The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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A successful clinical program within either a single institution or a multi-institution complex requires the recruitment and retention of excellent faculty, a strong residency program, a successful, recognized research program, and leaders with administrative, organizational, and leadership skills.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Apr 2001
Comparative StudyBilateral skeletonized internal thoracic artery grafts in patients with diabetes mellitus.
Increased risk of deep sternal infections has prohibited routine bilateral internal thoracic artery grafting in diabetic patients. The technique for harvesting the skeletonized internal thoracic artery provides the potential to minimize this risk. The purpose of this study was to compare the outcome of bypass grafting with bilateral skeletonized internal thoracic arteries in diabetic and nondiabetic patients. ⋯ Bilateral skeletonized internal thoracic artery grafting is a good surgical revascularization option in diabetic patients. Operative mortality and prevalence of sternal infection are comparable with those of nondiabetic patients. However, the risk of sternal infection in obese diabetic women is high, and for them we advocate the use of a single artery instead of bilateral internal thoracic arteries.
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Leading a division or department of cardiothoracic surgery is both a tremendous honor and a significant responsibility. Key to such a position of leadership are committed, functional, and loyal teams focused on the end points of success, and the ability of the leader to develop a strategic vision and to implement a functional operating system.
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To be successful, academic medical centers must exhibit leadership, a strong foundation in science and education, wide-ranging clinical experience, continuous innovation, exemplary service, and an earned reputation for consistently good results.