Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Nov 2012
Review Meta AnalysisHaemodynamic goal-directed therapy in cardiac and vascular surgery. A systematic review and meta-analysis.
In cardiovascular surgery, reduced organ perfusion and oxygen delivery contribute to increased postoperative morbidity and prolonged intensive care unit stay. Goal-directed therapy (GDT), a perioperative haemodynamic strategy aiming to increase cardiac output, is helpful in preventing postoperative complications, but studies in the context of cardiovascular surgery have produced conflicting results. The purpose of the present meta-analysis is to determine the effects of perioperative haemodynamic goal-directed therapy on mortality and morbidity in cardiac and vascular surgery. ⋯ Perioperative GDT prevents postoperative complications in cardiac surgery patients, while it has no effect in vascular surgery. The different characteristics and comorbidities of the population enrolled could explain these conflicting results. More trials conforming to the characteristics of low-risk-of-bias studies and enrolling a larger and well-defined population of patients are needed to better clarify the effect of GDT in the specific setting of cardiovascular surgery.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Nov 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialA randomized study of coronary artery bypass surgery performed with the Resting Heart™ System utilizing a low vs a standard dosage of heparin.
Allogeneic blood transfusion and reoperation for postoperative bleeding after the coronary artery bypass grafting have a negative impact on the patient outcome. This study aimed at evaluating the effects of reduced doses of heparin and protamine on the patient outcome, using a heparin-coated mini-cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) system. ⋯ The use of a mini-CPB system combined with a low dose of heparin reduced the need for blood transfusions and may facilitate the faster mobilization of the patients.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Nov 2012
ReviewHow does the right gastroepiploic artery compare with the saphenous vein for revascularization of the right coronary artery?
A best evidence topic was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was 'is the saphenous vein graft or right gastroepiploic artery a better conduit for revascularization of the right coronary artery?' One hundred and five articles were found using a designated search, of which 10 articles were found to represent the best available evidence to answer the clinical question. Of these 10 articles, two were reports of a randomized controlled trial and represented the highest level of evidence, whereas eight articles were retrospective observational studies. ⋯ The randomized evidence suggested that the saphenous vein had better early (6-month) and mid-term (3-year) graft patency than the right gastroepiploic artery when used for right coronary artery revascularization. The use of the saphenous vein was also found to be predictive of superior graft function using multivariate regression; however, a more recent propensity score analysis identified gastroepiploic-right coronary grafts to yield superior very long-term (>10 years) clinical outcomes. Overall, based on the best quality evidence and in view of technical limitations and flow characteristics of the right gastroepiploic artery, it appears that saphenous vein grafts may offer superior outcomes for revascularization of the right coronary artery in most cases, and should be preferentially used.