The Annals of thoracic surgery
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The COVID-19 pandemic necessitates aggressive infection mitigation strategies to reduce the risk to patients and healthcare providers. This document is intended to provide a framework for the adult cardiac surgeon to consider in this rapidly changing environment. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative detailed protective measures are outlined. These are guidance recommendations during a pandemic surge to be used for all patients while local COVID-19 disease burden remains elevated.
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Practice Guideline
Committee Recommendations for Resuming Cardiac Surgery Activity in the SARS-CoV-2 Era: Guidance From an International Cardiac Surgery Consortium.
Recommendations for the safe and optimized resumption of cardiac surgery care, research, and education during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) era were developed by a cardiovascular research consortium, based in 19 countries and representing a wide spectrum of experience with COVID-19. This guidance document provides a framework for restarting cardiac surgery in the outpatient and inpatient settings, in accordance with the current understanding of SARS-CoV-2, the risks posed by interrupted cardiovascular care, and the available recommendations from major societies.
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Case Reports
Valve Sparing Aortic Root Replacement for Aortico-Left Ventricular Tunnel With Bicuspid Aortic Valve.
Aortico-left ventricular tunnel (ALVT) is a rare, abnormal, paravalvular communication between the aorta and the left ventricle. ALVT can be associated with a variety of congenital heart diseases, but there are only a few reports of ALVT associated with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV). Herein, we report a case of an 11-year-old boy who successfully underwent aortic valve sparing root replacement for ALVT with BAV and aortic root aneurysm.
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Practice Guideline
Adult Cardiac Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Tiered Patient Triage Guidance Statement.
In the setting of the current novel coronavirus pandemic, this document has been generated to provide guiding statements for the adult cardiac surgeon to consider in a rapidly evolving national landscape. Acknowledging the risk for a potentially prolonged need for cardiac surgery procedure deferral, we have created this proposed template for physicians and interdisciplinary teams to consider in protecting their patients, institution, and their highly specialized cardiac surgery team. In addition, recommendations on the transition from traditional in-person patient assessments and outpatient follow-up are provided. Lastly, we advocate that cardiac surgeons must continue to serve as leaders, experts, and relevant members of our medical community, shifting our role as necessary in this time of need.