Cardiovascular Surgery News and Research

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New procedure allows surgeons to reconstruct entire heart valves from patient’s own tissue

A new method allows surgeons to reconstruct entire heart valves from the patient’s own tissue. This surgical procedure is currently only used at a handful of centers in the world.

30 Sep 2017

New study aims to provide clarification on concurrent surgery of mitral and tricuspid valves

Insufficiency (leakage) of the mitral valve in the left side of the heart can also lead to tricuspid valve insufficiency in the right side of the heart.

16 Aug 2017

Researchers uncover novel role for Gata4 in reducing post-heart attack fibrosis

During a heart attack, blood stops flowing into the heart; starved for oxygen, part of the heart muscle dies.

14 Aug 2017

University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center named one of nation's best hospitals for 2017–18

University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center once again has been recognized as one of the nation's best hospitals for 2017–18 by U.S. News & World Report.

8 Aug 2017

High dose flu vaccine reduces risk of respiratory and all-cause hospitalizations, study finds

In the largest nursing home study to date on the effect of a high dose (HD) flu vaccine, researchers found that vaccines with four times the antigen of standard flu (SD) vaccines significantly reduced the risk of respiratory and all-cause hospitalization during flu season.

21 Jul 2017

Advanced lung cancer patients get survival benefit with use of concurrent chemotherapy, proton therapy

For patients with advanced, inoperable stage 3 lung cancer, concurrent chemotherapy and the specialized radiation treatment, proton therapy, offers improved survival compared to historical data for standard of care, according to a new study from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

20 Jul 2017

Calif. hits nerve by singling out cardiac surgeons with higher patient death rates

Michael Koumjian, a heart surgeon for nearly three decades, said he considered treating the sickest patients a badge of honor. The San Diego doctor was frequently called upon to operate on those who had multiple illnesses or who'd undergone CPR before arriving at the hospital.

17 Jul 2017

TempTraq can detect rise in body temperature earlier than current SOC method, study shows

A University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center study shows TempTraq, a patented, wearable, Bluetooth continuous temperature monitor in the form of a soft, comfortable patch, can detect a rise in body temperature up to 180 minutes earlier, in a majority of patient cases, than the current standard-of-care method.

14 Jun 2017

Therapeutic small molecules safely prevent blood clots without excessive bleeding

It may be possible to disrupt harmful blood clots in people at risk for heart attack or stroke without increasing their risk of bleeding, according to a new study published in Nature Communications.

31 May 2017

DAWN trial: Mechanical thrombectomy plus medication significantly decreases post-stroke disability

Results from the DAWN stroke trial presented at the European Stroke Organization Conference provide compelling evidence that selected patients suffering a major ischemic stroke recovered significantly better with mechanical retrieval of the blood clot with medical therapy compared with medical therapy alone when initiated past the current guidelines of within 6 hours and up to 24 hours of the stroke.

18 May 2017

New study uncovers medical diagnoses that may elevate person's risk of developing AKI

A new study has uncovered various medical diagnoses that may elevate an individual's risk of developing acute kidney injury (AKI) while in the hospital.

12 May 2017

UAB symposium highlights use of tissue engineering to repair broken hearts

The third annual Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering Symposium met at the University of Alabama at Birmingham last month, a gathering of noted physicians and scientists who share the goal of creating new tissues and new knowledge that can prevent or repair heart disease and heart attacks.

9 May 2017

Study: Patients operated by higher volume mitral surgeons experience lower mortality and reoperations

Surgeons who perform more than 25 mitral valve operations a year are more likely to perform repairs that are durable, and their patients are more likely to be alive a year after the operation, than when operations are performed by lower-volume surgeons, an Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai study has found.

3 May 2017

AATS releases new Consensus Statement for better management of empyema

To better manage empyema in the face of rising demand for treatment, the American Association for Thoracic Surgery Guidelines Committee called for the formation of the Empyema Management Guidelines Working Group.

20 Apr 2017

AATS consensus statement offers guidance on surgical ablation for treatment of atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm that can cause an increased risk of stroke, affects approximately 2.2 million Americans each year. According to projections, that number is set to double in the next 25 years.

19 Apr 2017

AATS guidelines offer clear recommendations for treating ischemic mitral regurgitation

Mitral regurgitation can occur in up to 50% of patients with ischemic heart disease and even mild ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) has been linked to increased long-term mortality.

18 Apr 2017

Penn scientists discover method that appears to provide early warning of transplant rejection

Approximately 30,000 organ transplants occur in the United States each year. However, between 20 and 50 percent—depending on the organ type—of the transplanted organs fail within five years, most often because the recipient's immune system attacks, or "rejects," the donated organ.

21 Mar 2017

Widely adopted blood transfusion practice may not benefit non-trauma patients, MGH study suggests

A study from investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital finds that a blood transfusion practice previously studied only in patients with severe traumatic injuries has been widely adopted within the hospital for surgical patients without traumatic injuries.

9 Mar 2017

UCF scientist finds new way to use light for monitoring patient's blood during life-and-death surgeries

A University of Central Florida professor has invented a way to use light to continuously monitor a surgical patient's blood, for the first time providing a real-time status during life-and-death operations.

28 Feb 2017

New study reveals potential drug to combat life-threatening effects of COPD

New research published online in The FASEB Journal reveals a potential drug to combat the life-threatening effects of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

13 Feb 2017