Cardiovascular Surgery News and Research

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High dose flu vaccines significantly reduce hospitalization risk during influenza season

In the largest nursing home study to date on the effect of high dose flu vaccine, researchers found that shots with four times the strength of standard flu shots significantly reduced the risk of being hospitalized during the influenza season. There was a 1.2 percent difference (19.7 percent versus 20.9 percent) in admission for the group that received the high dose vaccine compared to the one that received the standard dose vaccine.

12 Oct 2015

Postmenopausal women who are not aware of VVA consequences continue to experience pain during sex

Results from qualitative research of postmenopausal women with vulvar and vaginal atrophy (VVA) show that they recognize the significant physical, emotional and psychological consequences of untreated dyspareunia (painful sex) yet they continue to suffer because of misperceptions about the condition and a general lack of understanding about treatment options.

1 Oct 2015

Valtech receives CE Mark approval for Cardioband Mitral Reconstruction System

Valtech Cardio, Ltd.,, an innovator in the development of devices for mitral and tricuspid valve repair and replacement, announced today it has received Conformite Europeenne (CE) Marking for its Cardioband Mitral Reconstruction System (Cardioband), a proprietary, implantable mitral reconstruction device with a transfemoral, transseptal delivery system for mitral valve repair.

14 Sep 2015

New study examines effect of exercise on outcomes for older breast cancer survivors

Physician-scientists at University Hospitals Case Medical Center's Seidman Cancer Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine are leading a new study exploring the impact of exercise on outcomes for older breast cancer survivors.

9 Sep 2015

Proportion of diabetes patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting rises from 7% to 37% in 40 years

In the 40 years between 1970-2010, the proportion of patients with diabetes undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) escalated from 7% to 37%. The results of a large study from Cleveland Clinic just published in The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the official publication of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, documents the five-fold increase in the proportion of patients with diabetes undergoing this procedure between 1970 and 2010.

28 Aug 2015

Seizures are common but not clinically apparent in newborns after cardiac surgery

In 2011, the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society issued a guideline recommending that neonates undergoing cardiac surgery for repair of congenital heart disease be placed on continuous encephalographic (EEG) monitoring after surgery to detect seizures. These recommendations followed reports that seizures are common in this population, may not be detected clinically, and are associated with adverse neurocognitive outcomes.

20 Aug 2015

Open-heart bypass surgery is not an arduous operation, says Loyola surgeon

Less than two months before his daughter Lauren's wedding, Tom Koegler underwent a quadruple bypass heart surgery at Loyola University Medical Center.

19 Aug 2015

Loyola implants new percutaneous aortic heart valve that does not require open surgery

Loyola University Medical Center is the first center in Illinois to implant a new percutaneous aortic heart valve that does not require open heart surgery.

19 Aug 2015

Music therapy reduces anxiety in women undergoing surgical breast biopsies

A first-of-its-kind study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology finds that music therapy lessened anxiety for women undergoing surgical breast biopsies for cancer diagnosis and treatment.

18 Aug 2015

Arterial shunt in hybrid palliation better for hypoplastic left heart syndrome treatment

Children born with the major congenital heart defect hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) often must undergo a series of corrective surgeries beginning at birth. While most have the standard three-stage Norwood procedure, a hybrid strategy has been introduced to offset some disadvantages associated with the Norwood surgeries. In a report in The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, investigators compare whether outcomes can be improved if an arterial shunt is used as a source of pulmonary blood flow rather than the more conventional venous shunt as part of the hybrid strategy of HLHS surgical reconstruction.

14 Aug 2015

Delaying surgery until clinical triggers emerge leads to increased mortality in patients with mitral regurgitation

Patients with mitral regurgitation face a dilemma of whether to undergo corrective surgery early, when they might have no or few symptoms, or wait until their condition worsens. Current guidelines allow for watchful waiting until certain symptoms appear that would then "trigger" the decision to proceed with surgery.

12 Aug 2015

St. Luke’s surgeons first to perform percutaneous Mitral Valve Repair using MitraClip technology

Arthur Decheser said the “doctors were dancing” last week after they successfully used a new device to stop his mitral valve from leaking.

11 Aug 2015

Intraoperative fluorescent imaging detects lung adenocarcinoma during pulmonary resection

More than 80,000 people undergo resection of a pulmonary tumor each year, and currently the only method to determine if the tumor is malignant is histologic analysis. A new study reports that a targeted molecular contrast agent can be used successfully to cause lung adenocarcinomas to fluoresce during pulmonary surgery.

30 Jul 2015

Researchers develop novel technique to generate activated T cells to tackle advanced melanoma

T cells from patients with melanoma can trigger a protective immune response against the disease according to a new study out of University Hospitals Case Medical Center Seidman Cancer Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

8 Jul 2015

Statins benefit patients undergoing major lung resection, lower major complications

Statins have been shown to reduce complications from cardiovascular surgery. To determine whether statins might also help those undergoing major lung surgeries, a team at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center conducted a well-designed study that randomized patients to receive either a statin or placebo before and after surgery.

23 Jun 2015

Implantable antibiotic-laden sponges help prevent sternal wound infections during cardiac surgery

Cardiac surgeons often "crack open" the flat bone that forms the middle front section of the chest, known as the sternum, in order to reach important structures. When a sternal wound infection (SWI) occurs, serious complications and even death may result. Implanting antibiotic-laden sponges between the sternal halves before closure has been adapted to prevent infections.

12 Jun 2015

Physicians at UH Case Medical Center implant revolutionary device to treat right ventricular heart disease

University Hospitals Case Medical Center physicians in the Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute were the first in the state of Ohio to implant a revolutionary device to treat right ventricular heart disease.

5 Jun 2015

ASCO 2015: UH Seidman Cancer Center researchers present data from several new studies

Researchers from University Hospitals Case Medical Center Seidman Cancer Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine will present data from several new studies, including a study evaluating a potential novel combination treatment for cancer patients with advanced solid tumors and a first-of-its-kind analysis of gene mutations in small cell lung cancer (SCLC), at the 51st American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago.

1 Jun 2015

Study finds new colon cancer screening as promising alternative to colonoscopy for African Americans

In a first-of-its-kind clinical trial, physician-scientists at University Hospitals Case Medical Center Seidman Cancer Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine found that a new non-invasive technology for colon cancer screening is a promising alternative to colonoscopy for African Americans.

19 May 2015

Patients with operable early-stage NSCLC could achieve better overall survival rates with SABR

Patients with operable stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) could achieve better overall survival rates if treated with Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) rather than the current standard of care -- invasive surgery -- according to research from a phase III randomized international study from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

15 May 2015