine.