The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Aug 2015
Editorial CommentIt is still mostly about the mitral valve.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Aug 2015
Pathogenic structural heart changes in early tricuspid regurgitation.
Severe, late functional tricuspid regurgitation is characterized by annulus dilation, right ventricular enlargement, and papillary muscle displacement with leaflet tethering. However, the early stages of mild tricuspid regurgitation and its progression are poorly understood. This study examined structural heart changes in mild, early tricuspid regurgitation. ⋯ Tricuspid annular dilation and right/left atrial enlargement comprise early events in mild functional tricuspid regurgitation. Atrial enlargement occurs before right ventricular dilation, which occurs late, when tricuspid regurgitation is severe. Atrial volume and tricuspid annular dilation are early and sensitive indicators of tricuspid regurgitation significance.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Aug 2015
Comparative StudyCoronary artery bypass grafting in diabetics: A growing health care cost crisis.
To determine 4-decade temporal trends in the prevalence of diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors among patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and to compare in-hospital outcomes, resource utilization, and long-term survival after CABG in diabetics versus nondiabetics. ⋯ Diabetes is both a marker for high-risk, resource-intensive, and expensive care after CABG and an independent risk factor for reduced long-term survival. These issues, coupled with the increasing proportion of patients needing CABG who have diabetes, are a growing challenge in reining in health care costs.