The Annals of thoracic surgery
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Comparative Study
Preclinical study of near-infrared-guided sentinel lymph node mapping of the porcine lung.
The presence of lymph node metastasis is the most important prognostic factor in early non-small cell lung cancer. Our objective was to develop a rapid, simple, and reliable method for thoracic sentinel lymph node (SLN) identification using near-infrared fluorescence imaging and clinically available contrast agents. ⋯ Near-infrared fluorescence imaging with ICG is a reliable method for SLN mapping in the lung with high sensitivity. Mixing of ICG with plasma resulted in strong SLN fluorescence signal with reliable identification rates.
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Comparative Study
The role of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in therapeutic lung resection for pulmonary tuberculosis.
Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has been considered an effective diagnostic modality for pulmonary tuberculosis. Its feasibility in therapeutic lung resection, however, has not been validated. ⋯ Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is effective for therapeutic wedge resections, isolated lobectomies, and simple segmentectomies and lobectomies combined with wedge resections or segmentectomies for pulmonary tuberculosis. Tuberculosis lesions that require a pneumonectomy or thoracoplasty are still major challenges for VATS.
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Comparative Study
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation in very high-risk patients with EuroSCORE of more than 40%.
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a new method for the treatment of high-risk patients with aortic valve stenosis. Although a logistic European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE) of more than 40% has been considered a contraindication for this new procedure, we routinely perform this procedure in this very high-risk patient group. We analyzed the results of TAVI patients with a EuroSCORE of over 40%. ⋯ Patients with comorbidities, as mirrored by a EuroSCORE of more than 40% should not be refused for TAVI. On the contrary, this is a supreme indication for the TAVI procedure.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Differential case ascertainment in clinical registry versus administrative data and impact on outcomes assessment for pediatric cardiac operations.
Administrative datasets are often used to assess outcomes and quality of pediatric cardiac programs; however their accuracy regarding case ascertainment is unclear. We linked patient data (2004-2010) from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery (STS-CHS) Database (clinical registry) and the Pediatric Health Information Systems (PHIS) database (administrative database) from hospitals participating in both to evaluate differential coding/classification of operations between datasets and subsequent impact on outcomes assessment. ⋯ This study demonstrates differences in case ascertainment between administrative and clinical registry data for children undergoing cardiac operations, which translated into important differences in outcomes assessment.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Postoperative atrial fibrillation after isolated aortic valve replacement: a cause for concern?
Several studies have shown that postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is associated with poorer short-term and long-term outcomes after general cardiac operations. There is, however, a paucity of data on the impact of POAF on outcomes after isolated aortic valve replacement (AVR). ⋯ POAF is a risk factor for short-term morbidity but is not associated with a higher rate of early or late mortality after isolated AVR.