The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2019
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyTranexamic acid in coronary artery surgery: One-year results of the Aspirin and Tranexamic Acid for Coronary Artery Surgery (ATACAS) trial.
Tranexamic acid reduces blood loss and transfusion requirements in cardiac surgery but may increase the risk of coronary graft thrombosis. We previously reported the 30-day results of a trial evaluating tranexamic acid for coronary artery surgery. Here we report the 1-year clinical outcomes. ⋯ In this trial of patients having coronary artery surgery, tranexamic acid did not affect death or severe disability through to 1 year after surgery. Further work should be done to explore possible beneficial effects on late cardiovascular events.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2019
ReviewConducting high-quality research in cardiothoracic surgical education: Recommendations from the Thoracic Education Cooperative Group.
There is a clear need for improved quality of research publications in the area of cardiothoracic surgical education. With the goals of enhancing the power, rigor, and strength of educational investigations, the Thoracic Education Cooperative Group seeks to outline key concepts in successfully conducting such research. ⋯ Educational research can serve to enhance the practices and careers of current trainees, our scientific community, and thoracic surgical educators. To optimize the quality of such educational research, it is imperative that teachers, innovators, and contributors to academic scholarship in our field familiarize themselves with key steps in conducting educational studies.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2019
Comparative StudyIn vitro comparison of the hemocompatibility of two centrifugal left ventricular assist devices.
Shear stress from left ventricular assist devices induces von Willebrand factor degradation and platelet dysfunction, leading to nonsurgical bleeding. We characterized the hemostatic changes induced by 2 centrifugal left ventricular assist devices, the HeartMate 3 (Abbott Inc, Chicago, Ill) and the EVAHEART (Evaheart Inc, Houston, Tex), for comparison. ⋯ The EVAHEART left ventricular assist device caused less hemolysis, resulted in lower coagulation activation, and provided better preservation of von Willebrand factor functional activity compared with the HeartMate 3 device. These findings prove that left ventricular assist device design plays a major role in minimizing blood damage during left ventricular assist device support.