The Annals of thoracic surgery
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Ischemia-reperfusion injury occurs during coronary artery bypass graft operations. Strategies are needed to lower the extent of damage. ⋯ This review provides a look at potential mechanisms involved in remote ischemic preconditioning, experimental evidence supporting it, clinical studies that support and negate it, and potential reasons for differences between clinical studies. With remote ischemic preconditioning having the potential to better clinical outcomes in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft operations, a large clinical trial needs to be undertaken to better assess its practical clinical application.
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Minimally invasive (MI) approaches to mitral valve surgery (MVS) and surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) are now performed routinely, and avoidance of aortic manipulation and cardioplegic arrest may further simplify the procedure. We present our experience with MI fibrillatory cardiac operations without aortic cross-clamping for MVS and AF ablation. ⋯ We demonstrated that low operative mortality and low stroke rate with MI fibrillating cardiac operations without cross-clamping allows for MVS and AF ablation. Our results suggest that the MI fibrillating heart approach is safe and effective.
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The sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA2a) is an important molecular regulator of contractile dysfunction in heart failure. Gene transfer of SERCA2a mediated by molecular cardiac surgery with recirculating delivery (MCARD) is a novel and clinically translatable strategy. ⋯ MCARD-mediated SERCA2a delivery results in robust cardiac specific gene expression, improved contractility, and a decrease in both myocyte apoptosis and myocyte hypertrophy.
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This study evaluated the feasibility of performing thoracoscopy without lung isolation employing single lumen endotracheal tube (SLET) intubation and carbon dioxide insufflation. ⋯ Single lumen endotracheal tube intubation is a feasible and safe airway management alternative for thoracoscopic procedures. This method resulted in shorter operative times, no aberrant hemodynamic shifts, low complication rates, and similar hospital stays as compared with traditional DLET intubation.
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Midventricular obstruction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is less common than subaortic obstruction, and there are few data on outcomes after surgical treatment. ⋯ A transapical approach allows excellent exposure for midventricular myectomy and relief of intraventricular gradients and related symptoms. There were no complications unique to the apical incision, and 5-year survival was similar to expected survival (95% versus 97%).