The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · May 2015
Editorial CommentTo a man with a hammer, the world is a nail.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · May 2015
Review Meta AnalysisDiagnostic yield and postoperative mortality associated with surgical lung biopsy for evaluation of interstitial lung diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Surgical lung biopsy plays an important role in providing pathologic results, thus complementing the diagnostic rationale for suspected interstitial lung diseases. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis regarding the diagnostic yield and postoperative mortality rate of surgical lung biopsy in patients with suspected interstitial lung diseases because of the wide variation in previously reported effectiveness and safety concerns. ⋯ We demonstrated a satisfactory diagnostic performance with a favorable safety profile of surgical lung biopsy in the diagnosis of suspected interstitial lung diseases. Surgical lung biopsy is especially recommended in patients with clinical information indicative but atypical of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, whereas the benefit of surgical lung biopsy should be carefully balanced against the risk for patients with immunocompromised status, mechanical ventilation dependence, or severe respiratory dysfunction.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · May 2015
Impact of prior intracoronary stenting on late outcomes of coronary artery bypass surgery in diabetics with triple-vessel disease.
Recent studies have indicated that coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) outcomes in patients with prior stents are suboptimal. We aimed to study the impact of prior percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stenting (PCI-S) on late CABG mortality in diabetic patients with triple-vessel disease. ⋯ Patients who have both diabetes and triple-vessel disease, and have undergone prior PCI-S, have poorer long-term outcomes after CABG compared with those who have had no prior PCI-S.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · May 2015
Ventricular kinetic energy may provide a novel noninvasive way to assess ventricular performance in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot.
Ventricular kinetic energy measurements may provide a novel imaging biomarker of declining ventricular efficiency in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot. Our purpose was to assess differences in ventricular kinetic energy with 4-dimensional flow magnetic resonance imaging between patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot and healthy volunteers. ⋯ Greater ventricular kinetic energy is necessary to generate flow in the pulmonary and aortic circulations in repaired tetralogy of Fallot. Quantification of ventricular kinetic energy in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot is a new observation. Future studies are needed to determine whether changes in ventricular kinetic energy can provide earlier evidence of ventricular dysfunction and guide future medical and surgical interventions.