The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Jan 2019
Predicting lymph node metastasis for endoscopic resection of superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
The aims of this study were to identify risk factors for lymph node metastasis and develop a reliable risk stratification system. ⋯ We developed a risk stratification system that should facilitate the identification of patients with a high or low risk of lymph node metastasis. This may aid the precise selection of patients who can undergo endoscopic resection.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Jan 2019
A novel role of endothelial autophagy as a regulator of myocardial fatty acid oxidation.
We sought to determine if endothelial autophagy affects myocardial energy metabolism. ⋯ Disruption of endothelial autophagy reduces cardiac fatty acid storage and dampens reliance on fatty acid oxidation as a cardiac fuel source. The autophagy network represents a novel target for designing new strategies aimed at resetting perturbed myocardial bioenergetics.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Jan 2019
Proximal aortic surgery in the elderly population: Is advanced age a contraindication for surgery?
The study objective was to describe the clinical outcomes of elderly patients undergoing ascending aortic surgery. ⋯ After adjusting for these comorbidities, the cause of aortic disease, and the type of procedure, age was not an independent predictor of operative mortality, but was strongly associated with reduced late survival. Thus, advanced age alone should not be an absolute contraindication for ascending aortic surgery.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Jan 2019
Risk of stroke early after implantation of a left ventricular assist device.
Stroke is one of the major adverse events after left ventricular assist device implantation. Risk of stroke is the highest immediately after left ventricular assist device implantation and then increases again in chronic periods. There is no study that has analyzed risk factors for stroke in acute phase. We investigated the risk factors for stroke in the acute phase after left ventricular assist device implantation in the present study. ⋯ Our study demonstrated that patients with perioperative lower cardiac output and higher lactate dehydrogenase level developed stroke in the acute phase after left ventricular assist device implantation. These results suggested that maintenance of sufficient left ventricular assist device flow is important in prevention of stroke, which may be related to subclinical pump thrombosis.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Jan 2019
Thirty-year experience with a bileaflet mechanical valve prosthesis.
The objective was to evaluate the long-term outcomes of the St Jude Medical (Saint Paul, Minn) mechanical valve prosthesis implantation. ⋯ Annual follow-up of all of our patients receiving a St Jude Medical mechanical valves prosthesis has allowed better identification valve-related issues and events. After 3 decades of observation with close follow-up, the St Jude Medical mechanical valve continues to be a reliable prosthesis.