Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Oct 2012
ReviewWhat is the optimal anticoagulation in patients with a left ventricular assist device?
A best evidence topic in cardiac surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether there is an optimal antithrombotic management for patients supported with axial-flow left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). Altogether, more than 758 papers were found using the reported search, of which 17 represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. ⋯ All patients with axial-flow LVAD, showed severely impaired platelet function at point of care tests. The use of warfarin (INR target 2.5), in association with aspirin at 100 mg/day, or with point-of-care tests titrated antiplatelet therapy to inhibit 70%, seems to have the best bleeding-thrombosis, and in many cases a very small dose of aspirin of 25 mg twice a day and a dose of clopidogrel of 35 mg/day, were sufficient to achieve a reduction of the maximum aggregation to less than 30%. Finally, we would like to emphasize that such recommendations are addressed only to patients with axial-flow LVAD.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Oct 2012
ReviewIs routine postoperative enteral feeding after oesophagectomy worthwhile?
A best evidence topic in surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether, in patients undergoing an oesophagectomy for cancer, immediate postoperative enteral feeding (via percutaneous jejunostomy or nasojejunostomy) provides better patient outcomes as compared to waiting until oral feeding can be instituted. Four randomized controlled trials represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. ⋯ Mortality was higher in the jejunostomy group, although the team did not attribute the deaths to the catheter. They found both methods equally effective in providing postoperative nutrition. In summary, all the trials concluded that routine postoperative enteral nutrition was feasible, but there was no evidence suggesting that it conferred any clinical benefits.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Oct 2012
Case ReportsA staged approach to transcatheter aortic valve implantation and mitral valve-in-valve implantation for a degenerated bioprosthesis in a high-risk patient.
Recently, small case series have described the successful off-label use of transcatheter valve implantation in patients with degenerated bioprosthetic valves in the mitral position. We report here the case of a 78-year old female patient who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation for severe aortic stenosis and transapical valve-in-valve implantation for a degenerated mitral bioprosthesis. ⋯ Following accurate patient selection and evaluation by an experienced multidisciplinary team, the transcatheter approach to double-valve implantation in the aortic and mitral positions may represent a viable treatment option for those high-risk patients who would otherwise be inoperable. We preferred a two-step approach, considering a single procedure to be high-risk.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Oct 2012
Case ReportsDelayed visceral malperfusion after Bentall procedure for type A acute aortic dissection.
Rapid restoration of flow into the true lumen and obliteration of a false lumen is considered the optimal approach to treating malperfusion syndrome due to acute aortic dissection. However, organ malperfusion can occasionally persist after proximal aortic graft replacement despite redirecting blood flow into the true lumen. A 35-year old man underwent the modified Bentall procedure for Stanford type A acute aortic dissection without organ malperfusion. ⋯ We immediately performed a left axillary-to-bilateral femoral artery bypass. The patient recovered uneventfully and was discharged on postoperative day 28. Although organ malperfusion persisting after proximal aortic graft replacement despite redirecting blood flow into the true lumen is rare, close observation remains imperative after central repair of type A dissection.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Oct 2012
Efficacy of intraoperative, single-bolus corticosteroid administration to prevent postoperative acute respiratory failure after oesophageal cancer surgery.
Respiratory failure from acute lung injury (ALI), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and pneumonia are the major cause of morbidity and mortality following an oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer. This study was performed to investigate whether an intraoperative corticosteroid can attenuate postoperative respiratory failure. ⋯ Intraoperative corticosteroid administration was associated with a decreased risk of acute respiratory failure following an oesophagectomy. The laboratory data suggest that corticosteroids may attenuate the stress-induced inflammatory responses after surgery.