The Annals of thoracic surgery
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Comparative Study
Propensity-matched analysis of three techniques for intrathoracic esophagogastric anastomosis.
A cervical side-to-side stapled esophagogastric anastomosis appears to decrease morbidity compared with traditional hand-sewn techniques. We evaluated our experience with this novel technique in intrathoracic anastomoses and compared the outcome with circular-stapled or hand-sewn techniques. ⋯ In this carefully matched group of patients, intrathoracic use of the side-to-side stapled esophagogastric anastomosis in esophageal cancer patients is safe and effective. Postoperative dysphagia and need for stricture dilation may be decreased using a stapled compared with a traditional hand-sewn anastomosis.
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Review Practice Guideline
Perioperative blood transfusion and blood conservation in cardiac surgery: the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and The Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists clinical practice guideline.
A minority of patients having cardiac procedures (15% to 20%) consume more than 80% of the blood products transfused at operation. Blood must be viewed as a scarce resource that carries risks and benefits. A careful review of available evidence can provide guidelines to allocate this valuable resource and improve patient outcomes. ⋯ Based on available evidence, institution-specific protocols should screen for high-risk patients, as blood conservation interventions are likely to be most productive for this high-risk subset. Available evidence-based blood conservation techniques include (1) drugs that increase preoperative blood volume (eg, erythropoietin) or decrease postoperative bleeding (eg, antifibrinolytics), (2) devices that conserve blood (eg, intraoperative blood salvage and blood sparing interventions), (3) interventions that protect the patient's own blood from the stress of operation (eg, autologous predonation and normovolemic hemodilution), (4) consensus, institution-specific blood transfusion algorithms supplemented with point-of-care testing, and most importantly, (5) a multimodality approach to blood conservation combining all of the above.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Attenuated renal and intestinal injury after use of a mini-cardiopulmonary bypass system.
Transient, subclinical myocardial, renal, intestinal, and hepatic tissue injury and impaired homeostasis is detectable even in low-risk patients undergoing conventional cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Small extracorporeal closed circuits with low priming volumes and optimized perfusion have been developed to reduce deleterious effects of CPB. ⋯ The use of the mini-CPB system during myocardial revascularization represents a viable nonpharmacologic strategy that can attenuate the alterations in the hemostatic system, reduce bleeding and transfusion requirements, decrease systemic inflammatory response, and reduce immediate postoperative renal and intestinal tissue injury.
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Excellent outcomes after aortic valve replacement (AVR) in elderly patients can be achieved, yet some practitioners are reticent to refer elderly patients for surgery. This study analyzed risk factors for mortality in patients aged 80 years and older undergoing AVR with or without concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). ⋯ Patients aged 80 years and older who undergo AVR have acceptable short-term and long-term survival regardless of NYHA status. Concomitant CABG improved operative and long-term survival in this population. Despite their increased age, aggressive surgical treatment is warranted for most patients.
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Giant false or pseudoaneurysm of the aorta is a rare but dreadful complication occurring several months or years after cardiac or aortic surgery. We describe a surgical approach that allowed safe reentry in the chest in five patients, with a mean follow-up of almost seven years. ⋯ The technique of separate carotid cannulation and selective antegrade brain perfusion with cold blood during circulatory arrest at moderate core hypothermia has, in our opinion, many advantages. In addition to allowing harmless opening of the chest in the presence of most dangerous mediastinal false aneurysms, it implies no general deep hypothermia, reduced duration of cardiopulmonary bypass, and circulatory arrest of the lower part of the body, and safe and permanent brain protection throughout chest opening and mediastinal division. It has allowed us to safely reoperate on patients who are generally considered as a major surgical risk.