The Annals of thoracic surgery
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Comparative Study
Propensity adjusted analysis of open and endovascular thoracic aortic repair for chronic type B dissection: a twenty-year evaluation.
Optimal treatment of chronic type B aortic dissection (CBAD), whether open (open descending aortic repair, OAR) or endovascular (thoracic endovascular aortic repair, TEVAR), is controversial, suggesting a comparative analysis is warranted. ⋯ Intervention for CBAD can be performed with excellent results, either by an open or endovascular approach. The higher rate of treatment failure after TEVAR warrants modification of current device design or endovascular approach before broad application of this treatment strategy.
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Comparative Study
Video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy versus stereotactic radiotherapy for stage I lung cancer.
Previous comparative reports of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and surgery for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) suffered from short follow-up, mixed extents of resection and inclusion of benign lesion. We aimed to make comparisons of long-term outcomes between a pure series of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy and SBRT for biopsy-proven clinical stage I NSCLC. ⋯ Our results suggest VATS lobectomy may offer significantly more favorable long-term outcomes than SBRT in potentially operable patients with biopsy-proven clinical stage I NSCLC.
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Comparative Study Observational Study
Elevated procalcitonin in patients after cardiac surgery: a hint to nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia.
Nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI) can occur after cardiac surgery, commonly in conjunction with use of cardiopulmonary bypass. Some evidence suggests that serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels are increased in patients with mesenteric ischemia; however, an association between PCT and NOMI has not yet been studied. The current study investigates whether elevated serum PCT levels are found in patients exhibiting NOMI. ⋯ Postoperative measurement of PCT seems useful to improve the clinical and noninvasive identification of patients with NOMI after cardiac surgery.
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Increased life expectancy and younger patients' desire to avoid lifelong anticoagulation requires a better understanding of bioprosthetic valve failure. This study evaluates risk factors associated with explantation for structural valve deterioration (SVD) in a long-term series of Carpentier-Edwards PERIMOUNT aortic valves (AV). ⋯ Durability of the Carpentier-Edwards PERIMOUNT aortic valve is excellent even in younger patients. Explant for SVD is related to gradient at implantation, especially in younger patients. Strategies to reduce early postoperative AV gradients, such as root enlargement or more efficient prostheses, should be considered.
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Esophageal duplication cysts are rare and frequently asymptomatic anomalies of the adult gastrointestinal tract that are often misdiagnosed in clinical practice. Identifying the unique features of esophageal duplication cysts is therefore important. ⋯ Enucleation was not feasible, and therefore, esophagectomy was performed. The only long-term side effect that occurred after 44 months of follow-up examinations was slight acid reflux esophagitis.